Misuse of taxes

Dear editor: An article in The Sentinel-Record stated that City Manager Bill Burrough and the city of Hot Springs would address the issue of city street repairs. There are potholes, bad repairs, and even a few “craters” on our streets — the result of inattention for many years. If my dentist were to look at the city streets, he would see so many cavities that he would advise more than just a few repairs and flossing.

I am insulted that an outsider has been called in (for an undisclosed amount of remuneration) to identify where the potholes, bad repairs, and craters might be. This clearly annotates the incompetence of city employees who should know this. It also clearly annotates the spending of money (like the proverbial drunken sailor) on items that do not directly provide remedy or solution.

This misuse of taxpayer money (for a report showing where the potholes are) goes along with the theory that the city can make a $10 per household profit on the collection of garbage. (They charge $19 per month per household, for 15,000 or more households, while the contract cost is only

$9 or so per month). This theory of gouging the public for money is also repulsive when the Advertising and Promotion Commission charges locals a 3% “hamburger tax” when we eat out. Locals provide at least

80% of this tax which is used for artwork for the hiking trails and a nice retirement fund for the head of the A&P Commission. Just another way to sneak money out of our residents.

The worst problem with the city streets is the unsophisticated and inadequate patching and repair by the various utility companies that tear up our streets with random abandonment — knowing that their inadequate repairs go unnoticed and they will not be held accountable.

I would like to see some accountability by the city to the taxpayers for the maintenance of our infrastructure. It surely does not cost the city $150,000 per month to supervise the garbage pickup contract — and those funds could easily be spent on street repairs.

The A&P Commission does not spend its monthly revenues of $800,000 (and more) on advertising to promote tourism. This is just another way to gouge the locals. They enjoy telling us that they need these funds to adequately provide maintenance to the Hot Springs Convention Center and arena — but the facts that they have about $10,000,000 cash in reserve and ample funds to do things that do not directly attract tourists indicates that they have too much money. I would suggest that the A&P Commission could funnel $500,000 per month for street repairs.

Anyone can drive anywhere in town and see where the problems are. The hiring of an outside firm is just an arrogant misuse of our taxes — along with overcharges by the Water Department and the A&P Commission. John Grillo Hot Springs