Editor, The Commercial:
When exactly can enough be enough? Not yet!
And now we have similar despondency to GFPB (Go Forward Pine Bluff) occurring with the vote on the proposed new school. Does it make you wonder who might have their fingers crossed behind their back when making critical declarations about a position on the tax referendums?
What we know for sure is we have a dwindling population in a city voted #1 for being “Most Miserable.” Just Great! For clarification, similarities of the top 10 cities in this unsolicited competition is — endless blight and a poverty level nearing 30% of its population.
So what plan does our leadership present to make us forever a “Happy Place”? Afraid a Go-Kart track or movie theater funded by your tax dollars aren’t going to address either.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
GFPB leadership has challenged the belief that there has been no income generated from the millions it has invested/spent. In their efforts to get religion and be transparent (more?), have they ever disclosed exactly how much return the city has made on these millions? We can make at least .05% on our money just sitting at a bank, or if invested in Treasuries, something like 100 times more than that.
Now, back to the movies. How many years ago did we have multiple theaters? Covid can be blamed, but it only made their demise official. And on the city owning a theater — I’m afraid the couple carloads headed to theaters in Monticello or Little Rock does not sustain a viable theater business and will also compete with the weekly couple carload of Go-Kart dollars. Think it can? What’s your vote?
For another refresher — “socialism is a political philosophy and movement encompassing a wide range of economic and social systems which are characterized by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to capitalism — private ownership.” Which way are we leaning?
On a somber note, but with a touch of reality and hopefully a wake-up call, we all are faced with end-of-life decisions. Now, back to the case at hand — do we prolong the inevitable by spending millions again to sustain old dilapidated buildings, or preferably, decide where we go from here for a bigger, better tomorrow? Pine Bluff is home to only 1 of something like 5 remaining early era theaters out of several hundred initially built. Apparently others got it figured out in time. Come on Pine Bluff!
Did we just wake up to blight, crime, dwindling population? Nope! And with GFPB’s questionable transparency and credibility from alleged fund improprieties and questionable spending, they for sure are not the answer.
How many football coaches has UAPB had in the past 10-15 years? Don’t recall any having been dismissed for lack of effort. The name of the game is — Just Win Baby! Why do we need someone with a PhD. to figure out from which pocket to spend our money? Remind you of the old shell game? Oh! Guess we have seen a casualty or two having not figured that one out, that’s why.
Is our vision one of a sustainable economy with continuous job growth (capitalism) or one tying an anchor to our leg called higher taxes for years to come? Let’s right the ship for a better tomorrow and end the ongoing expenses associated with GFPB and set our sights on a new, sustainable vision.
Mike Lankford,
Pine Bluff