Arkansas Blog

Max, just what do you have against North Little Rock? Did a girl from the north side of the river break your heart in high school? Or did a football jock from here beat you up or humiliate you in your youth? No matter what you think, your precious city of Little Rock (and Hillcrest) is no better or worse than North Little Rock.

You consistently find fault with everything from our sports facilities to our shopping malls. And honestly it just makes you sound like a bitter old man. So, I challenge you to find (and report) just as many positive things about North Little Rock as you do negative. Or you could just stay openly biased and remain the curmudgeon that you appear to be.

ARK. BLOG: I once lived in NLR. It was low cost and pleasant. I harbor no ill will. I don't like 1) tax giveaways to wealthy developers and retail chains that harm other competitors IN north little rock; 2) I don't like the junk navy. It's an aesthetic abomination. 3) same for an RV park across the river from the Clinton Library.

I like Alltel and the baseball park fine. But I don't think the operators should be given carte blanche to take over public right of ways or abuse people who use the parking lots (as happened in one infamous pending case).

I also think it's nuts to borrow money to reduce electric rates, as Hays once proposed. I've never liked the idea of funding municipal frivolities -- mothball fleets, shopping center subsidies -- with a tax on a necessity of life, electricity.

That's for starters. But I'd note, too, that I'm mostly linking to a couple of NLR websites, operated by people who live there, who share some of these views.

JustaGirl,

I believe the ire is directed at Commander Hayes in this - and most - instances where negativity is directed north of the river. A Scrap Navy, tens-of-thousands for studying noise reduction possibilities of a much-improved section of interstate which happens to run near Commander's back yard, as well as hare-brained ideas as to what will improve quality of life and economic opportunities in NLR leave much to be desired as far as practical and progressive leadership. Hayes' ideas would be more at home in a city with a tax base 5-10 times the size of NLR; and, let's be honest - NLR taxes to fund these schemes are going to most severely hit NLR residents, not weekend shoppers/visitors, so you can't really count the entire region when talking in terms of population.

I regret the move I made to NLR nearly every day when I contemplate my electric rates and the utter crap my tax dollars are paying for under the guise of economic development (i.e., new baseball stadium, the Gravy Navy, possibly TIF for Bass Pro, etc.) I would rather have a local editorialist utterly ranting about the leadership in NLR on a daily basis than an ass-kissing contest between Hayes and the Times. Seems to me that someone needs to tell the Commander he's headed for an iceberg.

ARK. BLOG: Don't forget the nutty drone helicopters. And a police force more devoted to entrapping Internet predators in foreign countries than using sound tactics when busting up and shooting guys apparently guilty primarily of possessing broken digital scales.

Dear Wacked,

There is nothing stopping you from moving back to the south side of the river. It was nice having you here and I wish you the best of luck.

Regards,
Justa Girl

Nobody likes Patrick Henry Hays (no e) other than the majority of the voters for the past 20 years. That's called democracy.

Only ignorant trashy rednecks would place an RV park on the banks of the Arkansas river in a major downtown area.

Wow, JustaGirl, you managed to evoke two Republican silencing devices - the "with us or against us" directed against Max for posting a story putting NLR in bad light, and the "love it or leave it" strain in your reply to me. To ruther hone your skillz: http://anncoulter.com/.

The Clinton Library folks have been looking for an RV park since the second month it was open. Of course NO ONE in LR City Hall has lifted a finger to help. RVers, esp. the full timers, are curious folks but they are no redneck class. Most of the RVs are in the $300,000 to $500,000 range, some are even more. Myself, I still aspire to a GEM camper shell to add to my 82 Dodge pickemup. I stick to the KOAs, you wouldnt catch me campin out downtown with all the rich folk in their RVs equipped marble & granite tubs and kitchens& 3 flatscreen teevees. Rednecks...they wish.

But I digress...in spite of Max's prejudices against Hizzonner, Patrick and NLR have been making history by filling needs that LR refuses to meet...the arena, the ballpark, the trolley barn, patriotic museums that happen to float, first class (and Class I) bike trails, and now a humble RV park. No, Patrick doesnt want to make a homeless center out of downtown...who does? But maybe some of you can recall when LR decided a brand-spanking new Greyhound Bus Terminal did not meet ITS definition of downtown. It was located where the new Chamber is now. But back then, LR just gave Greyhound a Get Out of Town By Sunset order, and NLR took in the Greyhound station. LR needed the land for ...a parking lot for about 15 years before it finally got the Chamber to rebuild there. And NLR took in Central Arkansas Transit...LR would not let it build anywhere that made sense, offering it only the worst of white elephant properties in the 80s. Again, NLR cleared the way and now it sits next to one of the best examples of a reclaimed affordable housing neighborhood in the nation.
Let the critics criticize, let the doers do.

Here, here, JustaGirl, don't fret too much about ole Max. He's a pretty good fella, but like the rest of us, could use a good old fashioned saltwater enema now and then. Just so ya know, little lady, there's at least one ole LR boy who happens to like NLR a lot. That'd be me, darlin'. I always enjoy going over to NLR. When it comes to the river front, the RV park across from the Clinton Library IS a speck over the top, but I love the junkyard navy!

The submarine tour is neater'n all get-out (eat your heart out Memphis and Cincinnati) and the Arkansas Queen dinner cruises up and down the river are a great option for an outing. What's not to love about the resurgence of NLR's downtown, its growing list of good restaurants, the new ball park, and all the goings-on at the arena, to say nothing of the great antique shopping NLR offers? And is there a more splendid view of Little Rock's downtown or the Capitol than from NLR's Cherry Hill, Skyline Drive, or the Ft. Roots campus? Put ole Durango down as one who's mighty proud to have ya and yer town fer a neighbor, lady.

The City of Little Rock can start a new "RVs for the Homeless" program, and send them back across the river.

"Dogtown likes dollars, not homeless" No kidding!?! I think you just described every municipality in the country.