Arkansas Blog

At least the story makes a lie of the usual NRA argument that criminals don't register guns.

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No more parking lots in the park!

If that is the second best choice, I'd just bulldoze the ball field and plant grass.

Sure, UAMS needs space. So do Stephens, and St. Vincent's and Regions. They build parking decks instead of metastasizing black spaces across the neighborhood.
Unfortunately, they have one dysfunctional parking deck, but it is such a miserable excuse for a lot perhaps they HAVE forfeited their right to buildnymore.

They are already losing 56 million dollars this year. Just stick another 100 million in the next budget and build a 28 story parking deck. With luck it might be the Walker-Jones- Walton-Stephens-Rockerfeller-Smith=McCabe tower and be listed int he Guiness Book of Records as the largest lot in the world. Shoot you might even be able to give tours and charge.

Just leave the park green.

Meanwhile, I'll blow another horn for you. Over on streetjazz Richard Drake is waxing historic:

"Washington County Activists: Clap 'em in Irons!
Written by Richard S. Drake

"You're fooling yourselves if you think the citizens who come to Quorum Court meetings are reflective of the citizens of the county. Many of them are here to try to influence you based on a show of group support." - Charles Johnson, Washington County Judge, March, 1991

You should be ashamed of yourselves. You've been incredible pests, distracting our elected officials from their duties. "

blue name

I almost blew coffee out me nose when I saw credit given to the Times in this morning's Democrat.

Is someone asleep at the switch over there? They allowed the AP's reference of "a weekly newspaper" instead of changing it to " a free weekly tabloid paid for by ads for escort services"? I guess they can't use words like now that they put out Stync. Synk. Sink. Whatever.

Max,
Good on ya - and the editorial - for featuring the zoo issue. This is a no brainer (even if a financially challenging one - there are ways to work through that) for the City. Based on all this decision represents from so many perspectives, if they blow this one, they will send a message loud and clear to a community that undeniably supports and values this zoo that the City cares about what it wants, not what the people they represent want. Their recent attempt to plant the seed that selling the space for financial gain is what the community might really want is shocking - as if nobody had ever thought of the possibility that land could be sold!
What this issue needs is more public voice (in addition to all those paid admissions, repeat visits and general success of the zoo, all of which speak for themselves as far as whether the zoo is a destination worthy of further commitment). And it needs public voice sooner rather than later - not after it is too late and the City can push other plans through saying "what's done is done."
I hope you and this blog will give it greater voice...and that you will highlight the issue more often. Perhaps let people know about the on-line petition they can sign to support this.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/give-ray-winder-field-to-the-little-rock-zoo
That way, the City can never say that they didn't hear the public's opinion, or try to replace what they want the public opinion to be to serve a certain desired outcome. And I would again remind the City that the zoo's status as most visited destination in the City should go a long way to demonstrate what the public really wants here.
If they don't do anything else, I hope they will just be thoughtful.