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A city divided cannot stand
To the editor:
Recently there have been so many complaints concerning our city and city officials; especially with the taxes the city owes the IRS. I agree that there should be accountability as to what happened that the taxes were not paid. I too, like others, don't want to pay anymore taxes, but at the same time I know we need to do something to help our city rise above this and move forward. I voted for the taxes because I do not believe that our city should not be a productive place to live. I believe that we as citizens have a right to know what the unpaid tax money was spent on. But at the same time, we need to do something to continue to aide in the progress of our city.
We may be upset with a few individuals who were elected as city officials to run this city; perhaps we didn't ask questions soon enough. I read in the paper where certain individuals may be held accountable, but I have another question to ask: What about the committee that was over the city finances, how did they miss it? Perhaps if some of the members of the Council had held the committee regularly and spent less time trying to bring each other down by promoting their own agenda, then just maybe we wouldn't be in this situation.
Mayor Sanders has been mayor for one year. Why would anyone think that he could solve all the city problems that occurred over the years? Tell the truth, some progress has been made under this administration, perhaps more could have been made if he (the mayor) had not come in trying to put out fires that he didn't start and has not been allotted enough time to accomplish more.
I have another question; this is related to the candidates that ran for mayor and shared with the citizens their great ideas on how to move this city forward. Have these former candidates made an appointment with Mayor Sanders to share those ideas with him? Or were they really that concerned, or did they just want to be Blytheville's mayor?
My next question is why do we have elected Council members if we feel that we need to take our problems directly to the mayor? Is there not a system in place which informs us to take our concerns to our elected Council person who represents our ward? Also, shouldn't there be order in all meetings?
There are many other issues that I would like to talk about, such as the NAACP, education, crime, violence, poor streets, run-down neighborhoods and last but not least, jobs. However, time will not permit me to do so now.
I believe this city is made up of many educated and intelligent people who have been here for years, and some for most of their lives. I consider it an insult to our intelligence for a handful of people, who think that they know and can do more for this city than we can, and it took them locating here for us to get involved in what is going on. To my fellow citizens, let us get up, stand up and speak up for what is right. More importantly, let us get more positively involved. We have some serious problems in this city that are going to take prayer and faith in God to help us solve them, and division will never solve them. It is going to take unity and community, help in crime prevention, help and encourage our children to stay in school and help cleaning the areas closest to us of litter, just to name a few things we can do. Please let us unite, for a city divided cannot and will not stand. Instead of us being the problem, let us find ways to be the solution. There are many positive things happening in Blytheville.
It is my prayer to God that he will have mercy on each of us as we, who are called by his name, will turn from our wicked ways, seek his face first and then he will hear our prayers, forgive our sins and heal our city, state and nation. Because the prayers of the righteous availed much.