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Local politicians far from earning this voter's trust
To the editor:
I have noticed several articles lately in the Courier News that reports that the mayor and some of the City Council have thanked the voters for their trust in the debacle over the "missing" $2.2 million from the last administration. I do not know where these people came up with the idea of me "trusting" them, because every elected official in this town has my full unadulterated contempt for their incompetent antics.
I have yet to hear that the mayor and City Council has voted out the ridiculous 10-year retirement plan for elected crooks. That will be one step to getting my "trust."
The next step would be to prosecute the ex-mayor for the missing money. He was in charge, the money is missing, therefore he is guilty. He now claims to know who took the money and he will "fess up" if the city pays his legal fees. He should be charged as an accessory to the crime for withholding evidence. Prosecute him for these crimes against the citizens of this city, try him with a jury of his peers (citizens of Blytheville) and that would be a step toward getting my "trust."
The prostituting attorney who has declined to prosecute this case should be held responsible by being kicked out of office. I don't think the voters of this area are smart enough to vote him out. But, getting him out of office would be a start to getting my "trust."
Eliminate this ridiculous "industrial development tax." Only about 25 percent of the jobs created are filled by taxpayers of Mississippi County. It seems the most of the money from this tax is enriching the politicians of the county rather than improving life here. I think most of the industry that comes to the county does it for the money and knowing that the politicians are more interested in enriching themselves than fairly representing the people of the county. Other than a very few in this town, can anyone really say that things are better now than they were before the steel mills? Eliminate this onerous tax and that would be a step toward getting my "trust."
Hire a qualified person to market and administer the air base property. The "loser in charge" now is letting a real asset rot down in front of our very eyes. Money keeps being poured down the rathole of the airplane repair facility and no returns are being accrued to the people of the county. Get this property back in shape and that will be a step in getting my "trust."
And, speaking of ratholes, how much taxpayer money is going to be continued to be wasted on the golf course and hospital? It is time to let these properties go on their own or go away. Eliminating these dogs would be another step to getting back my "trust."
The politicians of this county should really be proud of the job they have done. The population is down, more jobs are being filled from outside the county, the infrastructure sucks, and the tax rate is almost the highest in the state. Our crime rate continues to be among the highest in the state and our schools rate the lowest. Until some of these issues are addressed and corrected, the politicians in the city and county can be assured they will continue to rate my contempt. And the fool who came up with the "Let's do the right thing" when the missing $2.2 million was first announced, can be assured he is in the loser category also.
My name and city are listed below. Any politician seeking reelection needs to do me a favor and not contact me for a vote. And if I run into a current office holder, do not shake my hand. I am tired of being slimed by your kind!