Letter to the Editor

Now what?

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Dear Editor,

This past Tuesday our citizens voted very strongly against a 1% sales tax, 2-1. It landed with a loud thud, and for those who were proponents of the tax, it was probably a great setback in their eyes.

So what now?

As a pastor, I have the honor of leading a very large, diverse congregation and I have parishioners who were for the tax and strongly against it. I rarely weigh in on a public level concerning politics or city policy, but I feel the urge to bring clarity to our community.

One, it's time for Blytheville to work together, and our maturity lies in demonstrating our civility and camaraderie, instead of our differences.

To our Mayor and City Council, it's time we stand taller and begin to work with all of our citizens and develop consensus building on every level.

I believe all of Blytheville wants a better Blytheville and the tax being voted down does not indict the people of Blytheville, but the plan of our leaders.

Blytheville has some major obstacles, our population is decreasing, our infrastructure is aging, our crime rate is rising and our revenue is dropping. Its time we give people facts, figures, and options. The Mayor and all City Council members need to put the tax and previous elections behind them and clean the slate. We need strong leaders who can differ and debate with passion on the real issues, gain common ground, build consensus, and not walk away divided and destructive.

We may not see eye to eye, but we can walk hand in hand. I would challenge our civic and community leaders to get in a room, prioritize the issues of our community: crime, quality of living, infrastructure, leadership development, commerce, education, safety, etc. and tackle every issue with clear vision, direction, and strategy.

To our community, it's time we take personal responsibility of our family, neighborhood, and community. If the citizens want a community center, Jonesboro is a great testimony of what happens when citizens unite and build and operate a non-profit community center, City Youth. Collectively, we don't have to wait for a tax to pass to build a community center or add playground equipment to our parks or start Neighborhood watches. What we need is team players and active participants who will bring people together and believe the best in people, instead of assuming the worst.

Finally, Proverbs 13:12, Hope differed makes one sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. Our community needs to see some visible changes to our way of living. Hope is not the same as wishing. Wishing needs no evidence and it holds no merit. Hope is developed through evidence, signs of progress, and glimmers of change. It's time we all change our tactics and methods, old doors don't lead to new paths. The change begins with us all, and if we will change and challenge our methods and mindsets, we will begin the process of bringing hope back to our city.

-- Pastor Paul Strong

Wellspring Church