A pox of this tax, or a tax of this pox, (twist of Falstaff’s line of Act 1, Scene 2 of Shakespeare’s Henry IV, part 2)
We should, as these editorials all attest, vote “yes” to all four of Fayetteville’s tiny tax increases. Northwest Arkansas Times, and the Demzette. Should the Morning News publish a local opinion, I will update with the link (even though this month the Web site again is hostile to all but the latest browsers).
Ordinarily, realistic people should hate and resent sales taxes. In Arkansas, they often are proposed because they are the easiest — relatively — to get approved. But here it is a way to even the obligation. Lots of non-residents use our streets; they should pay for the listed improvements, too. Our rapidly growing area, not just city, has taken a toll on the long-planned sewer project; it needs a boost of bucks to get it built, which can be gained by two of the checkmarks.
The fourth is to help complete the trail system through the city. Even the Demzette even endorses this one, explaining Fayetteville is the cultural center of the Arkansas Ozarks.
I’d note that ending last week was a month of regular unleaded gasoline costing about $3 a gallon; while lots of us commute all over the place, the need for “greener” commuting only will grow. Several people I know have grumbled about career options, not to mention considering trading to a smaller vehicle, to save money. One colleague has followed through and has a job close to home lined up.
Building trails, like constructing roads, never will shrink in price. Our main streets are terrors for bicyclists. Many older neighborhoods and newer subdivisions have conned out their obligation to set sidewalks for pedestrians. While Rogers turns itself into Houston, Fayetteville can just become a bigger Fayetteville. -30-
