Fort Smith and the Big Smell.                                                     July 26, 2010

The economic toxic smell emanating from the Fort City Government is intensifying. Government expansion, expansion, expansion, no matter the conditions.

Deputy Administrator Ray Gosack is the guy who stated he was “too busy to determine if the businesses hired by the city were hiring illegals”—while a state law dealing with the hiring of illegals goes unattended, and he already has the “prepared food tax” spent should citizens be simple-minded enough to pass said tax.

The Marshall’s Museum was sold as a private donation endeavor, however: Sebastian County has already provided $115, 071 in taxpayer monies to the embryonic civil rights museum.   The museum Director has made a request for $100,000 in cash (?) from the city of Fort Smith and an ongoing $250,000 per year provided the “prepared food” tax passes (a slush fund).   It appears that this nearly $500,000 taxpayer “contribution” to the museum is to subsidize the so-called “private” endeavor’s SIX fundraisers/employees.

So much for honesty.

Enter Richard Griffin and his “Sustained Development” government program operating under the aegis of the Ft. Smith Housing Authority/New Market Tax Credits, which is one of numerous federal government endeavors to “stack ‘em & pack ‘em” and curtailing citizens’ freedoms while Griffin and his minions benefit economically from government exploitation. What percentage of the population benefits from these grandiose edifices, and how many would willingly donate their money for such endeavors?

Not to be left out is the “economic dog” called the Ft. Smith Convention Center, a loser by any standard. Privately owned venues are aplenty throughout the city.  As citizens understand and letters to the editor attest, if there is to be a Marshall’s Museum let it occupy the Civic Center and pay rent. The question then becomes, are there insider deals that would prevent the above from becoming a reality?

You boys just don’t seem to be able to get it through your self-serving skulls, we are in a depression and in the midst of the above you have allowed our city to become an undocumented sanctuary city for illegal aliens. Would you boys like to tell us the cost of their presence in the matter of healthcare, food, incarceration, translators, education, Anchor Babies?…you get my drift. 

Fix the streets and sewers, get off the taxpaying producers’ backs and leave the street tax alone!

Kindest regards,

Joe McCutchen

Fort Smith