Times Editorial : Think twice

Some seven days ago, the Fayetteville School District Board of Education seemingly had its hat handed to them in surprising and somewhat embarrassing fashion. The University of Arkansas, potential buyer of the high school’s 40-acre campus, took its $50 million-and-not-acent-more offer off the table. - Thursday, August 28, 2008

Guest Commentary : California children still considered state property

BY THOMAS A. BOWDEN Ayn Rand Institute

In a decision being widely hailed as a victory for parental rights, a Los Angeles County court has confirmed, grudgingly, that homeschooling “is permitted under California statutes.” In so ruling, the court reversed an earlier decision that ordered the parents of “Rachel L.” to send her away to a public or private school, where she could get a “legal education.” But where’s the real victory for parents’ rights? Rights identify actions you can take without permission. A true victory would have been a judicial declaration that parents have an absolute right to control their children’s upbringing — and that they therefore don’t need government permission to educate their children as they see fit. - Thursday, August 28, 2008

Letters to the editor

Republican smear campaign du jour Once again Lucas Roebuck plays out the Republican smear campaign du jour. He should be more careful about calling people liars (August 21). I found much more information about Illinois abortion votes than Roebuck told us in just halfan-hour online with sources such as the Chicago Tribune, New York Times and a transcript of the Illinois Senate session, March 30, 2001. Either Roebuck didn’t do his homework, or he thinks the end justifies the means, which is to mislead a public that doesn’t understand the ins and outs of legal maneuvering and constitutional law. - Thursday, August 28, 2008

Times Editorial : At all costs

As the twin towers fell from the heavens seven years ago this September, Americans around the world could feel the proverbial gloves coming off the federal government. Despite being dragged kicking and screaming into an era defined by the constant threat of terrorism, there was no doubt that the United States would respond to the crisis, and forcefully at that. - Wednesday, August 27, 2008

TABLE FOR ONE : Rethinking liberalism

Grady Jim Robinson GradyJim@aol.com

There is an old saying: “If the horse is dead — get off!” It appears the political movement sometimes called neo-conservatism is dead and the corpse is beginning to stink. Please, can we get off now? Eeeuuweee! - Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Guest Commentary : Egypt stifles debate in the United States

BY BAYANN HAMID Minuteman Media

The Egyptian regime has once again succeeded in stifling freedom of speech, this time not in Egypt, but in the United States. Earlier this month, an Egyptian court convicted a prominent Egyptian-American activist for his outspoken criticism of the regime’s poor human rights record in the American public forum. The court accused Saad Eddin Ibrahim, of “tarnishing Egypt’s image” abroad. The conviction referred primarily to writings he published in the foreign press; most notable among them an August 2007 op-ed in The Washington Post in which he criticized Egypt’s human rights record and questioned the reasons behind U.S. aid to Egypt. - Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Times Editorial : Devils and details

Money transferred hands on Monday when Washington County officials finalized an agreement to take control of the Terminella Building (which sits across the street and just south of the Washington County Courthouse) for $4.5 million. - Tuesday, August 26, 2008

JUST A THOUGHT : Go, Tigers, go!

Scott Shackelford scotts@nwarktimes.com

On Saturday, more than 70,000 spectators covered in red and white clothing will cram themselves into Reynolds Razorback Stadium to watch the new head coach work his special magic against Western Illinois. Thousands more across the Natural State will be listening intently to what’s going on via the radio. Mass tailgating, high-fives and enthusiasm for what the future of the program may hold will be in evidence everywhere you look. It’s going to be a lot of fun. - Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Letters to the editor

A lottery means the right to decide Usually I agree with everything Lowell Grisham says in his columns, but I can’t agree with his latest tirade on the lottery. Grisham, as does many religious leaders, seems to think that poor people not only don’t have much money, but that they are idiots too. Every time I have read an article about some religious leader speaking out against the lottery it’s always about how the poor people don’t have sense enough to know that the lottery is a high risk game. They all say that the poor people will buy lottery tickets instead of paying their rent and other necessary bills. - Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Times Editorials : Overly complicated

To quote Tuesday’s edition, “The Policies and Procedures subcommittee of the city’s Telecommunications Board is preparing a proposal that would establish a Fairness Committee to “monitor all Government Channel programming for adherence to policy regarding coverage, priority and procedure.” For the record, this thoughtful proposal is a bad idea, one that needs to be dumped ASAP. - Monday, August 25, 2008

CROSS CURRENTS : All fired up

Fran Alexander frana@nwarktimes.com

There’s a hard race being run here in Arkansas — and it will take Olympian skill for the environment to win this one. A documentary film narrated by Robert Redford, “Fighting Goliath,” was shown at the library earlier this month. It chronicled how citizens, mayors, ranchers, environmental groups, CEOs, lawyers, etc. came together in Texas to oppose the construction of 18 coal-burning utility plants planned for their state. - Monday, August 25, 2008

Letters to the editor

Lotteries aren’t the best bet In his opposition to a state-sponsored lottery, Lowell Grisham, as usual, got it just right. Using a lottery to fund scholarships is a bad idea. Three further questions come to mind. - Monday, August 25, 2008

Way to be assertive

Lots of times the budgeting process is incredibly boring. (Surprise, surprise.) City officials crunch all sorts of numbers, estimate this and that, and submit the findings — usually to city councils, which approve those requests they feel like funding and turn down the rest. Months go by and eventually everyone gets to do this dance again. Yeah! - Monday, August 25, 2008

Times Editorial : Around the bend

An official with the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department tells us that joint projects between the state and cities usually go very well. In the months to come it will be interesting to see whether efforts to widen Fayetteville’s Garland Avenue (Arkansas 112) run according to schedule or blow up in everybody’s faces. - Sunday, August 24, 2008

WHAT GIVES : Let the games begin

Greg Harton gregh@nwarktimes.com

Tuesday, we’ll know for sure. - Sunday, August 24, 2008

Letters to the editor

Change, not parties, is what matters The only way we will ever have change in our government is for we the people to demand accountability from our leaders regardless of party affiliation. Our leaders promise change, but will do nothing because they want all the power and control we allow them. - Sunday, August 24, 2008

THE BROADER VIEW : The competition goes on

Hoyt Purvis email@nwarktimes.com

We are in the midst of the quadrennial confluence of sports and politics, the period of the Olympics and the national political conventions. These mega-events tend to dominate media coverage and much of our late-summer attention. - Sunday, August 24, 2008

PAST AND PRESENT : Sometimes, limits make sense Legislators should not remain in office for decades

John Terry email@nwarktimes.com

Afew years ago I wrote a column on the possibility of changing the Constitution so that we could have term limits for congressmen. It was met by an avalanche of indifference. - Saturday, August 23, 2008

A global game

— Pine Bluff Commercial

We ran across two items recently in business publications that are worth passing on. Both emphasize the importance of education in our world today: — Approximately 45 percent of job openings in the next decade will be “middle-skill” jobs, which require an education that is more than a high school diploma but less than a four-year college degree. That would seem to indicate a continuing role of importance for two-year colleges. - Saturday, August 23, 2008

Two examples Big brother turns big hero

Our favorite stories are the ones in which the hero doesn’t feel like they’ve done anything special. Take 12-year-old Bradley Wilson, for instance. The Washington County youth and his 6-year-old brother were minding their own business as they walked down a rural path Monday morning when, out of nowhere, a green four-door car came blazing toward them. - Saturday, August 23, 2008

Letters to the editor

Punishment should fit the crime The thought of someone mistreating an animal makes me sick. I broker small puppies and I sell to people who love and take excellent care of their pets; they even send me pictures of them on their birthdays. - Saturday, August 23, 2008

Times Editorial : Western ho!

This month’s first week witnessed an agreement in which the Northwest Arkansas Regional Transportation Policy Committee agreed to add a feasibility study of a western bypass through Benton and Washington counties to the area transportation improvement program. In the meantime, a number of Fayetteville officials have generally come out against the supposed wisdom of spending several hundred thousand dollars to further contemplate what would surely evolve into a highly controversial and costly roadbuilding project. - Friday, August 22, 2008

Guest Commentary : Penicillin in peril

BY DAVID WALLINGA, M.D. AND MARGARET MELLON Minuteman Media

The miracle drugs of the 20th century are under threat. - Friday, August 22, 2008

Guest Commentary : 3rd Circuit rejects juror anonymity in Wecht trial

BY DOUGLAS LEE First Amendment Center

Though it’s probably premature to believe U.S. v. Wecht is the death knell for the overuse of anonymous juries, it’s certainly a good reason to be hopeful. - Friday, August 22, 2008

Times Editorials : Glory be

Our long regional nightmare may finally be over. Last week’s heartening news — that people suffering from acute mental illness in Northwest Arkansas will soon have access to 29 Medicaid-funded beds courtesy of the state Legislature — hung some awfully big smiles on faces throughout the Ozarks. - Thursday, August 21, 2008

HATCHET : Obama the Liar

Lucas Roebuck lucas@roebuckmedia.com

Now we know how Barack Obama reacts when he is caught in a lie. He angrily defames his accusers by calling them liars in return. That’s exactly what he said about the National Right to Life Committee when they unearthed voting records showing Obama opposed requiring medical care for babies born alive after a botched abortion. - Thursday, August 21, 2008

Guest Commentary : Much is at stake in journalist-shield bill

BY GENE POLICINSKI First Amendment Center

There’s a delay in U.S. Senate consideration of a proposal to “shield” journalists from many federal subpoenas seeking disclosure of confidential sources. - Thursday, August 21, 2008

Polls off base

There is less reason this election year to trust political polls. The reason for skepticism: More and more Americans are using cell phones exclusively, either abandoning or never beginning the use of traditional landline telephones, and as a result are unlikely to be included in most public opinion polls. - Thursday, August 21, 2008