[ Editor’s Note: Nope. Nice try, though]

Has anyone else noticed the number of new faces behind the wheel of the Marion police cars lately. The turnover at the Marion Police Department has reached epidemic proportions. In talking with a Marion officer at dinner the other night he told me two more are leaving in the next few weeks. He related that this is caused mostly by the low pay that the Marion city council and mayor are willing to set for their officers. Most of the officers who have moved on did so because of the lack of raises and that the city was far behind what other agencies are paying. Chief Kelley can not keep a staff large enough unless the administration decided to pay our officers a rate that is compatible with other agencies in the area. Maybe then Marion will no longer just be a training agency for other departments who attract our officers with better benefits and higher wages. Until then maybe we should be sure to have a shotgun and ammunition on hand to protect our homes because when you call there may not be an officer who is available if you need one. [ Editor’s Note: I think I can get behind what you’re saying, but I also think you might be cherrypicking the worst parts of this issue. No doubt, a police officer can make more money working somewhere besides Marion. I don’t think anyone would argue about that. But there’s more to a job than money. I will readily admit that I don’t have what it takes to be a police officer, but let’s just pretend for a minute that I do. Now, if my options are to work as a policeman in Marion making, let’s just say $ 30,000 a year. Now, if I get offered an opportunity to move to, let’s say Little Rock, for $ 40,000 a year. There’s a whole lot more to take into consideration than an extra $ 10,000 a year. Cost of living, job security, working conditions, family needs, etc. As for your last deal about shotguns and such, let’s not pretend like we’re living in a war zone or something. And as someone who is out and about roaming the mean streets of Marion quite often, I see plenty, and I mean plenty, of patrol cars around town]

*** Can we expect front page pictures of the Hispanic Caucus, Asian Caucus, and White Caucus to avoid anyone worried that racism might be involved from any exclusion?

[ Editor’s Note: Nope. Nice try, though]

*** I nearly spit my coffee out laughing. Former Mayor Davis and Mayor Smith (Earle) sharing friendly banter back and forth about dilapidated properties and properties needing attention. There’s a scripture that comes to mind when I think about these two; Luke 6:41 “But why do you observe a chip in the eye of your brothers, but you do not see the plank that is in your own eye?” Perhaps these two “brethern” can begin with their own dilapidated and unkept properties. Is councilman Luckett (code enforcement) going to serve them for their neglect?

[ Editor’s Note: You know it’s going to be a serious deal when folks decide to bring the Bible into things… You know, that same message appears, nearly word- for- word in the Gospel of Matthew ( Matt. 7: 3). I actually prefer the Matthew version because it is preceded by Matthew 7: 1- 2: “ Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. 2 For with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”]