Text The Times. The Times.

Text The Times.

The Times.

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Mr. Croom and Mr. McClendon I expected you to do a better job of having your signs picked up. Our city is visually challenged as it Is. 1 would have thought your campaigns for mayor would have provided you heightened sensitivity to this problem. I’m very disappointed in you both. Please do better. [Editor’s Note: I don’t know where you’re talking about, but I have actually been looking as I drive around the city to see if all the signs have been collected. I have seen a few, but not enough to say it’s a nuisance. But yes, they all need to be collected. At the end of the day, and I won't go into citing the ordinances again, it’s the law] I just read the Text the Times from the person who was going to get rid of the neighbors cats. Don’t bring them out here in the country and drop them off to starve to death. Take them to an animal shelter. People in the country don’t need any more dogs and cats dropped off. There’s many out here that could use a good home. [Editor’s Note: I took a little bit of a humorous approach to responding to that particular text, but it is a serious issue. I hear it’s worse with dogs being abandoned than with cats, but that’s probably only because dogs are usually more likely to roam the roadside looking for companionship than cats, who probably turn feral or get killed by predators. My in-laws live out in rural Lee County and they get dogs that just wander up all the time in search of food and/or shelter. Right now, they’ve got “Fred” and 'Red,” who kind of just showed up one day and decided that’s where they live now. Sadly, many folks find it too much of a hassle to take an animal to the shelter, and while I’ve considered putting my wife’s terrible dog in a sleeping bag and whacking it against a tree on occasion, I (probably) wouldn’t really do that, and 1 certainly wouldn’t take him out and leave him somewhere]

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Rather than complain, pass a tax build some overpasses, and be done. I’m sure no one wants taxes but that comes with growth. After all I bet the railroad track was there long before Marion was on map and overpasses should have been built 30 years ago.

[Editor’s Note: Well, they are building one overpass, but that won’t help on Highway 77, which is a major artery connecting Marion and West Memphis (and many a morning commuter to Memphis). I too thought “just put in an overpass there,” but it’s not just a matter of money (although that is an issue). Just looking at the layout, you’ve got to remember that an overpass needs several hundred feet of gradually inclining and declining road on both sides of the tracks. Plus, you’d need an access road on both sides for properties on the east and west side of the road. I’m no engineer, thanks to my inability to grasp college calculus, but I’m not sure that there’s room to do all that without major work. The simpler solution would be to hold the railroad companies accountable for the long delays, but I honestly don’t know which one of those ideas is less realistic] My response to Dec. 19th text about Mayor Elect Mc-Clendon. I’ve never saw so many two sided and undercover racists in my life. Marco McClendon will never be the mayor for everyone. Where was everyone’s concern when Mayor Johnson gave all chief positions to only “White Men”. Why wasnt anyone in an uproar then, oh because if its white it must be right.

McClendon has every right to choose whom he wants as his chiefs. That doesn't mean he won't site any whites. He’s chosen people that has been looked over and passed up on positions for years. We never complained, when Johnson hired whom he chose. It was his choice, bad or good. (This goes to the editor on his notes) You. have always dragged Marco in this paper. When you. made your notes, you could’ve left it at that but you chose to write a whole column. The people chose Mc-Clendon because he. was. the best for the job. Had wayne of won, you wouldn’t be writing up negative reports about him. [Editor’s Note: I thought my response to that particular text was a pretty solid “give the man a chance” response.

Now since you brought it up, any criticism of Mr. McClendon that has appeared in this paper has been based entirely upon facts. Whether it was his legal issues in 2010 and 2011, his spotty attendance record at city council and municipal committee meetings or whatever, it would have been irresponsible not to report on those things. And while I’m rooting for his success, because if he succeeds, then West Memphis succeeds, if he needs criticizing, he will be criticized, just like any other elected official, regardless of skin color]

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To the person who said “I think having a black mayor is okay by today’s standards” what does that mean? That’s offensive to say the least. Are you saying that standards have been lowered to the point that even an unqualified Black person can get in office? This is why we as people can’t live in harmony. Race is always a barrier and as long as there is social media there will always be a divide. Let’s stop focusing on the negative give the mayor elect a chance. I can guarantee you if Wayne Croom had won you wouldn’t be judging him as your doing Marco who also has been a councilman for years so he does know something. By the way if he does hire black people to fill vacancies there are many of them that are highly educated they are allowed to go to school NOW and have just as much if not more education than white people! [Editor’s Note: I don’t recall seeing that statement, but if asked what it meant, I would say it meant that the city of West Memphis is a majority black community, so it would make sense that the city have a black mayor. That's just a guess, though. If you are interpreting it to mean, as you suggest, that “standards have been lowered to the point that even an unqualified Black person can get in office,” then I will point out that there are no “ standards” that would qualify a person for mayor of West Memphis or any other elected position of that nature, so it really is just a popularity contest]

Here’s what everyone is talking about this week:

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