By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
It's an argument that goes for the jugular, especially during an election year -- should Arkansas' sales tax on food be repealed?
There is currently a move on to gather the 70,000-plus valid signatures needed to put the issue on the ballot in November.
Danny Ferguson, in both his capacities as a member of the Arkansas House and executive director of the Forrest City Area Chamber of Commerce, said he knows the idea has some popular support, but said it could hurt more than help.
"While it sounds popular, I just don't think it's good fiscal policy, when the state is already struggling to make ends meet," said Ferguson. "Obviously, those moneys would have to be replaced, which means you would either have to jack up the sales tax on all other items, or have some other tax or fee source."
Governments at the state and local level need sales tax revenue, he said.
"It would just wreck state and local governments, because cities and counties are so dependent on the sales tax, and groceries make up such a large part of that revenue."
He said he knows there is an argument that the sales tax on groceries is regressive, and it hurts people in lower and moderate incomes.
"But, Arkansas ranks 48th in property taxes, so over all, the taxes in Arkansas are some of the lowest in the nation," he said, and added his belief that lower income people might be hurt in the long run if the sales tax on groceries is lifted.
"What happens when revenue is slashed? Services are cut and lower and moderate income people feel the brunt of those cuts in Medicaid and Social Services," he said. "And on local levels, if municipalities and counties have to cut back on street or road repairs, fire or police, or park services, those often hit hardest are lower to middle income people."
St. Francis County Judge Carl Cisco said he does not like the sales tax on groceries, but also admitted that he didn't know where the missing revenue could be found.
"I don't have a problem with it (doing away with the tax). I've always had mixed feelings about taxing groceries or food," he said.
"But I do know it would change our revenue. And if it did pass, we would have to find some way to make adjustments, and those adjustments might be tough.
"But for people on fixed income, groceries are the biggest part of their expensive, and it's hard to continue to tax them. But we would have to look for other sources of revenue."
When asked if he had an idea of what those revenue sources might be, he said, "Not at this time. We'd have to look at them."
Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Republican, and House Speaker Shane Broadway, D-Bryant, have said if the amendment is approved, the Legislature will have to pass a replacement tax.
By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
Two elderly Hughes men were kidnapped and robbed during a carjacking Friday afternoon in Hughes.
Neither man was reported injured in the attack that occurred about 12:30 p.m. outside Lock's Food Center on Highway 79.
The St. Francis County Sheriff's Department reported Sammy Wilson, who is in his late 60s, was getting out of a 1994 Chevrolet Caprice when a black male subject jumped into the back seat and told Wilson to get back into the car. Also seated in the front seat was Bob McKenzie, 87, who owned the vehicle.
The suspect directed Wilson to drive away from Hughes, and to County Road 759 where they were met by a second black male suspect driving a small, low-riding, gray car. The two men took the wallets from both victims. The suspects reportedly made Wilson strip naked and told both victims to start walking or they would shoot them. The suspects left in the gray car and in McKenzie's Chevrolet.
The two men later caught a ride to the Hughes Police Department where they reported the incident.
McKenzie's car was found later on Kimberly Cove in Widener.
The investigation is continuing.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
A variety of art will be displayed at the Forrest City Public Library as Art Alive takes hold as the theme of the two-week summer reading program.
According to Sarah Jumper, co-librarian, the program will feature area artists as well as musicians and actors to coincide with the annual program.
"We felt like this would be good for the kids and something that they would enjoy. We've been talking with the museum and some area artists to see what they could do. We're also talking to musicians, and I'm planning to talk to Tammy Freligh out at the college to see if Little Theatre might want to do something to help," Jumper said.
Registration for the program will begin June 3 and continue through June 8, with the program beginning June 11 and ending on June 25.
In other business, board members agreed to purchase a series of books called the Bailey School Kids, and also agreed to seek any grants that have been approved by the Arkansas Library Association.
Board member Brad Beavers also updated fellow members on the status of the proposed parking lot for the library.
"Right now everything is kind of on hold. Paul Gunn and Dad (architect Bob Beavers) are going to do this for us, and both of them are kind of swamped right now. As soon as they clear up some I'll see if I can get something in the works to get this moving," Beavers said.
The week of April 14-20 is National Library Week, and by way of celebration, a "fine amnesty week" is being declared at the Forrest City Public Library.
During this week, anyone who has an overdue book checked out can bring it in and not pay the fine.
First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association and libraries across the country each April. "It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support," stated a press release.
The Arkansas Library Association is in the midst of a multi-year public awareness campaign to remind citizens of the world of resources available at the local library. The campaign's theme is "Information. Inspiration. Recreation. @ your library.™"
Every year, public libraries in Arkansas have more than 6.6 million visitors. Public librarians answer some 1.3 million reference questions. About 10 million items are checked out of public libraries in Arkansas each year, an average of four per person. There are 47 academic libraries which serve both academic and public communities.
According to the American Library Association, Americans go to public, school and academic libraries more than twice as often as they go to the movies. Nationally, if all the persons asking reference questions in a week stood in a line, the line would stretch from Boston to San Francisco.
Americans check out an average of seven books a year. They spend $23 a year in taxes for the public library -- less than the cost of one new hardcover book. Federal spending on public libraries comes to about 54 cents a person annually.
Ninety-five percent of public libraries provide public access to the Internet, giving a point of online access for people without Internet connections at home, school or work.
Having said that, there is one other statistic -- Americans spend seven times as much money on home video games ($7 billion) a year as they do on school library materials for their children.
A convenience store owner and a clerk were pushed around during an armed robbery earlier today.
The Forrest City Police Department reported Wayne Bonds, owner of Handy Foods at 1236 South Washington, and a store clerk were robbed at gunpoint just after 6 a.m.
Bonds told police he was standing in an aisle when he heard one of the clerks scream, and when he turned around, saw a black male subject dragging her from behind the counter. Bonds said the suspect then pushed him into an ice drink cooler and attempted to drag him behind the counter.
According to police, the suspect took Bonds' wallet and store keys before fleeing east on Scott Street.
Anyone with information on the robbery is asked to contact the Forrest City Police Department.