“I’ve submitted letters on the Bill of Rights to the US Constitution, of the importance of Freedom of the Press, and that the Jonesboro Sun is my favorite newspaper. The editor has always found space for my letters so, at the risk of him taking offense, the “Old Habits are hard to break” op-ed (link below) revealed a disconnect with how he sees the role of newspapers from this citizen’s understanding of the First Amendment. He writes, “Without newspapers, there’s no one watching government and holding officials’ feet to the fire, much less setting a standard of fairness in the discussion of community concerns”.
The November 2, 2021 vote by the Jonesboro City Council to add a 2% “Prepared Food tax” proves the inaccuracy of that statement (link below). Too early, on Oct 1, 2021, the Sun endorsed the tax (link below). To tax is the most harmful option available, more so since Arkansas media had reported since April 2021 that Fort Smith, AR, and its “partners” paid a total of $30,000 for a feasibility study for an indoor sports complex (link below). The study is due in February 2022, after which Fort Smith will determine if/how to pay for whatever. That’s $30,000 vs. the Jonesboro Advertising and Promotion (A&P) Commission collecting an estimated $100,000 revenue per month for the same product, from a tax that has no “sunset clause” on whatever is funded, or whatever is opened for business by 2025.
In that October 1 op-ed, the Sun emphasized the onerous, regressive nature of all sales taxes on lower income earners and families, yet it never published what Fort Smith was accomplishing on behalf of its residents. How was that “holding officials’ feet to the fire”? How was that “fairness” for the working poor and those in poverty?
Instead, the Sun’s failure to inform its readership revealed how deeply special interests have sunk into the local municipal cesspool. With “Team Jonesboro” leadership in the executive suite at City Hall and the chair of the A&P Commission, and with the picture of Councilmembers Gibson, Hafner, and McClain adorning a placard paid for by a political action committee last campaign season, the Sun’s failure was an example of journalism, in his own words, “without ethics to guide our decisions”.
All were informed as early as October 24, 2021 of the Fort Smith option. The Sun (and all local media) failed to publish less harmful options to the tax or revise its support for the tax; the 11-1 council vote failed the constituents whose “safety, health, and welfare” that council claims to protect, and the mayor failed epically by his silence.
The Sun has the data. Why would its subscriptions increase if neither fellow sycophants nor potential subscribers with other perspectives doubt who the paper serves? On January 1, 2022, “eaters” will offset the subscription price to pay for the city’s higher taxes – thanks, Sun. In essence, one-sided reporting is “fringe” and, as such, it’s easier and cheaper to get a free news feed from social media, which often includes articles by the Sun.”
Indoor sports facility consultant to meet with Fort Smith Board, other community officials
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