So, if the local police and county sheriff's deputys are not authorized to enforce Federal laws, why does Cowley County have a drug task force? Those are Federal laws. Kidnapping is another Federal offense. The legal age for purchasing alcohol and tobacco are also Federal laws. These ARE enforced by local, county and state officers. Officers cannot pick and choose which laws they will or will not enforce. They are supposed to enforce them all. As for the poster who's child was turned away by Jefferson school for Pre - K is precisely why my children, and I hate to say this as a product of the Ark City school system until 1997, will not be attending Ark City schools. They can't even keep our children safe anymore! I'm almost tempted to move back to Ark City to make a run for elected office.
In this time when the promise of change got Barack Obama elected to the White House, I think change is exactly what Ark City needs! The town I am proud to say I was raised in needs change in the way our (even though I am currently in Ponca I still count myself as an Arkansas Citian) schools are run. Commissioner McDonald's children are now attending Winfield schools because of the recent shooting threat. When I was attending Ark City High School we did not have to worry about if someone was going to start shooting. The worst violence we had in the school was the occasional one on one fight, which honestly most of those were started over matters that seem trivial now. But we weren't worried about getting jumped in the parking lot! Honestly, how many of you feels that our High School in particular has gone downhill since Jerry Hollis was run out, and let's not kid ourselves that's what happened. You don't retire from one school district to go work at another. Dr Sjoberg tried but the school board wouldn't back him up. Now we have this principal in, who it seems is letting our beloved school, most of us our alma mater, descend into a gangland.
This town needs ordinances passed that will curb the local illegal immigration problem. It needs commissioners who will take the will of the people to the state if needed. We need ordinance's that state if you own property and are found to be harboring illegals on it, you will be fined severely. The local Police officers need to have the handcuffs taken off of them so that they may place those cuffs on the law breakers! And by that I mean all law breakers, whether they be illegals, drug dealers, perverts, or thieves.
I remember all the promises when Future Beef built the packing plant. "It will bring many new jobs to Cowley County." And then when the property was bought by Creekstone the same promise. Turns out these were not true. Both companies filled those jos with people from outside the community, both illegal and legal immigrants along with citizens (mostly immigrants though). Bottom line is everyone, we need change at all levels: local, county, state, and Federal (Congress). We, the people, need to take back this town, county, state and nation from all special interest groups, such as the ACLU, La Raza, and to be even handed the NRA (even though I agree with the NRA's founding premise, to protect the Second Amendment, they have gotten out of hand somewhat). This is an election year for school board and city commission. This is the year that Ark City can get the change it needs to get back to where it was, minus the economic problems (ie. Total closing, the state hospital and the Crayola factory closing.), ten+ years ago. Citizens of Ark City, it is up to you to make change happen at the city level.
Stand up and fight good people of Ark City! This is your town, not the law breakers' town! If your elected officials are not willing to do the bidding of the people, then fire them at the ballot box. You made them and you can break them! They work for you! Remind them of that fact!
So...numerically speaking here...give me the number of how many people you know for certian...100% positive...are illegal immigrants. How did you go around finding out about all these illegal immigrants? How did you prove that we have an immigration problem in Ark City? No offense, but the nationalism your promote is the same tactic used to pull the wool over the eyes of followers and stir up action for centuries. Im tired of people assuming that there are immigration problems in Ark City because they see brown skin and an accent. For god sakes I have had people complain that one of my friends doesn't speak english becuase she can't understand what they are saying when talking to her (not her fault the speaker they talk through is not of highest quality) and she has brown skin. Doesn't matter that she was born and educated here and posses a higher degree of education then most of the complainers, they assume that she is mexican and can't speak english and is an immigrant (and consequently treated her like crap as well).
What Ark City NEEDS is for people to stand up and embrace differences. People who are willing to bring equality to all those in the city, not to just those who are seen as being 'normal' or 'acceptable'. Is it time for change in Ark City? Yes it is time to change, a time to change from being people who moan and compain about those who are different, a time to change from blaming others for our own faults, and a time to change into a community that is more accepting of differences.
To be even handed, I'm going to just throw out a few refutations to some of the things you say, but in all honesty they have nothing to do with the premise of your argument.
1) I know numerous teachers who have retired from one school district to teach in another, that way you can draw pay for retirement as well as a salary for teaching.
2) To be fair in the school matters, back in your day nobody had to worry about school shootings. How much of that is the current admins fault and how much of it is to blame on media and the parents of kids these days has yet to be determined.
3) A lot of these special interest groups who have been running politics for a good long while (mainly big corporations) have come out as being right wing and in favor of immigration reform. I would say it is unfair to point the finger at groups like the ACLU when you should actually be questioning Big Business' commitment to curbing immigration. Lets face it, they couldn't survive without all the benefits they get from illegal immigrants, so maybe its time for the government to start targeting them.
4) Future Beef wasn't lying when they said it would bring new jobs, it did. Now whether or not those jobs went to people you thought should have them or you thought were 'acceptable' is another matter. The bottom line is that there are more jobs, and hence more money being spent, in Cowley County because of Future Beef.
__________________
"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter" -- Winston Churchill
Oh, there are some illegal immigrants in AC, no doubt about it. I know of a few myself. What I don't think is, is that it is a blown out of proportion number of them. I don't really have any problems with the hispanic community, my granddaughter is part hispanic, Although it would be easy for me too, for reasons I don't care to discuss. I don't care what town you go to, their is always going to be some kind of problem. Just because you don't hear it or see it, doesn't mean its not there. Another thing, I don't understand all the trouble people have with the school administration, my kids never had any problems in the school system, the school pratically bent over backwards to help my youngest to keep up with her class and stay in school. I am sure the key word here is behavior, my kids stayed out of trouble in school. My personal opinion is the problem in the court system, which is not necessarily just a local problem. It all boils down to money and not having the space to put the offenders in jail or prison. Not having a treatment jail for drug addicts, or alcoholics that keep getting dui's. Immigration status should be checked all the time when one is to spend time behind bars. I don't know, I think it is just one big goopy mess that most likely will be hard to ever clean up.
I am not promoting any kind of racist agenda, if that was the implication blah. I am merely saying the if our officers are unable to enforce the Federal laws then we must demand local and state laws that clamp down on the problem. This would include stiff fines , $500,000 or more, for each person found to be working at a business that is not legally supposed to have a job in the country. Make it less cost effective to hire undocumented workers. If I was running a business and knew I would get fined half a million dollars for each undocumented worker I would think twice before hiring anyone without the valid documentation that is now required by law. I have no problem with anyone who wants to come to this country for a better life. All I ask is that they respect our laws in doing so, and once here that they continue to respect our laws.
As for our schools, we need a zero tolerance policy for any and all gang activity. If a student or group of students are found to be involved in gang activity on school property they should not be given a slap on the wrist by way of in school suspension, however they should receive Long Term suspension or expulsion and be reported to the police then adjudicated in the courts system. Cell phones should not be allowed in the schools either. If a parent wants to contact a student during school there are ways to do that. If a student gets sick and needs to contact a parent for a ride home, then there are ways to handle that also. Cell phones are not necessary while in school. Students are there to learn, not to be texting their friends, there is plenty of time for that after school.
There are alot of area where we as a society of gotten weak, and we need to grow a backbone and clamp down on people who do not respect the rule of law in our society. We need nationwide passage of Jessica's Law, for example, which provides for a mandatory 25 year sentence for first time sex offenders. We need to abolish the parole system as it makes a mockery of sentencing all together. A life sentence should mean life behind bars, not 40 years or less.
I must agree with most of these coments. People must be here legally or not at all. I and my family moved here through legal and accepted venues. Those here north of the border should be here legally as I am. Should I be able to smuggle myself south of the border and work for peso's would their government be so quick to accept and embrace me and my family? There needs to be law and order for society work smoothly not love and acceptance of any and all behavior. Why are they here illegally if not running from the law in their own country. Why are our laws so lenient to promote illegal behavior by not enforcing themselves and allowing illegal immigrants to roam freely. bravo former Arkcitian.
I agree with many of Boomer's comments. The cultural makeup of Ark City has changed dramatically. Housing in our city has been tailored down to meet the needs of the ever growing hispanic population. Don't get me wrong, if I owned rental properties, I would be very happy raking in the money. The problems Ark City is facing go well beyond our cultural demographic. We have been battling rising taxes and costs of living for years. Now, in a time of economic downturn, we are starting to feel the burn. I don't see that our city leaders are doing much to effect the social problems at hand. Drugs, gangs, and crime seem to be an everpresent reality, granted, it always has been, but I just don't see what is being done to fight it. We need city leaders who will not just grand stand their positions, but leaders who will look at the problems we have and find solutions. I will add that finding solutions is only half the battle, closing the deal by following through to see that the problem is being addressed is what matters.
I would really like to see some canidates emerge in the city commission race and school board race who are realistic about goal setting and problem solving. That is what is going to make the difference in the long run.
Housing to fit the needs of the growing Hispanic population? Why is it that we always assume the Hispanic population is are the poor ones? I see a lot more broke white people in Ark City, many without a job, occupying these properties that are supposedly tailored to fit the needs of the Hispanic population. Ever stop to think that maybe the properties are tailored to fit the needs of the population PERIOD.
Economic downturn? Feeling the burn? Was it not just a few weeks ago that the Traveler reported Ark City businesses were seeing an increase in spending from last year? Do we feel the burn by spending more money? I think too many people over-exaggerate the effects of the current recession, which really is more limited to the housing market. Sure, people need to watch how they spend more carefully, but at the same time the only people who are in serious trouble are the ones that borrowed and spent a lot of money that wasn't theirs and financed it through risky business practices. Of course, if Fox and CNN must continue their gloom and doom predictions though, so be it.
If you're so upset with the current City Commission then do something to change it, maybe even run for office?
__________________
"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter" -- Winston Churchill
