More Shenanigans From Hot Springs City Manager The emails/letters are self-explanatory and are in response to a front-page lead article in todays Sentinel-Rag and to an incident while others and I were collecting signatures to put Hot Springs Lake DeGray Water Project on the ballot as an initiated ordinance for voter approval or rejection. Eliza is Eliza Hussman Gaines, editor of The Sentinel Record and daughter of Walter Hussman, the publisher of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and other newspapers. David Watkins is the City Manager. Lance Spicer is the City Clerk and Assistant City Manager, and he is a super nice guy who is responsive and attentive to everyone. I no longer communicate directly with David Watkins, who is facing a terroristic threatening charge (unsubstantiated and with presumption of innocence) due to some alleged threats to one of the two landowners where Watkins denied water service to Wal-Mart after, allegedly, initially promising it in order to coerce Wal-Mart into the City where the sales and S & P taxes could be collected. Not surprisingly, Wal-Mart did not bully---they simply walked away from two deals. Lance, I am sharing my Letter to the Editor re David Watkins publicly labeling those of us who question the Citys water plans as demagogues. Of course, she will not print such. In his public comments David should not have smeared my character, intentions, integrity, or knowledge, nor should he be taking umbrage at those who ask questions or who hold dissenting views. That is the way of a bully! That is the way of paternalism! Such public ridicule suppresses dissent and rewards conformity. David Watkins should learn from Bill Clinton. The more you attack me, the more I respond (Rahm Emanuel: Cliff Jackson! Kill! while jamming a fork into an expensive table). I will not kowtow to being propagandized by the City Manager in the press. He is merely inviting me to interfere more than ( so he thinks) I already am in the Citys business. And, btw, if he sent the City employee to spy on us at the library, take pictures, and secretly record us, then he needs to cease and desist. Yes, Arkansas is a one-party state as the guy pointed out to me when challenged as far as secretly recording (another person does not need my consent to legally record a conversation), but such is dirty pool. AND it is intimidating to our perfectly legal right to talk with City voters and to collect signatures. It might even be a violation of my federally-protected constitutional and civil rights. Just so your know, I went into the Childrens Section, and I looked, not more than three feet away, through the window and over the shoulder at the employees live chat on his cell phone, and I then asked him outside who sent him to record and film us. He claimed that he had not been sent, but I know what my eyes saw and I heard what I heard. And I know he secretly recorded and filmed us. Is this Hot Springs or Moscow? Cliff -------- Original message -------- From: Cliff Jackson Date:08/07/2014 7:59 AM (GMT-06:00) To: egaines@hotsr Subject: One Demagogues Opinion Eliza, I have little hope or expectation that you will print this letter or, for that matter, any of my letters. Such is your choice, but I hope you will re-consider. If not, what the hell! Cliff Jackson Dear Editor, With wry amusement today I read David Watkins’ assault on “demagogues” spreading “false information” about the water issue. As usual, his slanted comments come via his favorite mouthpiece, Don Thomason and the Sentinel-Record. Moreover, this unbalanced article gave the unnamed “demagogues” no opportunity to respond or present countervailing arguments and facts about the City’s secret water agenda. Is there only one side of City issues as far as this paper is concerned? Why were the unnamed “demagogues”, those of us opposing the City’s Lake DeGray water boondoggle by putting the issue on the November ballot for City voters to decide, not able to respond to Watkins’ personal attack on our motives, integrity, and veracity? At least this time the paper’s headline was properly presented not as fact but as the “City says”. However, all too often the paper’s headline states as fact what is only the City’s contention and, to further underscore its complicity as a propaganda shill, the paper routinely fails to include comments or responses from dissenters opposing the City’s side. Why don’t you honestly headline your articles, “City Press Release”? For example, in the article about rejection of Wal-Mart connections, the headline read, “Water scarcity prompts denial of service to Wal-Mart” thereby presenting the “scarcity” as a fact and not as merely Watkins’ justification. The article quoted only Watkins and realtor, Bob Benscoter, with no comment or reaction whatsoever from County public officials or out-front citizens actively opposing the City’s Lake DeGray water project. Another front-page story recently uncritically printed Watkins’ effort to manipulate public opinion by asserting that water users should “conserve” water at a time when there were severe flood watches and warnings actually pending for Garland County. Printing his pabulum almost verbatim, the paper acted as a propaganda tool for his real intent, which is: After having never pushed “conservation”, now that there is some opposition to the Lake DeGray water scheme the City wants to gin up a fake “conservation” issue. In short, the Sentinel-Record actively aids and abets the City and acts as its mouthpiece. I cancelled my subscription a few months ago after a similar Sunday front-page, slanted piece (both headline and content) from David Watkins. I have no expectation this letter will be published. I do have hope that your paper will change and act more professionally. I, also, oddly enough, believe that the City can change its attitude of arrogance, bullying, and elitist paternalism toward County voters and water users. Sadly, however, I doubt if such will ever happen absent a public repudiation by the citizenry. When the City is ready to talk TO us rather than AT us, we will listen. When the City includes County taxpayers and water users rather than ignores and bullies us, we will listen. Until such time, I turn my back on the City and the Sentinel-Rag. You must earn trust, and that will not be easy given the perpetual breach of it. Cliff Jackson Hot Springs
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 23:35:17 +0000
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