JEERS: To Southwestern Electric Power Co., continuing into the 21st century with obsolete infrastructure based on 75-year-old technology. Hello! If the lines were underground and the transformers were at street level in protected enclosures, perhaps they would have less outages and the repair crews would be able to restore casualties in less than 24 to 96 hours.  Twenty-four hours being when you take everything out of your refrigerator/freezer and throw it into the trash.—J.B., Texarkana, Texas



JEERS: To the Fouke school for not having an ambulance at the game last Thursday night. There use to be one at every game played. Junior high games can be as rough as the high school level. When the Fouke player was severely injured, it would have helped if transportation for him was already there. Maybe Fouke’s opponents should refuse to play them if medical is not at the field at game time. I thought Fouke cared more for its players.—D.H., Fouke, Ark.



JEERS: To TISD for their fraudulent scheme to get a tax increase while calling it a “rollback election.” If you vote for the proposal it will be a tax increase, but if you vote against it then it is a rollback to the previous rate. Last year they spent millions to renovate Grim Stadium where Texas High will have four home games this year. That must have been more important than giving the teachers a pay increase. Now this year suddenly they need a tax increase to give the poor teachers (and themselves) a raise. How dumb does the TISD administration think that we are? Jeers to the Texarkana Gazette for helping TISD perpetuate this fraud. Why don’t you stand up and expose this scheme for what it is?—B.P., Texarkana, Texas



JEERS: In an article printed Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008, it was reported that at the Bacon Breakfast, a sea of Tiger fans cheered their team chanting, “Who you wit’?” Just what language are they teaching our kids at Texas High School? I certainly hope they don’t teach Ebonics as an acceptable language.—J.H., Texarkana, Texas



JEERS: To Texarkana Water Utilities. Went in to pay my bill last week and gladly found that they now accept debit cards. Soon found out that the catch is they charge $2.50 for such a privilege. When asked why they charge so much, I was told, fairly rudely, that it wasn’t them, it was the company they used that charged it and there is “nothing we can do about it.” Maybe you should have done more research as some companies charge only $0.35 to $0.55 per transaction when using a PIN pad. Or, maybe you shouldn’t walk over to the drive-thru window and discuss with the new employee you are training how “maybe he should just write a check” where the customer can hear you. Lastly, I am begging you to please increase the water rates again. Yes, I will complain since I get the same water, sewer service and trash disposal that I always but, to quote such a great water utilities employee, “there is nothing we can do about it.”—P.S., Texarkana, Texas



JEERS: To the Winthrop “step-child” comment. Before anyone believes that Winthrop Elementary is being treated as a “step-child”, as Mr. Smith stated in last Sunday’s newspaper article and again at the Horatio School Board meeting on 9-15-08, they need to check into the facts themselves. Horatio Elementary teachers have lobbied for the past couple of years for both elementary campuses to be equal on all academic levels, both inside and outside the classroom. It has been stated many times that Winthrop Elementary’s test scores are among the Top 10 in the state of Arkansas. What is not being mentioned is the comparison in class sizes at Winthrop to other elementary schools in the state or their scores in sub-categories such as: migrant sp-ed, ELL, etc. Before choosing sides in this matter, please look into the facts yourself and don’t go on what is “hearsay.” Like Mr. John “Skipper” Ward said in Wednesday’s paper, “This is an extremely difficult decision. However, the district must consider what is most beneficial to all 856 students in the district.”-A.W., Texarkana, Ark.



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