cocothief

With all the new property tax payments coming online from Pinnacle Hills, now is the perfect time to initiate a TIF district downtown to stimulate redevelopment.

Crime is only one element of what I view as how illegal immigrants have negatively impacted the region. I don't know what the crime statistics are, but for a minority group, it does appear based on watching the news that a disproportionate number of crimes are committed by the Mexicans here. NWA was not a crime free utopia before, but it decidedly did NOT have a hint of a gang problem, or any neighborhoods which were notorious for crime. A few older areas of a few towns are getting reputations for criminal activity. Crime increases with population, that is a given. What is important to note is the RATE of crime per 100k residents. If I were going to bet, I'd bet that the crime RATE is higher among our illegal population than the general population. Whether that is a function of poverty or a function of not having ties to the community due to their status, or a cultural difference is open for discussion. I predict that Springdale schools will decline in the future. I have heard stories of several families (white) moving to PG and Farmington and other areas because they were tired of sending their kids, mostly elementary school aged, to majority hispanic schools where half the day was spent overcoming language barriers. One can't blame parents for doing what is in the best interests of their children. Legal immigrant children do not negatively impact schools in the same fashion. Legal immigration is at a controlled pace. The parents (and children, if they are born and immigrate) learn English and get educated about our laws, our history and our society. I grew up with several Asian immigrant kids whose families did it legally and they were almost without exception very good students and fully assimilated in an otherwise majority white school. Another impact is the cultural differences. Not all cultural variety is positive. Having been to Mexico a few times, I have seen the general norms there are far different from what Americans expect in living standards, etc. Again, having Mexican immigrants here wouldn't be such an issue if the pace of their arrival was controlled and orderly, allowing for assimilation. Unfortunately they have arrived so rapidly that they are maintaining their norms in many of the areas where they have congregated. I do not wish to live in Mexico, therefore I am entitled to protest when I see my country being turned into Mexico. There's nothing racist about it. There IS something decidedly racist about race-centered groups like La Raza and LULAC. Bottom line is the immigrants are being exploited, and middle class taxpayers are being exploited to pay for their healthcare, their children's education and even public assistance. In the process, we are seeing areas decline as our norms are exchanged for those of a third world country to the south. Whats sickening is that it is all in the name of profit for the rich few. The illegals are better off here, but I'd argue that many of us who were here first are not improved by their presence in our communities, but rather harmed in several quantifiable ways. That reality does create resentment, and it also encourages racism. I don't think you'd see as much discontent if the Mexicans were coming here through the normal legal processes and obeying our laws from the get-go.

I disagree. Illegal immigration enriches the rich and powerful and costs the rest of us billions every single year. Since when do we selectively enforce our laws? Oh, since it enriches powerful lobbyists. Primarily Latino illegal aliens have been detrimental to the quality of life in NWA. Its not politically correct to state, but it is a fact.

I think things like Springfest, etc are mainly attended by locals from Fayetteville/Springdale. If we got a regional event like a folk fest or blues fest, we could support it, and have plenty of hotel rooms left for the out of towners. I have always wondered the same thing. We need a real cultural festival in Fayetteville. I'm all for BBBBQ, but it caters to a specialized segment of the population, and mainly out of towners. Springfest has broader appeal, but its kind of a generic, no theme-fest. I would like to see an Oktoberfest, Irish Festival, etc... Or a Bluegrass or folk music festival here.

Chris King has great connections nationally. Amazingly, I had never equated the shift from NWA to LR with the move of this one person. Damn you, Benton Bandy's wife.

I'm kind surprised to hear about Fayetteville's lack of live music. In the early to mid 90s, Fayetteville had an awesome local music scene. In 1996, I remember purchasing a local compilation CD with 14 different bands featured, most of which I had seen at least a few times. I think it began with the demise of JR's Ballroom. Dave's was a cheap immitation that brought in mostly cover bands. I saw Fuel, Cherry Poppin Daddies, Local H, and a few other nationally recognized bands at JR's Ballroom. There are tons of other local, regional, and national acts that nobody ever heard of that I saw at JR's Ballroom. Rising rents have forced many of the old standby venues to change hands and/ or change formulas, get cheaper, and pack in more people in order to pay the rents. Its a shame. Perhaps the Mill District or even College Ave can revive some of that old behemian spirit.

I made my first trip to Little Rock in five years a few weeks back. I was astonished at the progress that has been made in the River Market area since I last visited. The street cars are really marvelous. The connection of the Riverfront Park area to the Clinton Library will be seamless within a year or two. New condos and office buildings going up in what previously seemed like a dead downtown area. The natural setting of the riverside and the incredible amount of greenspace are super compared to any city of any size in the U.S. Once the trail loop is complete to Lake Maumelle dam and over the river next the Clinton Center, Little Rock will have an even more amazing natural asset. Little Rock has so much to offer and it seems the real surge in the downtown and River Market area are just getting going full steam. From my hotel window, I could see construction on the new ballpark across the river in NLR. I visited the River Market Pavillion and its shops and eateries were bustling. It seemed to me that the quality of offerings had at least remained constant if not improved over the years. Little Rock really is, in my opinion, a bit of an undiscovered jewel. I wouldn't be surprised to hear of some companies relocating there in the future. The COL is low compared to many cities, particularly on the coasts, and its quality of life and overall attractiveness are just steamrolling ahead.