Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

On Track with John Ragsdale

Dubya, Dubya, Dubya

This is not the dot com version, but the presidential version. President Bush was tagged with this name even before the Democrats tried to take Florida away from him. Many famous Americans were given a nickname that has withstood the sands of time: Stonewall, Honest Abe, Teddy, FDR, Ike, JFK, LBJ, Lady Bird and the infamous Slick Willie, rightly attributed to the former president, are just some that come to mind.

Perhaps it was penned to President Bush out of spite or hate, but it will stick to him. It is already so attached to his name that employees of the former president in the White House vandalized computer keyboards, removing the w' key. It would be funny if it were not so expensive to taxpayers. But the former administration did not mind sticking it to taxpayers.

Keyboards in the real world can be bought for around $10 and up, depending on how they are purchased. The federal government doesn't buy $10 keyboards, so the price probably was substantially more. But that's one of the cheaper bills taxpayers will pay, thanks to Slick Willie.

Bill Clinton traveled more than any other president, costing Americans more than ever. Twice he came to Arkansas in his closing days to bid farewell. He made flying trips around the world, acting as an ambassador, finally going to Vietnam, a country he dodged back in his younger days.

But perhaps his most expensive item to the taxpayers was his philandering. While most everyone will admit that it would be hard to confess to such an accusation at first, to stand before a national television camera to declare that "I never had sex with that woman" took more gall than most could muster.

Repeatedly he denied it. To the tune of $40 to $50 million. If he only would have confessed. Miss Edna Ashcraft, my high school English teacher used to remark, "Confession is good for the soul. And the judge was very tolerant with Slick Willie. If Mr. Common Citizen had repeatedly asked for definitions of such simple pronouns and verbs, he would have faced contempt charges.

His supporters, most all Democrats, and even his wife, believed him when he said he did not do it. Hillary, it is said, hit the ceiling when Clinton sent an aide to inform her he was going to confess. Rightly she should. Some of his supporters left him, but most stayed. No matter what he had done, most Democrats stood by him. No reason he was called Slick Willie.

Yes, the former president cost the taxpayers a lot of money. His departure from the White House wasn't too soon.

Poor Economy

If the economy gets worse I hope everyone will remember the condition it was in when President Bush inherited it. One doesn't have to be an Alan Greenspan to know it was bad.

Sure the unemployment rate is low, but the economical situation is terrible. It's been getting there for over two years. Retailers will confirm it. I am not talking about Wal-Mart, but true retailers, those run by mom and pop, those who built America.

Prescott doesn't have many retailers left, but towns around us still have a few. And those left have been complaining for over two years. Simply put: business is bad. Perhaps too many people have been depending on the chains to support the economy in little towns like Prescott, Hope, Gurdon and Arkadelphia. They don't, at least not like local people do. Yet most would drive out of their way and often long distances when the same item, or one similar, could have been bought locally. Now our store buildings are empty along dirty streets. It's a shame.

The future for Prescott's tax base is definitely along Interstate 30. The fifth truck stop is under construction in a two-mile stretch. Retail sales will climb and the tax base for the city will reflect the results of millions of dollars in sales along the highway. But where are the department stores? The shoe Stores? Other retailers?

Across Arkansas the economy is being affected with several announcements over the last few months of closing of plants or cutbacks. Thousands of people will be out of a job and at a time when there is none available. Many of these will not be able to work for a long, long time. Some may have to tighten their belts quite a bit.

I hope everyone will remember that President Bush didn't cause it. He inherited it.