Kudos to Jim and Carol Wilson

On a recent cold and rainy night I stopped to buy gas at a convenience store in Marion County, Arkansas. Thanks to Jim Wilson, a former Marion County JP and, his wife, Carol, Marion County is now a "wet" county. I was glad for the two young working men standing in line, each waiting to pay for a case of beer. They no longer have to travel out to another county for their beer. Consequently, they were saving time, gas money, scarce fossil fuel, greenhouse gas emissions and, possibly, their lives. In addition to those important benefits, the excise tax and sales taxes levied on their cases of beer will stay in Arkansas. Carol and Jim called their Marion County wet versus dry campaign "Bring Our Taxes Home". Well, their success in Marion County is beginning to bring a lot of money home to Arkansas. We should all be grateful for their hard work.

Save Energy Reap Taxes

Let us look at the facts. (1) Local historians believe Sharp County became "dry" in the 40s. (2) About 22# of carbon dioxide (CO2) is spewed into the atmosphere for every single gallon of gas or diesel that is burned. (3) The earth's "carbon sinks" cannot absorb the several billion tons of CO2 that human activities have added to the natural carbon cycle. (4) While some of the CO2 caused over the years by an estimated thousands of "trips out of Sharp County to buy alcohol" may have been absorbed, a lot of it is probably still up there trapping heat. (4) If Sharp County remains dry and the population continues to grow, no doubt the number of trips to wet counties and the associated CO2 emissions will increase. (5) According to a majority of climate scientists and analysts, to avoid catastrophic climate change, the U.S. must reduce its carbon emissions 80% or more by 2050. (6) Legalizing the sale of alcoholic beverages in Sharp County is one of the many steps needed to reduce Sharp County's greenhouse gasses emissions.

Save Energy Reap Taxes needs volunteers who have time to circulate the Initiative Petition that will put the question of whether or not Sharp County should remain "dry" or go "wet" on the November 4, 2008 ballet. Please call Ruth Reynolds 257-4596 or Stewart Freigy 966-4940.