Benton County Green Machines

Robert Smith's column today provides a big surprise, and it is not only that state and county records are somewhat inaccurate. According to his research, there are 3, 417 hybrid vehicles in Arkansas, and either 510 or 420 of them are registered in Benton County. Even the lower figure, he claims, places that province first in per capita hybrid vehicles. Washington County, with 405, is ranked second in the state.

Of course, even the best hybrid SUV still pumps out 5.4 tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. That will have to do until the Regional Mobility Authority realizes that light rail is a more sensible transportation alternative than building more bypasses and beltways.

It should be noted, too, that the Rogers Parks and Recreation Department conducted a survey last year to determine just what people wanted and residents said their top priority is more walking and biking trails (and nature trails ranked ahead of sports fields). That is quite a contrast with the manipulated fake "survey" that the Fayetteville parks staff foisted on us claiming to support their ardent desire to build multiple soccer fields out west of I-540 on John Nock's proposed SouthPass development.

Tree-Hugging Republicans up north in Wally World? Handmaidens of the developers in formerly Funky Fayettteville? Who would have thunk it?