Brummett: Fort Smith lost in the shuffle; legislators ineffective

Members of the Sebastian County Bar Association were told Monday (Oct. 5) that Fort Smith “gets lost in the shuffle” politically, and the conservative predictability of legislators from the Fort Smith area “diminishes their effectiveness.”

The strong and certain opinions were those of John Brummett, the award-winning columnist and reporter covering politics for the Arkansas News Bureau of Stephens Media in Little Rock.

Brummett was asked to speak to the association about the perception in Arkansas’ political circles of the Fort Smith area and its legislative delegation. About 75 association members and guests gathered for the Monday luncheon.

When the politics and business of state government is discussed in Little Rock, the regions in the mix are typically Little Rock-North Little Rock, Northwest Arkansas, Hot Springs and “the poor Delta,” Brummett told the group.

“Often what gets left out (of political discussions) is the second largest city in Arkansas,” he said, adding that “Fort Smith never figures in to political calculations” on major state issues.

Brummett’s comments provide more ammo to a minor tussle between Jake Files, a Republican who recently announced his candidacy for the District 13 (Fort Smith) Arkansas Senate seat, and Arkansas Sen. Denny Altes, R-Fort Smith. Altes, who is term-limited in the District 13 seat, took issue with Files’ recent statements that Fort Smith has lost political influence in Little Rock.

“It is important that we send people to Little Rock who will make a difference, and will help establish that Fort Smith is relevant in every single decision being made,” Files said in announcing his candidacy.

Altes fired back, complaining through a story in the Times Record that Files assertion of ineffective leadership was false.

But Brummett disagrees with Altes, noting that while Northwest Arkansas is more culturally and politically conservative, that region sends more “business Republicans” to Little Rock who know how to work within the system. Brummett praised Fort Smith for having a “true two-party competition” in which Democrats run close races and win on occasion. However, the Republicans who win are “far more conservative” than those from Northwest Arkansas.

“You tend to have given a narrow victory to the Republican (in the tight races) and the Republican is of the more extreme (conservative) variety,” Brummett explained.

And although Brummett cited Rep. Rick Green, R-Van Buren, as a pragmatic Republican who is respected in Little Rock, most legislators from the Fort Smith area are the most conservative members of the Legislature and “marginalize” Fort Smith.

“It (non-pragmatic conservative delegation) enhances this notion that you’re out of the mainstream,” Brummett said. “(The) conservative predictability diminishes their effectiveness.”

FORT SMITH MAYORAL RACE
Brummett also opined on the Fort Smith mayor race between Mayor Ray Baker and Mr. Sandy Sanders. Because the mayor is a figurehead in the manager-council form of government, Brummett questioned why anyone cared about the race.

“I don’t know why you spend much time invested emotionally in the race,” Brummett told the crowd.

Brummett also was critical of the form of government. He called it a “bogus notion” to avoid having a mayor be the city administrator in an effort to remove politics from city governance.

“You know, of course, you never take the politics out of anything,” Brummett said.

He also mocked the notion of economic development being an issue in the race. Working to create or maintain good public schools and universities and building infrastructure are the primary issues. Economic development is secondary, he said.

Sanders, who was in the audience, disagreed with the notion that economic development is not a primary issue.

“Ask all the hundreds of people in the area who are laid off if they think economic development is a front line issue,” Sanders said. Just like Mayor Baker took a strong public stand against the casino on the Fort Smith riverfront, any mayor in the current form of city government “can take a leadership role in making things happen,” Sanders added.