Drama revisited

Editor’s note: This essay was first posted March 21, 2010. In light of the recent drama at Fort Smith Board of Director meetings, this re-posted essay serves to remind that the more things change …

Billy, an old college friend recently dropped in for a chat. He finds amusing this recent spectacle of folks showing up at Fort Smith board meetings to harangue board members and top city staff about what they believe is excessive spending and taxation by the city.

As a side note, you, Kind Reader, should know that Billy continues to believe The City Wire will never be a long-term success unless it includes stories about hunting seasons, high school football and presents a weekly photo feature of a local Hooters girl.

Billy: I see your city folks are reviewing the citizen comment policy. Looks they had their fill of people screaming nonsense at them. A part of me hates to see it end. It may not be a good way to run a city, but it sure makes for dandy theater.

MT: Well, I’m not sure I’d say they were “screaming nonsense.” It was more …

Billy: Pleeaaase, city boy, don’t give me that crap about trying to see both sides. I know damn good and well that down deep you know that the televised yelling and expletives and the little musical numbers make the city look like a collection of knee-jerk rednecks. Hell, you invite Jerry Springer to moderate and the city could probably sell advertising and get picked up as a reality TV show.

MT: Knee-jerk rednecks is a little much, but there are two sides to the comment policy review. One the one hand, it’s reasonable to want an orderly process to hear and consider citizen issues and complaints. On the other hand, don’t be surprised when citizens complain that creating a new step in the process — as required by city code — is an attempt to shut them up.

Billy: What would you propose then, Mr. SmartyPants? I don’t rightly see how a city can continue with 30-minutes of ranting and raving before each board meeting. Look, if your kids abuse a privilege, they lose the privilege right?

MT: Yes, but …

Billy: But, nothing. When you were in the military and when you worked for a large corporation, could you just go straight to the powers-that-be and holler and carry on about *&#t you didn’t like? No, you couldn’t, not if you were smart. You had to go to your boss or your squad leader and move things up the chain of command. It would be damn chaotic if everyone got a chance to stand up whenever and and where ever and bitch about this or that.

MT: This is different, Billy. This is a body of elected officials, and it’s not unreasonable to believe that citizens have the right to access …

Billy: Listen to your fence-straddling, naive baloney! OK, I get the fact that it’s a public body, but that doesn’t mean y’all shouldn’t want to use some kind of orderly or effective system to handle the real problems your citizens are facing.

MT: My naive baloney responds by noting that sometimes you have to get the board’s attention to get results. I’m just saying that people should have the right to come to the board when they seek solutions.

Billy: Solutions!? Damn, brother; you really think them folks yelling at the board members and that poor mayor and accusing them of being corrupt or whatever are after solutions? Man, you better get your head in the game or not even weekly features of Hooters Girls will save The City Wire.

MT: How can you be so sure they aren’t seeking solutions? Maybe they’ve tried to talk to the city board and staff and weren’t happy with the response.

Billy: Didn’t the city just a few months ago have a series of meetings to set the 2010 budget and another series of long meetings to discuss all them quality of place ideas?

MT: Yes. So what?

Billy: So what?! So, were any of them that are now hot to trot at those budget meetings? Have they been working the system, or are they just now showing up to the party to complain about the punch and cookies?

MT: No, they haven’t, for the most part, kept up with the board meetings. But that doesn’t necessarily disqualify someone from speaking their mind. Sometimes people feel they have no other option than to make a passionate case for change. You know, that’s what the original Boston Tea Party was all about.

Billy: Tell me you didn’t just make a silly-ass reference to the Tea Party! How many political science classes did we have together? You’re smarter than that. You really think heckling a ceremonial mayor is the same as being pissed at old King George? And the Tea Party didn’t do a damn thing. Remember? We’ve talked about this before. The colonists could have ventured out on a thousand tea parties and it wouldn’t have resulted in the good old U.S. of A. The real work was the hard work where folks with different ideas and different backgrounds had to come together and work through their differences and do it in a civil manner. Remember civility? They weren’t yelling expletives at each other. C’mon, Tilley, you and I both know the federal government is waaaay out of control with taxing and spending. But don’t tell me you think them fellow citizens of yours that find it funny to put Hitler mustaches on pictures of your board members are really up there looking for solutions.

MT: Look, I’m not saying I agree with their tactics. I’m saying that the city board and staff need to be careful in how they change the comment policy. It will require effective communication and, possibly, compromise so the move does not appear like a heavy-handed attempt to squash dissent. And the city has historically done a poor job of communicating, so I have my doubts.

Billy: We agree there, buddy. I about fell out when you told me the only tax the city board passed without voter approval was several years ago with the 1% increase to the hotel tax. It’s dang crazy that them two 1% taxes were approved by big margins by city voters, yet you have a gaggle of hellraisers mad at the board. That’s gotta be the lack of a consistent communication plan through the years. But even so, what’s the board supposed to say to these knuckleheads? “OK, you’re right. We’ll go back and tell your fellow citizens that we’ve had a few spirited complaints and so we’re just gonna go against the majority wishes and nix these here taxes. By the way, would someone please tell them boys working on the streets and water and sewer systems to pack it up and go home because this young man with a guitar has convinced us that we’ve all been out of control with our taxes.”

MT: Maybe you should move to Fort Smith and run for a city director position.

Billy: Heck no! I get enough bull*&@# working the farm. Beside, you Fort Smithians have a city board that wants to count pennies and paperclips and a city administrator that seems cool with being micromanaged. That’s a recipe for running in circles. And good luck with getting decent folks to run for your city board positions. It’ll take a special person to run for that job, because anyone with half a brain ain’t gonna want anything to do with being called a Nazi by folks who prefer standing and yelling over sitting and talking.

MT: Unfortunately, Billy, that’s a good point about finding good folks for the city board.

Billy: Of course it’s a good point. Speaking of good points, you know I’m right on that regular feature of a local Hooters girl. Right?

MT: We’ll think about it.