The noisy shall inherit …

Riff Raff, by Michael Tilley
[email protected]

Only a callous, if not wholly obtuse, observer would fail to appreciate the great cacophony created by a small group among us who possess a puritanical belief that local and other forms of government are immensely wasteful, if not abusive and corrupt, and only the private sector may address our weaknesses and maximize our strengths.

Seriously. My appreciation of the accomplishment is sincere.

A group of folks one could probably fit in a school bus have in many instances directed or redirected the public discourse and approach to public policy with respect to affairs in the city of Fort Smith.

This thought occurred to me while attending the recent Leadership Fort Smith graduation banquet. There I sat among several hundred well-dressed and well-intended folks who, with their influence, connections and training, have proven feckless against about 20 — my rough estimate, give or take another 10 or 20 — hellraisers who instinctively reject any notion that government at any level has a role in advancing Fort Smith’s quality of place.

What’s more, these self-appointed arbiters of what the common, hardworking man and woman would prefer reject the notion that all these fancy and so-called quality-of-place amenities — walking trails, convention center, arts and entertainment groups and festivals, downtown night life, etc. — are necessary for the socio-economic health of Fort Smith. If there is a market for such amenities, the private sector will recognize and accommodate. It’s that simple. If you believe otherwise, you are part of the problem that has resulted in this country now being near the brink of fiscal and moral bankruptcy.

Please know I don’t offer the above sentences as a form of scorn or “faint praise.” It is indeed remarkable to be reminded that it requires only a handful of folks to prove that Logic is no match against Loud.

In this region, we have at least 400 Leadership Fort Smith graduates, and several hundred members of the Young Emerging Leaders (YEL) and graduates of the Fort Smith Citizens Academy. It is clear, and should be painfully embarrassing, that their knowledge and/or progressive concern has been so easily overcome by the passion of a few folks with nothing more than a feverishly narrow desire to neuter city government.

It certainly begs the question: If we shut down Leadership Fort Smith, YEL and the citizens academy tomorrow, would anyone notice?

But the failure of alleged leadership groups to have a consistently proactive voice at the fundamental government level is an essay for another week. Let’s get back to the superb performance of those who are hyper critical of city government.

This group has changed the starting point of discussion from “What is the proper role of city government in the socio-economic progress of the city?” to “City government has no role — other than to support the wonderful and faultless members of the city fire and police departments — in the progress of this city and if you are not for helping us shrink the size of government, you don’t believe in America or the U.S. Constitution.”

Seriously. Members of this group have suggested we halt subdivision development so we don’t have to build more fire stations. Seriously. The status quo is good government. Seriously. There is unapologetic virtue, according to their argument, that Fort Smith remain small, simple, straight and white. Seriously.

They have so controlled the message with respect to the Fort Smith Convention Center that a reasonable person would be excused for believing the facility has proven a bigger financial failure than Hughes’ Spruce Goose. To hear this group explain it, any negative cliche you’ve ever heard about local government is at the root of what is wrong with the convention center. And the vote by the Fort Smith Board of Directors to push a 1% prepared food tax without a vote of the people is no less anti-American than King George III and his 1773 Tea Act.

Most impressive is that members of this group did not back away from remarks of a compatriot who sent a vulgar e-mail to Fort Smith City Administrator Ray Gosack and Fort Smith City Clerk Sherri Gard that told them they were nothing more than a “piece of shit” for pushing the 1% prepared food tax. Gard, you might be interested to know, is a “dishonest trollop” for her efforts to fight “against the people of Fort Smith.” Gosack was encouraged to haul his f*&%ing “ignorant ass out of here!” In sending the e-mail, Charles Scott said he hoped for the worst for each of them.

Members of this impressive anti-government group excused Scott’s tirade by saying his comments are the result of being justifiably frustrated at city government. They also suggested that condemning Scott’s comments would be to condemn free speech rights. Remarkable.

Observing this group antagonize the city board and staff has been somewhat of a guilty pleasure — as much as that pains me to admit. It’s like slowing down while passing a car wreck; you know you shouldn’t, but, hey, maybe you’ll see something gory or noteworthy to share during the next lunch conversation.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn provides some guidance on how to conclude this essay. He once noted: “We do not err because truth is difficult to see. It is visible at a glance. We err because this is more comfortable.”

With no faith that our local leadership groups will emerge from their comfortable cocoons of parochial interests and inject themselves into the oft uncomfortable arena of city politics, it is likely the discordant few will hijack public policy in such a way that it will take years to readjust and recover.

Seriously. My appreciation of their accomplishment will be sincere.