What’s right and wrong discussed at chamber meeting

story by Michael Tilley and photos by Joel Rafkin
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The more than 500 who attended the annual banquet of the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce heard John McFarland talk about what’s right in the Fort Smith area and heard J.C. Watts talk about what’s wrong with national politics.

McFarland, the former chairman and CEO of Baldor Electric and outgoing chamber board chairman, opened the meeting by mentioning a few things he was “thankful” are part of the community.

He praised the development at Chaffee Crossing, especially the interstate segment work on what will eventually be Interstate 49.

“Won’t it be great when we’re connected to the rest of the world by I-49?” McFarland said.

The I-49 route in Arkansas stretches from Texarkana, up through Dequeen, Mena and Waldron, into Fort Smith and on through Northwest Arkansas. All that stands in the way of this interstate reality is several small segments at the Arkansas-Louisiana and Arkansas Missouri borders and a 185-mile segment between Texarkana and Fort Smith that posts a price tag of more than $3 billion.

Of the $352 million Arkansas received as part of the $787 billion federal stimulus package, $71.6 million was dedicated to portions of I-49.

McFarland also praised Mat Pitsch and the work he and others are doing with the Regional Intermodal Transportation Authority. Another area in which McFarland was thankful is the redevelopment of the former Phoenix Village mall property. He cited the entrepreneurs “who really cleaned up what was really a blighted area.”

Watts, the former quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma Congressman, is the founder and chairman of J.C. Watts Companies. The company has operations in Texas, Oklahoma, and South Korea. Under his parent company, Watts’ operations include CLS Group, a project management firm with construction and engineering operations; Oak Crest Capital, a private equity firm; and Watts Partners, a public affairs consulting company. The City of Fort Smith first contracted with Watts Partners in October 2007 to improve the city’s lobbying effort in Washington.

The problem with the nation is not the national budget or deficits, but a lack of civility in the political arena, Watts said.

“There was a civility with the World War II generation that we have lost in the last few years,” Watts said.

As examples, Watts cited Democrat members of Congress booing President Bush during a State of the Union address, and a Republican calling President Obama a liar during his first State of the Union address.

Watts choked up when mentioning how the WWII generation group “worked to perfect our union.”

He said too many people now view politics the way we view sports, in that we cheer for politicians “not based on right or wrong” but based on “whether they are Republicans or Democrats.”

Pushing more “innovation and competition” is what is needed in federal government reform, Watts said in changing subjects.

“Innovation and competition is good. … Innovation and competition is what drives success in the private sector,” he said.

Continuing, he told the primarily pro-business crowd that federal regulation is now stifling innovation and competition in the private sector. What’s more, he said, innovation and competition would improve the public education system and the delivery of federal social service programs.

In an interview after his speech, Watts said he does not regret leaving Congress in 2002. Watts, the former football star, said sometimes people get changed by the political arena.

“The cheer of the crowd can be so intoxicating. I think the more you hear of that, the more you find yourself playing to the cheer of the crowd more than than doing what’s right,” Watts explained.

He also said the media has responsibility in the lack of political civility.

“Those guys are leading the charge,” Watts said of cable commentators like Keith Olbermann and Bill O’Reilly. “I think the press, I think they have contributed to this hostile environment.”