Sometimes left means right, up means down, black means white and....no means yes.
This is one of those times.
After years of being bullied into apathy, cajoled into complacency and treated like the docile spouse in a bad relationship, the citizens of Fort Smith have finally put their foot down in unison to support a grassroots campaign to defeat greed, avarice, and corruption in opposition to a sales tax election that goes against good fiscal responsibility.
The bottom line? This groundswell of opposition started simply enough with a double handful of people expressing their displeasure on social media with the dubious nature of this last minute, end-around, audible called by the "Marshal Museum" supporters.
A dozen or so people, drawn together by an aversion of being lied and condescended to by the same old "old guard", pulled a Howard Beel and proclaimed they were mad as hell.
And they weren't going to take it anymore.
From that organizational meeting in a local coffee shop to holding press conferences and gatherings of citizens to address the "convenient truths" being passed off as a reason to bilk everyone in the region that will be affected by this proposed nine-month boondoggle, the core of that group has stood steadfast.
For too long, there has been an underbelly to local "politics" that has painted every portrait of elected officials with a little dash of intimidation and a dab or two here and there of the illusion of inclusion into the "club".
Well-meaning candidates have come and gone as "choices" for various positions, but in the end those that will not get with the intended program are cajoled, put upon-- and in a couple of instances--flat out blackmailed into acquiescence.
Take for example, our city board of directors. There is no need to rehash and rebash the names that have been held firmly beneath the overhearing thumbs of those that have doled out the Kool-Aid. The process is perfect. They don't need all the city directors in their pockets.
Just four. And come hell or high water, they are going to keep that majority through whatever tactics and chicanery it takes to hold down the fort. Or the Fort, if you want to be literal about it. And always stow the mayor in your back pocket too for the rare occasion you need that swing vote to keep your home fires burning.
So...it's bad enough that we're already dealing with malfeasance and a total betrayal of the citizens. Note I didn't say voters. Because the apathy and total feeling of helplessness has beaten back the potential voters for decades and we have allowed them to do this to us. But we did it to ourselves.
Paltry turnouts in municipal elections and a sustained effort to sneak their mistresses into the back door of Hotel Special Election has allowed us to sink into this self-inflicted morass of civic chaos. I've said it before and I'll say it again....we only have ourselves to blame.
But this time? This time, there is something different in the air and it's not the lingering bad smell in downtown Fort Smith.
From the roundtable, first self -introductions of those that oppose this tax to the delivery of signs calling for a common sense "no" vote on March 5-12, the "group" has worked tirelessly to counter the misdirection, bullying and flat out lies being told by the "museum people".
And it has turned the tide. Instead of us saying "oh, well..." to business being done as usual, we have them saying "Oh, hell!" to our unsinking resolve and very public opposition.
They never anticipated or expected the uprising. It hasn't been in our nature to oppose what the self-appointed "Guardians of Garrison" desire in order fatten their coffers and they just can't get their greedy hands (or brains) around the concept that "we the people" are standing up to their bullshit.
For the first time in a long time.
Rumor has it that the "museum people" are bragging they have a couple of thousands votes "in the bag" for this special election and that's the reason they haven't bothered-- to this point --on formulating a Plan "B".
But you boys better get back to the drawing board because the current public sentiment is turning on a huge tide of education, information and resentment that behooves the fact that you had better come up with something.
In 1787 in an essay in the Columbian Orator, David Everett penned "Large streams from little fountains flow, Tall oaks from little acorns grow."
Twelve of us have planted the seed. It's up to the rest of you to lend nourishment, meaning, and completion to what we started.
Water the acorn so it grows into something impressive. Be a great oak.
Vote NO on March 5-12 to a one-percent increase to your overall cost to live in a city where life ought to be worth living for more than just a selected handful of people.
