In the world of politics, sometimes the safest route to long-term electoral survival is in the art of avoidance. If one needs a modern-day example, see the U.S. Senate race in which the incumbent, John Boozman, has turned avoidance of his Democratic opponent, Conner Eldridge, into a full-time job.
Boozman is going to get re-elected, more than likely, so his strategy has been to make rounds of appearances in Arkansas as a senator and less so as a candidate facing opposition. Why give the other guy more time and exposure, the theory appears to go.
What’s the point?
Springdale Mayor Doug Sprouse earned high marks for his defense against fear-mongering involving a health facility that will provide needed care for young people.
Avoidance is a tried and true political approach. On city councils and quorum courts everywhere, a hot topic item that might produce a controversial vote has been known to lead to empty seats on the dais. A record of "absent" is sometime far more preferable in politics than one of "yes" or "no."
And more than once, lawmakers at the state Capitol have cast a vote of "present" on legislation that might come back to haunt them in a future campaign.
Is it brave and principled leadership? No. Avoidance is all about survival, and it's too often a guiding force in modern American politics.
That's why we think Springdale Mayor Doug Sprouse deserves kudos. Faced with a situation in which he easily could have avoided taking a stand, Sprouse went the other direction. Instead of getting mushy, he stood firm.
Here's the situation: Piney Ridge is a Fayetteville treatment center for children and teens afflicted by sexual behavioral disorders. Its leaders recently proposed building and operating a replacement location, this on at 5060 E. Robinson Ave. near Habberton Road in Springdale. People who live nearby objected to a request to rezone the property, even though the proposed zoning matched up with the city's long-range planning.
Then residents began debating whether the kind of facility proposed really fell within the legitimate uses allowed in the new zoning. Some nearby property owners or residents simply don't want the facility to have a chance to operate, despite assurances that (1) it has operated for years at the smaller Fayetteville location without problems; (2) no individuals who are registered sex offenders will be located in such a facility; and (3) security will be adequate.
One resident at a recent City Council meeting wasn't buying the defense. He decried Piney Ridge's proposed proximity to local schools and the newly opened C.L. "Charlie" and Willie George Park.
"I will never take my kids to that $10.8 million park or allow my wife to if that facility is built," the man said.
Some officials might be content to stand back and such dire comments linger. Not Sprouse.
"We got a difference of opinion on the risk; I'm going to go watch my grandchild play tee ball at that new park," Sprouse said. "There are kids in our schools who utilize Piney Ridge, but more importantly, there are kids who are not getting help, and the parents will not get them help because of the stigma they hear. That's my concern, and that's where I pray for my grandkids."
Sprouse's constituent continued, questioning why Piney Ridge would ever be built and offering the old red herring that if there is any risk whatsoever, it shouldn't be. It's the kind of thinking that can kill a lot of worthwhile and needed projects. Sprouse took a broader view, one that recognizes other people in his community, and other people in all of Northwest Arkansas, are going through difficult times and need the treatment a Piney Ridge facility can provide.
"I've taught Sunday School myself," Sprouse said, "and I know fear when I see it, and fear colors our decision-making process. I'm not going to allow fear to drive my life. There's risk in anything we do."
It was a bold statement, one many politicians wouldn't be able to muster. But Sprouse couldn't have been more right.
Politicians, once upon a time, were the people more likely to seek out compromise. That's become something of a dirty word in our federal offices, it seems, but at the local level, elected leaders still tend to search for ways to work through issues to find the common ground. We hope that continues.
Faced with a hard-nosed challenge relying mostly on fear of the unknown, Sprouse was having none of it. Because he knows a community is made up of all types of people, some of whom are young people who blessedly can be helped through the counseling received at a place like Piney Ridge.
Sprouse recognizes a city built on fear is a city on shaky ground. Thankfully, that's not the kind of city Doug Sprouse wants to lead.
Commentary on 10/27/2016