Jackass of the Year Awards

Bob Caudle of The Morning News sometimes reminds us that we are not worthy to be poking fun at politicians in the same market. This is the sixth year for Caudle's prestigious recognition of people who have "performed acts during the year that at one time or the other has made you want to personally shake their hoof for being so foolish." Rather than appropriately hanging our head in shame, we will act like a jackass and share some extensive excerpts about local municipal officials found in his column today announcing the 2008 Jackass of the Year awards.

Dapper Dan Coody: Former mayor of Fayetteville who leaves the city with an over-budget sewer plant, a hole in the ground where a hotel was supposed to go and a project called SouthPass, which is a partnership between the city and the developers who developed the hole in the ground. This is why you don’t lend your credit card to your wife just before a divorce.

Fayetteville City Attorney Kit Williams: Advised the mayor and city council that the hole in the ground shouldn’t be held against the developers when considering SouthPass. Are developers and lawyers like snakes? They just don’t bite each other out of professional courtesy?

Rogers Mayor Steve Womack: Honored annually to insult real jackasses. (Sadly, he’s still the best mayor in Northwest Arkansas.)

Outgoing Springdale Mayor Jerre Van Hoose: Had to announce his retirement so anyone would notice.

Springdale Vice Mayor Patsy Christie: Actually, she’s the director of the Planning and Community Development Department. In her defense, SOMEBODY had to run the city for the past six years.

Lowell Mayor Perry Long: It cost around $5,000 of taxpayers’ money, but the city got its stagecoach back from Cowboy Ray Dotson of Springdale. Dotson then bought his own stagecoach and plans to roll it through a parade in the city of Lowell. It’s too bad we don’t have a psychiatric school in Northwest Arkansas. These two and their stagecoaches would be a real study.

Thanks, Bob, for the mirth and for not including this blog among the honorees. Keep up the good fun.