Spring is here, and council campaigns are heating up

by Larry Schuster

March 24,2007

All the campaigning for city council elections is a reminder that spring is here. Our municipal elections are just as dependable in foretelling spring's nearness as the playfully budding daffodils and the brilliant crocuses. We have the opportunity to select a mayor and two councilmen. In the mayor's race, we have a rematch between Darwin Hindman, a lovable yet mischievous leprechaun, and John Clark, who in no small manner resembles "Brutus" from the cartoon Popeye.

The match-up is futile.

Again campaigning on the platform of massive council reform and the idea that Hindman has served long enough, Clark rambles on much like Chicken Little fretting that the sky is falling. His recent confrontation with Councilwoman Almeta Crayton is indicative of his leadership style, which is, in a word, disastrous.

Hindman, on the other hand, is exceedingly personable, although prone to relying on the input of special interests rather than clearly grasping the many community-wide interests that require deft leadership in order to meet the fundamental needs of a town on the verge of becoming a major city.
Hindman, one of the most liberal members of the council, has served so long he is labeled by fringe groups as "a good ol' boy." This label surely puzzles him and offends the true "good ol' boys." Regardless, he should be supported for one last term.

Next we have a race in the 3rd Ward featuring Gary Kespohl and Karl Skala.
Kespohl is an ideal candidate. He owns and operates a small business in downtown Columbia. He has his ear to the ground. He is approaching the latter part of his career, which would allow him ample freedom to conduct his duties as a city councilman. He is thoughtful, slow to speak and quite insightful. In regard to city growth, he understands the necessary balance of parochial and progressive interests. Skala, on the other hand, is another public-sector employee whom I have a hard time understanding. It's not clear when he performs his job duties, since he attends so many meetings during the work day. He touts membership in the Columbia Chamber of Commerce but neither owns nor manages a business.

Although a past member of the Planning & Zoning Commission, he was unable to garner the support necessary for reappointment. He is the only commissioner in my memory to galvanize the community so that a tide rose up against his reappointment. Prone to playing by a different set of rules, he pleads ignorance about use of his publicly paid-for e-mail account for campaign purposes.

He, like John Clark, immerses himself in studies, minutia, facts, figures and plain old egotism. Both forget that a city is about people—not systems, procedures and the elusive, arrogant "best way." Both men have great difficulty dealing with folks who disagree with their verbose preambles. Please, elect Gary Kespohl.

In the 4th Ward, two more Planning & Zoning commissioners are squaring off. Mike Holden and Jerry Wade both do a respectable job as P & Z commissioners. Both, however, talk too much and say too little. Holden wanders from the considerations at hand and has a tendency to micro-manage rather than to decide issues on their merits. Wade, as P & Z chair, is often condescending and also micro-manages. He has revealed a political side during his campaign in that the volume of his condescension has been dampened as he dons the coat of electioneer. He is correct, however, about one important aspect of Columbia: "There are a thousand more communities like Columbia with just as good a quality of life and that are just as good a place to live." We have become a bit fat and lazy in regard to our economic prospects. As such, I believe Holden's experience in business and his connections to the economic engine of our community make him the better choice in the 4th Ward.

Balance on the city council is important. Too many "no growth / slow growth" advocates at service when a tightening economy looms will deprive our community of the flexibility necessary to weather this cycle. Hindman can do a fine job as mayor for another term. Kespohl and Holden can provide a measure of balance and wisdom similar to that of their predecessors, Bob Hutton and Jim Loveless, respectively. In the mean time, see you at the polls.

Popularity: 37% [?]