Citizenship works

Anger, impulsiveness do not Guest writer

Citizenship is vital to America and works when citizens believe they make a difference. How do Arkansas citizens achieve in the policy arena? To answer that question, it’s instructive to follow investor Charles Munger’s oft-quoted insight: “Invert, always invert.” In brief, one should also ask, “What doesn’t work?”

Anger, bad manners, and impulsiveness don’t work in Arkansas.

Failed candidates for local office who presume to make demands of elected governors do not achieve. Humility is a virtue; anger and arrogance are not. Insulting officials— making it personal—does not lead to accomplishments. But it does teach young people the wrong lessons about citizenship.

Successful policy is “a long game.” Anyone who played competitive sports in high school or college knows the championship road is arduous and starts in team camp. You cannot skip practice and demand a starting spot along with the ball. Of course, a few don’t comprehend they need a coach or game plan.

Fortunately, most citizens working to improve Arkansas take a different approach. They intuit that patience, respect for others and strategic long-term thinking leads to policy achievements.

Three examples illustrate these points.

■ Charter schools. It’s not a sign of weakness to consider other’s opinions. Effective policymakers seek out new ideas through dialogue.

In 1996, an Arkansas Policy Foundation study by Allyson Tucker and Donna Watson noted Arkansas had a weak charter school law. These citizens argued Arkansas should “move into the 21st century as an innovator in education.”

Two legislators—one liberal Democrat and one conservative Republican—traveled to Texas to tour a charter school serving atrisk students. They wrote a broader charter law, expanded by subsequent legislatures under Democratic and Republican governors.

Today, more than 25,000 students attend Arkansas charters, Department of Education records show.

They benefit from the leadership of the Arkansans for Education Reform Foundation, a citizens group. ■ Fiscal policy. Ideas aren’t always adopted on first reading. But if they’re sound, they will eventually be adopted.

In 1998, Policy Foundation citizen studies argued Arkansas’ high tax rates put it at a competitive disadvantage versus states like Texas. A southwest Arkansas Democratic lawmaker wrote a law reducing the state capital gains tax. In 2013, a Republican Legislature cut it again and started reducing the income tax. The Tax Reform and Relief Legislative Task Force is considering further income tax cuts.

Fiscal studies by the Advance Arkansas Institute and Arkansas Center for Research in Economics have also informed policymakers.

■ Efficiency. Government efficiency initiatives rely on transparency to identify cost savings. The news media foster citizenship by reporting government waste to citizens. OpenTheBooks.com, an Illinois nonprofit, provides detailed online information about Arkansas spending. The group has informed ongoing citizen efforts to address state government’s $300 million accounts receivable problem.

Ineffective approaches demoralize citizens. It’s important to focus on what works. “A is A,” though that won’t stop some from insisting it isn’t.