Mike Ross: ‘Yes’ Or ‘No’ To Inquiries

FORMER CONGRESSMAN NOT MINCING WORDS

Whether a six- term Congressman of South Arkansas or a decades long state Senator from Southwest Arkansas, Mike Ross, has never been one to mince his words.

Or in the vernacular of my country raising down in Southeast Arkansas, he’s never been one to “pussy foot” around on giving anyone an answer.

He proved that recently in a talk before The Political Animals Club of Northwest Arkansas and again at a Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs committee on the same day.

Ross, who is running as a Democratic nominee for Governor in 2014, should be praised by the public, for being plain spoken in this era of verbose political speak.

But with that gift of being plain spoken does come some political baggage.

Sometimes being plain spoken can startle an audience.

Or in the case of Ross last week, the crowd, amazed at his direct and succinct answer – burst into applause.

A sharply dressed University of Arkansas upperclassman, identified himself and launched into a long and suspected planted question on school vouchers and charter schools. The student, a junior at the state’s flagship institution, mentioned two UA researchers who have published significant national literature on the use of school vouchers and charter schools to “dramatically increase student performance.”

The student wound up his presentation with a personal challenge to candidate Ross.

“Are you open to any of that in Arkansas?”

“No,” said Ross, letting the firm answer hang in the silence of the room of almost 200 attendees.

After a very long silence with his solid “No” still hanging in the air, Ross gave it back, as good as it was intended to trip him up.

“Anybody in this room, if you want to send your kids to private school, that’s your business, but don’t drain the resources from our public schools.”

Applause interrupted his answer.

And the spontaneous applause from the crowd grew as Ross hit his stride in his early morning remarks.

There was a pointed question about his votes in the Congress, especially on women’s issues.

Ross never flinched. He explained how as a six-term Congressman he held as many as 80-plus Town Hall meetings to guage the sentiments of the 4th Congressional District voters, before casting his vote.

He also made a solid effort to get people to understand the difference in a congressman and a governor.

“A congressman is a representative of the people of his or her district,” Ross said. “A congressman is to go to Washington D.C. and represent the thoughts and ideals of that district.”

Being governor is a much different job.

At the Chamber forum, Ross said his 10- years as a state senator better prepared him than any other announced candidate from either party thus far in the 2014 filing.

State Rep. Debra Hobbs, R-Rogers, who announced last week is the only other candidate who has served in the Arkansas Legislature.

“I’ve been in the state Senate and I know how the legislative process works. I know how state government works in Arkansas. And I know Arkansas. I love this state,” Ross said.

That’s a phrase that’s been missing, thus far, from the other announced candidates on both sides of the political spectrum.

Ross also praised NW Arkansas for its “regional approach” to recruiting industry and seeking out such needs as highways, services and other state services. “This region has done things the right way to get highway improvements and services, as a region — not as individual cities or counties. Other areas of our state could learn from your example.”

Pretty plain spoken from candidate Mike Ross.