What keeps me most impressed with attorney Joey McCutchen of Fort Smith is his unwavering willingness to question Arkansas elected officials.

I wish I could see more such nerve from attorneys across our state when legal intervention in the public interest is deserved. Every community deserves at least one such barrister.

It’s also the reason I’ve dubbed McCutchen the bulldog (although pit bull might be even more suitable) and continue to follow his legal exploits on behalf of the public’s right to know.

Yet again the other day, he was making headlines after he and law partner Stephen Napurano, representing city resident Brian Westney, filed suit against Fort Smith (in particular, City Administrator Carl Geffken) for committing the city to hefty financial obligations and efforts tied to a federal grant program without gaining approval from the city’s Board of Directors.

Would that be somewhat akin to a team captain arbitrarily changing plays in the huddle without seeking input from the coaches, only to get sacked?

Anyway, Westney accuses Geffken of obligating Fort Smith to an agreement related to the Climate Pollution Reduction grant (CPRG) in two memorandums of understanding without his board’s involvement.

It’s a deal that translates to a whopping $14.5 million share of the nearly $100 million total award to the Tri-Region Arkansas Coalition, comprised of the state’s northwest, central and the River Valley regions.

The CPRG has several significant obligations attached, including environmental planning and the development of a Priority Action Plan as well as a Comprehensive Action Plan. Geffken allegedly did so through the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment, Division of Environmental Quality and Metroplan, the suit contends.

“Mr. Geffken certified in these agreements he was authorized to sign on behalf of the city and commit the city to the agreed-upon terms. However, Mr. Geffken did not have authority from the Board of Directors to execute either of these agreements or to bind the city to their terms,” McCutchen wrote.

The lawsuit seeks a declaratory judgment affirming that Geffken exceeded his authority, thus rendering the agreements void. Additionally, it seeks have the city deemed unable to accept any grant funding associated with the program due to Geffken’s overreach.

“We have an elected board that should be involved in important decision making matters, especially when decisions jeopardize local control. No one person should ever choose to bypass his boss, the elected board, when doing the people’s business,” McCutchen told a reporter.

Who knows, valued readers? Perhaps Geffken forgot to discuss the issue with the board? Perhaps he just assumed he could legally obligate his city to turn over control to the federal government for the current administration’s climate-change agenda.

We should know for certain if and when this case reaches a courtroom.

‘MISSPEAK’ MEANS LIE

I’ve previously mentioned how frequently the term misspeak is used nowadays to replace “lies” or “lying,” as if changing the term somehow softens the falsehood.

Yet it’s beyond me how adult human beings can believe that kind of politically inspired gooberspeak would fool anyone. Some elitist politicians will speak falsely for all to hear, then come back after being called on their lie to claim they misspoke, which in their mind is supposed to make the lie they told all the so-called “deplorables” somehow an acceptable accident.

That might be true in the land of those suffering from cognitive difficulties, but it does nothing for thinking American adults who know exactly what a person was doing when they lied, using language and context that sounded not in the least like “misspeak.”

If I falsely said I was a commander during my Coast Guard service, that would be a flat-out lie, not misspeaking. Moreover, I’d know it was a lie when I uttered it to try and make myself appear grander than I am.

So my unsolicited advice for those seeking to become public servants is to avoid the self-defeating dishonesty. Should you feel the urge to lie or greatly exaggerate in a desire to enhance yourself in the eyes of others, have enough character to admit it. Call your lie just what it is rather than mendacious “misspeak.” OK, this Arkansas “deplorable” (who amazingly can still vaguely reason) feels much better now.

LUXURIES OF LIFE

It’s when we reach the stage of having the luxury of hindsight that we can see those things that have brought comfort and quality our existence over the decades.

In retrospect, I can recognize at least 10 undeniable luxuries in life: Time and resources for what we want to do, good health, a rational mind, peaceful mornings, good friends, strong faith, regular nourishment, the ability to travel, a house full of love, and the unconditional love of a pet. Anything you’d care to contemplate and add?

Now go out into the world and treat everyone you meet exactly like you want them to treat you.