The only surprise to Gov. Asa Hutchinson's naming long-time friend, high school classmate and Springdale businessman Philip Taldo to the Arkansas Highway Commission was simply -- what took so long?
Recently the governor, on a planned trip to Northwest Arkansas, spoke before the Springdale Rotary Club. He made the announcement of Taldo's appointment to long, sustained and appreciative applause.
The hand-clapping was not so much for the governor, I think.
It was instead, for all that Philip Taldo, has done and is doing in the Springdale-Northwest Arkansas community.
And now that Taldo's school-yard buddy from decades ago at Springdale High is the Governor of Arkansas -- well Philp Taldo is focused on helping Arkansas as well.
Taldo won't take his seat on the five-member commission until later this month (Jan. 5, 2017) but for a rare year or so, it gives Northwest Arkansas a leg up on the commission.
Still presiding at the commission is Rogers-banker and man-about-town in Benton County, Dick Trammel.
So now there are two very strong proponents of roads, industrial development and especially Northwest Arkansas who will be sitting at the table together.
Wow.
Once it was always a struggle for any governor or any party -- whether the highway commissioner from the Third Congressional District would hail from the River Valley (i.e. Fort Smith and down to Russellville/Clarksville) or from the rapidly growing Northwest Arkansas area.
The first governor to break from the list of Fort Smith and River Valley Highway Commission appointees was then governor, now former President Bill Clinton with a status-shaking appointee in F. H. Martin, a former heavy equipment dealer from Fayetteville.
Martin, who later resigned the seat due to some business conflicts, sadly soon died of cancer. He was, as history records, a good man and a good highway commissioner.
Clinton then pulled another appointment from Northwest Arkansas -- Bobby Hopper of Springdale, a former Ford dealer.
Hopper served out the remainder of Martin's term and then went another full-term under Clinton's appointment, making him one of the longest serving highway commissioners in the state's history.
It would take a Republican governor, Mike Beebe, to name the next Northwest Arkansas native, as a highway commissioner. In his first year in office, Huckabee named the first Benton County resident in modern history to that office -- Jonathan Barnett of Siloam Springs.
Barnett and Huckabee were friends dating back to Boys State when Huckabee wanted to run for Governor and convinced Barnett, a stellar rival, to run for Boys' Nation delegate and visit the White House. Barnett accepted Huckabee's deal and marshaled his forces to see that the fireman's kid from Hope was the next Governor of Boys State.
But back to appointee Taldo.
Hutchinson cited a long friendship with Taldo, who also serves on the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and the Northwest Arkansas Airport Commission.
But Taldo, the governor noted, is not just a board fixture, but a thinker and a worker. "He understands infrastructure and the connection between infrastructure and the economy, with highways being a key part of infrastructure," Hutchinson said.
And Taldo is a faithful friend.
"He's been with me through thick and thin, but he's also been with Northwest Arkansas through the good times and the bad times," Hutchinson said.
Northwest Arkansas which has great representation under Trammel, the current chairman, now has doubled-down with two of the five representatives on the commission. Taldo will serve his 10 years as an at-large member, meaning that when Trammel's tenure is up in a year or so, Hutchinson can possibly name another representative from the Northwest Arkansas area.
Right now, history should note, both Benton and Washington County have two hard-working men on the Arkansas Highway Commission.
A great appointment by Hutchinson was made in naming Taldo.
-- Maylon Rice is a former journalist who worked for several northwest Arkansas publications. He can be reached via email at [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 01/04/2017