CARLTON FLETCHER: Sinyard deserves time out of the public’s eye

Give a little bit. Give a little bit of yourself …

— Supertramp

It’s one of the ironies of modern-day American politics that the people who willingly take on the challenge of representing their neighbors in public office are vilified for doing so. Oddly enough, the people who have the wherewithal to campaign for and collect enough votes to win a political race are presumed to be crooked by the people who put them there, almost as soon as the polls close.

In the public’s defense, though, so many stories of political corruption, cronyism and just plain bad behavior by elected officials at all levels have been reported, it’s no wonder citizens tar their representatives with the brush of skepticism. As I’ve grown more cynical over the years, I certainly find myself doubting the intentions or promises of pretty much every politician who opens his or her mouth.

But not Jeff Sinyard.

Oh, I haven’t always agreed with him. And he certainly hasn’t agreed with a lot of the stuff I’ve written over the years. But when Sinyard has told me something — whether on the record or off — I’ve believed him.

And there’s a reason.

In the last several years of his tenure as chairman of the Dougherty County Commission, a time that coincided with The Herald brass’ decision to have me cover the goings-on of the Albany and Dougherty County governments, I’ve asked Sinyard hundreds and hundreds of questions. Some of them he’s squirmed through, some he’s answered off the record and some he’s politely refused to answer. Rather than a brusque “no comment,” though, the man lovingly known as “Bodine” has never failed to explain why he can’t answer certain questions.

No reporter could ask for more than that.

In doing this job, I’ve had the opportunity to see Sinyard operate in situations many in the public never see. I’ve seen him hurt to the point of tears over decisions made that negatively impacted citizens of the community. I’ve also seen tears of anger well in those usually friendly, smiling eyes, seen a side of him that some — who probably don’t even know it — are lucky they didn’t get to see.

As word of the 30-year civil servant’s pending departure from public life has filtered out, from Albany to Atlanta to Washington, accolades for Sinyard have poured in. The state’s lieutenant governor, Casey Cagle, called Sinyard “a prince of a guy, one of the greatest ambassadors Dougherty County has ever had.”

Sinyard’s long-time ally in the political and business arenas, former lieutenant governor and Albany boy Mark Taylor, said of his close friend, “I know and appreciate the sacrifices Jeff has made on behalf of this community. Even in the circles of power in Atlanta and Washington, he’s as beloved a human being as I’ve ever seen. I think that comes from the tremendous outpouring of joy he feels in representing his neighbors in public life.”

There are many who, over the years, have demanded ever more of Sinyard. They appreciate what he’s done for Dougherty County, Albany and Southwest Georgia, but it’s just not enough. They want him to run for the state House, the Senate, for governor. Others want him to represent them in Washington. Sure, the purpose of some of these would-be kingmakers is selfish. But there is also a large group that would like to have someone they can truly trust representing their interests.

He wouldn’t admit it … it’s just not in him to. But Sinyard decided to step down from public office, I believe, because he’s tired; physically, yes, but mostly mentally and emotionally. He wants to set his sons up in the family business he’s grown for the last 20 years, and he wants to spend more time with wife Lillie, the woman he calls his rock. But the passion level he’s always worked at has started to ebb a bit, and that’s not good enough.

“The people of this county always deserve to have someone who can give them 100 percent, all the time,” Sinyard said. “I wouldn’t ever want to be in a position where I wasn’t doing that.”

So give Bodine his time out of the public eye. Let him ease his sons into the business world and spend a vacation with Lillie without having to worry about who will call with an emergency that only he can solve. Let him get to know that new grandchild due in May and watch a football game or two all the way through without having to screen phone calls.

Because Jeff Sinyard will be back serving the people of this region in some capacity pretty soon. It may not be something that makes the family happy, and it may demand more of his time and energy that he wants to give. But Sinyard can’t not be there when his community calls on him.

That, folks, is just Bodine.