The Politics of Historical Districts: It’s about the Politics, Stupid!
by Jeff
Bill Schmickle has achieved the impossible. He’s kept my eyes from glazing over at the thought of reading a book about historic preservation–The Politics of Historic Districts. Of course, I never doubted that from the first turn of the cover. It wasn’t the topic that made me believe, but the man behind the pages.
I admit, I’m biased toward Bill. Yes, he was my political science professor at Guilford. His wife Charlotte cured my sniffles on several occasions and his sons Andy and Greg are way cool, worldly, and successful cats in their own right. But this book is important for its field in my opinion and I’m convinced it will be embraced widely as a seminal piece . HPC members across the country are already dog-earring its pages and its a great read.
Bill lays down the gauntlet from square one. Historic districts are not about pure preservation, they are about politics “from the get-go”. He “spikes the punch” of preservation nerds with strategy laced with Machiavellian performance enhancing drugs. After a few gulps, he then pats them on the back, and pushes them out the door with good humor and a systematic playbook for guerrilla warfare with City Hall. I’m impressed. As a former county commissioner, I realize Bill has let the proverbial ‘cat out of the bag’ and city councils had better take notice.
Some key phrases and thoughts. The worst thing in politics is to be right and to lose. The political landscape is littered with the bones of just causes. Tell me about it. Bill understands there are two processes at work in designation: the formal procedure and the informal and political. He helps advocates understand the right questions in the formal process through a step by step approach to research, committee organization, and finding professional help. Bill knows the politics is more like a chess game than a jigsaw puzzle. Like chess, the strategy for success must embrace fluidity, uncertainty and general predictability.
And let me warn you, put the book back on the shelf if you aren’t in it to win it.
“It’s often true the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Yet when you’re both watching your adversary you’re not always seeing eye to eye.Thank God for Bill’s wit. Only Bill can quote John Heisman or Sherlock Holmes and get away with it in a preservation book… ” Gentleman, it is better to have died as a small boy than to fumble this football”, or “There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact”.
Historic District wonks kneel before your Messiah…