I’m a sucker for long obituaries on important people, especially those who dealt with world affairs, such as presidents, prime ministers, generals and diplomats. 

So, I spent the early hours one morning last November reading the lengthy obituary on former Secretary of State and longtime presidential adviser Henry Kissinger, who had died the day before at 100 years old. 

He has been both celebrated and reviled for his Cold War policies put into practice by successive Republican presidents, and it’s clear he deserved both sides. He helped position the world against the Soviet Union and planned President Richard Nixon’s historic trip to China — he also supported brutal leaders in countries such as Chile and Indonesia to block potential communist expansion. 

But what struck me was, above all, he was productive even if he wasn’t actually an elected politician — a true statesman.

I appreciate productivity in a politician as well. I’ll take productivity — as long as it’s constitutional and good for the country — over excessive political purity any time. 

Earlier last week I drove over to Clark to watch Park County Public Works finally tackle a project to widen a dangerously narrow stretch of County Road 7RP where the road winds down from a bench to a river valley amidst sheer rock walls. It’s a project the county has wanted to do for decades, but has been stymied by bureaucratic red tape due to the federal BLM land that was involved in widening the road. 

Commissioner Lloyd Thiel, an area resident with knowledge of the road’s issues, brought new impetus to the project soon after he was first elected. It wasn’t really much of a joke when he laughed and said it only took four years of work for him and other county officials, not to mention the Bureau of Land Management and other federal officials, to get the green light — four years can be considered quick by federal government standards. 

Now, County Road 7RP is no thoroughfare, although increased use of nearby Hogan and Luce reservoirs has increased traffic somewhat. But it’s still quite the accomplishment. It’s also proof that Thiel is working for his constituents. 

Now, there are certainly stances of his that I don’t entirely agree with, but I respect his willingness to put in the work to get stuff done and accomplish what is a core governmental function — maintaining and improving road infrastructure. 

To cap it off, public works is able to use material taken from the hill while widening to improve the road down below where it washes out, drastically reducing the cost of the two projects vs. shipping material from Cody. That makes it a win-win, Project Manager Ben McDonald said. 

For me, when a politician says something I believe in, that’s just a partial win, but if they follow through and actually do it, that’s a true win-win. 

Politicians should be measured by their deeds, regardless of how much hot air they may blow.