The Freda Markley Early Childhood Center in Hickman Mills had a ribbon cutting this evening. Since it’s the first building to be built in the district in something like 30 years, it seemed like a pretty big deal so I went. There were all the usual speakers: school board president, superintendent, principal, namesake Freda Markley, architect. Everyone said how exciting the new building is and how they’ll now be able to offer services to more kids. They even thanked the community for passing the bonds that paid to build the facility. Then there was Councilman Sharp.
Of course he, too, said how great this is for the community. He said it would provide an anchor for the Bannister Road redevelopment; leaving me to wonder what development he was talking about. The only major redevelopment to have been brought before the community was the Wizards/retail/office building debacle and we all know how that turned out. He then went on to say the City is in the process of adjusting the city council district boundaries and there are those that want to divide the Hickman Mills School District in half. (If, indeed, that is true, someone must have come up with a new map since Saturday because there wasn’t a map there that took half of the school district. Far from it.) Of course we can’t have that.
It wasn’t enough that the Councilman called his groupies and asked them to attend the redistricting meeting Saturday. He had to take advantage of the crowd at a purely non-political event. All this because he is afraid that losing part of the sixth district will mean losing part of his base. It’s sad that he needs to be that worried. If he were confident that he has served his district well, there would be no need for such concern.
It’s also said that he seems to care more about preserving his political home territory than he is about the Voting Rights Act.
6 comments:
It's ironic because Sharp was more interested in his stupid iron fence around Ruskin High School than getting the early childhood center opened up.
The Hickman Mills School District could do with better representation on the city council. I think councilman Riley would have had better priorities.
Riley has a big back to school function every year and Sharp said he wanted to do that for Hickman Mills. It seems like 'want to' and 'do' are not the same thing in his mind because he's had almost a full term on the council and hasn't done it.
I wonder how much his antics are going to cost the City? Elections aren't cheap. It seems he's following his usual spending path: first MAST, then the Hickman Mills School District, now the City. After all, it's not his money so why should he care?
John Sharp's council position is one of the best-paying jobs he's ever had. MAST was better, but he got fired from that.
If you look at most of the KCMO city council, you'll find that being on the council is either their only source of income, or they do it for their own self-importance and are supported by someone else.
Maybe this election will bring some people who are actually interested in public policy and trying to run a city in the best interests of all the residents.
If you ever have a conversation with Mr. Sharp you will quickly know where his interest lies. He will tell you what he did last night, or what he plans to do over the weekend, or something about his son ( who attended a traditionally Black college); but he won't ask what you're doing or what's happening in your life. If he should ask how you're doing, it's simply as a greeting, not because he really wants to know.
Please someone else run and NOT Bonnaye Mims. The woman is mental.
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