Reject Golliday, El-Amin and Neely, too
Columnist James-Ingram
East St. Louis voters, who have become (for a multitude of reasons) disgusted, embarrassed and disappointed with their school board and City Council members, have an opportunity to do a little spring cleaning in the upcoming April 17 general elections.
But before then, we have a little thing known as the February 27 primary election, in which nine ESL City Council candidates will face off, reducing the field to four for the April 17 general elections. Two of the nine candidates are incumbents Karen Cason and Ed Russell.
Cason and Russell, in my opinion, have become an albatross and, to an extent, a source of embarrassment for the citizens of ESL. To re-elect either of them would be a detriment to the progress of East St. Louis.
Councilman Ed Russell, throughout much of his term, was merely a lackey and rubber stamp for convicted felon (and former councilman) Charlie Powell. His voting record attests to that fact. He and running mate Robert Eastern III were the only two council candidates absent during a January 31 forum for all respective council candidates. I would not take time to vote for candidates who fail to avail themselves to defend their records or qualifications.
Councilwoman Karen Cason has the audacity to have a campaign slogan which asks us to vote to “Re-Elect an Honest Woman.” If she referred to herself as an “educated” woman, I might overlook it (she does has a doctorate degree). If she asked us to “Re-Elect a Family Woman,” that would definitely be a truthful statement. Any city councilwoman with the nerve to unashamedly push for a 31 percent raise for her brother and a nearly 18 percent raise for her nephew could definitely be accused of nepotism.
However, given Cason’s questionable (and well publicized) exploitation of property tax loopholes last year, her integrity has been a source of skepticism by many in the public and in the media. Her flair for the dramatic and grandstanding have been major sources of embarrassment for the citizens. The voters of ESL deserve better; and they can DO better on February 27 and April 17.
Of the seven remaining council candidates, the pickings are slim. Yet, during the January 31 forum I did find it refreshing that one candidate, Lester “Boom” Anderson, actually had the honesty to admit that he didn’t profess to have all of the answers but would be willing to work with others to find solutions to ESL’s myriad problems. That’s rare for a politician. One can learn the ropes and intricacies of being a councilman, but honesty cannot be taught.
The ESL school board elections (April 17) are another matter entirely. Recently, incumbent candidates Irma Golliday, Khalil El-Amin and Lavondia Neely (all up for re-election) embarrassed themselves and the citizens of ESL by voting to strip the name of Leroy Ducksworth, ESL’s first black superintendent of schools, from a new school in Washington Park.
They replaced Ducksworth’s name with that of James Avant, a high school dropout, former Washington Park police chief, and un-indicted co-conspirator in a bribery and racketeering scandal. Avant died while driving intoxicated in an unmarked police car in 1994. What a hero, right?
Board member Joe Lewis (who voted against the move) accuses the three of renaming the school in exchange for the political support of Washington Park political leadership. Sounds fishy to me, too.
Golliday, El-Amin and Neely want the citizens of ESL to develop amnesia, as well as forget all of their other shenanigans as a board (nepotism in hiring, supporting the agenda of ESL school board president Lonzo “Shakedown” Greenwood) and reward them for selling out the voters and children of ESL.
My advice? DON’T DO IT!
If ESL voters have an ounce of pride left, then Cason and Russell should be booted from their City Council seats and Golliday, El-Amin and Neely should be sent packing for prostituting the integrity of the ESL School Board and allowing it to become the laughing stock of Illinois and the Metro East area.
It’s about time for a little political spring cleaning in East St. Louis, but it’s up to the voters to do the sweeping!
Email: jtingram_1960@yahoo.com.