Columnist James Ingram
I wasn’t the least bit surprised when Alvin Parks Jr. ran into the East St. Louis mayor’s office with a trail of relatives dangling from his coattails.
Among his first hires: sister Lauren Parks-Goins as his executive assistant and brother-in-law Rocco Goins as director of the Emergency Service Disaster Agency.
After spending the last several years chilling in Hawaii, these two beach bums needed jobs; and, besides, they are family.
During a recent radio show and in the local papers, Parks further insulted our collective intelligence by saying that these family members were “eminently qualified” for their positions, despite the fact that no one else was given the opportunity to compete for those gigs.
Just when we thought that Parks had hired the usual family quota, he went on to hook up his cousin Tommy Dancy as head of Regulatory Affairs. Why not? Another cousin, Charlotte Moore, is already ESL city treasurer.
At least this way, Parks can do away with all the formalities at cabinet meetings and just treat them as what they really are: a good old-fashioned family reunion. Can’t you just hear “Little Al” now: “Lauren, you bring the potato salad. Rocco, you bring the BBQ. Tommy you bring the sodas, and Charlotte and I will bring the dessert; and that’s an order.”
Parks has already hired so many members of his clan that rumors abound that Parks plans to adopt the Sister Sledge classic “We Are Family” as the official anthem of East Boogie! That would make sense, especially with talk among political insiders that Parks has plans for additional family members and cronies to join the gravy train.
One problem, though. One of the last acts of Mayor Carl Officer’s administration was to pass an ordinance, placing a freeze on hiring, firing or re-assigning city personnel until the end of the fiscal year (December 31).
Parks failed to repeal the ordinance during last weeks’ City Council meeting. That means that, unless the ordinance is appealed and overturned in a court of law, that Parks’ family and other recently hired cronies will not be paid and, for now, they are simply glorified volunteers.
What a bummer! I’m sure Parks has, at least, another dozen or so family members to hire. It’s just not fair. First they lock up Paris Hilton, now this.
Seriously, though. I hope that Parks’ supporters are paying close attention to their mayor’s actions, not his rhetoric. He got them to vote for him with promises of a fresh start and “life more abundantly” (obviously for his family).
However, what did he do? He did the very same thing that his Mommy did, shamelessly and arrogantly hooking up family while thumbing his nose at ESL taxpayers.
But, since voters are so easily deceived by diversionary tactics like photo ops of Parks and the clan, posing with trash cans and brooms for a city clean-up (which ceased the moment that media packed up their cameras), then they deserve to be treated like the peasants that Parks and the Royal Family would have them to be.
You see, Alvin Parks is a “kinder and gentler” version of all the political hucksters and vampires who have roamed and shamed the halls of ESL city government before him. Parks’ mentor, felon Charlie “don’t drop the soap” Powell, was a brash, unapologetic political criminal. Alvin Parks is, simply, unethical. And why shouldn’t he be? The voters allow it.
And if voters continue to allow Parks and his entourage of family leaches and sycophants to feast from the city trough, simply because Mayor Alvin says that they’re “eminently qualified,’ then voters will continue (and deserve) to get reamed, mercilessly, for their ignorance, apathy and complacency.
Email: jtingram_1960@yahoo.com.