East Boogie kicked off 2014 with the distinction of being recognized (for the third consecutive year) as being “the most dangerous” city in America. No surprise there, but I’d love to see how the events in Ferguson will affect our ranking for 2015.
The ESL NAACP, under the leadership of Branch President Stanley Franklin, wins my “Sell-Out” of the year award for awarding three out of four annual scholarships to non-black students who attend the prestigious Governor French Academy of Belleville. Congrats to Stan and the gang. Your platinum bootlicker trophy will be delivered by drone.
State Senator James Clayborne was the unanimous winner of my award for “Political Player of the Year.” After hooking-up two female acquaintances with positions on the Illinois Prisoner Review Board and the Illinois Department of Transportation, he STILL managed to be narrowly re-elected (thanks to some convenient late returns from East Boogie).
My award for most incompetently run office resulted in a tie between the City of ESL and the East St. Louis Housing Authority. The ESLHA earned this well-deserved distinction by building a $1.4 million development (six homes) with no sewer connections for the properties. But not to be outdone, the city of ESL shared in the embarrassment of this train wreck because the inspectors for ESL and the ESLHA, collectively, failed to notice the lack of sewer connections. So for their stellar ineptitude, the “Can’t Get Right” trophy is awarded to both.
“Crooked Official of the Year” was another toss-up, due to the plethora of candidates, but I managed to narrow it down. It’s another tie, folks. The first winner is former Alorton Mayor JoAnn Reed, who was forced from her office and her job with the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department for smuggling contraband to her incarcerated niece in the Alorton jail. She shares the dishonor with former St. Clair County Circuit Judge Michael “Bad to the Bone” Cook, who is serving a two-year sentence for heroin possession and weapons convictions, in sunny Pensacola, Florida.
I’m sure that Governor Pat Quinn wishes that he was rewarded with re-election, but unfortunately (for him) was defeated by Republican Bruce Rauner, who will be the new governor of the “worst run state” in America.
Also, for the first time in 70 years, U.S. Representative Bill Enyart, lost the Belleville/Southern Illinois Democratic seat to Republican Mike “Let my people go” Bost.
But there was some good news in 2014, with President Barack Obama’s nomination and confirmation East St. Louis native Staci Yandle to the U.S District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.
Then, there was the groundbreaking for the $9.5 million Sinai Village II, a development of 30 decent and affordable homes for East St. Louis residents, under the leadership of Mt. Sinai Baptist church and the Rev. Herman Watson, as an example of a church taking their message and deeds from the pulpit to the people they serve.
And there was Jimmy Williams, native East St. Louisian and president of McDonald’s African-American Consumer Market, who acquired, remodeled and re-opened a McDonald’s in his hometown, at 25th and State streets, as a sign of reinvestment in a community which elected his father as the first African-American mayor of ESL.
There may even be a new mayor of ESL if ESL City Councilwoman Emeka Jackson-Hicks has her way. Jackson-Hicks, the daughter of State Representative Eddie Jackson, will face off against ESL Mayor Alvin Parks in the 2015 Municipal elections.
My wish for all my readers is one of peace, prosperity and the blessings of good health and friendships in all walks of life. Happy New Year and, God willing, we’ll meet here again in 2015.
Email: jtingram_1960@yahoo.com; Twitter@JamesTIngram.
