Officer faces ‘wannabe’ Parks April 17
Columnist James-Ingram
On April 17, East St. Louis voters will go to the polls to determine the future of their city and public schools. The big question on the minds of every voter will be, “Whom do you trust?”
Mayor Carl Officer seeks re-election against challenger Alvin Parks in a bitter contest in which “Little Al” seeks revenge for being fired as ESL City Manager, after a pitiful 5-month stint, back in 2005.
This contest should be a no-brainer. The Casino Queen, ESL’s greatest corporate citizen, contributes over $10 million annually to ESL city coffers (half of their budget). Carl Officer was responsible for bringing casino gambling to ESL.
Amid an ESL City Council led by (the now-incarcerated felon) Charlie Powell, Officer publicly denounced the wheeling, dealing and suspect behavior of Powell and his cronies (including Alvin Parks) including their opposition to Officer’s attempts to engage in a city-wide replacement of streets, sidewalks and infrastructure.
Parks remained silent throughout the scandal, indictments, convictions and imprisonment of his buddy Powell, Kelvin Ellis and others (on vote fraud and other felonies).
In fact, in a stroke of utter stupidity, Parks, in reference to Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith, said that his appearance before the federal grand jury was a “waste of time,” then asked: “Doesn’t (Goldsmith) think I have better things to do with my time?”
That’s right folks, Alvin Parks thinks that rooting out federal corruption in ESL is unimportant and a “waste of time.” Yet, he preaches about “building credibility.” What a hypocrite!
But, then again, Powell did hand-pick Parks for the job of city manager; and being one to return a favor, “Little Al” loaded his city-issued vehicle full of signs (promoting the campaigns of Councilmen Powell and Eddie Jackson) despite the City Management Associations’ code of ethics, which states that a city manager should “refrain from participation in the election of members of the employing legislative body.”
Then, with his best “Howdy Doody” grin plastered across his face, Parks said (and he didn’t appear to be drunk) that “I don’t see a conflict.” And this guy talks about ethics? Puh-leease!
Take, for instance, when Parks was fired as ESL city manager (in 2005). As if by magic, a $60,000 per-year job was suddenly created (for Alvin) with ESL Public Schools, just prior to Alvin’s mom, “Queen Lillian” Parks, being appointment as interim superintendent of schools.
Then, after only 3 months on the job, “Her Majesty” gave “Prince Alvin” a fat $10,000 raise. Nepotism or just dumb luck? Interestingly enough, I can’t recall Alvin’s daughter ever attending ESL schools, despite the fact that numerous relatives of Parks have made a comfortable living from the ESL District 189 payroll.
While Alvin’s child has attended such prestigious schools as Governor French Academy (in Belleville), Officer (who can easily afford to send his daughter to an elite school) chooses to send his child to ESL public schools. That says a lot about Parks’ confidence in his employer (who pays him $70,000 per year) versus Officer who demonstrates his pride in ESL schools by trusting them to educate his most valuable asset, his child.
Officer (in the last 4 years) successfully fought to save Kenneth Hall Hospital and Schnucks (grocery store), as well as lead opposition against Ameren UE for the lowering of electrical rates. Alvin Parks was FIRED after only 5 months as city manager!
Yet, Parks’ campaign slogan is “Life More Abundantly.” He loves to brag that his political credo (in making political decisions) is “The 3 L’s: It must be legal, it must be logical and I must be able to live with myself.”
In reality, Parks’ slogan should be changed to “Lies More Abundantly,” and the “3 L’s should stand for “lying, lackey and Lillian.”
In a recent debate against Officer, Alvin (in my opinion) told an elaborate lie in defending his District 189 position (and $10,000 raise) as being everything other than political nepotism and cronyism.
However, if one examines Alvin’s political backers (St. Clair County Board Chairman, Mark Kern and the St. Clair County democratic machine) they were the same supporters of felon Charlie Powell (and we know where he is).And just to remind us, Alvin even has a big campaign sign in Charlie Powell’s front yard, folks! Parks is clearly a shameless lackey for the democratic power brokers of St. Clair County and we should never forget it.
Officer is politically independent and, therefore, doesn’t have his lips super-glued to the backside of Mark Kern and the other democratic big wigs (as does “Little Al”). That’s an important (and rare) quality to have in a black mayor in white America. We (blacks) already have an ample supply of political prostitutes in our community!
And just as Alvin’s mother, “Queen Lillian,” pulled the strings for “baby boy” to fatten his pockets (at taxpayers expense) don’t think that “Her Majesty” will have anything less than a monarchy and a fitting coronation for “Prince Alvin” and “The Royal Family” if ESL voters allow themselves to be bamboozled on election day.
Rumors abound that, if elected, Parks plans keep his $70,000 school board job as well as the $50,000 mayor’s salary. In a recent debate, Officer grilled “Little Al” about that issue and Parks refused to answer, coming across as less than honest.
So, on April 17, ESL voters must honestly ask themselves who deserves their trust. Officer, like him or not, has consistently opposed corruption and cronyism. He is economically self-sufficient and has no reason to steal or pick the pockets of ESL tax payers.
Parks (on the other hand) and his “sponsors” represent “passive endorsement” of corruption and an obvious acceptance of nepotism, cronyism and machine politics as usual. My advice: don’t let the dumb grin fool you. I’m not interested in how ethical and credible “Little Al” promises to be. History shows that when Powell, Ellis and other ESL officials were under federal prosecution Parks thumbed his nose at the process and remained silent following the convictions.
ESL voters should keep THOSE facts in mind when they cast their ballots on April 17.
Email: jtingram_1960@yahoo.com.