What started with filling out a form and writing a check back in June has now evolved into a full campaign for the position of Board of Trustees member for the Kansas City Kansas Community College. I have been to four forums thus far and feel like I have learned something at each one about how to get my ideas out in the public arena in the best way possible.

Here is why I want to be part of this adventure: TO SERVE; TO EDUCATE; AND TO PROTECT. Watch for more posts about each of these goals.

This is my first time campaigning for any type of public office. I am basically running a self-directed campaign online and at community forums. You can help me learn by commenting below and sharing your thoughts about the future of KCKCC.

Take a little time to review this breakdown of your tax dollars. It is sometimes helpful to review them individually so you can compare how the various taxing bodies compare to one another when they get in your wallet. We get concerned about how high our tax bill is without really understanding who gets which part of our hard earned cash. Notice that in both scenarios, the KCK/WYCO (UG) portion is less than 50% of our bill. The amounts change depending on which school district your are supporting and the Community College comes in at $.16 per dollar received no matter where you live. In runniing to be a KCKCC Trustee, it is my goal to make certain that the $.16 of your tax bill is spent in the best way possible to advance our entire community.

Thank you to The Baptist Ministers Union of KCKS and The NAACP of KCKS for organizing a Pre-Election Forum for candidates for KCKCC Board of Trustees on July 29th at Oak Ridge Missionary Baptist Church. A good crowd was present to watch us respond to questions from the moderator, Rev. Jimmie Banks, and also from the audience. It was a well organized event with everyone present being treated with respect and thoughtful engagement. Again, Thank You.

This opportunity was a little different. I got to share the stage with three of the other candidates for KCKCC Trustee and we each answered a series of questions from the moderator and the crowd. It felt good to have a little more time to express y thoughts on a variety of topics like free tuition for WYCO residents and how to improve English as a Second Language efforts at the college.

There was a good crowd for my second campaign appearance opportunity as the Wyandotte County Democrats gathered for their Third Saturday Breakfast on July 20th. This time I got a whole 90 seconds to do that introduction dance but I was a little more comfortable and I think I actually got all my main points covered.

I will always remember Thursday, June 27th as that was my first ever participation in a candidate forum. We were given two minutes each during the speech making portion of the evening. I struggled to come up with something concise that would help the attendees remember me come November since there is no Primary for my particular race. Two minutes goes very fast but I did my best to just introduce myself. After the speeches we all went downstairs for some one-on-one time with everyone present. It was a great experience.