MUST READ!!! ACTIVIST ALVIN SYKES CALLS OUT KANSAS CITY, KANSAS ELECTION DISCRIMINATION CONCERNS IN OPEN LETTER TO MAYOR HOLLAND!!!

Elections across the State Line in Kansas City, Kansas have sparked controversy among those concerned with protecting voting rights.

To wit . . .

KANSAS CITY ACTIVIST ALVIN SYKES IS WORKING TO ADDRESS KCK ELECTION TROUBLES WITH NEWBIE MAYOR HOLLAND!!!

Here's the most important part of a recent complaint . . .

Alvin Sykes Writes: "As a citizen residing in Kansas City, Kansas I firmly believe that,under the totality of the circumstances,the electoral method for Mayor/CEO utilized to date results in some citizens and candidates having unequal and inferior opportunity to other members of the electorate,based on residency, to participate in the political process for mayor and to elect candidates of their preferred choice.

After an analytical review of the same facts and circumstances,as a professional human rights workers, I firmly believe there exists a strong possibility that former commissioner Nathan Barnes,an African American member of a federally protected class,may have become a victim of a section 2 violation of the Federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended in 1982, whether or not the implemented electoral method was originally intended to produce the resulting racially discriminatory impact."

I think it was more important to quote Mr. Sykes than read Mary Sanchez and her take on the topic: Fix this bit of election nonsense in Wyandotte County

Now check the letter:

OPEN LETTER FROM ALVIN SYKES

Dear Honorable Mayor Holland,

As a follow up to our recent brief discussion after a recent Commission meeting and the follow up phone call from your assistant, Jason Banks, last week I am emailing a summary outline of the justice-seeking concerns and questions I have about the fairness,for all, of the electoral methods and procedures for UG Mayor/CEO.

Since September 9,1997 or after if you were an elected member of the UG Board of Commissioners from the 2,3,4,6 and 1st District-At-Large and you ran in the next primary for Mayor/CEO and lost, you parachuted back into your currently held Commissioners seat for two more years.

Since September 9, 1997 or after if you were an elected member of the UG Board of Commissioner from the 1,5,7,8 and 2nd District-at-Large and you ran in the next same primary for Mayor/CEO and lost you crashed out of office period.

The position of which District's Commissioner parachutes and which one crashes never alternates.

During the last primary election for UG Mayor/CEO the candidates included three sitting Commissioners.(1st District Nathan Barnes,2nd District Ann Murguia,and you as the 1st District-at-Large). Commissioner Murguia and yourself proceeded to the general election with you winning and becoming the current UG Mayor/CEO.

Commissioner Murguia parachuted back to complete two more years on the Commission. Commissioner Barnes crashes out of office period. Had you lost the general election you too would have parachuted back to the 1s District -at-Large seat for the two remaining years of your term. To date the 1st District-at-Large seat remains vacant due to implementation of a Commission-agreed upon replacement electoral methods by the remaining Commissioners and you resulted in a persistent tie between former commissioner Barnes and a non- former or current commission candidate. It is relevant to note that immediate past Mayor Joe Reardon came from a district that he would have parachuted back as commissioner to complete his two remaining years had he lost the race for Mayor/CEO in 2005. Former Mayor/CEO was the original one for the Unified Government elected in 1997

During our conversation you stated that you had heard about the different conditions but did not know that the impacting commissioner's district never alternated positions.

As a citizen residing in Kansas City,Kansas I firmly believe that,under the totality of the circumstances,the electoral method for Mayor/CEO utilized to date results in some citizens and candidates having unequal and inferior opportunity to other members of the electorate,based on residency, to participate in the political process for mayor and to elect candidates of their preferred choice.

After an analytical review of the same facts and circumstances,as a professional human rights workers, I firmly believe there exists a strong possibility that former commissioner Nathan Barnes,an African American member of a federally protected class,may have become a victim of a section 2 violation of the Federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended in 1982, whether or not the implemented electoral method was originally intended to produce the resulting racially discriminatory impact.

Finally, if the truth about this obvious residential and racial discriminatory impacting electoral method is that it came about as the result of an unintended consequence of setting up an original election process for UG then there is no shame in making a mistake!

Rather shame comes from the refusal to,or resistance against,correcting the mistake !

Therefore I respectfully request that the UG Board of Commissioners and you credibly engage in justice-seeking activities,with the quickness,designed to both abolish this unfair electoral method for some and replace it with an equal opportunity mayoral election process fair for all before the next mayoral election !
Furthermore I request that you and your colleagues on the Commission courageously consider seizing the opportunity of the moment to take the highway to justice instead of traveling on the side streets or alleys of politics as it relates to searching for an effective "win-win" solution,if possible, to both mitigating the ongoing damage to Former Commissioner Nathan Barnes and the ongoing damage being inflicted upon the residents of the 1s District-at-Large for lack of representation!

Please confirm receipt of this email with any comments you may have. I look forward to hearing from you soon . . .

Sincerely,in the pursuit of justice,
I am,

Alvin Sykes

Certified Human Rights Worker
and
Resident of Kansas City,Kansas
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