Category: Election 2021

Name and office sought:

Wanda Brownlee Paige

School Board Candidate

Age: 65

Education: Grade School -Hawthrone Elementary
Junior High – Northwest Junior High
High School – Wyandotte High School (Class of ‘74)
BA – Simpson College – Indianola , Iowa (majored in History)
MST- University of Wisconsin -Stevens Point (Masters in Social Studies)
30 hrs – Drake University – (Adult Education)
15 hrs – Kansas State University – (ESL)

Organizations: Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. (Fund Raising Chair)
Tabernacle Baptist Church (Board of Trustee – President)
Heart of America Sisterhood (President)

Reason for running: I want to continue to improve student academic achievement, strengthen the accountability of school programs, improve communication with the community, and provide social – emotional growth.

What are the three most important issues facing this position and how would you handle them?

1. We need to provide a quality education to every student. That means we need to hire a highly trained and diverse staff to teach. The student teacher ratio should be 1 to 18. This should help to create learning environment which would be more productive. Offer tutoring for parents and students. We have the funds to do this.

2. We need to hire more teachers and work to retain our existing staff. Our Human Resource Department has to be overhauled to make this happen. We need people who can go out and recruit a qualified and diversified staff. In addition, to providing our teachers with a competitive salary. This would help to reduce the stress on our teachers, while also helping to lift the morale in the building. We have the funds to do this.

3. We have to keep our students and staff safe. The fight against Covid 19 hasn’t been easy. We need to require that students and staff between the ages of 12 and over be vaccinated or get tested weekly. Then we also need to improve facilities’ ventilation systems. Monies have been provided and we need make sure it is spent on that.

If you are an incumbent, list your top accomplishments in office.

As an incumbent I’ve helped to provide the following during my tenure in office:

1. Started a listening tour my first year in office.

2. Hired 30 psychologists and social workers.

3. Updated our textbooks purchasing system to help assist our students and teachers.

4. Started the process to try to raise minimum pay to $15.00 (we’re still working on this)

5. I’ve been working with the Equity and Inclusion Department to better our working environment. (on going process)

6. Worked extremely hard to protect everyone during the pandemic. (mask mandate, went to virtual learning for three nine weeks)

7. Implemented the bond passed by voters to build new schools and do remodeling on some older buildings.

8. During the pandemic helped to deliver food to parents who were struggling.

9. Stressed the importance of hiring local tax paying vendors daily. (currently trying to create a policy to hire local vendors)

10. Still fighting bias in the system.

11. Helped parents, teachers, and students who needed and – or requested help daily.

12. Help to reinstate the position of school operator. This helps us to communicate better with students, parents, teachers and our community.

Have you run for elected office previously, what was the result?

I did run for the school board in 2017 and won.

Name and office sought: David Haley, Board of Public Utilities (BPU) – At-Large District 2

Age: 62

Occupation and experience:

Lawyer, developer, state senator.

Education:

B.A., Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia; J. D., Howard University Law School, Washington, D.C.

Organizations, clubs, groups to which you belong: civic; church; youth sports; political.

Reasons for running: As a native ‘Dotte who has lived in other cities around the U.S., I know for a fact (as do thousands of other Wyandotte Countians sincerely suspect), that our jewel of a monopoly, electric and water municipally “owned and operated” utility, is severely off kilter.

For the average residential and small business ratepayer-consumer, the BPU is expensive compared to other similarly situated electric and water consumers with other utilities (all “for-profit”) in the Kansas City metropolitan area; if indeed the midwestern United States.

Recognized for decades, many candidates have run for BPU as inquisitive, results-seeking “reformers.” Supported by and elected to serve by an equally inquisitive majority of the voting KCK public they have pledged to serve; after their election, as a new member of the board, some actually become accomplice to the carnage.

Whatever else happens, most Wyandotte Countians will sincerely attest that David Haley is as responsive after being elected as I am as a candidate for elected office. I will continue to do my best and to not let the BPU curse affect my established public service record.

What are the three most important issues facing this position and how would you handle them?

1) Better align municipal charges (Like the “P.I.L.O.T.,” water pollution and trash, etc.) on the BPU bill with state guidelines.

Did you know?
Current Kansas state law, as governed through the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC), limit the total percentage of municipal (or “city”) charges to no more than 16% of the consumption usage. So, for example, if BPU bills were governed like a for-profit utility susceptible to the KCC, a consumer’s bill charging for $100 of actual electric and water usage total bill could not exceed $116.

2) More equal representation

Let’s face it.
With 4 of the 6 board members all living in the northwestern quadrant of the city, it’s no wonder that average homeowners and small businesses have little equality in policy implementation while other “protected” special interests (like the T-Bones baseball team) can game the system with impunity; protected by that benefitting 4 member majority of the board. Living and responsibly representing KCK found east of I-435, if elected I will bring a different perspective and mindset to the 6 member panel; for the rest of the county, too.

3) Continuing the responsible goal of renewable “climate friendly” generation while reducing costs to the consumer

Our BPU is a leader in the strong (moving towards 50%) portfolio derived from renewable, climate responsible, sources. The additional research and implementation I will work towards is to stabilize these new technologies; increase their capacities and efficiencies; and reduce the stranded costs that impact average income ratepayers.

If you are not an incumbent, what would you change if elected?
As a challenger, if elected, I will press for greater transparency for the public of the policies and procedures of the BPU .

Although the pandemic-driven necessity to remove the bimonthly (1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month) board meetings to remote
(or Zoom) only, the public’s involvement has increased (by being able to attend and participate during the “public comments” section virtually) and decreased (by revoking practically all in-lobby and-or office administrative personal interactivity) at the same time.

Have you run for elected office previously? When, results?

State Senator. Elected (2000 – 2021) .
State Representative. Elected (1994 – 2000) .
Precinct Committeeman. Elected (1986 – Present).

Also : Mayor-CEO. Unified Government of Wyandotte County, Kansas City, Kansas (UG). 3rd place, (2017). 2nd place, (1997).