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DEVELOPING: Nixon Law School Classmate & Current Boards & Commissions Director Reportedly Upset Over Her Authority & Curator Appointments | Missouri Political News Service

DEVELOPING: Nixon Law School Classmate & Current Boards & Commissions Director Reportedly Upset Over Her Authority & Curator Appointments

July 15th, 2009 by mopns · No Comments

“The governor-elect called me and said, “I need you.” Those are the magic words to say to me. When my assistant told me he was on the phone, I couldn’t imagine why he was calling. I knew him in law school, we were good friends at Mizzou and I’d supported him in his political career. I was humbled.”

The word trickling out of Jefferson City today is that Boards & Commissions Director Mary Nelson is furious with her former law school classmate Jay Nixon over a couple of issues. First issue is the Governor’s continuing and habitual disrespect of the African American community.

Unless you’re a regular reader of MOPNS, or you just so happened to read Jo Mannies’ piece in the St. Louis Beacon, you would have never known that for the first time in nearly forty years, there will not be an African American on the UM Board of Curators. Jay made sure that happened last week with his appointment of former St. Louis lawmaker Wayne Goode to the board, replacing attorney Cheryl Walker. And second, Nelson is reportedly upset that she doesn’t have the same power and authority as the previous director, James Harris, a close confidante to the former governor and his family. DEVELOPING….

Related:

EXCLUSIVE: African American Attorney Sends “Sad” E-Mail to Colleagues Regarding Nixon’s Curator Choice

DEVELOPING: Sen. Days Gave Jay the Go Ahead?

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Tags: Decision '08 · Jay Nixon

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  • 1 Paul Ground // Jul 16, 2009 at 10:01 am

    One of the things that consistently amazes me about the state of American politics today is the extent to which three things happen. (1) The Democrats claim to be the party that represents African-Americans. (2) A huge majority of African-Americans buy into this claptrap, forsaking caution and analysis. (3) In point of fact, the Democrats have a plantation mentality towards their African-American constituency. They throw a few billion dollars at programs, but white democrats never have any interest in real power sharing with African Americans.

    In the early nineties, the late Buzz Westfall’s chairman of the commission that drew County Council districts was approached by a black mayor who proposed a North County district that a black could win. The chairman of the Commission said that he’d draw such a district, “when pigs fly.” Later, the U.S. District court drew the map, and the district so drawn elected Charles Dooley to the council, who ultimately became the current County Executive — but with no help from white Democrats.

    The Post Dispatch used to run cartoons of John Ashcroft and Bill Webster standing in front of school buses to prevent or end County-wide integration. But you’ll never hear them acknowlege any significance to the fact that Jay Nixon has always treated African-American Democrats like mildly palatable house servants, useful if you want a cup of coffee, but not worth anything to help run the plantation.

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