Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for January 25, 2006 CAIRO CITY COUNCIL MEETING

This article from the Southeast Missourian speaks for itself...

Summary Statement: Tempers flared at Tuesday's meeting as attendees were searched with metal detectors. Council members were forced by police to leave when mayor called an end to the meeting.

By RUDI KELLER ~ Southeast Missourian

CAIRO, Ill. -- Mayor Paul Farris ordered police to use metal detectors to screen residents attending Tuesday's City Council meeting, angering council members who refused to submit to the searches.

Five uniformed, armed police officers required anyone entering city hall to empty their pockets, submit to screening and remain inside the council chambers.

The scene created as council members entered the meeting room sparked the first but not the last fireworks of the meeting.

"I am not going to be frisked," Councilman Elbert "Bo" Purchase said as police chief John Bosecker followed him into the chamber. "You do what you got to do." Police did not search any of the members of the council.

Forty minutes later, when council members refused to vote for adjournment, Farris ordered the police to clear the room. A five-minute standoff followed as Bosecker sought to explain that he had to secure the building and council members declared that they had a right to stay.

"I am going to ask one more time for everybody to leave," Bosecker said.

At that point, council members relented but once outside leveled charges that Farris' actions were racist. The vast majority of the approximately 50 residents inside the chamber when the meeting began are black. Farris is white.

"It is because of all the black people," Councilman Bobby Whitaker said. "When it was packed with white people supporting him, there was no scanning. This is harassment to keep them from coming out."

Farris left the meeting without speaking to reporters. He could not be reached for comment afterward.

In his only statement to the media, Farris said he would not honor a request made Jan. 18 by the Southeast Missourian for copies of material discussed by council members in public sessions. "It is just not going to be prepared for you," Farris said.

The weapons screening is the latest escalation in a long-running power struggle between Farris and the council. An opposition bloc composed of four of six council members has tried boycotts and special meetings to thwart Farris.

They announced a boycott of meetings in December but changed course to make confrontation their main strategy.

Farris has retaliated by keeping the council members' $600 monthly paychecks under lock and key. The weapons screening and locking the city hall front door to force the public and council members to enter through the back is another escalation.

As he was screening people entering city hall, Bosecker said Farris ordered the screening. "Me and him got together on it and decided it would be best," Bosecker said.

When council work began on agenda items, Farris ran the meeting with an iron hand. He announced two vetoes of motions passed by council members at a special meeting, then refused to consider motions to override his veto.

"You have no veto power," councilwoman Linda Jackson said.

"It speaks for itself," Farris replied.

As Jackson sought to push a motion to override the veto, Farris moved down the agenda, further angering his adversaries.

"According to the attorney general, you don't have veto power," Purchase said.

"Have you got that in writing?" Farris asked.

"Have you got your veto power in writing?" Purchase shot back.

At that point, Farris declared the meeting over, but council members refused to make a motion to adjourn. "We are not going to close the meeting if we are going to run things like this," Purchase said.

The insurgent council members had posted a substitute agenda at city hall, but Farris refused to recognize it. In fact, city clerk Debran Sudduth told council members he had not posted it on orders from Farris.

Charges of racism rang after the standoff. "The slavemaster says, Let's go you all," Whitaker said.

A couple of Cairo residents speaking during the open forum portion of the meeting said they wanted the council to work together. Gloria Sluder, who said she has lived in Cairo for five years, said the divisiveness has created evil.

"The people who do pay taxes take care of the people who don't pay taxes," Sluder said. "Uncooperative troublemakers looking to cause division is Satan's work."

Outside city hall, supporters of the four Farris opponents congregated in back of the building while small clusters of Farris supporters stood in front.

And for Linda King, a long-time Cairo resident, the entire scene was frustrating.

"At this point, get rid of them all and start from scratch," she said.

And from WPSD Channel 6...

Illinois: Cairo Council Chaos: Accusations of Racism

Blair Simmons,
WPSD NewsChannel 6

Cairo City Council was off to a rocky start before it even started. The meeting began with metal detectors, heavy police presence, and accusations of racism.

"When lot of black people begin to come out here and support us, the city council, then they gotta go through all this kind of racket to get through the door -- search, harassed, everything - it's got to stop!" says Councilman, Bobby Whitaker.

The new tensions come with the latest controversial decision from Mayor Paul Farris.

He ordered everyone through a metal detector before they could even attend the meeting -- which was heated even by Cairo's standards.

Half an hour before the meeting even started, residents had been frisked, every seat in the council chamber was filled, and the tension was so high you could feel it.

Before council members had even taken their seats, accusations of racism were already flying.

"Now we got black folks coming - everybody got to be frisked! It's just racism!! That's what it is! Then we gotta come through the back door! Like we were slaves!" says Council Member, Bo Purchase.

It was a quick council meeting where little -- if anything -- was accomplished, followed by police forcing everybody -- including the City Council -- out of council chambers. But not without a fight.

"Taxpayers can't even go in their own building! It's like we were back in the 60's! We're back in the 60's!" says Whitaker.

And even after the official meeting was closed, Cairo's citizens held one of their own.

"I've never seen this much security at a council meeting never!!!" shouted one from the crowd.

A handful of Cairo Police officers and two Illinois State Troopers were called in for crowd control.

"He wanted chaos, he got chaos," says Council Member, Linda Jackson.

Residents say they just want the council and the Mayor to find a way to get along. But that appears unlikely...

"It's gonna get worse! It's gonna get worse!" says Whitaker.

Mayor Farris declined to comment before the meeting. After the meeting, we were escorted out of the building and were not allowed to ask the Mayor any questions.