WADE'S DILEMMA: Mayoral campaign faces multi-sided criticism

Few people represent what used to be the political face of 4th Ward Columbia City Council member and now Mayoral candidate Jerry Wade like Catherine Parke, Ph.D.  

 

An English professor emeritus with a Stanford University pedigree who taught at Mizzou for 30 years before retiring in 2002, Dr. Parke won the William T. Kemper Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching.  She is an expert on 18th-century literature, has an art studio at Orr Street, and a history of volunteer service to Columbia that is nearly unmatched, a trait she probably inherited from her father James, who founded the Veterans’ Administration Volunteer Services program. 

 

Time and talent have also been kind to departing Columbia Board of Realtors director Carol Van Gorp, who for the past seven years has helped transform a comparatively low-key professional organization into a politically-engaged, broad-reaching powerhouse that not only represents folks who sell houses, but encourages its members toward 

positive community impacts. 

 

On most local political issues, Dr. Parke and Mrs. Van Gorp couldn't be farther apart.  But on their mutual criticism of Mr. Wade's Mayoral campaign -- and a mailer he recently distributed -- they've found ironic common ground, albeit for different reasons they've written about below.   

 

Dr. Parke says Mr. Wade has become a hollow man, forced into political hypocrisy because -- at critical moments -- he's failed to stand behind what he claims are his guiding ideals. 

 

Mrs. Van Gorp blasted Mr. Wade for attacking her constituents in his mailer, in which he asks if voters want big developer/Realtor special interests running the town -- or Jerry Wade.  The Columbia Tribune reports that Mr. Wade has apologized, but not before ruffling the feathers of nearly every real estate professional in town. 

 

Between June and August 2008, Mr. Wade did two things his "core constituency" has never forgiven:  He became the lone City Council swing vote that approved CrossCreek -- now a barren, clearcut mud slick -- and the Lemone/Maguire project, a $5.5 million road extension critics have contended will have massive, long-lasting adverse environmental impacts.  

 

Mayor Hindman, and fellow council members Chris Janku and Laura Nauser also voted for the projects.  But they hadn't promised their constituents the same rose garden Mr. Wade promised his constitutents during his 2007 4th Ward race against Mike Holden and for many years prior. 

 

Mr. Wade said bad laws forced his legislative flip flops. 

 

"Fourth Ward Councilman Jerry Wade, who was the only council member to change his CrossCreek vote from March, said although he still might not like the nature of the development, the city is bound by its laws," the Columbia Tribune reported.  "This project is probably going to have more of a long-term impact on policies in Columbia than any other project we’ve seen," Wade said. "It will probably result in more changes to our governmental process than any other, and that will clearly benefit our community."

 

The rhetoric behind them forgotten, those changes never occurred, leaving Mr. Wade dogged by a conundrum:  How to re-engage his disaffected "political" base during his Mayoral campaign.   

 

In a February interview, the Columbia Business Times picked up on Mr. Wade's dilemma, implying he was damned if he did and damned if he didn't. 

 

"You’ve been the swing vote that ensured the passage of several initiatives backed by the business community," the Business Times reminded Mr. Wade.  "Nevertheless, based on candidate petitions, leaders of the Chamber of Commerce and other representatives of the local 'business establishment' are backing Bob McDavid.  Why do you think they haven’t openly backed you, and what are you doing to get votes from the business community?"

 

"As a councilperson, I have voted on issues after carefully weighing the facts, listening to the pros and cons, doing my best to understand the impact of the vote on Columbia, and deciding what I believe would be best for Columbians in both the long and short term," Mr. Wade answered. "As mayor, my approach to issues will not change."

 

In other words, Mr. Wade believes his swing votes to approve the Cross Creek and Lemone/Maguire Bridge projects were best for Columbians in the long and short term.  Voters will either agree or disagree with his position, and can judge his potential effectiveness as Mayor accordingly. 

 

RELATED:

 

Wade CrossCreek swing vote

Wade Maguire/Lemone swing vote

Bob Roper praises Maguire/Lemone plan

Columbia Business Times/Jerry Wade interview