The Monroe City Council approved a special agreement with Rep. Micheal Echols to allow him to use up to $2.5 million of future sales taxes on a hotel he plans to build downtown.
Every African-American speaker that addressed the subject at the council meeting Tuesday night spoke against the idea, but District 5 councilwoman Kema Dawson-Robinson ignored them all and voted with Northside representatives to loan $2.5 million to Rep. Echols with the understanding that the money would be repaid over 20 years.
Even though Black community representatives from the Southside Economic Development District (SEDD), the NAACP, The Nation of Islam, The regional Black Chamber of Commerce, and even former Mayor James “Jamie” Mayo spoke against giving the sweetheart deal to Rep. Echols, Dawson-Robinson ignored them all.
Historically, the representatives from District 5 have always been astute politicians who sought improvements from South Monroe. Charles Johnson, Judge Robert Johnson, B.D. Robinson, James Mayo, and Eddie Clark were all firecrackers in one way or the other, pushing for South Monroe.
Councilwoman Dawson-Robinson is the first of the District 5 candidates to completely ignore the groups, think tanks, and coalitions that work in the interest of South Monroe. Unfortunately, she has aligned herself with those outside of our community to our detriment.
Crime escalating in South Monroe is rarely, if ever, spoken of at council meetings, and no initiatives to address Southside crime have been placed on the council agenda.
Recently, many were disappointed that she chose to pick apart a 25-year plan recommended by the SEDD and then reluctantly vote for it on the condition that no public funds can be used to help South Monroe businesses through loan guarantees.
We were disturbed when she ordered Mrs. Marie Brown escorted out of a recent city council meeting because she didn’t like Mrs. Brown’s answer to a question.
Tuesday, when she ignored the groups representing South Monroe and voted to provide public funds to a private, wealthy, Northside businessman while denying that same support for struggling businesses in South Monroe, it was nothing less than a betrayal of trust.
As a candidate, she made several pledges that have not been addressed. Chief among those pledges was to work to reverse automatic fee increases in water bills and fees without council approval.
Now, Mrs. Dawson-Robinson is the chairperson of the city council. Hopefully, she will rethink her loyalties and remember the people she pledged to represent without neglecting the city’s needs as well.
She is young, ambitious, and charismatic, with great potential; she has time to save herself and return to her roots.
We yearn to see the exciting young candidate who made so many promises on the campaign trail two years ago. Candidate Kema Dawson-Robinson was not a politician but one who pledged to be an advocate for the reduction of crime and economic development in South Monroe.
Instead, we have seen an endless stream of photo opportunities connected to Facebook cleanup campaigns and the promotion of the zoo.
Unfortunately, she is becoming a “politician.”
We need to see “candidate” Dawson-Robinson again.
