Burke best choice for Kansas City, Platte County

There has been much made of the similarities between the two candidates for Mayor of Kansas City, Mike Burke and Sly James. Indicating they would run positive campaigns, both have avoided traditional attacks up to this point which is both encouraging and refreshing. While this is a change from many political campaigns, the absence of negative ads and false information has actually led to a debate over qualifications and leadership leaving voters with two candidates more contrasting than initially played out to be.

The two have been labeled and for the most part embraced two different brands. Northlander Mike Burke, a longtime civic leader and attorney, promotes his extensive involvement in committees and boards both private and public to voters as a way to prove his knowledge of the issues and processes involved with city government. This, along with career experience in economic development, will allow him to be an effective mayor on day one. He's been concise and specific about his approach to solving the city's many problems. Burke's candidacy combines nuts and bolts knowledge of the city's complexities with over 35 years of business and non-profit leadership.

Sly James, also an attorney, has taken the complete opposite approach of Burke as he has made a point of highlighting his inexperience with government related bodies and has indicated a leader with little experience in governance and new ideas is the best way to bring wide-spread change to Kansas City. His campaign has been geared mostly towards an attitude and overall idea of positivity, one which promotes inclusiveness and an open mind. Surrounding himself with experts on certain matters is how he plans on adopting knowledge of the inner-workings at City Hall.

With that in mind, Mike Burke is the best candidate to lead Kansas City in a positive direction as a whole. A large percentage of the growth Kansas City has experienced in the last decade has occurred in the Northland and projections show it will continue that way into the next decade as well. That’s why a group of Northland county commissioners along with other former and current elected leaders endorsed Burke earlier this week. Not only has Burke lived in the Northland for over three decades, he could possibly be the most qualified and capable candidate for Mayor in the last fifty years. He has the right combination of private, public, and non-profit involvement to give him a perspective from every facet of Missouri’s highest populated city. James’ knowledge consists mostly of Southern Kansas City and has indicated his interests in the same way with his absence at the only two Northland candidate forums.

The mayor's office is one that requires the highest degree of professionalism in order to be successful and should have a proven professional as its office holder just the same as we’d expect from any doctor, lawyer, or employee that were to work for us. The most successful accomplishments and groundbreaking discoveries aren’t achieved by those described as outsiders or inexperienced, much the same as cancer won’t be cured by someone unfamiliar to the medical practice. Burke is the essence of a professional and it’s evident in his previous work.

A common problem with races outlined as experience versus inexperience is only one candidate’s history is available for voters to reference while the other is left trying to convince voters that their words alone will produce accomplishments after the fact, in essence asking voters to gamble for the potential payoff. In this case, Burke’s resume proves he’s a leader with the capacity to steer a course for further accomplishments. For Kansas City, the best way to tell where Mike Burke can take it is to look at what he has already done.

If elected, Burke would be the first Northlander and Platte Countian to hold the position of Mayor of Kansas City. Rarely a priority for Mayors past, the recently released census numbers show the Northland has continually grown as a stronger voter block and along with it is in need of more city services. Burke realizes this and knows how to balance the traditionally disparaged attention of the Northland with those already getting attention south of the river. Coincidently, the Northland is also getting their chance as well because electing what could bring their first mayor into office will have a lot to do with the nearly 40% of the projected vote coming from it.