IN THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE OF JACKSON COUNTY, MISSOURI
Title
A RESOLUTION congratulating Congresswoman Karen McCarthy (D-MO), upon being selected as "Labor's Friend of the Year" by the Labor's Educational & Political Club Independent.
Intro
RESOLUTION # 14549, April 7, 2003
INTRODUCED BY Robert A. Stringfield, Fred Arbanas, Scott Burnett,
Ronald E. Finley, Dennis Waits, Dan Tarwater,
Rhonda L. Shoemaker, Bob Spence, and Henry C. Rizzo,
County Legislators
Body
WHEREAS, Congresswoman Karen McCarthy (D-M0) was recently selected as "Labor's Friend of the Year" by the Labor's Educational & Political Club Independent for her unswerving dedication and commitment to public service; and,
WHEREAS, Rep. McCarthy was born in Massachusetts and lived on a farm until age 14, when her father, a Western Electric employee was transferred to a Kansas City suburb; and,
WHEREAS, Rep. McCarthy pinpoints her 21st birthday in 1968 as the day she became interested in public service; and,
WHEREAS, on that special day Robert F. Kennedy spoke at the University of Kansas, where she was a student majoring in English; and,
WHEREAS, Rep. McCarthy told the Kansas City Star that the speech on that day, which touched upon empowerment and opportunity for everyone, stays with her even now; and,
WHEREAS, she knew from that day forward she would work for President Kennedy and be a Democrat; and,
WHEREAS, after graduation, Rep. McCarthy began teaching high school English while maintaining her interest in politics; and,
WHEREAS, at the age of 29 she won election to the Missouri House of Representatives and served 18 years as an effective and able representative for her constituents, honing her political skills and moderate positions; and,
WHEREAS, as evidenced by her long tenure in Missouri General Assembly, Rep. McCarthy was a cheerful lawmaker, preferring to form ad hoc alliances and work quietly to craft a bill rather than take to the House floor to engage in partisan debate; and,
WHEREAS, on January 3, 1995, Rep. McCarthy was elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Fourth Congress and won subsequent elections to the four succeeding Congresses by margins of better than 2-to-1; and,
WHEREAS, during her first months in Congress, mindful that voters gave the GOP control of the House for the first time in 40 years, Rep. McCarthy told her constituents that she heard their call for "more competent, more efficient government;" and,
WHEREAS, on Capitol Hill, she continues the work she began as a state legislator in championing a compact between Missouri and Kansas that permits taxation in the Kansas City metropolitan area to fund cultural facilities and restore historic structures, such as Kansas City's historic Union Station; and,
WHEREAS, in partnership with the Library of Congress, through its American Folklife Center, Rep. McCarthy led the community in the development of a Veterans History Project to gain insight from veterans of World War I, World War II, and the Korean, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf conflicts; and,
WHEREAS, many organizations in the 5th District have made commitments to participate in the Veterans History Project for the preservation of our veterans' stories for future generations; and,
WHEREAS, as Democratic Representative in the 108th Congress, she continues her commitment to public service by securing funding beyond all expectations to assist local projects in her home district and the State of Missouri; and,
WHEREAS, respect and admiration go out to Congresswoman Karen McCarthy for her commitment to public service and her many years of effective legislative advocacy for Missouri's 5th district; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the County Legislature of Jackson County, Missouri, that the Legislature congratulates Congresswoman Karen McCarthy (D-MO) upon being selected as "Labor's Friend of the Year" by the Labor's Educational & Political Club Independent.
Enacted and Approved
Effective Date: This Resolution shall be effective immediately upon its passage by a majority of the Legislature.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
______________________________ ________________________________
Acting County Counselor
Certificate of Passage
I hereby certify that the attached resolution, Resolution # 14549 of April 7, 2003 was duly passed on ______April 7_____________________, 2003 by the Jackson County Legislature. The votes thereon were as follows:
Yeas _______9__________ Nays ______0________
Abstaining ______0_______ Absent ____0________
______________________ _________________________________
Date Mary Jo Spino, Clerk of Legislature