By A. James Wang
While helping my wife study for her citizenship exam some months ago, a certain question listed on the study material piqued my interest. Question 86 asked;"Name one benefit of being a citizen of the United States?". Answer: 1. Vote; 2. Travel with a US passport; 3. Serve on a jury; 4. Apply for federal employment opportunities. Another citizenship guide also listed the ability to bring additional family members into the country as a benefit. Yet another listed applying for and receiving government benefits as a benefit of becoming a US citizen. Not a single citizenship study guide listed the right to run and hold public office as a benefit of becoming a US citizen.
Perhaps running for office hardly seems like rewarding exercise to merit the label of a benefit. So why is serving on a jury a benefit? To me, both serving on a jury and holding public office are similar. For one, the actual pay is low and in some cases non-existent. Yet both are rewarding and enriching experiences. I can think of no better way of saying thanks to your community than by giving them your gift of service.
I have lived in Creve Coeur for 23 years now and have watched it grow into one of the finest communities in this area. The city has been good to me and over the years I have gotten to know many of the residents. On the encouragement of many residents I have decided to run for a place on the City Council of Creve Coeur.
The city council in Creve Coeur is made up of 8 members who are elected by the residents. The city council and the mayor help shape the course of the city. Creve Coeur is at an exciting, yet critical juncture in its history. There are plans to foster the development of a new "downtown" area. Many new developments and large buildings are emerging along Olive road near highway 270.. There are many issues facing Creve Coeur including traffic, revenue, services and city expenses. I hope to use my diverse background and experience to help address these problems for my city.
In the following months prior to the April 4th election day, I will be busy getting the word out to the voters. My campaign is for the most part, an informational campaign with the goal of getting voters to 1) become interested in the race, 2) learn more about both candidates, 3) draw distinctions between the candidates and 4) make an educated choice for the candidate with the most to offer.
There have only been a handful of Asians who have run for public service in the St. Louis area. Ignatius Yuan is presently running for city council too in the City of Kirkwood and he is an outstanding candidate for the position. Asians running for office are certainly not unusual in states like California and New York, but here in Missouri, matters have changed little. Not surprisingly, I was asked to show proof of Citizenship when I submitted my petition to enter the race although I have yet to comply. If you reside in Creve Coeur or Kirkwood please remember to vote on Tuesday, April 4. Ignatius Yuan can be reached at iyuan1@aol.com and 314-835-3714 and I can be reached at citizens4aj@sbcglobal.net and 314-432-5656. |
