Election Night Speech
Tuesday, March 27th, 2007
I want to thank all of you for being here tonight, for your support, contributions, hard work and counsel. While we did not ultimately prevail today, I am proud of what we stood and fought for in this campaign: a Kansas City that is truly excellent. I just got off the phone and congratulated Jan Marcason on her win. I told her that I will work with her in any way I can to bring improvements to our Fourth District and our beloved city. There's a lot at stake for Kansas City, a lot of difficult decisions that need to be made, and we all need to pull together.
There are people I must thank. First, I want to thank my wonderful wife, Linda, for all her hard work and support. This campaign wasn't easy - and I wasn't always the easiest over the past year, believe it or not - but she supported me in this endeavor with grace, love, and support. Thank you, Linda. I want to thank my campaign manager, Kevin Hager, for his tireless management of this campaign! Kevin is an outstanding leader who is wise beyond his years, and who I know will do great things. I also want to thank my children Laura and Marc, my son-in-law Chuck, and my grandchildren Madeline and Zoe. They have all been terrifically supportive.
When we started this campaign last year, we were fortunate to receive a tremendous amount of support from our friends, our neighbors, and people we'd never met but who shared our vision of how to improve our city. I knocked on more than 7,000 doors across this district, and talked to voters at their homes one at a time. It's an old-fashioned way of campaigning that allowed me to talk about a new vision for our city.
Our vision of Kansas City goes beyond potholes and sewers. That's not to make light of these challenges at all. They are important, and I am committed to solving them. However, I have always been moved by what the great architect Daniel Burnham said. "Make no little plans" said Burnham. "They have no magic to stir men's blood and probably will themselves not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will not die."
Let's keep making Kansas City great. Let's build a light rail system from the Plaza to Downtown that strengthens our urban core. Let's keep going downtown, making sure it is a place that attracts new businesses, tourists, and people from all over the region. Let's expand the Trolley Track Trail to the Riverfront, take care of our great historic structures and landmarks, and promote strong architectural standards throughout this city. We need to think big, think bold, have a vision that inspires us, and make it happen. While I will not be serving in the council, I will continue to play an active role in improving our community, and will bring to the endeavor the vision of an architect and the passion of someone who loves this city and has worked his whole life to improve it.
Once again, thanks so much for your support.
Melvin Solomon