Pat Contreras: I’d work to fight gridlock in Jefferson City for a better Kansas City | Opinion

Work hard, don’t forget where you came from, and always get the job done.

That’s what my parents taught me. My dad was a union man, working at Kansas City Power & Light Co. to keep our city moving. It didn’t matter if there was a blizzard or a heat wave. He showed up and got the job done. My mom worked multiple jobs to keep our family going – flipping burgers and selling Avon and Mary Kay.

It’s those values that helped me pay my own way through college, serve our country abroad as a U.S. diplomat in Pakistan, and return home to Kansas City to help build schools and hospitals that serve our community.

So it’s been very disappointing to see the lack of hard work and results from lawmakers in Jefferson City.

The headlines are all-too-familiar: dysfunction, gridlock, a refusal to get even basic things done for Kansas City and Missouri. This most recent legislative session was called “the least productive in living memory.”

Major policy goals have failed, stalled or ground to a halt. Lawmakers couldn’t expand child tax credits. They couldn’t return Social Security funds to foster kids. Heck, they couldn’t even ban child marriage.

Special interests have more say than everyday people. The agenda is driven by far-right activists and social media beef rather than the needs of our families.

When The Missouri Independent calls your record “bizarre,” something has to change.

If anyone else failed at their job like this, they’d be fired on the spot.

Every day, I hear from voters about their frustration with the gridlock. Kansas City’s voices go unheard. Wherever we look in our community, there are serious issues that need to be addressed. We have a gun violence epidemic, a shortage of health care workers and a glaring need for more accessible housing. Our representatives show up when they need your vote and are never seen again — until the next election.

I’ve dedicated the last seven years to delivering construction and development projects that can help address these concerns and improve the quality of life in our city. But it’s clear that we will never get the change we need unless we have leaders in Jefferson City who are there to do the work.

Look, I’m not naive. I know Missouri is a tough place right now for Democrats to pass a truly bold agenda. But just like my dad wasn’t afraid to drive into a blizzard to do the necessary work, I’m not afraid to head to Jefferson City to build consensus and make positive change.

That means building relationships across the aisle. It means finding common ground, shared goals, and working together to do right by people. As a former diplomat, I certainly know how to bring people together in tough situations.

But more than that, it means showing up in our community and bringing the authentic voices of Kansas Citians to Jefferson City. The voices of people like my parents, who worked so hard to get by and help their kids get ahead. The voices of my childhood friends who experienced gun violence and turf wars. And the voices of all the families in our city who are looking for better opportunities to pass on to their children.

From the moment I set foot in Jefferson City, I promise that I would never stop working for results that help us in Kansas City. I’d show up whenever and wherever I’m needed to hear your stories and bring your voice to the floor of the Missouri Senate. That’s how we’re going to end the gridlock, get results and make positive change that makes life better for everyone in Kansas City.

Pat Contreras is a former foreign service officer and vice president at McCownGordon Construction.