In 1966, Jackson County was debt free, had a AAA credit rating, and the lowest tax rate of any county its size in the United States. The powers to be in Kansas City headed by Charles Curry, the Presiding Judge and a millionaire himself, gathered up a million dollars for the purpose of taking control of Jackson County and its bonding capacity. Charlie hired President Kennedy’s campaign manager and a local political consultant by the name of Jerry Jett to run the campaign. He put together a full slate of candidates which was a problem since no one thought he had a chance of beating the incumbents and all the factions in Jackson County. Curry pulled in to a filling station one day to fill up with gas and talked the proprietor into being his State Representative candidate in that district even though the proprietor had never even been to Jefferson City.
He called his organization the CCP (Committee for County Progress) and ran the perfect campaign. The White Hats (his organization) against the Black Hats (the factions and incumbents). In that primary election, the CCP won every office except the Public Administrator, William S. (Bill) Morris, who would later be Lt. Governor.
Curry’s Prosecuting Attorney candidate Joe Teasdale’s opponent in the primary accused him of having never been in court or trying a case. But after winning, Joe started receiving checks in the mail from lawyers who had backed the wrong candidate. Joe contacted Jerry Jett and told him his secretary was signing the checks and putting them in the bank. He then asked Jerry “Is that legal?” Jerry responded “How the h#*#* should I know. You are the future Prosecuting Attorney.”
Within two years after this memorable election, Jackson County would break ground on two new sports stadiums have over a dozen new parks, and be in debt over a hundred million dollars.
Jack can be reached at PO Box 40, Oak Grove, MO 64075 or jackremembers@aol.com. www.jackremembers.com
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