Larry N. George Ken Genser, 2010
Ken Genser was a remarkable leader who never ceased to surprise me. I recall one Council meeting some years back when the upgrading of Virginia Park was being debated. Part of an early plan included boxing instruction in the proposed new community center there. Kevin McKeown spoke for many of us concerned about the appropriateness of teaching such a violent sport in a city facility. Ken surprised all of us by supporting the boxing program, pointing out that he had been trained to box as a boy and that it had contributed to his own self-confidence and helped him cope with his physical ailments. That startling revelation made me understand something profound about Ken, and I still picture him as a physically challenged guy with a cordial, endearing manner and kind disposition that only tempered a pugilist's fighting spirit. He was always willing to stand up to the many bullies and creeps and fat cats who thought that the Council would be what it is in too many other cities: a polite,"business-friendly" venue they could count on to rubber stamp their development plans and keep the negative consequences of their schemes hidden behind the dais. Instead, for decades, Ken made sure that the Council remained an arena where advocates of workers' rights, the environment, the homeless, and the progressive community culture that makes this city the kind of place we all want to live in had not just a voice, but someone willing to put on the gloves and get in the ring for us when push came to shove. Ken was an exemplary human being, and a model of what a political life dedicated to justice can accomplish. He was a sweetheart and a Mensch-with a great left hook. Ken Genser? Presente!
(Genser Tribute)