I’m heart broken by the news of the passing of Mike Reid.
Scott Faughn is down a friend, the amount of decency in the world went down a notch, and Missouri is down a champion.
I really don’t know if I’ve ever known a man more honest, more fundamentally decent, I don’t know if I’ve known a better man than Mike Reid. His picture hangs on the wall in my hallway, it has for years, and it will every day that I own the building.
It’s a portrait of a man who was universally committed to the State of Missouri, and to the great cause of his life, the educating of Missouri children. Along with a passion for a good cabernet sauvignon.
Mike Reid fought every type of cancer and health condition I’ve ever heard of. He had been sick for a while, and even counted out a few times. However, that damn fighter came back every time. Once I got a text of how bad he was doing one evening, to the point that things didn’t look good, only to walk by the corner of Capitol and Madison and see him in his office on the phone back at work the next afternoon.
He was funny. Damn Mike was funny. In an unassuming way he could take the most awkward situation and break the tension with a biting joke.
I went to visit him once when he was in the hospital in Kansas City. He was so humble that first he was embarrassed that I took the time to come see him. Then he started cracking jokes about not having his hair combed, and I told him how sexy he looked in his hospital gown. We got to laughing and must have tripped something on a machine because the nurse came in and suggested that I leave, and that Mike settle down.
He spent time at the Ethics Commission. He set an example that instead of the Ethics Commission being a body seeking to rack the knuckles of prospective public servants Mike would take a call of any would-be office seeker who was looking to run. He took the Ethics Commission from an agency primarily used to penalized folks for breaking laws to one that really tried to help educate candidates, and help them follow the laws. Mrs. Ziegler has continued his tradition, and its a damn good thing for the state. If you’re trying to do the right thing, they are here to help.
Even after the “reformers” have screwed everything up he would answer questions from any well intentioned office seeker on how to follow the new laws. He spent hours on end giving sessions to new legislators on how to abide by the laws. My friend Jack Gamble summed it up better than I could have, “Mike Reid was the nicest guy you would ever meet, and would do anything in the world for you”.
I had the good fortune to spend a good deal of time with him over the course of a couple years. In time, Aaron Cornman led to the end of our professional relationship, however we still visited every time I saw him. Every single time he would ask about my son, he would ask about Casey and you could tell he earnestly cared and was interested in my family and my life. He was the man you would want your son to become.
Today in Jeff City a pack of two faced folks come to town and ask lobbyists and interest groups for money and supper then get on Facebook and call them the swamp. Mike Reid dedicated his life to public service, some of those folks might call Mike or the city he lived in the swamp. Well, I reckon those lying two faced hypocrites wouldn’t say that to his face, and they damn sure wouldn’t say that about Mike Reid that while I’m in the room, and God help them if Mike Grote is there.
I’m gonna miss Mike. I’m especially gonna miss going by his office cracking jokes, or sitting at The Grand and talking about how this Governor’s primary shakes out. I’ll miss getting that “come by if you’re free” text.
The State of Missouri is a less optimistic, less decent place today because we lost Mike.
However, over the course of his life Mike Reid made the State of Missouri a much better place because he was a Missourian, and one of its finest.
Scott Faughn is the publisher of The Missouri Times, owner of the Clayton Times in Clayton; SEMO Times in Poplar Bluff; and host of the only statewide political television show, This Week in Missouri Politics.
