is it her implication that its Vince behind this??

She's still not as crazy as Rochell Moore. Or, for that matter, poor Bill Haas.

Apparently, the vandals also glued down the caps lock key on her keyboard.

Joe is right: Veronica is very level-headed.

This incident is appalling, and she is reacting about how most of us would.

Saying Veronica isn't as crazy as Rochell Moore or Bill Haas doesn't mean she's sane. Paul Allen isn't as rich as Bill Gates or Warren Buffett, but he's still worth $20 billion.

Being ". . . not as crazy as Rochell Moore. Or, for that matter, poor Bill Haas" is not exactly the same as being "very level-headed."

Gee, I wonder why some people (ahem) are responding to this traumatic happening with insults and innuendo. If she's crazy, blame the raving lunatic Slay for appointing her.

come on... on the one hand, slay calls her "disappointing" while she calls slay a "dirt-bag." given a preponderance of calls to make the actions of the board more civil, her o'brien's overall demeanor seems puzzling...

as for slashed tires and yard signs being ripped up, the police should be involved. However, the suggestion that chief mokwa is going to suppress the truth seems ridiculous.

why slay appointed her in the first place is a good question.

Will

From the Haas list:

GREAT ARTICLE BILL. I OWE YOU A LOT. YOU AND AMY ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT STAND UP FOR ME. YOU ARE RIGHT I DID NOTHING WRONG. I TRIED TO STOP VINCE FROM ATTACKING A WOMAN AND HE CAME AFTER ME. THEN THE MAYOR VERBALLY ATTACKED ME. DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT THAT FEELS LIKE. I AM TIRED OF BEING PRESSURED BY THE POWERS THAT BE TO SHUT UP AND GO AWAY. AFTER THIS ELECTION I THINK I AM GOING TO TELL MY FULL SIDE OF THE STORY.
INTIMADATION IS HORIBLE. I REALLY CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE. MOST OF ALL, I CAN'T BELIEVE WE HAVE LEADERS THAT INTIMADATE AND ARE PROUD OF IT. THEY ACT LIKE THEY ARE MOB MEMBERS.

OH SEND THIS TO WHOEVER YOU WANT. AT THIS STAGE OF THE GAME I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW WHAT I AM UP AGAINST. YOU JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT I AM PUTTING UP.

THEY ARE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO BLOCK MY ELECTION. MY FAMILY WANTS TO CALL ACLU BUT I SAY NO.

Veronica O'Brien
========================

Now, a thought experiment--what if Vince said that? Calls for his resignation by the American and P-D, screaming about how insensitive he is for playing on stereotypes such as the Assyrian Mob, and general tut-tutting.

But if you are gadfly in St. Louis, it's just standing up to the man. We don't need more of this on the Board. It's been going on for years and everyone pretends bad behavior started with Vince and the Brownshirt comment.

Ok, so I admit I'd been thinking of voting for O'Brien to stay on the board for a full term. But maybe that wasn't a good idea.

Is Amy Hilgemann in the category of "gadfly"? I still think of her as one of the more level-headed board members, even if she does seem to have something specifically against Flint Fowler.

At this point, I'm more confused than ever about whom to support in this election.

Amy's very hard to figure anymore. She can still be constructive, but at other times she has this thing about Vince that sets her off. There are plenty of things for which criticize Schoemehl (and many to give him credit for), but I think Amy goes too far. I wouldn't call her a gadfly though. Haas and O'Brien. Yes. For those who want someone more independent, there are several candidates out there not endorsed by the Mayor or by the Community and some seem pretty bright. I'm pretty sure Dave and I'll disagree on who are the best to fill the seats, but I bet I could live with his endorsements.

This posting puncuates our need to elect board members who are committed to public eduation and not public displays. I am tired of some members of the Board of Education acting like they should be students in the system, instead of policy-makers for the system.
I am supporting Joe Moromarco, Flint Fowler and Joe Keaveny - they are adults who are not interested in seeing their names in the newspaper or their mugs on TV. They each seem more interested in improving the quality of the schools than preening their own political image.

And I agree with you Brian--though for those who feel they don't want to support the endorsed slate of the Mayor, there are candidates out there that aren't tied to The Community either.

What is the hardest for me is that no one is talking about Creg Williams or curriculum reform which is desperately needed and now underway.

Actually, Mayor Slay made that point yesterday. He said that SLPS should have only one leader: Creg Williams.

No one is talking about Creg Williams because he will be superintendent regardless of who wins the election. He looks like a good choice, a I believe that both factions on the board agree that's the case.

I'm really surprised that Veronica O'Brien is given so little respect by many of the above commentators. Just because one favors the Slay-Schoemehl slate (let's don't play games or be in denial, that's what Keaveny-Fowler-Moromarco is) shouldn't require demonizing their opponents, but that's what's happening. (So far, the only demonizing I'm aware of by other candidates is directed to current board members, not competiting candidates.)

Is Joe Keaveney really the best choice? Being Vince Schomehl's ward committeeman probably assures his vote with the board majority, but consider this: As treasurer of the Democratic City Central Committee (aka Democratic Campaign Committee of St Louis City), he presumably received about $15K in contributions to the committee for the primary election (filing fees), all in amounts large enough to require being itemized by name and address, during the period for the 40-day disclosure report due January 27, but still hasn't filed that report (or the 8-day report due February 28 either). That's not as bad as assaulting fellow board members, but is that the example that a school policy-maker should set for the kids?

What has she done to deserve respect? She misstates the budget, makes up numbers in terms of salaries and is more concerned about her personal crises than in governance of the school system. Again, I'll ask, do we need more of this on the Board?

". . . he presumably received about $15K in contributions to the committee for the primary election (filing fees), all in amounts large enough to require being itemized by name and address, during the period for the 40-day disclosure report due January 27, but still hasn't filed that report (or the 8-day report due February 28 either . . ."

What are you talking about? Why would filing fees go to the Central Committee?

Since when are raised voices assaults? Pointing a finger? Isn't it about time to note that Vince isn't the only one known to raise his voice and from the descriptions I've heard, I've seen current and former Board members be as animated as Schoemehl is accused of being, but no one called it assault. And no one tried to tie it to abuse of women which is simply garbage.

What is most amazing to me is the PR move that seems to have forgotten how bad Board behavior has been for years. No one now yells at parents from the Board table and tells them they are stupid and wrong as was quite common under Davis. To his credit, Purdy pretty much stopped that (though I've seen him blow up at Amy too and jab fingers in the air--though perhaps from farther away).

publiceye: Both Missouri law and the City Code dictate that filing fees go to the Central Committee (state committee in the case of state offices). If candidates pay the E Board, the board forwards the dough to the central committee. Check it out.

ArchPundit: All I said was that Keaveny's campaign finance violations aren't as bad as assaulting fellow board members. ArchPundit himself made the connection to Schoemehl, and in doing so, he demonstrated that he doesn't know the difference between assault (which does not involve physical contact) and battery (which does). No one that I know of has accused Schoemehl of battery, but the accounts I have read would have amounted to assault. The discussion is also a convenient diversion away from Keaveney's apparent campaign finance violations.

Interesting statute. Learn something new everytime I visit this site.

Now point me to the one that shows that the Central Committee's reports are delinquent.

Thanks.

Subject: Missouri Ethics Commission Quarterly Report -
April 15, 20 05

IMPORTANT NOTICE

March 21, 2005

TO: All Committees

FROM: Joe Carroll, Director Campaign Finance

RE: Quarterly Report - April 15, 2005

All committees shall file a disclosure report not later than the 15th day of April 2005.

The commission should receive the report no later than Friday, April 15, 2005.

A candidate committee that fails to timely file the April 2005 quarterly report may be subject to a $10 per day late fee.

AVOID A $10 PER DAY LATE FEE - TIMELY FILE YOUR REPORT!

Period covered by report - The April 15th 2005 quarterly report shall include activity beginning on the day after the closing date of your last previously filed disclosure report; for many of you that date will be 11/28/04 - the day after the closing date of the 30 day after November 04 General Election report. If your committee has filed a disclosure report in 2005 the starting date is the day the closing date of that report. The April Quarterly report should include activity closing on March 31, 2005.

Electronic Filing Agreement - Reminder - committees with a dual filing responsibility and who have obtained a PIN number and who have been notified that the Commission has received a signed Committee Electronic Filing Agreement are not required to file a copy of their April 2005 quarterly report with the local election authority.

Thank you for your cooperation!

Lisa Koelling
Reporting Analyst
Missouri Ethics Commission

No, it isn't a diversion. You brought up the 'assault' claim. Unless you are diverting the conversation, there was no diversion.

===he demonstrated that he doesn't know the difference between assault (which does not involve physical contact) and battery (which does).

How did I do that? By asking if raising one's voice is assault? Or pointing or jabbing a finger in the air? That's the claim against Schoemehl. Would a reasonable person take that as a physical threat? No and that is what the police determined and what others at the meeting agreed to--that there was no physical threat, but a heated discussion. One that sounds remarkably similar to many who attend school board meetings. Hurting someone's feelings isn't an assault.

You have mistaken your desire for there to have been intimidation with my understanding of the law.

Now, before getting upity about Keaveny's supposed campaign finance violations, you might notice another Central Committee's filings this year:
http://www.moethics.state.mo.us/Ethics/CampaignFinance/CFCommitteeInfo1.aspx?MECID=C031009&Year=2005

I can't find the filing fees listed anywhere going back to 2003. The same $30 has been listed for that period other than the loan you made and were repaid. Is there a chance that such things aren't reported and accounted for in the same way as other contributions?

The Central Committee's reports are delinquent because they received funds in connection with a primary election (i.e., filing fees for ballot access at that very election). That obligated the committee to file reports tied to so many days before the primary election (in this case, 40 days and 8 days, as explained above). They weren't filed.

The reference to Citizens for Joe Keaveny is a red herring, because that's a different committee with different filing deadlines (there having been no primary election for school board candidates), and that's not the committee that received the unreported filing fees. (If it did, that would be a whole different scandal.)

The committee that is delinquent is the Democratic Campaign Committee of the City of St. Louis. The person responsible for preparing and filing the reports is the treasurer. The treasurer is Joe Keaveney, who also happens to be a candidate for the school board. His conduct as DCCCSL treasurer is relevant to his qualifications to serve on the school board.

Also, those still in denial about Keaveny/Fowler/Moromarco being the "Slay Slate" please take note: Slay's campaign website announced Slay's formal endorsement of those very candidates on Tuesday. The St. Louis American reported it today.

====Also, those still in denial about Keaveny/Fowler/Moromarco being the "Slay Slate" please take note: Slay's campaign website announced Slay's formal endorsement of those very candidates on Tuesday. The St. Louis American reported it today.

I don't think anyone denies he endorsed yesterday, what the issue was prior to yesterday is that he hadn't finished the interviews and from what I understood talking to people only Fowler was pretty much guaranteed an endorsement--not necessarily out of a promise, but because he's a strong candidate. Moromarco especially wasn't a done deal.

===The Central Committee's reports are delinquent because they received funds in connection with a primary election (i.e., filing fees for ballot access at that very election). That obligated the committee to file reports tied to so many days before the primary election (in this case, 40 days and 8 days, as explained above). They weren't filed.

And again, are we sure the reporting requirements are the same? I pointed out the Green Party's filing doesn't include any filing fees since 2003-in fact no money in or out besides your loan. Other County parties don't seem to show filing fees as a part of receipts either (and yes I looked at some reports when the counties would have had primary elections)> Are we sure these are accounted for in the same way?

===The Central Committee's reports are delinquent because they received funds in connection with a primary election (i.e., filing fees for ballot access at that very election). That obligated the committee to file reports tied to so many days before the primary election (in this case, 40 days and 8 days, as explained above). They weren't filed.

Curious, but state law is kind of vague on this point

From the Ethics Commission web site:

"If any committee accepts contributions or makes expenditures in support of or in opposition to a ballot measure or a candidate, and the quarterly disclosure report of the committee is filed prior to the fortieth day before the election, the committee shall file an additional disclosure report not later than the 40th day before the election for the period closing on the 45th day before the election. "

The question appears to be whether accepting a contribution in the form of a filing fee is in support of or in opposition to a candidate. The lack of other party committees doing that and that while a filing fee is in one sense in support of the person giving it, but the more likely interpretation is if it the contribution would be used to support a candidate in that period, would seem to indicate that Keaveny is probably in the clear on this if the Party isn't making expenditures to support candidates. Even then, an 8 day report would seemingly qualify if the Party committee wasn't doing anything previous to the 45th day.

Any other interpretations? Explanations of why others appear to operate the same way?

As to Green Party filings: Since McCain-Feingold became effective, the Green Party has been depositing all contributions from individuals (including filing fees) in its federal account. They are reflected on campaign reports timely filed with the Federal Election Commission. (They aren't itemized because all of those filing fees were $100 or less; in these 2005 city elections, even the smallest filing fee (for alderman) is over $300.) GPCC elected a new treasurer last April, but if the party is still following that practice, the Federal report covering the period after January 1 (no Green filed for anything this year until January 6) wouldn't be due until July 15.

Visit the City's Intensive Care Unit Schools

Years of taking care of my aging mother took me to a hospital frequently. Twice I spent time with her in the Intensive Care Unit, praying she would make it. Those experiences taught me that formulas for staffing are based on critical need, not on numbers. In other words, severe and life-threatening illnesses require more staff for fewer numbers of patients.

When intensive care patients move to regular hospital rooms, it becomes apparent there are fewer employees for more patients. That's because the patients can perform more functions in their own strength, e.g., feeding themselves, bathing, dressing, and going to a restroom. As a result, hospitals use a different ratio to arrive at the number of staff needed to maintain a floor.

The principle applied in hospital staffing appears to relate to need or critical need. However, in the city schools the principle in determining staffing in schools relates more to enrollment numbers than on need. In some school environments that determination makes sense, especially where students come from comparable home backgrounds with the desire for education being strong, where families remain at the same location for years, and where the families are not fraught with exceptional or extreme challenges or trials.

Such luxury is not enjoyed by many of our city public schools. In the middle school where I work, we receive so many students coming from tremendously challenging backgrounds and environments. The litany of drawbacks to achieving a measure of educational achievement is too long to list. Put many such students in the same classroom or even in the same building, and the recipe for failure exponentially multiplies. In addition, cut staff to a minimum based solely on enrollment figures, and the problems are only compounded. The only sure result is exhausted, battle-fatigued men and women who really try to teach or serve in other capacities.

What many of these students really need is intensive care unit status. They come from homes and environments that thrust them into an educational life-threatening mode. They need more than floor nurses and interns; they need care provided by those who have been trained to deal with the worst case scenarios. They also need some to pray for their survival, as I and many others have done for our loved ones.

How can courageous, but ordinarily trained, staff care for so many with deeply intensive problems? How do you help a student whose mother keeps her home to baby sit her boyfriend's baby (not even her own)? How do you help a student who comes to school sporadically and then three to four hours late when appearing and sometimes high on drugs? How do you help a student who is traumatized by physical or sexual abuse at home? How do you reach parents who refuse to give correct telephone numbers and addresses? How do you help a five-year old who refuses to heed a teacher's instruction and says to the teacher, "F---- you?" How do you educate a girl who seems addicted to oral sex and follows boys into the boy's restrooms? (Can we pause for a moment and just cry for them?) There are many more scenarios than these that break one's heart and confront teaching and support staff on a daily basis. The daily diet of disrespectful attitudes and actions of students toward adults only intensifies the severity of the situation.

Recently the president of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, the head of the St. Louis Clergy Coalition, and the president of the Black Leadership Roundtable, announced their endorsement of three Board of Education Candidates. It was stated, "We have decided that these three candidates represent a commitment to aggressive and rapid reform?." The city school district has been experiencing "aggressive and rapid" actions, but few would call it reform. Reform represents improvement, and there has been little or no improvement for the children and none for the staff. One aggressive action alone replaced two administrators with 10 administrators at hefty salaries. Will the promised "aggressive and rapid reform" translate into the hiring of more highly paid administrators while the intensive care unit schools and staff continue to falter under severe conditions?

Hospitals recognize the realities represented by need and critical need. The city school district has yet to arrive at such awareness. In the meantime, more students will not survive the educational life-threatening situations they face. School staff cannot and must not be held accountable for poor decisions relating to need and critical need that are made by some who never bother to visit the schools. Many good employees will leave; support is so minimal.

Board of Education candidates should visit a hospital and then some of the intensive care unit schools before taking office in order to face their potential responsibilities knowledgeably and in total honesty. Hopefully, this glance through the window looking into the intensive care unit will help all to recognize how serious and critical the needs are for urban public school education. You can remove your gown and mask now. As you leave, please leave them in the appropriate container.

Helen Louise Herndon

"Recently the president of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, the head of the St. Louis Clergy Coalition, and the president of the Black Leadership Roundtable, announced their endorsement of three Board of Education Candidates."

Um, who did they endorse?

Apparently the planners of the Slay-Schoemehl slate gave no thought to gender balance. The board presently has four men and three women. One woman (O'Brien) is up for re-election and another (Hilgeman) is not seeking re-election. The Slay-Schoemehl slate is purely testosterone, and if elected would cause the board to consist of six men and only one solitary woman (Clinkscales).

Vince Schoemehl may have originally been well intentioned, but he is a bad role model for students. Disappointing that Mayor Slay criticizes Veronica O'Brien, but is totally silent with respect to Schoemehl. Race relations in this town are poor enough.

Actually Slay called them both in to talk to them after the incident. Veronica then made her meeting public and complained. Schoemehl apologized and said he'd do better. I believe the Mayor also told Schoemehl to cool it after the Brownshirt comments as well.

===As to Green Party filings: Since McCain-Feingold became effective, the Green Party has been depositing all contributions from individuals (including filing fees) in its federal account

This is truly a confusing area, but why then isn't there a reporting of expenditures for state and local races? As a federal committee, my very imperfect understanding, is that expenditures of a non-federal variety have to be disclosed. This is a serious question--I just don't fully understand the overlapping jurisdictions, but MO Ethics Commission says federal committees must file with them for state/local expenditures (it's entirely possible that there weren't any too, it just struck me as odd).

===He looks like a good choice, a I believe that both factions on the board agree that's the case.

Which is what has me baffled. He's for the curriculum choices that Spampinato has introduced though he thinks they might be a little too centralized, he himself has utilized Kaplan, is a Vallas protege, and Vallas has followed many of the same strategies as the Board Majority and had the same criticisms leveled at him in Chicago and Philly as the current Board Majority.

What is it that the opponents of the Board Majority like about him?

Ms. White -
I had the great fortune of spending time with Ms. O'Brien at Northwest High School. She was Veronica Edwards ... always a fine an upstanding student.
It is so very sad the levels to which power-breakers will go to damage ... if not ruin ... opponents.
Jim Wiswall - Spanish teacher in St. Louis Public School since 1967

James & Diane Wiswall
jtwiswall@earthlink.net
Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.

Saint Veronica

Commentary by: Amy White

Aired March 25, 2005

Today is Good Friday, when church tradition holds a woman offered a towel to the suffering Christ and was rewarded with an imprint of his face. She became known as Veronica, meaning “true image.”

One of her namesakes now serves on the St. Louis School Board.

Only one year ago, Veronica O’Brien was an example of what was once right in the St. Louis public school system. A graduate of city schools, Ms. O’Brien is a successful insurance agent choosing to live with her family in a city others deserted. Attractive, articulate and African-American, she was appointed last May by Mayor Francis Slay to the troubled board.

Ms. O’Brien, expected to support the board’s majority, endured the sharp barbs of those who opposed them. But surprisingly, she asked pertinent questions and expressed frequent dismay with the Board’s missteps.

Taking her new responsibility seriously, however, has caused her serious trouble. She reported feeling threatened by a fellow board member with whom she disagreed last year. Shortly after, she was summoned for a meeting with the Mayor she described as “not nice.” Her campaign signs - even those in her own front yard – have been ripped to shreds. A fellow school board member reported having her tires slashed while inside O’Brien’s home. And the man who appointed her announced she was “a disappointment” and insinuated she had ego problems.

There are, of course, no saints on the St. Louis School Board. But Veronica O’Brien’s sufferings are a true image of how hellish a place it has become.

(The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of KWMU.)

ONCE AGAIN, IF AT ANY TIME YOU WISH TO BE REMOVED FROM THIS EMAIL LIST, PLEASE LET ME KNOW BY EMAIL.
Ms. White -
I had the great fortune of spending time with Ms. O'Brien at Northwest High School. She was Veronica Edwards ... always a fine an upstanding student.
It is so very sad the levels to which power-breakers will go to damage ... if not ruin ...

Very tasteful. I'm sorry I also missed Amy's Pearl Harbor Day commentary on Pearl Jam.

She does love her caps lock key doesn't she? Has anyone explained to her that that indicates you are angry in web etiquete?