They ought to add an oakleaf cluster for gallantry under fire . . .

Certainly serving on a board with a man that has been quoted in the Post Dispatch as calling the police Nazis can not be easy.

I think you are confusing three different stories.

One current school board member once referred to (1) members of the POLICE pension board as "greedy pigs" and to (2) some CRITICS of the School Board as "acting like brownshirts."

A different member of the school board referred to (3) some of his FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS as "Board Nazis."

Regardless, service on the School Board, which is not compensated, is truly public service.

Having your home picketed isn't a typical expectation of being a Board President in a school system. Neither is being compared repeatedly to Colonel Klink.

People who complain about the current board seem to miss that both Darnetta and Archibald are the only two Board Members who have never made a scene nor raised their voice. Ron, minus the George Cotton episode, has done reasonably well.

what's up with not using real names of board members in this discussion?

Francis Slay has essentially blamed Hammonds and the previous board for the city's problems. Sharon Stevens had reported that Amy had called Purdy, Brewster, and Davis 'Nazis'. The previous board was personally villified by many people. None of the personal attacks for either board are appropriate.

ArchPundit is correct that Clinkscale and Archibald rarely lose their cool. Only saw Archibald slightly lose his temper on the news a year and a half ago, the night they postponed their meeting because the Sunshine Law notice had not been posted.

Had Vince Schoemehl respected the request of the rest of that slate to not run, the rest of that slate would be getting less grief.

===Francis Slay has essentially blamed Hammonds and the previous board for the city's problems.

No, he blamed them for spending more than they were taking in 3 years in a row and in each year spending more than was budgeted. In addition, he blamed them for running an organization without basic accountability. Those aren't arguments over personality, but competence.

"Had Vince Schoemehl respected the request of the rest of that slate to not run . . ."

If this were Liars' Poker, somebody would have to call you on that.

["Had Vince Schoemehl respected the request of the rest of that slate to not run . . ."

If this were Liars' Poker, somebody would have to call you on that.]

Then publiceye will have to call the Post Dispatch on that. I read it in the September 7, 2003 story "Power, Race and Trust".

"I read it in the September 7, 2003 story 'Power, Race and Trust'."

No, you did not. Provide the citation that says that "the rest of the slate" requested Schoemehl not to run.

(When you tell your fellow poker players that you bet there are three 8's at the table and there aren't, you lose.)

Here is a portion from the September 7, 2003 story 'Power, Race and Trust' in Post Dispatch.

"He wasn't the 500-pound gorilla in the room," said one coalition member. "He
was the 1,000-pound gorilla."

Jackson, Denson and others tried to convince Schoemehl not to run.

"We knew Schoemehl was a politician and had been the former mayor and felt
that he would be a lightning rod," Jackson said. "We saw somebody like him as
being better serving the community and the schools by doing something else
rather than being on the board itself, like heading up some other entity that
could support the schools."

Active in public policy most of his adult life, Schoemehl now headed the
Grand Center arts and entertainment district. But he relished the idea of trying
to fix the city's schools.

"A good education is critical to the growth of a community," Schoemehl said.
"There was a compelling argument that we had the opportunity to enact an
aggressive program to improve St. Louis schools."

Schoemehl persisted, and the coalition began to consider making him the
anchor to its slate. If Schoemehl won without accepting their platform, he could
be an obstacle on the School Board. Having him as part of their team might be
better. But to embrace Schoemehl was also to take on some significant negatives.

Yup. You promised three 8s. And delivered just one.