That Harold Brown link should be: http://www.pubdef.net/2006/12/its-game-not-player.html

fixed.
thanks,
dave.

You won't believe what happened at the board of aldermen today!

Well, to back-up a bit, you have to know that alderwoman Jennifer Florida's 12 year old son has been very sick in the hospital for the past few days undergoing surgery.

Today alderwoman Kathleen Hanrahan of the 23rd ward asked aldermanic president Shrewsbury if they could mention alderwoman Florida's son in the openning prayer. That heartless jerk said NO!!!

So, alderman Steven Gregali of the 14th ward stood up during his turn to talk and said that they all should keep alderwoman Florida's son in their thoughts. Kudos to a real man with class!

I hope you all will keep alderwoman Florida's son and family in your thoughts and prayers, and pray double for the lost soul of Vlad Shrewsbury.

What the Heck! Jim wouldn't allow a prayer of hope for this lady's son!! I agree with your assesment of him he is a Jerk. I have 3 kids and I would hate to have to rely on this guy to have any empathy for them at a time of crisis. This is an absolute outrage that he would dis-allow the minister from offering a prayer of hope for the kid!!!!!!!!!!! and to think we pay this guy for such great judgement!! We should all call city hall and ask for a refund for this guys salary! What a waste!

I was undecided which way I was going to vote on this race until I read this stuff. I wanted to get all the fact, you know. But, I want my representatives in government to have good judgement and compassion. There is no way I can vote in good conscience for this guy. This plus all the good stuff I've been hearing about the other guy has made up my mind!

I don't appreciate someone taking my online name. I have been using this for over 3 years. Let's wait before we go off the deep end to get all of the facts. I'm sure there is more to this than what is put on the blogs!

Whats up with all of Reed's campaign people posting on the blogs? Go back to work. You guys have a tough race to win.

The members of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen are, above all else, a family. As in any family tragedies occur and some families prefer to keep those trying times private.

During the meeting on Thursday, I had asked President Shrewsbury if we should pause for a moment of silence for Alderwoman Florida and her family. While Jim agreed that would be appropriate, he asked whether or not Jennifer wanted this information about her son’s health made public or would prefer we kept it private.

Since neither he nor I was certain, the decision was made to respect the family’s privacy and not draw public attention to this difficult time.

As is always the case when one of our colleagues is going through personal distress, our thoughts and prayers are with Alderwoman Florida and her family.

-Fred Wessels
Alderman, 13th Ward

Alderman Wessels--that's a thoughtful position but why didn't you just ask one of her friends? She has close friends on the board of alderman who could have offered guidance.

Prayers may seem like a small thing but when you're in crisis (and a seriously ill child is one of life's worst) every show of support and care helps.

Shrewsbury wasn't Mr. Sensitive when Alderwoman Sondermann passed. He took it upon himself to break the news to AP before all of her immediate family had been notified. For him, her death was a pr opportunity.

Folks need to step back and think for a moment.

Is this a real issue?

I see no reason to disbelieve what Fred Wessels says. And, to me, it seems like a reasonable decision by Jim Shrewsbury.

What is more upsetting to Alderwoman Florida's family.... that President Shrewsbury respected her privacy - or - that Lewis Reed is using her crisis as a political playing card ?

I have heard from several sources that the decision didn't go quite as Alderman Wessels says. He may have brought up the issue during the meeting but Alderwoman Hanrahan asked prior to the meeting and Shrewsbury wouldn't do for whatever reason. I have heard that some aldermen believe it is because Hanrahan and Florida are Reed supporters. If he is this way towards "family" tragedy maybe we should consider getting rid of this guy.

While I was very disapointed with the events of Thursday and it certainly will not be noted as one of the Board's proudest moments, I wouldn't play politics with a child's tragedy nor that of a dear friend. I'm asking everyone to focus their thoughts and prayers on the quick recovery of Alderwoman Florida's son, Graham.

-Lewis Reed
Alderman, 6th Ward

My prayers are with Alderwoman Florida and with her son. But using the words, "disapointed with the events of Thursday" IS playing politics. The event was an effort not to draw perhaps unwanted attention according to Ald Wessels and that is all there is to it!
Mr. Reed only posted to use the event and that is sad in itself.

According to my sources, BNB, you are just wrong. It was Shrewsbury playing politics. Ald. Wessels is trying to cover up a friends vindictive nature.

This is an all new low in St. louis politics. I don't know who alderman Florida is but using a sick child to make political accusations is reprehensible. I am done reading this website forever!

BNB did Jim buy a bunch of Madco products, or is he a long time friend? Your refusal to believe that Jim isn't a nice guy is interesting. And Lewis for the sake of all of those that hope you win, please stay off of these sights. You don't want your words twisted again.

I read all of these entries and I'm in complete shock that there would even be a question about whether to allow well wish's from the clergy for a sick child. To say that the parent may not want anyone’s prayers for their sick child is a complete cop out. I have 5 kids and I certainly wouldn't turn down a prayer if they where ill. The story told by my alderman, Fred Wessels, doesn't seem to add up. It seems to me that alderman Shrewsbury may have denied the prayer for the child because his mother is not a supporter of his. If this is true and it certainly looks that way from the previous posts, then the president may not be fit to lead a city that sometimes needs compassion and/or just plain common sense.

There was more than one alderwoman making the request to Shrewsbury. In a one-on-one situation, I could see the possibility there might have been a misunderstanding of sorts. But that is not what happened. A group of alderwomen went to the President and made the simple request made many times before that the chaplain of the day acknowledge a family in pain, in this case one of their own, the family of Alderwoman Florida. Shrewsbury responded by casting aside the tradition of civility common in such matters. He blew them off.

Acknowledgment of others in distress are custom at the Board. Thursday's chaplain of the day, a city marshal, mentioned the then still missing Ownby Boy. Prayers, communal empathy toward others, moments of silence, whatever you want to call it, is a way the people of this city, regardless of their address or color or faith, show respect and support for one another.

Shrewsbury, for whatever reason, departed from a very fine tradition that occurs all over this city and transcends all our divisions. As word traveled across the city that he had done this, the action was perceived as crude and that he a petty person. The gravity of the situation is that Shrewsbury, for whatever reason, breached the protocol of compassion and, in this biggest small town in America, it has become the undoing of a politician by word of mouth.

Nice to see that this has turned into a campaign issue. Religion gets them to the polls yet again!

Anything to avoid really dealing with *governing* St. Louis!

There's a huge gap between gossip and leadership. It's rare to find a St. Louis political leader that can make the jump without falling.