October 2006

October 31, 2006

House Race Analysis - part VI

105th District: Ed Groom-R v. Michael Frame*-D
Frame narrowly beat Groom in a special election last February. The victory in a low turnout special election doesn’t ensure a similar result for Frame, but the District leans Democratic and will stay that way.

135th District: Charles Denison*-R v. Nancy Hagan-D
An internal poll by the Greene County Democrats in late October showed Hagan 3 points behind Denison and gaining ground. However, Republicans have won all of the last three races in the District by over 30% percent. There will be a much smaller margin this year, but a similar result as Denison holds.

137th District: Dan Scott-R v. Charlie Norr-D
Scott and Norr battle for Republican Mark Wright’s seat in Northern Springfield. Scott is an architect and stresses his hometown roots. Norr was firefighter and is a veteran of Navy. Minimum wage could turn out to be a substantial issue in this, one of the poorest districts in the state. Norr wins on the Northside.

163rd District: Kevin Mitchell-R v. Thomas Todd-D
The 163rd District, which dips into the Bootheel in Southern Missouri, was a historically Democratic district before being taken over by Otto Bean, who died in July. The 163rd now seems poised to swing back to the Dems. In 2002, Bean won with only 4,206 votes. With no presidential election this year, it will probably only take 4,500 votes to win. Considering that 4,021 Democrats voted in the contested August primary, Todd should be able to beat out Mitchell in this contest.

Farr joins Democratic Party

Leslie Farr's email:

Today, I officially joined the Democrat Party. I want to continue to stress
my philosophy of not being enemies but being opponents. I came to a point
where I had to ask myself if the Republican Party was right for me and
obviously that answer was no. For five years, I served the Republican Party
and my reward was a Primary loss to a person that had only been in the Party
for three months. There is obviously no loyalty to African-American people
from certain people within the Republican Party. I watched as the party
power structure ignored the issues, needs, and concerns of low-income and
impoverished people, many of which happen to be African-American, and I
spoke out against it publicly and in private meetings.

My decision was galvanized when I thought of the current battle for Missouri
’s Senate seat. I hear the Republican candidate say one thing about his
concern for African-American issues and then watch as his actions fall short
of his words. I personally asked the Senator to make “Crack” a focus of his
campaign. Those of us that live in North St. Louis know and have seen the
devastating affect that this Cocaine derivative has had, yet the Senator has
refused to acknowledge the problem. I personally invited the Senator and
his staff to a town hall style meeting, at Beaumont High School, to be aired
on Charter Cable and they refused. This meeting would have put the Senator
in the heart of St. Louis’ predominately African-American community and
given people, that otherwise don’t have the opportunity, a chance to meet
him.

I once heard a woman tell a young girl. “You learn a lot about a man in how
he treats his mother. If he won’t treat his own with respect, what do you
think he will do to you?” So true of my years with the Republican Party; I
would walk into a function with Democrats and be greeted with open arms and
given tremendous respect, while certain Republicans were jealous and hateful
of me. I would put my blinders on and pretend like I belonged, but like my
father once told me. “You can only pretend for so long; then you have to be
honest with yourself.” My Honesty has led me home to the Democrat Party. I
thank both Chairman Wahby and Committeeman Palm for inviting me home and
then welcoming me. Just like the prodigal son, in the bible, Mr. Wahby did
so without question.

House Race Analysis - part V

15th District: Sally Faith*-R v. Thomas Green-D
Thomas Green should be a well known name for the voters of the 15th District in St. Charles County. He ran for State Rep. in 1998 and lost by 0.8% (81 votes). In 2000 he took the seat by the slim margin of 0.6% (103 votes) and held it until 2004 when he was unseated by Sally Faith in another tight race (1.6% margin). This year, the pendulum swings back and Green reclaims the seat.

21st District: Steve Hobbs*-R v. Skip Elkin-D
Hobbs, a two term legislator from Mexico, MO, faces Skip Elkin. Elkin is Boone County’s Northern District commissioner, a veteran of the Marines, and a member of the National Guard. Elkin upsets Hobbs in a squeaker.

48th District: Will Kraus*-R v. Chris Moreno-D
Will Kraus won the 2004 election by 5.8%, reversing a trend of Democratic representatives in the district. Kraus, a veteran of the Iraq War, has a large money advantage and got the endorsement of the Kansas City Star. Moreno will give him a run, but Kraus keeps the seat.

87th District: Scott Muschany*-R v. Cynthia Kramer-D
Kramer has worked hard to make this one close, while Mushany, who is close to Speaker Rod Jetton, appears to already have his sights on a higher prize. But the 87th District is definitely Republican, and will remain in Muschany’s control.

State Senate Analysis - part II

The 30th
Incumbent Republican Norma Champion was known for 30 years as Aunt Norma on the children's hour on KY-3. Most people still call her that. Dems have delicately attempted to raise issues of age, health and competence. For a donkey to take down an incumbent elephant in this district requires a near-perfect campaign. Harpool's run a solid race, but it's probably not enough to get him over the top.

The 22nd
Ryan McKenna will unseat Republican Bill Alter. Even Republicans are saying so. And the GOP Senate Committee has pretty much cut Alter loose. McKenna has out-raised, out-endorsed and out-worked Alter. McKenna in a cakewalk.

State House Race Analysis - part IV

30th District: Jason Brown*-R v. Jared Welch-D
Usually, having spent over a decade in the Air National Guard would distinguish a candidate. Yet, Jared Welch’s service is likely to be overshadowed by that of incumbent Jason Brown. Brown is currently on leave from the Army after being shot in the chest while on duty in Iraq. Deployed in April for a yearlong tour, Brown was serving his House term while abroad. If Welch was planning on doing any negative campaigning, that's off the table. Given the circumstances, Brown will hold this seat.

38th District: Ryan Silvey*-R v. Dennis Spears-D
The 38th was a Democratic seat before Silvey won a special election following Representative Dan Bishop’s death. Thus far, Spears has raised less than $5,000, while Silvey has raised over $45,000. While infighting amongst the Republicans could make this one closer, Silvey will remain on top.

47th District: Jeff Grisamore-R v. Tom Haley-D
This district seat opened up as Republican Robert Thane Johnson left it to run for senate. Haley ran for the seat in 2002 and lost by 7.6% (875 votes). While Haley might be helped by the name recognition, it won’t be enough as Grisamore takes the open seat.

94th District: Rick Stream-R v. Jane Bogetto*-D
This Kirkwood district was held by Republican Richard Byrd from 2000 until his death in 2005. Bogetto took over the seat in the subsequent special election last November. She now faces long time Kirkwood School Board Member Rick Stream. Repubs would love to grab this one back, but when crunch time comes, Bogetto will win the suburban battle.

October 30, 2006

Reeves reappointed

to MOHELA.

Book Signing and Beer Tasting Tonight at Schafly's (The Tap Room)

Premiere of Tom Schafly's new book A New Religion in Mecca: Memoir of a Renegade Brewer in St. Louis, and some great beer. 6-8pm in The Club Room

More here

Any inquiries, please call Schafly's at 241-BEER

State Senate Analysis - part I

There are really only four big races in the Missouri Senate, which makes it a lot easier to follow and handicap than the House. Here are two of them. I'll post the other two tomorrow:

The 18th
State Rep. Wes Shoemyer is a rural Missouri Democrat, straight out of central casting. Call him, “Missouri's Tom Selleck.” He’s got the glam; he’s got the stache… Shoemyer’s got the NRA's highest rating and was endorsed by Missouri Right to Life three times previously (but not this time, see comment below). He’s that kind of Democrat. His opponent, Bob Behnen, is not the standard issue rural MO Republican. He’s actually an STL-born genealogist. Shoemyer is trying to use this, highlighting his own rural MO roots. He actually brings the sweet corn he grows with him when he visits senior centers! Polls show Shoemyer leading by single-digits.

The 16th
Incumbent Democrat Barnitz is another working farmer here. Susie Snyder, the Republican opponent, has muffed several questions in debates, which has received widespread attention thanks to the miracle of YouTube. Barnitz won the seat in a special election, surprising many people given the district's Republican tilt. Like Shoemyer, Barnitz fits the district well with his strong pro-life, pro-gun stances. Expect Barnitz to win narrowly.

House race analysis - part III

33rd District: Jerry Nolte*-R v. Terry Stone-D
Jerry Nolte won by 3% in 2004, taking over a seat that leans slightly Democratic. This race will be another close one. The current climate gives Stone a boost as he ousts Nolte.

85th District: Jim Lembke*-R v. Bob Burns-D
Jim Lembke won this Lemay seat by 1.5% in 2004. GOP sources think Lembke’s hard working campaign will prevail. Dems say the same about Burns. The numbers favor the Democrats in this one, and Bob Burns, a Union beer truck driver, will return the seat to Democratic control.

90th District: Sean King-R v. Sam Komo-D
The 90th District, which is southwest of the St. Louis area, is an open seat as Democrat Rick Johnson ran for Jefferson County Prosecutor rather than re-election. Privately some Dems are underwhelmed by Komo’s campaign, but Komo has the support of Johnson and will keep the seat in the D column.

132nd District: Don Ruzicka-R v. Charles Dake*-D
Another winner of a special election, Dake took over the republican seat in 2006. Claims of Republican push polls have surfaced in this race, allegedly being run by Wilkerson and Associates, the same company named for similar calls in the 32nd District. The District has strong numbers for the Republicans and could be their best chance to take a seat from the Dems. Dake, a conservative Democrat, opposes Amendment 2 and lists the NRA as one of his endorsements. In the end, Dake withstands the charge and keeps the seat.

139th District: Shane Schoeller-R v. Jamie Schoolcraft-D
Schoeller and SchoolCraft vie for this North Springfield left open as Republican Brad Roark runs for county commissioner. Though Schoolcraft boasts an “A” rating from the NRA(higher than Schoeller), Republicans have very strong numbers in the District and Schoeller will pull out the win.

161st District: Gary Branum-R v. Steve Hodges-D
The race for the 161st District is about as close as it comes to a tossup. The numbers are just about even in the contest for the seat of term-limited Lanie Black. As two strong candidates battle it out, Branum wins by a hair.

State House Analysis - part II

8th District: Kathy Chinn*-R v. Tom Shively-D
Chinn and Shively face off in a rematch of 2004. Chinn won by 3.4%, but this race could be different. Democrats believe that Chinn’s support and ownership of confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), which have drawn complaints for their smell and pollution, have turned voters toward Shively. When all is said and done, Shively will rise above the muck.

24th District: Ed Robb*-R v. Jim Ritter-D
How much of a factor money plays in elections is a subject of great debate. The candidates in the 24th District aren’t taking any chances. In fact, they’ve set a record for the most expensive state representative race in Missouri history. Both candidates have raised nearly $110,000 as of the October filing, and they’ve each spent over $70,000 of it. And that’s not including any money spent by the state parties on their behalf. According to House Minority Leader Jeff Harris, “Columbia is the most expensive place to run for House” because “you’re expected to do television.” After the dust settles, Ed Robb will emerge the winner.

32nd District: John DeStefano-R v. Jason Grill-D
Another big money race, Grill has raised over $110,000. He lost to Susan Phillips in 2004 by 1.2 % (224 votes). Now the seat is open and Grill is running against DeStefano, who we’re told is the father of Grill’s best friend. DeStefano’s campaign has denied involvement in alleged push polling. Similar calls have been reported in at least one other District which suggests they are part of a broader plan. The race will be incredibly close, but this one’s a pickup for the Democrats.

Protest Today Outside of the Health Department

The Gateway Green Alliance/Green Party of St. Louis is holding a press conference at 11am today inside MoKaBe's, and will be picketing/protesting at the Department of Health (634 N. Grand) at 4:00pm. Quite simply, they demand to know "Where is City Lead Money Going?"

Press Release Here

ACC State House Races Analysis - Part I

Do the Democrats have any chance of taking control of the State House?

The new issue - find it on the streets Wednesday - has a front-page article by Brian Werner looking at House races across the state, the only state-wide analysis we're aware of. Here is a preview; I'll be posting specific House and Senate races today and tomorrow.

The background: There are only 19 GOP seats that are not being challenged by Democratic opponents, nearly half as many uncontested seats as in 2004, while 41 Democrats are running without a Republican opponent.

Of the 163 seats in the House, Republicans hold 95 and the Democrats, 66. The 13th and 163rd District seats are currently vacant, both most recently held by the GOP. ACC interviewed members of both parties, analyzed previous election results and campaign finance data, including the flow of funds from state party committees.

From that information we’ve categorized 21 seats that could change hands – 17 of which were last held by a Republican. Of the remaining 142 seats, 80 are likely to go for the GOP and 62 likely for the Democrats. In order to take the House, Democrats would have to win 20 of these 21 races. Notwithstanding a tidal wave of anti-GOP sentiment, such a feat is unlikely.

Blunt and the Cardinals

Declared yesterday Cardinals Day.

But apparently didn't get a great reception at the rally.

Danger!

Slay didn't return calls; but they were able to get Sam Dawson on the line.

UPDATE: Now comes the inevitable back-spin. Look at the Metropolitan Areas. We're #68.
It's nice that Franklin County, Lincoln County (et al) are bringing our stats down. Still I live in St. Louis City, not St. Louis MSA.

October 27, 2006

McCaskill: "Shame on Senator Talent"

State Auditor Claire McCaskill, candidate for U.S. Senate, was fired up over recent television ads and statements by her opponent Sen. Jim Talent's campaign that she said distorted her record and besmirched her character. In a press conference call today, McCaskill set out to get the record straight.

“Talent decided to make a calculated mis-characterization of my record, character and issues,” said McCaskill.

At issue were questions Talent's campaign have raised over McCaskill's commitment to renewable energy, the estate tax, animal identification and her auditing of nursing homes.

What seemed to strike McCaskill the most was the attacks against her auditing of nursing homes which call into question her independence and brings in her husband, whose company owns and operates nursing homes in Missouri.

McCaskill pointed out that the Kansas City Star has called on the Talent campaign to stop airing ads citing their paper as a source of criticism of McCaskill. The ads quote a McCaskill opponent criticizing her and is not the opinion of the paper or a conclusion of an analysis.

McCaskill said she had done more work in the area than any auditor previously. She dismissed charges she had gone easy on the industry after she married her husband in 2002 saying that in January of 2003 she delivered an extensive audit of nursing homes.

McCaskill said: she was the first to audit the oversight of nursing homes; called for spot inspections; and that when she reported a decline in care, she linked it directly to funding cuts made by Governor Blunt's administration and the Republican-controlled state legislature.

An issue drawing intense debate in the agricultural world is that of mandating identification for farm animals. The idea would allow livestock to be better tracked through the system. Small farmers and ranchers argue it's too expensive and would hurt their ability to compete.

McCaskill said Talent had slipped on the issue. First offering some support for the program, but now opposing it. McCaskill criticized Talent saying that as a member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee, he had been in a position to oppose the program. The United State Deparment of Agriculture announced a framework for the program in April of 2004, the Senate subcommittee held hearings on the issue in February.

McCaskill said she had done extensive work in these areas and Talent knew her record as well as she did.

"Shame on Senator Talent," said McCaskill.

A call to the Talent campaign was not returned.

BOA Notes

Weighing in
The Board of Aldermen announced their opposition to executions in the state of Missouri. A round of applause followed the passage of a resolution (PDF) calling on the Missouri House of Representatives to reconsider HB1496 which would have placed a moratorium on executions and set up a commission to study the use of the practice. The resolution also called for a permanent moratorium on executions.

The board cited several issues in its opposition including
• The dyslexic anesthesiologist recently banned from participating in executions
• The high number of African-American's on death row (48%)
• The increasing number of cases where death-row inmates have been proven innocent through evidence introduced years after their sentencing.

Bill 1496 died in committee last session. It was co-sponsored by a number of reps including some from the St. Louis area (Reps. Johnson, Wright-Jones, Villa, Oxford, Bowman, Hoskins, Hubbard, and Daus)

Podular Living
If you are a recent college graduate and are trying to re-experience your dorm-room days by living in a portable storage unit, it might be time to find a more permanent domicile. Also, for those who move their belongings into a storage unit during their three-week rehab job, which turned into a 6-month rehab, it may be time to put the pins to the contractors.

The board passed a bill, introduced by Alderwoman Lyda Krewson, 28th Ward, that requires a permit for the PODS, as they are commonly called, and limits their placement on the public right-of-way to 14 days, 30 days on private property.

Form-atters
Ears perked among those listening to the meeting when a dispute seemed to bubble up regarding the formatting of 14th Ward Alderman Stephen Gregali's bill to set the upper age limit of applicants to the St. Louis Fire Department at 33. One of the aldermen wasn't pleased with the format of the bill and wanted to have it clarified. The copy passed out to the aldermen was in its raw form, showing where changes were being made to the language.

Gregali explained it was merely a copy to show the aldermen and was not the actual bill that would be written into law. The alderman relented in his opposition.

New Dog Park in Benton Park West

Dogs are here in a major way, and the ACC is starting its very own column devoted to canine life in the city. In any case, a new dog park is being planned in Benton Park West, on the corner of Nebraska and Utah.

Press Release

Claire's Cash Crunch

Loan on home.

Tonight

City Dems Halloween Party - see ad to the left. Pictures from previous years can be seen here.

Also, it's the 2nd Annual Young Republicans Night at Saratoga Lanes from 6 - 9 PM.

Agreement in principle

regarding Ballpark Village will be announced at 1pm.
Let's hope it's not - We agree to give you whatever you want. Again.

October 26, 2006

Stem Cell losing some ward endorsements?

Email from a southside Dem:

It's worse than I ever could have imagined. Some of the wards are not merely leaving stem cell off the ballot, they will be saying Vote NO. The Church didn't merely want the issue off the ward sample ballots, it insisted on opposition. Central Committee, btw, gives each ward $1000 for general election GOTV, printing, etc. In essence, money given to Central Committee over past year is money going to defeat the stem cell initiative. At this rate, stem cell is going to tank on the south side.

Combest partners with Hotline

Part of a new network of political coverage.

October 25, 2006

Blunt: Amend now

Gov. Matt Blunt released a statement in the wake of the New Jersey Supreme Court ruling granting gay couples the same civil rights as heteroesexual couples.

Statement from Gov. Matt Blunt on NJ Supreme Court Decision

“If we do not define marriage in the federal constitution then renegade
judges will define it for us. The latest news from New Jersey is just one
more indication that we need to protect traditional marriage within the
United States Constitution. Now is the time to act. I urge all members of
Missouri’s Congressional delegation to support an amendment to protect
traditional marriage.”

Time Magazine columnist and openly-gay conservative Andrew Sullivan has a quick reaction to the ruling, "Leave the m-word to the churches; but let the state grant equal protection under the law."

The National Review calls the court's decision to base its ruling in the New Jersey constitution's free-exercise clause, "simply put, judicial activism run amok."

Northside-Southside Study

The goal of the Northside-Southside Study is to select a preferred route for Metrolink in North St. Louis and South St. Louis.

The same information will be presented at each workshop with a focus on alternatives for that area. Below is the workshop schedule.

Southside
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
5:00 p.m. ­ 7:00 p.m.
Lift for Life Academy € Cafeteria
1731 S. Broadway € St. Louis, MO 63104
Presentation at 5:30 p.m.

Northside
Thursday, October 26, 2006
5:00 p.m. ­ 7:00 p.m.
Fifth Missionary Baptist Church € Fellowship Hall
3736 Natural Bridge € St. Louis, MO 63107
Presentation at 5:30 p.m.

New Apartments in Old North St. Louis- Ceremony Tomorrow

From the press release:

Mayor Slay, Congressman Clay, and the RHCDA Open Homes in Crown Candy Neighborhood

Official opening of historical rehabilitation of the North Market Place Apartments in Old North St. Louis– one of Mayor Slay’s Top 10 “good things in 2005.” Nine turn-ofthe- century buildings have been saved from total loss and now house 32 apartments, for which there is a waiting list. NMP Apartments are the first new rental units available in Old North in decades, and are part of CONECT St. Louis Apartments $14 million historic rehabilitation of 22 buildings, the remainder located in Forest Park Southeast. WHEN: Thursday October 26th, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Remarks by Slay, Clay and Acree, et al; followed by tours.

WHERE: 2315 N. 14th Street, St. Louis Missouri 63106

Full Release here

MOPIRG Event Tomorrow at the Roberts Display Center

The Missouri Public Interest Research Group (MOPIRG) is having an event tomorrow, and will be calling on congressional candidates to "support policies to reduce oil consumption, save energy, increase renewable energy, and to invest in energy saving and renewable energy technologies".

On display: an Electric Scooter, Energy Star Appliances, Energy Source Heat Pump, Compact Florescent V.S. Incandecent Bulb Energy Meter, stick up LED Lights, and a Water-Saving Toilet.

In addition, the (Roberts' Brothers) display center itself is a model of an energy efficient, green, apartment which you can explore.

release here

Going on right now...

The City has begun installation of the entry/exit gates for City Hall's Tucker eastside circular drive. You will only get in and out and be able to park with a special pass.

Currently, the driveway is blocked with heavy planters on the north and south sides of the steps into City Hall to prevent drive-thru traffic. Each of the parking places is assigned to an elected official, staff, or department head. Reserved parking signs have not deterred others from using the spaces, resulting in the writing of tickets and towing.

The current set-up, however, does not prevent general vehicle traffic from entering and exiting the circular driveway for delivery/pick-up of persons and goods. Persons assigned parking often find themselves blocked from entering/exiting their spots.

The purpose of blocking general vehicle traffic is said to be a matter of public safety. The gates will enhance building security, eliminate vehicles unsafely backing-out onto Tucker, and reduce strain on City Hall's Tucker side infrastructure.

The circular drive suffers from a century of motor vehicle traffic, weight it was never built to support. When City Hall IV was opened in 1898 or 1904 (take your pick), there were far more hitching posts for horses and wagons than parking spaces. The only parking spaces for horseless carriages at City Hall were located on the circular drive and were for the Mayor, House of Delegates President, City Council President, and a few others.

Triplett endorsements

Pearlie Evans and Jeff Smith are supporting Kacie Triplett for alderman.

Suppan against 2

You Tube, Via 52nd City.

Whe you're up you're up, when you're down you're down

And when you are a poll, your just quantum.

L.A. Times/Bloomberg Poll: McCaskill 45% Talent 48%
Mason-Dixon/McClatchy Poll: McCaskill 46% Talent 43%
SurveyUSA Poll: McCaskill 45% Talent 48%

The L.A. Times notes that rural voters will likely decide whether Democrats take the Senate this fall.

The Mason-Dixon poll finds that the two candidates' favorable/unfavorable are within a point of each other. It also notes that 81% are voting for a candidate despite a 37%/57% right track/wrong track result.

SurveyUSA found decreasing support for the stem cell initiative. What was a 30-point "certain yes" margin on October 12 has become a 9-point margin. There are likely some observers who are collecting on bets right about now.

The senate numbers are all within the margin of error (+/- 5 for LAT, +/-4 for M-D and +/- 4 for SUSA).

October 24, 2006

Cacchione Kickoff

Reed having announced he's running for Pres of the Board, Patrick Cacchione is now a declared candidate for alderman. Look for his campaign kickoff to be on November 15 at the SqWires Annex. More details coming.

Mr. Mayor

The book's a classic; now comes the documentary.
It will kick-off the St. Louis Film Festival, and we'll have a review of it in our next issue, on the streets next week.

Independents

breaking early, hard and left.

October 23, 2006

Fox cozies up to pro stem-cell Dem

Caption is wrong. Kramer is the Democratic nominee.

Observers say Kramer's run a great campaign in a very strongly Republican district. It's a long-shot Dem pick-up, but there is a shot she could be an election night surprise.

Happy Birthdays

ACC Editor Lucas Hudson is 32 today!
Tomorrow, Dem City Chair Brian Wahby turns 41.

October 20, 2006

World Series impact

Yes, we know the RCGA will estimate its impact somewhere around $300 billion for the local economy, but how about its impact on the Senate race?

Do St. Louis field operations lose a week? Can you call or door-knock during the series? Who volunteers?

Chouteau's Cho-down This Saturday

From the release:

Prepare yourself for Chouteau's Landing. An emerging district for inspired minds.

Starting fall 2006, Chouteau's Landing will reveal the first of more than 30 new loft-style retail and office spaces along Historic Fourth Street, mere blocks from the new Stadium. This launch will be followed by seven progressive years that will include a new, interactive arts center, enviable green space, and sculpture parks.

Nestled just south of Highway 40 between Fourth Street and the riverfront, Chouteau's Landing reveals a wealth of SoHo-style warehouses, an edgy artistic sensibility and an intricately layered landscape ripe for a diverse community.
This eclectic district will include the stylish restoration of original structures as well as modern new construction, and will feature a variety of residential dwellings that will persuade the savviest of urbanites to take root in Chouteau's Landing.

They are kicking off these "revelations" with an event this Saturday from 3 to 9 pm @ 800 South Fourth Street Downtown between Gratiot Street and Chouteau Avenue. The event will feature Cbabi and many other artists, who will be live-painting murals. More information here:

http://www.chouteauslanding.com/

Savion Glover at Touhill Performing Arts Center

Tap dancing phenom Savion Glover will be performing at Touhill this Friday and Saturday. Anyone who hasn't seen tapdancing live should give it a shot. Its incredible

http://www.dancestlouis.org/about_news_glover.htm

The Fattnin' of America

The fattening of this country is astounding, and ever since my first desk job, I've been astounded by a good 20 pounds that's dug in for a fight. No one, myself included, can blame anyone but the "man in the mirror", but stuff like this really doesn't help.

Who needs pork piled on top of a "thickburger"? Hardees thickburgers are already the king of excess in fast food, with 1/2 pound, and 2/3 pound varieties.

While researching an article for the upcoming issue of the ACC, this showed up in Shop N Save:

I know some people that occasionally eat pork rinds and all, but microwaved? What has ever come out of the microwave crispy? Its gotta taste like hot porkrindjerky. Even if they broke off a wish to the pork rind genie and managed to perfect this technique, who asked? And the "1 gram total carbs" sign in the left corner is priceless. Sheesh.

Just go the Fix

They've got all the nuggets:

Reed announces to his ward org. One 6th warder called this morning to report that since both Cacchione and Triplett are members of the ward exec. committee, there won't be a ward endorsement for alderperson. This source also suggests that there won't be anymore serious candidates beside these two.

Blunt gets an A from CATO. But he gets a 36% from MO.

Harpool helped Claire beat Talent in the debates. Now he just has to win his own Senate race.

Carnahan's hiring GOTV workers. Paying a nice living wage.

October 19, 2006

NOV 7 ballots

From the BOE:
Ward 4.
Ward 23.

October 18, 2006

Nasheed for Triplett

State Rep-elect Jamilah Nasheed told ACC today that she is 100% behind Kacie Triplett for 6th ward alderman; she says she will be door-knocking and working hard for Triplett.

No Reed Announcement Tonight

Despite earlier rumors, tonight's Lewis Reed fundraiser at the home of Gate District president, Steve Zeiger, will not include Reed announcing for president of the Board of Aldermen.

Vote Vets' Anti-Talent ad

Pretty effective.

Job Fair Tomorrow

The St. Louis Chapter of the National Black M.B.A Association is hosting their 13th Annual job fair tomorrow, downtown at the America's Center.

Berlin Wall Redux

Eco-Absence reported that many relics from the dearly departed St. Aloysius Gonzaga Church turned up at "The Church Key", a bar Thomas Crone reviewed for insidestl.com

Now I haven't made it to that bar yet, but if I do make it there, I will be more than a little creeped-out to be imbibing in the company of relics (including pews) straight from a church, never mind the name "Church Key" itself. It sounds like a vampire bar from Blade 4, I mean (according to the review) who else wants to gyrate, get rip-roarin drunk and entertain sins-of-the-flesh in the company of pews, a bar-top made of holy wood, and kneeling stations-- the witnesses to untold thousands of prayers?

In any case, another part of the departed church is at the Schnucks on Arsenal:

Distractions and Rumors

Three weeks away from a huge election and the chatter among city political watchers is mostly about things other than Nov 7.

The hottest topic is the President of the Board race next spring. But also gaining a fair amount of attention is the 5th SD race in 2008.

Last week, a rumor was floating that Stephen Gregali was yet another pol eyeing that race. Yesterday he told ACC, "No Way." Which makes sense if for no other reasons than he doesn't have a very big geographic base in the 5th, and he seems to enjoy being alderman.

Tom Villa, on the other hand, has a lot more real estate in the 5th and seems to enjoy Jefferson City. He isn't saying, No Way.

October 17, 2006

Bush's MO # sink

to 38.

3rd CD Debate

Congressman Russ Carnahan and challenger David Bertelsen at the International Institute on October 31 at 7pm. There will be interpreters and light refreshments.

Separation of Church and State

Though it is a common practice to let politicians speak in churches, it has always made me uncomfortable, even when its the politician or party that I favor. But signs are being spotted on the lawns of more than a couple churches in St. Louis. Here are two examples:

Epiphany of Our Lord Catholic Church:

Timothy Lutheran Church:

I have not paid attention to how many signs have been on what church lawns in the last 30 years, but between politicians speaking in churches and signs on church lawns, an invisible line is in danger of being trampled all over.

Students Express Trepidation About Bonner

In what could only be described as a Shakespearean moment, Vashon High School graduate Anthony Bonner publicly accepted his new job replacing Floyd Irons, who coached Bonner and the Vashon Wolverines when they won two of the team's ten state titles.

While he will be coaching the Wolverines, Bonner's official title will be Executive Director for Community Outreach.

School Board President Veronica O'Brien opened the conference saying Bonner's addition was a sign that the district is heading in the right direction. O'Brien said Bonner would be doing outreach, extra-curricular work and even taking trips to Jefferson City to represent the district.

Bonner began by thanking Superintendent Bourisaw and the district for opportunity, saying outreach was already something he was engaged in.

“There is much more to me than basketball,” said Bonner.

Though former coach Irons was not on hand, his presence was heavy in the room. Despite the ongoing dispute between Irons and the St. Louis School District since his firing in July, O'Brien acknowledged his tenure, though tepidly.

“We certainly appreciate what Floyd Irons has done,” said O'Brien.

Continue reading "Students Express Trepidation About Bonner"

Happy Birthdays

Jamilah Nasheed is 34 today.

Senator Talent turns 50 tomorrow.

Talent - McCaskill debate

Last night's debate was telling:

Talent looks like a beaten man.

He was haplessly attacking McCaskill without pacing or timing. It reminded me of Bush Sr.'s spastic, slightly incoherent, style. It's like his advisors told him he needed a knockout. But his attacks were all in the Who Cares category - husband has lots of LLCs, she was late paying personal property tax, blah blah blah. The contrast to his unwillingness to address the issues - strategic and tactical failures in Iraq, minimum wage - was devastating.

Polls, Fundraising, GOTV operations... I don't need any of the usual indicators to discern the momentum of this race. It's over. Talent knows he's beat. You could see it last night.

Yes, it's a little early to be making this call, but... I'll be shocked if McCaskill doesn't win.

October 16, 2006

Sports Hangover

The city has a sports hangover. There hasn't been a worse sports day like Sunday in quite a while. Its in people's faces, its in conversation, its just everywhere today. Looking at the weather, the Gods are also displeased. For every sip of beer downed in sorrow and bewilderment, the skies are giving it back tenfold. The weather is every bit as watery today as our hometown fav Bud Light.

The Rams' last minute score, then final second loss sent the city's karma into a tailspin, and then watching the Cardinals get rolled up at Busch Stadium was icing on the depression cake. Ugh.

Voter ID Unconstitutional

MO Supreme Court upholds ruling.

More Neo-Nazi Literature Drops

Southwest Garden, Tilles Park and Kingshighway Hills all got hit by Neo-Nazi Literature drops over the weekend, they were in the Hill last weekend According to a tip, at least some of it was dropped between 11 p.m. Sunday and 5 a.m. today.

NYT on MO Senate and Stem Cell

Lana gets the closing quote.

Spence Jackson gone?

Jo says that Ed's going to announce some changes.

UPDATE:
Blunt also announced that his Communications Director Spence Jackson has accepted the position of Deputy Director of the Department of Economic Development for Communications and Community Development. Jackson, 35, of Jefferson City, has served as Blunt’s spokesman since the governor took office in January 2005 and held the same position while Blunt was Secretary of State.

Brian Hauswirth will serve as interim Communications Director. Hauswirth currently works as the Communications Director for the Missouri Department of Corrections and previously worked at St. Louis radio station KTRS and Jefferson City radio station KLIK.

More on the numbers

The other day we noted a SurveyUSA poll that put State Auditor Claire McCaskill nine points ahead of her opponent, Senator Jim Talent, 51% to 42%.

That same day the Talent campaign advertised an October 12th Rasmussen poll that put Talent ahead by one point, 45% to 44%.

One possible reason for the wide discrepancy has to do with weighting by party ID; Rasmussen does while SurveyUSA doesn't. A similar discrepancy was exhibited in Ohio.

Rasmussen weights its results based on party affiliation trends they track month-to-month. The detailed info on the latest Rasmussen poll is locked behind a subscription wall, but an October 12th report on the Foley affair's effect on party affiliation conducted by Rasmussen found that 37.5% of Americans say they are Democrats while 32.4% say they are Republicans. It is likely that Rasmussed used comparable numbers in weighting their data.

Some pollsters say the weighted method is a more accurate predictor because party affiliation is more stable over time, while others say the un-weighted method gives a better snapshot of public opinion and that the weighted method will suppress the impact of real, if short-term, events such as the Foley scandal.

Keeping that in mind, the latest number is the second time Talent has had the lead in the Rasmussen polls since August. The two candidates have been within three points of each other since March.

McCaskill was ahead by one point in August and September in the SurveyUSA polls. The jump in October may likely have been driven by the events of recent weeks and may be short-lived. It's worth noting that in the October SurveyUSA poll, 37% of respondents identified themselves as Democrats while 32% said Republican, close to the Rasmussen numbers; September was 40/32 and August was 35/35.

An excellent source for the aggregate poll data is available at Pollster.com. A summary of both the last five and ten polls has McCaskill ahead by 2 points.

October 14, 2006

Fraud Fix?

The Post Dispatch and USA Today recently reported on an undisclosed study commissioned by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.

The report, delivered to the commission four months ago but not released publicly, finds little evidence of the type of fraud laws such as the voted-ID bill here in Missouri is supposed to address.

The bipartisan report by two consultants to the election commission casts doubt on the problem those laws are intended to address. “There is widespread but not unanimous agreement that there is little polling-place fraud, or at least much less than is claimed, including voter impersonation, ‘dead' voters, non-citizen voting and felon voters,” the report says.

The area in which they found there was substantial fraud was absentee ballot process, mostly through forgery or coercion.

Currently the Voter-ID bill passed by the Missouri legislature is tied up in the Missouri Supreme Court.

October 13, 2006

Rehabber's Class Monday

Rehabber’s Club Class, Monday October 16.
Rollin Stanley, St. Louis City’s chief planning guy (Executive Director of St. Louis’ Planning and Urban Design Agency) will share his vision for the future of the city as well as talk about upcoming projects and plans for redevelopment.

If you want to know about upcoming trends in the city, you won’t want to miss this class!!!

For more information on the Rehabber’s club classes including times, location and cost please go here.

Poll Vaulting

SurveyUSA released a poll yesterday showing State Auditor Claire McCaskill with a 9-point lead over Sen. Jim Talent, 51% to 42% (497 likely voters, +/- 4 point margin).

The same poll also shows overwhelming support for Amendment 2, the stem cell initiative, 57% to 27% with 16% undecided.

While the election is still several weeks away, and polls are imperfect, McCaskill's lead represents a 9-point gain over an identical poll by SurveyUSA conducted 4 weeks ago where McCaskill was up by 1 point, 48% to 47%.

Republicans may hope that they still have time to try and redirect voters their way, but most of McCaskill's gain was among independent voters. Talent led among independents by 12 points a month ago, McCaskill now leads by 13, a 25-point swing.

Given the importance of independents in a state as narrowly divided as Missouri, that margin could be a difficult challenge for Talent's campaign to overcome. The results from SurveyUSA's post-debate polls might not ease their headache.

After the Channel 5 debate on Wednesday McCaskill was seen as the "winner" 54% to 32%. More importantly, in the Favorable/Unfavorable McCaskill came out ahead 58/25 to Talent's 30/41. Similarly, following the Meet the Press debate on Sunday, McCaskill's Favorable/Unfavorable was 44/32 while Talent's was 28/44.

These debates may actually be hurting Talent. I suppose that the numbers could also suggest McCaskill began somewhat unpopular or unknown, but considering she lost the gubernatorial race to Matt Blunt two years ago by three points when President Bush carried the state by seven, it's unlikely she's either been forgotten or picked up an unfavorable image.

All polling aside, what this game will really come down to is turnout, and that is something the Republicans have earned respect for thanks to their vaunted 72 Hour Program (though some folks have their doubts about its efficacy beyond the PR). To that end, there was a training session for approximately 250 Republican volunteers in Audrain County in North Central Missouri.

Recent numbers (which they don't like to talk about) may cause a bit of stress, but they have faith in their program.

October 12, 2006

Pictures from last night's gathering

at the Royale in the gallery. Including incredible cake from Reine Bayoc.

Guessing and Counting

Here is an spreadsheet for the 28 wards.

By changing turnout numbers by ward and estimating vote %, it's a pundit's play-sheet for guessing the potential Shrewsbury-Reed match-up next spring.

I think my numbers are in the ballpark. I looked at the turnout #s in Shrewsbury-Krewson (Aug 2002) and normal March elections. I'm between the two, though closer to normal March elections. I also elevated turnout numbers where there may be contested aldermanic races (2, 4, 6, 8, 14, 22, 24, 26, 28).

A million things could change; more or less candidates would be the most obvious. Who knows how fundraising will go, how endorsements will fall and who's campaign will catch momentum?

Finally there are the vote splits themselves. Will Shrewsbury really win 90% of his home ward? Will Reed sew up the northside and win the central corridor?

Have fun.

Triplett lands Chilenski

Dave Chilenski will be helping Kacie Triplett in her 6th ward aldermanic campaign.

Debate Open Thread

Reactions, impressions from last night's debate?

October 11, 2006

Reed Announcement

Sources tell ACC to look for an offical announcement from Lewis Reed within the week - specifically, a previously-scheduled October 18 wine-tasting / fundraiser at the home of Gate District president, Steve Zeiger.

5th Anniversary of ACC

We'll be gathering with the new issue - our special 5th anniversary edition - at the Royale tonight. 6pm-8pm.

Come by; Say hi; Give me a hot tip.

News Channel 5 Robo-Call

Channel 5 made a number of Robo-Calls last night, asking if the participant was going to watch the McCaskill/Talent debate tonight, or would watch the competition's (Fox 2's) Cardinal game. I am predicting a 5 to 1 response of the Cardinal game. Well these things aren't free, so will the response dictate whether or not Channel 5 will seek to televise these events in the future?

National Coming Out Day

Supporting the GLBT community is important in this conservative city, and anyone interested might want to check this out. There is an event celebrating "Coming Out Day" at the Contemporary Art Museum today, October 11th, beginning at 6 p.m.

More information here

Voter Registration Deadline TODAY

If anybody has forgotten to register to vote, or needs to update their resigstration information, today is the last day. All mailed registration forms must have today's postmark in order for the voter to participate in the November 7th elections.

From the St. Louis Board of Elections Website:
(314-622-4336)

You can register to vote in Missouri by completing a Missouri Voter Registration Application and presenting it in person to the Election Board (300 N. Tucker), a deputy registrar in your community, voter registration agency (DMV, Health and Social Services, Community and Regional Affairs, recruitment offices of the armed forces of the United States). You may also simply mail it to the elections office in your jurisdiction.

October 10, 2006

Firefighters endorse McCaskill

State Auditor Claire McCaskill stood in the shadow of the Firefighters Memorial across from City Hall in downtown St. Louis and promised to get the funds to implement the upgrades and integration of emergency worker communications systems that was recommended by the 9/11 Commission.

In its report in July of 2004, The 9/11 Commission cited the lack of proper communication as a contributing factor in the deaths of the hundreds of first-responders who died in the buildings collapse.

In a report card released in December of 2005, the Commission rated the efforts to release the needed radio spectrum to the emergency services a n F. The Commission allowed the option of moving up to a C if legislation pending at the time to set a firm date for the release was passed, but the legislation failed.

McCaskill said it was irresponsible of the Republican leadership to not move on these improvements in the 5 years since September 11th.

"They have failed to act in this most fundamental way," said McCaskill.

Standing in front of a fire engine and flanked by a number of members of Missouri firefighters unions decked out in yellow "Firefighters for Claire" t-shirts, McCaskill said she was proud to support rebuilding the communications systems and proud to receive the support of the firefighters unions.

"We'll get you your money, we'll get you your radio," said McCaskill to some of the firefighters she shook hands with as the event broke up.

Present for the event were members of the Sr. Louis Firefighters, Local 73, Mehlville Fire Fighters, Local 1889, and the Professional Firefighters of Eastern Missouri, Local 2665.

"It's a disgrace," said Bruce Williams, Secretary and Treasurer for the Missouri State Council of Firefighters. "We have launched the space shuttle how many times in the last five years? But a fireman can not talk to a policeman can not talk to a paramedic."

Introducing McCaskill, Williams said that St. Louis faces the same issues they faced in New York in 2001.

Williams said they were happy to support McCaskill and were encouraged by her support for improved communications systems.

Progressives and Greens for Stem Cell

New committee.

Should have a little more information later this afternoon.

Hispanic Leaders Discuss Valley Park Fallout

For anyone interested, The Hispanic Leaders Group of Greater St. Louis has an open meeting tomorrow. The speaker will be Héctor Antonio Molina, Jr., the Director of Hispanic Ministry in the Archdiocese of Saint Louis, and, as stated, the topic will be Valley Park.

The meeting, held at 6pm, will be at the St. Louis Community College at Forest Park Student Center, (5600 Oakland) in the South Bay Cafeteria. RSVP's are encuraged, please look at the press relase for more details.

Here is more information

Triplett in

Hat-tip to Antonio who got it first.

In the past week, I'd heard from two 6th ward watchers who related efforts to "talk her down," ask her to "wait her turn." But if there were plans for a hand-off, it failed.

We did speak with Kacie who confirmed that she has resigned from her position with Congressman Carnahan and is fully committed to her bid to become Alderperson of the 6th ward.

Other names being mentioned as interested in the job: Patrick Cacchione, Christian Saller and James Bell.

MO part of GOP firewall

AP says that Ohio, Tennessee and Missouri are three targeted races receiving most national Republican money.

October 09, 2006

INOBTR Meeting Tomorrow Morning

INOBTR (pronounced “I Know Better”), is a campaign to unite the state in its battle to protect Missouri’s children against online predators.

They are meeting at 10AM at the Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club (2901 North Grand). Press release is here

Neo-Nazi Propaganda on the Hill

Apprently, neo-nazis were on the prowl this weekend, blanketing the Hill with neo-nazi literature. The literature included same fairy tales, and the old "Fake Holocaust" piece.

Here is the story of "Sleeping Beauty"

First page of the Fake Holocaust piece:

The scanned, readable files are way too large to upload, but the all the fairy tales and propaganda distrubuted can be found at http://www.germanamericanvoice.com/

Specifically, they passed out "Sleeping Beauty", "Rumpel$tilzchen", the "Holocaust Controversy: The Case for Open Debate" and "The Fairy Tales: Our Spiritual Armament"

The literature was distributed by the German-American Voice, (P.O. Box 220039 Kirkwood, M) 63122. Some offended citizens contacted the ACC, called the police, and confronted the man handing out this pablem. It is not illegal to distribute literature, but it is (apparently) illegal to stuff it inside of mailboxes. The only name attached to the literature is one Duncan Edmister.

Duncan and his Neo-Nazi brethren may have distrubuted the literature in time for Columbus Day celebrations on the Hill, but one thing is for certain: they made none of the material themselves. It was all downloaded from other websites.

October 08, 2006

On the numbers

A quick rundown on the latest poll numbers in the Missouri Senate:

Rasmussen Oct 7 McCaskill (D) 44%, Talent (R) 43%
Gallup Oct 6 McCaskill (D) 48%, Talent (R) 45%
Zogby/Reuters Oct 5 Talent (R) 43%, McCaskill (D) 39%
Mason-Dixon Oct 2 Talent (R) 43%, McCaskill (D) 43%

The Missouri Senate is, as so many have said, the canary in the coal mine for Republicans. With no scandals, a mind-boggling number of debates, and a likable incumbent, the swing vote here is likely to be heavily weighted by their opinion of that capital "R" behind Talent's name.

Across the board, handicappers are dropping a large number of races from "likely" Republican to "leans". Sentiment is not on the Republican's side. At best, Missouri remains a toss-up for the Republicans.

But Republicans should get too worried yet, thirty days can be an eternity and as the Rothenberg Report points out, don't read too much into the Foley scandal.

Update 12:30 am: I should clarify the last point. I should have said, don't consider the Foley case, on its own. I mention the Rothenberg comment in context of the handicappers analyses of the races and whether they are downgrading formerly easy Republican races into real contests. What Rothenberg is pointing out is that in their estimate, this will be the final straw, but that there is no empirical data for them to say so definitively. The Cook Political Report, one of the top prognosticators, downgraded 15 house races following the Foley revelations and Republican leadership's ham-fisted handling of the matter. Charlie Cook himself notes it is one of several problems plaguing the Republicans as they enter the last critical weeks before the election. Foley, he says, likely represents the tipping point for the Republicans.

The story is being talked about everywhere and no one is buying Hastert and other Republican leadership efforts to walk away from it. It is a clear, easily understandable issue that gets to the core of voters growing unease with the Republican leadership in a way everyone can understand.

Yet, it is one of several stories landing all at the same time. Would the Foley scandal alone bring down the Republicans? It's debatable. But you put that on top of slippage in Iraq and Afghanistan, Bob Woodward's new book, and a general sense of dissatisfaction, and you have some serious fuel for the fire.

The failure of the leadership to properly handle Foley is about as serious as it gets. I had no intent to dismiss the seriousness of the issue itself, only to put it in context of what analysts were saying.

October 07, 2006

One Big Happy Family

The onlookers and alderman who filter in and out of the Leisure Room just off the Board of Aldermen Chambers for coffee or a quick conferral during the meetings, lit up as the television in the corner switched to a shot of an unusually crowded dais.

Alderman Lewis Reed, 6th Ward, Kacie Starr Triplett, district liaison for Congressman Russ Carnahan, Democratic Committeeman Patrick Cacchione, 6th Ward (who took over for Carnahan in Oct 2005) and Alderwoman Jennifer Florida, 15th Ward, joined Aldermanic President James Shrewsbury on the dais to introduce a resolution thanking AmerenUE for its support for the “Change a Light, Change the World” program which encourages the use of energy saving lights in homes, offices and public spaces.

What grabbed attention was not the board members' praise for AmerenUE's largesse at a time when the utility is facing public criticism, but who was doing the speaking.

Reed, who sponsored the resolution, is (as the ACC first reported) expected to take on Shrewsbury for Aldermanic President next year. Speculation now centers on who will take Reed's seat.

The two candidates on everyone's list, Cacchion and Triplett, happened to flank Alderman Reed on the dais as Alderwoman Florida, co-sponsor of the resolution, read it into the record.

Cacchione was the first name floated as a possible successor, but Triplett is gaining speed.

Triplett is the granddaughter of former State Senator John Bass, who was the city's first African-American Comptroller.

Cacchione has a long experience with St. Louis politics including two runs against the former Congressman William Lacy Clay Sr. and a three-way 1999 race with Reed to replace the retiring Marit Clark in the 6th Ward Aldermanic seat.

October 04, 2006

Waiting

As of today, both Jim Shrewsbury and Lewis Reed have people waiting in line to file. Shrewsbury's person is in front of Reed's. (Filing doesn't begin until Nov 27.)

Report from the 28th

Last night's fundraiser for 28th Ward Alderman Lyda Krewson was a capacity crowd at Joe Edwards' Pin Up Bowl in the Delmar Loop, raising an estimated $30,000 for her spring 2007 re-election campaign.

The event marked an early burial for potential challengers. In her brief remarks, Krewson highlighted the projects and improvements in the 28th Ward over the past few years, and to big cheers, reported that the owners of the Chase Park Plaza had announced more than $140 million additional investment into the Park Plaza scheduled to begin in the next few months.

Greeting guests at the door was Mayor Francis Slay, assisted by Krewson's kids, Taylor and Jack, and UMSL political science professor Lana Stein.

The crowd included a veritable who's who of the 28th Ward's Skinker DeBaliviere and CWE neighborhoods including stalwarts Marge and Brad Weir, Pete Littlefield (whose wife once ran against Krewson) with Daughter Susan; Lu Green, Art Perry, Marv Nodiff, Nancy Rice, Dr. Fred Couts; Committeewoman Betul Ozmat with husband Billy Handmaker; Chief Joe Mokwa;Tom & Karleen Hoerr, Bob Dolgin, former First Lady Lois Schoemehl and Mayor Vince, former Mayor Jim Conway, Regional Arts ED Jill McGuire with former Alderman Dan; Gregory Smith; Richard and Jill Claybour; Vince Bennett; Tricia & Lou Hamilton; Patrick McCarthy, Committeeman Joe Kaveny, Harvey Citerman, AL and Shirley Polk; Eugene Wallace; former committee people George and Rose Storey and scores of other neighborhood activists.

Among the other movers and shakers were Tom Reeves, whose Pulaski Bank recently acquired Central West End Bank; Developers Pete Rothschild and Mark Jaffe; Aldermen Lewis Reed, Steve Gregali, Jennifer Florida and Steve Conway; Brandon Jones, aide to Pres. Jim Shrewsbury; Patrick Deaton, lawyer-husband of Shrewsbury aide Pam Ross; Attorney Mark Levison, Muny Chief Denny Regan; Impresario David Zeiser; Bob and Recorder of Deeds Sharon Carpenter; Collector of Revenue-in-Waiting Gregg Daly; Russ Carnahan aide, and 6th Ward Alderman hopeful Kacie Triplett with her dad "BIG JOHN" Triplett, political director for the Pipe fitters Union Local 562; Building and Construction Trades Council President Jerry Feldhaus; Taxi Commission Director Mike Tully and his wife Nancy; and of course blogger and valet vigilante Steve Patterson.

Elliot Davis school of Urban Planning

Steve Patterson gets into an argument with a downtown business, and films it for the world to see... Yes, there's too much space reserved for valet parking, but I'm not sure his approach is... um... constructive.

It's painful to watch.

The poor businessman looks like he's had a long week already and some guy with a video camera is moving his cones and telling him his wine bar is ruining the street-life, property values will go down because his valet is creating a vacant sidewalk, and, oh yeah, he's going to bring people with signs to protest...

October 03, 2006

Hump Day Hello's

First, the Millenium Restoration and Development Corporation is having a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Selena Dairy (2919 and 2921 Selena), tomorrow at 4pm. The ceremony will feature Mayor Slay, Alderman Ken Ortmann and Congressman Russ Carnahan. The unusually informative and interesting press release is here (it is worth the read)

Here are some before and after pics of the dairy:

Before:

After:

Secondly, MoPirg (Missouri Student Public Interest Research Group) is holding an event at City Hall tomorrow at 10 AM on the front steps, and will "Call on all candidates to support a new energy platform", and will be releasing a "new report documenting the benefits of clean energy policies." The full press release is here

Predictably, the Mayor and Jeff Rainford were invited, but we'll see who shows.

October 02, 2006

Talented Photographer

Non photoshopped picture with a side of irony

Monday Stew

Art Saint Louis has hired Kate Poss as Marketing and Development Director.

Columbia Missourian had an article a week ago regarding Missouri's first wind farms and their impact on communities in the state of Missouri. The two farms, Bluegrass Ridge and Cow Branch, are being developed by Wind Capital Group, whose president is Tom Carnahan.

After two and a half years with KWMU, Laurie Swartz has left to become a Manufacturing Representative with Adzick Co. in Kansas City.

Marvin Moskowitz has stepped down as Chairman of the Board of the Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis, and Terry Schnuck, the Vice Chairman, has taken over as Chair.

October 11 Lawyers for Equality, along with the law student groups at St. Louis University and Washington University, has organized a panel for National Coming Out Day. Topics tol be discussed: Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Blackjack Lawsuit; Missouri Foster Care and Family Law; and Same-Sex Marriage. RSVP to Allison Price at ALLISONPRICE@charter.net.

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony!! October 4, 4pm with Mayor Francis Slay, Alderman Kenneth Ortmann, and Congressman Russ Carnahan. Address: 2919 and 2921 Salena (Old Dairy restored to two single family residences.)

From the University City's City Manager Weekly Update
DEMOLITIONS:
>
>Washington University submitted requests for demolition permits on
>9/25/2006 for 701 Eastgate and 707 Eastgate and on 9/26/2006 for 6654
>Washington. The permits were authorized on 9/28/2006. Under the
>relevant sections of the Zoning Code, Article 6 Section 34-77.2 and
>34-78.2 the issuance of these permits is an administrative function not
>requiring review by the Historic Preservation Commission because the
>properties are not located in historic districts.
>
>The City regularly orders demolition on nuisance or condemned properties
>in the City. Demolition bids were approved for the properties at 6612
>Bartmer, 6837 Corbitt, 7003 Raymond and 7008 Raymond. These properties
>are privately held and will continue to be privately held after the
>demolition. The cost of the demolition and any future maintenance
>required on behalf of the City placed on the property as a tax lien.
>Work will be complete within 30 days.
>
>Believing that there may be an application for a demolition permit at
>7445 Washington, an adjacent homeowner submitted a letter and petitions
>signed by five neighbors for your consideration. If there were an
>application, this property is not in a Historic District and would be
>handled administratively. Planning Director Walker met with the
>petitioner, Mr. Harris and explained the opportunities that exist with
>the In-Fill Review Board should the neighbors want to provide their
>input on the structure that would replace a demolished structure.

October 01, 2006

Blunt got bumped

Deb's bit that the Blunts rode first class while the Carnahans sat in coach is true. But we're told the Blunts bought coach ticket and were bumped up to first class by the airline.

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