March 2007
March 31, 2007
Turk doing Robo-calls?
Email tipster:
Robo-call this morning from "Susan Turk from Save Our Schools" urging
> votes for "parents" Wessling and Jackson.
Montee Subpoenas MOHELA
City's Democratic Central Committee
today Jesse Todd and Jay Ozier pushed for a resolution against the state take-over of the school district.
Vice-chair Yaphett El-Amin ran the meeting as Brian Wahby stepped down to speak against the proposal on the floor.
The voice vote went against the resolution.
Former DOJ attorney says US Attorney in MO is political operative
The fallout from the ongoing United States Attorney's scandal has brushed against Missouri once before. Thursday it landed with a thud.
In an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times Thursday, the former chief of the voting section in the Department of Justice's civil right's division, Joseph D. Rich, said the Bush administration has long-attempted to co-opt the Justice Department's power and influence for partisan gain.
Missouri's involvement involves a matter that generated considerable concern and speculation last November.
Rich points to the indictment by the U.S. Attorney for Missouri's Western Division, Bradley Schlozman, of members of ACORN before last November's election.
He makes the serious allegation that Schlozman deliberately ignored long-standing department policy to not bring indictments on the eve of an election in order to influence its outcome.
Schlozman appointment for the western division in March of 2006 utilized the now-defunct provision in the Patriot Act that circumvents Senate approval.
Rich says Schlozman's 3-year tenure at the DOJ was central to politicization efforts in the civil rights division; a division Rich worked in for 35 years until his departure in 2005.
Jumble
For those taking note of the presidential polls already, just a quick reminder that only the broadest impressions can be taken from them at this point.
A Time Magazine poll released Friday has Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) defeating Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) 48% to 42%.
A Rasmussen poll released Thursday has former North Carolina Senator John Edwards (D) defeating McCain 47% to 38%.
Finally, Edwards is shown in the Time poll as trailing Clinton (38%) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) (30%) in the polls with 26% in a three-way primary. Edwards has been stuck in the third slot for some time, but has been moved up the ladder some following his wife's medical announcement.
It's true these are, of course, different firms with different sample groups, methods, etc.
The day-to-day can be fun to follow, and it is good data for establishing trends in the long run, but outside of rough estimates of who's ahead and who's behind it's too noisy to make much in the way of a prediction.
Even the aggregate doesn't clear things up that much. It would seem the GOP front-runners, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani and McCain, are leading the Democratic front runners Clinton and Obama. That said, a few match-ups have them running even or show a Democratic lead.
For those of you who love it, some up-to-the-minute poll numbers: check out TPM Cafe's Election Central or Real Clear Politic's latest polls.
For some detailed info on polling, trends and daily polls, check out the pros over at Pollster.com.
March 30, 2007
Science Friday: First Kids, Now Batteries
Sure your kids can run on sugar, but now you batteries can too.
Researchers at Saint Louis University have developed a sugar-fueled battery. Though only in its infancy, the batteries could provide long-life with minimal environmental impact. Current batteries use metals to provide their charge.
Friday Stew
RCGA says Cards season to $294 million economic impact.
Philadelphia looks at licensing their tour guides.
DC's Metro shelves fare increase.
LA Times: No foreclosure bailout coming.
Web campaigning
Washington Post on Edwards' internet efforts.
Turnout Guesses anyone?
For Tuesday's election.
Consensus seems to be around 8%. How low can it go?
March 29, 2007
McGwire Statue
At a warehouse a couple of miles from Busch - and may stay there.
House Floor Last Night
Email from Jeanette Mott Oxford last night:
We just had a lively debate on how to give state employees a raise this year. The governor called for a 3% increase across the board. The Democrats called for a flat raise of $972 per state employee instead which means that $20,000 a year workers would get a 4.9% raise, while a $100,000 per year employee would get only 1%. I carried the amendment for the Democrats and offered it on budget bills 2 and 3 and lost both on a voice vote. In the meantime a couple of GOP legislators told me that I was completely right on the issue and that they would support me if I offered it again. I offered it on budget bill 10 (mental health). A little bit of everything was drug into the debate - the cost of living, our being 50th in the nation in how we pay state employees, salary compression, the inability to recruit folks at the top if we don't pay well, high turnover in the lower wage jobs, the parable of the talents, the parable of the workers in the vinyard (and neither of those biblical allusions from me interestingly enough although I did let Rep. Emery know that a first century Jew would disagree with his interpretation of the parable of the talents), etc. I asked for a roll call right at the beginning so folks would know they would be on the record and also to increase the intensity with which people listened. In the end, my amendment lost 77-79. Three Democrats were absent or we could have won it! Though if the other three Dems had been here, the GOP leaders would have twisted arms of GOP members voting yes (eight did at the time the board closed, and more than eight did before the arm twisting began to get some to change - at one point it was a 78-78 tie).
So even if it had passed, the Senate probably would have stripped it off, but it's pretty likely that the GOP majority would have done what it took to kill it last night.
JMO
MEDAC Rally
Missouri Eminent Domain Abuse Coalition Rally, this Saturday, March 31, at 1806 S. 13th St.
11:30 Picnic (Hot dogs, chips, soda and music)
12:15 Rally/press conference
1:00 Bohemian Hill Home tour
Jim Roos from MEDAC will describe how all kinds of property in Bohemian Hill are under eminent domain threat. Rep. Belinda Harris will describe bills she sponsored.
DNA Test To Free Wrongly Convicted Man
(ST. LOUIS, MO; March 29, 2007) - DNA tests prove that Antonio Beaver did not commit a violent carjacking near the Gateway Arch in St. Louis for which he was convicted in 1997 and sentenced to 18 years in prison, the Innocence Project said today.
Thursday morning, March 29, the Innocence Project and the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office will file a joint motion to vacate and dismiss Beaver's conviction and release him from police custody immediately. Beaver will appear in court with Nina Morrison, his Innocence Project attorney, along with co-counsel Maleaner Harvey and Scott Thompson of the Missouri State Public Defender's Office. The Innocence Project anticipates that Beaver will be released at the conclusion of the hearing. Beaver, Morrison and representatives of the Circuit Attorney's Office will speak to reporters following the hearing.
Beaver's exoneration comes a decade after he was convicted of first-degree robbery - and more than five years after he began seeking DNA testing to prove his innocence.
Just Go to Combest this morning
It's all there.
Jo hears whispers in the hall (others read it here 8 weeks ago or here 7 weeks ago).
March 28, 2007
McMillan Scholarships
Mike McMillan, License Collector of the City of St. Louis, has awarded three scholarships to Harris-StoweStateUniversitystudents in collaboration with the Collegiate 100. Scholarship recipients were chosen based on their academic excellence and community service.
"The Collegiate 100 plays a critical role in the development of future leaders in our city and the region," said McMillan. "These awards offer an opportunity for advanced training and study at the Harris-Stowe campus as well as an opportunity to intern at the License Collector's office. There are many opportunities for professionals interested in public service, and we are happy to help these local students prepare for their careers."
The Collegiate 100 is an auxiliary organization of the 100 Black Men of America, Inc. It is comprised of African American male and female college students on university campuses across the country. The purpose of the Collegiate 100 is to implement the mentoring and tutoring programs of the national organization. The collegiate members assist the parent organization with the development of the social, emotional, educational, and physical needs of black youth who have few positive role models in the communities where they live.
Montee to Sue Metro
KWMU.
Nasheed, Oxford introduce impeachment resolution
Full text here.
Here's a taste:
Whereas, George W. Bush has admitted to ordering the National Security Agency to conduct electronic surveillance of American civilians without seeking warrants from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review, duly constituted by Congress in 1978, in violation of 50 U. S. C. Section 1805; and
Whereas, George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney acted to strip American citizens of their constitutional rights by ordering indefinite detention without access to legal counsel, without charge and without the opportunity to appear before a civil judicial officer to challenge the detention, based solely on the discretionary designation by the President of a U.S. citizen as an "enemy combatant", all in subversion of law; and
Terry Jones: NO on P
Hearing Today on Education Bills
in Jeff City.
Senator Smith's 15 point education plan.
Senator Coleman's repeal the transitional board bill.
Senator Gibbons' create a task force.
UPDATE: Smith's parents and grandmother were in the audience, perhaps expecting fireworks which never came.
Gibbon's bill is a "shell" to be used as a vehicle for whatever compromises the senate can come to.
Coleman's bill is a rhetoric roar with no legs.
Smith's bill faced the usual opposition - Susan Turk, Teachers' Union.
Reed Fundraiser
Schlafly's Tap Room (2100 Locust) on Thursday, March 29th @ 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Donation: $25 at the door
Longer School Days
March 27, 2007
Public Opinion on Takeover
Back in December this Terry Jones poll had 60% supporting takeover. Wonder if the number has changed much lately.
School Board Candidates Forum
The League of Women Voters of St. Louis and the Kennard Classical Junior Academy PTO are co-sponsoring a Candidate Forum for School Board candidates for the the St. Louis Public Schools on Saturday, March 31, 7 - 9p.m. at the Kennard Classical Junior Academy, 5031 Potomac, 63139. The League will moderate the forum.
> is this relevant, given the state take-over?
>
>
Very relevant. Depending on who gets elected, the board will vote to have
the district attorneys fight the state takeover.
Accreditation will not be removed before June 15.
March 26, 2007
Sullivan: Where's the Metro Audit?
KWMU.
Byrne Wins Playwriting Festival
Washington University alum and former media/music editor and writer for the Riverfront Times Richard Byrne won the innagural Prague Post playwriting contest.
Byrne's one-act play Burn Your Bookes peeks at a world of intrigue and alchemy in the court of the Holy Roman Emporer, Rudolph II. A ruler perhaps infamously known (or unknown) for likely sparking the 30 Years War after the Prodestant Bohemian demanded that his brother Matthias (who snatched the throne) provide the liberties Rudolph promised them.
Byrne currently lives in Washington, D.C. where he is editor of The Chronicle of Higher Education and the American editor of the Belgrade publisher, Alexandria House.
Threading the Test Tube
When it comes to stem cell research, President Bush and Governor Blunt have found themselves on opposite sides of the same coin. A coin they may hope eventually lands in their coffer.
Nationally, the President has been applauded by his base for his 2001 decision limiting government funding for embryonic stem cell research to a few cell lines, despite continued pressure to offer greater support. Last week the director of the National Institutes of Health, Elias Zerhouni, told a Senate committee that the nation's science would be better served if more research was allowed.
In Missouri, Governor Blunt has found himself on the wrong-end of the Pro-Life call list. Blunt's unfettered support for life science and technology education extended to support for last years' constitutional amendment protecting all forms of stem cell research, while at the same time prohibiting state funds for research on embryonic stem cells. That same push prompted his MOHELA-funded Discovery Initiative.
That support has led Missouri's pro-life community, which adamantly opposes embryonic stem cell funding, to decertify Blunt's pro-life status. The groups refuse to support any program where even a single state-funded test tube could potentially play a part in the research.
Despite language in the legislation that would set up a wall between biotech research funded by the Discovery Initiative and any embryonic stem cell research, the groups (perhaps wisely) expect politicians to eventually knock out a brick or two.
Continue reading "Threading the Test Tube"Kennedy on NCLB
March 24, 2007
Ribbing: PD Blows
Anyone checking out the home page of Post-Dispatch's website on Saturday morning [March 24] might have noticed something odd -- a total lack of any reference to what was easily the biggest story of the morning, the previous day's vote in the U.S. House of Representatives to impose a timetable for pulling American troops out of Iraq.
Sure, the site's lead story (as of 8 a.m.) did have to do with military matters, but it was a feel-good piece titled "Jefferson College Donates Computers to Soldiers," replete with a photo of a crew-cutted serviceman in cammies lugging PC gear from the trunk of a parked car.
The historic House vote didn't even make the Post-Dispatch site's "top headlines" list on the right-hand side of the home page. "U-M Rolla proposes name change" qualified for this lofty placement, as did "Ex-treatment center worker is accused of sex with boy" and six other stories.
However, not one of these "top headlines" happened to be the one that mattered most to the nation and the people of St. Louis, many of whom happen to have loved ones stationed in the Persian Gulf. There was no indication that a house of Congress had undertaken what the Washington Post (in its website's lead story that same morning) called "one of the toughest antiwar measures ever to pass a house of Congress during combat operations."
Regardless of one's stance on the war, there is something bizarre about such blithe ignorance on the part of our sole daily newspaper. It has been clear for quite some time that Joseph Pulitzer's journal, once among the finest daily publications in the United States, has chosen a long sleep, abdicating its role as the paper of record for the metropolitan area.
This morning's website shows, once again, that the among the greatest public services any St. Louisans could provide their community would be the purchase and overhaul of the Post-Dispatch -- or the establishment of a competing multimedia daily that actually wakes up with its eyes open to the world around it.
Mark Ribbing
March 23, 2007
Suburbs Hit by Mortgage Foreclosures
March 22, 2007
Shrewsbury Yields School Choice to Reed
Comptroller's Statement on SLPS Takeover
ST. LOUIS, March 22, 2007—“It’s difficult for me to be optimistic about any drastic change in district governance without a clear plan for success. I am optimistic, however, about the ability of our young people to overcome all the obstacles adults keep putting between them and a bright future.
“Without an academic improvement plan with clear goals and benchmarks in place, we are left in the dark on what the appointed board will do to improve student academic outcomes.”
UrbanFUTURE announces YOP allocation
Frank Van Bree, executive director of UrbanFUTURE, announced that his organization has secured $213,740 in Missouri state tax credits for any donation that supports his organization.
Urban Future will use the Youth Opportunities Program tax credits for its One on One INSPIRE program at Fanning Middle School in St. Louis. The INSPIRE program is one of St. Louis' most effective reading, character development and behavior planning programs. A recent independent audit showed that 6th grade students who enter the program reading at a 2nd grade level (the average for St. Louis public school students), can increase their reading comprehension by three years after one year in INSPIRE.
The Youth Opportunities Program provides state tax credits to organizations administering positive youth development or crime prevention projects.
For more information about UrbanFUTURE and its mentoring program, INSPIRE, please call 314.776.3434.
France Opens UFO File
They dropped by Salem, MO last month.
Mennonites Leaving MO
Photo law conflicts with their reading of the Bible.
Gov to Choose Sullivan
PubDef has it. Obviously picking a non-city resident raises some eye-brows.
But the thinking is that he will provide the business/logistical acumen for the transitional board. The mayor's pick, still undisclosed, will likely have some educational expertise (and be a city resident). As well, Shrewsbury is said to be looking at various principals or former principals who would again have an educational background.
Sullivan's appointment will need the support of Senator Joan Bray. What will she do? While she's no fan of Blunt, most recently warring with him on MOHELA, she is expected to agree to the choice.
Citizenship Backlog Hurting Immigrants
This is from the Seattle Times, but I've heard similar stories here in St. Louis.
March 21, 2007
Wednesday Stew
David Rosenberg and John H. Goffstein have been elected as Chairman and Vice Chairman, respectively, of the Board of Trustees of the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD).
Urban Education Symposium, April 3.
Big Shark Bicycle Co. has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Best Bicycle Retailers in the country according to survey by Boulder Sports Research of leading bike manufacturers.
Mayors Taking Over Schools
Governor Decides Not to Run Again
March 20, 2007
Real World Casting
On Tuesday, April 3, 2007 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Casting Directors from Bunim/Murray Productions will be holding an open casting call for MTV's "The Real World" at Harry’s Restaurant and Bar, 2144 Market Street, St. Louis, MO 63103.
Applicants are asked to bring a recent picture of themselves (which will not be returned) and photo ID. Must be 18-24 years old.
KIPP to Expand in Houston
Raises $65 million in private donations.
March 19, 2007
Someone call Safire
Jo says GOP gigs McCaskill.
Gigs? Is that some new slang the kids are using? Maybe she meant digs, though it doesn't quite work either.
Protesters wrap up vigil
A coalition of groups holding an anti-war vigil are beginning to take down the thousands of cardboard tombstones placed in the ground to the east of the Soldiers Memorial downtown.
The groups, Instead of War, Veterans for Peace and Military Families Speak Out and members of MoveOn.org ended their 24 hour vigil with a march to the Robert A. Young federal office building where U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill has her office.
Denied entry, members of the group demonstrated in front of the building on Tucker and received some honks of support as they waved signs and banged on a drum or two.
The vigil was part of a nation-wide effort by activists to protest the ongoing war in Iraq. The St. Louis vigil was just one of the events held nationally to recognize the 4th anniversary of the Iraq invasion.
The St. Louis chapter of the Instead of War coalition has also been responsible for the "Occupation Project" in which a number of activists have camped out in U.S. Representative Russ Carnahan's office, which has resulted in a number of arrests.
Anti-war groups have been pressuring a number of Democratic politicians since the party took control of Congress in November of last year. The groups have come under some criticism for focusing on Democrats and not Republicans who have controlled Congress for most of the war's duration.
The groups accuse the Democrats–who they heavily supported during the 2006 elections–of being wobbly on the war, especially given the war-weariness that added reach to the Democratic wave that propelled them into control of Congress.
Their focus has been on persuading politicians to de-fund operations in Iraq. Despite Democratic rhetorical support for a withdrawal, anything short of cutting off the cash will continue to draw the attention of the anti-war groups.
Given the Senate's failure last week to muster even majority support for a resolution calling for a phased withdrawal, while at the same time overwhelmingly support a resolution rejecting any proposal to cancel DOD's checks, they aren't likely to back off any time soon.
Senator McCaskill was one of the 48 yes votes the withdrawal resolution received. Missouri's senior Senator, Republican Kit Bond voted no. On the resolution to reject funding cuts, both Bond and McCaskill voted yea.
Blunt says it's inappropriate
Show-Me Blog
Stokes posts about possible ways to raise money for city pensions over at the Show-Me Institute blog.
March 17, 2007
Bourisaw Asks Students To Return
Following demonstrations at Soldan International and Gateway Technical and a walkout at Roosevelt High School, Superintendent Diana Bourisaw asked that students, end the sit-in currently being staged at City Hall.
“I understand the desire of these students to have their voices heard,” said Superintendent Diana Bourisaw in a press release. “We are working to provide them answers to their questions regarding the proposed unaccreditation of the St. Louis Public Schools. In the meantime, I want them to all return to their classrooms.”
The St. Louis Public Schools are on spring break next week, but her intent is understood.
A major issue is the perception that students' college scholarships may be negatively impacted if the state decides to rate the district as "unaccredited" at its meeting next week.
Representatives from Missouri schools as well as the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers told the Post-Dispatch that schools are aware of the situation and it would not be held against district students.
While recognizing that Mayor Francis Slay will not have the final say in the matter, the students are asking him to stand with them in opposition to a state takeover; a position 180 degrees from Slay's repeated public support for the takeover.
Though the involvement of WGNU-920 AM radio host Lizz Brown–who has been a vocal opponent of Slay–may make the Mayor's office less inclined to cooperate, this may be a case where a more visible attempt to communicate with the students is important. Some, perhaps all, of the students' demands may be impossible for Slay to meet, but they have articulated their argument well and with just the right dose of unreasonableness that you know it's genuine.
(Check out PubDef for some excellent interviews.)
The Mayor's office must also tread a fine line. The Mayor, like any elected official must strike a balance; they can not have their schedules and time dictated to them and also execute their jobs. At the same time they must be responsive to the concerns of those they represent. They would certainly be within their rights to evict a group which asks for the undeliverable and is working on an indefinite timeline.
That said, if you are taking actions that are supposed to improve city schools and your office is suddenly filled with students…that may be the definition of the sticky wicket.
The entire affair may be written off by some as a disruptive action motivated by adults who are using students for political gain. Others will call it democracy in action. Adults may quibble, but the students believe they are participating in something important.
Some of them are at the top of their class, some aren't. All of them are there watching.
This is a real-world classroom for them. They see the Mayor's office. They see media. They see Liz Brown, Donna Jones and others who are working with them.
As the adults debate what the future of education in the city of St. Louis should look like, what should the students learn from the situation?
March 16, 2007
Speaking of Pensions
City employees have a ballot due on Monday.
Irvin Schankman Memorial Photo Contest
Deadline is March 19. Here are the details.
Bourisaw: charters promise, district delivers
Mayor Francis Slay may believe in the potential of charter schools, but SLPS Superintendent Diana Bourisaw says the facts don't bear out his confidence.
“We do not need additional low-performing charter schools in St. Louis,” said Superintendent Diana Bourisaw in a press release. “Instead, we need to work together as a community to continue the improvements that are already underway in the St. Louis Public Schools.”
Bourisaw's statement landed on the Mayor's desk a day after his trip to Jefferson City where he spoke before the State Senate Education Committee asking their support for a pro-charter bill. The bill, sponsored by State Senator Jeff Smith (D-St. Louis), would give the mayor the ability to sponsor more charter schools.
Bourisaw said that, based on Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) test scores, the city public schools have outperformed the existing charter schools.
For more detailed information visit the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's School Data page.
On his blog, Slay said that the city has run out of willing sponsors for more charter schools, thus the legislation is needed so that his office can sponsor new charters. Slay also laid out other reasons for his support.
Third, the taxpayers in the State of Missouri and City of St. Louis have spent billions of dollars on public education in St. Louis. We have received very little value for our money. I do not think that is right. Good charter schools, which are public schools supported by taxpayers, will offer more value right away.“We are already a district of choice,” said Bourisaw. “We have over 5,000 students who currently attend charter schools. Unfortunately, those students are not performing at the level of our SLPS students. In addition, 8,000 SLPS students attend county schools, and 9,000 are enrolled in our popular magnet programs.”
March 15, 2007
Pretty Big Chunk of Change - Updated
Update: For some background on the subject you can look back to the Feb 7, 2006 edition of the Arch City Chronicle. ACC writer Matthew Murphy took an early look (pdf) at the potential fiscal crisis over the city's pension problems.
1st District
Harry Kennedy is termed. The district is 50-50, so could be a battleground.
Dems look like they're united around Joan Barry as Sue Schoemehl told me recently that she won't seek the seat.
Meanwhile the GOP side will probably show Jim Lembke as a candidate. But he has some detractors within his party, so a primary is not out of the question there.
CIRCUIT ATTORNEY, CITY ASSESSOR TO SPEAK AT GRAND OAK HILL
Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce and City Assessor Ed Bushmeyer are the featured presenters at the general membership meeting of the Grand Oak Hill Community Corporation on Wednesday, March 21.
The meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. at the Grand Oak Hill Community Center, 4168 Juniata.
Ms. Joyce will speak about the “Myths and Facts of the CSI Effect.” The CSI television shows, while entertaining, create unrealistic expectations about the powers of the criminal justice system.
Mr. Bushmeyer will address issues regarding the reassessment of real property that will take place this year. He will try to help residents understand what options they have if they feel their new assessed values are too high.
March 14, 2007
The Mayor's Pick
A couple of issues ago, we reported that Mayor Slay was already vetting people for his appointment to the anticipated transitional board. It is not an easy sell given the chaos that has enswirled the district.
We had previously reported Wash U's James McLoed as withdrawing his name from consideration. Two others we hear were approached but declined are: Grace Hill's Theresa Mayberry-Dunn and Bill Carson, formerly of the Vashon Compact.
March 13, 2007
Brownback wins St. Louis County Republican Straw Poll
John Combest reports that Kansas Senator Sam Brownback has won the support of the County Republicans present at their Lincoln Day dinner on Saturday.
Combest said the outcome may surprise Governor Matt Blunt who has shown steady support for one of Brownback's rivals, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who came in third in the straw poll behind former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Missouri may not be as "locked down" as Blunt's team would like.
Brownback's surprise victory may have something to do with his presence at the event as speaker.
Brownback has run behind the main pack of McCain, Giuliani, Romney, in the Republican field. He came in fourth in a recent South Carolina straw poll. It was only the first in South Carolina, but the campaigns turned up the heat to gain any lead in the important southern state.
Brownback's main source of support comes from his position as the strong social conservative, something other candidates would like to usurp. In early Februrary the Romney campaign circulated a a two-fer email among leading right-to-life figures that attacked Brownback and defended Romney by saying Brownback picked up the pro-life mantle only after being elected.
Dr. Jack Willkie, a member of Brownback's campaign committee who was president of National Right to Life for ten years, responded saying the Senator has always been pro-life.
Despite the lack of a spotlight, National Journal commented that other campaigns should keep their eyes on Brownback not just for his conservatism, but his potential to appeal to more than the base. NJ said his announcement speech contained passages that one could expect from a Democrat,hitting on areas like health care, cancer research and reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
No End in Sight
Both sides seem to be anticipating a filibuster stretching into days. Spring recess was scheduled to begin on Thursday, but some senators are starting to imagine that this debate delay the break.
Contest of Wills Continues
As the clock crawled toward 7am, Brad Lager rose to inquire of Wes Shoemyer who was not present on the floor but instead presumably napping in his office.
Shoemyer arrived to respond and between debate parries the two engaged in some chest-thumping about the future of the filibuster - Shoemyer claiming to be totally refreshed by his 45 minute nap, and Lager saying he was looking forward to the second and third days of this debate.
Senate Debate Continues
It's a pretty full senate floor now and the MOHELA debate is continuing...
Senate Filibuster of MOHELA
I'm at Jefferson City this morning where the Senate Democrats are in the middle of a filibuster. Tim Green, Jolie Justus and Maida Coleman are on the floor now. They are periodically requesting quorum calls that rouse some Republican senators from their offices (and perhaps a nap).
The Democrats are taking the floor in twos and threes. Next up for them is Jeff Smith and Victor Callahan.
Word from the Republican side is that Floor Leader Charles Shields promised Governor Blunt that he'd push MOHELA through before the body breaks for spring. Toward that end Capitol sources say that the senate will stay in session through until the filibuster is broken.
Meanwhile the coffee flows, staffers play wiffle-ball in the hall and both sides wonder if the other will yield before dawn.
March 12, 2007
Names I'm Hearing
For 108 (Villa): Jacob Hummel, James Pree , Keli Montanaugh and a former firefighter to be named later.
For 63 (Wright-Jones): Tishaura Jones and Damon Jones, son of Robin.
For 67 (Daus): Mike Colona.
No Shortage of Plans for School
No Shortage of Plans for School, But Little Common Ground
By Brian Werner
“I don’t give a *&#@ about state takeover.”
Mo Costello is never one to mince words, and she is passionate about the St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS). She’s the owner of Mokabe’s coffee shop on Grand and Arsenal where she often talks politics with costumers.
While much attention has drawn by the State’s impending takeover of the St. Louis District, Costello’s more concerned about what changes are needed to turn the district around.
“You can develop condos all you want, but you need to fix the schools.” Costello sees improving education as a key part of development in St. Louis. As new residents move into the city, some will be looking to send their children to public schools. Even those who don’t have children in the system will want to see their tax dollars being spent effectively.
Costello challenges the aldermen to become involved in education. Even though they have no power over the schools, as citizens’ most direct access to the government, she thinks aldermen could be strong advocates for the schools.
Jim Shrewsbury, President of the Board of Aldermen, is the only alderman who has some direct influence over the schools, as he will appoint one of three members of the board that will administer the schools if the State takes over the district. As far as aldermen being involved more in education, he says that they already do listen to their constituents concerns about the schools.
“The city government has nothing to with education,” says Shrewsbury, “but that’s what everyone asks about.”
He says the best that aldermen can do is to pass the concerns of their constituents along to the School Board.
Besides the three-member board that would run the District if there is a takeover, the State Legislature will have the largest opportunity to influence the direction of the district. Local legislators are working on a number of different initiatives to address what they see as they biggest problems facing the district:
Nasheed Fights Takeover, Targets Social Promotion
Representative Jamilah Nasheed has been a vocal opponent of a state takeover, a move she calls, “an effort that the Republican Party is pushing...so that they can push their agenda on school choice.”
Nasheed believes the appointed board would be ineffectual because it is opposed by many within the district. She thinks that State takeover could be overturned in court, pointing to the recent ruling of a California court that the Mayor of Los Angeles’ attempt to take over the School District was unconstitutional.
Nasheed sees “social promotion” as the biggest problem facing the St. Louis Public Schools. Social promotion is the practice of passing unprepared students onto the next grade level despite.
“If child is reading at the third grade level, why would you pass them to the fourth grade” says Nasheed. “That’s the biggest problem plaguing the St. Louis Public Schools.”
A number of States including Missouri have instituted laws to limit social promotion. In 2001, the Missouri Senate passed legislation sponsored by the late Paula Carter that, according to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website, requires school districts to:
…assess and determine the grade-level reading ability of students in grade 3 and students in grades 4-6 who transfer in during the year…School districts must develop an individualized “Reading Improvement Plan,” to be implemented during grade 4, for any third-grader who was determined to be reading below second-grade level… The reading plan MUST include, at a minimum, “30 hours of additional reading instruction or practice outside the regular school day during the fourth-grade year.
Both the State and Federal Department’s of Education stress the importance of additional help for struggling students, recognizing that simply forcing students to repeat a grade is not effective in and of itself.
However, Nasheed claims the law is not being followed. She wants to amend the law so that schools risk losing funding if they do not follow the statute.
Nasheed also wants to extend school hours, arguing that because of poverty and other issues children in St. Louis face, they start out behind and need more class time to catch.
Hubbard Pursues Voucher Initiative
Representative Rodney Hubbard agrees with Nasheed about the need for extra instruction, saying we need more money for Head Start and after school programs. Hubbard, who supports a State takeover, says the biggest problem for the schools is a lack of qualified teachers. He says we need to make a more conducive environment for teachers through higher pay and other incentives. Where Hubbard disagrees with Nasheed and other Democratic legislators is his support of school choice.
“People want to say it’s a Republican issue, I think this is a people’s issue,” says Hubbard. “Why would anyone be against putting all options on the table?”
Hubbard touts himself a product of school choice. He attended Mehlville High School through the voluntary desegregation program. Hubbard believes that students would benefit from school choice, and competition would spur public schools to improve.
“I’m not trying to destroy the system, I want to empower the system” Hubbard is a sponsor of House Bill 808, which recently died in the House. The bill would have established a scholarship fund for low-income students in St. Louis and Kansas City. Individuals or corporations would receive an income tax credit for donations to the fund. Recipients would receive $5,000 a year to spend on tuition or other educational expenses at a school of their choice. The program is similar to one started in Iowa in June of 2006.
Hubbard has also introduced a bill that would create the “Missouri 4 For More Program,” which is intended to get parents more involved in the classroom. The bill would give tax credits to employers that granted their employees paid leave for up to four hours a month to work with their children in the classroom.
Smith Proposes “Teach for Missouri”
State Senator Jeff Smith also wants to look beyond the battle over control of the St. Louis School District.
“It’s not the time to be protesting,” says Smith about a possible State takeover. “We need to be realistic about where this process is. The district is doing everything it can do to obtain accreditation but that does not appear to be a likely outcome…the children can’t afford any more delays or more resources spent on anything other than their education.”
In early February Smith filed a bill to create the “Teach For Missouri” program. The bill would provide student loan relief to graduates of public colleges and universities in Missouri who agree to teach in under performing schools.
He says he will soon put forth a ten-point plan that focuses on improving the quality of instruction. The plan will include lengthening the school day and school year and money for after school programs. It proposes comprehensive early childhood education and uniforms in all schools. It would give parents the option of “mega-looping,” where teachers keep the same group of students for three years.
In order to attract and retain quality teachers, the plan would offer bonuses for teaching in certain subject areas, such as science. In addition, it would give teachers the choice of not being on a tenure track for the option of higher salaries that are based on performance.
Smith acknowledges that many new programs will require additional funding. He says the school funding equation shouldn’t change, but that more money will have to come out of the State’s budget.
Funding Inequities Persist
However, whether the State’s funding formula will remain unchanged is currently being challenged in court. Over 200 of Missouri’s 524 school districts are suing the State, claiming that education funding is inadequate and unequal.
In 2005 the Missouri Senate changed the funding formula for education. The goal of the new formula was to even out the amount of money spent per child across Missouri’s school districts. Even though the lawsuit was filed previous to this change, the suing districts have continued with the suit, contending the 2005 law does not rectify the problems with funding.
One of the important issues in the case, and generally in education funding is the assessment of property values. Property taxes are the primary source of funding for education. The amount paid in taxes is based on the assessed value of property, as determined by each county’s assessor independently. A variance between counties in the assessment level of properties could skew funding.
When the new formula was passed, the most recent study from the State Tax Commission of Missouri(STC), which oversees property assessment in the state, asserted that every county in Missouri had an assessment level above 90%, and that 22 of 27 counties had assessment levels above the 95% required by Missouri law.
According to a study by Public Policy Research Center at the University of Missouri St. Louis(UMSL), “Assessment level (level of assessment) refers to the percentage that the assessors’ appraised value is in comparison with market value. E.g. if the market value of a property is $100,000, but the assessor bases the assessment on an appraised value of $80,000, then the assessment level is 80%.”
The UMSL study, released in October 2006, called STC’s results “unreliable” and said “It appears that the process was designed more to produce acceptable results than to produce reliable results.”
The UMSL study was funded by the Coalition to Fund Excellent schools, a group of schools districts involved in the ongoing litigation. Steve Gardner, author of the UMSL study, is an expert witness for the school districts. (The case could end as early as this week.) Gardner found that contrary to the STC study, only 4 counties had assessment levels above 95% and that the average level for all Missouri counties was 79.2%.
The effect of this disparity, according to the study, is that, “districts lying within highly assessed counties are harmed, while those within lowly assessed counties are benefited through inaccuracy.”
The UMSL study found St. Louis’ assessment level in 2003 to be 72%, tied for the fifth lowest among all Missouri counties.
“We did have some catching up to do,” says St. Louis City assessor Ed Bushmeyer, and St. Louis is catching up. According to Gardner, “in 2005 St. Louis city assessments went up 33-34 percent which would have brought them in line with market values.” Bushmeyer says that assessment levels in St. Louis will be even closer with the 2007 assessment.
If the formula was redone, it’s unclear whether St. Louis would get any more or less money from the State, but Gardner says there would be more total funding for the State to distribute.
Mo Costello is one person who wants to have if her house assessed at what it’s worth and see her taxes go up as a result. If we want good public education, she says, we better be willing to pay for.
March 10, 2007
Do you believe in love? How about the undead?
The Webster University Film Series is hosting a fundraiser for Poetry Scores' (formerly Hoobellatoo) "Blind Cat Black".
This locally produced film features St. Louis rapper Toyy Davis and a cast of locals including Jason Wallace Triefenbach, Don Erickson, Ray Brewer, K. Curtis Lyle, Stefene Russell, Brad Young and many more.
The film is directed by Chris King, writer and editor of the St. Louis American, shot by Chizmo and edited by Aaron AuBuchon.
From the press release: "We are billing 'Blind Cat Black' as 'surrealist sexy hip-hop zombie cinema from St. Louis,' which pretty much sums it up. The film is being shot to the existing musical score to an epic modern Turkish poem about the Istanbul underworld."
"In the auditorium, we will screen rough cuts of select scenes from the film, and the director will spiel about the fine art of filming a love scene on top of a pile of zombies. Though we will let all of our naked footage roll at the Bottleworks, most of the benefit event will be dominated by the local musical performance group SHed SHot, which will premier its own short film, 'Legendary Sand,' and lead a live musical score to the German Expressionist silent film classic 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.'"
(not to be confused with the great 90's film, "Cabinet of Dr. Ramirez" by Mikhail Baryshnikov and Peter Sellers, though it pays homage.)
The night will kickoff at 8 p.m. at the Winifred Moore Auditorium, 470 East Lockwood on the campus of Webster U. Suggested donation is $5. It's a steal at any price so feel free to contribute more.
Following the event, Poetry Scores will host an afterparty at the Schlafly Bottleworks, 7260 Southwest Avenue in Maplewood, where the beer will flow (no drinks at Webster's auditorium) and Poetry Scores will screen some of the rough footage they have so far.
Note: This event was Saturday night, March 10.
Rep. El-Amin biking to Jeff City
Representative T.D. El-Amin is taking the long way to work on March 16-18th. He and his brother Larry Bastain, Jr., are riding their bikes the 130 miles to Jeff City next week to raise awareness and funds for the National Kidney Foundation of Eastern Missouri and Metro East. (via the Columbia Tribune's Politics Blog.)
March 09, 2007
Upset But Not Crushed: Shrewsbury's, night of the election
In the brightly lit Carpenter's Union Hall just south of Forest Park on Hampton, Shrewsbury supporters nibbled on wings, meatballs and chicken-salad sandwiches as they awaited the results everyone expected to hear.
The earliest results, with only a quarter of the votes or so, had Shrewsbury up by 10%. Election watchers, an alderman or two and others hovered around a staffer who pulled up the returns as they were updated on the Board of Elections' website. Some were attempting to extrapolate the early returns by guessing which wards were being counted and how long it would take others to come in.
With an expectation of a slow night at the Shrewsbury party, others, including some journalists, were already slipping out to swing by some of the other election night parties. The hot tickets of the night were expected to be Kacie Starr Triplett's gathering and that of Shrewsbury's challenger, Lewis Reed. Both ran energetic campaigns staffed by young operatives and, though not picked by many as the favorites to win (even among the campaigns, some bets were hedged), were figured to be as much fun in defeat as in victory.
Shrewsbury's Aldermanic supporters, friends, and campaign staffers mingled and ate as the returns came in. The mellow but confident vibe in the room began to wane not long after the early returns seemed to confirm nearly everyone's expectations.
The buffet stopped being replenished right about the time things became tense. Reed picked up a 5% lead just after nine and, though it slimmed to 2% at one point, he never lost his lead.
The subdued affair resembled the campaign: straightforward, modest, and friendly. It may be unfair to classify a campaign on its final night, but in a race with rival campaign that drew as much upon its energy as its ideas, it left one lacking. It's that intangible substance that turns a campaign into a mission, and a gathering into a party. It may be dismissed as buzz, flash or even unsubstantial, but its effect is real.
Shrewsbury's style is methodical and tenacious. He crisscrossed the city attending public gatherings, large and small. Debates, forums, openings and campaign fundraisers; Shrewsbury was there for them all. His answers to constituents questions were grounded in that detailed concern that defined him. His rejection of a city vehicle might seem like folksy affectation in some but seemed to strike true in Shrewsbury.
As word of the final results came in the concern-tinged smiles fell. Though it was a major upset for the incumbent Shrewsbury and his nearly half million-dollar war-chest, the crowd took it quietly.
The silence was broken, however, by a wave of applause that ushered Shrewsbury into the room and up to the stage just before ten o'clock.
Though he seemed moved by the standing ovation, Shrewsbury managed a bit of self-deprecating humor.
Don't worry, he told his supporters, "I've done this three times," he said.
Shrewsbury thanked his staff, supporters, friends and family for their support over the 24 years in which he has worked in elected politics.
"I'm disappointed but not crushed," said Shrewsbury, who said it may be time for a break, but that he was not getting out of politics.
He wrapped up his concession with a saying that he must have heard when he signed up to work on former-Congressman Dick Gephardt's campaign at the ripened age of 15.
"There is nothing more honorable than getting involved in politics," said Shrewsbury.
Afterwards Shrewsbury, said one of his most important achievements, looking back as President of the Board of Alderman, was helping get the board back on solid financial ground. He also said he still plans on making an appointment to the proposed transitional board that will oversee the St. Louis Public Schools following the state's decision in February to intervene in the district–the Mayor Francis Slay and Governor Matt Blunt will also appoint a member.
Despite his promise to stay in politics, afterward Shrewsbury said he has had a good 24 years and that perhaps there are other options he should examine.
Former State Senator Pat Dougherty has been a long-time supporter and was saddened to see his friend of almost 30 years lose. The two became friends through a service organization they both volunteered for.
"I am disappointed," said Dougherty. "I thought he was doing the right thing for the city."
Kratky to Resign?
Word is that Fred Kratky has been offered a job as executive director of the Realtors Association. It's rumored that he will resign, and is politicking committeepeople to support his wife for the seat. Michele, Fred's wife, is a lobbyist for the same Realtors.
In other words, Fred is currently the Rep and Michele is the lobbyist. But if things go this way, Fred becomes the lobbiest, and his wife the Rep.
UPDATE: Look for John Paul Frisella as a potential challenger to Michele Kratky.
Friday Stew
Ben Abell to retire.
Today Mayor Francis Slay will be making an appearance at Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant for the ribbon cutting around 5:30 p.m. It's a new Ethiopian restaurant that's joining the South Grand International District.
The first Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant was established in 1994 in the Times Square district of New York City as a family business. Soon afterwards they opened a second restaurant in the West Village, New York City. Having a success in these two locations, Meskerem expanded and opened an additional restaurant in Charlotte, NC. Meskerem is the first Ethiopian restaurant on South Grand.
Slight change to SLACO Conference tomorrow - Lunch speaker will be Michelle Sherod, Regional Director for Senator Claire McCaskill. Senator McCaskill will be speaking at the memorial Mass for Senator Thomas Eagleton. And Lewis Reed, president-elect of the Board of Alderman has also been invited to speak at lunch. UPDATE: Reed confirmed.
City Garden Montessori School has been operating as a preschool for 13 years and is currently expanding to create a Montessori elementary school that will serve the "near south side" of St. Louis City. It will have a focus on peace, social justice, ecology and mutual respect.
It is seeking K-2nd graders for a "foundational class" for the 2007-2008 school year. We are also seeking the support of community members as we proceed with this endeavor.
City Garden is holding an open house this Sunday, March 11th between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. for prospective families and for people who are interested in hearing more about our plans. It will take place at Gibson Heights Presbyterian Church, where City Garden's kindergarten annex is located.
STOP MoDOT FROM CLOSING HIGHWAY 40 - State Rep. Scott Muschany will be holding a Town Hall meeting to discuss ideas, options and concerns about the closing of Highway 40. Saturday March 17, 10am, at the Brentwood High School Auditorium, 2221 High School Drive.
March 08, 2007
Good Government Committee
Monday, St. Louis County Good Government Committee, Treasurer Francis X. Miller, filed with MEC and last month filed with SOS. Charter #N00798187: "To receive and report funds received and expended in connection with election campaigns of candidates for St. Louis County Council." President Lesley Tiepelman is former Democratic Assistant Director at STL County Election Board. Committee phone # is Judi Roman. The Sutton address rings a bell as where 24th Ward Committeeman Chuck Miller hangs his Miller Strategies shingle.
Thursday Stew
On a panel tonight with Combest and Jo at Young Republicans meeting, 7:30pm, 1640 S. Lindbergh.
Curtis Royston wears his ambition on his sleeve - or back.
American urges Shrewsbury to "work closely" with Reed should his office have the opportunity to appoint a member to the transitional board before Reed is sworn in.
UPDATE: KWMU has Shrewsbury saying, "No, that'll be my job."
And new Dave Drebes Players songs will be up today, tomorrow, or this weekend.
March 07, 2007
Coleman Requests Info on Blunt's Depts.
Wanting to root out any other "Fred Ferrells" or sexual harassment cover ups, Senator Maida Coleman issued 16 "Sunshine Act" requests this week to the Governor's executive departments requesting documents detailing litigation or monies paid that have been used to resolve disputes between a state department and an employee.
"In light of the recent events at the Department of Agriculture and the subsequent cover up by the Governor, the people of Missouri need to be reassured that the Fred Ferrell affair is a unique event," Coleman said. "I have sent a 'Sunshine Act' letter to each of the Governor's state departments requesting information about litigation or monies paid to resolve any employer-employee disputes. Clearly, there is a veil of secrecy that has no business in an open and honest democracy. I'm sure the Governor doesn't like it, but this veil is going to be lifted."
According to Chapter 610 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, commonly referred to as the "Sunshine Act," state agencies are required to share documents that are not part of any on-going litigation when requested by anyone. When a "Sunshine Act" request is received, state agencies have three business days to respond to the request.
More specifically, Senator Coleman has requested documents pertaining to any legal actions or litigation that have dealt with sexual harassment, employment discrimination, violations of the federal Qui Tam Act, workers' compensation retaliation, and retaliation for an employee reporting a violation of federal or state law or policy. The letters were issued on Tuesday, March 6, 2007.
Ward Break Downs
Ward by ward breakdown in excel here.
Election Bits
Election Results here.
Pictures from Reed's Party here.
BOE says ward-by-ward break downs will be available later today, so check back.
Also, as a result of the 2 special sessions called to finally approve and pass the lease bills for BJC, the Board of Aldermen cleared all remaining issues left on their agenda during their election recess. End result: Majority Floor Leader Fred Wessels (D-13) made the motion at the conclusion of last Friday's special meeting to adjourn "Sine Die", which means there will be no more meetings of the Aldermen prior to the April 17 swearing-in of Lewis Reed as President.
So Shrewsbury won't get to preside over a farewell meeting. Perhaps Reed will honor his years of service at that meeting.
You have reached the voicemail of....
Before going into his concession speech, Jim Shrewsbury told the gathered supporters he had tried to call Lewis Reed on the phone but was unable to reach him.
In Reed's defense, his gathering was rocking all night and cell phone reception in the bowels of the Jefferson Arms was spotty at best. The two eventually spoke after Shrewsbury's speech.
Reed Wins!
March 06, 2007
15th ward
Former State Senator Pat Dougherty was at the polling place in the 15th ward in support of Jim Shrewsbury.
One voter demanded of those handing out lit for Lewis Reed and Shrewsbury if their candidate supported "Beer for babies" and later "beer for toddlers"?
Confused looks followed in his wake.
City-wide. A new style?
Will the battle for President of the Board of Alderman set a new pattern for city-wide elections?
Antonio French is correct that if 6th Ward Aldermen Lewis Reed were to defeat incumbent Board President James Shrewsbury, he would be the first African-American elected as President and the first to unseat a white incumbent in 25 years (the first was former-Mayor Freeman Bosley, Jr., who was elected as the city's first African-American circuit clerk in 1982. Bosley was also the first African-American Mayor of St. Louis when he was elected in 1993).
A Reed victory would be another step forward in the progress (if belated) the African-American community has made in taking seats in halls they were once banned from.
While a Reed victory would be historic, many of those watching this election are weighing the endorsements, home territories and campaign organizations more than race.
A candidate's race has not been the single defining characteristic in all city-wide races, but journalists have certainly hedged their bets based on it, and voters have cast their ballots because of it.
Both candidates have received diverse public endorsements from African-American and white politicians. 15th ward alderwoman Jennifer Florida and License Collector Mike McMillan have endorsed Reed and former alderman Irving Clay, Jr., State Senator Maida Coleman and former-State Sen. Pat Dougherty, 5th, have endorsed Shrewsbury. There are Reed signs on Skinker and Shrewsbury signs in the 21st Ward.
The candidates campaign machines are as diverse and-wide ranging as the city itself.
It could be that both candidates hail form wards south of Delmar (mostly, the 6th moves just north to MLK from 18th street to Jefferson downtown) which shifts the debate away from a north versus south battle, but there is plenty of north-side and south-side machinery at work behind the scenes, some working on potentially unfamiliar ground.
This is not to say the old divides don't exist, its more that what is being put forth both in rhetoric and in public displays of support spans the city.
There is an important debate to be had about race and representation. African-America representation on the most powerful board in the city something that must be weighed when approaching the election in this majority African-American city. Reed and Shrewsbury are both outstanding candidates whose race is only one part of the whole, and by which could not be simply defined.
This is a city-wide election that is taking on issues that touch every corner, from Fairgrounds Park to Carondelet Park and even Hudlin Park and the Ballpark in the middle.
Turn Out Impressions
Light, everywhere. In some places it feels very light. Hearing okay turn-out (light, but steady) in 6, 23, 16, 28.
Tales from 24
Emailer writes: Alderman Bill Waterhouse chatted with one of his opponent's poll workers this morning at Dewey School. He was surprised to learn that the young woman lived in St. Charles County. When Waterhouse asked her why she was volunteering for Tom Bauer in a city election, she said, "because my uncle -- who is a contractor -- is paying me." Waterhouse also reports that turnout in the 24th has been very low.
Daly Days are Here
KWMU.
Dead in 8
Polls are dead in Ward 8 this morning.
Go Vote, Please.
March 05, 2007
More Updates
18th - Bill Haas for Ward 18 Alderman filed another 24 hr notice that he had donated more to himself: $2,280.
20th - Citizens to Elect Craig Schmid filed third 24 hr notice, $300 from Taxpayers Unlimited Inc (KC).
22nd - MEC finally received 8-days out for James "Jay" Ozier for Alderman: $4,150 contribs in ($1,100 from labor unions, $3,000 from himself), $2,396.76 expenses, $1,864.71 on-hand.
More filings
Oracle has a post on Reed's 8-day filing, as well as his predictions and endorsements.
In the 12th Citizens for Heitert reports $3,449 in contribs (none from GOP-related committees), $3,998.65 in expenses, $18,063.92 on-hand, $15,000 debt (loan from himself).
Committee to Elect Matthew Browning shows $75 in contribs, $1,247 in expenses, $3,831.00 on-hand, $5,000 debt (loan from himself). This is no GOP 12th Ward committee.
On the Democratic side without a primary, Committee to Elect Jim Pree shows no expenses, donation of $250 from Medler & Roither LLC (attorneys), Pree loaned himself $111.05, and $361.05 on-hand.
Sheriff Jim Murphy's 12th Ward Regular Democratic Organization reported $3,839.09 on-hand in Jan. report.
Thomas Eagleton dies.
ACC Endorsements
6th Ward
The election to succeed Lewis Reed in Ward 6 is a dream for city voters. It has three serious candidates with distinct voices engaging in a spirited campaign of issues. Our first wish is that every ward such democratic vibrancy every election.
I endorse Christian Saller for Alderman of Ward 6.
I have little doubt that Kacie Triplett will be a civic contributor in the future regardless of the outcome of this election. She brought energy and raised important issues. Likewise, I was impressed with Patrick Cacchione’s reasonable and high-minded response to the controversial ward endorsement process. His character is an asset of the ward.
Still, it is Christian Saller’s experience – at the St. Louis Development Corporation, in the commercial development committee of the Tower Grove East neighborhood, and in grass-roots opposition to demolition of historic structures from single homes to landmark buildings like the South Side National Bank – which makes him the most qualified candidate. By vowing to work full-time, the residents of the ward would benefit greatly from his experience and expertise.
Finally, it’s important to acknowledge that for years, I have written about the need to pursue racial parity on the Board of Aldermen and the importance of racial power-sharing to future of the St. Louis. So it is with some regret that I am not endorsing an African American candidate in this position. But regardless of the outcome of this election, African Americans will still be under-represented on the Board, and the time is now to lay the ground for an equitable city redistricting in 2010.
President of the Board
For the position of president of the board of aldermen, the city is again lucky to have two serious and capable candidates.
I endorse Lewis Reed for President of the Board of Aldermen.
Jim Shrewsbury has been a friend of Arch City Chronicle since our struggle for survival began five years ago. He has been be a faithful returner of phone-calls, a helpful historian of political history and devoted attendant to the rules of the Board.
In Reed I find the opposite – a person with some many ideas and efforts in the air, sometimes you have to call him twice or three times to get his attention; He hasn’t been campaigning since he was teenager; and he doesn’t list professionalism of the Board as a plank in his platform.
In some respects, I wish the scientist could conjure a Reedbury president for St. Louis, but given the choice, I choose Lewis Reed because the city’s needs seem quite beyond Shrewsbury’s ambition.
The city schools need a major overhaul, and rather than join the Mayor Slay’s unprecedented attempt to correct the situation (or oppose it) Shrewsbury has shrugged off the responsibility.
The city revenue stream needs to be enhanced, but Shrewsbury is a poll-watcher who opposed the BJC deal without principle – only because it wasn’t popular.
Lewis Reed on the other hand oozes vision. Whether it’s his innovative use of development tools, or his corralling a bi-racial coalition for the civilian review board or untangling the knots of the city’s sprawling and interweaving technology divisions. He’s about more than keeping the Board off the front page. He’s about more than calculating and navigating a dream to Room 200.
And that “more” is what the city needs. The city needs Lewis Reed for President of the Board of Aldermen.
22nd Ward Update
Citizens for Elect Jeffrey L. Boyd gave another 24 hr notice, receipt of
$2,975 from six donors, including $1,000 from Travers Group 1 PAC, $600 from
Anheuser Busch, $500 from Husch & Eppenberger LLC.
March 04, 2007
18th Ward Filing
Terry Kennedy Campaign Committee: $14,940 in contribs, $7,843.90 in expenses, $7,839.10 on-hand. Four fundraisers for the period. 02-05 Meet & Greet raising $4,400, costing $0. 02-08 Raffle at Wardo Salon raising $650, costing $200. 02-16 "Posh" Meet & Greet raising $5,000, costing $163.59. 02-18 Jazz Soiree raising $1,600, costing $1,240.
Bill Haas for Ward 18 Alderman: $50 in contribs, $2,150 in loans (from himself), $1,849 expenses, $351 on-hand, $2,150 debt. He gave 24-hr notice for receipt of $500 from himself.
Committeewoman Ernestine Hill's 18th Ward Regular Democratic Organization is not research-friendly. MEC forms are not completed. Going thru all 06 reports, only lists of expenses and donations or Limited Activity were submitted. Balances and aggregates are anyone's guess. Best we can tell, in 8-days out Nov. 06 General, they had $1,250 in contribs and $1,265 in expenses. Then, under the 06 filings, is what appears to be both an Amendment to previous report and Jan. 07 report. Expenses and donations similar to the previous report are listed. But there's addition of $1,000 from Committee to Elect Lewis Reed and explanation on $442.99 of it being used for funeral-related expenses and $300 to Kennedy.
Committeeman Jesse Todd's 18th Ward Regular Democratic Organization had $727.98 on-hand as of 30-days out Nov. General.
March 03, 2007
Update in the 20th
Citizens to Elect Craig Schmid gave 24 hr notices on receipt of $1,000 from UNITE HERE Missouri PAC (merged Union of Needletrades, Industrial, Textile Workers + Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees Union) and three $300 contribs.
22nd Ward filing
Citizens for Elect Jeffrey L. Boyd: $5,792 contribs in, $14,709.43 expenses, $24,429.82 on-hand. There's a 24-hr notice filed for a $1,000 contrib from Belt Loop Trucking. Nothing new yet for Boyd's 22nd Ward Democratic League. Limited Activity in Jan., last activity was Oct. report showing $5,737.48 on hand.
Nothing yet for James "Jay" Ozier for Alderman. 40-days out showed $111.47 on-hand. 22nd Ward Democratic Organization is aligned with Ozier. $87.12 on-hand as of Jan. report.
March 02, 2007
26th ward filing
Committee to Elect Frank A. Williamson : $11,870 contribs, $0 loans, $8,657 expenses, $12,998 on-hand, $0 debt. The peculiar filing format includes copies of donor checks, vendor invoices (including ACC), and "26th Ward Aldermanic Campaign Sign In Log Sheet." The logs, with social security numbers marked over and dollar amounts in a "Pay Outs" column, appear to be lists of paid workers.
Friends for H. Lee Willis : $819.50 contribs, $60 loan (from candidate), $825.51 expenses, $1397.69 debt other than loan, $395.71 on-hand, $1457.69 total debt.
No filing yet from 26th Ward Regular Democratic Organization. Dec. report showed $675 was on-hand.
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