By Antonio D. French
Filed Monday, May 08, 2006 at 4:06 PM
Senator Kit Bond (R-MO), Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson, Children’s Health Forum (CHF) Founder and Chairman Dr. Benjamin Hooks, and CHF Co-Chair and former Congressman and Vice Presidential Candidate Jack Kemp joined Mayor Francis Slay and Lead Safe St. Louis for a press conference today on the city's efforts to fight lead poisoning in children. Labels: Development, Mayor
Sec. Jackson praised the success of Sen. Bond in earmarking federal funds for lead programs for St. Louis. He said when it comes to fighting lead poisoning in children, "no one has been more forceful than Senator Bond."
In a time when many people are talking about limiting the power of government officials, Jackson said Bond has used his power in this area to benefit the effort to fight lead poisoning. "I'm sure glad Senator Bond has seniority and Missouri doesn't have term limits," said Jackson.
But some people say much more needs to be done. "Notwithstanding the funds we have gotten, we need more," said Kathleen Logan Smith from Health and Enviromental Justice St. Louis. Her organization has been putting pressure on the city to target the financial resources to the areas most vulnerable to the effects of lead.
"We need more accountability for the funds that we do have." She said many of the communities that need the funds the most are not getting them. "We've been asking the city for data and outcome measures for years."
She said that Lead Safe St. Louis, the city's lead fighting unit, have not been very cooperative. "They tell a great story, but when we ask them for the evidence to prove it, that's when we encounter blocks."
Today's event was at 3624 Arsenal Street at a house across the street from Tower Grove Park, in the 15th Ward. Also in attendance was Ald. Jennifer Florida, Anheuser-Busch Executive Wayman Smith; political consultant Tim Person; and Harold Brown, assistant to Sen. Pat Dougherty.
See more photos at www.pubdefweekly.com/photos/05082006/
4 Comments:
Jennifer is looking stressed.
5/08/2006 4:44 PM
Jack Kemp was never a US Senator. He was a House member from Buffalo. He actually was a "compassionate conservative" before W coined the term and discredited it.
5/08/2006 9:44 PM
Right you are, Oracle. Thanks for pointing out my typo. Kemp was a CONGRESSMAN in the '70s and '80s and later became the running mate of SENATOR Bob Dole in the 1996 Presidential race.
More Kemp trivia: What football team Kemp play for when he was named MVP of the AFL in 1965?
No fair Googling.
5/08/2006 10:59 PM
Sec. Jackson was unusually honest speaking before a convention in Dallas the other day. His comments raised the question of a political means test in awarding contracts, something prohibited by law.
According to the Dallas Business Journal, Jackson mentioned that he had denied awarding a contract to a contractor who mentioned not liking the President. The contractor was initially selected by HUD to receive the contract.
He made the comments in Jackson's office after coming to thank Jackson for being selected.
dallas.bizjournals.com
/dallas/stories/2006/05/08/story1.html
'"I said, 'What do you mean?' He said, 'I don't like President Bush.' I thought to myself, 'Brother, you have a disconnect -- the president is elected, I was selected. You wouldn't be getting the contract unless I was sitting here. If you have a problem with the president, don't tell the secretary.'
"He didn't get the contract," Jackson continued. "Why should I reward someone who doesn't like the president, so they can use funds to try to campaign against the president? Logic says they don't get the contract. That's the way I believe.'
5/09/2006 3:56 PM
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