By Antonio D. French
Filed Wednesday, May 31, 2006 at 6:00 AM
Three of the five people running for the open 4th District State Senate seat showed up Tuesday night at the Tilles Park Neighborhood Association candidate forum. State Rep. Amber Boykins, former State Rep. Derio Gambaro, and former Congressional candidate Jeff Smith answered questions from southside residents and moderator Jo Mannies, of the Post-Dispatch. Labels: Events, State_Senate
Most of the meeting was pretty tame, with candidates fielding questions on subjects such as education funding and how they would deal with a Republican majority in Jefferson City. But the first jab of the night was thrown by Smith on a question about Social Security funding -- an area which a state senator has almost no input on. Smith said Derio Gambaro has supported privatizing Social Security in the past, a charge that Gambaro strongly denied.
Candidates Kenny Jones and Yaphett El-Amin did not attend. Jones sent a representative. El-Amin told PUB DEF that she did not attend because the forum's organizers told her she could not be on the panel because the proper forms were not returned in time, something she said is not true.
Check later for a video of the candidates addressing the issue of crime.
19 Comments:
This local video content is fantastic.
I love how Derio continues to call himself a Democrat and deny he is for opening up social security for privatization.
http://bsl.archpundit.com/archives/013509.html
Jake Wageman at stltoday.com's Political Fix blog has details tonight on a poll that show Derio bordering on irrelevence in the race anyways. I just saw it and it is amazing. I think Kenny Jones has a decent chance of finishing ahead of Derio if the El-Amins continue to self destruct.
http://www.stltoday.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/smithpoll.doc
It will be interesting to see how his campaign plays out and if Derio starts to get desperate.
5/30/2006 11:26 PM
All of the candidates handled themselves well. Even Jone's last-minute stand-in spoke well. It is too bad that Rep. El-Amin and Jones chose not to attend. I would have liked to hear how they would have addressed the questions of medicare, education, crime, and working with the majority party to accomplish their agendas. It is good that Rep. Boykins made the event, eventhough she was late.
All-in-all, Jeff Smith came off as the most professional, followed by Gambaro, until he went off the deep-end with his animated denial of his support for privatizing social security. But, they all spoke well.
5/30/2006 11:40 PM
its tuesday night, this post says wednesday morning, whats up pub def?
5/30/2006 11:51 PM
You got the early edition, Anony #2.
5/31/2006 8:58 AM
Personally, i think Amber took the show last night. What I don't get is that if Jeff's poll numbers are what he says they are (and yes, i've read the memo in its entirety) then why waste time on Derio (who is "bordering on irrelevance") at all? More than one person complained about the negative attack as they walked out the door last night. More than that, though, Amber made Jeff look like the amateur that he is. And no matter how great a campaign Jeff runs or how many young 'uns he brings into the fold (whether for extra credit or because they're actually interested) he is for now, unless or until he wins elected office somewhere, an amateur. In this race, the voters have several options--none of which require voting for someone with no experience. Also, for the record, Travis Reems (who appears to have posted above) was the person who asked about social security last night. Rumor has it that he does not live in the 4th. I sure hope the Smith campaign doesn't forget to send him the gift basket he so richly earned last night. :-)
5/31/2006 9:05 AM
I did not show up as I was at the game.
It seems that Gambaro is arguing for defacto privitization. If younger people, of my age, are allowed to invest a percentage of their SS in private accounts, then there is less for the older generations.
This will lead SS in one of two directions:
1. Collapse
2. Collapse then complete privitization
Either way, this partial privitization, which he is arguing for, is a bad idea, because it will leave less money for older people. The SS system is already strained due to a shrinking amount of funds. His plan is not a good one.
5/31/2006 9:53 AM
I hear that Amber was very good and suspect that she will continue to build on the strong showing in those poll results with the El Amin's campaigns in disaray these days.
I hardly think that pointing out that one of the candidates in the race actively worked for an outfit that was lobbying for the Bush Social Security plan (thank god it failed) is a negative attack. The more I learn about Derio the more I feel he should be running as a Repubican. Perhaps it was a mistake to give Derio any attention, but I have to believe that explaining his efforts to support some level of privatization of social security isn't helpful.
5/31/2006 10:07 AM
Funny how Amber was late due to "legislative duties" in her district.
If she cared so much about her "legislative duties" and constituents, why'd she only show up to work half of her time in the state house?
5/31/2006 10:51 AM
Amber is all politics, she doesnt care about that stuff, check the MO.GOV website and look up her voting record. She can talk a good talk but where are her facts. Check for yourself. Most people in the 60th district(her area) cant tell you anything shes done for them. Tell me if you can find five people who gave her campaign money that dont have a business? What has she done lately, that can be proven. Whey is there a highly active crack house two doors down from her office, that gets more active year after year. AND I DO FIND IT INTERESTING THAT A KID WAS KILLED LAST WEEKEND OUTSIDE HER OFFICE AND IT WASNT ON THE NEWS!!! OR THE PAPER!!! MR. PUB DEF IS THIS A POLITICS GAME OR WHAT. the kids tombstone is on penrose and shreve, check for yourself.
5/31/2006 11:38 AM
"MR. PUB DEF IS THIS A POLITICS GAME OR WHAT."
I heard about that May 22 shooting, Mr. Anonymous. And while murders are not my usual beat, I did look into it briefly. The kid who was killed was only 23 years-old. His name was Damario Lomax.
I was told by witnesses that he was shot on or near the car wash owned by Luther Boykins, Amber's father. That car wash is directly across the street from Amber's office, though the folks in her office said that no one was in the office that Sunday at the time of the shooting.
I was told by witnesses that the shooter dashed in the alley after the shooting. Before he did, he threw his gun in the back of a pickup on Luther's lot.
When SLPD showed up, they searched right over the gun. When the cops left, the shooter emerged from the alley and got his gun back.
Like I said, that's not my beat and no one I spoke to said that the Boykins' were directly related to the incident. So I dropped it.
I've seen too many young men laying dead on my own block to assume that just because it happened near you, you were involved or could have stopped it.
5/31/2006 1:52 PM
Antonio is not going to report every shooting in the city.
We have enough of that disadvantageous style. This is not the Post Dispatch or TV News... this is a political blog. Mr. French's primary goal is not "ratings."
Lets hope it stays that way.
5/31/2006 3:12 PM
NO no no, I wasnt saying boykins had anything to do with that. The point I was making was that I question ambers desire to fight crime, There is a serious crack house next to her office and it just seems strange that shes saying she spoke to the mayor and the police chief and no police have ever tried to shut this crackhouse down! and about the mr pubdef I was saying it was interesting that this shooting was not on the news, I watched the shooting happen.
5/31/2006 4:08 PM
I was refering to boykins playing a politics game by not having this on the news, not you.
5/31/2006 4:10 PM
Not that I would mind a fruit basket, but for the purpose of full disclosure:
1. I recently moved from the 4th District (6300 Block of Hancock), and continue to support the area, not only in spirit, but also as a board member of the SW City Dog Park in Wilmore Park.
2. I had, prior to last night, not met any of the candidates.
---
Thanks for playing, we have some lovely parting gifts for you!
5/31/2006 6:34 PM
rep. el amin is tryin her best for the community
5/31/2006 6:50 PM
rep. el amin is doing great things. I would vote for her instead of boykins
5/31/2006 11:42 PM
Let's all stay anonymous and gripe and complain and try to attack State Representative Amber Boykins together! However, you all are full of bull and the El-Amin campaign is obviously trying to find a reason to attack Representative Boykins because of Rep. El-Amin's failure to show up to this debate! I doubt that the people hosting this debate would have barred Rep. El-Amin from participating if she had showed up, but there are definitely enough killings in the area where Rep. El-Amin lives. This was made clear by the Saint Louis Post Dispatch, and it looks like the area may stay that way for awhile!
Teen getting off bus is shot dead
By Heather Ratcliffe and Joel Currier
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
05/05/2006
St. Louis police officers collect evidence at a shooting at Emerson and Lillian avenues.
(HUY RICHARD MACH/P-D)
ST. LOUIS
Several gunmen opened fire at passengers exiting a Metro bus in St. Louis on Friday, killing one teenager and wounding three other people, police reported.
The attack happened about 2:40 p.m. at the intersection of Lillian and Emerson avenues. Police said a 17-year-old boy was shot to death.
Two 16-year-old boys suffered non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. The bus driver was also injured by flying glass, police said.
St. Louis Police Chief Joseph Mokwa said one or all of the victims were getting off the bus when the shots were fired. Police were unclear whom the shooters were targeting. The bus driver continued to a nearby police station. The bus had several bullet holes in it, Mokwa said.
Mokwa said the neighborhood, just north of Interstate 70 near Union Boulevard, has been the scene of gang-related violence between groups of young men recently.
At least one of the teenagers was returning home from school on the bus. All the victims live in the neighborhood. Police said they found a backpack on the scene that contained several boxes of bullets. They seized the pack as evidence.
Officers also handcuffed and took away several young men from the scene. Authorities said they were witnesses. Police did not identify the victims Friday night and had no suspects in custody.
'KILLING AFTER KILLING'
Alderman Charles Quincy Troupe, 1st Ward, said the history of violent crime in the Walnut Park-Mark Twain neighborhood is a product of a "caustic environment" that breeds widespread illegal drugs and guns fueled by an influx of ex-convicts who return to resume lives of crime.
"We've had killing after killing over here for a long time," Troupe said. "It's more than just the kids killing themselves. The environment is killing them ... they don't think they're going to live past 21 years old. They don't feel like they have a future, so they don't have anything to live for."
Part of the problem, he said, is what he called "reactive policing" that fails to eradicate gang-related violence. "The Police Department is oblivious to proactive policing in the north side," he said. "And the people they are policing are oblivious to themselves."
Troupe said he plans to meet with Sen. Jim Talent next week to discuss securing money for building community centers aimed at providing teenagers in the neighborhood alternatives to gangs.
"The kids have nothing to do," he said. "They have no place to go."
6/01/2006 3:26 AM
How can someone say they are a "strong voice" for a "stronger community" when the children in the community they represent according to the Alderman are being killed by their environment! In addition, where was that "strong voice" for a "stronger community" when her husband owed that back child support to his children by a different woman. They could have really used that "strong voice" then, and the only person that received that "strong voice" was Mike Owens for bringing up the topic! That "strong voice" was used to call Mike Owens supervisor to try and stop the story! The 1st Ward could have really used that "strong voice" to clean up the neighborhood and stop crime, instead we received a "strong voice" when you appointed your husband the Committeeman of the 1st Ward against the wishes of Alderman Troupe, and the residents of the 1st Ward. The 1st Ward is going to show the El-Amins what a "strong voice" is on August 8th, when we reject you and your husband, like you rejected our choice for Committeeman! Take your "weak voice" somewhere else because the 1st Ward doesn't want the El-Amins or your toxic style of leadership that has lead to a "weaker community"!
6/01/2006 3:44 AM
Silly anonymous person, you agree with troupe??? the truth is that the history of violent crime in the Walnut Park-Mark Twain neighborhood is a product of PRUITT-IGOE being torndown and nuckel head people who like that life style are doin what they do.
6/01/2006 10:27 PM
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