By Antonio D. French
Filed Monday, July 17, 2006 at 10:29 AM
Labels: Democrats, Mayor, State_House
LATE STARTER BUILDING STEAM? Former Ald. Sharon Tyus announced over the weekend that she had accumulated several endorsements in her bid to re-enter politics as State Rep from the 60th District. Third Ward Committeepeople Lucinda Frazier and Johnny Saddler; 4th Ward Committeepeople Norma Leggett and James Clayborne; 18th Ward Committeepeople Ernestine Hill and Jessie Todd; and 21st Ward Committeeman Arthur "Chink" Washington, according to Tyus, have all backed her campaign against activist and frontrunner Jamilah Nasheed, former State Rep. Bob Bartlett, and Shaun Simms, husband to the current state rep, Amber Boykins.DEM YUNGSTAS The College Democrats of America (CDA) are holding their national convention at Saint Louis University starting this Thursday. There will be speeches given by DNC Chairman Howard Dean, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, retired General Wesley Clark, Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, Congressman Russ Carnahan, Congressman William Lacy Clay, and CDA's national leaders. This is the first time the College Democrats will have their stand alone convention outside of Washington DC.OFF THE HOOK? The last vestiges of Mayor Slay's three-year control of St. Louis Public Schools went out the door with the exit of former Superintendent Creg Williams last week. For many, the manner of Williams' departure lets both him and the mayor off the hook when the consequences of their and the Darnetta Clinkscale-led school board's decisions start to show. Williams leaves smelling like a rose with a quarter million dollar parachute and Slay gets to say all the coming problems are the fault of the new board majority. Game, set, match. Nicely played, Mr. Mayor.EXCUSE OUR SLACKING Campaign finance reports will be rolling in today and in the coming days. Click here to look up how much a Missouri candidate is raising and who's giving money to who. We're a little distracted by this schools stuff and probably won't get a chance to analyze the reports until later in the week. If you spot something fishy, or at least interesting, post a comment about it here or shoot us an email at editor@pubdef.net.
7 Comments:
You mean when Purdy's inept budget-crunching and Bourisaw's pit-bull tactics start to show? The only hope now is that DESE will be arriving sooner than later.
7/17/2006 11:23 AM
No I meant more the dozens of vacant teaching positions and no plan for the coming $50 million budget crisis. You know, that sort of thing.
7/17/2006 11:54 AM
There are no legitimate grounds for the state to step in. These scare tactics being played by the Board minority are mere political games, damaging to our district, and disasterous for our kids.
7/17/2006 11:57 AM
Just keep repeating
"I know they have a plan, I know they have a plan, I know they have a plan.."
7/17/2006 12:07 PM
State takeover as scare tactic? Who needs to scare, when those in charge of our school board have already taken frightening actions. The firing of Williams was a tactic played by this new majority as part of their political game. But as the "damaging to our district and disasterous for our kids" comment hints, this a political game, in which everyone-- students, teachers, administrators, parents, and electeds-- all lose.
7/17/2006 1:02 PM
Mayor Slay IS NOT OFF THE HOOK, and definitely is to blame for Williams' getting canned, and for it going down in such an ugly way. Slay and his sleezy minion Jeff Rainford don't know how to work with community leaders, be they elected School Board members or appointed Police Board members. Slay/Rainford don't believe in building partnerships with these leaders; they just bully their way through issues and get pissed when board members don't fall into lockstep with them. And then they find a way to blame the community leaders while they get "let off the hook." But it's not working this time; some of us are wise to these tactics. Slay's arrogance is an invitation to someone with an axe to grind and nothing to lose (e.g., O'Brien and company) to get into a pissing match; unfortunately for the entire St. Louis community, both sides have unlimited resources (of piss, that is).
7/18/2006 2:33 PM
Creg Williams kept saying the district would need to involve the public in helping with the $50 million budget crisis. It seemed that he was hinting that if many schools were to be closed, he didn't want it to go down like it did under Bill Roberti and that if a tax increases were coming, he wanted to do it in an upfront way. With the way Williams' "resignation" went down Friday, I'm concerned that the "solution" to the budget crisis will hit many city residents and students like brick in the back of the head.
-- Cletus
7/18/2006 3:06 PM
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