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Despite repeated assertions by the school board president, St. Louis Public Schools maintains that Vashon's new basketball coach does not make a $125,000 per year salary.
As late as yesterday in a "You Paid for It" segment on KTVI Channel 2, Board Pres. Veronica O'Brien repeated her claims that Anthony Bonner, the former NBA star who was recently hired to replace legendary and controversial coach Floyd Irons at Vashon High School, is receiving a salary that dwarfs that of many principals and teachers in the district.
"Anthony Bonner makes $125,000 and the man is doing three and four jobs. That will not change. So that is your answer for the public," O'Brien told investigative reporter Elliot Davis. But according to SLPS officials, that's not what district records show.
According to SLPS Communications Director Tony Sanders, Bonner, who officially started with the district on Oct. 17, earns an annual salary of $72,000 plus standard employee benefits in his position as Executive Director of Community Outreach, a position that did not previously exist and some believe was created just for Bonner.
Bonner also receives an annual stipend of $4,084 for coaching varsity basketball at Vashon, the same stipend paid to every boys basketball coach in the district.
Click here to watch Elliot Davis' report featuring a revealing ambush interview of O'Brien.
State Rep. Rodney Hubbard is having a birthday party and he's inviting the whole city.
Hubbard and entrepreneur Kevin Bryant, of Inkosi Design Studio, are hosting the "1st Annual St. Louis House Party" on Friday, Dec. 8 to celebrate their birthdays and their love for their town.
"Rodney Hubbard and Kevin Bryant believe that we’ve got a lot to be proud of in St. Louis," reads their press release. "...Our sports teams, entertainers and of course all the new development that’s going on downtown. That’s why they are celebrating their birthdays with not just their families, but all of St. Louis."
The party starts at 9:00 at Club Dreams, 3207 Washington, and will be hosted by Chocolate Tai, of Nelly's Derrty Entertainment, and Universal Records recording artist Penelope.
And St. Louis' own Jibbs, the latest hometown rapper to break through to national fame, is scheduled to perform his hit "Chain Hang Low".
A portion of the proceeds from this event will go towards "Toys in the Hood", a not for profit venture created to provide toys for low income families for the holidays.
We have for some time been considering a move from Blogger to WordPress. We designed the custom template you are seeing now all by ourselves (in that respect, Blogger's simplicity is very nice), but WordPress' CSS programming mumbo jumbo is über intimidating.
Can anyone out there build us (or modify) a WordPress template to match the look of our current one?
And while we're making our Christmas wish list public here; we're also in the market for a used cordless microphone... And a decent camera flash... And a Nintendo Wii... And investors for a big project we're working on.
Gov. Matt Blunt appeared on Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor" Monday to discuss what he and host Bill O'Reilly called "activist judges".
Specifically, the two discussed a recent ruling by Lawrence County, Missouri Judge Larry Meyer, who sentenced 50 year-old Kenneth Slaght to probation after he was convicted of raping his 9 year-old step-granddaughter.
"This is a great example of why we need to take discretion away from judges," said Blunt. "We need to have strict mandatory sentences, and that's what we'll have in the future in Missouri."
While other urban mayors are fighting to take the reigns of their city's failing school districts, Mayor Francis Slay continues to push instead for the state's Republican governor to take over St. Louis Public Schools. And he's finding an ally in the woman he first appointed to the school board.
After denials four months ago by his aides, Robin Wahby and Ed Rhode, of secret conversations first reported by PUB DEF in July in which the mayor's office called on the state to intervene following the defeat of his hand-picked school board candidates, Mayor Slay, a Democrat, has grown more and more vocal about his desire for Gov. Matt Blunt to take control over St. Louis' beleaguered schools.
"A State takeover of the district is a needed first step," the mayor wrote on his website Saturday.
"If legislation is needed to make the law clear and to protect a takeover from legal challenge, the Missouri General Assembly should pass a bill the first month it is in session -- and the Governor should sign it."
The current school board president, who Slay appointed to the board in 2004 after former member Rochelle Moore was removed because of her erratic behavior, has joined Slay in calling for state intervention.
Veronica O'Brien said that while she doesn't yet support an all-out "takeover," she does think the state should do away with the superintendent's office.
"A state takeover in the truest sense would be disastrous and it would not help the children," O'Brien told KSDK this week. But she said she wants to see the position of superintendent completely eliminated and replaced by two positions; a chief operating officer and a chief academic officer.
O'Brien also has begun to undermine the credibility of the very woman she abruptly introduced as superintendent just four months ago.
"Dr. [Diana] Bourisaw does not have the experience to handle some things in this district," O'Brien told Channel 5. She said she once believed Bourisaw had the "potential to grow," but no longer.
O'Brien said she doesn't believe she personally deserves any of the blame for the current state of the district. "I don't think I bear the burden of many years of the district falling apart," she said.
In that regard, she and the mayor are again on the same page.
For three years, between April 2003 and April 2006, Mayor Slay enjoyed unprecedented influence over St. Louis Public Schools. Under the direction of his original slate of candidates -- Vince Schoemehl, Bob Archibald, Ronald Jackson and Darnetta Clinkscale, who later became the heavy-handed board majority -- the district embarked on an expensive experiment, overseen and co-directed from the mayor's own office, that turned control of the district over to a New York City-based corporate turnaround firm and a superintendent that had absolutely no prior experience in education.
When the dust settled, the district was left in debt, the community was even more divided, and the New Yorkers where back in New York preparing for their next adventure in New Orleans.
But Slay, like O'Brien, accepts no blame for his role in today's mess.
"It would be controversial to give up local control of the St. Louis Public Schools, but it would be plain wrong to allow the district to continue to betray the futures of thousands of students," Slay wrote today on his website. "It's past time for a state takeover. Why not just say that?"
If Slay and O'Brien get their way, it would put St. Louis City residents in the very unique position of being perhaps the only city population in America with no control over either its own police force or its own public schools.
Now the commentary:
It is not leadership to jump to the front of a steady march and join in the chorus. Indeed, it is cowardice for elected leaders to abandon their mission and turn over the power voters invested in them to outsiders -- whether they be from New York City or Jefferson City.
If Mayor Slay wants to be a good leader and if he truly wants someone to have the authority to "put the district in the hands of a strong administrator with a mandate to stabilize the district and start it on the long road to recovery," as he says, then he should ask for that power, not pass the buck to a governor who has repeatedly voiced his own insensitivity to this state's urban people.
Instead of giving our power over to the state, the mayor should ask for control over his city's schools -- as mayors have done in Chicago, Cleveland and Los Angeles, and as is currently being considered in Seattle and Washington D.C.
It would be controversial, but no more so than if a governor who is not directly accountable to St. Louisans was given control.
And at least there would finally be one person the voters of this city could hold accountable for the future of our public schools.
Journalism legend Ed Bradley, who died on Nov. 10 of leukemia, left a quarter of a million dollars in his will to local TV achor Cordell Whitlock, the "60 Minutes" icon's godson.
In a 2002 joint interview with USA Today, Whitlock, of KSDK Channel 5, credited Bradley with sparking his interest in journalism when he was in the third grade and Bradley got him into a White House press conference.
"I remember seeing Jimmy Carter walk into the room," said Whitlock. "That was the first time I'd ever seen someone I'd watched on TV in real life. It was breathtaking, just blew me away."
According to the New York Daily News, Bradley left Whitlock $250,000 in his last will and testament. The largest portion of Bradley’s $5 million estate went to his wife Patricia Blanchet.
UPDATE: There were a few surprises this morning as the filing window opened for incumbents and challengers seeking to run in the March 2007 primary elections.
As we first reported last week, former school board member Bill Haas is challenging 18th Ward Alderman Terry Kennedy. When we asked Haas, who has run unsuccessfully for numerous offices over the years (including mayor and, most recently, state representative), why now alderman, he said simply "it was on the ballot."
Haas added it would be an honor to replace "a great alderman like Terry Kennedy."
The biggest surprise came in the filing of retired police officer Matt Browning against 12th Ward Ald. Fred Heitert. [Click here to read more about this and view a video interview with Browning.] Both are Republicans and Browning's moving personal story and considerable name recognition could make this race very competitive.
Alderman Craig Schmid (20th Ward) also got a challenger in Cherokee Street resident Galen Gondolfi.
In the 6th Ward, Kacie Starr Triplett's name will appear on the ballot above Committeeman Patrick Cacchione and first-time candidate Christian Saller.
Another surprise came in the 4th Ward, where neither incumbent Ald. O.L. Shelton or his expected challenger, Sam Moore, showed up this morning to file. [UPDATE: Shelton filed at 4:30 p.m]
Still Developing...
UPDATE 2: Here are some photos from today's filings. Please don't steal our photos. If you'd like to use them, just ask.
The city's only Republican alderman got an unexpected challenger this morning, former St. Louis City police officer Matt Browning.
Browning, who lost his legs in October 2004 after being pinned between two cars on a routine traffic stop, filed to run against 12th Ward Alderman Fred Heitert this morning in the March 2007 Republican primary. Check back later for video...
UPDATE: Here's that video we promised. In it, Browning says one of the reasons he decided to run was the terrible state of many of his ward's sidewalks. He said they make it hard -- even dangerous -- for pedestrians, especially wheelchair-bound residents such as him, to move around the ward.
Heitert, the city's longest-serving alderman, filed shortly after Browning. He told KWMU's Tom Weber this morning that he'd like four more years representing the 12th Ward in City Hall.
"I enjoy serving the people in the 12th ward and I just want to continue," he told Weber. "They've had me for 28 years - I feel I've served my people well. I wish Matt the best."
Local Leaders Condemn Wal-Mart's "Profits Over People" Policies
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Wednesday, November 22, 2006 at 3:13 PM
During this week of Thanksgiving and "Black Friday" -- the largest shopping day of the year, when many retailers finally go from debt (red) to profit (black) -- some leaders are calling on the most profitable retailer in America to be more generous with its employees.
Congressman Lacy Clay and Pastor James Morris yesterday called on Wal-Mart's CEO, Mr. Lee Scott, to give many of his roughly 1.4 million employees better pay and health benefits.
"By its own admission, nearly one out of every two children of Wal-Mart workers are either uninsured or on taxpayer-funded health care programs," said Morris.
Congressman Clay quoted a memo from a Wal-Mart executive that was leaked to the press: "Our critics are correct in some of their observations. Specifically, our coverage is expensive for low-income families, and Wal-Mart has a significant percentage of associates and their children on public assistance."
Clay was joined by Alderman Frank Williamson (26th Ward) and State Rep-elect Jamilah Nasheed. Nasheed said she would be boycotting the retailer this holiday season.
Tuesday's event was organized by the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655 and coincided with similar events in seven other cities across America as part of WakeUpWalMart.com's 2006 holiday campaign called "Hope for the Holidays."
Wal-Mart has for years resisted efforts to unionize its workforce. The company has maintained that it is a good employer and does everything it can to ensure prices are kept low for its millions of loyal customers.
Former School Board member (and perennial mayorial candiate) Bill Haas is apparently running for alderman of the 18th Ward. Just a few weeks after losing his latest campaign for state representative, Haas is now holding a place in line at the Board of Elections to run against incumbent Ald. Terry Kennedy.
Ald. Frank Williamson also has a challenger waiting in line, Lee Willis of the 26th Ward.
Filing starts Monday at 8:00 a.m and closes January 5, 2007.
Click here to download an interview this reporter did with Haas back in 2005 during his last campaign for mayor. At the time, Haas said depression and financial troubles had him contemplating suicide. Since then, Haas says he is doing much better.
Board Hears Report on Sodexho, O'Brien Refuses to Hear Public Comments
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Tuesday, November 21, 2006 at 11:59 PM
A PUB DEF VIDEO REPORT
The St. Louis City School Board heard a report tonight by Chief Operating Officer Deanna Anderson on the costs and benefits of ending the district's contract with Sodexho and bringing back in-house many of the maintenance operations that the contractor oversees.
Congressman Says He'll Take Wal-Mart's Money and Still Vote Against Them
By Antonio D. French
EXCLUSIVE PUB DEF VIDEO
At a press conference today meant to call attention to the working conditions of employees of Wal-Mart, America's largest private employer, Congressman Lacy Clay was asked about contributions he has accepted from the retailer.
At the conclusion of Clay's speech, which slammed Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott for his company's huge profits in the face of persistent poverty among his roughly 1.4 million employees, reporter Matt Sepic of local NPR affiliate KWMU asked Clay whether he would return nearly $7,000 in campaign donations from Wal-Mart's political action committee.
"Not at all," said Clay. "That's the name of the game is raising money. I have dues to pay to my Democratic Party, about $150,000 a year. So wherever I can get that money to pay those dues, I will take it."
Clay said even though he has accepted money from Wal-Mart, he has not voted how the company would have wanted him to on many issues in Congress.
"You have to have money to run effectively," said Clay. "I'm going to take all the money I can get."
Check back later for more exclusive video from today's press conference...
The following report is by Nick Clement of the St. Louis Schools Watch:
St. Louis School Board President Veronica O'Brien again has found a way to divert attention from students and teachers to herself. In a bizarre performance before the Desegregation Monitoring Task Force, O'Brien called on the state to intervene in the school district to remove the superintendent.
Only two months ago, O'Brien engineered the removal of the word "interim" from Diana Bourisaw's title, making her "superintendent" instead of "interim superintendent." Now she is relentless in her attacks on the superintendent. The reason for the attacks lies in a disagreement over O'Brien's role.
In recent weeks, O'Brien has been telling anyone who will listen that administrators in St. Louis Public Schools do not respect her authority as president. She complains that administrators are holding meetings without inviting her and making decisions without running them by her first. In short, she is confirming the truth of board member Bill Purdy's claim that she is trying to micromanage the district.
Sources familiar with O'Brien say Bourisaw's reluctance to let O'Brien make up jobs and salaries precipitated split. The disagreement between the two came to a head over the hiring of Anthony Bonner.
Sources say O'Brien promised Bonner's family, with whom she is close, that she would give Bonner a job and pay him $125,000 a year. She ordered Bourisaw to hire Bonner as a "special assistant" and pay him $125,000. Bourisaw reportedly refused. She is said to have told O'Brien that Bonner could apply for whatever openings were advertised and if he was qualified, she would hire him at the advertised salary. He qualified for a job in the community information office and was hired at a salary of $72,000 a year.
Many people in the school district were outraged that someone with just a bachelor's degree could come off the street and waltz into a $72,000 a year gig to make more than many principals with doctorate degrees are making, but O'Brien was outraged that her order to pay him $125,000 was ignored. She reportedly ran around school board headquarters ordering one person after another to code Bonner in the payroll system for $125,000. Person after person refused, and her grudge against Bourisaw grew.
People who know O'Brien say she has become obsessed with getting rid of Bourisaw, to the point where nothing else in the school district matters to her. That obsession has led to the strange speech reported in the Post-Dispatch yesterday.
As upsetting as her speech is to supporters of St. Louis public schools, it at least indicates that she does not have the support of the majority of the board. She would not be calling on the state to remove the superintendent if she had the votes on the board to do it.
The school board meets tonight at 5:30 p.m. for a special presentation on Sodexho, then again at 7:00 p.m. for their regular monthly meeting. Click here for the agenda.
In the wake of the city's recent tagging as the "most dangerous" in the country, and numerous attempts by City and police officials to downplay crime in the city as affecting only "some neighborhoods," one alderman is telling police brass that they aren't doing enough to keep those neighborhoods safe.
In a letter sent last week to a St. Louis City police captain and copied to Chief Joe Mokwa, 27th Ward Alderman Greg Carter recounts a Nov. 11 incident that occured at a northside gas station. Carter said while purchasing gas at the Shell station on Goodfellow and Highway 70, a man approached him and attempted to sell him drugs.
"Here I am, the alderman for the community and I can only imagine how other individuals are approached when they visit our community and our city," wrote Carter.
The alderman said this kind of problem has been going on for too long. He said he has been in contact with police and city officials as well as the corporate owners of the gas station, but nothing has changed.
"I am becoming very frustrated and I am sure that if this was in any one of your neighborhoods, it would have ended a long time ago," wrote Carter.
"I guess this is no longer a myth there is no aggressive approach regarding the drug selling in the communities that are predominantly African-American."
Carter sent copies of the letter, dated Nov. 14, 2006, to Police Chief Joe Mokwa, Mayor Francis Slay, State Senator Pat Dougherty, State Senator-elect Jeff Smith, State Rep. Connie Johnson, Missouri Attorney Gen. Jay Nixon, and the Council of Black Elected Officials.
According to a Downtown St. Louis Partnership newsletter, City Grocers, the only full service grocery market in downtown St. Louis, plans to relocate to the newly renovated Syndicate building thereby expanding from 6,500 square feet to over 14,000 square feet.
Last week, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) introduced legislation that targets shady Election Day tactics that seek to intimidate voters and prevent them from exercising their right to vote.
"The Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2006", would make it illegal for anyone to knowingly attempt to prevent others from exercising his or her right to vote by providing deceptive information and would require the Attorney General to fully investigate these allegations.
Penalties include up to $100,000 in fines and/or one year imprisonment.
"Too often, we hear reports of mysterious phone calls and mailers arriving just days before an election that seek to mislead and threaten voters to keep them from the polls," said Obama. "And those who engage in these deceptive and underhanded campaign tactics usually target voters living in minority or low-income neighborhoods. This legislation would ensure that for the first time, these incidents are fully investigated and that those found guilty are punished."
Obama said that in last week’s election, mailers distributed in predominantly African-American counties in Maryland wrongly implied that African-American Democrats had endorsed Republican candidates. The fliers were paid for and authorized by GOP Senate candidate Michael Steele and Republican Governor Robert Ehrlich.
In House races across the country, reports surfaced of Democrats receiving dozens of harassing robocalls designed to imply that they came from Democratic candidates. In fact, the calls were paid for by Republicans and were intended to suppress turnout among Democrats. Read more about these calls at www.TalkingPointsMemo.com.
The legislation would also require the Attorney General to work with the Federal Communications Commission and the Election Assistance Commission to determine the feasibility of using the public broadcasting system as a means of providing voters with full and accurate Election Day information.
STILL BLUNTED -- Missouri Congressman Roy Blunt, father of Gov. Matt Blunt, fended off opposition to his House leadership post today. By a vote of 137-57, Papa Blunt beat out Arizonan John Shadegg to be minority whip when the new Congress convenes in January.
AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... Director Frank Popper and State Senator-elect Jeff Smith have to be worried silly with excitement about the recent announcement of the Academy's short list. I mean, will this actually beMartin Scorsese's year?
THE TROOPS TURN THEIR BACKS ON AMERICA -- Where has the patriotism that followed September 11, 2001 gone? We can remember when Americans dared not question the leadership of our country's elected officials! But leave it to some battle-scarred war veterans to go and disrespect our local political warrior.
At last weekend's scantly-attended Veteran's Day parade, eight veterans literally turned their backs on Mayor Francis Slay when he rose to speak. They told a Post-Dispatch reporter they were angry about the departure of the Soldiers Memorial's longtime superintendent, Ralph Wiechert.
According to the Post, Wiechert, who was in the audience, said he had had "no support" from City Hall for repairs at the Memorial.
Well, I guess next they'll be asking Congress not to cut their health benefits! Don't they realize we're at war? It's about sacrifice, people.
The Post-Dispatch picked up on our story about a recent comment made by a PR person at the Convention and Visitors Commission.
Attempting to debunk the city's recent designation as the "most dangerous" in the U.S., [Mary] Hendron said she was explaining that the city's crime figures were skewed by some areas.
"It's a bad part of town, but every city has a bad part of town," Hendron told the industry publication. "Frankly, the only reason anyone would go there would be to purchase crack cocaine."
The comments were the last line in a story about the commission's reaction to the crime ranking. It ran last week in Venues Today's weekly electronic newsletter — sent to 3,000 subscribers in the sports and entertainment industry — and reported locally on a blog, Pub Def.
U.S. Senator Kit Bond today announced almost $500,000 in federal funds for a new education and arts community center in north St. Louis.
"This new center will provide community outreach to some of the neediest neighborhoods in the St. Louis area," Bond said in a press release today.
"This community is committed to providing children and families in the city a chance to succeed and I am proud to be a part of this important effort."
As chairman of the Senate Transportation-Treasury-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee, Bond secured $495,000 in federal funds for the Mark Twain Community Alliance which will be used to renovate a building that will become the Redevelopment, Arts, Culture and Educational Center in St. Louis.
The center will help residents living in the most disadvantaged zip codes in St. Louis City and County (63115, 63113, 63120). Children in these zip codes are exposed to numerous risk factors such as poverty, single parent households, teen pregnancy and violence. Drop-out rates in the area are also among the highest in the city.
Ald. Charles Quincy Troupe is quoted praising Bond's record.
"He extended himself to include the black community in a way that no other governor, before him or after him, did."
"As the senior U.S. Senator and statesman, he continues to exercise inclusion whether it is biodiesel in southeast Missouri or the development of a youth and family center in north St. Louis," said Troupe.
Clay, Scheck to Discuss Wrongful Convictions at Wash U. Tomorrow
By Antonio D. French
Congressman Lacy Clay and renowned defense attorney Barry Scheck (known best as the DNA guy from O.J. Simpson's "dream team") will be on the campus of Washington University tomorrow addressing some of the issues surrounding innocent men and women being wrongly convicted in U.S. courts.
Clay is scheduled to give the morning keynote speech (9:00 a.m.) at the Sixth Annual Access to Equal Justice Conference, which starts tomorrow at the Wash U. School of Law.
The school's Clinical Education Program and Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, along with the St. Louis University School of Law, will present "Convicted, Executed, But Not Guilty? Examining the Risks of Wrongful Executions and the Role of Prosecutors, Defense Attorneys, Academia and the Press," from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Anheuser-Busch Hall.
The conference is free and open to faculty, students, staff, and the public, but organizers say attendees must have registered by Monday to receive materials and attend the lunch. Click here for more info.
Scheck and Roscoe C. Howard, Jr., a former U.S. Attorney and former professor of law at the University of Kansas, are the afternoon keynote speakers (1:00 p.m.).
Missouri Chamber of Commerce's Legislative Action Seminar Today
By Antonio D. French
Have YouTube, Blogs, and electronic information changed how campaigns are won and lost? That's the question fellow blogger John Combest and I will be discussing today at the Missouri Chamber of Commerce's Legislative Action Seminar at the Chase Park Plaza. Roy Temple, of FiredUpMissouri.com, may also join us.
Our panel is scheduled to begin at 11:00.
Other discussions will include a look at the state's new campaign finance regulations and lobbying laws (featuring Joe Carroll and Liz Ziegler from the Missouri Ethics Commission) and Missouri's political landscape "as viewed by the pen and the pad" (featuring Jo Mannies, Post-Dispatch; and Dave Drebes, Arch City Chronicle).
Committeeman Patrick Cacchione kicked off his campaign to become the next alderman of the 6th Ward with a well-attended party and fundraiser at Sqwires last night.
"Here in the 6th Ward, we are a microcosm of the city with rich and poor, blacks and whites, new immigrants and long-time residents and we have business and residential," Cacchione told the crowd.
"We embrace and celebrate our diversity and if anyone thinks they can use our diversity to divide us they better think twice. This election is not about where you are from but where we are going together."
Cacchione is expected to face former Congressional aide Kacie Starr Triplett, Tower Grove East resident Christian Saller, and possibly others in the March 2007 primary.
A story in today's New York Times calls attention to the shift on K Street following last week's elections. Quoted in the story is Steve Elmendorf, a longtime aide to former St. Louis Congressman Richard Gephardt and a lobbyist with St. Louis-based Bryan Cave.
Elmendorf said Democrats in the House and the Senate would operate differently.
"The Republicans' view of lobbying is we give people money, we buy them lunch and then go up and tell them what to do," said Mr. Elmendorf, whose client roster included Shell Oil and Ford before the election and has grown since then. "We go in and make public policy arguments. The business community is going to have to reorient their view."
SHE SAID WHAT? -- Following the our city's dubious distinction once again as the "Most Dangerous City in America", comes an interesting quote from one of St. Louis' paid cheerleaders.
Mary Hendrod, of the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission, was quoted in Venues Today, an industry trade magazine, in their "Quote of the Week" section.
"It's a bad part of town, but every city has a bad part of town... Frankly the only reason anyone would go there would be to purchase crack cocaine," she said, reportedly referring to "a bad neighborhood of St. Louis."
Hendrod told PUB DEF this morning that the quote was taken out of context and was meant to be off the record.
AND THEN THERE WERE THREE -- Looks like Tower Grove Easter Christian Saller is joining Kacie Starr Triplett and Committeeman Patrick Cacchione in the race to succeed 6th Ward Alderman (and Aldermanic Presidential candidate) Lewis Reed. The Arch City Chroniclereports Saller, 43, made the announcement at a southside neighborhood meeting last night. We're also hearing there will be even more candidates joining the race before it's all over. Expect a crowded field.
FAIR-WEATHER FRIENDS? -- We emailed outgoing Republican State Rep. Sherman Parker this week to ask if we should read anything into his presence at Claire McCaskill's victory party last week. He did not reply.
But two other African-American Republicans called us over the weekend to let us know what they thought about former Congressional candidates Parker and Leslie Farr (who recently said he was re-joining the Democratic Party) partying with the blue team while the reds shed tears into their champagne glasses last Tuesday.
"Traitors" is about the least offensive word used that we can write here.
"After all Jim [Talent] did for Sherman?" one said, referring to Talent's early endorsement in the contentious 2002 primary fight that eventually led to Parker becoming the first African-American elected to the state legislature from St. Charles.
"They should know the lines are too long for them to ever get anything out of the Democrats," said the GOPer.
U.S. Senator-elect Claire McCaskill will serve on five Senate committees, including the Senate Armed Services Committee, according to the Associated Press.
From the AP: The newly elected Missouri Democrat also will have a seat on the Senate committees on commerce; homeland security and government affairs; aging; and Indian affairs...
Spokeswoman Adrianne Marsh said McCaskill would use her position on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to establish a "Truman Committee" to look into wartime spending.
Last Tuesday's elections have made our celebrity junior senator to the east even more relevant.
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) today announced that next year he will serve on four influential committees: the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
"Keeping the American people safe should always be our top priority, and I pledge to work to secure our nation's chemical plants and to implement the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission as a member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs," said Obama.
"I also hope to continue working with Democrats and Republicans like Senator Tom Coburn to stop wasteful no-bid contracting abuse, and to pass meaningful ethics reforms as quickly as possible. As a member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, I hope to address the growing health care crisis in our country and focus on legislation that will help working families adjust to the ever-changing global economy.
“I look forward to working with Senator [Dick] Durbin, whose influence will greatly increase as the Majority Whip, to help improve the lives of our constituents.”
No word yet on Senator-elect McCaskill's committee assignments.
With even less fanfare than the first time, 6th Ward Ald. Lewis Reed again announced yesterday he is running for Aldermanic President -- this time in a hastily produced press release.
"It’s time to make a change as to who is should be [sic] seated in the next four years in the Aldermanic President’s chair," Reed is quoted in the press release prepared by local PR man Gentry Trotter, who's identified as Reed's new director of communications.
"The economic growth of our city indicates that a successful team approach works better in the re-building of one St. Louis. The next Aldermanic President must represent all of the people and all of the interests which will help lay a deep structural foundation that we and our kids can build on."
License Collector-elect Mike McMillan and 6th Ward Committeewoman Bev Buchheit are co-chairing Reed's committee. And fellow aldermen Dionne Flowers and Jennifer Florida are listed as supporters.
Reed is running against incumbent Jim Shrewsbury in the March 6, 2007 primary.
Okay, this message goes out to our more techno-knowledgeable readers. We're looking for a new host for our websites. Any recommendations? (And don't say Sectorlink. We hate them now.)
Bowman Says Caucus Split Over Vouchers, Nadal Points to Bowman's Ego
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Monday, November 13, 2006 at 4:48 PM
PUB DEF EXCLUSIVE
State Rep. John Bowman told PUB DEF today that under his leadership the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus (MLBC) will continue on the road to becoming an influential player in the State Capitol, despite several members leaving the organization and forming a new caucus last week.
He disputed reports that there are now more African-American House members in the newly formed spin-off organization than are left in the MLBC. "That's inaccurate," said Bowman.
PUB DEF was the first to report last week that what was expected to be a normal fight for caucus chairmanship between Bowman and State Rep. Rodney Hubbard ended in several House members accusing Bowman of cheating and using strong-arm tactics to silence his colleagues.
Within hours of Thursday's meeting, a new organization called the Urban Progressive Caucus (UPC) was being formed, with at least nine state representatives defecting from the MLBC.
Bowman said the state's three African-American senators (Maida Coleman, Rita Days and Yvonne Wilson) are still in the MLBC, as are the caucus' "most effective legislators".
Bowman said those state reps that are criticizing his leadership "never came to meetings" and "never put any work in" to build the organization.
Bowman said he did what he had to do to prevent the caucus from being led by those focused on a single issue -- school vouchers. Hubbard and his close ally, State Rep. Ted Hoskins, have been vocal supporters of a form of vouchers (or "school choice"). Both are now members of the new UPC.
But State Rep. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, also a defecting black caucus member, has been a vocal critic of vouchers, even helping to oust Hoskins from the chairmanship back in April in large part over his strong support of the issue.
In the past, she and Hubbard have been seen as bitter political enemies. But last week the two put their differences aside.
"For Rodney and I to come together would not have happened unless for these extraordinary conditions," Nadal told PUB DEF.
"This has nothing to do with school vouchers. It has everything to do with [Bowman's] failed leadership and ego," she said.
When asked how Nadal's involvement fits into his description of a single-issue agenda causing this fight, Bowman said, "I can't explain what Maria does from minute-to-minute."
"I refuse to even try to understand her anymore," said Bowman.
Nadal points to herself and at least five other members of the new caucus that are anti-vouchers -- State Reps. Jamilah Nasheed (St. Louis City), Connie Johnson (St. Louis City), Martin Rucker (St. Joseph), Michael Brown (Kansas City), and Leonard Hughes (Kansas City).
Hughes agreed that what happened had nothing to do with vouchers.
"It's about a breath of fresh air in the new millennium," said Hughes.
"I don't think John Bowman is a bad leader. I just think it was a bad situation for everybody."
Several arrests were made after as many as 25 simultaneous fights broke out at the St. Louis Galleria mall yesterday. According to KSDK Channel 5, the new Metrolink expansion is partly to blame for the violence.
"More people, easier access to the mall from all areas of the City and County," Richmond Heights police Sgt. Marty Votaw told Channel 5. "Whenever you make easier access and you get larger crowds, you're going to have more crime."
KSDK reporter Erin O'Neill said, while Sunday's fights were an isolated incident, Richmond Heights police "have noticed an increase in other crimes such as car break-ins since the opening of the Metrolink extension."
In related news... Last week, KMOV Channel 4 did a two-part not-to-be-missed investigative report on the most dangerous places to park your car downtown.
Some St. Louis City public school officials are tossing around the idea of establishing school board committees to focus on specific areas, such as facilities or finance. One board member says he wants to see parents involved in those committees.
"Last I heard, nothing had been formalized yet for presentation to the board," said board member Peter Downs. "As the discussion moves forward, however, I would like to advocate for parent involvement on any such committees."
Downs asks any parents interested in working on a committee to contact him.
"If you are a parent interested in working on a committee to help the district move ahead in such areas as facilities, finance, or instruction, or you know of a parent who is interested in serving in that way, please let me know," said Downs.
UPDATE: The school board will meet tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. for their monthly administration meeting. At next week's regular meeting, Superintendent Diana Bourisaw's report to the board will include her office's evaluation of controversial contractor Sodexho.
And keep up with news on St. Louis Public Schools at our sister site, www.STLSchools.org, where we're always looking for new contributors -- especially ones with video cameras.
Sixth Ward Committeeman Patrick Cacchione will be launching his campaign for alderman this week with a kick-off party and fundraiser.
Cacchione is looking to replace Ald. Lewis Reed who is running for Aldermanic President. The only other candidate to so far announce a run to replace Reed is Kacie Starr Triplett, a former aide to Congressman Russ Carnahan.
Cacchione's kick-off party will be Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. at Sqwires Annex, 1415 South 18th Street.
A couple of weeks ago, in our open letter to the St. Louis American -- written in response to yet another unprovoked jab in their Political Eye column -- we asked a question in a comment.
In the absence of any kind of real reporting (have you broken a single story this year?) you've turned a once-great newspaper into a gossip rag, something people pick up just to see which local African-American you spit at this week.
The question was, have they broken any stories this year? We don't read the paper regularly so it was an honest question. So this week we picked up a copy of the American (why not, it's free). And we got our answer.
In the last seven days, PubDef.net was the first or only news outlet to report 14 different stories. As far as we can tell, the American didn't break a single piece of news.
Amazingly, in just one sentence the still-anonymous character assassin at the American makes two factual inaccuracies:
By the way, at least one of Talent’s quasi-supporters in the local "independent" media went nowhere near his candidate’s party at the Frontenac Hilton, spending the evening cheering results at McCaskill’s party downtown. Funny how that worked out.
It's sad. So long a champion of biased and opinion-laced reporting, the American no longer even recognizes what non-partisan reporting looks like.
And they're blind too. Here's our video from the Talent watch party, in which we interviewed radio commentator Jamie Allman and flashed shots of Talent, Sen. Kit Bond, and even consultant Tim Person, another frequent target of the American's venom.
So why does the St. Louis American continue to take shots at this little website? Look at the scoreboard.
Missouri Chamber of Commerce's Legislative Action Seminar This Week
By Antonio D. French
The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry will be holding their Legislative Action Seminar on Thursday at the Chase Park Plaza. There will be several panel discussions on economic development, politics and technology featuring state and local government and media people. Click here for a full schedule.
We'd like to call your attention to the 11:00 discussion on technology's impact on the political process: "Have YouTube, Blogs, and electronic information changed how campaigns are won and lost?" This panel will include Antonio French (www.pubdef.net), John Combest (www.johncombest.com), and Roy Temple (www.firedupmissouri.com).
Other discussions will look at the state's new campaign finance regulations and lobbying laws (featuring Joe Carroll and Liz Ziegler from the Missouri Ethics Commission) and Missouri's political landscape "as viewed by the pen and the pad" (featuring Jo Mannies, Post-Dispatch; and Dave Drebes, Arch City Chronicle).
I'm scheduled to be a guest this morning on The Freeman Bosley, Jr. Show around 9:00 a.m. on 100.3 The Beat - KATZ FM. We'll be talking about the results from Tuesday's elections.
More than two dozen black elected officials from the City of St. Louis met this morning at the Gateway Classic Foundation to discuss plans for greater organization and cooperation.
The meeting, organized by Congressman Lacy Clay, Alderman Greg Carter and Committeeman Arthur "Chink" Washington, was an attempt to revive the defunct Council of Black Elected Officials which hasn't met in years.
Sources say the meeting lasted nearly two hours and ended with a pledge to meet again soon -- perhaps in early December -- and possibly elect officers for the organization at a later time.
Two days before Election Day, then-U.S. Senate candidate Claire McCaskill met with a small group of black elected officials representing an area of north St. Louis City and was asked to make some very specific promises.
First Ward Alderman Charles Q. Troupe, State Rep. Yaphett El-Amin and her husband State Rep.-elect Talibdin El-Amin presented to the ultimately victorious Democratic senate candidate a proposal that included these commitments to north St. Louis:
Secure at least 60% of funding for the expansion of Metrolink to north St. Louis
Secure $10 million in low to moderate income housing funds
Secure $5 million in HIV/AIDS outreach funds
Secure $20 million for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) for the uninsured and under-insured in north St. Louis
Secure $10 million to repair Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd. and other major northside streets
Secure $5 million for employment training and assistance
Advocate local control of the St. Louis police department
Advocate diversity in state, county and local offices
Open a Senate office in north St. Louis
According to the three northside representatives, McCaskill agreed to these commitments, which represent hundreds of millions of dollars for an area that has long gone without its fair share of the pie of public dollars.
The political fighting in the 22nd Ward continues as the former Alderman Jay Ozier prepares to challenge current Alderman Jeffrey Boyd in the March 2007 primary.
Ozier, a close ally of another former 22nd Ward alderman, Kenny Jones, was at the polls Tuesday passing out fliers announcing his candidacy. Click here to see it.
Ozier and Jones attempted to recall Boyd in 2005, but their petition fell short of the required number of signatures after the election officials discovered numerous invalid signatures -- including those of deceased voters.
The case was referred to Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce's office months ago, but a grand jury has yet to deliver any indictments in the case. Should there be a trial, both Ozier and Jones are expected to testify.
Bowman Retains Chairmanship, But Methods Lead to Organizational Split
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Thursday, November 09, 2006 at 1:03 PM
EXCLUSIVE | READ IT HERE FIRST
Some legislators left today's meeting of the Legislative Black Causus angry and frustrated. After delaying and rescheduling the meeting at least once today, St. Louis County State Rep. John Bowman was able to retain his chairmanship by means that some members found objectionable.
"The Black Caucus is split now," one legislator told PUB DEF. The elected official said Bowman ran today's meeting with an iron fist, refusing to allow others to make motions or even to vote if their dues were not current.
We're also told that newly elected legislators were not allowed to vote or even given by-laws to read. Already there is talk of a break-off group forming.
Though the caucus' rules have stated that the chairmanship should alternate between City, County and Kansas City legislators, Bowman lobbied back in September to have that rule changed so he could retain the chairmanship.
UPDATE: At today's meeting, Bowman said that September's rule change was also a vote to extend his chairmanship.
Even though Bowman was asking for the support of fellow caucus members as late as yesterday in anticipation of a challenge from St. Louis City representative Rodney Hubbard for the chairmanship, at today's meeting Bowman said the only positions that would be voted on were vice-chair, treasurer and secretary.
We're told Hubbard had the votes to beat Bowman.
In another twist, some members were told they could not vote in today's elections because their dues were not current. But one legislator tells PUB DEF that at least three members had their dues checks returned by caucus treasurer State Sen. Rita Days.
Already a letter is circulating announcing the formation of a new caucus. Members of the new Urban Progessive Caucus would include not only African-American legislators, but legislators representing areas with large minority populations.
UPDATE: Coleman has retained her leadership position.
Democrats in the state legislature are in Jefferson City today to meet and select their leaders. For some time it has been rumored that State Sen. Maida Coleman, the current minority floor leader, will be challenged for her post. Back in September, Coleman sat down with PUB DEF to discuss this challenge.
Sources tell PUB DEF that Coleman's future might rest on the vote of her newest colleague, State Senator-elect Jeff Smith. A vote by Smith for Coleman would help insure his fellow St. Louis Democrat another term leading the Senate's minority party.
But if Smith were to instead vote for Sen. Chuck Graham, who is challenging Coleman for the position, it would help place control of the Democrat's House and Senate agenda squarely in Columbia, MO, which is where Graham and House Minority Leader Jeff Harris are both from.
The Democrats will meet to vote at noon.
And in the Legislative Black Caucus... there is word that State Rep. Rodney Hubbard (St. Louis City) will be challenging State Rep. John Bowman (St. Louis County) for the chairmanship.
Though the caucus' rules have stated that the chairmanship should alternate between City, County and Kansas City legislators, Bowman (who is the current chairman) lobbied to have that rule changed.
Check back later for more...
UPDATE: Coleman has retained her leadership position.
UPDATE 2: From Sen. Coleman's office:
After a two-seat pick up two days ago, Missouri Senate Democrats returned Sen. Maida Coleman (D-St. Louis) to her position as Minority Floor Leader during the first caucus meeting of the new Senate members.
"While Missouri didn’t make the dramatic gains of Democrats at the national level, picking up two Senate seats and five House seats is notable," she said. "Missouri is a cautious state, but we laid the groundwork for 2008."
Sen. Coleman said the Democrats look forward to working with the Republican majority, especially on key issues like restoring the Medical Assistance for the Working Disabled program. She added that she hopes the House can be convinced to pass the strong Medicaid provider fraud bill which passed the Senate last year.
Other leadership positions went to Sen. Chuck Graham of Columbia, Assistant Minority Floor Leader; newly re-elected Sen. Frank Barnitz of Lake Spring, Caucus Chairman; and Sen. Yvonne Wilson of Kansas City, Caucus Secretary.
Sen. Coleman emphasized that the Democratic caucus is strongly united and will be acting in the best interests of Missouri’s citizenry.
"Democrats will be outlining our legislative priorities more fully in the coming weeks," she said. "I hope Republicans will take notice of the changing political air nationally and in Missouri and focus on solving problems."
CNN is reporting that President Bush will announce today that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is stepping down.
UPDATE: U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today released the following statement on the resignation of Rumsfeld:
"Last night, the American people sent an overwhelming message to Washington that it's time to change our failed course in Iraq, and today's resignation of Donald Rumsfeld is a belated step in the right direction," said Obama.
"But to truly end the ideological mismanagement of this war, we must replace not just a person, but a strategy, and that will take the work of both Democrats and Republicans finding common ground and common solutions in the weeks to come."
Congressman Lacy Clay best summed up the mood at the Renaissance Grand Hotel last night. "It's a great night to be a Democrat," he told the crowd at Claire McCaskill's victory party. "Especially in Missouri."
Watch this video of last night's victory party:
The Democrats' takeover of the House means that Clay will be the new chairman of the Government Reform Committee Subcommittee on Federalism and the Census, which oversees census issues, federal aid to states and localities and federal grants.
PUB DEF had a special correspondent of sorts at the Talent campaign's watch party last night. The always dapper Jamie Allman, co-host of "Allman & Smash in the Morning" on 97.1 FM Talk and a former reporter for Channel 4 News, gave us a special report and early Election Night analysis.
Let's just say it was informative and entertaining...
Proposition P, a sales tax increase to fund two new recreation facilities in the City, passed (60/40).
Click here to see PUB DEF's video of Mayor Francis Slay explaining this plan.
Proposition R again confirmed that the vast majority (65%) of City residents want cops and other police department employees to live in the city limits. However, the state-controlled police board already voted to lift the requirement just weeks before voters went to the polls yesterday.
Click here to see PUB DEF's video of the police board's controversial vote.
Proposition 1, to raise the maximum allowed fine in the city, failed again (46/54).
Propositions 2, 3 and 4, all making changes to the civil service system, passed.
Claire McCaskill, the new U.S. Senator from Missouri, thanked a roomful of ecstatic supporters, volunteers, campaign workers, and elected Democrats in the Majestic Ballroom of the Renaissance Grand Hotel tonight.
"The great state of Missouri has spoken," said McCaskill. "They have said 'we want change'!"
"Missourians have rejected the politics of personal character attacks," said McCaskill as she reached over and kissed her husband, Joseph Shepard, who had been the target of several negative TV commercials.
McCaskill also thanked her mother, Betty Anne McCaskill, who she called the "star" of the campaign.
To the nearly half of Tuesday's voters that did not voter for her, McCaskill said she "will work hard to earn your trust and respect."
McCaskill will join at least three other new Democrats in the U.S. Senate. With the Senate race in Virginia likely taking several days to determine a winner, the balance of power is still in doubt.
What is not in doubt is that the Democratic Party had a very good night on Nov. 7, 2006 -- one that has changed the nation's political landscape and reintroduced two-party government to Washington D.C.
With 71% of the vote in, Sen. Jim Talent is leading challenger Claire McCaskill 50% to 47%.
The Democrats have already won control of the House of Representatives. With the balance of power in the U.S. Senate at stake, the eyes of the country are on Missouri...
Officials at the St. Louis City Board of Elections tell PUB DEF that based upon morning traffic at the polls, they expect a higher than expected turnout of about 58 to 60 percent -- roughly 100,000 voters.
The first votes have arrived at the St. Louis City Board of Elections. Election judges arrived at in police cars around 12:30 carrying white boxes filled with optical scan ballots.
Election officials said no vote totals will be released until after the polls close.
The chairwoman of the St. Louis City Board of Elections says Election Day is going pretty smoothly so far.
Kim Mathis told PUB DEF that aside from some minor problems with a few optical scan machines, the election is proceeding without any major controversies so far.
We asked her about reports of confusion at some polling places -- either with faulty equipment or misinformed elderly judges -- that resulted in some voters being given provisional ballots. Mathis said she had not heard of any of those incidents, but she said even though an optical scan ballot might have been marked "provisional" it wasn't actually a provisional vote if it was scanned and counted on the spot.
Mathis also said she had not heard of any touch screen machines not working today. But when this reporter arrived to vote at Yeatman School this morning, only one of the three touch screen machines was operational. Twenty minutes later, by the time I got to the front of the line, all three were functioning.
Mathis would not predict what time tonight the election board would have the final unofficial vote total. "We'll try to get them out as soon as we can," she said. "But I don't anticipate you're going to see anything longer here than you would find anywhere else."
Watch our entire 5-minute interview with Mathis...
Hundreds of people were standing in line this morning at the corner of West Florissant and Jennings Station Road in north St. Louis waiting to help flush out voters for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Claire McCaskill.
There is some confusion among the potential workers in line just what they will be doing and how much they will be paid.
Some people near the back of the line think they are going to be paid between $300 and $250 for the day, while others closer to the front think the pay is around $9 per hour.
Some said they thought think they'll be working a poll. Others said they thought they would be going door-to-door. But all seemed to be clear on one thing: that they would be voting for the Democrat, Claire McCaskill, today.
"Anthony Bonner makes $125,000 and the man is doing three and four jobs. That will not change. So that is your answer for the public," O'Brien told investigative reporter Elliot Davis. But according to SLPS officials, that's not what district records show.
