Slay Bucks Tradition to Appoint Friend
By Antonio D. French
"Appointing a fire chief, police chief, or economic development director, or public works director, or streets department director because of his of her race is wrong," said Mayor Francis Slay today standing next to Public Safety Director Charles Bryson.
Slay and Bryson announced Dennis Jenkerson as the new fire chief.
Some important things about today's promotion of Jenkerson as the head of the city's fire department:
- Jenkerson is a personal friend of Francis Slay;
- Francis Slay changed the rules to by-pass the leading deputy chief candidate, who was black (Historically, only deputy chiefs are considered for chief);
- Jenkerson was a battalion chief, a lower rank than deputy chief;
- Jenkerson is currently being investigated by St. Louis police for authorizing firefighters under his command to do personal work for lobbyist Lou Hamilton while on duty;
- This situation just got worse.
Labels: Antonio, Fire_Dept, Mayor, Radio, Recall
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15 Comments:
Good old Lou Hamilton....Professional sneeky snoop. I know at least one careerhe destroyed.
11/20/2007 7:10 AM
Not my buddy Lou.... say it ain't so!
11/20/2007 7:33 AM
1. sherman was a friend of freeman bosley
2. bat chiefs are available for fire chief and jenkerson scored the highest in the chiefs test
3. see previous answer
4. the american is NOT a credible news source and have to take whatever they write with a grain of salt.....
5. the situation actually just got better, you have someone now that will address the racial issue instead of allowing it to deteroriate like sherman did
11/20/2007 8:43 AM
Bucks tradition? Antonio, appointing friends is hardly new in machine politics. It has been occurring for hundreds of years. Not to justify the act, but it happens for both blacks, whites, and every ethnicity. Appointment is one of the powers of a Mayor. Would you prefer an even weaker mayoral system and perhaps have mayoral appointment approved by the Board of Aldermen? Because if that happens a black Mayor would have to follow the same rules!
If we are going to knock Slay for appointing friends then we need to look at every mayoral appointment in every administration.
11/20/2007 9:17 AM
Anthony,
FYI, just because the racist organization known as F.I.R.E. says its so, does not make it so. If you consider yourself a journalist, please investigate such matters and do not take their word as gospel.
11/20/2007 10:13 AM
dont' forget that jenkerson finished with the highest score on the test for chief as well...
11/20/2007 11:08 AM
french is NOT a real journalist, he is an advocate for african-americans, sort of like the stl american newspaper.....being an advocate is ok, just don't try to pass yourself off as a real journalist
REAL journalists will approach a story and report the facts evenly, fairly and in their proper context
11/20/2007 11:10 AM
Former Mayor Clarence Harmon hired Chief Sherman George, not former Mayor Freeman Bosley, Jr.
11/20/2007 11:11 AM
Duckworth shut up.
French a journalist, oh my god, what a joke. He is a blogger for whomever pays him the most.
French post your job history on your site. You know all the journalistic jobs you have had.
Here ther is a new city blog about to start. Can't wait.
11/20/2007 11:32 AM
Of course he is a blogger. That is why he does not approach things like a journalist. This site is not suppose to be a news source. Just a what if source.
11/20/2007 11:34 AM
When blacks get to where they are elgible for promotion,that damn Slay changes the criteria for promotion as he did with Jenkerson!WE will recall that damn Slay!A battalion chief has never been elgible for promotion to fire Chief until Slay orchestrated the qualifications to prevent Deputy Chief Coyle from rightfully being appointed Chief! That is why that damn Slay will be recalled!How does Slay's "boy" Bryson sleep at night knowing that DEputy CHief Coyle should of been appointed Fire Chief?
11/20/2007 1:38 PM
bat. chief's have always been available for promotion to fire chief moron......why dont you look up the city charter instead of taking whatever french says as truth b/c we all know he has to play the race angle
11/20/2007 2:12 PM
Doug, you seem to have misunderstood. Francis "bucked tradition" by passing over a deputy chief for a lower ranking officer, not by appointing a personal friend.
11/20/2007 4:17 PM
So you know, when Sherman was selected as Chief they refused to look at the Battalion Chiefs. Of course there were white battalion chiefs and since all three deputy chiefs were black, a black CFD was a guarantee.
Racial politics in this city are nothing new, and aren't going away anytime soon.
11/21/2007 9:25 AM
I find this quite humorous. Democrats bashing each other over the heads about race. White Democrat mayor fires a black fire chief ... for cause, for insubordination ... and the racist black community calls for his head. What great theater. Keep it up. Very very funny indeed.
11/21/2007 7:36 PM
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