By Antonio D. French
Filed Thursday, December 13, 2007 at 10:00 AM
This whole ugly mess with the stuffed monkey hanging in Firehouse 13 has brought to light a serious problem in how the Slay Administration is running both the St. Louis Fire Department and the City.
When the media learned about this incident from a mass email sent out by a member of F.I.R.E. (the organization representing black firefighters), Mayor Francis Slay and his public safety director Charles Bryson responded a few days later by forwarding the situation F.B.I. At no time did the mayor's office or the public safety director meet with or even call leaders of the black firefighters organization to try to dampen the flames which such an incident could ignite.
The Slay Administration's policy with regard to the fire department is to deal only with the firefighters union, Local 73, and not the black firefighters association. The new fire chief also operates under this policy.
It is interesting that the old chief, Sherman George, was instructed by the mayor's office to meet monthly with both organizations. But now, as F.I.R.E. vice-chair Wayne Luster noted at yesterday's press conference, the black firefighters are no longer involved in the direction of the department, even though their membership accounts for nearly 45% of the department.
So what is the real effect of this policy? Well, when the head of the mostly-white Local 73 was asked about the hanging monkey incident, he downplayed it and suggested there was no need for an investigation.
"[The monkey] was put on the coat rack because it was wet and it was drying," Chris Molitor told the Post-Dispatch. As for the rope, he said it "has been attached to that coat rack for several years."
This calls for some clarification.
First, the black firefighters organization, F.I.R.E., while not a recognized bargaining entity with the City of St. Louis, is still nonetheless clear on their mission: representing the interests of black firefighters. And like any good union, recognized or not, they push hard for the advancement of their members.
Local 73 on the other hand has long rejected its characterization as the "white firefighters union." Its leaders say their mission is to represent all firefighters, regardless of color. However, history has not shown that to be the case. And this incident indicates that the professional needs and desires of African-American firemen and women are still not being represented by Local 73.
While Molitor and the people he represents believe that a hanging monkey means little, his African-American co-workers and his bosses (at least publicly) think it deserves serious investigation.
The fire chief and the public safety director told the media Tuesday that the department was taking the situation "very seriously." Though, again, neither have talked to the black firefighters' organization about it.
If Jenkerson, Bryson and Molitor think the fire department can be its best without communicating with the black firefighters organization, they are wrong. But they are not alone. This "blackout" started at the top.
St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay's office — specifically his chief of staff, Jeff Rainford, and his communications director, Ed Rhode — continue to ignore St. Louis' African-American press. No responses to inquires (the St. Louis American has not received a response in over a month). No press releases or notices of press conferences.
How long will the Slay Administration continue this "blackout"? And how long with the white press sit without comment and watch the disrespect of its African-American colleagues?
As a citywide elected official from a majority-black city, Mayor Slay actually has more black constituents than white. But that's not how his administration sees it.
A white elected official recently told me how Slay's chief of staff, Jeff Rainford, once suggested to him that he was wasting his time by attending meetings in north St. Louis.
"They'll never vote for you anyway," Rainford told this official.
Is that how we're going to operate in this city? Elected officials only recognizing the importance of half their constituents?
Where's the outrage among more of our white citizens — our white journalists, our white firefighters, our white elected officials?
I can only hope it is because they sincerely don't know what's going on.
I'd hate to think that you are OK with our city being divided as it is today by the people in Room 200.
Labels: Fire_Dept, Francis_Slay, Mayor, Race, Recall
17 Comments:
There is no outrage in the white community because most white people agree with most, if not everything the mayor has done.
Everyone (white) that I talk to about the sherman george situation thinks he should have been fired. Not because of race, but because the dude didn't do his job for three years!
For whites the George situation is about job performance, for blacks it is about race. And white people see poor race relations being stoked by the leaders of the black community not the mayor.
Sorry man, thats how white folks see it, and most just don't care about the b;ack community's perceived "disrespect" handed out by the mayor.
12/13/2007 10:28 AM
the mayor's people turned this over the fbi right away, what else do you want from them?
i dont think they called fire OR 73......should they even have to?
NO
12/13/2007 10:34 AM
This is nothing but background noise. Come election day, 58% of whites turn out while only 42% of African-Americans turn out. You do the math.
12/13/2007 10:37 AM
I hate to say it, but stuffed teddy bears and stuffed monkeys are now determining who should hate whom.
What have we come to? Black citizens are being killed daily and living behind bars out of fear, and we focus on stuffed dolls!?
12/13/2007 10:37 AM
"I'd hate to think that you are OK with our city being divided as it is today by the people in Room 200."
I'm not at all pro-Slay, but is the above statement true or accurate? What if the city is being divided by a militant black racism? Some issues aren't racial but are made racial by those who want to incite disharmony.
Someone in another blog said F.I.R.E. is a hate group. Perhaps there is some truth in that statement.
The school issue drew people of all races together. Some are threatening such mutual respect and unity.
12/13/2007 11:07 AM
Im not the smartest firefighter around, but that's not a rope you idiots.
12/13/2007 2:14 PM
I am upset and have been for a while.
It is obvious that Slay is beholden to rich white developers some of which are not even City residents. Their interest in our City is simply profit. His interest in them is campaign contributions. Social justice and community development simply doesn't look cool on campaign ads. He is an elitist not a populist. He cares little for African Americans and I honestly doubt if he actually cares for middle class whites. But it seems that this is nothing new. Vince, with regards to economic development, did things which seem to favor those with money and influence over those who don't or had less.
Slay assumes he has the middle class white vote as no other white official will challenge him. He is the head of the white machine. Who else will they vote for? And as long as he keeps his friends close, it is unlikely that a Black official will usurp him. As pointed out, this is due to disparities in voter turnout. If a certain popular Black official was able to gain the support of those with money and power, as well as mobilize the black turnout, then Slay would be sent packing. This would be especially true if this certain popular official got the progressive white vote. But will progressive whites vote for someone who is supported by elites? Time will tell!
12/13/2007 2:17 PM
if all of the alleged problems between the races in the fire department happened 30 years ago and it is all "black militism," then white folks and fire fighters shouldn't be afraid of an investigation and discussion about it. Slay and Rainford (or C.Bryson) for that matter are foolish to think as a personnel issue this is going away; they should respect the situation enough to talk to all firefighers. That doesn't mean you rehire Sherman George; it does mean you act like a politician and not a playground bully.
On the other hand, if Slay is just beholden to "rich white developers" then why bother..
12/13/2007 3:09 PM
Slay is beholden to rich developers, black or white. And I think the FBI should have been called. Why is that such a bad thing? The fact is, anyone who has money, runs the show, again, black or white. Do you really think Slay cares whether you are white or black? He will let his buddies e.d. (eminent domain) your house as soon as they can if you are poor. The only thing keeping him in office is an effective and credible opposition. He will be reelected in 2009 only if there is no credible opposition. Otherwise, people will kick him out like a drunk.
12/13/2007 3:45 PM
How many folks were shot and killed in North St. Louis last week?
The was a shooting at a funeral. No press conference calling for justice on that one.
Your focus on the stuffed animal hanging on the drying rack shows where your priorities are. Not the genocide among your race, but the ghosts of the past.
12/13/2007 6:09 PM
Doug,
Do you oppose Slay, Geisman, and Young cuttting ribbons on Wash Ave today?
There's more going on in this city than the travails of FIRE.
Black firefighters should be so happy. They have a public sector job with a union defended pension.
I'm seeing lots of private sector workers, both black and white, losing their jobs every day.
Yet civil service, firefighting blacks are unhappy about their jobs.
Think about it.
12/13/2007 9:14 PM
Wait a minute. Local 73 says it is no big deal and does not merit an investigation. FIRE says it is a big deal and should be investigated by the FBI. The mayor agrees with FIRE and sends it to the FBI... and the conclusion is that he is a racist?
Huh?
12/13/2007 9:50 PM
You really think Slay cares about F.I.R.E. after all of the stink that he has been through by them and the "Black Leadership"? Local 73 is the only legal Union in the F.D. F.I.R.E. is a joke. A racial social club that whites are not allowed in. Sounds like the black community wants segregation.
12/13/2007 11:57 PM
When I was a kid I wanted to be a t Louis fireman... couldn't wait to ride the truck, sound the siren, save lives, be racist and call it a union...
12/14/2007 7:12 AM
I think its funny when people with public sector, secure, taxpayer funded union jobs, with good pensions complain about their enviable jobs, while the folks in the private sector, with no security, no pensions, are getting laid off every day.
12/14/2007 8:06 AM
The VAST majority of the time I am against Slay. However, as jim rome said, that doesn't look like a rope. And yes, the hypocracy of our so called "black leaders" makes me depressed. Jumping on something that is obviously nothing at all, when the real issues are right in people's faces.
12/16/2007 10:49 AM
73 is open to all races and represents all races. FIRE is a racist militant group only open to one race. wayne luster is a pot stirrer and uses the black firefighter name to promote his own racist agenda. their name stands for equality but what about asians or hispanics
1/31/2008 12:24 PM
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