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DEF is a non-partisan, independent political blog based in the
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on lawmakers, their policies, and those that have influence upon
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Everyone knows the way to an alderman's heart is through their stomach. So when the city's legislative body meets this morning, breakfast will be provided by none other than Attorney General candidate Jeff Harris.
If he follows the usual menu, Harris, a Democratic state representative from Columbia, will be wining and dining aldermen, reporters and visitors on a spread of coffee (caff and decaf) and donuts. Or if he really splurges, bagels and pastries from the St. Louis Bread Company.
UPDATE: He splurged. Bagels, coffee — and orange juice! — from Bread Co.
Last night Channel 5 reporter Mike Owens did a story on a shady real estate man who sold a couple a home that he apparently no longer owned. The real owner is evicting the "buyers" and the shady salesman is ducking the law and TV cameras.
It was a pretty good story. But more interesting than the story itself was the teaser at the end.
"Tomorrow night, more on Furqan and we'll hear a tape of him saying he makes regular payments of cash to the local alderman, a charge the alderman denies."
Hmmmmmm. Who could it be?
Considering the reporter is married to 28th Ward Alderman Lyda Krewson, we can pretty much rule her out.
According to clues from Owen's report, the property Wali Furqan sold the couple is located in the Hyde Park neighborhood of the 3rd Ward, represented by longtime alderman Freeman Bosley, Sr.
Whoever it is (and we really can't wait to find out who), as the KSDK report stated, he (or she) completely denies the charge.
Alderman Kacie Starr Triplett is heading east. Far East.
Starr has been invited to represent the United States on an international exchange program to Vietnam. The American Council of Young Political Leaders selected Triplett after receiving her nomination from Congressman Russ Carnahan, her former boss.
"I am excited and humbled to be part of this valuable program," Triplett said. "I look forward to forging lasting relationships with other young leaders from the United States and Vietnam."
Triplett will be part of a seven-member delegation that will travel throughout Vietnam from October 12-26. The delegates will meet with national, regional and local political officials, business and civic leaders.
It has not been a good week for 1st Ward Alderman Charles Quincy Troupe.
Channel 4 reports that Troupe, who owns numerous residential properties, is being sued by a family who rents from him after a one-year-old girl fell out of a second story window which reportedly did not have a screen installed.
Here's video of the swearing-in before the swearing-in.
Little did you know that the swearing-in you see on television is really just ceremonial. The real swearing-in of city officials happens minutes (and sometimes days) before in a smaller, far less crowded place. Today that place was Room 208 (The Kennedy Room) in City Hall.
Immediately following the real swearing-in, performed by City RegisterParrie May, the new officials sign the city's official record, making them honest to God elected officials of the City of St. Louis.
Check back later for video of the much more elaborate swearing-in ceremony that took place on the floor of the Board of Aldermen.
Tom Weber of KWMU reports that 8th Ward Alderman Steve Conway has introduced a bill (Board Bill #372) that would raise taxes to pay for a city band.
From the bill: "Under and by the authority of Section 71.640 RSMo., there is hereby imposed a City band levy at the rate of 2 mil per One Dollar of assessed valuation for the purpose of supporting a municipal band."
Word is that Conway, who is currently running unopposed, will not be seeking another term after this one.
The vote today on the perfection of the Barnes-Forest Park Lease deal was 22-2.
President Shrewsbury and 22nd Ward Alderman Jeffrey Boyd were the only votes against.
We haven't gotten the official vote yet, but according the President's office, Aldermen Florida, Kennedy, McMillan (who's vacated his seat for higher office), Troupe, and Williamson were not present at the time of the vote.
Board Bill 376, the controversial BJC/Park deal, moved closer to passage by the Board of Aldermen today. Earlier this week, opponents of the deal had a chance to voice their concerns to the aldermanic Parks Committee.
Carla Scissors-Cohen spoke on behalf of the group Citizens to Protect Forest Park. She asked the aldermen to delay acting on this bill until after the voters get a chance to vote on the City Park Protection Initiative, which would amend the charter to require voter approval for any sale or lease of city park land.
Click here to view video of the bill's supporters.
Board Bill 376, the controversial BJC/Park deal, moved closer to passage by the Board of Aldermen today. But a veto by the three-member Board of Estimate and Apportionment still looms.
SECOND ONLY TO DETROIT -- According to the latest government statistics, the St. Louis metropolitan area lost 3,300 jobs over a recent yearlong period -- the worst in the nation, save Detroit. (What is it about St. Louis and Detroit? First crime, now job loss. Talk about a race to the bottom.)
The report, which examined 367 metropolitan areas, showed Detroit and the St. Louis area (which includes suburbs in Missouri and Illinois) as the worst of 60 metro areas that saw decreases. Detroit was by far the worst with over 26,000 people losing their jobs.
According to the AP, Mayor Francis Slay's office had a positive spin.
"We don't have the city numbers yet but our earnings tax withholdings went up by 4 percent last year, which was an increase over the previous few years," Slay spokesman Ed Rhode told the AP. "Based on that we think the city's economy is improving."
REED GETS THE 15th -- Both candidates for President of the Board of Aldermen appeared last night at a forum hosted by the 15th Ward Democrats (check back later for exclusive video). Afterwards, the ward members voted by secret ballot to endorse challenger Lewis Reed over incumbent Jim Shrewsbury.
15th Ward Ald. Jennifer Florida, a Reed supporter, was unable to attend the meeting because of a family emergency (Our thoughts go out to her and her family).
"CASH"-CHIONE -- Patrick Cacchione, candidate for 6th Ward Alderman, has given some cash to help with the cost of a study aimed at getting a new grocery store in his ward.
According to his press release, Cachione donated "10 percent of the cost" of the population density and demographic study to the Gate District East Neighborhood Association in an effort to bring in a major grocer to the vacant Foodland Grocery site on 1605 S. Jefferson Ave.
The two candidates (so far; filing closes Friday) for President of the Board of Aldermen, incumbent Jim Shrewsbury and challenger Lewis Reed**, both appeared at a forum last night hosted by the Gate District Neighborhood Association in Reed's 6th Ward.
In one of his last acts as an alderman, License Collector-elect Mike McMillan announced Wednesday over $600,000 in grants for local organizations and businesses.
"The wide variety of projects funded by these grants will benefit many programs and many people, improving nearly every aspect of our community," said the 19th Ward alderman.
"We've seen clear evidence of how these types of funds have helped create new opportunities for success in St. Louis. Through a lot of hard work by many people, we are making significant progress in revitalizing St. Louis and these grants will help to further advance that effort."
Not all of the organizations which received fund were from the 19th Ward. McMillan said that through an agreement between members of the Legislative Black Caucus, grant money is sometimes pooled together to support organizations which service populations that cross ward boundaries.
Programs receiving grants from the City of St. Louis include: Human Development Corporation, Black World History Wax Museum, Better Family Life, Monsanto YMCA, Hopewell Mental Health Center, Food Outreach, JVL Childcare Center, Kim’s Kids, Tuxedo Room Restaurant, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Human Development Corporation, Vashon/Jeff-Vander-Lou Initiative, Community Health-in-Partnership Services (C.H.I.P.S), Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri, Harambee, Red Door Restaurant, Portfolio Art and Education Gallery, 100 Black Men of St. Louis, Reach St. Louis, Francois’ Restaurant, and Ted Foster & Son’s Funeral Home.
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.
St. Louis Public Schools Superintendent Diana Bourisaw wants a daytime curfew for children in the City of St. Louis. And the President of the Board of Aldermen appears ready to help.
"In the past two months, I have approached many elected officials, including Board of Alderman President Jim Shrewsbury and Police Chief Joe Mokwa," said Bourisaw in a press release today. She said a daytime curfew has been a successful tool that has been used in many other cities across the country to reduce the truancy rate. Such curfews typically prohibit children from being in public places other than schools during school hours on weekdays.
According to SLPS, Shrewsbury has already drafted an ordinance to establish a daytime ordinance which is currently being reviewed by Ald. Terry Kennedy, chairman of the Public Safety Committee.
"Truancy is a very serious issue and I am willing to help the Superintendent deal with it. I expect to have a daytime curfew ordinance ready to be introduced in the near future," said Shrewsbury.
At a meeting of the Tilles Park Neighborhood Association last night, Aldermanic President Jim Shrewsbury tried to explain several of the propositions and charter amendments voters will be asked to vote on November 7.
The St. Louis Board of Aldermen return to duty today after an eight-week summer vacation. One of the things scheduled for today's meeting is a brief recognition of the 28-year legislative career of State Sen. Pat Dougherty.
Dougherty, who was prevented from seeking re-election this year due to term limits (and whose first senate campaign in 2001 this reporter managed), is the subject of Resolution #96, introduced by Ald. Jennifer Florida (15th Ward).
"During his exemplary career in the Missouri General Assembly, Senator Dougherty has been an outspoken champion for the rights of children, senior citizens and families in this State and has been instrumental in the passage of legislation designed to guarantee those rights," the resolution states.
Click here to see the other resolutions to be introduced today to honor and commemorate St. Louis people and events.
A Circuit Court judge today ruled against the group seeking to recall 3rd Ward Alderman Freeman Bosley, Sr. The judge ruled that the St. Louis City Board of Elections does have the right to allow signers of the petition to have their names removed from the petition by way of a signed affidavit.
Bosley and his supporters succeeded in getting hundreds of signers to opt to have their names removed -- enough, in fact, to leave the petition well short of the required number of valid signatures.
This is how they celebrate Labor Day in St. Charles: take aim at the laborers.
Following a similar move in Valley Park, St. Charles County Councilman Joe Brazil is preparing to introduce a bill tonight that would fine employers up to $500 per day for each illegal immigrant they employ.
Valley Park's recently passed ordinance punished business owners who hire illegal immigrants by revoking their licenses and landlords that rent to illegals by fining them up to $500. Jim Shrewsbury, President of the St. Louis City Board of Aldermen, recently commented on the Valley Park legislation on his website.
"While reasonable people will agree that breaking the law is wrong, by passing its illegal immigrant ordinance Valley Park has carved out a dual reputation for itself. Some will forever see the town as a place of bigotry and intolerance. Others will see Valley Park as a model American city," said Shrewsbury.
Many Mexican-Americans, who are legal residents, believe that these new laws could lead to an increase in hiring discrimination. Brazil and supporters of his bill say local governments have to do something if the federal government won't.
It'll be interesting to see how long St. Charles' housing boom lasts after this.
