Jeff Smith, the Democratic nominee for state senator from St. Louis’ 4th District, held a fundraiser Thursday at the Regional Arts Commission on Delmar Ave. just three weeks before his uncontested general election.
According to Smith’s last campaign finance report, his campaign raised $268,350.06 in his August 8 primary win, more than any of his four opponents. The campaign spent $214,393.51 as of Sept 2 and had a respectable $44,567.18 left in the bank.
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October 15th, 2006 at 8:13 am
Jeff Smith is a white man with a degree in African American studies among other subjects, and he is another white man who knows more about black people than most black people know about themselves. I saw two black people in this video, which is a testament to who Mr. Smith’s real interests and constituencies are. Black people who support Mr. Smith are not visible and certainly do not give the appearance of a unit of solidarity. Jeff Smith is not married and does not have any children of his own, nor does his family live in St. Louis. So how can he represent the interests of black families who have been devastated by a hostile educational system, a deliberate medical system that openly reduces life options for black people, or support policies that routinely practice deprivation to black communities and be respected as a hero in the Missouri Senate? Jeff Smith may appear on the surface to have the interests of black people at heart, but he is part of a group of whites who support maintaining the status quo (which are white), measuring the continued deprivation of black people in St. Louis, and benefitting from the dependence of black people on white policies that in large part contain black people in prisons and limit the minority representation at the public discourse table. Black people have come to accept that white people can better represent their interests and black candidates cannot. Jeff Smith represents a return to how dependence on whites and their wisdom was enough for black people who were satisfied with their outcomes. It is truly unsettling to know that whites changed voting boundaries to minimize minority participation in the City of St. Louis a few years ago, and no one countered the directive, which also is evidence that if white people want to change things, they will do so as long as it benefits them and their needs in a swift period of time. In a creepy kind of way, it sounds like how business was done in the old South to me.
October 16th, 2006 at 10:06 am
Antonio, if they had money left in the bank then why do they need to raise more? Did they incur debt during the campaign?
October 16th, 2006 at 3:13 pm
Money is power, my friend.
October 17th, 2006 at 12:45 am
Jeff SMith had more free labor on his campaign and he simply out worked his opponents. I one thing is certain there were too many choices on the ballot for the black community and only one for the white community. When will the American Negroes truly work together and stop the crabs in the bucket routine?
October 17th, 2006 at 5:15 pm
Can’t wait to see who Smith donates all that money to that he’s raising, especially since he won’t be running for re-election until 2010.
October 18th, 2006 at 8:04 pm
One thing that I don’t know; which is more rare than an African American Superintendent in a majority white public school district.
Why is Smith raising money? The red flags were raised quicker than you can say racism when Larry Williams, City Treasurer had a fundraiser.
After all…Nia has to know