From the group seeking the recall of St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay:
On Sunday, the Citizens to Recall Francis G. Slay held a dinner ceremony at the Gateway Classic Foundation to celebrate reaching their first milestone - obtaining over 10,000 signatures – in the campaign to have 43,000 signatures by the September deadline for placing the recall initiative on the ballot.
At the ceremony, over 100 certificates were passed out to the various volunteers, who have been going door-to-door canvassing wards for signatures every Saturday for the past four months, and who, despite the inclement weather, worked the polls gathering signatures during the Feb. 5th primary.
At Sunday’s ceremony, Zaki Baruti, the Chairman of the Recall Committee, stated to the packed room: “We are right now the largest all-volunteer army in St. Louis politics. In just the past four months we have gathered more signatures than were gathered over a year’s time for the audit of the city, and more than have ever been gathered for a recall in the city. We are truly making history.”
After receiving a special award for his efforts in organizing the recall campaign, Mr. Baruti set forth the groups’ next milestone: 20,000 signatures by April 4, 2008 – the forty-year anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
For more information, please contact Zaki Baruti at (314) 726-3442 or Rev. Douglas Parham at 852-2336.
February 19th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
There are a lot of people who voted for Obama in St. Louis who have not yet signed. They were probably disappointed at his early endorsement of Hillary.
There are a lot of people who voted for Hillary in St. Louis who have not yet signed. They were probably disappointed at how ineffective his early endorsement of Hillary was.
February 19th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
I think the recall might cost Obama the State of Missouri.
The recall would certainly racially charge the general election. Barack will win the City easily either way. But conservative Slay supporters will show up in force to defeat the recall, and a good portion of them might elect to go for McCain. It looks like Missouri will be extremely tight, and a few thousands votes might be key.
February 19th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Why are people who are not even able to vote in a city election in charge of the recall?
February 19th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
A lot of people I know won’t sign because of Baruti and his cronies.
Too bad this recall was hi-jacked by the racist Green Party.
I am not a fan of Mr. Slay but he is the best Mayor I have seen in 40 years-That is not a tough feat considering the rest of the field. I hope we can find some one to replace him after his next term who can do an even better job. (We must replace some Aldermen as well.)
I am tired of Zacki and Company’s antics and I am tired of them embarrassing our city.
February 19th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Wow, they are averaging 83.3 signatures a day. At that rate they might just get the petition done for the 2009 mayoral primary.
What about that Gregali violation his parole by drinking at the Clinton dis-victory party? It was in sundays post dispatch.
February 19th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Otto,
You don’t know what you’re talking about. First of all the recall of Slay will NOT hurt Obama as Slay has supported Hillary. Secondly, the same neo nazi bigots who back Slay will NEVER back Obama. As to those bigots–I say GOOD RIDDANCE TO BAD RUBBISH. STOP TRYING TO PANIC THE PEOPLE BY MAKING THE BOGUS CLAIM THAT SLAY’S RECALL WILL RESULT IN MO. GOING FOR MCCAIN. THERE IS NO LINKAGE. SLAY WAS A MAJOR PARTICIPANT IN DISENFRANCHISING THE CITIZEN OF HIS CITY WHO SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS. HE DESERVES NOT ONLY TO BE RECALLED, BUT INVESTIGATED CRIMINALLY FOR ANY RICO VIOLATIONS. HE’S TOO COZY WITH SLU, AND SLU HAS RECEIVED TOO MANY SWEETHEART DEALS LIKE THE SCHOOL NEAR HARRIS-STOWE WHERE THEY ARE BUILDING THE BILLIKENS STADIUM. SLU GOT THAT FOR PENNIES ON THE DOLLAR. THERE’S A RICO VIOLATION COMING DOWN THE PIKE. AS FOR YOU OTTO, GO BACK TO YOUR PR OFFICE WHERE YOU WORK FOR SLAY’S HENCHMEN.
February 19th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
John Doe,
Wow. I guess I must have touched a nerve. It’s almost as if this isn’t the first time you thought about the possibility of the recall hurting Obama.
For the record, I’m for Obama 100%. And this is reason number 87 why the recall is a dumb idea.
It’s probably a moot point anyway.
February 19th, 2008 at 10:54 pm
I can barely wait until the day that damn Slay is bounced out of office on his ass by the majority of citizens of St. Louis!And his “boy”,Bryson!
February 20th, 2008 at 12:37 am
I think the recall reaching 43000 signatures is as unlikely as Slay being re-elected.
Seems like a waste of time.
February 20th, 2008 at 7:00 am
The recall is a great stratgey for creating poltical pressure on Mayor Slay. The reality is he is being stopped cold in his tracks and being exposed for what he has done to our city.
It will also lead the voters of the city to new leadership, it will be the Green Party, not the racist party that most of us know that is controled by outsiders. A new Green Party ruled and governed by St. Louis Voters. Poltical outsiders will not hold leadeship positions or manage an important politcal effort like the recall. In the meantime enjoy the fact that a Green Party member from St. Louis will compete for the postion opened up by recall, or in the normal election for the Mayor of the City of St. Louis. The election will be about poltics, ecomonics, and Race.
Don De Vivo
Green Party
February 20th, 2008 at 9:30 am
St. Louis Green party is a racist joke run by Barooti, Nasheed and Company.
Slay may not be the best but he is worlds better than Harmon, Bosley, Schoemmel, Conway or Cervantes. Compared to the last 10 Mayors Slay is by far the best we have seen. Also, who do we have to do better? Please don’t say Green. She has screwed up enough at Silly Hall without being in room 200. Mike won’t run because he is scared of certain things coming to light. Greg can’t and won’t ever be elected to Room 200. Lewis does not play the crony game and therefor the black “leadership” in St. Louis will work against him being elected to room 200 because they can’t get kick backs from him.
Who I ask will replace francis?
Like him or not he is light years better than any other option we have at this time.
February 20th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Kids,the above poster is proof of why you should not do drugs! Francis Slay a good mayor? HaHa HeHe,Not!
February 20th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
I think mayor slay is a great republican mayor. just like matt blunt. same agenda. help the rich. starve the poor…and i like the green party…
February 21st, 2008 at 9:29 am
As an update, Wynton Marsalis did perform in St. Louis against wishes of the people wanting to recall Slay. It just shows how (you fill in the blank) Marsalis is.
To expand upon what bean counter said, it took four months to gather, roughly, one fourth of the signatures needed. The effort started in October with a rally attended by nearly 1000 people. There was also an election day push to get signatures. At the present rate, it will take another twelve months to gather the needed signatures, which is just about the time when the Democratic Party mayoral primary will be held.
To Mr. Devivo, the recall effort may or may not be causing great pressure on Slay, but remember that the goal is to get him recalled, not to put pressure on him. The measure of success should be to get this issue on the ballot. Anything else is failure.
To the recallers, step up your game, if you can.
February 21st, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Given I am not a resident of the St. of Louis City and do not fully understanding the voters’ discontent with Mayor Slay with the exception of the demotion of Fire Chief Sherman George and the state take over of the school district, what are the voters’ beef with Slay?
It’s great to see voters becoming more active in their community by gathering signatures, and trying to make a difference, but have the aldermen address their concerns with the Mayor. Bring businesses and families back to the city is the only way the City of St. Louis can make a comeback. The community leaders must encourage new housing developments for all income levels, ethnicity groups and religion denominations.
The city has been in a downward spiral for over 40 years and many of the past mayors’ political imbibitions got in the way of good sound public service work. Even if the mayor was forced out of office, the positive change many voters are expecting can not be achieved in weeks, months or in a few years.
The City’s problems beside a declining population is the ineffectiveness of aldermanic board, the political leadership. The board members are too splintered by their own interest. In work towards the common good of the residents of the city the aldermen need to learn how to work together as opposed to opposition.
More than ever the City needs an unified population. No single demographic group can achieve success without embracing their fellow man who’s skin color, religion or income level may be different from yours. The eventually downfall of the city may come to pass due to the city’s lack of diversification.
February 21st, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Positive Change, you stated that you are not a St. Louis resident. That is why you don’t understand. I have lived in St. Louis for more than 40 years and I can tell you it goes deeper than SLPS and Sherman George. It is the principle of the thing, if you will.
Bosley set up the conservation district and programs to assist senior citizens and low income families with maintenance of their property and to force slum lords to provide safe homes for their tenants. When Slay got into office, he turned that same provision into a tool that creates legal fees so insurmountable for that same group of people that they lose their property trying to keep up.
The new construction that his few supporters brag about, robs the city of services by the tax abatement programs. Slay is saying, come to St. Louis, open a charter school, buy a house, and we’ll let the poor people continue to pay for the services, you don’t have to pay any taxes for 10, 15, 25 years, etc. You’ll have to overlook the additudes of our public servants, but you don’t have to pay their salary.
February 21st, 2008 at 10:55 pm
Po Righteous Teacher,you eloquently pointed out that damn Slay’s treatment of the poorer city residents!I believe that damn Slay would be happy if most black and poor residents would leave the city!I have witnessed that court and it is a travesty of justice the way elderly and poor mostly black citizens are treated in that court!
February 22nd, 2008 at 7:01 am
The people posting are right, this is a divided city based on race and class.
2000 people, many that lived in the city were ousted from their jobs when the school was targeted by the four non-profits that got their exceutives elected to the school board in what resulted in the dismanteling of the school system. Ruin the job based and the people have no reason to live in this city, Create crime by allowing land-banking for large subsidized development and people will be put in a position where they have to leave for the safty of their family. create property tax increases and raise all fees and poor will not be able to afford to live here. create police powers for NSO’s and the alderman can target poltical opponents.
51% will have to rule this city, the other small minority (10,000) best guess are making money off of the poverty and subsizied development. This city will not come together because at the root cause of our dilima is money.
Don DeVivo
P.S. visit Ward 22 right behing the Alderman’s Ward 22 headquarters and if you do not see a war zone that looks like any town in Iraq you are part of that 10,000 strong force dividing this city and selling it off for your gain.
5800 Dr. Martin Luther King, just drive up the alley. Accept this as normal and this city has no chance for a future.
February 25th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Let me get this straight. People are having a celebration for the 1st quarter. Since when do you celebrate before you finish the job. If that’s the case Hiliary is the Democratic nominee and the Patriots are Super Bowl champs.
February 27th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
thank you, Don
April 14th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
We must not forget the crooked ass alderman that take underhanded bribes from developers like Paul McKee (do your research) to destroy miles and miles of beautiful 19th century housing and build country ass excuses for affordable housing on top, when those beautiful brick houses could be redeveloped for use in the black community and appreciate property values creating wealth. Also there is way too many alderman and other dimwitted politicians in this city…get rid of all those bastards whether they are Black, White, Green whatever…..its just to many politicians with their hands in the cookie jar (20 something alderman is not acceptable for a city of 350,000 and the fact that they are all getting paid makes my stomach turn, how about we cut their wages and see if they really love the city of St. Louis). A lot of times its easy (and understandable at times) for us too blame the whites in South St. Louis or the county for problems in North St. Louis, but we also have to take a hard look at our so called pro-black representatives. How come buildings in North St. Louis resemble those in Beirut and why are there large fields of knee high grass….South St. Louis doesn’t look like this, why us? Maybe some of those big mouth alderman should be out their cutting lawns and really representing the community. The first problem is that we are expecting Slay (a white man) to fully understand the issues of a majority black (close to 60%) city. There is no excuse for us not to have a black mayor as long as there is more blacks than white. Plus the city of St. Louis (a completely urban city with unlimited amounts of untaped potential) hardly functions like a real city (shit we have laws against street vendors), who are these assholes in charge of city planning, organizing, bringing life back to the city? oh yeah the self serving politicians we elected.
April 14th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
and why my damn comments have to be monitored? Sounds like some crookedness is going down here.