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Democrats have their own plan to reform voting in Missouri, threaten filibuster
By Antonio D. French
 In response to Republican calls for requiring photo identification at the time of voting, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan has unveiled a set of proposed legislative initiatives to reduce voter fraud and make voting easier for Missourians.
The "Election Protection Act" sponsored by Sen. Maida Coleman (D-5) and Rep. John Bowman (D-70) which would:
1 - Increase the maximum penalty from five to 15 years imprisonment for those who commit voter fraud by misrepresenting themselves at the polls
2 - Increase oversight of voter registration organizers
3 - Provide online training for voter registration gatherers
4 - Increase the maximum penalty from seven to 15 years imprisonment for those who misrepresent themselves on a voter registration application
5 - Increase the maximum penalty from five to 15 years imprisonment for persons committing absentee voter fraud
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 "Advance Missouri 2006" sponsored by Sen. Rita Days (D-14) and Rep. Bob Johnson (R-47) which would:
1 - Allow Missourians to vote in person prior to Election Day without an excuse
2 - Provide advance voting for a two-week period at one central location in all areas and additional "satellite" voting locations in larger jurisdictions
3 - Protect privacy voter privacy by restricting access to and use of absentee and advance voter lists by political parties and candidates
4 - Reduce the potential to cheat by reducing lines and large crowds on Election Day
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 The "Initiative Petition Integrity Act" sponsored by Sen. Joan Bray (D-24) and Rep. Rachel Storch (D-64), which would increase the penalty from a class A misdemeanor to a class D felony for people who forge names on petitions.
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The "Election Worker Incentive Act" sponsored by Sen. Yvonne Wilson (D-9) and Rep. Beth Low (D-39), which would establish a tax credit for those who serve as poll workers.
Secretary Carnahan said she is also calling on the General Assembly to fund a current election law provision that provides transaction fees to help local election authorities keep clean voter lists. She says this fee will help ensure that local election authorities keep voting lists current and accurate. "My goal is to make it as easy as possible to vote and as hard as possible to cheat," said Carnahan.
Jo Mannies of the Post-Dispatch says the Democrats have threatened to filibuster the Republican photo ID requirement.
St. Louis Centre sold
By Antonio D. French
Schmid puts those balls to good use
By Antonio D. French
Love him or hate him, Craig Schmid has balls.
 The 20th Ward alderman has rubbed a lot of people the wrong way recently with his bill to seize people's cars if they own speakers capable of playing loud music (a softer version of the bill passed yesterday, click here to see exclusive video of Schmid explaining the new bill) and with his refusal to allow any new bars in his ward (restaurants only).
But yesterday, Schmid put those balls to good use and ignored what has been a major obstacle to any kind of comprehensive city redevelopment, the tenet known as "aldermanic courtesy".
Steve Patterson reported yesterday that Schmid attended a hearing on a proposed McDonald's to be built in the 15th Ward, which borders Schmid's ward. Alderman Jennifer Florida did not appreciate Schmid's presence one bit. Imagine her rage when he actually testified against the development.
Jake Wagman of the Post-Dispatch says Florida felt like she was "slapped" or "beat up" and was "completely blindsided". "I question his ethics," Florida told Wagman. "I would not do that to an enemy. Let alone a colleague."
Florida got in Schmid's face and said, "Craig, this is going to happen whether you like it or not." Wagman reports. Kind of like she told Elliot Davis when he got in her face a few months ago.
We applaud Craig Schmid for his actions. The City of St. Louis is not a collection of 28 autonomous territories. Tradition and limits on the power of the mayor in the city's charter allow aldermen to act as if actions or inaction in their wards don't affect the rest of us, but they're wrong. In this case, it's Craig who's right. We'd like to see other aldermen take his lead.
But one warning: Not long ago, there was another 20th Ward alderman who regularly overlooked "aldermanic courtesy". When the last redistricting occured, she found that her ward had moved to the other side of the city -- without her.
Annie Malone is secretive
By Antonio D. French
Four times this week, PUB DEF has called the office of the Annie Malone Children and Family Service Center to find out the date of the next meeting of the board of directors. We've been denied that information all four times.
Apparently, employees at the center have been instructed not to give out such information, even though the center is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. They transfered us to the voicemail of Executive Director Richard King. King, according to his assistant, has been too busy to return the calls.
Despite knowing from our messages that we just wanted to know the date of the next meeting, King did not instruct his assistant to give us that simple information on our subsequent calls. The assistant denied that King had told her not to give us the date.
"You need to get that information from Mr. King," she said. "My job is to do work here not to give out information."
Call Richard King at (314) 531-0120. Maybe you'll have better luck than we did.
UPDATE: We finally caught up with Mr. King this afternoon. But we still didn't get the date of the next board of directors meeting. He refused to tell us, saying that we were "harassing" him and his employees.
We are reminded that Ald. Freeman Bosley, Sr. (3rd Ward) also complained of King not returning calls and failing to communicate with others. One would expect an organization which relies upon reputation and good will for funding to be more open. Mr. King has been on the job less than a year and has already done much to damage both of those things.
8th Ward goes with Downs and Buford
By Antonio D. French
Sources tell PUB DEF that despite strong endorsements by Alderman Steve Conway and Committeewoman Tishaura Jones, school board President Darnetta Clinkscale did not get the 8th Ward Democrat's endorsement last night. Instead, the nod went to Peter Downs and Clinkscale's running mate, Jim Buford.
Teachers Union endorses Downs and Jones, snubs Mayor Slay's picks
By Antonio D. French
READ IT HERE FIRST
The St. Louis Teachers and School Related Personnel Union, Local 420, has endorsed Peter Downs and Donna Jones for school board.
In a letter dated Feb. 14, the union's leaders say, "Both Peter and Donna are proud parents of children who attend the St. Louis Public Schools... We believe that [they] will move our district forward." The letter also says that the duo have been endorsed by The St. Louis Labor Club as well.
The endorsement by the teachers union of the two outsider candidates is not entirely unexpected. After endorsing all but one of the candidates backed by Mayor Francis Slay in 2003, the union has become a vocal critic of several moves made by the board majority. The rejection of Slay's latest picks, Board President Darnetta Clinkscale and recent appointee Jim Buford of the Urban League, can also be interpreted as a rejection of the mayor's leadership.
In an email this week from MayorSlay.com, the mayor says, "The reforms proposed by the Board over the past three years have not been uniformly popular – or, even, immediately successful. Some groups, including some district employees, feared for their jobs. Other groups favored different changes or disliked some of the proposed changes. Yet, there is plenty of evidence that improvements made by the Board are now beginning to take hold – and that children are learning."
Many parents and teachers disagree though, pointing to the slide further away from accreditation since the mayor got involved in the schools.
Attached to the union's letter of endorsement is a flier that reads, "Get off the Clinkscale Slide!" It shows how the district had 64 points towards full accreditation (just 2 points shy of the needed 66 points) in 2003 when the Slay slate took over the district. SLPS now has only 39 points.
Dead raccoon left for black contractor
By Antonio D. French
 A black contractor working on the I-64 project in St. Clair County, Illinois reported today that her work site was vandalized with a racist symbol. Dorrie Wise, of DKW Construction, said that around 8:00 this morning, she found the body of a dead raccoon hanging from a rope.
After seeing the "lynched coon", Wise said she immediately called her union and advocates of the black contracting community. Area television news crews soon showed up. Because the highway project is funded with federal dollars, representatives of federal agencies also came to the site.
Last year, a group of black contractors threatened civil disobediance unless more minority firms were hired on the project. Workers on the project today called this an act of intimidation, but added they would not be deterred.
"It's 2006 and we've still got to deal with this," Wise told reporters, shaking her head.
Carnahan gets seat on International Relations Committee
By Antonio D. French
 Russ Carnahan, the first-term Democratic Congressman from south St. Louis, has been appointed to the prestigious House International Relations Committee. He's replacing Robert Menendez (D-NJ) who was appointed in January to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate.
The IR Committee deals with issues of terrorism and global security. Carnahan is running for re-election this year, but has no announced opposition yet.
UPDATE: Carnahan beat out second-term Congresswoman Linda Sánchez (D-CA) for the committee seat. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus had been pressing House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (also from California) hard to appoint Sánchez. According to The Hill newspaper, what probably did her in was that fact that 8 of the 22 Democrats on the panel, including ranking Democrat Tom Lantos, hail from California. Carnahan is only the 3rd Midwestern Democrat.
Capitol Police called after Boykins' brother harasses Hubbard
By Antonio D. French
PUB DEF EXCLUSIVE
Last week, State Rep. Rodney Hubbard got into a shouting match with the brother of State Rep. Amber Boykins over his support of her opponent in her state senate race, Yaphett El-Amin.
 On Wednesday, Feb. 8, Luther Boykins, Jr. forced himself into Hubbard's office and confronted him about his support of El-Amin. According to one witness,"He was irate." He began to shout loudly at Hubbard, who tried unsuccessfully to calm him. Hubbard later called the State Capitol Police.
According to a police report obtained by PUB DEF, Hubbard reported that Boykins screamed and yelled obscenities at him. Boykins said he would "not let anyone fuck with his sister," the report says. Hubbard told Boykins that it was "not personal but political."
Hubbard did not file charges but said he wanted the Capitol Police to be aware of the situation. Hubbard nor Boykins could be reached for comment on this story.
Minimum wage fight is on in Missouri
By Antonio D. French
Jo Mannies is reporting that four initiative-petition proposals to increase the state’s minimum wage are being reviewed by Secretary of State Robin Carnahan's office right now. All four, says Mannies, were submitted by Jim Kottmeyer, former executive director of the Missouri Democratic Party. He hopes to get the proposal on the November ballot. State Rep. John Bowman (D-70) has introduced a similar bill in the state House.
College Dems coming to SLU, Young GOPers having a "Big Party"
By Antonio D. French
The 2006 College Democrats of America Convention will be held at St. Louis University from July 20-23. According to a CDA email, the focus of this year's event will be the 2006 mid-term elections.
The organization's website says that due to "unknown political pressures, Washington University recently came forward and decided that they were no longer able to host."
Students can register for the event online at www.collegedems.com.
On the other side of the isle, the Missouri Federation of Young Republicans will be gathering this weekend, Feb. 17 and 18, at the Sheraton Westport Hotel in St. Louis County for their "YR Big Party Weekend".
The group's flier advertises "6 hours of grassroots education" for just $34. Among the scheduled speakers are State Sen. Michael Gibbons and "Mr. California Republican Politics" himself, Mark Abernathy.
Click here to get more info.
Big changes coming to SLPS, critics say it's the same ol' thing
By Antonio D. French
Last night, the St. Louis Board of Education approved a plan by Superintendent Creg Williams to make some big changes in the City's public schools. The plan, which was kept secret until the night of the vote, includes the following changes:
1. Mandatory school uniforms at some schools
2. Separate 9th grade academies
3. Year-round school for 9th graders
4. Some all-boy and all-girl schools
5. smaller "learning academies"
 Critics say that such sweeping changes should have included much more public input, which has been a constant criticism of the board majority backed by Mayor Francis Slay. They also say that this is another example of a grand experiment by a St. Louis superintendent who may not even be here to see the changes through.
Not long ago, at the suggestion of another superintendent, the district closed 14 schools (most in north St. Louis), which resulted in larger classes and some buildings filled over capacity. These new reforms will likely require some of those buildings to be re-opened. Williams is the 4th superintendent in two and a half years.
Supporters of the reforms say that the public school's drastic situation calls for a drastic solution. Last year, the district fell more than 20 points further away from full accreditation by the state.
Click here to download a PowerPoint presentation of Williams' Plan.
UPDATE: SLPS clarified today that the requirement for school uniforms will not affect all of the district's students.
Bill adds requirements to voting and registration in Missouri
By Antonio D. French
A hearing was held in Jefferson City this week on Senate Bill 1014, introduced by Sen. Delbert Scott, of Lowry City, MO. The bill would, among other things, require that a photo ID be shown at the time of voting. It also would require paid voter registrars to sign up with the secretary of state's office and prohibit them from being paid based on how many voter registration cards they submit.
Scott Leiendecker, the Republican elections director for St. Louis city, testified in favor of the bill. From the AP:
"I feel a lot of people are fed up, and they feel their vote is being taken advantage of," Leiendecker said. He cited examples of voter registration fraud in the city's 22nd Ward. Since last May, about 500 registration cards have been received from that area, and he is looking into 293 of them as being potentially fraudulent. "A number of them that we already have looked into were forged," he said.
State Rep. Yaphett El-Amin vehemently disagreed that this legislation was a good thing.
"This is about sending the state of Missouri back to the days of Jim Crow," said El-Amin, D-St. Louis. "The act should be called the Keep Missourians from Voting Act." She went further, suggesting the law would set Missouri back decades and undo part of the progress made by civil rights activists.
List of co-sponsors growing for Bush impeachment bill
By Antonio D. French
Yesterday, Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI) and Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) became the latest members of Congress to sign on as co-sponsors of the controversial bill calling for an investigation of possible grounds for impeachment of President George W. Bush.
 House Resolution #635, introduced in December by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), now has 24 co-sponsors, including St. Louis' own William Clay, Jr. who signed on two weeks ago.
The bill calls for creating a 20-member select committee to investigate the Administration's intent to go to war before congressional authorization, manipulation of pre-war intelligence, encouraging and countenancing torture, retaliating against critics, and to make recommendations regarding grounds for possible impeachment.
The bill was referred to the House Committee on Rules in December. Congressional watchers way it is very unlikely that it will make it out of committee in this Republican-controlled Congress.
Bond to "write" book on radical Islam
By Antonio D. French
Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO) is planning to "write" his first book. The subject, according to the Associated Press, is "radical Islamic movements in Southeast Asia and the need for more U.S. involvement in the region." Pulitzer Prize winner Lewis Simons, a former AP correspondent, will be "assisting" Bond in writing the book. From the AP story:
"We have different political philosophies in some areas, but we were right on target on this one," Bond said of Simons. "I can get him access to people he might not reach and he's going to be going out in the bushes and talking to people I'd never talk to."
The book will be published sometime in 2007 or 2008 by Threshold Editions, a conservative publishing division of Simon & Schuster. GOP pundit and political strategist Mary Matalin heads the unit, which was formed last year.
Radio host killed in police chase
By Antonio D. French
Channel 2 News is reporting that the innocent man killed last night as a result of a police chase through northside streets was Rev. Nathaniel Cole of the radio show "God's Revealing Tabernacle" on KSTL 690 AM.
From ktvifox2.com:
Another police chase into north St. Louis, but this time it ends in death and injury. A religious radio show host was killed, and his wife is critically injured.
A source tells us the man killed Monday night was Rev. Nathaniel Cole. He had a radio show at KSTL 690AM. In fact, he was supposed to be on the air at 1:00pm. His wife Annie is in surgery right now. They were involved in Monday night's chase.
The suspects [allegedly] flourished a gun, and at one point [allegedly] fired at them. The chase ended right around Broadway and Calvary when the suspect's white Ford Bronco crossed the center line and slammed into the red SUV with the innocent couple in their 50s inside. Rev. Cole was pronounced dead at the scene.
Kit Bond is funny... in a scary, illogical, completely-out-of-touch kind of way
By Antonio D. French
If you missed Sen. Kit Bond's press conference yesterday, let us paraphrase:
"Why can't you people get it through your thick skulls? Our nation is on a critical mission to spread democracy and defend liberty at home and abroad. Your constant "speaking freely" and "non-violent petitioning of your government" is getting in the way of that goal. So stop it!"
"Every time you criticize your elected leaders, you are helping the terrorists. If you stop talking about the illegal domestic spying program, the terrorists will forget that we're listening and we can get back to collecting hundreds of hours of phone calls that we will eventually translate sometime in the next 18-24 months (give or take)."
Bill seeks to limit superintendent salaries
By Antonio D. French
Via the St. Louis Schools Watch:
Concern that the St. Louis Board of Education's willingness to sharply raise its superintendent's salary will have an inflationary affect on smaller school district has spread to the Missouri legislature.
The House Education Committee is set to hear testimony this week on a bill to limit superintendents' salaries.
 Rep. Terry Young (R-49), of Independence, MO, introduced the bill which seeks to limit a school superintendent's salary to 1.5 times the highest teacher's salary for any school district whose boundaries overlap counties of the third and fourth classification.
Callow + Geisman = Conflict of Interest
By Antonio D. French
The time has come to explore the conflicts of interest that arise from the relationship between the City's deputy mayor for development and her live-in boyfriend, Richard Callow.
Barb Geisman is in charge of selecting the development projects that the city should back. Her duties often find her making decisions that determine how City and state tax dollars are spent, who does (and does not) get to redevelop certain properties, and whose property values are increased while others continue to decrease. On at least one occasion, it was her own property value that increased as a result of her decisions.
In 2002, Brian Marston reported that Geisman was asked by the Federal Highway Administration and the Missouri Department of Transportation to step down from overseeing the $20 million Washington Avenue streetscape improvement to avoid the "appearance" of a conflict of interests. She and Callow own a property at 1517 Washington.
Around the same time, Geisman's longtime live-in partner, Richard Callow, was working for the owners of the St. Louis Cardinals, seeking to get as much public money as possible to fund the team's new stadium. Geisman and her boss, Mayor Francis Slay, were presumably working at the same time to get the best deal for the taxpayers. Conflict?
Also in 2002, DJ Wilson reported that Maplewood, THF Inc. paid Callow's public-relations firm, Public Eye Inc., at least $82,315 to promote a ballot referendum that cleared the way for the new Maplewood Wal-Mart and Sam's Club. When those opened up, the Sam's Club in the City, at St. Louis Marketplace, closed, costing the City of St. Louis millions in tax revenue. Geisman was presumably working at the same time to save those needed taxes. Conflict?
In today's issue of the Post-Dispatch, columnist Sylvester Brown reports that the Geisman/Callow relationship is once again a source of controversy. Callow -- who now works for Slay as well, maintaining his blog and serving as his PR person on various political issues -- sits on the City's Preservation Board.
Citizens for Responsible Development wonder if that relationship had anything to do with the board recently agreeing to allow a 28-story Central West End high-rise that violates the standards of the Central West End Historic District, which limits such developments to 15 stories. Geisman backs the project.
The fact that this relationship has not been seen as a scandal for the Slay Administration has as much to do with Callow's relationship with the Post-Dispatch and other media outlets, as with the continuing double standard as to exactly what is a scandal.
In 2001, Safir Ahmed revisited the "scandal" that involved Tim Person, a former aide to Mayor Freeman Bosley, Jr. "Person, the [Post-Dispatch] breathlessly reported, had served as the mayor's rep on a panel that awarded airport contracts to two companies, without disclosing to anyone that his wife had previously done subcontract work for the companies," Ahmed wrote.
He continued, "Stung by the scandal and facing a re-election bid, Bosley announced the next day that although it pained him, he had asked for Person's resignation."
The time has again come for a mayor to address the continuing conflict of interest that exists in his administration.
McGowan thinks cutting TIFs to help schools is a "terrible idea"
By Antonio D. French
Developer Kevin McGowan told Martin Van Der Werf of the Post-Dispatch that Comptroller Darlene Green's idea of doing away with 100% tax abatements for developers in favor of a 50% or less abatement is not the right thing to do.
"I think it’s a terrible idea," said McGowan. "I think the timing is not right." He said the time will be right when he and his colleagues can sell $300,000 to $500,000 lofts in 30 days. Right now, he says it takes him six to 12 months.
As we reported last month, Green has been critical of the 100% TIFs that developers are receiving. "If we were to look at that and say it's time to change that and give 50 percent to the developers and take 50 percent away from the developers, then we would have a more mutual benefit for the city and the schools," Green told the Post.
McGowan admitted that developers are addicted to TIFs. But he added, "Get it out of your mind, city, that the subsidy’s going away. It’s here. And if it’s not, then development isn’t, either. The task that the city needs to figure out is how to manage it wisely so it get the best return for the money."
Read the full interview here. Learn more about Tax Increment Financing here and here.
NY Times mentions rise in St. Louis crime rates
By Antonio D. French
In the Sunday edition of The New York Times, reporter Kate Zernike takes a look at rising crime rates across America. They mention St. Louis' 20% rise in violent crime. No mention of the proposed 20% increase in pay for Chief Joe Mokwa though.
In Boston and San Francisco the number of homicides last year was at its highest in a decade, and in Prince George's County, Md., outside Washington, it was the highest ever.
In St. Louis, the number of homicides rose to 131 last year from 113 in 2004. Tulsa had 64 murders, 2 more than in 1993. Charlotte jumped from a record low of 60 homicides in 2004 to 85 in 2005. And the murder rate for 2005 was above the 15-year average in Kansas City, Mo., and Nashville.
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