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VIDEO: Northside pols rally in park, Hubbard gets candid about critics
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Saturday, July 08, 2006 at 8:36 PM
Several hundred people went to Fairground Park today to get information about the upcoming August election, hear music from local artists, and enjoy the day with family and friends.
The "Turn Up The Mic… Turn Up The Vote!" event was sponsored by St. Louis Argus publisher Eddie Hasan (father to state senate candidate Yaphett El-Amin) and Boss Entertainment (owned by a brother of state rep candidate Talib El-Amin). Several candidates and elected officials attended the event, including Aldermen Mike McMillan, Frank Williamson, and Jeffrey Boyd; State Reps Rodney Hubbard and Ted Hoskins; and candidates Jamilah Nasheed and Mr. and Mrs. El-Amin.
Some people representing an organization opposing eminent domain abuse by the city and state handed Hubbard a flier that showed him earning an F grade for his voting record on the issue. "Thanks for the F," Hubbard told the activists. "I'm glad it don't mean nothing."
Hubbard then made some rather candid remarks to PUB DEF's camera about what he called "so-called activists" who he said are more concerned about getting consulting contracts than representing the interests of people.
Sources say Alderman Freeman Bosley, Sr. has hired some help from political operator Lou Hamilton to aid him in averting a recall. Hamilton, who represents clients including Mayor Francis Slay and Barnes Hospital, will be looking through the 200-page petition with a fine-tooth comb looking for duplicate and fraudulent signatures.
[UPDATE: Hamilton says that while he is helping Bosley beat the recall, he has not been formally hired.]
Bosley is a member of the special committee assembled by Mayor Francis Slay to look into the financial aspects of a proposal that would hand over a small part of Forest Park to Barnes. Hamilton represents both Barnes and Slay, but he contends that as it relates to this deal, he just represents BJC.
It has been previously reported that Hamilton's relationship with Slay, BJC and Bosley rubs many people as clear conflict of interest.
Hamilton may also represent QuikTrip in their attempt to open a new gas station at the corner of Hampton and Columbia. When asked last week about his appearance at a meeting of the Clifton Heights Neighborhood Association (where they voted 100-6 to oppose the development), Hamilton would neither confirm nor deny his employment by QT.
"I was just observing," he told PUB DEF.
UPDATE 2: Hamilton told PUB DEF that while he has looked over the 200-page recall petition and done some research into the whole recall process, he was never asked to do so by Bosley. He said the real coordinator of the anti-recall campaign is Tim Person, former aide to Bosley's son, former Mayor Freeman Bosley, Jr.
In a phone interview, Person confirmed that he is playing an "intimate and interested" role in Senior's fight to stay in office. He also said that they have made "phenomenal" progress in invalidating many of the 1,850 signatures that were turned in Friday.
The Board of Elections has until 4:45 p.m. on Monday to certify the petition. If there turns out to be less than the needed 1,466 valid signatures, the petitioners will be given 20 days to make up the difference.
Person predicted that the petition would not be certified Monday. He said that he has uncovered many duplicate and possibly forged signatures. Person said that after Monday's deadline, Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce and the U.S. Prosecutor might be interested in some of his and the Board of Election's findings.
Jeffrey Hardin formally announced this morning he will again run for alderman should the attempt to recall Freeman Bosley, Sr. be successful.
Hardin gave PUB DEF the news last week, but he held a formal press conference downtown today to tell everyone else that he has accepted the support of the 3rd Ward Democrats for the People, the group that turned in more than 2,000 signatures to the Board of Elections last week in support of recalling the 28-year veteran Bosley.
"We would like to send a message to our current alderman," said Hardin, who lost to Bosley last year by just 19 votes. "We do not feel that the service to our community is being done at its best." He said that he would like for the wishes of 3rd Ward residents to be heard "from downtown to uptown."
Hardin, who says he has not been involved in the recall effort to date, did say if the petition falls short of the number needed to get the question on the ballot he would he get involved to help them get the remaining signatures needed in the 20 days allowed by law.
One of the galvanizing issues behind this effort to recall Bosley is his use of eminent domain. One of his most vocal critics on this issue has been Maxine Johnson, whose home is being threatened by legislation introduced by the alderman. Bosley has blamed much of his recall troubles on Johnson. Hardin defended Johnson today and said that he applauds her efforts to bring attention to her cause.
The St. Louis Argus will be co-sponsoring a "community-wide free concert and Get-Out-The-Vote rally" on Saturday in north St. Louis.
"Turn Up The Mic… Turn Up The Vote!" will feature softball, clowns, relay races, health screenings, and face painting. Visitors will also have a chance to meet several candidates running in the August 8 primary, including Ald. Mike McMillan, who's running for License Collector; State Rep. Rodney Hubbard, who's seeking re-election; Jamilah Nasheed, who's running for state rep from the 60th District; and husband and wife, Talib and Yaphett El-Amin, running for state rep and state senator, respectively.
The Argus, which is co-sponsoring the event along with Boss Entertainment and Reach 1 Teach 1, is published by Eddie Hasan, Yaphett El-Amin's father.
Many readers will recall that Jeff Smith, who is one of El-Amin's four senate opponents, also held a day-in-the-park event at Fairgound a few weeks ago.
Saturday's event is scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m. and last until dusk. Fairground Park is located at the corner of Natural Bridge Blvd. and Fair Ave.
Frank Popper's documentary "Can Mr. Smith Get To Washington Anymore?" has a new website. It also has some online reviews from bloggers who've seen the film which follows the 2004 Congressional campaign of current state senate candidate Jeff Smith.
From Agnes Varnum: "I found the filmmaking craft to be fantastic and the story compelling."
From Chuck Tyron: "I think the film can offer a significant contribution to our ongoing conversations about politics and civic participation."
Do ladies love cool Jim Talent? That's what Women for Talent would have you think. The U.S. Senator, who is facing a tough challenge from Democrat Claire McCaskill, was joined Thursday morning at the Frontenac Hilton by his wife, Brenda; his two daughters, Kate and Chrissy; and a group of other women from across the state all willing to give Talent some "pink cred" against his female challenger.
Send your own Photoshop interpretations of "L.L. Cool Jim" to editor@pubdef.net. Winner gets a special prize! Here's one from our favorite local anarchists mischievists, the Bill McClellan Motherfuckers.
Click here to download this week's print(able) edition of PUB DEF Weekly.
Let freedom ring! Spread truth and knowledge! Copy, Print, Share. Make a bunch of copies, drop off some at City Hall, in your neighborhood coffee shop, or pass 'em out on street corners.
Or just make paper airplanes out of them. Whatever, it's your ink and paper.
The 3rd Ward Democrats for the People, the newly formed organization that turned in more than 2,000 signatures last week to recall Ald. Freeman Bosley, Sr., has endorsed Jeffrey Hardin to replace Bosley should the recall be successful.
PUB DEF was the first and only to report last week that Hardin has decided to run again to replace Bosley. Many readers will recall remember that Hardin lost in March of last year by just 19 votes.
KMOV is reporting that more than half of the respondents to their online poll said that Fair Saint Louis was "terrible" this year.
While the organizers of this year's scaled-back Fair continue to try to sell it as just one of many music-oriented events on the riverfront this summer, most people clearly see it as an independent event -- one that is usually the centerpiece of downtown summer fun.
CLAIRE THE COUNTRY MOUSE? If you're a city voter and you're starting to think that maybe U.S. Senate candidate Claire McCaskill just isn't that in to you, rest assured. It isn't you, it's her... strategy!
According to an article in Sunday's Washington Post, McCaskill's people noticed something about her 2004 campaign for governor; she lost. This time around, they're giving a little more love to those rural voters who the state GOP has been liplocked with like two Wentzville teenagers high on E.
"What 2004 demonstrated is that we have ignored rural Missouri at our own peril," McCaskill told the paper.
Flirting is always okay. But trying to make it to third base with the quarterback's girlfriend is tough (even when the QB is down by 21 in the 4th quarter). Claire would be wise to remember big brother's Prom Day advice: Go home with the one that brung you to the party.
YAPHETT TAPPED FOR "STRUGGLE" The Organization of Black Struggle endorsed Yaphett El-Amin for the state senate yesterday saying she would "continue to speak truth to power, and stand as an outspoken voice against those who would wage war upon our most vulnerable citizens."
SCHOOL BOARD PUTS SOME TEETH IN ITS OVERSIGHT Starting today, the St. Louis Board of Education will have a new pair of eyes looking over the shoulder of Superintendent Creg Williams and his staff. Just days after the district failed to deliver paychecks to nearly 2,000 employees, the school board now has its own auditor to examine the district's financial picture. Read more here.
FAIRWEATHER FRANCIS Nearly two months after his three-year experiment of unprecedented influence over the City's public schools came to an abrupt and unceremonious end, Mayor Francis Slay seems to be switching from his usual posture as a blind cheerleader for the future of the city's public schools to man deliberately lowering public expectations for the superintendent he helped pick.
The mayor's political advisors have chosen his website as the place to begin a new PR campaign to place blame for the school district's approaching financial disaster at the feet of previous school boards -- nevermind the fact that the mayor has been involved in the hiring of 5 different superintendents and 1 multi-million dollar turnaround team all charged with fixing that problem.
They say it is "unlikely" that Creg Williams will find a solution either. But then, anybody that took a look at the 2007 budget he submitted last month could see that.
At last Thursday's contentious townhall meeting in the 3rd Ward, one of embattled Alderman Freeman Bosley, Sr.'s old political enemies showed up to pour salt on his wounds and rally the small army of residents calling for his recall.
Former 19th Ward Ald. Velma Bailey addressed the crowd in manner befitting a marathon tent revival. She told the residents of Bosley's ward, more than 2,000 of whom apparently signed a petition to remove him from office, that none of them are safe from his irresponsible usage of eminent domain powers.
She said they should rally behind Maxine Johnson, the woman whose home is being taken by legislation introduced by Bosley and whose character was publicly attacked by the alderman earlier that same night.
The Bailey-Bosley beef dates back more than ten years, to before Bosley and his son, then-Mayor Freeman Bosley, Jr., supported Francis G. Slay's campaign for Aldermanic Board President -- Slay would later defeat Bosley in 2001 in what was basically a three-man race against Mayor Clarence Harmon (Bill Haas also ran, receiving just 424 votes) -- over Bailey.
