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DEF is a non-partisan, independent political blog based in the
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PARK PROTECTION PETITION? PERHAPS. -- The group seeking to protect a part of Forest Park from the latest attempt to take it for commercial use might be turning in their petition this afternoon.
The petition, which needs more than 20,000 valid signatures, seeks to put to city voters any question of giving park land to BJC Hospital for future use. Mayor Francis Slay supports extending BJC's current lease, while Comptroller Darlene Green, Pres. Jim Shrewsbury, and several aldermen have voiced concerns about the deal.
NOW THERE ARE THREE OF THEM -- Ed Martin, chief of staff for Gov. Matt Blunt, and his wife Carol today are celebrating the birth of young Mr. Edward Robert Martin, III.
The third Mr. Martin entered the world at 5:16 am this morning at St. John's Hospital. Look at that, not even a day old and his name is already in bold.
HULL OF A GUY -- Ald. Phyllis Young has introduced a bill to rename a portion of Clark Street downtown in honor of former Blues hockey star Brett Hull. The new "Brett Hull Way" will stretch between 14th and 16th streets in front of the arena in which his old team now plays (very badly).
The Board of Aldermen today passed legislation to change the law banning new liquor licenses from being issued in the 22nd Ward on the north side. At the same time, they passed a new ban against issuing new licenses in the 24th Ward in south St. Louis.
Twenty-Second Ward Alderman Jeffrey Boyd said his bill (BB #292) is part of a move to reduce the number of liquor stores in his district, while still allowing the creation of new lounges and restaraunts selling beer.
Readers may recall Royale owner Steve Smith's ongoing battle with 20th Ward Ald. Craig Schmid over a ban of new bars in his ward.
The Board of Aldermen today approved Mayor Francis Slay's appointments to the Locust Central Business District. Samuel Coleman was reappointed to the board, representing the district's renters. Harry Michael was also appointed to the board, replacing Brad Hamilton.
An article by Shawn Clubb, of the Suburban Journals, says that a plan to replace Veronica O'Brien as president of the city school board failed because board members supported by Mayor Francis Slay now support O'Brien.
Despite increasing public calls calls for O'Brien to resign as president following numerous public comments which undermined the district's continuing fight to retain control of its schools and criticized the very superintendent that she helped bring to the district just a few months ago -- board members Bob Archibald and Ron Jackson (and presumably Mayor Slay) oppose a change in board leadership.
From Clubb's story:
"Removal of any board officer, including the president, would require six votes from the seven-member board [actually, we heard it was only 5] –- a move that would require every member except O’Brien to vote for her ouster.
Flint Fowler said Downs courted him to replace O’Brien.
O’Brien said she has heard nothing about it.
Fowler said there have been conversations about who would succeed O’Brien if she were no longer president. He said Downs asked him if he was interested in the president’s position..."
"Jackson and Archibald have joined with Mayor Francis Slay in calling for a state takeover of the district, while O’Brien has asked for state intervention. Fowler also supports state intervention."
Black Leadership Roundtable to Unveil Latest "Achievement Gap" Report
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Thursday, December 07, 2006 at 3:32 PM
The St. Louis Black Leadership Roundtable will host its 2006 Annual Meeting this weekend. As part of the event, the Roundtable will unveil its latest publication, the "2006 Regional Report Card: Eliminating the African-American Academic Achievement Gap".
According to the group's chairman, John Moten, Jr., the report is designed to provide parents, school administrators, teachers, students and community members with reader-friendly information on the African-American academic achievement gap.
The Roundtable calls itself a "non-profit advocacy and action-oriented organization focused on improving the quality of life for African-Americans in the St. Louis metropolitan region." The group was instrumental in getting Darnetta Clinkscale and Ron Jackson endorsed by Mayor Francis Slay and Civic Progress in the 2003 school board election.
The event will be Sunday, Dec. 10, at UMSL's Millennium Student Center, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
The Cardinals' interest was difficult to define. Their general manager, Walt Jocketty, said Thursday morning he had not met with Bonds and added, "I don't know where that's coming from."
Asked if the club had any interest in the tainted slugger, Jocketty said, "No."
But, it appears that another Cardinals employee did, allowing Jocketty to maintain distance from the conversation and any possible fallout.
In related news... State Rep. Talibdin El-Amin will be introducing legislation next session to rename the stretch of Highway 70 running through north St. Louis City from "Mark McGwire Highway" to "John Bass Highway", after the powerful former state senator.
Congressman Lacy Clay has issued the following statement in response the report released yesterday by the Iraq Study Group:
"The report issued by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group vindicates what I have been saying for more than three years...we are not winning, the policy is not working, and we need to change direction without delay.
I am hopeful that the President will fully embrace the findings of the commission. We are ready to work with him to find a way to end this tragic war and to once again unify our nation in order to go forward with the unfinished work of the American people.
Ten more brave Americans were killed today in Iraq. We owe it to them, and to the other 23,000 Americans who have been killed or wounded, to forge a bipartisan solution that honors their sacrifice and brings them home as soon as possible."
Bio Dampens First Impressions for a St. Louis Freshman Legislator
By Antonio D. French
As the new crop of freshman legislators were being orientated last week in Jefferson City, they were learning as much about each other as they were about the rules of the Capitol. But at least one state rep may not like what his colleagues were told about him.
A six-page booklet handed out to new legislators listed photos and quick facts about the freshmen -- age, marital status, education, what they've done politically, etc. But in State Rep.-elect Talibdin El-Amin's biography, there was a little bit more than the getting-to-know-you fodder that you'd expect.
"During the election the media said that as Mark Bastain he has 2 teens by an ex-girlfriend & owes over $7000 in back child support," it stated.
"It's extremely offensive," said El-Amin. "It was unprofessional and malicious."
El-Amin said that he's sure false charges were made against other legislators during their campaigns, but were not included in any of his colleague's biographies. Instead only his was littered with false, negative information.
"There was nothing like 'here's a guy who donated a kidney' or 'here's a guy that works with kids'," he said.
El-Amin said that he does see it as a racist act -- especially when taken along with the biography of his fellow African-American and fellow Muslim freshman legislator, Jamilah Nasheed.
Nasheed's bio discribes her as a "classic juvenile delinquent drop-out" whose life was turned around by the religion of Islam. [Click here to see the biographies in question.]
The woman who is credited with compiling the information in the packet, lobbyist and former State Rep. Lana Ladd Baker, has not replied to email requests for comment.
El-Amin said Baker has not offered him an apology, but even if she did, the damage has already been done. After all, you don't get a second chance to make a first impression.
When asked what he thought about Baker, El-Amin said simply, "She needs to be fired."
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.
Mayor: Only 3% Still Without Power in City, National Guard Leaving Soon
By Antonio D. French
The National Guard and the St. Louis Fire Department are going door to door today in the Shaw and Walnut Park neighborhoods looking for people in need of assistance.
According the mayor's website, only 2.8% of Ameren’s customers in the City of St. Louis are still without electricity.
Over 150 people slept at the Wohl and 12th & Park warming centers last night. Today guardsmen and firefighters will begin helping those people back into their homes. Both facilities will be open again tonight for those needing to stay warm.
The National Guard believes they will have their mission here completed by mindnight tonight.
VIDEO: Motion to End Sodexho Contract Sparks Heated School Board Exchange
By Antonio D. French
A resolution introduced yesterday by school board member Bill Purdy to begin to move to end the district's contract with controversial maintenance contractor Sodexho sparked heated exchanges between the different factions on the board.
Here's the entire 9-minute clip:
Board member Ron Jackson accused Purdy of putting jobs over kids. Bob Archibald called the plan "foolhardy" and said the board has lost its focus, which he said should be on the educational opportunities for children.
Board member Peter Downs objected to those characterizations, noting a survey by the special state committee on St. Louis Public Schools which showed the physical state of the classrooms as one of the chief concerns of parents and teachers.
"This motion aside, regardless, in order to address that, we have to spend more money on building maintenance," said Downs.
"In order to get control of that maintenance -- to be sure that it is done properly, and in a timely manner, and that we are keeping up our schools -- we need control of the people doing maintenance."
School board president Veronica O'Brien refused to recognize board member Donna Jones, one of only three board members with children who actually attend classes in SLPS, saying the question had already been called by Archibald (who did not have the floor at the time).
"Did you guys hear what the task force said yesterday about the board?" asked O'Brien. "Did you guys get any of this?"
Jones went on with her speech over O'Brien's objections. She detailed her experience as a parent and a board member who visits schools regularly.
"The schools, a lot of them, are nasty and filthy. They are falling apart," said Jones. She said Sodexho has overcharged the district for subpar services and provided unhealthy environments for many students.
In the end, the motion failed with O'Brien, Archibald, Jackson, and Flint Fowler voting against adding it to next week's agenda.
VIDEO: Two Resolutions Introduced to Reign in School Board President
By Antonio D. French
Two resolutions introduced at yesterday's administrative school board meeting were part of a thinly veiled attempt to quietly reign in school board president Veronica O'Brien after weeks of public comments that have undermined the district's efforts to fight of a possible state takeover.
Board member Donna Jones introduced a resolution, to be voted on next week, to put the board's vice-president (currently Bill Purdy) in charge of overseeing operations at the district's headquarters.
Later, Purdy introduced a resolution to designate the superintendent as the official spokesperson for the school board, along with the three board officers. That sparked an arguement with board member Bob Archibald, who said Purdy objected to a similar motion in the past.
"I think it has more to do with really your efforts to circumvent Veronica as a spokesperson for the board," said Archibald.
Archibald interupted Purdy several times as he tried to defend his resolution as not stopping any board member from speaking as an individual, just not for the board.
At Tuesday's administrative meeting, the school board agreed to discuss at next week's regular board meeting a resolution to direct the district to conduct its own survey of parents and district employees.
Board member Donna Jones' resolution came in response to a survey recently conducted by the state committee looking into the district's present situation.
That committee's poll, which concluded that most parents support a state takeover, has been called into question for several reasons, including the phrasing of some of its questions -- which used grossly inaccurate numbers to compare city schools with other districts -- and the partiality of the company hired to conduct the study -- the same firm that worked on the campaign of two former board members voted out of office earlier this year.
During a discussion tonight on a motion to add to next week's agenda a move to end the district's contract with controversial maintenance contractor Sodexho, tensions between board members came to a head when Board Pres. Veronica O'Brien refused to recognize board member Donna Jones.
This is a perfect time to remind readers of our motto: "Don't Hate the Players, Hate the Game." And in this game, free agency is definitely the rule.
Our report earlier today of political consultant Harold Brown joining up with Pres. Jim Shrewsbury's campaign took a few people off guard. Primarily because just a few weeks ago, Brown was consulting with Shrewsbury's opponent.
Brown confirms that he was paid $500 [Update: the Reed campaign says it was $1,000] by Ald. Lewis Reed's campaign to "set up a meeting", but he said he didn't have a contract with Reed and therefore was free to seek one with his opponent.
He said that as a full-time political consultant, he can't allow candidates to string him along without making a commitment.
"I'm not one to wait and procrastinate while they wait to get an agreement," said Brown.
This is not the first time Brown has been seen as switching sides in a campaign. Earlier this year, during the 4th District State Senate race, Brown briefly worked with State Rep. Yaphett El-Amin before contracting with eventual winner Jeff Smith.
Ald. Lewis Reed has picked Bob Rice, formerly of Vigilant Communications (and son of Vigilant VP Nancy Rice), to manage his campaign for President of the Board of Aldermen.
Rice, 26, most recently managed Ald. Dorothy Kirner's 2005 campaign against blogger Steve Patterson. He started with the Reed campaign on Friday.
"My goal is to help Lewis unify the city," said Rice.
"We hope people see us as the progressive choice. We hope to change the city's thinking in north-south politics."
Channel 2 News did a report last night on Aldermanic President candidate Lewis Reed's political signs. Apparently the alderman is breaking a city law by putting the signs out so early.
A city ordinance clearly states that political signs "shall not be posted more than 90 days before the election."
SMITH'S FIRST MISTAKE -- State Sen-elect Jeff Smith might have already made his first big political mistake -- even before he's been sworn in. Reliable sources tell PUB DEF that Smith made the very green mistake of showing his cards too soon in last month's floor leader vote.
Before the vote, Smith told Democratic Floor Leader (and fellow St. Louis City senator) Maida Coleman that he would not be supporting her and instead be voting for Sen. Chuck Graham to take her leadership post. Imagine Smith's surprise when minutes later, after some public and private deliberation, Graham stood up and nominated Coleman. Oops.
St. Louis Magazine's 47th "Most Powerful" St. Louisan (what, Fredbird wasn't available?) may have gotten some bad advice from Numbers 12 and 14 on the list.
ROMNEY GETTING BLUNTED? -- In case you haven't noticed, the 2008 Presidential Campaign has begun. And the National Review's Jonathan Martinsays our own Gov. Matt Blunt might already be picking a horse -- Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.
Blunt is quoted in the article as saying he would make a public endorsement "probably in the next few days."
BROWN v. BROWN -- Rumor has it that Harold Brown is aiding the re-election campaign of Aldermanic President Jim Shrewsbury. Brown was an aide to retiring State Sen. Pat Dougerty and briefly worked on the campaign of his replacement, Jeff Smith.
Well it seems Shrewsbury's opponent, Lewis Reed, has called in some Brown aid of his own, WGNU radio host Lizz Brown.
Brown -- who has recently begun to regularly attack Shrewsbury, while speaking very highly of Reed -- started hosting this week a one-hour weekly segment called "Aldermanic Updates with Lewis Reed". The segment, paid for by Reed's campaign, mirrors a format Senator-elect Claire McCaskill used during her recent campaign.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights..."
The St. Louis Coalition for Human Rights will hold its 10th annual celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Sunday, Dec. 10.
The program will include a mini-panel discussing the question: "In a democracy, what is the relationship between human rights and religious freedom?" The panelists are Rev. Rose Booker-Jones, Dr. Dave Oughton and Bishop Reynolds Thomas.
The Coalition will also award prize money to the essay contest winners from area middle and high schools on the above topic. First place contestants will read their winning essays. Unsung heroes and "she-roes", nominated from the community, will also be recognized for their work in human rights.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) has been celebrated around the world since passed by the United Nations in December 1948.
This free event will take place from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Highlander Lounge, Forest Park Community College, 5600 Oakland Ave. For more information, call (314) 367-5959.
Many of Ameren's Missouri and Illinois customers still remain without electricity days after last week's ice storm knocked down thousands of trees and powerlines. Most of those still without power are in the greater St. Louis area.
So far nineteen deaths have been linked to the power outage and thousands of people remain in warming centers around the city and county. Ameren says as many as 7,000 workers are currently working to fix the situation.
If anyone needs assistance, they are asked to call 1-800-427-4626. This number is operated by the United Way and only for people needing help, not to ask Ameren when power is coming back on. To report power outages, call Ameren at (314) 342-1100 or (800) 552-7583.
Please be safe and take care of your neighbors.
Warming Centers in the City of St. Louis (Click here for St. Louis County locations):
Township Hall (2060 Delmar) St. Louis Senior Center (5602 Arsenal) Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church (5544 Dr. Martin Luther King) Wohl Recreation Center (1515 N. Kingshighway)
St. Louis Public Schools will be relocating five schools to alternate locations until power is restored. Below are the affected schools and the school(s) that will be receiving those students effective Monday morning.
CLOSED: Mark Twain Elementary ALTERNATE: Scullin Elementary (4160 N. Kingshighway)
CLOSED: Walbridge Elementary ALTERNATE: Walnut Park Elementary (5814 Thekla)
CLOSED: Langston Middle ALTERNATE: Webster Middle (2127 N. 11th)
CLOSED: Northwest Transportation & Law Academy ALTERNATE: Meta P. Washington (2030 S. Vandeventer Ave.)
CLOSED: Ashland and Ashland Branch ALTERNATE: For Pre-K through 1st Grade: Ames VPA (2900 Hadley St.) All other grades: Simmons/Marshall (4318 St. Louis Ave.)
Transportation will not be affected. Students attending any of these schools will by picked up at the normal time and will be transported to their home school. From there, students will be bused to the appropriate alternate site.
According to Superintendent Diana Bourisaw, parents who drop their children directly at school may continue to do so. Transportation will be provided from the student’s home school to the alternate site.
UPDATE @ 10:34 AM, 12/4/2006: Students in two schools, Mark Twain Elementary and Ashland Elementary (and branch), have returned to their home site after power was restored this morning.
Join the conversation about St. Louis Public Schools at the new STLSchools.org.
Don't be afraid to register and start posting. No one is going to track down your real identity and turn you in to O'Brien or Bourisaw. You're free to report and opine to your heart's desire without fear of retribution — Kind of like the exact opposite of life down at 801, eh?
