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Gov. Matt Blunt today launched his first podcast on iTunes. The premiere podcast features the governor's State of the State address.
"We are working diligently and making great strides to build a stronger Missouri, and I am excited to provide Missourians yet another way to access information about their state," Blunt said in a press release.
"We use technology in many ways to better our lives and make things more convenient and efficient. It is my hope that, in the same way, making information available in a wide range of formats will help provide more choices for Missourians to get the information they want from my office."
According to his latest campaign finance report, Alderman Lewis Reed outraised his incumbent opponent, Aldermanic Pres. Jim Shrewsbury, in the period since October 1st. During that period, Reed raised $117,105 compared to Shrewsbury's $84,650.
Reed also loaned his campaign an additional $88,000, bringing his total cash contributions to $205,105.
But dollars left the campaign just as fast as they came in. The report shows the Reed campaign spending $113,626.78 during the same period. As of Jan. 20, the campaign showed $92,978.22 cash on hand, compared to Shrewsbury's $238,824.99.
Reed's contributors included former mayor Freeman Bosley, Jr. and his law firm, License Collector Mike McMillan, Aldermen Dionne Flowers, Jennifer Florida and Stephen Gregali, the Gateway Classic's Earl Wilson, several entities of the Lawrence Group, the Urban League's James Buford, and Committeewoman Bev Buchheit.
*Reed is a client of A.D. French & Associates and his report reflects payments totaling $4,000 to ADF&A and Pub Def for website design, advertising, video production, photography, print design, and general consulting
Former U.S. Senator Jim Talent has sent an email to supporters reflecting on his loss and requesting financial aid in erasing his $85,000 of campaign debt.
"I've replayed the campaign more than a couple of times," Talent writes. "There were a few things I would have done differently, but they weren't many and they weren't major."
"I'm secure in my knowledge that we did everything we could to win. It was a great campaign. It just was not a great year," said Talent.
Talent requests donations from his supporter to go towards his campaign's debt.
"We can legally accept contributions earmarked to our debt as long as the individual has not already contributed the legal maximum of $2100 to our general election campaign," said Talent. He refers questions to his former National Finance Director, Steve Gordon, who he says remains his consultant.
In his email, Talent also says he has accepted an invitation to become a Distinguished Fellow at the conservative Washington DC think tank, the Heritage Institute.
The most contentious moment of last night's public hearing on the future of St. Louis Public Schools came when controversial School Board President Veronica O'Brien attempted to read her statement expressing support for immediate state intervention.
O'Brien has become a lightning rod and the face of all that is wrong with the current school board. She has been accused of intentionally sabotaging the district, buying personal items on a district credit card, and allowing her personal grudges to get in the way of board business. And now an online petition is circulating asking for O'Brien's immediate resignation.
The petition, started by Steve Patterson of Urban Review STL, states:
To: Veronica O'Brien
We respectfully request that you resign your position as President of the St. Louis School Board effective immediately. The reasons are numerous but here are a few:
During your tenure as President you have removed one Superintendent and attempted to remove a second.
You have refused to sign contracts, forcing the board to permit the Secretary to do so in order to keep the district running.
You are on record as seeking a state takeover of the schools, calling into question your willingness to work with Superintendent Bourisaw on initiatives to regain accreditation.
You have become an increasingly divisive force on the board rather than a leader bringing about consensus.
Your presence as President of the Board has made matters worse, not better.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
Since the petition started this morning, 31 people (including School Board Vice-President Bill Purdy) have signed it.
Several elected officials were spotted at last night's public hearing on the future of St. Louis Public Schools, including Comptroller Darlene Green, 6th Ward Alderman and candidate for President of the Board Lewis Reed, State Sen. Maida Coleman, State Rep Jamilah Nasheed, 20th Ward Alderman Craig Schmid, 22nd Ward Alderman Jeffrey Boyd, 26th Ward Alderman Frank Williamson, Committeemen Jesse Todd and Jay Ozier, School Board members Veronica O'Brien, Ron Jackson, Bill Purdy, Peter Downs, and Donna Jones, and others I'm sure I missed.
Comptroller Green told Pub Def that she joined the many voices present last night that oppose state intervention. She said Superintendent Diana Bourisaw should be given the opportunity to lead the district to full accreditation and the State Board of Education should give SLPS the same amount of time to do so as any other school district.
Here are some more videos from last night...
Teachers Union President Mary Armstrong...
A parent...
A parent and district employee...
Teacher Nick Clement...
Mr. Barry Shelton said voters were "duped" by the mayor...
As many as 1,000 people showed up at Harris-Stowe State University tonight to let their voices be heard about the possible takeover of St. Louis Public Schools. The vast majority of the people that came out on the coldest night of the winter were clearly against state action at this time.
Here are a few videos to get you through the night. More tomorrow...
School Board President Veronica O'Brien...
We didn't get this lady's name, but you better believe nobody at tonight's meeting will forget her...
A St. Louis County mom that chooses to send her kids to SLPS...
The Post-Dispatch put a picture of the wrong John Bowman on the front page of today's paper.
In their story on the state representative's indictment yesterday, the Post mistakenly published a photo of Bowman's son, John Bowman, Jr.
In 2002, Bowman, Jr. ran for his father's 70th District State Rep seat against Matt Muckler while the elder Bowman ran for state senate against Rita Days. Both lost.
Two years later, Bowman, Sr. defeated Muckler to regain his House seat.
State education officials will hold a public meeting TONIGHT to hear comments from St. Louis residents about the St. Louis Public Schools.
The meeting will be from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Harris-Stowe State University, in the main auditorium of the Givens Administration Building, 3026 Laclede Ave.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is conducting the meeting to provide an opportunity for parents, employees and other concerned citizens to express their views about the status of the St. Louis Public Schools and the possibility of state intervention in the district’s operations.
The meeting will be conducted by Dr. Bert Schulte, deputy commissioner of education; Dr. Charles Brown, assistant commissioner of the department of education; and Dr. Robert Taylor, DESE's representative in the St. Louis area.
Those who wish to speak at the meeting will be asked to register when they arrive and to limit their remarks to three minutes. Written comments also will be accepted.
The St. Louis Schools Watch reports that, as expected, the School Board last night voted 4-3 to authorize the secretary of the board of education, Flint Fowler, to sign contracts for the school district.
School board member Bill Purdy said when making the motion that there has been a problem with the president refusing to sign contracts that had been approved by the full school board. Up until tonight, the president's signature was required to make any contract valid.
President Veronica O'Brien called Superintendent Diana Bourisaw "a liar" after Bourisaw detailed several contracts that she said O'Brien had returned unsigned over a period of months.
O'Brien, Ron Jackson and Bob Archibald voted against the resolution. Purdy, Fowler, Donna Jones, and Peter Downs voted for it.
The school board also ratified by an identical 4-3 vote recent appointments to principal and assistant principal positions.
Blogger and middle-of-the-road Republican John Combestsays yesterday's indictment of Black Caucus Chairman John Bowman may affect one of the state rep's recent clients, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill.
"Just one month ago, the St. Louis American took a look at the McCaskill campaign finance reports. The paper followed the national money through a Missouri Dem fund and noted that 'Bowman’s Consulting' took 'a lot of jack' from the Missouri Democratic State Committee," wrote Combest.
"To Claire, Bowman wasn’t just a workhorse — he was a show horse, too. When she went after Jim Talent on race, she had lots of black faces to choose from — and she chose John Bowman."
Combest predicts Sen. McCaskill will "wash her hands of Bowman faster than an obsessive-compulsive at a leper colony. And expect the people who have been waiting to nail Claire for her first snafu to have a field day with the campaign finance paper trail that ties the indicted to our junior Senator. " Click here to download the actual indictment from STLToday.com.
State Representative John Bowman has been indicted, along with 16 others, on bank fraud and credit card fraud charges.
U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway announced today that Bowman and former Bank of American Vice President Robert Conner were among 17 people indicted that were allegedly recruited as borrowers in a $1.2 million bank fraud and credit card fraud scheme. Four other people, including a former Pine Lawn Police Officer and a Wentzville doctor, have previously pled guilty to related charges and await sentencing.
"Rather than assisting fledgling small businesses with lines of credit, Connor is accused of taking advantage of a well-intended program to line his own pockets," said Hanaway.
Between June 2005 and November 2006, it was part of this scheme that Conner, then a Vice President of Bank of America at its Chesterfield branch, provided the 16 co-defendants, including Bowman, an opportunity to submit false applications for small business lines of credit with Bank of America.
The lines of credit were in the form of credit cards. According to law enforcement, in exchange for approving the fraudulent credit line application Conner demanded a cash kickback payment of $2500 to $5000 from each applicant. After the fraudulent credit applications were approved by Conner, he had the credit cards sent directly to him rather than to the applicants to facilitate his receipt of cash payment kickbacks at the time he provided the card to the applicants. Typically, the first transaction on the fraudulent credit cards was a cash advance, the proceeds of which were used to pay Conner a kickback.
Borrowers fraudulently applied for credit lines in the names of various business entities, many of which did not exist as legitimate businesses. The applications contained fraudulent information such as the business entity name, its status as a legitimate business, and the amount of time the business had been in operation; the annual income of the applicant; and the gross annual revenue of the entity listed on the application. Conner knew the borrowers were not personally credit worthy at the time the false credit line applications were submitted.
A total of approximately $1,213,970 in fraudulent charges were made on cards fraudulently approved by Conner.
The 37-count indictment was returned Thursday, January 25, but remained sealed until earlier today to facilitate the arrest of defendants. They are expected to appear in federal court Monday, February 5, before United States Magistrate Thomas C. Mummert.
Indicted today:
Robert Connor, 44, 11000 block of Bristol Rock, St. Louis;
John Bowman, 50, 4200 block of Minoma, St. Louis;
Robert Baker, 52, 12000 block of Rush Creek Way, St. Louis;
William Hart, 27, 4000 block of Shenandoah, St. Louis;
DeAmon White, 26, 5900 block of Minerva, St. Louis;
Gerald Maurice Rankin, 36, 1800 block of Claudine Drive, St. Louis;
Monica Gholson, 30, 4400 block of Lee Avenue, St. Louis;
Jacqueline Green, 41, 3900 block of Salvation Road, St. Louis;
Jerry Brown, 61, 700 block of Mendocina Court, St. Louis;
Ulas Green, 39, 3900 block of Salvation Road, St. Louis;
Joanna Davis, 30, 15000 block of Debridge Way, St. Louis;
Glenda Chambers, 57, 2200 block of Colfax, St. Louis;
Lois Gholson, 54, 4400 block of Lee Avenue, St. Louis;
Regina Davidson, 49, 1900 block of Elkins, St. Louis;
Ronald Mason, 39, 1000 block of Sweepstakes Lane, St. Louis;
Karl Peters, 52, 300 block of East Olive, Royal Oaks, Illinois; and
Max Davis, 37, 15000 block of Debridge Way, St. Louis.
Besides Robert Connor, who is charged in every count of the indictment, each defendant is charged with one felony count of bank fraud and one felony count of credit card fraud. Additionally, count 37 is a forfeiture charge, wherein two of Connor’s vehicles; a 2006 Hummer and a 2006 GMC Yukon, are subject to forfeiture.
If convicted, each bank fraud count carries a maximum penalty of thirty years in prison and/or fines up to $1 million; each credit card fraud count carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000.
Four other people have pled guilty in connection with this case, and await sentencing:
Dr. Pearleatha Phillips-Washington, 40, Homeshire Drive, Wentzville;
LeMoyne G. Thomas, Jr., former Pine Lawn Police Officer, 32, Homeshire Drive, Wentzville;
Arthur Thomas Webb-Carr, 30, 11700 Clarksdale Drive, Maryland Heights; and
Angela Webb-Carr, 48, 3800 block of Park Place Est, Bridgeton.
UPDATE @ 5:55 p.m.: According to the AP, Bowman is alleged to have met with Conner at a Bank of America branch office in Chesterfield in January 2006 and submitted a fraudulent credit application in the name of Bowman Consulting.
"Bowman is accused of obtaining a $4,050 cash advance using the fraudulent credit line, and also of obtaining things in value of $1,000 during a one-year period." reports the AP.
According to sources, Aldermanic President Jim Shrewsbury's campaign finance report, which has been turned in but is not available online yet, shows he raised $90,000 between Oct. 1, 2006 and Jan. 20. The report shows Shrewsbury spending $42,000, with $238,824 left in the bank.
Still awaiting numbers from Shrewsbury's challenger, Lewis Reed...
UPDATE: Shrewsbury's report is now available online. It shows he raised $84,650, plus $2,220 in in-kind donations and $5,974.79 in payments from Citizens for Voter Rights for a loan he gave them in 2004.
As reported earlier, he has $238,824 cash on hand.
More that two hundred supporters of Aldermanic President candidate Lewis Reed showed up at the incredible new Field School Lofts in the Central West End for a fundraiser Saturday night.
A partial list of those that attended: License Collector Mike McMillan, northside aldermen Dionne Flowers, Freeman Bosley, Sr., and Jeffrey Boyd, southside aldermen Steve Gregali and Kathy Hanrahan, midtown alderman Lyda Krewson with husband and Channel 5 reporter Mike Owens, Committeepeople Lucinda Frazer, Bev Buchheit, Norma Leggette, and Pat Cacchione, former Comptroller Virvus Jones, former alderman Kenny Jones, and former school board member Bill Haas.
As a side note, the 33-unit Field School Lofts were developed by husband and wife team Uan Nguyen and Sue Kuo-Nguyen and are a sight to behold. Walking through the building (even in its not-quite-finished state) inspires one to dream about what can be done with the large number of vacant public school buildings throughout the city, especially in north St. Louis.
We're sure the Nguyens would be happy to open the building to tours for any current or future School Board members that say SLPS should hold onto these buildings indefinitely or sell them to developers who plan to tear them down. There is clearly another option.
*Lewis Reed is a client of A.D. French & Associates
Tom Weber of KWMU reports that 8th Ward Alderman Steve Conway has introduced a bill (Board Bill #372) that would raise taxes to pay for a city band.
From the bill: "Under and by the authority of Section 71.640 RSMo., there is hereby imposed a City band levy at the rate of 2 mil per One Dollar of assessed valuation for the purpose of supporting a municipal band."
Word is that Conway, who is currently running unopposed, will not be seeking another term after this one.
Seven candidates, including former St. Louis Superintendent Creg Williams, are interviewing today for the top spot in the Toledo, Ohio public schools. Click here to read the story in the Toledo Blade.
On Saturday a group of elected officials and community leaders came together for a photo shoot in front of City Hall in support of Lewis Reed for President of the Board of Aldermen.
Among the supporters on hand: License Collector Mike McMillan, former mayor Freeman Bosley, Jr., former comptroller Virvus Jones, Aldermen Steve Gregali and Jennifer Florida, State Rep. Rodney Hubbard, Committeepersons Claude Brown, Jay Ozier, Curtis Royston, Earnestine Hill, Patrick Cacchione, Bev Buchheit, James Clayborne, Jesse Todd, future alderman Marlene Davis, former alderman Kenny Jones, the Rev. Sammie Jones, and others. *Lewis Reed is a client of A.D. French & Associates
We got a tip this afternoon that Roger Wilson, the chairman of the Missouri Democratic Party, had resigned today at a meeting of party officials in Jefferson City. We called State Committeewoman Mattie Moore to confirm, but she said it was not so. But apparently it is.
One possible reason for Wilson's departure is the controversy surrounding who will be the next executive director of the party. The state's highest ranking Democrat, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, has committed to having an African-American fill the post. Word is Wilson as well as Attorney General Jay Nixon (next year's Democratic candidate for governor) also agreed to a black E.D. But who?
Brandon Davis, McCaskill's former deputy campaign manager political director, interviewed for the job and has been lobbying officials for weeks. But word is that Wilson told Black Caucus members this week "no way" on Davis.
Readers may remember that McCaskill was instrumental in Wilson getting the chairman's seat after her defeat of former Gov. Bob Holden in the 2004 Democratic primary. If McCaskill wants Davis, who is Wilson to say no, some may wonder.
Meanwhile, sources say another African-American candidate, recommended by Kansas City State Rep. Mike Talboy, interviewed for the post. Marlin Marshall is said to have the support of Nixon. And Wilson, we're told, was more supportive of him than Davis.
Just how much this subplot played in Wilson's sudden departure remains unclear.
Aldermanic President Jim Shrewsbury will be looking to raise some cash tonight with a fundraiser at Francois Cognac and Cigar Bar, 326 N. Vandeventer. The event is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Suggested donations range from $27 to $2007.
Supporters of Shrewsbury's challenger, Lewis Reed, will be hosting a fundraiser at the newly renovated Field School Lofts, 4466 Olive Street, in the Central West End from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. The event will feature a silent auction of works by local artists and music from D.J. Patti Thomas and Erika Johnson and the Kitchen.
Click here to view Channel 2's report from this week's State of the Union Watch Party at The Royale and see quick interviews with Jim Shrewsbury and Lewis Reed.
And back by popular demand, our own video from the night...
The vote today on the perfection of the Barnes-Forest Park Lease deal was 22-2.
President Shrewsbury and 22nd Ward Alderman Jeffrey Boyd were the only votes against.
We haven't gotten the official vote yet, but according the President's office, Aldermen Florida, Kennedy, McMillan (who's vacated his seat for higher office), Troupe, and Williamson were not present at the time of the vote.
Board Bill 376, the controversial BJC/Park deal, moved closer to passage by the Board of Aldermen today. Earlier this week, opponents of the deal had a chance to voice their concerns to the aldermanic Parks Committee.
Carla Scissors-Cohen spoke on behalf of the group Citizens to Protect Forest Park. She asked the aldermen to delay acting on this bill until after the voters get a chance to vote on the City Park Protection Initiative, which would amend the charter to require voter approval for any sale or lease of city park land.
Click here to view video of the bill's supporters.
The Governor's Office has announced the following appointments:
Consolidated Health Care Plan Board of Trustees
Roslyn M. Morgan, 50 of St. Louis, is a probation and parole officer at the Missouri Department of Corrections. Ms. Morgan holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Webster University and a master’s in administration from Southeast Missouri State University. Ms. Morgan’s reappointment is subject to Senate confirmation for a term ending on Dec. 31, 2009.
Garry E. Taylor, 62 of Jefferson City, is principal owner of GETCo Consulting Service. Mr. Taylor holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Westminster College and masters in community development and public administration from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Mr. Taylor’s appointment is for a term ending on Dec. 31, 2007.
Health and Educational Facilities Authority of the State of Missouri
Judith W. Scott (R), 65 of Poplar Bluff, is vice president for college advancement at Three Rivers Community College. Ms. Scott holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a master’s in English from Southeast Missouri State University. Ms. Scott’s appointment is subject to Senate confirmation for a term ending on July 30, 2011.
Petroleum Storage Tank Insurance Fund Board of Trustees
Schuyler J. Mariea, 44 of Jefferson City, is president of Premier Bank in Jefferson City. Mr. Mariea holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Westminster College and a master’s of business administration from Lincoln University. Mr. Mariea’s appointment is subject to Senate confirmation for a term ending on Feb. 6, 2010.
Board Bill 376, the controversial BJC/Park deal, moved closer to passage by the Board of Aldermen today. But a veto by the three-member Board of Estimate and Apportionment still looms.
State Rep. Fred Kratky spent quite a while last night telling 16th Ward residents about his ongoing deliberation on a possible run for Lieutenant Governor in 2008.
Pub Def has confirmed that the St. Louis Teachers Union Local 420 has endorsed Katherine Wessling and David Lee Jackson, Jr. for the two open seats on the school board.
Ah, the life of a citywide candidate. The two candidates for the President of the Board of Aldermen bounced across the city tonight from meeting to meeting, ward to ward.
Stops included meetings in the 16th, 21st, 25th, and 28th Wards.
As we reported earlier, Jim Shrewsbury won the endorsement of his home ward, the 16th. And the Arch City Chronicle reports that the 28th ward's executive committee voted unanimously to recommend to its members that they endorse Lewis Reed in that ward's open-vote endorsement, February 1. *Reed is a client of A.D. French & Associates
School Board to Meet to Protect the District from O'Brien's "Sabotage"
By Antonio D. French
READ IT HERE FIRST
Another special school board meeting has been called, this time to bypass what many call the ongoing "sabotage" of the district by three board members led by Board President Veronica O'Brien.
The meeting, scheduled for Monday, January 29, was called by Board Secretary Flint Fowler with the support of board members Bill Purdy, Peter Downs and Donna Jones. The only item on the open session agenda is a resolution authorizing Fowler, as secretary, to replace the board president as authorized signatory to all contracts approved by the Board and reviewed by legal counsel.
The issue, according to a district source, is the growing frustration with O'Brien who refuses to sign off on many of the contracts which the Board has voted to approve. According to the source, some unsigned contracts -- which include boiler repair contracts, moving contracts, and others -- go as far back as late summer.
"Venders cannot be paid and functions of the district are stopped," the source said.
He said the school district recently ended up paying approximately $60.00 per day in storage fees because O'Brien would not sign a moving contract which had already been approved by vote of the board.
O'Brien, along with board members Bob Archibald and Ron Jackson, supports a state takeover of the district.
Many would say that O'Brien's recent behavior, including trying to abruptly fire the superintendent and allegedly ordering expensive computers and iPods on the board credit card for her children's personal use, have passed the legal threshold to ask a judge to remove her from the board. But they fear who Mayor Francis Slay, who first appointed O'Brien to the board in 2004 and now also supports a state takeover, would appoint in her place.
Under the proposed takeover plan, Slay would again get to appoint a member to the newly created three-person board. The governor would appoint the primary member of the body with the President of the Board of Aldermen making the third appointment.
The posted agenda to Monday's special meeting is as follows:
The Saint Louis Board of Education will hold a Special Board Meeting Monday, January 29, 2007 at The Administrative Building located at 801 N. 11th Street in the Foundation Room. The Special Board Meeting will begin with a motion to go into executive session at 5:30 p.m. The Executive Session is closed to the public pursuant to RSMO §610-021 (3). The Special Board Meeting will resume in open session immediately following the executive session and is open to the public. This notice is posted in compliance with RSMO §610.020. The agenda is as follows:
SPECIAL BOARD MEETING AGENDA
EXECUTIVE SESSION AGENDA
1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Motion to go into Closed Session 4. Human Resources Transaction Report 5. Adjournment
OPEN SESSION AGENDA
1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Resolution authorizing the Secretary to sign all contracts approved by the Board and reviewed by legal counsel. 4. Adjournment
As we reported earlier, the two candidates for President of the Board of Aldermen agreed yesterday not to use the city's significant racial divisions for political gain. But whether or not the two campaigns purposely fan the flames, the issue of race burns brightly at the core of this contest.
Lewis Reed is seeking to become the first African-American to unseat a white citywide elected official since 1982. He is also seeking to become the first black elected Board President. He has been endorsed by nearly every black member of the Board of Aldermen in addition to a handful of white members.
Political observers seem to be split on the impact, if any, that Reed's interracial marriage will play in this race, but Reed felt it necessary last night to publicly challenge his opponent to disavow a whisper campaign about the matter.
Jim Shrewsbury is being supported by the majority of white aldermen. He has been in the President's seat since Francis Slay became mayor in 2001. In the same year, he presided over the controversial redistricting meeting in which he denied a black female alderman the use of the board chamber's only restroom, which was reserved for men, by threat of her giving up the debate floor during a filibuster by a group of black aldermen.
The resulting incident was reported nationally and further damaged race relations in a city already known for its poor race relations.
For some, Shrewsbury will forever be linked to that incident and you can be sure it will come up in this campaign.
At the time of the incident Ald. Freeman Bosley, Sr. told Shrewsbury "Shame on you, Mr. President... If she was a white woman, you would never have done that."
"You will have to answer for that," said Bosley. For some, particularly some current and former black elected officials, that time is now.
And now some commentary...
Race is and will continue to be an issue in every campaign in this city as long as it continues to be an issue in the lives of its people.
Race was rightfully an issue in last year's 4th District State Senate race, it rightfully will be an issue in this year's Board President race, and it will rightfully be an issue in next year's 5th District State Senate race. Why? Because race matters in the daily lives of the majority of those electorates.
You know where race doesn't matter in elections? Homogeneous areas that never have to confront the issue.
It is an issue that should regularly, and much more frequently than it has been, be directly addressed in real and constructive ways by our elected leaders and those that wish to be.
*Lewis Reed is a client of A.D. French & Associates
Extra Reading:Click here to read at piece I wrote four years ago on how that 2001 incident helped lead to the creation of Pub Def.
Last night the issue of race finally came to the forefront of the race for President of the Board of Aldermen.
At a 24th Ward endorsement meeting attended by both incumbent Jim Shrewsbury and challenger Lewis Reed, ward organization president John Corbett asked the candidates about race.
"It seems to me, along with all the crime, the schools and the tax base, the number one problem we really have is racial polarization," said Corbett. He asked what practical ideas the candidates have to address this issue.
Shrewsbury told the southside organization's all-white membership that as Board President he has balanced the aldermanic committees racially and has good relationships with the city's comptroller and fire chief, both of whom are black.
Reed, who is seeking to become the first African-American to unseat a white citywide elected official since Freeman Bosley, Jr. defeated Circuit Clerk Joe Roddy, Sr. in 1982, said that the city's political leadership should lead by example.
He challenged Shrewsbury not to use race baiting in his campaign, which he charged has already occured through the use of "push polling" and a whisper campaign to make Reed's interracial marriage an issue.
Shrewsbury denied paying for a "push poll" which was reported by the Arch City Chronicle in December to include at least two questions about Reed's race.
"I have not done that, I've never done it, and I never will do it," he said.
President of the Board of Aldermen Jim Shrewsbury, currently engaged in a tight primary contest with challenger Lewis Reed, easily won the endorsement last night of the 24th Ward Democratic Organization.
Helped by the support of the ward's alderman, Bill Waterhouse, and a crowd very friendly to his position opposing the BJC/Forest Park deal, Shrewsbury won the endorsement by a vote of 38-4 with one abstention. See our earlier story for video from the meeting.
Aldermen Steve Gregali (14th Ward) and Jennifer Florida (15th Ward) attended the meeting in support of Reed.
Shrewsbury will be looking to raise some cash this weekend with a fundraiser at Francois Cognac and Cigar Bar, 326 N. Vandeventer. The event is Saturday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Suggested donations range from $27 to $2007.
At an endorsement meeting of the 24th Ward Democrats last night, President of the Board of Aldermen Jim Shrewsbury said he will vote against the plan to extend BJC's lease of a portion of park land once it reaches the Board of Estimate & Apportionment.
The Board of E&A is made up of the President, the Mayor and the Comptroller and its approval is required for any major financial dealings in the city. Mayor Francis Slay supports the deal while Comptroller Darlene Green has for months been critical of it.
Yesterday the aldermanic Parks Committee approved Board Bill 376 which amends the lease agreement (check back for video from that meeting later). Shrewsbury's was one of three votes against the bill.
But just prior to that vote, the Shrewsbury voted in favor of a bill co-sponsored by him and 24th Ward Ald. Bill Waterhouse that would take a portion of Arsenal-Ellendale Park to build an animal care facility. Representatives from Citizens to Protect Forest Park also spoke against this taking of park land. At last night's 24th Ward meeting, he was asked why he opposes taking park land for hospital beds, but supports taking park land for animal beds.
Shrewsbury won the ward's endorsement 38 to 4 with 1 abstention.
Shrewsbury and his opponent in the March election, Lewis Reed*, were asked why the Board of Aldermen is moving BJC/Forest Park deal forward before voters get a chance to voice their opinion on the matter in a March ballot initiative. Reed deferred the question to Shrewsbury saying that as the current president, Shrewsbury had pledged to kill the bill. Shrewsbury strongly denied ever making such a statement and said he doesn't have the ability to kill a board bill.
*Lewis Reed is a client of A.D. French & Associates
Two stories from the Post makes us ask what happened to "southern" hospitality?
First, Jake Wagmanreports that the Police Officers Association denied their endorsement to Matt Browning's aldermanic campaign. Browning, a former police officer, lost both of his legs in the line of duty just two years ago. What upset Browning as much as anything, according to Wagman, was that he first heard about the union's decision this week by a phone call from a reporter.
Second, in this week's Southside Journal, Jim Merkelfollowed up on our earlier report of the fallout of the Aldermanic President's decision to not allow a prayer for the son of a colleague even though prayers were allowed, as they regularly are, for the then-missing Kirkwood boy and others.
"I think what Jim Shrewsbury did was morally reprehensible and politically dimwitted," said Alderman Stephen Gregali, D-14th Ward.
In the race to decide who will be the next alderman from the 6th Ward, according to the latest campaign finance reports, Kacie Starr Triplett has raised more that three times as her opponents, Patrick Cacchione and Christian Saller.
Triplett reported raising nearly $14,000 since October with $9,395.93 left in the bank. Her contributors included several local labor unions, Congressman Lacy Clay, former Congressman Bill Clay, former Clay aide Pearlie Evans, State Sen. Jeff Smith, and Richard Callow.
Cacchione raised just $1,980, but loaned his campaign $5,000 of his own money. Saller raised $1,555 during the same period.
UPDATE: A note from the Saller campaign says to look for finance reports later today that shows him (and probably Cacchione as well) adding "pretty dramatically" to his cash on-hand total. Will do.
UPDATE 2: Add to Saller's total an additional $5,715 raised between Jan. 1 and Jan. 20. Total raised $7,267. Total on hand: $5,697.09. Awaiting Cacchione's...
*Triplett is a client of A.D. French & Associates and her reports reflect $1,000 being paid during the period.
We all know that St. Louis City is in a unique situation of being a city not within another county. Most agree that that arrangement has not worked out so well for the city.
As whites, upper-and middle-class blacks left the city in droves during the second half of the 20th Century, the city has been left with a tax base which is only a shadow of its former self and little financial support from its neighbors -- neighbors which take advantage of the city's infrastructure and amenities as much as, if not more than, actual residents and taxpayers.
Now the people of Atlanta, a city often referred to as the "City Too Busy to Hate" -- a place which unlike St. Louis confronted its issues of race head-on during the Civil Rights Movement of the '60s and beyond, is now debating whether to divide its Fulton County so that its affluent white suburbs can separate from its poorer, majority-minority urban core.
According to the AP, supporters say it is a quest for more responsive government in a county with a population greater than that of six states. Opponents say the measure is racially motivated and will pit white against black, rich against poor.
Alderman Jeffrey Boyd is sitting in good position as he prepares for a rematch with his old 22nd Ward nemesis, Jay Ozier.
On his latest campaign finance report, Boyd shows more that $35,000 in the bank after raising $5,420 during the last quarter of 2006.
Ozier, Boyd's opponent in the March primary election, doesn't seem to have an active campaign committee and has not yet filed his finance reports. In a phone interview, Ozier said he plans to submit his report before tomorrow's deadline.
The upcoming contest is a rematch of their 2003 race which Boyd won by just nine votes.
When told how much cash Boyd reported on-hand, Ozier said he has not raised as much but "I've been getting quite a bit of support from the people and that's what it's all about."
Democrats young and old, incumbents and challengers, watchers and winners crammed into the southside hip spot, The Royale, Tuesday night to watch (and jeer) the President as he delivered his next-to-last State of the Union address.
A representative from the Missouri School Boards Association conducted a workshop this evening for members of the St. Louis Board of Education to discuss successful practices of functioning school boards. All but one school board member attended tonight's session. Board President Veronica O'Brien left before Dr. David Lineberry began his presentation.
Congressman Lacy Clay has issued the following statement in response to President George W. Bush's State of the Union address delivered a short time ago:
"Tonight, the President reviewed his long list of broken promises and confirmed that he is still disconnected from what really matters to the American people. A year ago, he promised that as the Iraqi government stood up, the U.S. would stand down. Since he made that statement, 879 more brave Americans have been killed in support of Mr. Bush’s failed policy, for a total of 3,059 U.S. soldiers killed in action. The very last thing that we should be doing now is to send 21,000 more U.S. troops into the middle of a civil war."
"Next week, I will cosponsor a resolution that will advise the President that the House of Representatives strongly opposes his plan to escalate this tragic and unnecessary war. Mr. Bush’s continuing refusal to face reality in Iraq is depleting our military strength and weakening our efforts to fight the very real war against terrorism. We don’t need to escalate this war… we need to end it."
"The President also spoke a great deal about health care. But unfortunately, his health care proposal will do little or nothing for most of the 47 million Americans who are uninsured.It's like offering a band-aid to a patient who is bleeding to death. The obvious and most cost-effective way to achieve universal coverage is to expand Medicare to cover the uninsured, which is exactly what I have proposed." "In the first 100 hours of the new Congress, the U.S. House, with bipartisan support, has voted to raise the minimum wage, expand federal funding for stem cell research, implement the recommendations of the 9-11 Commission, require negotiation of lower prescription drug costs for seniors, make college loans more affordable, and end the multi-billion dollar giveaways to big oil and gas companies. That is a great beginning."
"In the coming year, I hope that the President will truly put the state of our union first, and work with us to find common ground on key issues like immigration, alternative energy and conservation, restoring fiscal responsibility, increasing home ownership and ending unfair trade policies that hurt American workers."
Former 6th Ward Alderman Marit Clark has endorsed Committeeman Patrick Cacchione as the ward's next alderman.
"Patrick is the only individual that has the experience necessary to best serve the 6th Ward," Clark said in a campaign press release. Clark represented the ward for 15 years and ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 1997.
As we reported earlier, Cacchione has also been endorsed by the 6th Ward Democratic Organization.
According to sources in Kacie Starr Triplett's campaign, the 6th Ward aldermanic candidate has received the endorsement of the city's Police Officers Association. A press release is expected soon.
St. Louis City Police Officers Support Triplett for Alderman
Today, the organization representing St. Louis police officers announced their support of Kacie Starr Triplett.
"Kacie Starr Triplett has taken the time to really understand the importance of community policing and quality emergency services," said Sergeant Kevin Ahlbrand of the Police Officers’ Association. He continued, "We need people like Kacie Starr at the Board of Aldermen to fight to protect essential services and help us to reduce response times to emergencies in our community."
"With crime a pressing issue in our community, I am honored to have the support of our local police officers," said Kacie Starr Triplett.
The Saint Louis Police Officers' Association represents over 1,200 active members.
The school board will be meeting tonight for a special board meeting to approve a successful mentoring and monitoring program that the board voted against last week. The meeting will be followed by a work session where board members will hear about "proven principles of effective school board governance".
Last week four board members voted against extending the SchoolWorks program, which administrators and board members agreed is working, because of the possible involvement of a former district employee — even after Superintendent Diana Bourisaw offered to amend the contract to expressly forbid any involvement in the project by the former employee.
The meetings will take place in the Foundation Room of the District Administrative Building, 801 N. 11th Street. The Special Board Meeting will begin with a motion to go into executive session at 5:30 p.m. The Executive Session is closed to the public. The meeting will resume in open session immediately following the executive session and is open to the public. The Work Session will begin at 6:00 p.m. and is open to the public.
Here are the agendas of the meetings:
EXECUTIVE SESSION AGENDA
1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Motion to go into Closed Session 4. Human Resources Report 5. Adjournment
OPEN SESSION AGENDA
1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Item No. 01-16-07-13
RESOLVED, That the Board of Education authorizes approval of a contract with SchoolWorks, LLC, to support the mentoring, monitoring, professional development and evaluation of the district’s 27 Title 1 schools with School Performance Teams in support of the effort to achieve adequate yearly progress in these schools as defined by the federal No Child Left Behind legislation and to build best practices for school improvement planning in an amount not to exceed $121,000.00 for the period beginning January 26, 2007 through September 30, 2007. (Dr. John Martin, Deputy Superintendent)
4. Adjournment
WORK SESSION
1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Introduction of Guest Presenter, Dr. David Lineberry, MSBA 4. Intensive Assistance to Districts Work Session I 5. Research proven Principles of Effective School Board Governance 6. Adjournment
The Kansas City Star has a video of Gov. Matt Blunt discussing the ongoing lawsuit by several school districts, including St. Louis Public Schools, claiming that Missouri does not adequately fund public education.
"I think we have a good formula that's driven by the needs of the students," Blunt said in the video. "I'm opposed to seeking a tax increase through the court system."
In the video Blunt, who recently said education was his "highest priority", also briefly discusses the St. Louis school district.
"It's the largest school district in the State of Missouri and it's not providing a quality education to the young Missourians that are in that school district," he said.
A source in the Capitol tells Pub Def to look for Gov. Matt Blunt to mention in his State of the State address Wednesday a change to the state's HealthNet program (formerly Medicaid) that will include Sickle Cell disease in its Chronic Care Improvement Program.
Sickle Cell almost exclusively affects blacks. An estimated 70,000 Americans have the disease, and about 10% of African-Americans have sickle cell trait. In 2003, former Senator Jim Talent sponsored the Sickle Cell Treatment Act which increased federal funding for treatment and research efforts.
Aldermanic President candidate Lewis Reed and Kacie Starr Triplett, the woman looking to follow Reed in the Board of Aldermen, are both having fundraisers this week.
"An Evening With A Starr", a 'raiser for Triplett's 6th Ward campaign, is happening tonight at 5:30 at Van Goghz Martini Bar, 3200 Shenandoah. The night will feature Bommarito "Shooting Starr" wine and a signature "Starr" cocktail. The night's theme continues with the contributions -- a $25 gift is a Quasar, $100 is a Red Giant, and supporters go Supernova with $500 or more.
Then on Saturday supporters of Lewis Reed will be hosting a fundraiser at the newly renovated Field School Lofts, 4466 Olive Street, in the Central West End.
The event will feature a silent auction of works by local artists and music from D.J. Patti Thomas and Erika Johnson and the Kitchen. For more info, go to www.LewisReed.net.
If you know of any other fundraisers or campaign events this week, please email the info to editor@pubdef.net or fax to (314) 367-3429.
UPDATE: Not exactly a fundraiser, but the City Democrats will be gathering TONIGHT to watch Speaker Nancy Pelosi take her seat behind President Bush for the State of The Union Address. The place is The Royale, 3132 S. Kingshighway, and the time is 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. (speech begins at 8:00). Free pizza appetizers and $2.50 Schlafly drafts during the speech.
Disclosure: Both Reed and Triplett are clients of A D French & Associates. However, all campaigns are encouraged to send press releases and event info as well.
Little over a week ago Old Norther Michael Allen, co-blogger at Ecology of Absence, witnessed what he thinks was a "dumping" of a homeless man at a downtown shelter by suburban cops.
He wrote an email to MayorSlay.com (aka Richard Callow) describing the incident and Callow -- er, Mayor Slay posted about it on his blog. And in today's Post, they write about Callow writing about what Allen wrote about, which may not have been what Allen thought he was writing about. Whew!
State education officials will hold a public meeting in St. Louis next Tuesday evening, Jan. 30, to hear comments from St. Louis residents about the St. Louis Public Schools.
The meeting will be from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Harris-Stowe State University, in the main auditorium of the Givens Administration Building, 3026 Laclede Ave.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is conducting the meeting to provide an opportunity for parents, employees and other concerned citizens to express their views about the status of the St. Louis Public Schools and the possibility of state intervention in the district’s operations.
The meeting will be conducted by Dr. Bert Schulte, deputy commissioner of education; Dr. Charles Brown, assistant commissioner of the department of education; and Dr. Robert Taylor, DESE's representative in the St. Louis area.
Those who wish to speak at the meeting will be asked to register when they arrive and to limit their remarks to three minutes. Written comments also will be accepted.
With today's 34th Anniversary of the historic Roe v. Wade decision, Gov. Matt Blunt today issued the following statement on the sanctity of human life:
"I believe we have a moral obligation to protect the rights of the most vulnerable members of our society.
"As Missouri's governor, I have worked hard to enact pro-life measures including signing legislation that prohibits taking minors across state lines for an abortion without the consent of a parent or guardian.
"I also signed into law legislation authorizing an income tax credit for contributions made to qualified pregnancy resource centers. These centers provide support to women facing a crisis or unplanned pregnancy so they can make a good decision for their child and themselves.
"When it comes to appointing judges, I believe it is only appropriate for the judiciary to interpret the law, and not appropriate for them to try and impose their views on the citizens of Missouri.
"I have also strongly supported increased funding for the Alternatives to Abortion Program which offers counseling and services to pregnant women, supporting them in carrying their child to term. And I signed into law legislation to protect women's health by ensuring doctors who perform abortions have hospital privileges at a hospital located within thirty miles of the location at which the abortion is performed or induced.
"We will continue working in Missouri to pass strong pro-life legislation that respects the sanctity and dignity of human life."
SLAY SHARES WITH DEVLIN -- The mayor and the man accused of kidnapping two boys have something (or someone) in common: Richard Callow. According toJake Wagman, Mayor Francis Slay is allowing his number one P.R. man to moonlight as the media man for Michael Devlin. Either Francis thinks he's so Teflon that even the stink of a kidnapper won't stick or it's becoming very obvious that he has no control over his aides. Makes you kind of wonder who's running the show in Room 200.
FROM POPE TO BLUNT, BY WAY OF STL -- We're a little late in mentioning this, but for those that missed it, check out this link to a profile piece in the Columbia Missourian on the Governor's Chief of Staff, Ed Martin.
Martin, the former chairman of the St. Louis City Election Board, said of his old job, "It was possibly as dysfunctional as any agency in the state when I came in... And I think by the time we were done, we oversaw maybe the best elections St. Louis has ever seen. I think the governor saw that and was impressed."
The man that also once worked for Pope John Paul II ends with these words: "Pray for me."
SHOW ME THE MONEY (We couldn't resist) -- The Show-Me Institute will release a new study this week on how to replace the much-maligned city earnings tax.
The new study is a follow-up to a March 2006 study which showed that large cities with earnings taxes experience lower growth. Total real income has fallen in St. Louis since the 1970’s. The groups says the new study describes how St. Louis can replace the earnings tax without affecting city services and spark an economic revival.
Prof. Joseph Haslag of the University of Missouri is the author of the study.
Downtown residents will soon begin organizing to deter crime in their burgeoning neighborhood.
Over the coming weeks, the Downtown Saint Louis Residents Association (DSLRA) will meet with residents, business owners and developers as well as, city, state and federal officials in addressing crime downtown. Organizers say the DSLRAs efforts will culminate in a series of actionable strategic and tactical programs, which should lower crime and promote citizen involvement in the downtown residential areas.
Next month, the DSLRA will host downtowns first summit of homeowner and condominium association leaders. The goals of the summit include the following:
Discuss common issues and concerns relating to crime and living downtown in a proactive manner
Build an infrastructure of volunteers to support future activities
Create an agenda of topics and achievable solutions that will be brought to government officials as well as downtown citizens for further development
The efforts will be coordinated closely by the DSLRA members and downtown residents Brian Rappaport, Barbara Firlit, Rachel Kraus and David Sweeney. They will be responsible for coordinating citizen activities and establishing communications with parties involved.
"This is the first step in what will be an on-going process," said Rappaport, DSLRA Citizen Security Subcommittee Chairman. "We look forward to partnering with all parities who are committed to leading, assisting or taking any role that will result in a safer more desirable living experience for our citizens downtown."
The committees first public meeting will be held at the Saint Louis Public Librarys Central Branch (1301 Olive Street, 3rd Floor Meeting Room #306) at 7:00 p.m., Monday, Feb 12. For more info, contact Brian Rappaport at securesaintlouis@hotmail.com.
Ever wonder which political blogger is most likely to be President of the United States? (Yeah, me neither.) Well, the folks at the Columbia Tribune did and you might be surprised by the primary outcomes.
Click here to read Jason Rosenbaum's fantasy blogger Presidential scenario.
And let me just thank the good people of Arizona, North Dakota and Delaware. But Missouri, what happened? No love for PubDef?
Daus Opposes Takeover, Blunt Says Education is his "Highest Priority"
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Saturday, January 20, 2007 at 9:03 AM
State Rep. Mike Daus paid a visit to one of city's best performing schools Friday morning and, according to one student reporter, said if the state really wants to help SLPS they should allot more money for public education.
Young Claire Paddock, fifth grade reporter for the Kennard Tiger Times, writes:
Mike Daus is a Missouri State Representative from the 64th district. He visited Kennard School today. He said that he does not support the State Board of Education taking over the public schools because sometimes the government doesn't know best what's going on and that the people do, and should have a say in who they elect, and what happens to their schools. He also said that the state legislature can help schools by spending more funds for the right things and not for unimportant things. He didn't say what those were.
Meanwhile, Gov. Matt Blunt will be bouncing around the state Monday to announce his plan to improve student achievement in the areas of math, engineering, technology and science.
In addition to stops in Kansas City, St. Joseph and Cape Girardeau, Blunt will be in the St. Louis area at 2:15 p.m. at the Florissant Valley Campus of St. Louis Community College.
According to his press release, Blunt has made education the highest priority of his administration.
This week Superintendent Diana Bourisaw marked her first six months at the helm of the city's public schools by listing some of her administration's accomplishments.
"Thank you all for making my first six months at the St. Louis Public Schools so enjoyable. I am very proud of the work we have done in such a short period of time, including:
Opening schools on time despite numerous obstacles.
Developing an updated Comprehensive School Improvement Plan that will continue to move the St. Louis Public Schools towards full accreditation.
Raising over $21 million in new grants for the 2006/2007 school year. In addition, the District is working to raise $20 million in scholarships for students in the class of 2010.
Restructuring the central administrative office in a manner than improves communication while also reducing costs.
Reaching out to community partners, parents, elected officials, teachers, and other stakeholders. The District also reintroduced the School & Home newspaper throughout the community.
Establishing new attendance targets for schools which have boosted the attendance at all levels.
Increasing the number of permanent, certified teachers in classrooms. This year the District has 50 long-term substitutes compared to approximately 200 in past years.
Increasing accountability at all levels of the organization.
Expanding the use of current technology. For example, our Human Resources Division will soon be completely paperless. Further, a new workforce management system approved by the Board of Education is expected to improve fiscal accountability and increase school security.
"These accomplishments would not have been possible without the hard work and cooperation of administrators, principals, teachers, board members, and parents," said Bourisaw.
Tom Weber, of local NPR station KWMU, reports that Cape Girardeau-area Rep. JoAnn Emerson, a Republican, was especially supportive of Congressional Democrats' so-called 100-hour agenda.
Emerson voted for five of the six bills that passed during the 100 hours. Her only "no" vote was for the bill that implements the rest of the 9/11 commission's recommendations.
A taxpayer watchdog group is calling a proposal to repeal the state tax on all Social Security benefits a "sham".
Missourians for Tax Justice says that legislation, most likely House Bill 297 and Senate Bill 230, is "counterfeit concern" for senior citizens because, according to group's chairman Pat Martin, seniors with incomes below $25,000 ($32,000 for married couples) already pay zero tax on Social Security benefits.
(Click the chart to enlarge)
"Speaker Rod Jetton claims this proposal would help seniors with the costs of medication, food and housing. That’s a cover-up for the fact that this proposal is a regressive tax change that would primarily benefit the wealthiest 37 percent of Missouri’s seniors," Martin said.
"Actually, Missourians aged 65 or more and in the top one percent in income (average income of $896,000) would receive an average tax cut of $1,181 from this proposal. Can anyone believe that is needed?"
Martin says the poorest 46% of Missouri seniors -- those with incomes less than $27,000 -- receive no benefit at all from this proposal.
Missourians for Tax Justice estimate eliminating the tax on Social Security Benefits for the wealthiest income tax payers would cost the state $100 million this year and probably more in the future as more Missourians age.
"Missouri can’t afford this cut in the state’s revenue," Martin stated. "We’ve had over $3 billion in cuts to essential services over the past 5 years. Thousands have been cut from Medicaid, and our public education system is drastically underfunded. Now is not the time to deliberately reduce the state’s revenue with a big tax cut to the wealthiest senior citizens."
Green Reserving Comment on Park Deal, Slay Lists Improvements and Supporters
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Friday, January 19, 2007 at 5:46 PM
The following statement is from John Farrell, Comptroller Darlene Green's spokesman...
"The comptroller believes people on both sides of this issue have strong points. On one side are the citizens and taxpayers who want to protect their parks and have a say in plans to develop park land. On the other side is the city's largest medical facility that serves thousands of disadvantaged residents each year and is an economic engine for the community.
"The comptroller intends to move forward in an effort to bridge the gap on these two very valid viewpoints and hopefully reach a compromise solution. She is working now to hold meetings beginning next week with both sides that focus on common ground and building consensus instead of rehashing differences. This issue is too important to our community on a number of levels for us to settle for anything less than a mutual agreement.
"The comptroller is reserving comment on the new lease plan revealed today until after these meetings and, hopefully, a compromise is reached."
UPDATE: Meanwhile, Mayor Francis Slay has posted on his website a list of improvements in the latest version of the plan. He also says this deal, which he admits is "much better than originally proposed" (he supported the old one too), now has the support of Forest Park Forever and the Forest Park Advisory Board.
According to Slay, here is how the proposal is better:
The size of the land covered by the lease has been reduced to 9.4 acres. In addition, BJC has agreed to set aside no less than 15 percent of the land for green space, effectively reducing the developable space by another 1.4 acres.
Even though the amount of acreage is smaller, BJC has agreed to raise its lease payments to $2 million per year. All of that money will be put into a trust. It can only be invested to maintain Forest Park.
One-and-a-half acres of land south of Clayton Road will be protected. A new park will be created with playground equipment and tennis courts. The new park will be more convenient for families in Forest Park Southeast. BJC will light the park, and provide security and maintenance.
Some of the tennis courts at Triple A will be improved and made available to the general public at no cost. The handball courts behind the visitor’s center will also be expanded and improved.
In all, BJC has agreed to set aside $1 million to pay for the changes and improvements.
Forest Park Forever has agreed to match at least $1.8 million per year. Combined with the $2 million from the BJC lease, that means at least $3.8 million per year in dedicated revenue will be available to maintain Forest Park.
In addition, $1.6 million in General Revenue will be freed up. That money will be set aside to help maintain the City’s other 104 parks. In the first year, that money will be invested within a mile-and-a-half of the Hudlin location to create new green space or recreational opportunities.
The Board of Aldermen seem to be rushing to get this deal passed before the voters can have a say in the matter through the ballot initiative recently approved for the April ballot.
What's a controversial school board president to do while angry parents picket outside her mansion, fellow board members demand her resignation, and the mayor is calling in old favors? How about listen to some Stevie Wonder on a taxpayer-bought iPod?
But Veronica O'Brien says she didn't purchase the iPods on the Board credit card, her employee did. But the employee, former board liaison Chip Clatto, tells the Post-Dispatch that O'Brien told him to buy them for her kids.
From the Post: Clatto said he placed the order for the iPods at O'Brien's request. The music players, Clatto said, were intended for O'Brien's children, who attend the Clayton Public Schools under the voluntary transfer program.
At a busy meeting of the 6th Ward Democrats, the organization voted to endorse Committeeman Patrick Cacchione over his opponents Kacie Starr Triplett and Christian Saller.
More later...
UPDATE 1:Urban Review has the vote as 115 votes for Cacchione, 51 votes for Triplett, and 5 votes for Saller.
UPDATE 2: They may have lost last night's ward endorsement, but the Starr campaign is touting a long list of other endorsements this morning.
In a press release today (Friday), Kacie Starr Triplett says the St. Louis Labor Council recently joined State Senator Jeff Smith, State Rep. Jamilah Nasheed, Pearlie Evans, the Missouri American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the St. Louis Labor Legislative Club and St. Louis Building and Construction Trades in endorsing her candidacy.
PubDef.TV has been updated with several videos from Tuesday's School Board meeting, including video of:
Superintendent Diana Bourisaw's subtle response to numerous attacks from Board President Veronica O'Brien during the three-hour long meeting
Board member Bob Archibald again complaining about the district budget even though he and O'Brien chose to skip last week's budget work session at which administrators walked the Board through every part of district's financial situation
Board member Ron Jackson's sudden concern about the district's minority hiring and his demanding that Bourisaw, who has been with the district just a few months, address the issue immediately
O'Brien explaining her new addition to the agenda, "an update from the Mayor's Office" (even though the Mayor Francis Slay's education liaison, Robyn Wahby, was in the audience, there were no "updates" this week)
And O'Brien's report from the State Board of Education meeting last week
Also new on PubDef.TV is a place to advertise your business, campaign, event, or services. Contact us at advertising@pubdef.net for rate information.
Parents of students at Buder Elementary raised money to purchase new equipment for their kids' school, but were less than celebrated for the act by School Board President Veronica O'Brien at Tuesday's board meeting.
Later in the meeting, when the Board took up a resolution instructing the district to conduct a survey of parents and staff on their feelings regarding a possible takeover of St. Louis Public Schools, parent and board member Donna Jones couldn't take it anymore.
Board members Flint Fowler, Ron Jackson, Bob Archibald, and O'Brien voted against the survey. It would have been the first time the opinions of parents were widely solicited since the State Board of Education has been considering a takeover.
Four members of the School Board voted against extending a program proven to work to help students prepare for college because of the possible involvement of a former district employee — even after Superintendent Diana Bourisaw offered to amend the contract to expressly forbid any involvement in the project by the former employee.
UPDATE: According to a district source, the program, which is called SchoolWorks and all seem to agree works well, works with school administrative teams to analyze school data to determine where they should focus their energies to get the most student improvement. Former Superintendent Creg Williams introduced the program to the district last year.
Joe Jacovino, the "former employee" in question, was also brought to the district by Williams. It is unclear if Jacovino ever had a permanent job with SLPS. He was brought in as a temporary accountability officer from Philadelphia to do data analysis for the district to see where officials were meeting targets and where they were falling short so they could work on strategies to improve.
According to a Board source, in December the school board may have approved an arrangement in which SLPS would continue to receive Jacovino's services by hiring SchoolWorks as a consultant, with Jacovino being one of the people the company would assign to work with the district. Presumably he would not be with the district full-time and would be free to work with other districts.
But now after Tuesday's vote, Jacovino finds himself in the situation of one month watching the board approve an arrangement with SchoolWorks in order to continue to use his services, and the next month the watching the board reject the actual contract with SchoolWorks because of his involvement.
Congressman Lacy Clay's office proudly announced today that the St. Louisan was unanimously chosen by his Democratic colleagues to chair the House Subcommittee on Information Policy, the Census and the National Archives.
The chairmanship, which is one of five selected by the majority members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has primary oversight responsibility for the 2010 Census, an enormous $12 billion national project that will determine political reapportionment and the distribution of billions of federal dollars.
"This is a historic moment, and I deeply appreciate the confidence and trust that my colleagues have invested in me," said Clay in a press release.
"The census is one of the most powerful tools that the federal government has to help African-Americans and other minority communities. In 2000, the national census missed at least three million people - mostly the poor and minorities. But as the Chairman of the Census Subcommittee, I will use all the government's resources to see that this never happens again. Phoenix-like we will rise up and ensure that every American is counted."
Congressman Clay's subcommittee will also have oversight responsibilities for the National Archives and Records Administration, which safeguards essential evidence and historical records from U.S. Presidents, the Congress and the federal courts. It also has responsibility for the management of sensitive and classified information through the Office of Information Security Oversight and for monitoring the enforcement of the Freedom of Information Act.
Here is the final list of candidates running for two open seats on the St. Louis Board of Education...
KATHERINE WESSLING DAVID LEE JACKSON, JR. PAUL E. HARRIS BILL HAAS [UPDATE: Haas later withdrew] JASON SPRAY MAURICE ST. PIERRE BILL MONROE RONALD L. JACKSON* ROBERT ARCHIBALD* DOUGLASS PETTY
*incumbents
Check back later for video from last night's meeting.
Watch video from yesterday's press conference by State Senators Maida Coleman and Michael Gibbon on the eve of their meeting today with DESE Commissioner Kent King regarding the future of St. Louis Public Schools at our new video site, PubDef.TV.
While PubDef.TV is still in beta, we greatly appreciate hearing your comments and suggestions as we improve and add features over the coming months.
In addition to the video from yesterday's press conference, select from some of the best of PubDef videos from the past few months in the PubDef.TV playlist.
The new .TV is just one of many things to look for in 2007 as PubDef continues to provide the best coverage of St. Louis politics anywhere.
Archibald and Jackson File, So Does Monroe [Updated x2]
By Antonio D. French
BREAKING NEWS - READ IT HERE FIRST
Today is the final day for candidates to file to run in the important April school board election and it appears that school board members Ron Jackson and Robert Archibald will be filing for re-election.
Both Archibald and Jackson have called for a state takeover of the district and recently voted, along with controversial Board president Veronica O'Brien, to dismiss Superintendent Diana Bourisaw.
Developing...
UPDATE @ 1:50: Sources confirm that they have filed. And another candidate also filed earlier today. We don't have his or her name yet, but that would make a total of nine candidates in the race so far.
UDATE 2 @ 2:45: Make that 10 candidates. Mr. Douglas Petty is filing right now and Bill Monroe, formerly of Thurgood Marshall Charter School, was the candidate who filed earlier this morning.
As tensions remain high between police and many of the city's youth over the shooting of 14-year-old Jeremy Robinson, the alderman of the ward where the shooting took place tells Pub Def that the F.B.I. will be launching its own investigation into the matter.
Alderman Jeffrey Boyd says that after several conversations with Police Chief Joe Mokwa and Police Board Chairman Chris Goodson, the Department has agreed to an independent F.B.I. investigation, while also conducting their own investigation of the shooting.
There are numerous different accounts of what happened Friday, December 29, in the 5500 block of Greer Avenue.
According to Mokwa, Robinson, an eighth-grader at Turner Middle School and a relative of 1st Ward Alderman Charles Q. Troupe, was a passenger in a rented pickup truck speeding through a residential neighborhood. He said the driver of the truck forced an unmarked patrol car on a sidewalk to avoid being hit. Police then began pursuing the truck, which soon crashed into a tree.
According to the police, after the crash, an officer approached the wrecked pickup as Robinson and the driver began to run. Robinson fell to the ground and pointed a .45-caliber pistol at the officer, Mokwa told the AP. He said the officer ordered Robinson to drop the weapon and then fired, killing him.
But some witnesses tell a different story.
Andre Jones, who lives two houses from the shooting site and heard the gunfire, told the AP, "I never heard them yell 'police' or 'stop.' It sounded like they just got out and mowed down the kid."
Neighbors told Channel 5 News that police ordered Robinson to the ground and shot him twice before planting a gun on his body, then shooting him four more times while on the ground.
There are also reports of officers using racial slurs over police radios when requesting backup at the shooting.
"Right now the community is really upset and concerned and there is a lot of mistrust as it relates to the police," Boyd told Pub Def. "I think there needs to be some transparency in this investigation."
"The FBI is a federal agency that is independent of the St. Louis Police Department so they will have no reason to cover anything up," said the alderman.
Boyd said the F.B.I. investigation will start immediately with Special Agent Roland Corvington leading.
At the same time, the police investigation remains ongoing with the officer who shot Robinson remaining on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, which is standard procedure in such cases.
Click here to download Boyd's letter to Chief Mokwa.
An incident at the last meeting of the Board of Aldermen is making a few elected officials take a second look at who they will be supporting in the race for Board President.
On Thursday, the morning of the meeting, Ald. Kathleen Hanrahan (23rd Ward) asked President Jim Shrewsbury to include a prayer for the son of Ald. Jennifer Florida (15th Ward). Gram Florida, 13, was undergoing his second surgery that week after a sinus infection spread into his brain. According to Hanrahan, Shrewsbury refused to allow the prayer.
According to Ald. April Ford-Griffin (5th Ward), who shares an office with Hanrahan, Shrewsbury denied the request saying he thought it was a personal matter and didn't want anyone to be upset with him.
Both Ford-Griffin and Florida are supporters of Shrewsbury's opponent in the March primary election, Ald. Lewis Reed**. Just two days before, Shrewsbury lost the endorsement of the 15th Ward (Florida's home ward) to Reed.
Ald. Fred Wessels (13th Ward), a Shrewsbury ally, also spoke to the President about the prayer. Shrewsbury says he told Wessels that Florida's was a personal situation and he wasn't sure she wanted it publicized.
"I was not going to violate her privacy," Shrewsbury told Pub Def.
But according to Ald. Stephen Gregali (14th Ward), Florida called the Board office on Monday and asked that everyone be informed about her situation and to pray for her family. Shrewsbury says he was not aware of that.
"It just shows [Shrewsbury's] indecisiveness," said Gregali. "It was the right thing to do and he didn't do it."
Near the end of the meeting, during Aldermanic announcements, Gregali asked his colleagues and the public to pray for the Florida family. He said it was after the meeting that he heard that Shrewsbury had not allowed the prayer earlier.
Gregali is now supporting Shrewsbury's opponent. When asked whether this incident played any part in him deciding to support Reed, he said, "it certainly helped."
In a phone interview Monday, Florida said she believes in the healing power of prayer and contacted the Board office and hundreds of other people and churches in the area requesting prayers for her son, who is now in stable condition.
She said she also resented that Shrewsbury allowed a prayer Thursday for the then-still-missing Ben Ownby, but not her son.
"I don't think Jim was trying to protect my privacy," said Florida.
Sitting in the corner of a busy St. Louis Bread Company, James Trout recently talked to Pub Def about his lawsuit that has resulted in Cole County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan temporarily blocking the new ban on fundraising during the legislative session.
A hearing will be held on Friday, March 2, to determine whether to make the ban permanent and to throw out the rest of the campaign finance law, including the elimination of contribution limits.
You may have seen his "I Have a Dream" speech before, but watch it again now if only to marvel at how great of an orator Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was, and how large a void his murder left in American politics.
Attempting to build some momentum in his second campaign against 26th Ward Alderman Frank Williamson, two-time challenger H. Lee Willis will be shaking hands and talking politics tomorrow.
Willis will be hosting a meet-and-greet Monday at Eklectic Designz at 5622 Delmar Blvd. His appearance follows his testimony Thursday at a meeting of the Streets Committee of the Board of Aldermen (a committee Williamson sits on), where Willis spoke against Ald. Lyda Krewson's anti-street peddling bill, suggesting that instead the city invoke some kind of height restriction on peddlers to deter children from selling in busy intersections.
The event will run from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and is open to all. "This will be a great chance for ward residents to voice their concerns and meet their candidate for alderman," said Willis in a press release.
Willis lost to Williamson in 2003, garnering just 34% of the vote.
The Missouri History Museum has purchased former Mayor Freeman Bosley, Jr.'s Big Jake's BBQ on Delmar and, according to The Pacer neighborhood newsletter, plans to raze the building and put in a new "multi-modal" building.
Closed for a few months now, Big Jake's hosted several political meetings over the years and was one of the few places in town you could buy barbecued turkey legs so big they hung out of the Styrofoam to-go boxes. R.I.P. Big Jake's.
Gov. Matt Blunt issued executive orders today declaring a state of emergency and activating the Missouri National Guard in response to the winter ice storm. Blunt has also put the Disaster Medical Assistance Team on standby in anticipation of mounting emergencies.
"As we actively assess needs and damages, my first concern remains for Missourians' safety," Blunt said in a press release. "These orders ensure state resources are available to keep Missourians safe in the wake of the snow and ice and as they face freezing temperatures over the next few days."
The storm system has so far left nearly 200,000 households without power on the onset of what is predicted to be the coldest weekend so far this winter. Many communities now are dealing with widespread closings and cancellations, triggered by ice and snow, but it is concerns about power outages paired with well-below freezing temperatures that triggered the governor's orders. Power outages are dispersed throughout the state, with Springfield and the St. Louis area hit hardest.
The governor's executive orders declare a state of emergency in the State of Missouri, activate the Missouri State Emergency Operations Plan directing state agencies to provide support in affected areas as needed, and activate the Missouri National Guard.
"Get over it, St. Louis. There will never be another Ozzie Smith," said the Comedy Central pundit about our recently passed Stem Cell Amendment which allows for a certain kind of cloning.
Looking for a story from last week, last month, or even last year? Look to the left side of the page in the Pub Def Archives.
To keep the page relatively quick to download (I know, even now it's a beast for slower Internet connections), we only keep the last few days of news on the front page. If you want all the recent stuff, go to the January 2007 archive and get everything from this month on one page.
State Rep. Talbdin El-Amin appeared this morning on Fox 2 News discussing his bill to strip slugger Mark McGwire's name from the section of Interstate 70 running through north St. Louis and replace it with the name of former Comptroller and State Senator John Bass.
El-Amin will also appear on ESPN at around 10:20 a.m. this morning to discuss the bill, which we first reported on a month ago.
After two years of trying, Ald. Lyda Krewson is one step closer to getting passed her bill aimed at ending the common practice of children and adults selling items to drivers at busy intersections.
Representatives from the Nation of Islam, city firefighters, the Suburban Journal's Old News Boys Day, and even a candidate for alderman raised concerns about the bill's possible unintended consequences.
After two years of fighting to kill the controversial bill in the Streets Committee, the chairman, Ald. Freeman Bosley, Sr., was the only member member to vote against Krewson's compromise bill today.
As expected, the state Board of Education took no action today on a proposal to replace the elected school board in St. Louis with an appointed, three-person panel.
Commissioner Kent King said the Department of Education first has to get legislation passed the Missouri Assembly that spells out the panel's powers, term of office, and how it will turn power over to a new school board.
In related news, it looks like State Sen. Maida Coleman has given up on trying to fight a state takeover.
"It looks like it is going to happen and nobody can stop it," Coleman told the Post. "This train is moving very fast down the track. We need to move past what has already happened and move toward a future that takes care of these children."
What's more, other districts may be next.
Once the St. Louis situation is resolved, King told the Post, the state will direct its attention to others where students are at risk.
"The remedies, he said, might result in further state interventions."
The Board of Aldermen started off their morning meeting by honoring one of their own.
Former 19th Ward alderman Mike McMillan, the new license collector for the city, was the subject of resolution honoring his years of service on the board and wishing him well in his new citywide elected office.
Resolution #182, introduced by Ald. Craig Schmid, recognized McMillan as the youngest member ever elected to the Board and his abundance of resolutions honoring local do-gooders.
"I think Mike set the record for most resolutions introduced," said Ald. Greg Carter.
"We implore him to remember us as he moves to 'greener pastures' and collects all of those checks from our constituents," read the resolution passed today to a standing ovation.
Arnisa Samuel, a former Board secretary who will be following McMillan to his new office, was also recognized for her years of service.
The following statement from Superintendent Diana Bourisaw was issued last night... I know many of you are concerned about the State Board of Education meeting that will be held tomorrow. This afternoon the Commissioner of Education, Kent King, sent out a press release indicating the State Board is not expected to take immediate action on the recommendations recently made by the Special Advisory Committee on the St. Louis Public Schools.
Last November the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education agreed to provide us additional time to validate our data on college placement. Many noted our annual performance report had asterisks where the college placement data should have been. We have now submitted our updated data to the State of Missouri. I am confident the independently validated numbers are correct and that we will meet our sixth accreditation standard.
UPDATE: Pub Def will not be at today's meeting in Jefferson City. Feeling that the meeting is sure to be covered by numerous other reporters and citizen journalists, we're electing to keep our limited resources here in the city today and stick to what we do best: covering the stories the other guys don't.
Via the Arch City Chronicle, here is a message produced by and aired on KMOX Radio today urging their suburban listeners to call the state Board of Education and demand a takeover of the St. Louis City school board.
Missouri Commissioner of Education D. Kent King said today that the State Board of Education will have "a thorough discussion" of the recommendations made by a special advisory committee about changing the governance of the St. Louis Public Schools, but he does not expect the board to take immediate action on any specific proposal.
The State Board of Education meets tomorrow in Jefferson City and is slated to discuss the status of the St. Louis Public Schools, which has been wracked by internal disputes since last summer.
A blue-ribbon committee appointed by the Commissioner of Education last July has recommended that the State Board of Education impose a "transitional school district" in St. Louis, a process which would replace the current board of education with a three-person governing panel. This process is authorized in state law and applies only to the St. Louis Public Schools, according to state education officials.
"It is essential for the State Board of Education to thoroughly understand the recommendations made by the special advisory committee and for us to be able to explore all of the ramifications of state intervention in the operations of the St. Louis Public Schools. Ultimately, state intervention may be the best course of action, but the board and I will not rush into that decision," King said.
At a meeting of the 15th Ward Democrats last night, Jim Shrewsbury and Lewis Reed, the two candidates for President of the Board of Aldermen, answered questions on a wide range of topics.
One question, possibly submitted by civic blogger Steve Patterson, asked about the recent deal involving the St. Louis Centre redevelopment downtown and their philosophy on the use of TIFs in general.
As we reported earlier, the 15th Ward voted to endorse Lewis Reed** later than night.
Check back later for more video of questions and answers.
The two candidates for President of the Board of Aldermen addressed members of the 15th Ward Democrats last night at the Carpenter Branch Library in south St. Louis. After giving their intro speeches, both took questions from the audience.
One question asked was on what kind of person each would look for if as Board President that were to select someone for the three-member appointed board recommended to run St. Louis Public Schools.
Check back later for more questions and answers from last night.
SECOND ONLY TO DETROIT -- According to the latest government statistics, the St. Louis metropolitan area lost 3,300 jobs over a recent yearlong period -- the worst in the nation, save Detroit. (What is it about St. Louis and Detroit? First crime, now job loss. Talk about a race to the bottom.)
The report, which examined 367 metropolitan areas, showed Detroit and the St. Louis area (which includes suburbs in Missouri and Illinois) as the worst of 60 metro areas that saw decreases. Detroit was by far the worst with over 26,000 people losing their jobs.
According to the AP, Mayor Francis Slay's office had a positive spin.
"We don't have the city numbers yet but our earnings tax withholdings went up by 4 percent last year, which was an increase over the previous few years," Slay spokesman Ed Rhode told the AP. "Based on that we think the city's economy is improving."
REED GETS THE 15th -- Both candidates for President of the Board of Aldermen appeared last night at a forum hosted by the 15th Ward Democrats (check back later for exclusive video). Afterwards, the ward members voted by secret ballot to endorse challenger Lewis Reed over incumbent Jim Shrewsbury.
15th Ward Ald. Jennifer Florida, a Reed supporter, was unable to attend the meeting because of a family emergency (Our thoughts go out to her and her family).
"CASH"-CHIONE -- Patrick Cacchione, candidate for 6th Ward Alderman, has given some cash to help with the cost of a study aimed at getting a new grocery store in his ward.
According to his press release, Cachione donated "10 percent of the cost" of the population density and demographic study to the Gate District East Neighborhood Association in an effort to bring in a major grocer to the vacant Foodland Grocery site on 1605 S. Jefferson Ave.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi swears in Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay for another term in the U.S. House. Joining the Congressman for this occasion in the U.S. Capitol were his father, former Congressman Bill Clay; mother, Carol Clay; and sister, Michelle Clay.
The following comes from the office of State Rep. Jamilah Nasheed regarding St. Louis Public Schools...
A plan that would take control of the St. Louis Public Schools away from elected School Board members and place it in the hands of an appointed committee is receiving heavy criticism from Rep. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis.
Under the proposed plan, the state would impose a "transitional school district" that would be overseen by an un-elected board. The three-member panel would be appointed by St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, Aldermanic President James Shrewsbury and Governor Matt Blunt.
"There is no question our schools need our full attention and we will need to take drastic measures in order to fix this system," said Rep. Nasheed. "But circumventing the will of the people by appointing a governing body to do the job is certainly not the answer. The people of this area have every right to have their voices heard and to have input on how this effort should proceed."
Earlier in the month, Rep. Nasheed sent a letter to State Board of Education President Peter Herschend calling for a public hearing to address the recommendations for the takeover of the St. Louis Public Schools. In her letter she stressed the importance of not repeating the mistakes of the past when public input was ignored.
"State takeovers have happened all across the country and the verdict is still out on how effective this method really is for improving performance in public schools," said Rep. Nasheed. "We owe it to ourselves to get as much input as possible from every source we can find so we can make the best decision possible. And when we finally decide how to proceed we will be confident we explored all of our options and came to a consensus on the best course of action."
The State Board of Education will meet Thursday, January 11 to discuss the future of the St. Louis Public Schools.
Slay Continues Push for Takeover, Says He Would Support Mayoral Control
By Antonio D. French
Mayor Francis Slay continues his push to remove local elections from public school governance. He also seems to agree that it is unlikely the state Board of Education will take action on that recommendation this week.
"Sometime during the next couple of months," the mayor writes today on his blog, "the state's Board of Education will consider the likelihood that a student enrolled in the St. Louis Public School District today will graduate with the skills she needs to go to college, get a good job, and be a participating citizen."
"I expect the state Board to come to the same conclusions that almost everyone else has: that the school district is mired in a crisis decades in the making, and that the current system of governance (direct citywide election of seven board members) cannot undo the damage of thirty years of decline."
While the St. Louis Public Schools, along with dozens of other districts around the state and hundreds more around the nation, have suffered from decades of mismanagement, lack of sufficient funding, and the effects of poverty and urban flight, the "current" situation that is, the current state of instability (6 superintendents in under 4 years) began in 2003, when the mayor got involved in SLPS.
The mayor now says that the state Board of Education will face the choice of two "competing values" -- elective school boards and educated children.
"As much as I cherish the notion of direct elections, I hope the state Board puts children ahead of ballots. It is clear to most people that the status quo in untenable."
The mayor also, for the first time we know of, said he would support SLPS falling under the Office of the Mayor.
"The proposal recommended by the Danforth-Freeman Committee falls far short of a state or a mayoral takeover, either of which I would also have supported, but it changes the governance and the management of a failed district by removing those functions from the oversight of the St. Louis Board of Education and entrusting governance and management to a three-person board for the next several years."
Either way, Slay said "most people won't notice the difference." He cites the low voter turnouts in the past three school board elections.
"I believe that the compromise proposed by Danforth-Freeman is really the last best chance that tens of thousands of City public school children have of getting a good, free education. Right now, that opportunity eludes most children enrolled in the St. Louis Public School District," said Slay.
Touting his endorsement by the city's Firefighters' Union, Local 73, Alderman Lewis Reed has come out early with the first television commercial in the campaign for President of the Board of Aldermen.
Reed is running against incumbent Pres. Jim Shrewsbury. The election is March 6th.
The St. Louis Teachers Union is holding a press conference this evening to ask for the public's support in urging the Missouri Board of Education to decline requests for a state takeover.
Local 420 is asking the board to consider three points before any action is taken:
1.) Allow the current administration and duly elected St. Louis Board of Education until 2008 to gain accreditation,
2.) Uphold voters' right to elect board members and maintain local control of the school district,
3.) Hold a series of public hearings to gain insight from the stakeholders of St. Louis Public Schools.
The press conference will be at the headquarters of Local 420, 2710 Hampton Ave, at 5:00 p.m.
Due to the late notice, Pub Def won't be able to attend the press conference. But if anyone else records it, feel free to give us a copy and we'll post it.
Click here to view the agenda for Thursday's meeting of the State Board of Education. Early on the very full agenda is a report on St. Louis Public Schools by DESE Commissioner Kent King.
And tomorrow, the local Board of Education will meet for a work session and an administrative board meeting. Of note is an addition to the agenda for next Tuesday's regular meeting: an "update from the Mayor's office" following the President's Report.
The agenda was prepared by Board President Veronica O'Brien -- without the input of the district adminstration, according to sources -- and Ed Rhode, spokesman for Mayor Francis Slay, was not immediately aware of any such "update".
Developing...
The Work Session will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Administrative Building, 801 N. 11th Ave., in Room 108 and is open to the public. The Administrative Board Meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. in Room 108 and is also open to the public. The agenda is as follows:
WORK SESSION AGENDA 5:30 P.M.
1. Call to Order
2. Roll Call
3. Finance Report (Revised GOB and Non-GOB Budgets) Mr. Enos Moss, Treasurer/Interim CFO
4. Discussion
5. Kronos Report Mr. Terry Laster, CIO
6. Discussion
7. Adjournment
ADMINISTRATIVE MEETING AGENDA 7:00 P.M.
1.0 Preliminary
1.1 Call To Order / Roll Call
1.2 Placement of Items on the January 16, 2007 Regular Board Meeting Agenda
a) Call to Order/Roll Call b) Pledge of Allegiance c) We Are Up To Good Things d) Public Comments e) Approval of Minutes f) Superintendent’s Report i) Presentation by Superintendent ii) Finance Report iii) Consent Agenda g) Board Resolutions i) Approval of election ballot and legal notice ii) Resolution on Management and Oversite of the Office of the Board of Education iii) Resolution to direct Superintendent to conduct a district-wide survey of all employees and parents to determine their feelings regarding either a full or partial State takeover of the St. Louis Public Schools iv) Resolution regarding Internal and External Board Communications h) President’s Report i) Update from Mayor’s Office i) New Business j) Information Requests k) Announcements
St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame shortstop -- and now author -- Ozzie Smith has written a children's book and will read it to students this week at Shenandoah Elementary.
The book, "Hello Fredbird!", features the sights and sounds of a game day captured by Smith during his 19 years as a Cardinal. "Reading has always been a passion of mine, and I am happy to share this book with the children of the St. Louis Public School District," said Smith.
"We are excited that Ozzie Smith chose Shenandoah Elementary as the location to introduce his book to schoolchildren," said principal Sonya Wayne. "We have worked very hard this year to emphasize the importance of reading."
The following letter comes from activist Eric Vickers...
January 5, 2007
Completely left out of the glowing remarks about the City and County made this morning by Mayor Slay and County Executive Dooley during their address at the St. Louis Business Journal's "State of St. Louis 2007" annual breakfast is a problem that is severely stifling the area's progress: economic disparity.
Studies and newspaper editorials too numerous to mention have pointed out that, even with all the development taking place, we have not elevated the poor and low income as much as we have just shifted them around. These officials can talk all they want about improving the school system and combating crime, but unless and until there is an escalation in the economic status of the black community, their words will amount to no more than an aspiration.
In the same way these elected leaders coalesce and collaborate to promote development, they need to come together and develop a plan specifically to address the debilitating, pernicious and growing economic disparity.
A reliable source in Jefferson City tells Pub Def not to expect the State Board of Education to act on the takeover recommendation when it meets this week.
The Board will meet Thursday for its regular monthly meeting. Those supporting a state takeover have been pushing for the Board to act soon -- presumably ahead of the April school board election, after which members Ron Jackson and Bob Archibald will no longer be on the board and controversial Veronica O'Brien will likely be replaced as board president by a vote of the new board.
Opponents of a takeover say that the reign of those that brought the current instability to the district three years ago will soon be over and that state intervention at this time would be premature.
To the Editor: As a member of the St. Louis Board of Education since last April and as a mother of three children in the schools, I want to assure your readers that there has been a turnaround in the schools since September under experienced education and finance administrators with proven records. A drastic remedy such as a state takeover of the schools is unnecessary. Further, a hastily called closed meeting of the School Board on January 2 gave an alarming indication that any state takeover would bring back the kind of uncertainty -- and even chaos -- that plagued the system during the three years that the board was in the hands of a majority controlled by Mayor Francis Slay.
During those years, the district had four different superintendents and lost 25 accreditation points reaching such a low level in the 2005-2006 that the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education could classify the system as unaccredited. The district had been moving steadily toward full accreditation, which it had been when the Slay-backed majority took control. Further, and far more alarming, is an action by Veronica O'Brien, Ron Jackson and Bob Archibald on January 2. In that hastily called private executive board meeting, two of the members, O'Brien and Jackson, subjected Superintendent Diana Bourisaw -- who had no advance notice of the agenda -- to harsh bullying trying to intimidate her to resign. The session ended with those three members voting to fire Bourisaw after another member finally got the floor -- in a procedural maneuver -- and made motion to retain Bourisaw, which received 4 votes. By a 4-3 voting margin in July Bourisaw became the superintendent when Creg Williams chose to resign. The system was in such disarray that schools might not have even been able to open on time in September. On January 2 the vote to retain Bourisaw was also 4 to 3, the difference being that Board President Veronica O'Brien, who voted to hire her, was one of the three who voted for dismissal. Flint Fowler, who had not voted for Bourisaw last summer, came to her support in the January meeting.
The January 2 meeting was recorded and contrary to both policy and law, after the meeting O'Brien personally took the audio tape with her and then to Jefferson City and played the tape to friends and associates. With much of the push for a state takeover coming from the mayor's office, it is frightening to contemplate the unrest that will be created under a committee, with one member appointed by the mayor, which would be created to oversee the St. Louis schools. The seven elected board members would become figureheads and St. Louis voters having no direct say in how the schools are run or in how their local school tax dollars are being used.
With the schools now performing so well and an election for two board seats due in April, surely the state should take another look based on this year's performance before taking any new action. Donna Jones Member, St. Louis Board of Education
When the state Board of Education meets next week, they will have the opportunity to accept evidence from the beleaguered St. Louis Public Schools that would put off any effort to turn over control of the district to appointees of the governor and the mayor.
Deputy Superintendent John Martin told a group of nearly 100 SLPS parents and stakeholders gathered last night at Carr Lane Middle School that the district has evidence that it has met the sixth standard needed for provisional state accreditation.
In order for a school district to be fully accredited, it must meet nine of 14 standards set by the state Board of Education. To be provisionally accredited, as SLPS has been for several years, it must meet six of those standards. The state announced a few weeks ago, that SLPS had so far met only five.
The recent recommendation of a takeover of SLPS is based on the district losing its accreditation.
Dr. Martin said that SLPS has evidence that the district has met the sixth standard, a measure of the percentage of high school graduates that go on to college.
Martin said the district contracted with a private firm, for a fee of just $450 per high school, which tracked down recent graduates and confirmed their enrollment in institutes of higher learning.
It is now up to the state board to accept this new data, or instead ignore it and move on with stripping the district of its provisional accreditation.
That "makes all the difference in the world," said Martin.
A group of nearly 100 SLPS parents and other stakeholders last night at Carr Lane Middle School to begin organizing against any state takeover of St. Louis Public Schools.
Parent and school board member Donna Jones addressed the group and repeated her earlier assertion that the current instability and controversy on the school board is a "manufactured one" meant to set the district up for some kind of privatization effort.
The two candidates (so far; filing closes Friday) for President of the Board of Aldermen, incumbent Jim Shrewsbury and challenger Lewis Reed**, both appeared at a forum last night hosted by the Gate District Neighborhood Association in Reed's 6th Ward.
In her weekly e-newsletter, St. Louis Public Schools Superintendent Diana Bourisaw announced this week that 76 of the district's 96 schools have reached attendance goals she set shortly after assuming the post in July.
"Earlier this year, I established attendance rate targets for all schools, including 95% for elementary, 92% for middle/junior high, and 90% for high," said Bourisaw.
"At the end of the first month of school, I highlighted those schools that met or exceeded those targets. I'm pleased to again share with you that nine more schools have been added to the list for the first half of the 2006-2007 school year."
Bourisaw indicated that eight out of 17 high schools, 15 out of 18 middle schools, 51 out of 57 elementary schools, and 2 out of 4 alternative schools have reached those targets.
The Arch City Chronicle and Post reporter Jo Mannies report that State Sen. Jeff Smith will be supporting Gov. Matt Blunt's expected appointment of Republican Carol Wilson as the next head of the St. Louis City Board of Elections.
SLAY KNEW? -- Curiously absent from last night's failed, sad attempt to destabilize the school district by forcing the resignation of Dr. Diana Bourisaw was anyone from the mayor's office.
At just about every board meeting and at the special meeting that ended with the resignation of Dr. Creg Williams, one can usually spot the mayor's education liaison, Robin Wahby. But not last night.
Every reporter in town knew what was going on last night, but no representative from the mayor's office was there to take questions or relay info back to Mayor Slay? Makes some believe that "Hizzoner" knew exactly what was about to go down, did nothing to stop it, and wanted to be nowhere around when the crime went down.
EARLY CALL TO DUTY -- Governor Matt Blunt has asked State Auditor-elect Susan Montee to finish the remainder Claire McCaskill's term as state auditor.
"I have asked Susan Montee to begin her service to the state a little early," Blunt said. "I look forward to working with Susan to improve the efficiency of state government."
McCaskill becomes Missouri's newest U.S. Senator beginning noon Eastern Time, Thursday, creating a vacancy in the auditor’s office. Blunt will appoint Montee to finish the four remaining days of McCaskill's term until Montee’s four year term officially begins on Monday.
S.O.S. for SLPS -- A "Save Our Schools" Public Forum and organizing event has been set for 6:00 p.m., Thursday, at Carr Lane Middle School, 1004 North Jefferson Ave.
Save our Schools is organizing with the expressed purpose of seeking input from the community, parents, teachers and voters in the decision making process.
"We welcome advocates of the St. Louis Public Schools to take part in this organizing meeting and public forum. Save Our Schools invites all stakeholders, especially parents, to voice their concerns," said Claudia Blackmon, a St. Louis Public School parent. Ms. Blackmon, a Gateway High School parent, will moderate the forum.
TINY BRIEF -- Congratulations to the new legislators being sworn in today in Jefferson City.
Purdy Says 3 "Out of Control" Members Attempting to Sabotage District
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Tuesday, January 02, 2007 at 8:27 PM
The vice-president of the St. Louis City school board tonight said three members of the board supported by Mayor Francis Slay are actively trying to sabotage the school district.
Bill Purdy said tonight's grilling of Superintendent Diana Bourisaw in a closed-door special meeting was an attempt to force her resignation at a time when the district most needs stability.
"If we were talking about this on the school yard, we would call it bullying," said Purdy.
"It is my opinion that these board members want so desperately the state to takeover the district that they want to send the signal out to the state and to everyone in this community that the board is out of control. And it is not the board out of control, it is those three people that are out of control," said Purdy.
By a close vote of 4-3 the school board voted tonight to keep Dr. Diana Bourisaw as the head of St. Louis Public Schools.
Board member Bill Purdy, who called the question, credited Flint Fowler for joining him, Peter Downs and Donna Jones to fight off the attempt to force out Bourisaw.
Four members of the St. Louis school board are grilling Superintendent Diana Bourisaw in a closed-door meeting. Board members Peter Downs, Bill Purdy and Donna Jones came out to briefly speak to the media while the other members of the board, led by Pres. Veronica O'Brien, grilled Bourisaw.
Downs and Purdy said they believe the others are purposely seeking to destabalize the district, possibly going so far as to fire the superintendent in hopes of fueling a state takeover effort.
The St. Louis City school board is holding a special meeting tonight at 5:30 p.m. in the Foundation Room at the Administrative Building, 801 N. 11th Street. The Special Meeting will begin in open session and move into closed session to discuss personnel matters.
In the newspaper business -- and even here in the blogosphere -- publishers and editors share the same repeating nightmare: to print a mistake so embarassing that you'd want to change your name and move to Alaska. Well publisher Mike Williams from the St. Louis Metro Sentinel Journal might be pricing tickets as you read this.
On the cover of the current issue of the Sentinel (above the fold no less), Mr. Darryl Piggee, aide to Congressman Lacy Lacy, is identified as "Thief of staff" for the Congressman. Click the image to the right to enlarge.
Williams could not be reached for comment, but Piggee said he was aware of the typo and has not yet received a call of apology.
Former school board president Marlene Davis filed this morning to fill the 19th Ward vacancy created by now-former Ald. Mike McMillan's swearing in today as License Collector.
