This press release (via myfoxstl.com) was sent to select media yesterday from the acting fire chief:

(October 11, 2007) In response to media requests for a response to an announcement made by Chief George at a press conference held earlier today, Acting Fire Chief Steven M. Kotraba has requested the release of the following statement:

“I understand that Chief George has announced his intent to retire from the St. Louis Fire Department. On behalf of the entire department, we offer our congratulations and best wishes for health, happiness and prosperity. Chief George has dedicated nearly forty years of his life to the St. Louis community and we thank him for his service and dedication. He has touched many lives throughout his career.

With regard to any allegations made against me, or other members of the department, I welcome any investigation. I know that a finding of fact will exonerate me. All members of the St. Louis Fire Department will be accountable for any substantiated wrong doing, but it’s time to put rumors and accusations to rest. The citizens of the City of St. Louis deserve to have a fire department that they can trust, made up of members worthy of that trust.

Later today, I will be issuing some department transfers. Transfers happen routinely in the fire department and have previously never been a point of public interest or information. As it pertains to those transfers, I will, as fire chief, continue to do what is in the best interest of the citizens of the City of St. Louis and the St. Louis Fire Department, including the allocation and assignment of resources and personnel.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay (D-MO) announced today his support for State Representative Rodney Hubbard for State Senate.

Citing Hubbard’s experience and proven leadership, Congressman Clay, a former state senator himself, said St. Louis would greatly benefit from having Hubbard in the senate.

“I’ve known Rodney for several years and I’ve watched as he’s been able to bring diverse people together to benefit the people of his district,” said Congressman Clay.

“St. Louis needs Rodney’s passion and energy in the Missouri senate fighting for jobs, economic development, and educational opportunities for the people of the 5th District,” said Clay.

State Representative Hubbard said he was honored to have the congressman’s support. “I am blessed to have Congressman Clay’s support and endorsement, as well as the support of several other elected officials, including President of the Board of Aldermen Lewis Reed and License Collector Mike McMillan. These are people who I respect greatly and I am proud to have their support in my campaign for state senate.”

Clay also echoed the sentiments of many others in noting the importance of keeping St. Louis’ legislative delegation diverse.

“As a former state senator who represented a district specifically drawn to ensure the City of St. Louis would have fair and diverse representation in the senate, I feel the need is just as strong today to ensure that fairness and diversity are reflected in our elected leadership,” said Clay.

State Representative Rodney Hubbard has served in the Missouri House of Representatives since 2002. His district is composed of parts of Downtown, Old North St. Louis, and Central West End.

*Hubbard is a client of A.D. French & Associates

Official announcement…

Stacey Newman, executive director of the Missouri Women’s Coalition, is officially announcing today that she is seeking the office of State Representative for the 73rd District. She has filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission formally creating her finance committee with Ray Hartmann, St. Louis, as treasurer.

“The late Harriett Woods, former Lt. Governor and a long time mentor, often told me women run for office because they become upset enough to take action. I am extremely upset with the direction of our state government and will fight for change and true progressive policies,” said Newman.

In 2005 the state legislature cut Medicaid health insurance coverage for more than 100,000 Missourians, including over 40,000 children. Missouri schools are in crisis mode with private school voucher proposals threatening public school funding. In July 2007 Governor Blunt signed restrictions into law forcing many women’s health clinics to close and allowing public schools to teach fact-less abstinence-only sex education. The number of Missouri children living in poverty is on the rise due to numerous social services cuts by the current administration.

“This is not the direction I envision for Missouri,” Newman said. “I advocate providing health care for all Missourians, increasing our public school funding, protecting women’s personal health decisions, and supporting stem cell research and cures.

Stacey Newman’s dedication, passion and diverse background have prepared her to effectively represent the 73rd District:

• Democratic National Committee - managed specialized Missouri vote program
• 2004 John Kerry for President campaign - directed the Missouri Women’s Vote Program
• Missouri Democratic Party - coordinated statewide and legislative women’s campaigns
• “Coalition Against Blunt’s War on Women – spokeswoman for 22 progressive organizations fighting Gov. Blunt’s attacks on birth control
• Co-president of Brady Campaign/Million Mom March – St. Louis - worked closely with Governor Holden’s office against concealed weapons legislation
• Missouri registered lobbyist - lobbied for bi-partisan domestic violence and child safety legislation

Stacey resides in Richmond Heights, Missouri and is a retired flight attendant. Her husband, Burt, is an attorney in Clayton who successfully challenged the voter ID law in the Missouri Supreme Court in 2006. Their daughter, Sophie, is a freshman at Clayton High School.

“I am prepared to run, ready to win and pledge to continue the progressive work of Rep. Margaret Donnelly and Sen. Joan Bray who have held this seat for more than 15 years,” said Newman.

From the Governor’s office…

Gov. Matt Blunt’s office today raised questions about information in the Supreme Court Candidates’ applications that was withheld by the Appellate Judicial Commission. The commission asserted Friday the applications they delivered to the governor’s office were complete, but a review found that documents were missing or removed from the original applications submitted by the candidates.

The missing documents include one candidate’s statement of judicial philosophy, another candidate’s list of cases as required by the commission and background check authorizations for all three candidates.

“Upon review, we found that the three Supreme Court candidate’s application materials you sent to our office last Thursday were incomplete,” said the Governor’s Chief Counsel Henry Herschel in a letter to Judge Laura Denvir Stith, the chair of the Judicial Appellate Commission.

After initial research that included a request from each candidate for copies of their original application, it became clear that the commission removed or withheld pertinent information from the applications provided to the governor.

Missing documents include:

• one candidate’s list of cases tried
• one candidate’s statements of judicial philosophy
• background check authorization forms for all three candidates

The commission asked each applicant twenty-five questions including a request for a list of ten legal cases they have tried. The materials sent to the governor’s office did not include an answer to this question by one of the candidates. After contacting the candidate, the governor’s office was provided with a two page addendum that had been provided to the commission but was missing from the application. This addendum listed only four cases that had been tried by this candidate.

Additionally, one of the candidate’s statements of judicial philosophy, provided to the Appellate Commission as an addendum, was omitted. This was particularly enlightening as it addressed head on the question of judicial philosophy by one of the candidates.

The applications from the commission also failed to include the signed permission waivers for background checks and the background checks themselves. It is not known whether the commission ran background checks on the candidates or why copies of the authorization forms were removed from the application files.

The governor’s office previously requested all available information from the Appellate Judicial Commission and has expanded that request to include information about why relevant material was excluded from the provided materials. The request is part of the exhaustive interview process in motion to help Gov. Matt Blunt determine who of the three candidates will serve as Missouri’s next Supreme Court Judge.

In Missouri, the governor does not appoint a judge to the Supreme Court from citizens at large. Instead an Appellate Judicial Commission, made up of the presiding chief justice, three lawyers chosen by the Missouri Bar and three people appointed by governors, selects a panel of three candidates. Gov. Blunt has appointed only one of the three commissioners, and the others were appointed by former Gov. Bob Holden. The governor has 60 days to appoint one of the three nominated candidates to the Supreme Court.

From the Comptroller’s Office…

The 2007 fiscal year ended June 30 revealing a $2.98 million general fund budget surplus. Comptroller Darlene Green attributed the surplus to some higher than estimated revenue source receipts and allocated funds left unspent by some city departments.

“We beat last year’s earnings tax receipts by 3.6 percent or $4.7 million,” said Green. “This really helped cover some revenue sources that were down from last year, like the amusement tax receipts.”

Other notable revenue sources that beat FY 06 returns were intergovernmental receipts that include gasoline and auto sales taxes and prisoner housing reimbursements (up $5.0 million or 21.2%); hotel and restaurant tax (up $588,000 or 5.1%); and sales tax (up $1.4 million or 3.0%). Property tax receipts were also up 8.3 percent, but that was attributed mostly to an increase in delinquent tax payments.

City Budget Director Paul Payne agrees that the 2007 fiscal year surplus is a welcome change over past years.

“The surplus, while modest, is a positive development. It says good things about the city’s economic growth, which along with continued vigilance on spending, are the keys for ensuring future budgets can meet the city’s needs,” said Payne.

The year end results cited above are unaudited and represent preliminary calculations. The official, audited results will be published later this year in the city’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.

This report will be available online at www.stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/comptroller when it is completed.

From the Missouri Ethics Commission…

Click to enlarge

Press release from the Missouri Democratic Party…

Blunt’s 2nd Quarter Finance Plan: Sell State Government for $478,250 in Campaign Contributions

Jefferson City, MO — Less than a year after getting rid of campaign contribution limits in Missouri, Gov. Blunt’s fundraising strategy is becoming crystal clear: sell off state government piece by piece in exchange for unlimited campaign contributions.

This quarter alone, Gov. Blunt raked in $478,250 in contributions from appointees to state boards and commissions; fee office operators or their families; companies with state government contracts; and even the railroad company to which he gave rights to the Boonville Bridge. A glance at Blunt’s quarterly report reads a little like the old American Express commercials:

Selling Booneville Bridge Rights to Union Pacific: $25,000 (in campaign contributions)

Selling Appointments to Boards and Commissions: $130,500

Selling lucrative fee offices: $80,250

Selling state government contracts: $242,500

Total sale of state government to campaign donors in 2nd quarter alone: $478,250

Selling your integrity: Priceless.

“In his zest to fill his campaign coffers, Matt Blunt has continued to sell state government to special interests and wealthy corporations at the expense of Missouri families,” said Jack Cardetti, Missouri Democratic Party spokesman. “Missourians deserve a governor who will restore integrity to state government by focusing on health care and college affordability, instead of auctioning off state government to the highest campaign contributor.”

Press release from the Green Party…

“More than anyone else, Willie Marshall was responsible for bringing a Black perspective to the Green Party,” says Party activist Barbara Chicherio. Willie Marshall passed while asleep early July 14 after a long bout of lung and heart problems. He was Chair of both the Missouri Green Party and St. Louis Green Party Central Committee.

A military veteran and retired postal worker, Marshall was an outspoken critic of the war in Iraq. He appeared on Green Time TV and spoke at Black and Green Wednesday programs insisting that Black people should not be wounded and killed in a war for oil profits. Marshall also participated in national events as a member of the National Committee of the Green Party USA.

“He often told us of his personal experiences as a victim of racism, especially while in the military in 1959 and 1960,” remembers Chicherio. “But there was never bitterness in what he said. He always pointed out injustice and what needed to be done. That’s why he was so effective at changing the Green Party from almost all white to a group where Blacks are a majority at most meetings. Willie brought an African-American perspective; he brought ideas that people listened to; and, he brought other Black people.”

In 2004, Marshall was elected Outreach Coordinator for the Green Party of St. Louis. That year, he won 10% of the vote as Green Party candidate for Public Administrator. The next year he was the Green Party nominee for Mayor and won 21% of the vote against Democrat Francis Slay. That was the highest vote that any Green Party candidate, including Ralph Nader, has ever received in the City of St. Louis. Nader was the well known 2000 Green Party Presidential candidate. Marshall won over 40% of the vote in predominantly Black wards 2, 4, and 21.

“People all over north St. Louis knew Willie,” according to Ziah Reddick, Treasurer for the Green Party of St. Louis. If you were passing out literature for him, someone would tell you how much they liked him because of something he had done to help them out. People knew they could trust Willie Marshall.”

Since 2005, Marshall worked with Greens on childhood lead poisoning prevention. He went to meetings called by the Greens, Health & Environmental Justice and Lead Safe St. Louis. But he was highly critical of approaches by the City of St. Louis, charging that it was not targeting areas where the most children were lead poisoned. Marshall was one of several St. Louis residents who wrote letters in 2006 asking the City to document where lead poisoning money was spent. During the campaign to gather signatures for an audit of the City, Marshall was frequently a Green Party spokesperson.

Willie Marshall founded the New Generation Solidarity Consumers Union, which he spoke passionately about. Strongly influenced by struggles such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, he felt such a tool should be a permanent part of organizing. During a 2006 interview, he said “A consumers union can leverage economic sanctions to get justice.” Working for justice was Willie Marshall’s life.

Aldermanic President Lewis Reed has launched a new website designed to keep city residents informed about important issues being discusses at the Board of Aldermen and highlight some of the great things going on in our city.

www.PresidentReed.com will feature videos and photos of the latest events and happenings around town, and links to websites and legislation of interest.

“As someone with a background in Information Technology, I am very excited to use the latest tools technology has to offer to keep St. Louisans informed of the important work we’re doing at the Board and of the exciting changes happening in our great city,” said President Reed.

*Lewis Reed is a client of A D French & Assoc.

Press Release from Gov. Matt Blunt’s office…

Gov. Matt Blunt today appointed Jackson County Drug Court Commissioner Brian Curtis Wimes to Circuit Judge of the 16th Circuit - Division 18 to replace Judge Jon Gray, who retired.

Judge Gray was appointed by then-Gov. John Ashcroft to circuit judge in 1986 and was the first African American to serve the 16th Circuit. Wimes is also African American.

“We must work to ensure that all Missourians are represented in their government and that in all cases qualified Missourians are elevated to service,” Blunt said. “Brian Wimes’ experience overseeing the county’s drug court and his dedication to public service and the law of our state will be invaluable as he assumes this new role. Missourians can be proud he has agreed to serve in this capacity.”

Mr. Wimes, 41 of Kansas City, has served as Jackson County Drug Court Commissioner for more than five years. He previously worked in the Jackson County prosecutor’s office, where he was named Rookie Prosecutor of the Year and received national honors. He also worked for the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, Litigation Branch. Mr. Wimes earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Kansas and a law degree from Texas Southern University.

Mr. Wimes is an active community participant. In 2002, he was honored as a member of Ingram’s Magazine’s “40 under Forty”. He is a member of St. Monica’s Catholic Church, on the board of directors for the Hope House Domestic Violence Shelter and has participated in Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Mr. Wimes was one of three candidates for the circuit judge position sent to Blunt by the 16th Judicial Commission, which accepts applications and selects candidates to fill judicial vacancies within this circuit. The governor can only appoint one of the three candidates submitted to him by the commission.

The five-member 16th Judicial Commission is made up of the chief judge for the Western Court of appeals, two attorney’s elected by the Missouri Bar, and two gubernatorial appointees.