2005

According to the Missouri Ethics Commission, Steve Brown, treasurer for Jeff Smith 2006, has "bad PM". For some struggling to read Brown's chicken scratch on Jeff Smith's latest campaign finance reports, bad PM means bad…

I'll be chatting it up tonight on Collateral Damage with hosts DJ Wilson and Fred Hessel at 7:00 on KDHX 88.1 FM. I'll be joining Steve Patterson from UrbanReviewSTL.com to discuss the latest happenings in…

Democratic Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay, Jr. (D-MO) joined Republicans yesterday to pass the Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act of 2005. If made law, the bill (also known as the "Cheeseburger Bill") would prevent people…

The Public Safety Committee of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen will be hearing public testimony regarding the need (or lack thereof) for establishing a civilian board to review allegations of misconduct against police officers…

Future of Gifted Education, Magnet Schools in DoubtBy Peter DownsNovember 22, 2005 –– Last Friday, David Welch, director of gifted education programs for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, gave representatives from metropolitan…

National opinion has finally turned on the Bush Administration. The Iraq War is now seen by most Americans as a failure and, perhaps more importantly, as unnecessary. The question is now being publicly debated whether…

A common rap against St. Louis Public School parents is that they don't get involved. Somebody forgot to tell the parents at Dewey International Studies Elementary School.On the weekends of October 8 and October 15,…

Senator Kit Bond was one of only 6 senators to vote against an agreement to give up annual pay raises for U.S. senators. The agreement came out of the need to control the growing budget…

[The following editorial, published in last week's print edition of PUB DEF Weekly, was the focus of some discussion on 'Collateral Damage' on KDHX Monday night. In the interest of public discourse, we are making…

By Peter DownsSt. Louis Mayor Francis Slay yesterday unveiled his first major moves to retain control of the school board. He announced the resignation of Vincent Schoemehl from the board a mere four and a…