2005

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…

By 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 area school districts the news they had…

Paul Begala, Democratic political strategist, President Bill Clinton's former campaign manager, and the former co-host of CNN's Crossfire, will be speaking at St. Louis University on Tuesday, December 6, at 7 p.m.An Evening with Paul…

St. Louis Board of Education member Veronica O'Brien says she was denied access to district records per instructions from district lawyers.In an email to Board President Darnetta Clinkscale, which was forwarded to the media by…

PUB DEF Weekly is pleased to announce it is now hosting a blog for Peter Down's informative St. Louis Schools Watch.The URL is http://slswatch.pubdef.net and it will be updated often, so check it regularly.This continues…

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…

The Associated Press is reporting that the body of David Exposito, 64, was found in a street in the northeast side of Kansas City, Kansas yesterday afternoon.According to the AP, police would not discuss details,…

November 3, 2005 -- State Senate candidate Jeff Smith will be holding another fundraiser at The Royale, 3132 S. Kingshighway, on Thursday, Nov. 10. This is the second time the Smith Campaign has chosen this…

November 9, 2005 -- St. Louis Schools Watch has a redesigned blog. Stories from the newsletter published by Peter Downs, parent and former school board candidate, can now be seen online at www.SLSWatch.PUBDEF.net

According to the AP, Vince Schoemehl said in his letter of resignation that he always had intended to serve just one year on the school board. If that is true, that was probably information he…