Blacks Aren’t Getting Very Much From Well-Funded Stem Cell Supporters
Filed Thursday, September 28, 2006 at 12:00 PM
Several African-American elected officials and community leaders have asked supporters of the extremely well-funded Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures why so little of their budget is being spent with and on the black community.
“As we head into the final days before the November election, I believe that more emphasis should be given to the inclusion efforts of the Coalition,” wrote St. Louis Comptroller Darlene Green in a letter to Dr. William H. Danforth.
In the letter, written on Sept. 8 and recently obtained by PUB DEF, Green tells Danforth, who has often been the public face of the Stem Cell initiative, that more minorities should be added to the Coalition’s staff.
“If at the end of the day when the vendor list is tallied and African-Americans have been fairly represented, then this non-partisan initiative can certainly shine through as inclusive,” wrote Green.
The Comptroller isn’t the only one complaining about how little of the organization’s $16 million is trickling down to black political vendors around the state. Post-Dispatch columnist Bill McClellan recently wrote about a similar letter from Ald. Freeman Bosley, Sr. written to Brad Ketcher, the Coalition’s campaign manager.
PUB DEF has been told that that letter was not actually ever mailed. But Ketcher did receive a letter from the chairman of the St. Louis Black Leadership Roundtable. In his response letter, dated Sept. 14 and also obtained by PUB DEF, he said “more than $2 million has been expended or is committed to be spent for African-American outreach.”
Outreach? Is that money spent with black firms to reach black voters or money spent with out-of-town white-owned companies, such as Clear Channel Radio or Washington-based mail houses?
“The Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures has many African American vendors, consultants, staff members and volunteers on our team,” said spokewoman Connie Farrow. She told us to look on the campaign’s financial reports filed with the state. And so we did.
As of July 1, over $1.2 million to California-based Winner & Mandabach. $350,000 to Seattle-based Michael D. Meyers Co. for direct mail. $94,000 to Ketcher. $64,000 to Farrow. $75,000 to Sandra Aust from the University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing. $12,000 to the Kelley Group (that’s Robert J. Kelley of the Greater St. Louis Labor Council, AFL-CIO).
Oh wait, a black person: $6,000 to Rev. B.T. Rice for “issue outreach”. Not looking so good, Connie.
“The next campaign finance reporting deadline is Oct. 15, which we will meet. Our Coalition and supporters continue to identify opportunities to strengthen our efforts in the African American community,” said Farrow.
We will see.
[Editor’s Note: PUB DEF contacted the Coalition for Lifesaving Cures last week about doing some advertising. To date, we have not heard back from them.]
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