St. Louis Has Our Own Local Jack Abramoff
Wining & Dining of elected officials is not reserved for the big guys in Washington D.C. Local elected officials, such as members of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, are offered dinners and trips by lobbyists for big business. Like Washington, some take and others do not.
The old cliche, ‘money is the root of all evil’, has never been more true. From what I hear some officials have come to expect these extra perks to give them the lifestyle their public salary would not otherwise permit. Sound familiar? We’re not talking about the kind of cash flowing to Congress but enough to raise questions of ethics.
I want to stress a couple of points. This is not only in the City of St. Louis —- this exists throughout the region. The other point is not everyone is on the take, but some are.
No names are mentioned here as I don’t have the documentation to prove anything — yet. But in time it will come out just as it has with Jack Abramoff in Washington. Eventually we are going to have a nice little local scandal of money and favoritism.
– Steve
Look into the awarding of low income housing tax credits by the Missouri Housing Development Commission.
Steve, this type of investigation needs to get done. Just the fact that someone cares and is watching is enough to deter a lot of questionable activity. Let me know if I can be of any help!
The Freedom of Information Act would allow you access to elected officials’ expense reports . . .