Pyramid Bought Florida for $2,400?

I’ve been wondering how long the McDonald’s land swap with Pyramid has been in the works. I first reported on the rumor over a year ago, on February 1st, 2005 so I figured they probably started all this in 2004.

Well, I think I can pinpoint the time even more — the 2nd quarter of 2004.

During this period the following Pyramid-related contributions were made to the “Citizens to Elect Jennifer Florida” committee:

Stephen G. Symsack, 63119; $300
Steller Properties, Inc., 63101; $300
Stan Presson, 62236; $300
John R. Steffen, 63118 (old office location); $300
Matthew D. O’Leary, 63101; $300
Desiree A. Knapp, 63021; $300
Cathy Hagan, 63129; $300

Just a coincidence this many Pyramid folks decided to contribute to Jennifer Florida’s re-election campaign? Perhaps, but I think something else happened. I think a deal was made. By the way, the maximum contribution for any individual or company is $300.

Price tag for support on the McDonald’s project: $2,100.

John Steffen, Pyramid’s President, has donated another $300 to Florida’s campaign in the current election cycle. This brings the total to $2,400. All these contributions are legal.

Which brings us to the issue of legal versus ethical. To me this is quite transparent — support for a project in exchange for campaign contributions.

If you’d like to view the information yourself please take a look at Florida’s July 2004 Quarterly report.

While you are looking at the report take a look at the numbers. I’m no accountant but I’ve done my share of bookkeeping over the years and these numbers just don’t add up. I calculated $5,680 in itemized contributions for the three month period. Yet, on page 3 of the above report, it says $6,355 were received (Contributions and Loans Received, Line #8). This difference is $675.

The prior page, a “report summary”, shows total receipts for the period of $9,670. Again, the itemized detail only totals $5,680 by my calculations. The report shows nearly $10K in contributions for the period and nearly $29K for the election. To potential challengers such a large sum can be intimidating. But did she actually collect this much and, if so, where is the detail? The report indicates a closing “cash on hand” of $18,538.91.

But I calculate the actual cash receipts at nearly $4K less than the report summary, based on the detail given. I decided to look at the next report, the Oct 2004 Quarterly, to see if I could balance the numbers. I could not. In this report the summary indicates receipts for the election were the previous beginning balance, not the ending balance of almost $29K. How the receipts could drop by $10K yet the cash on hand balance remain unchanged is beyond me.

Based on the reports I’ve reviewed I believe it is safe to say we don’t now much Florida’s campaign has actually received and how much they have on hand. The only thing that is clear is that Steffen & Co have contributed at least $2,400 to Jennifer Florida’s campaign treasury in the last two years and she is doing and saying whatever it takes to uphold her end of the deal.

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UPDATE 3/27/06 @ 9:45AM
I have reviewed some additional campaign finance reports from the Missouri Ethics Commission website. I looked up two wards where Pyramid has actually done recent work (April Ford-Griffin and Phyllis Young) as well as another south side alderman, Fred Wessels who chairs the influential Housing, Urban Design and Zoning Committee for the Board of Aldermen.

Young’s campaign for the 2005 election received nearly $50,000 and the contribution list reads like a who’s who list for development, not surprising since Young’s ward includes the downtown CBD and much of Soulard and Lafayette Square. Pyramid gave a total of $900 divided up among three different companies. I did not find contributions from any individuals, including Pyramid President John Steffen. The bulk of her contributions are in her October 2003 Quarterly Report. And, unlike Florida’s reports, Young’s actually reconcile.

Fred Wessels’ campaign received a good amount of money during the same period, around $15,000. This included $300 from John R. Steffen.

Wessels’ report notes the employer name for Steffen and notes they have a contract with the city. Young did the same thing on her reports, noting if a contributor had government contracts. Florida’s campaign reports fail to indicate the employer of contributors and if those employers have government contracts.

April Ford-Griffin’s reports show a number of contributions related to Pyramid. Ford-Grffin’s ward is where Pyramid is now completing the dreadful Sullivan Place senior housing project (read my review). Her 2nd Quarter 2003 report indicates the following were received on the same date of 4/25/03: $300 from John Steffen (“self employed”); $300 from Dawana Steffen (“homemaker”); $300 from Stellar Properties; $300 from Desiree Knapp/Robert Wilmouth; and $300 from Matthew D. O’Leary (“self employed”). Wow, $1,500 from Pyramid folks all on the same day yet, like Florida’s campaign reports, none of these contributions are directly from Pyramid. More disturbing is the amount of contributions she received from individuals associated with Winghaven in St. Charles County. What is their interest in the City?

– Steve