I Guess I’ll Vote Today
Four years ago today I was a candidate for Alderman in the 25th ward. I spent the day at Cleveland High School where two of the four precincts voted. I lost that election but gained a better understanding of local politics and what needs to change.
In 2007 I moved to downtown and now reside in the 6th ward. This year is the odd-numbered wards up for election. That leaves, for me and others in even-numbered wards, two races to vote on: Comptroller and Mayor.
Comptroller Darlene Green is unopposed in both today’s Democratic primary and the general election on April 4th. If she gets a single vote she’ll be reelected. I suppose a write-in could get some votes but basically this race isn’t a race at all. I’m not going to vote in this race. Green doesn’t need my vote.
The Democratic ballot for Mayor includes three candidates: incumbent Mayor Francis Slay, Irene J. Smith and the woman with too many names, Denise Watson-Wesley Coleman. Slay will win, no doubt. Slay has had very good timing. The availability of state historic tax credits helped fuel the rebirth of downtown during Slay’s first two terms. Slay and his cronies do want St. Louis to be like Chicago. Not the vibrant urban Chicago — the corrupt backroom Chicago. I cannot vote for Slay. I can vote against Slay.
Denise Watson-Wesley Coleman is an unknown and remains so on election day. No dice.
Smith is a very smart woman with a lot of passion and some good ideas. However, she’ll never get past the 2001 “incident.” But I will go vote today and it will be for Smith.
Remember that today’s primary is just that first step leading up to the general election. Until we go non-partisan, we have this charade of primary and general. What a waste of time and money. I saw Maida Coleman, the independent candidate for Mayor, last night at The Royale. She is gearing up for her race against Slay. That race will include the winner of today’s Green primary, a Libertarian and a Republican.
Hopefully the 2013 Mayoral race will be more competative.
Steve, I’m not finding a Maida Coleman campaign site. Did she mention to you when/if she might launch one?
Green may not need your vote, Steve, but she certainly deserves it.
Voting for Irene?
I’ve known her for years…hateful and not smart.
Nice vote.
Vote for Maida next. That’d be even smarter.
You just lost my respect today.
I’m with you, Irene is smart, but not my choice, however, if I don’t vote for her today I have no reason to go to the polls. To me it is also not so much a vote for her as a vote against Slaboyovich.
Slay. Period.
I really don’t understand why people vote AGAINST a candidate. Why not vote FOR the best candidate to move our city/ward forward? To me, Smith has a poor and hole-filled plan…and the few parts I understand don’t make sense. I look forward to seeing what Coleman has to offer.
On a side note, my 50/50 sidewalk arrived recently!!! Just 1 month ago a friend in a wheel chair couldn’t get anywhere near my house because of the broken and tilted sidewalk. Please feel free to stop by and walk(or roll) up and down my street at your convenience!!
Right on Steve! It’s amazing how many Democrats who scoff at Blagoyavich are willing to completely overlook all the scandals and cronyism of the Slay administration.
Phil, here’s Maida’s site: http://www.maida4mayor.com/ .
I’m afraid that city politics will remain the same until voter turnout improves. Not sure how we can get our society back into the mentality that voting actually matters at all levels, not jurst for a President.
I was amazed at all the politics in St. Louis Public Schools when I first moved to the area. Then I noticed that the last meaningful school board election had pathetic voter turnout. Sadly, I haven’t felt compassion for the City, the School board nor the Teachers Union since. Now I welcome state control and some state legislators call to open up unused school buildings for Charter groups because I can at least recognize the need for good education not only for individuals sake but as well as the societys sake.
I just finished up working 4 hours at a polling place to support Mary Homan in the 23rd. I echo what Tim E said – the only way we’ll see any change in how things are done here is to work to elect the candidates who best represent US – just pick one and DO IT! And when it comes to the Mayor’s race, it ain’t over ’til it’s over . . .
Henry, you’ve lost my respect today.
Thanks, Adam!
Personally, if I still lived there, I’d write-in Maida Coleman. And frankly, I think that could work for others who really wish to vote “none of the above” and/or support the City going to non-partisan elections.
The fact that people are seriously claiming that the Slay administration is full of scandals and cronyism shows how spoiled we’ve become in St. Louis. If you want to see some real mayoral scandals go to Detroit, Kansas City, or Chicago. (And if you’re angry about the police, talk to your state senator.)
Simply because we’re not as bad as Chicago does not mean we should get out the liquor and go to town. We have serious issues regarding collusion.
It astonishes me to this day that when a delegation of group of SLPS parents, tired of seeing their kids and schools treated as a jobs program and a political football, banded together, stepped forward, and ran for school board in order to reclaim SLPS and return it to its true purpose as an educational system, they are repeatedly accused of having some sort of ulterior motives for running for the School Board. The politicians, on the other hand, are considered to have nothing but purity in their hearts for the actions they have taken to dismantle SLPS, despite the fact that the ones who are doing so are taking many campaign dollars in return from anti-public education forces.
That, Tim E, is why there are politics in the St. Louis Public Schools. Because the politicians have found a way to make money off of them.