5th Ward Special Election Today

Today voters in the 5th ward will go to the polls to select one of three candidates to finish the term of former alderman April Ford-Griffin who resigned to take a city position.

ABOVE (L-R): Candidate forum moderator Kathleen Farrell, candidate Tonya Finley and Rose M. Green

Independent candidates Tonya Finley and Rose M. Green participated in the candidate forum last week. The Democratic nominee Tammika Hubbard confirmed two days prior but she didn’t participate. I expected to meet and hear from all three candidates. The volunteers from the League of Women Voters of St. Louis did an outstanding job with the two candidates  that took the time to show up.

I voted absentee last week, access to my new polling place via public transit would require me to cross 14th Street without a signalized crosswalk — too dangerous.

ABOVE: Ballot on electronic voting machine (click image to view official ballot)

Turnout will be low for this election, very few people deciding who completes the term that ends in April 2013. This may cause me problems down the road for disclosing this but I voted for Tonya Finley in this election.

- Steve Patterson

5th Ward Candidate Forum Tonight

April Ford-Griffin

The three women seeking to fill April Ford-Griffin’s unfinished term as 5th Ward Alderman will make their case tonight:

The League of Women Voters of St. Louis is moderating a public forum for candidates running for the St. Louis 5th Ward Alderwoman race on Tuesday, December 13 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Vashon High School Cafeteria, 3035 Cass Ave., 63106.

The public will have the opportunity to learn more about the candidates seeking election in the 5th Ward by hearing them speak and answer questions in a public forum one week before the special election. There are three candidates running for one vacancy: Tammika Hubbard (Democrat), Tonya Finley (Independent), and Rose M. Green (Independent). (St. Louis American)

I’ve never met any of these candidates in person but I will have to decide which one will get my vote on the 20th. My expectations, frankly, are low. I’ve yet to see any evidence any of them are a 21st century candidate with use of social media and a website.  They might say the majority of 5th ward voters aren’t on Twitter/online but national research suggests otherwise:

Non-white internet users continue to have higher rates of Twitter use than their white counterparts; indeed, the Twitter adoption gap between African-Americans and whites has increased over the past six months. In November 2010, there was an eight percentage point difference in Twitter use between African-American and white internet users (13% for blacks vs. 5% for whites). By May 2011, that gap was 16 percentage points—25% of online African Americans now use Twitter, compared with 9% of such whites. African-American and Latino internet users are each significantly more likely than whites to be Twitter adopters. Even more notable: One in ten African-American internet users now visit Twitter on a typical day—that is double the rate for Latinos and nearly four times the rate for whites. (Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project)

The tern expires in the Spring of 2013.

- Steve Patterson

Poll: Do You Support St. Louis Selling Bonds To Fund Park Improvements?

St. Louis will be selling bonds to fund improvements to the city’s park system. From STLtoday.com on Friday:

St. Louis aldermen today overwhelmingly approved a plan to issue $64 million in bonds for city parks, with about $30 million to be spent on improvements at Forest Park.

What’s not to like about better parks?

ABOVE: Forest Park

Comptroller Darlene Green isn’t happy about the city taking on more debt:

On Thursday, Green was outvoted when two related bills authorizing the funding plan passed the city’s three-person Board of Estimate and Apportionment, which also includes Mayor Francis Slay and Aldermanic President Lewis Reed. Aldermen today approved the bills by wide margins. (article)

So St. Louis will take on more debt. In a November 30th letter to the Board of Aldermen, Comptroller Green explained her concerns about paying off the debt.

ABOVE: Gravois Park is one of 100+ parks in St. Louis

This seems like a perfect subject for a weekly poll question: Do you support St. Louis selling bonds to fund park improvements? The poll is in the right sidebar, results will be posted Wednesday December 14th.

- Steve Patterson

Alderman Filed Chapter 7 Bankruptcy While Serving on Ways & Means Committee

The Ways & Means Committee at the St. Louis Board of Aldermen is probably the most important of their standing committees:

[The] Ways and Means Committee is concerned with questions of finance, assessments, budget, public debt; appropriations and other bills not properly referable to other committees except monies administered by the Community Development Agency or the St. Louis Development Corporation.

The City of St. Louis needs competent leadership to address the financial problems  facing our city. Thankfully the committee chair is now Lyda Krewson (D-28). Her full-time job is as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the firm PGAV. The qualifications of the other ten current members of the committee pale compared to those of Krewson. In fact, one member of the committee shouldn’t be serving on the committee at all.

Marlene E. Davis (D-19) was elected to the Board of Aldermen in March 2007 (unchallenged) to finish the term of Michael McMillan, who became License Collector. After getting elected, this former President of the St. Louis School Board and two partners bought the legendary jazz nightclub Gene Lynn’s  in July 2007, presumably from Mr. Gene Lynn himself.  The partners were Kim Kyunah of O’Fallon, IL and Barry Adelstein of St. Louis.

ABOVE: Gene Lynn's was located in the Lindell Marketplace

On August 27, 2008 The Lindell Marketplace LP filed a lawsuit against the three for rent and possession totaling $100,171.92  In December 2008 the once-popular club was closed.

On March 3 2009 Davis defeated challenger  Michelle Lawrence  (73.44% vs 26.56%) in the democratic primary for a full 4-year term. On March 19,2009, a consent judgement for $24,000 was filed by Judge Peebles with payments of $300/month starting in April 2009.

In March 2010 Davis filed Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. Davis listed assets of $10,500 and liabilities of $119,718.47. Nearly $17,000 was back taxes to the Missouri Department of Revenue ($5,000) and the Internal Revenue Service ($11,953.37).

A few of the “creditors holding unsecured non priority claims” were:

• Barry Adelstein $30,000
• Kim Kyunah $28,000
• Lindell Marketplace $25,506

Davis’ income was listed as $3108.28/month but after taxes and a tax garnishment of $1083.33 her take home pay was just $1,114.10/month. In a separate line for other monthly income Davis listed $350/month for “adjustment for expenses paid by city” bringing the total to $1,464.10/month. What’s interesting is the monthly expenses schedule — $3,003.00/month. The 2nd biggest item was an install payment of $384/month under auto. The largest was $425/month detailed on a separate sheet as:

• Mailings for ward: $175.00
• Stamps: $150.00
• Parking: $100.00

I’ve had my share of regrettable financial decisions over the years but I doubt Davis’ ability to make sound finical decisions for the City of St. Louis as a member of the Ways & Means Committee.

Tomorrow I will look at

Poll: Should St. Louis Require Pet Owners To Spay, Neuter & Microchip Their Pets?

Dogs & cats are getting caught in political debates lately in St. Louis.

ABOVE: A dog at Stray Rescue

One attempt to control the animal population is Board Bill 107. From July:

The bill, introduced by Central West End Alderman Lyda Krewson, comes as part of a citywide effort to reform animal control laws and crack down on the owners of thousands of city strays overwhelming the region’s animal shelters.

Yet, in the same meeting of the Health and Human Services Committee, aldermen narrowly rejected sending $250,000 in taxpayer donations to the city’s nonprofit dog shelter, Stray Rescue — a move that threatens the already rocky relationship between the city and the nonprofit’s founder, Randy Grim. (STLtoday.com)

The bill stalled at the Board of Aldermen before they went on summer recess.  From September 21st:

​A bill under consideration in the St. Louis Board of Aldermen could make St. Louis one of the most restrictive cities in the nation when it comes to owning cats and dogs.

Board Bill 107 would require all pet owners to spay or neuter their dogs and cats and microchip them for identification. Those who don’t want to sterilize their pets would be assessed a fee of $200 per year. (RFT)

I’m not a pet owner so I’m not directly impacted. Still I thought this was a good topic for a weekly poll.  Vote in the poll in the right sidebar. Results will be published on Wednesday Oct 12, 2011.

- Steve Patterson

Readers: Preservation Review Should be Citywide!

Readers who voted in the poll last week clearly support making preservation review citywide rather than allow some aldermen to exclude their wards:

Q: Should Preservation Review be Citywide or Continue Ward-by-Ward?

1. Citywide! 84 [87.5%]
2. Unsure/no opinion 4 [4.17%]
3. We shouldn’t have any preservation review districts 4 [4.17%]
4. Aldermen know what is best for their ward 2 [2.08%]
5. Other answer… 2 [2.08%]

Our aldermen, however, have a custom known as “aldermanic courtesy” where the interests of the city as a whole take backseat to the ruler of the ward. As a result I don’t expect this group of 28 to make a change for the better.

The two “other” answers were:

1. It should be regional.
2. It doesnt really matter, they will do what they want to anyway

True, they will what they want.

- Steve Patterson

Readers Want Ald Freeman Bosley Sr. Out of Office

Ald. Freeman Bosley Sr.

Many people think Ald Freeman Bosley Sr. (D-3) has been a member of the Board of Aldermen longer than any other member. However, Phyllis Young & Fred Wessels hold that honor, both were first sworn in on April 16, 1985 (26 years!). Next is Joseph Roddy, first sworn in on March 11, 1988 (23 years!). Freeman Bosley Sr., and Terry Kennedy, were first sworn in on April 18, 1989 (22 years!).

In the poll last week readers picked the father of former mayor Freeman Bosley Jr. as the alderman they’d most like out of office. Where do I begin? Bosley’s plan for his 1/28th of the city has been tear down anything vacant more than a week. If not for the persistence of the staff at the city’s Cultural Resources office, and others, the third ward would have significantly fewer buildings.

As an example, Ald Bosley has mentioned for years about razing the beautiful library in Hyde Park with an IHOP.  I like eating at IHOP but I’m a bigger fan of the historic library.

ABOVE: the historic library in Hyde Park

In my first weeks of blogging I spoke at a Preservation Board meeting against the demolition of a historic church on North Grand that Bosley supported.  Thankfully they rejected the application and the church remains.

Here are the Top 10 vote getters in the poll, readers could pick up to five (those shown in bold are the ones I voted for):

1. 3) Freeman Bosley Sr. 75 [14.34%]
2. 19) Marlene E. Davis 60 [11.47%]
3. 6) Kacie Starr Triplett 40 [7.65%]
4. 7) Phyllis Young 38 [7.27%]
5. 5) April Ford-Griffin 34 [6.5%]
6. 20) Craig N. Schmid 32 [6.12%]
7. 1) Charles Troupe 28 [5.35%]
8. 18) Terry Kennedy 24 [4.59%]
9. 15) Jennifer Florida 22 [4.21%]
10. 9) Kenneth Ortmann 19 [3.63%]

The following are the remaining, in order.  In the case of a tie the software placed them in numerical/alphabetical order.

• 21) Antonio D. French 16 [3.06%]
• President Lewis Reed 15 [2.87%]
• All of them 14 [2.68%]
• 13) Fred Wessels 12 [2.29%]
• 17) Joseph D. Roddy 12 [2.29%]
• Stephen Conway 11 [2.1%]
• 4) Samuel L. Moore 10 [1.91%]
• 28) Lyda Krewson 10 [1.91%]
• 11) Thomas Albert Villa 7 [1.34%]
• 27) Gregory Carter 7 [1.34%]
• 22) Jeffrey L. Boyd 6 [1.15%]
• 23) Joseph Vaccaro 6 [1.15%]
• 2) Dionne Flowers 5 [0.96%]
• 10) Joseph Vollmer 5 [0.96%]
• 12) Larry Arnowitz 4 [0.76%]
• 16) Donna Baringer 4 [0.76%]
• None of them 2 [0.38%]
• 14) Carol Howard 2 [0.38%]
• Unsure/no answer 1 [0.19%]
• 24) Scott Ogilvie 1 [0.19%]
• 25) Shane Cohn 1 [0.19%]
• 26) Frank Williamson 0 [0%]

No votes for Williamson? Someone I know didn’t vote then.

Clearly many of them don’t know when to make an exit.  Twenty-six years?  If we want them out we’ve got to make it happen by challenging them at the next election, recall or just being so critical of everything they finally give up and step aside so younger folks can take a shot at leadership.

Odd numbered wards, seven of the top ten, are up again in 2013. Start planning your campaign today!

- Steve Patterson

Poll: Which Alderperson(s) would you like to see out of office?

ABOVE: St. Louis City Hall

If you follow politics in the City of St. Louis you probably have a favorite member of the Board of Aldermen.  And conversely, you probably have at least one you think should no longer be in office.  Through not running, defeat at the polls or even a recall, I’d like you to pick the alderperson(s) you think shouldn’t be in office.

I don’t typically vote in my own poll but I want to this week.  I realized I couldn’t pick just one , or even three, so I’m allowing you to pick up to five answers. I want more than five out of office but I felt I could fairly narrow my list down to five.  I realize this poll  isn’t entirely fair, some alderpersons have barely been in office two months, whereas others have been in office more than two decades.

Typically I have the poll software randomize the answers but this week they are fixed, presented in order of ward number.  The poll is in the upper right corner of the blog.  If all goes as planned on Wednesday July 13th I will be able to present a ranking of all 28 plus the citywide President. Who knows, I might even name the five I ‘m going to select in this poll.

- Steve Patterson

Really!?! with Steve and Steve

Really Marlene Davis? You had no idea the developer wants to raze the existing 1960s flying saucer building? Really?

Really, you told me on the phone Wednesday nobody has mentioned demolition to you? Really!?!

Really, you introduce a board bill last week with the sentence “Demolition of the existing building in the Area is necessary and desirable to allow for redevelopment of the Area in accordance with the Plan” and then email me saying “the bill I presented today was for tax abatement”? Really!?!

Really, haven’t you heard of this thing called the internet?  You didn’t know people can easily fact check and compare notes? Really!?!

Wow! Really!?!

My apologies to Seth  & Amy.

Further reading:

• Del Taco to Close Tomorrow; But Board Bill May Actually Save Building
• Aldermen advance blighting, and tax abatement, of Del Taco
  
• That Googie on Grand and the fabric of a city

- Steve Patterson

Poll: Should Scrap Metal Dealers Be Required To Mail Checks Rather Than Pay Cash?

ABOVE: Cash's Scrap Metal on N. Broadway couldn't pay customers in cash is a new bill becomes law

The poll this week relates to a bill at the Board of Aldermen:

The ordinance would force scrap yards to stop dealing in cash and to computerize records of what they buy and from whom. They could only accept air-conditioner coils from certified technicians and could lose their business license if they violate the ordinance.

It is the first item — requiring scrap dealers to pay their customers by a mailed check — that is causing the most consternation. But that’s the one element police say is a must if the city wants to curb scrap metal thefts that are costing property owners thousands in repairs and driving rehabbers out of St. Louis.

Since 2010, the city has seen more than $6 million in scrap metal thefts, $1.5 million of that since March. Police say drug addicts who steal scrap and sell it to support their daily habits would lose interest without the immediate payout of cash. (STLtoday.com)

Board Bill #86 sponsored by  16th ward Ald Donna Baringer on June 3, 2011. Co-sponsors listed are Troupe, Arnowitz, Wessels, Boyd, and Cohn:

An ordinance pertaining to the purchase or resale of scrap metal; repealing Ordinance 67424, presently codified as Section 15.159 of the Revised Code of the City of St. Louis, pertaining to electronic database requirements, purchasing HVAC scrap metal, establishing licensing requirements and rules and regulations for persons doing business in the City of St. Louis as scrap metal merchants; containing definitions; a penalty clause, a severability clause and an emergency clause.

I’ve read opposition on Facebook, saying this bill, if passed, will hurt legit guys who collect metal for a living. The argument is they depend on cash to buy food and pay rent.

I don’t have a strong opinion, but I’d like to see how readers feel about this issue so this is the poll topic this week. As always, the poll is in the upper right corner of the blog.

- Steve Patterson