It’s safe to say St. Louis voters would like to know the vision that both Francis Slay and Lewis Reed have for St. Louis, but it is not clear if we will get that before the March 2013 primary.
ABOVE: Three term Mayor Francis Slay (left) and Aldermanic President Lewis Reed (right) are the two known Democratic candidates for mayor in the March 2013 primary.
A few questions that came to mind for me:
What do each think are the challenges facing the city through Spring 2017 and beyond?
For Slay what did you wan to get done in your first three terms that hasn’t happened yet? Why not? (County reunification anyone?)
For Reed: How would city government be different if you are elected mayor?
Here are the results of the poll:
Q: Thoughts on the 2013 race for St. Louis Mayor?
Hopefully we’ll get to see their visions rather than just negative ads of the other 33 [24.44%]
Slay’s reelection war chest will ensure he wins 19 [14.07%]
It’ll be a very close race 15 [11.11%]
With a good ground game Reed can overcome Slay’s money advantage 14 [10.37%]
It won’t be a close race, a 10+ point spread 12 [8.89%]
It’s good to have two qualified candidates to pick from 12 [8.89%]
I liked it better when Slay didn’t have a serious challenger 10 [7.41%]
Other: 10 [7.41%]
Too early to think about it 4 [2.96%]
Unsure/No Opinion 3 [2.22%]
A 3rd candidate could muddy the choice for voters 3 [2.22%]
No mayor has won a 4th 4-year term 0 [0%]
The “other” answers were:
Same ol’, same ol’
Its time for Mayor Slay to step down.
Reed is nothing but a racebaiter and hopefully he will not win.
The only thing different about these two is the color of their skin.
It will become a racial race, white vs black,
slay must go!!
Paul McKee wins big if Lewis Reed unseats Slay.
poor poor stl what terrible options you have
GO SLAY!
How are they different again?
Both Slay & Reed are seasoned politicians so it will take effort from the media and public to demand substance from them.
The November presidential election is still more than four weeks away but already the March 2013 primary race for St. Louis mayor has begun.
ABOVE: Three-term Mayor Francis Slay (left) and Aldermanic President Lewis Reed (right) are the two known Democratic candidates for mayor in the March 2013 primary — so far.
On Wednesday Aldermanic President Lewis Reed announced what many had long suspected — he’s running for mayor against three-term incumbent Francis Slay.
Only one St. Louis mayor has ever run for a fourth 4-year term, that was Raymond Tucker.
In March 1965, during his bid for an unprecedented fourth term as mayor, Tucker lost to Alfonso J. Cervantes in the Democratic primary. (Wikipedia)
If Slay wins reelection next year it’ll be one for the record books. The two times Slay has been reelected (2005 & 2009) he had weak challengers, so 2013 will be different.
For the poll this week I want to know your thoughts on this competitive race. The poll is in the right sidebar, mobile users switch to the desktop layout.
One might think the Missouri Sex Offender Registry would be a useful tool when determining where to buy a house, or let your kid walk to school. Think again! Legislators tried earlier this year to change the requirements so the registry would have fewer listed and be more helpful to the rest of us:
Currently, Missouri has more than 12,000 people on its sex offender registry. Crimes range from extreme rape cases to consensual sex with minors. The new law could cut as many as 5,000 people in its first year and 1,000 people each year after, according to a fiscal study.
Rep. Rodney Schad, R-Versailles, argued that public opinion has pushed the registry too far – adding people who are not threats to society – so that it’s no longer effective. (stltoday.com)
ABOVE: Registered sex offenders around Chesterfield’s city hall, blue dots represent work address and red represent home address.
JOPLIN, MO– An effort to change the makeup of the Missouri Sex Offender Registry misses the deadline. House Bill 1700 was approved by state representatives, but failed to come to a vote in the senate. The measure would have created a tiered system for sex offenders. It also would have removed some convictions from the list. Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder says the issue will likely return in the 2013 session. (source)
A person on the registry that had consensual sex with his minor girlfriend contacted me about the need to change Missouri’s law, I was shocked as I researched it. This “Romeo and Juliet” scenario is a common reason for ending up being labeled a sex offender, which greatly hampers employment prospects. Missouri’s age of consent is 17 so consensual sex between a 16 year old female and a 21 year old male is 2nd Degree Rape per Missouri statutes.
I searched for many addresses throughout the region and everywhere blue (work) and home (red) dots appeared. A dot nearby doesn’t mean your loved ones are in danger — the offender could just be someone that didn’t realize he was just a bit too old for his girlfriend — in Missouri. In other states the age of consent might be younger, or older, than Missouri.
You want to know about the Michael Devlin’s, not a young man that got caught with his girlfriend months before she’d have been legal.
When I posted last week’s poll on Sunday September 23rd it didn’t look like we were going to see progress toward getting the new $22 million O’Fallon Park Recreation Center open for business. Agreement was reached the next day, but political posturing didn’t end.
Monday September 24th – 1pm
ABOVE L-R: Flint Fowler, president, Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis, Mayor Francis Slay, Gary Schlansker, president and chief executive officer, YMCA of Greater St. Louis announce agreement at a Monday September 24th press conference.
One of the key items announced was “1300 low income kids will get $25 memberships at the O’Fallon Recreation Center.” This is $25 per year, not per month. See the fact sheet here.
ABOVE: Ald. French wasn’t invited to participate in the press conference but talked to reporters immediately following.
Ald. French was glad more specifics were formerly outlined in the documents — that was the goal. It just needed to get through the Board of Aldermen.
Friday September 28th
ABOVE: Three consecutive tweets friom Ald French from last friday as the Board of Aldermen debated the new agreement.
David Hunn of the Post-Dispatch reported the debate on the bill lasted for over an hour, with many in support:
Aldermen were not uniformly uncritical. Some worried about costs in years to come. Others complained that their wards lacked similarly updated facilities. Alderman Joe Roddy cautioned that the city was gaining a “champagne” appetite when what it really needed was inexpensive access for residents.
But only Alderman Steve Conway spoke fervently against French. He thought the 21st Ward alderman, who has been a paid campaign consultant for mayoral hopeful and board President Lewis Reed, delayed the center’s opening to make Slay look bad. (stltoday.com)
The bill passed, including a yes from Conway. The final vote will be this Friday October 5th. The facility should open by late this year or early 2013.
Q: Thoughts On The Not Yet Open O’Fallon Park Recreation Complex
The African-American Aldermanic Caucus is trying to make Slay look bad, helping Reed in 2013 27 [29.35%]
What about residents on the south side that can’t afford the new Carondelet YMCA? 25 [27.17%]
If we’re subsidizing 60% of the operating costs then the agreement with the YMCA should require at least a 60% discount for low-income residents 12 [13.04%]
We’re going to pay the YMCA $1.2 million per year to operate a building we spent $22 million to build? 10 [10.87%]
Unsure/no opinion 9 [9.78%]
Just sign the 10-year $12 million dollar deal, the YMCA will make sure low-income resident memberships are affordable 7 [7.61%]
Other: 2 [2.17%]
The two “other” answers were:
The deal is stupid, the city should manage the rec plex.
What kind of idiot builds something that the intended customer can’t afford?
I see validity in Ald Roddy’s comments about champagne taste. The time to question it would’ve been 8 years ago when we voted to support the sales tax. In time these two large facilities will either be viewed as a great decision or a poor decision, it’s too soon to know.
Absentee voting begins today in Missouri so I thought I’d show you some items on the general election ballot for voters in the City of St. Louis. You can view the sample ballot here. Interesting questions this year.
ABOVE: The St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners is on the first floor at 300 N. Tucker (@ Olive)
[Proposed by the 96th General Assembly (Second Regular Session) SJR 51]
Official Ballot Title:
Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to change the current nonpartisan selection of supreme court and court of appeals judges to a process that gives the governor increased authority to:
appoint a majority of the commission that selects these court nominees; and
appoint all lawyers to the commission by removing the requirement that the governor’s appointees be nonlawyers?
There are no estimated costs or savings expected if this proposal is approved by voters.
Fair Ballot Language:
A “yes” vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to change the current nonpartisan selection of supreme court and court of appeals judges to a process that gives the governor increased authority to appoint a majority of the commission that selects these court nominees. This measure also allows the governor to appoint all lawyers to the commission by removing the requirement that the governor’s appointees be nonlawyers.
A “no” vote will not change the current constitutional provisions for the nonpartisan selection of supreme court and court of appeals judges.
If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.
allow any city not within a county (the City of St. Louis) the option of transferring certain obligations and control of the city’s police force from the board of police commissioners currently appointed by the governor to the city and establishing a municipal police force;
establish certain procedures and requirements for governing such a municipal police force including residency, rank, salary, benefits, insurance, and pension; and
prohibit retaliation against any employee of such municipal police force who reports conduct believed to be illegal to a superior, government agency, or the press?
State governmental entities estimated savings will eventually be up to $500,000 annually. Local governmental entities estimated annual potential savings of $3.5 million; however, consolidation decisions with an unknown outcome may result in the savings being more or less than estimated.
Fair Ballot Language:
A “yes” vote will amend Missouri law to allow any city not within a county (the City of St. Louis) the option of establishing a municipal police force by transferring certain obligations and control of the city’s police force from the board of police commissioners currently appointed by the governor to the city. This amendment also establishes certain procedures and requirements for governing such a municipal police force including residency, rank, salary, benefits, insurance, and pension. The amendment further prohibits retaliation against any employee of such municipal police force who reports conduct believed to be illegal to a superior, government agency, or the press.
A “no” vote will not change the current Missouri law regarding St. Louis City’s police force.
If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.
create the Health and Education Trust Fund with proceeds of a tax of $0.0365 per cigarette and 25% of the manufacturer’s invoice price for roll-your-own tobacco and 15% for other tobacco products;
use Fund proceeds to reduce and prevent tobacco use and for elementary, secondary, college, and university public school funding; and
increase the amount that certain tobacco product manufacturers must maintain in their escrow accounts, to pay judgments or settlements, before any funds in escrow can be refunded to the tobacco product manufacturer and create bonding requirements for these manufacturers?
Estimated additional revenue to state government is $283 million to $423 million annually with limited estimated implementation costs or savings. The revenue will fund only programs and services allowed by the proposal. The fiscal impact to local governmental entities is unknown. Escrow fund changes may result in an unknown increase in future state revenue.
Fair Ballot Language:
A “yes” vote will amend Missouri law to create the Health and Education Trust Fund with proceeds from a tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products. The amount of the tax is $0.0365 per cigarette and 25% of the manufacturer’s invoice price for roll-your-own tobacco and 15% for other tobacco products. The Fund proceeds will be used to reduce and prevent tobacco use and for elementary, secondary, college, and university public school funding. This amendment also increases the amount that certain tobacco product manufacturers must maintain in their escrow accounts, to pay judgments or settlements, before any funds in escrow can be refunded to the tobacco product manufacturer and creates bonding requirements for these manufacturers.
A “no” vote will not change the current Missouri law regarding taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products or the escrow account and bonding requirements for certain tobacco product manufacturers.
If passed, this measure will increase taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products.
[Proposed by the 96th General Assembly (Second Regular Session) SB 464]
Official Ballot Title:
Shall Missouri Law be amended to prohibit the Governor or any state agency, from establishing or operating state-based health insurance exchanges unless authorized by a vote of the people or by the legislature?
No direct costs or savings for state and local governmental entities are expected from this proposal. Indirect costs or savings related to enforcement actions, missed federal funding, avoided implementation costs, and other issues are unknown.
Fair Ballot Language:
A “yes” vote will amend Missouri law to prohibit the Governor or any state agency, from establishing or operating state-based health insurance exchanges unless authorized by a vote of the people or by the legislature.
A “no” vote will not amend Missouri law to prohibit the Governor or any state agency, from establishing or operating state-based health insurance exchanges unless authorized by a vote of the people or by the legislature.
If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.
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OFFICIAL BALLOT – SPECIAL ELECTION
PROPOSITION R – CHARTER AMENDMENT
(Board of Aldermen Amendment)
Shall the Charter of the City of St. Louis be amended in accordance with the Board of Aldermen Amendment Ordinance?
This Amendment restructures the Board of Aldermen of the City of St. Louis as a body of fourteen Aldermen representing fourteen wards, provides for a transition schedule to implement the restructuring, and other related matters, all as set forth in the “Board of Aldermen Amendment Ordinance,” a copy of which is available at all polling places. [Board Bill 31 Committee Substitute]
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National, state and some local offices are also on the ballot along with retention of some judges. Last day for voter registration in Missouri is October 10th, in Illinois it’s Oct 9th.
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