Who Will be the Next 5th Ward Alderman?

Friday the 16th we got word that alderman April Ford-Griffin is resigning and taking a city job:

Mayor Slay has appointed April Ford-Griffin as director of the Civil Rights Enforcement Agency (CREA). The position has been open since Ruby L. Bonner retired on July 1, 2011.

[snip]

Alderwoman Ford-Griffin was first elected in 1997 to represent the 5th Ward. During her time as alderwoman, she served as chairman of the Ways and Means and the Neighborhood Development Committees. She also served on the Housing and Urban Development, Streets, Transportation and Personnel Committees. The 5th Ward experienced more than $850,000,000 of new residential, commercial, institutional and infrastructure development during her time in office.

[snip]

Ford-Griffin will leave her seat on the Board of Alderman on September 30, 2011 and begin as director of CREA on October 3, 2011. (source)

I’ve long opposed career politicians so after being in office for 14 years I’m glad to see Griffin finally moving on, even if just to a building across Tucker from City Hall. The new salary is more than double the old one.

In this move, Slay also shows – very importantly, in power politics – that if you stand with him, it will pay off for you. April stood with Slay as alderman of the 5th Ward throughout the grueling negotiations between the city and Paul McKee Jr. over the controversial Northside Regeneration redevelopment agreement. April and 19th Ward Alderman Marlene Davis both supported the redevelopment agreement (with various ups, downs, retrenchments and stalemates), despite the persistent attempts to demonize McKee. April, it seems, has been rewarded. That sound you hear could be Marlene Davis making it clear that she is next in line. (Source)

As I posted back in June, I’m back in the 5th ward due to redistricting.  I won’t be running though, I don’t have the physical ability to campaign and I couldn’t stomach the politics if I were to win. So what happens next?

Once the St. Louis Board of Election Commissions receives notice of a vacancy from the Board of Aldermen they will set the date of a special election 75-90 days later. All political parties recognized by the city can nominate a candidate for the ballot. Republican, Green, Constitution and Democrats can all name a nominee.  A Democrat will be nominated but a candidate from the others is uncertain.

The 5th ward Democratic Committeeman and Committeewoman will submit a name to the city party to determine the nominee. The committeeman is Rodney R. Hubbard Sr., husband of state rep Penny Hubbard, father of former state rep Rodney R. Hubbard Jr., and father (or father-in-law?) of committeewoman Tammika Hubbard.

Independent candidates can also run. These candidates need to submit a petition with at least 10% of the number of voters that voted in the last election for mayor. In 2009 in the 5th ward that was 854 people.  Ten percent is 85.4 which gets rounded up to 86 valid signatures — so more should be submitted.  These need to be submitted up to 30 days before the date of the special election. That date will be 75-90 days from the date of the vacancy.

– Steve Patterson

Half of Readers OK With Part-Time State Legislators

Readers weren’t interested in the poll last week, the total number of votes was less the usual:

Q: Missouri legislators are “part-time” public servants, should we have full-time legislators to manage the state?

1. No 31 [50%]
2. Yes 20 [32.26%]
3. Maybe 6 [9.68%]
4. Unsure/no opinion 4 [6.45%]
5. Other: 1 [1.61%]

The one other answer was:

We should go to every other year

That’s a bit confusing since house members are elected every other year. State senators are elected every six.

– Steve Patterson

Missouri’s St. Louis Roots

Today marks the 191st anniversary of the first meeting of the Missouri general assembly:

“September 18, 1820: The first session of the general assembly of the state of Missouri met in the Missouri Hotel in St. Louis to administer the affairs of a state still awaiting statehood. In March jubilant St. Louisans had received news that the Missouri State Bill had passed Congress, and, despite the fact that debate over the Missouri Compromise caused a delay of more than a year in its ratification.” (St. Louis Day by Day p178)

Missouri became the 24th state in the Union on Aug. 10, 1821 (source). Missouri’s origins were in St. Louis:

The present Capitol, completed in 1917 and occupied the following year, is the third Capitol in Jefferson City and the sixth in Missouri history. The first seat of state government was housed in the Mansion House, Third and Vine Streets, St. Louis; the second was in the Missouri Hotel, Maine and Morgan Streets, also in St. Louis. St. Charles was designated as temporary capital of the state in 1821 and remained the seat of government until 1826. (Wikipedia)

The Missouri Hotel was razed in 1873. The poll question this week: “Missouri legislators are “part-time” public servants, should we have full-time legislators to manage the state?” The poll is in the right sidebar, final results on Wednesday September 28, 2011.

– Steve Patterson

Readers: Significant Progress on Racial Equality

The poll last week was the duplicate of an AP poll and the results were about the same:

Q: “Do you think there has been significant progress toward Martin Luther King’s dream of racial equality, or don’t you think so?”

1. Has been significant progress 65 [71.43%]
2. Don’t think so 20 [21.98%]
3. Unsure 6 [6.59%]

But nearly 22% of those who voted don’t think there has been significant progress toward King’s dream. That’s significant.

Black unemployment surged to 16.7% in August, its highest level since 1984, while the unemployment rate for whites fell slightly to 8%, the Labor Department reported.

 

“This month’s numbers continue to bear out that longstanding pattern that minorities have a much more challenging time getting jobs,” said Bill Rodgers, chief economist with the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University.

 

Black unemployment has been roughly double that of whites since the government started tracking the figures in 1972. (CNN)

The reasons may be numerous but it’s clear much work remains.

– Steve Patterson

Readers Split on Back to School Sales Tax Holiday

Last week readers were split on Missouri’s Back to School Sales Tax Holiday that runs this weekend:

Q: Thoughts on the Missouri back to school sales tax holiday?

1. Great, helps low-income families afford needed supplies 28 34.57%
2. Bad, just reduces much needed income for various governments. 21 25.93%
3. Meh, doesn’t hurt or help anyone. 19 23.46%
4. unsure/no opinion 8 9.88%
5. Other answer…5 6.17%

The five other answers were:

1. Eliminate taxes year-round. Imagine what that would do for the economy.
2. Would be better if municipal taxes were also waived!
3. Just a gimmick to stimulate spending.
4. reduce govt tax take
5. why is the tax holiday “selective”? It should cover everything.

Will you be taking advantage of this holiday?

– Steve Patterson