Tonight 6th ward incumbent Kacie Starr Triplet will debate challenger Bradford Kessler at the monthly meeting to the Tower Grove East neighborhood association.
The meeting begins at 7pm at the Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee Ave.  Questions can be submitted for the moderator to ask the two candidates.
TGE will also announce the winning design for new neighborhood banners.
– Steve Patterson
Last week readers overwhelmingly voted to support local control of the St. Louis Police, Missouri has controlled the police since the Civil War.
Q: The issue of local control vs state control of the St. Louis Police is a hot topic, thoughts?
- St. Louis should control the police but with changes to the local charter 47 [40.52%]
- St. Louis should control the police with no changes to the local charter 23 [19.83%]
- The police should stay under the control of Missouri. 18 [15.52%]
- Police pensions need to be protected 10 [8.62%]
- Police need to accept concessions 9 [7.76%]
- Really? The Governor controls the city police? 6 [5.17%]
- Other answer… 3 [2.59%]
- Unsure/no opinion 0 [0%]
The three other answers were:
- Mayor Slay should become a Police Officer
- Not sure whether charter should change, but the city should be in control
- all police forces should be controled at the state or county level
The last one above confuses me since St. Louis is both a city and a county. The St. Louis Police Officers Association has this to say:
Local Control advocates say that the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Dept. (SLMPD) will be more accountable to the City. They further contend that Police, Fire, and Civil Service pension systems will bankrupt the City; therefore, Local Control will make the City more financially sound.
This Is Not True. Please consider the following 7 Facts:
- FACT #1: The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) is already accountable to the City.
- FACT #2: The City’s real problem is poor fiscal management; Local Control is a ruse.
- FACT #3: Local Control will result in unnecessary political influence over SLMPD.
- FACT #4: The St. Louis Police Pension System is a victim of the City’s poor fiscal management.
- FACT #5: Local Control will subject SLMPD to the City’s overly-burdensome bureaucracy.
- FACT #6: The St. Louis City Police operate much more efficiently without City intervention.
- FACT #7: The hidden agenda behind Local Control is an unfair money grab.
Hard to argue with their points, but I’ll give it a shot. control of a police force belongs at the local level regardless of local incompetence. Changes to the city’s charter are likely necessary to establish a modern structure for governance. Frankly, I’d like to see a major restructuring of the city charter as a condition of local control of the police.
– Steve Patterson
A week ago I posted my sole endorsement for the upcoming primary (see 20th Ward Endorsement: Shannon J. McGinn).  The next day I got a call from another candidate in the primary in one of the 14 even numbered wards.  Why had I not contacted that candidate?
I met this particular candidate at the Board of Elections on the first day of filing in November and gave s/he my card. Â I heard nothing until the day after I made my sole endorsement. And this person called me to ask why I didn’t contact them! Â Really?
Hopefully some of you out there are contemplating a run in 2013. You can start laying the groundwork now and pick up steam in mid 2012. Â One of the many things you need to do is determine the support you want/need to win. Â Like voters on election day, you can’t sit back and hope they find you. Â If you want to be elected to public office for a four year term you’ve got to go out and earn it. Â You want my endorsement, you’ve got to ask for it.
The same applies to unions or professional organizations like the St. Louis Association of REALTORS.
– Steve Patterson
The controversial idea of returning control of the St. Louis Police to local officials rather than with the state in Jefferson City is again a hot issue. A recent editorial in the St. Louis American got me thinking this would make a good poll question:
Given our determined opposition to the proposed elimination of the city earnings tax and of the state income tax, both promulgated by billionaire ideologue Rex Sinquefield, and the many times we have questioned the leadership and motives of Mayor Francis G. Slay, we can understand why it raises suspicions to see Sinquefield helping to fund the latest effort to put St. Louis city government in control of its own police force, with Slay stumping for it heartily. Sinquefield has ponied up $300,000 to fund a ballot initiative for local police control in St. Louis and Kansas City, and Slay – so often silent when needed – has been very outspoken in favor of passing local control this session.
We certainly agree with critics of Sinquefield and Slay that they may have ulterior, and even sinister, motives for supporting local control, which for years has been a rallying cry for the African-American and progressive communities in St. Louis. Furthermore, we have a long-standing criticism against the form of local control currently provided for in the St. Louis City Charter, which would become the governing document should the state Legislature pass new legislation that ends the current system of administration by a police board appointed by the governor. The City Charter provides for a single police commissioner who reports to the director of Public Safety (a mayoral appointee) and who could be fired by this mayoral appointee – or the governor – “with or without cause.” Plainly, this would make the police commissioner helplessly vulnerable to both city and state politics. (full editorial – recommended!)
State Representative Jamilah Nasheed (D-60) has introduced House Bill 71 which “Allows the City of St. Louis to establish and maintain a municipal police force completely under the city’s authority.” There are no shortage of opinions on this issue, here’s mine.
If I were to organize city government from scratch I would do many things differently. Â Local control of police is logical. Â We don’t live in the Civil War era anymore. Â That said, there are many officers who have risked their lives for years that have earned their pensions, soimething they fear they might lose under local control.
I’m no expert on union contracts & pensions but hopefully those that are experts can find a way to make this happen, it is time.
As always the poll this week is located in the upper right corner of the blog.
– Steve Patterson
This year I’m only making one primary endorsement: Shannon J. McGinn. I’ve known Shannon, who is running in the 20th ward democratic primary against 4-term incumbent Craig Schmid and candidate Rod Yeager, for many years. I first met Shannon at the popular coffeehouse she started, Hartford Coffee.
I’ve known incumbent Craig Schmid nearly twice as long. Schmid is a nice guy with the best of intentions. Much has changed in the city since 1995, but Schmid hasn’t. Schmid remains locked in nuisance problem removal mode rather than transitioning to attract residents & business mode.
From a recent article in the RFT:
“Her implication is that the current alderman, Craig Schmid, who’s held his post for 16 years, isn’t tapping into the needs of all his constituents in the 20th ward, one of most ethnically diverse, with a thriving Mexican community. It’s anchored by Cherokee and Chippewa streets, and bounded by Dutchtown, Marine Villa, Gravois Park and Benton Park West.” (RFT:Â Shannon McGinn: Fresh-Faced Alderman Candidate, Discusses Her Campaign With RFT)
Shannon would bring a variety of real-world experience to the Board of Aldermen, including community involvement and as a former small business owner.If you are a registered voter in the city’s 20th ward please vote for Shannon J. McGinn on Tuesday March 8th. Not a resident of the 20th ward? Consider volunteering and/or donating.
Find Shannon online, on Facebook and Twitter @ShannonJMcGinn.
– Steve Patters0n