Friday May 30, 2003
Ron Legget MIA
At least Nancy Farmer shows up to work, Ron Legget, the City Collector of Revenue does not. Deb Peterson sheds some light on the worst kept secret in Saint Louis City government,
GONE TOO LONG: St. Louis Collector of Revenue Ronald Leggett is getting flak for being away from his city office. "He's never there," said one observer, who added that watching Leggett's personal parking space to see whether the collector's car is there has become a Silly Hall pastime. Curtis Royston, 29th Ward committeeman, publicly criticized Leggett last week at a central committee meeting for absenteeism and mentioned that he had gotten complaints from African-Americans about unfavorable treatment.
Leggett, 69, said Thursday: "I'm out this week because I have an upper respiratory infection. ... I put in at least enough time to get the job done, if not more." As for the complaints from employees: "There have been a couple of incidents where there was a letter, but it's all anonymous. I've made a couple of changes. There were some points in there that I really needed to look at. I'm doing the best I can." Leggett said he will not run for re-election in 2007, when his term expires. He has been the city revenue collector for 26 years.
Ronnie White is Chomping at the Bit
Forget Kelvin Simmons, Ronnie White wants a crack at Kit Bond. Rumors are starting to bubble up that White would love a shot at Kit Bond in the US Senate race and he recently told one person that he is chomping at the bit for the shot if the Democratic Party will only ask.
What the hell is taking so long--ask dammit.
White is at the center of a controversy during the Clinton administration concerning judicial nominations. Clinton nominated him to the Federal Bench, but John Ashcroft claimed White was soft on crime, a suggestion that is problematic given White's record is similar to judges Ashcroft appointed on criminal matters. Ashcroft led a successful effort to defeat White.
During the 1998 Missouri Senate election, Kit Bond made overtures to many African-American leaders who were upset with Attorney General Jay Nixon's attempts to end the desegregation settlement. Bond received the support of several prominent African Americans including Dr. Leslie Bond and Dr. Donald Suggs, publisher of the influential black weekly, The Saint Louis American. Part of the courting process by Bond was an assurance that Ronnie White would receive consideration. African-American supporters insist Bond told them he would vote for him, Bond and allies have suggested that White would get a fair shake, but not necessarily his vote. Whomever is technically correct, Bond miscalculated and angered the African-American community by voting against White, ensuring the nomination would be defeated.
Anger over Ronnie White helped push African-American turnout in St. Louis City during the 2000 election and certainly helped defeat John Ashcroft.
Running White against Bond would certainly improve black turnout in 2004. Many 1998 supporters are still sore over 2004 including Donald Suggs. In fact, the wound is especially deep for him because staff members warned him Bond might do exactly what he did.
While White would face an uphill battle defeating a long term incumbent, White might just enjoy the race. Bond would be a favorite, but as he gets older, a spirited race could be hard on him.
UPDATE: Of course, Deb Peterson reported this already in today's column
Interim Superintendent Chosen
And he is retired Army Reserve Colonel William V. Roberti. Since retiring, Roberti has held a series of positions in troubled companies.
Many question the introduction of a business executive or Army officer into an academic setting and in the long term, criticisms that the mission is fundamentally different are serious concerns. But it misses the point of hiring a turnaround firm. The SLPS lacks institutional capactity to carry out basic administrative functions. Given this specific problem, hiring a firm to introduce modern business practices makes perfectly good sense. A recent Commonspace article points out the difficulties within the SLPS.
Army experience is especially relevant given the strong logistical background many Army officers have. In fact, a retired Army General is who turned Sears' property control and distribution system around returning them to profitability in the 1990s.
Specific tasks for Roberti and the firm include,
The team coming to St. Louis proposes a 52-week, four-phase plan for the city schools. The first seven weeks call for a budget review and analysis that includes "identification of essential people" and creating a "complete non-instructional restructuring plan." The next eight weeks are marked by "immediate non-instructional reductions in force and costs." The final two phases call for implementation and review of the group's plan.
Rudy Crew, former NYC Chancellor, is also on the team. Below Peter Downs relays some information regarding Crew who was only moderately effective in New York.
Thursday May 29, 2003
Premcor Suit
The State of Illinois is finally taking on Premcor and going after the Hartford refinery environmental problems. While Premcor wasn't the primary owner when the problems started, they are the responsible party now. The RFT did a fairly good job on the issue previously.
This is the second refinery Premcor has had a problem with in the Midwest with Blue Island, Illinois being the other. In both cases, Premcor didn't start the problems, but bought problem refineries and failed to adequately clean them up. The IEPA refused to act strongly, presumably because of concerns that jobs would be lost. What the IEPA missed is that the jobs should have been lost on outdated and dangerous refineries that had no business being on-line.
Don't even start on the Port Arthur refinery.
A Story To Keep An Eye On
is the movement into the area of bike gangs.
Special gang unit investigators with the Illinois State Police said they are not only concerned that the clubs will engage in criminal enterprises, but that turf battles may erupt.
Sgt. Don Yann, with the Illinois State Police's organized criminal activity unit, said that the top leadership of the Outlaws suffered a severe blow last year after a five-year investigation by the FBI, Internal Revenue Service and state police who infiltrated the club with informers.
Federal prosecutors charged dozens of Outlaws, including international president James "Frank" Wheeler, with crimes ranging from racketeering to murder, extortion, drug dealing and obstruction of justice. The indictment included allegations that Wheeler tried to have members of rival gangs, including the Hells Angels, killed.
Rumbles between the Hells Angels and members of the Pagans and the Mongols left at least five bikers dead last year.
"The Outlaws have declared the Alton area to be their turf, but you've also got the Great River Road running through that area, and that's one of the most popular motorcycle routes in the area," Yann said. "What happens on the day that the Outlaws and the Hells Angels both decide they want to ride that road? Judging by past history, it could be a very ugly scene."
While police often overreact to gangs, the increase in biker violence over the last few years is worrisome to say the least.
McConnell, Jones, Lanier & Murphy Audit in Knoxville
MJLM has worked with previous districts in reforming their school systems as well--in one case, Knox County, Tennessee the report was fairly mild as reported by the local alternative weekly.
An executive summary is available here and the full report here.
It looks like there are enough differences between the two districts to make comparisons difficult. While they have similar sized budgets, the Knox County District is not simply an urban based system. And the services the SLPS is seeking to contract for are far more inclusive than a performance audit.
On the good side, they discuss basic businesses practices that a government agency should have adopted by now.
On the big downside MJLM seems to recommend larger schools. While the impact of class size is often overstated, school size is very important. Students tend to get lost in larger schools even though they may finanicially be more efficient--they aren't efficient where it counts--educating kids.
Many thanks to South Knox Bubba who gathered up the info for me.
Home Rule Organizes
Mike Jones is heading up the effort to reform city government under home rule powers.
I suppose we'll hear a lot about bottom up and top down stuff. Just fix the damn city government--like the schools I just don't care.
Kit is Teaching Him Well
Let's face it, the junior Senator from Missouri would never have come up with a pork project like issuing $50 billion in transportation bonds before joining Kit in the Senate.
And I think it is a fine idea, but let's face it--it'll be pork.
Beautiful Immigrants
As the Bosnian supply dwindles with the refugee program finishing up, Saint Louis is seeing the next group of immigrants making their way to Saint Louis, Somalians
In the 19th century, Arab slave traders seized Bantus from their ancestral homelands in Mozambique and Tanzania and sold many to plantation owners in Middle Eastern and Persian Gulf countries, including Somalia.
Even though emancipated by the Italian colonial government in the early 1900s, some Bantus remained in virtual slavery in Somalia until the 1930s. Others were treated as second-class citizens, discouraged from sending their children to school, owning land or political representation.
Even after emancipation, the Italians forced most Bantu to abandon their own farms and work as laborers on more than 100 plantations owned by the colonial government.
The Bantu people fared better under British occupation during and after World War II but saw a return of discrimination once the country became independent in 1960. Some Bantus established farms or moved to larger cities to find work.
From the late 1970s until the early 1980s, the Somali government forcibly conscripted Bantus to serve in its war with Ethiopia.
When Somalia disintegrated into a war among rival clans in the early 1990s, the Bantu people became a target for attacks, rapes and killings. They joined the exodus of tens of thousands to neighboring Kenya.
But even in the refugee camps, Bantus from Somalia reported being treated "as serfs by their neighbors," according to a report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
They refused to return to Somalia.
For the last dozen years, they have languished in mud homes and under tarp-covered branches in Kenya's arid high desert while nations argued over their fate, said Frushone, who visited the camps in May 2001.
Isn't freedom cool? Anyway, on the other part of the upside, this can only mean more diverse dining is on the way.
Now That's What I'm Talking About
The Political Eye points out the problem of slating Robin Carnahan is Kelvin is left without a spot. The solution could be to point out that Nancy Farmer is a figment of the state's imagination and have someone run for the Treasurer.
The problem with that is that Farmer is on display as the sole Democratic statewide woman elected to office now that Claire is officially persona non gratis in the Democratic Party.
This challenge is looking more ill-conceived all of the time. While Claire would most likely be a stronger general election candidate, it is looking like the Party apparatus is never going to let that happen.
SLPS Turnaround Firm Selection
Peter Downs of CEE Change sent out this e-mail concerning a friday meeting to select a management firm for the District (links added by me),
The St. Louis Board of Education will hold a special meeting this Friday at 7:30 am to pick the management firm that they will outsource the district to. The meeting is set for the Foundation Room at the SLPS headquarters, 801 N. Tenth St. Come if you can.
According to the Suburban Journals, the board will pick from three firms:
Alvarez & Marsal; FTI Consulting; and McConnell, Jones, Lanier & Murphy.
Members of the board and their select advisory committee heard presentations from the three firms last week.
According to someone who attended the presentations, recommendations from
the firms included consolidating schools, and firing everyone who is not
involved in instruction and contracting with private firms to perform their work.
Alvarez & Marsal's team includes former New York City Schools Chancellor
Rudy Crews. According to a NY educator, "He did not succeed in imposing much control over districts, although he did try to rein in some of the
most egregiously corrupt districts [There are 32 districts in the New York
City School System]. He did not change the system dramatically or move it
forward. He pushed summer school, and the decision to end social promotion (and send those who weren't promoted to summer school) was made while he was chancellor, but I think it was Giuliani, not he, who pushed it. And he did not execute it.
"I don't recall him as a strong advocate for the children or the system and he was not successful as a change agent, should he have wanted to be one (and he did sometimes imply that -- but who wouldn't, in NYC's
public schools?).
"He brought a team with him, including Judy Rizzo, who served as his no. 2, the one who actually paid attention to what was going on in the classrooms, and who stayed when he left. She is now in North Carolina."
Alvarez & Marsal will charge more than $3.5 million for running the district for 13 months.
McConnell, Jones, Lanier & Murphy drew up a "road map" for the Dallas School District. According to Journal writer Ekaterina Pesheva, Sharon Murphy, the company's managing partner, said St. Louis spends too much to educate students and too much on managing the schools. Her company will charge $2 million for 18 months work.
The third company, FTI Consulting, has never worked in education. It would
charge the district $500,000 a month.
It is hard to tell from these descritions what we are actually looking at, but it is safe to say that firing everyone in non-instructional posts wouldn't be a bad start. Much of the SLPS managment is so poorly done, rebuilding the bureaucracy from the ground up would be an improvement.
Functional tasks like payroll and textbook distribution are hopelessly fouled up now. It is hard to imagine in the long term how this would save money, but it would allow a restructuring of the District administrative functions from the ground up and that should be the first priority.
Wednesday May 28, 2003
Mayor's Office Budget Cut Fax
With another Arch City Chronicle exclusive, Dave Drebes posts a anonymous fax that has been making its way around City Hall and political circles in the City of Saint Louis.
You'll have to read through it and check the math and assumptions yourself. With the different pots of money, I'm finding it hard to make any sense, but I guess that is the point in the first place.
Friday May 23, 2003
Sad News
KSDK is the highest rated 10 PM newscast in the country--and it only gets worse below them in the ratings here.
Dog Bites Man
The Saint Louis Business Journal reports that Missouri and Illinois rank on a measure of lobbyist influence in policy-making.
Um...Duh.
It's All Fun and Games Until Someone is Hit with An Audit
Carl Officer has opened his administration calling for two investigations. The first was one to look into the circumstances of a city officials recent death which seems a bit strange. The second is to investigate East Saint Louis' grant making offices including Tax Increment Financing and Community Development Block Grant funds for potential improprieties.
(nervous tic)
Good for Carl.
(Did I just say that?)
(Why yes I did)
Good for Carl. I don't know of any specific problems with these departments and it could be Officer being Officer, but a good lookover by Federal and State officials would do the town well.
The Edison Odyssey
Edison Schools will be opening the first of its Saint Louis charter schools next fall, increasing Charter School Enrollment in Saint Louis to around 3,300.
Edison's performance has been uneven at best and the opening of this school has faced a number of challenges both internally and externally. The location is probably ideal with Old North Saint Louis undergoing a significant amount of development.
Kelvin-Carnahan Race?
Deb Peterson reports that Robin Carnahan is Robin Carnahan is considering run for Missouri secretary of state and forming an exploratory committee.
IN THE GENES: Robin Carnahan, 40, daughter of Mel and Jean Carnahan, said Thursday over lunch at King Lou's (also known as King Louie's but not as King Louis's) that she has formed an exploratory committee as the first step in her run for Missouri secretary of state next year. The lawyer and former international election monitor said she wanted to focus on upgrading election technology and ensuring fairness in Missouri's elections. Carnahan is a graduate of William Jewell College in Liberty, Mo., and the University of Virginia law school. After law school, she worked for the Thompson, Mitchell law firm and as a trade specialist in President Bill Clinton's administration.
Ironically, her competition for the job might wind up being Kelvin Simmons, chairman of the Missouri Public Service Commission and former Kansas City councilman. Gov. Mel Carnahan appointed Simmons, of Columbia, Mo., to the commission in May 2000.
To be a broken record, Kelvin or another serious African-American candidate needs to be on the ticket for 2004. Outstate party leaders have not taken African-Americans seriously and a strongly supported candidate is needed. This is vital for the Governor's race and the Presidential race-and potentially for a challenge to Bond.
Veto # 4: Public Schools Budget
Again, with all stipulations that this is a cynical game between both the Republicans and Holden, he is right ,
The education budget that legislators approved cut basic state aid by $185 million compared to what was set aside for this year. The new budget also cuts money for technology, the A-Plus college assistance program, the safe schools program, vocational education, state achievement tests and the Parents as Teachers early childhood program
The technology and safe schools program are discretionary, but the Parents as Teachers program, vocational ed and achievement tests are critical to building a decent workforce.
This budget would inhibit the ability of districts to institute effective testing schemes and undercut accountability.
Wednesday May 21, 2003
Town Talk
This one really nails it:
TO ANYONE WHO calls in to tell people to "get a life": Why are you reading Town Talk? This is a column for people to express whatever is on their mind. I love all the topics and opinions. So if anyone wants us to get a life, please take your own advice because I love Town Talk. Thanks, Journal. Keep up the good work."
Veto Number 3
Holden vetos the social service budget.
And while I understand the cynical game being played here, he is right when he points out,
Holden specifically cited a cut that will reduce the Medicaid eligibility threshold for low-income parents to 69 percent of the federal poverty level -- or $10,529 for a family of three -- down from the current threshold of 77 percent of the poverty level. The cut is estimated to eliminate Medicaid services for 13,000 adults.
``Taking away this health-care coverage will result in Missourians moving from work to welfare, and that's the wrong direction for this state to take,'' Holden said.
Education Budget Veto
Isn't too surprising and it is setting up what both sides think they can win, a government shutdown.
Both sides are being dishonest in not addressing what they think the level of tuition should be. College education is a shared expense between the society that benefits and individuals who benefit individually. The level of each contribution should be debated to determine what the most fair and effective level is. Neither side is willing to do this and Eldon Brand seems to have set up the lege (probably without realizing it) to take the fall. He proposed an inflationary rate increase only and asked the Lege to back it up. They didn't and now Holden has a hammer to hit 'em with.
My sense is Brand wishes to stay on good terms with both parties for a potential political future, but the Lege may have just ruined his plans.
Turn-Around Firms Apply to the District
Apparently 'losing' the shipping number didn't stop a lot of applications to run the SLPS, and it will be expensive.
The thing is, they are brought to bring basic standards of management in and then they leave. Updating the systems and practices of the District won't take very long, once the system is, ummmm...,purified?
This will also reduce the effectiveness of political protection for employees.
Fox overlooking the Hen House
Not Amiel, the convict, but his brother Lloyd was appointed to the Courts Commission that oversees judicial behavior.
Dandy.
The Flying Rutabega (sic) Circus Review
The Post-Dispatch mildly slaps the hand of the SLMPD and Joe Mokwa this morning. The editorial is far too mild. The SLMPD appears to be heavy-handed and incompetent. Not a reassuring combination for those who depend upon them.
In describing the Flying Rutebega Circus arrests, The Post-Dispatch states,
Its members describe themselves as a "rag-tag ensemble of circus acts, puppet shows, jugglers and musical numbers" who bicycle across the country to protest genetically modified food. Last Friday, the Rutabegas were riding down the center of Arsenal Street when police handcuffed them and took them to the police station for riding bikes without a license. The City Counselor's office acknowledges that the ordinance isn't enforced, and the city won't press charges.
There is no question here whether that ordinance is on the books. It is not. The ordinance was repealed two years ago More troubling is the cyclists were hit with Impeding Traffic charges which is a charge cops pull out to harrass cyclists and is, in most cases, a violation of state law that treats bicycles as vehicles on roads. Indymedia and the Missouri Bike Federation are outperforming the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch in accuracy.
In fact, the Post-Dispatch misses its own reporting on the subject from June 10,2000
Aldermen also voted Friday to eliminate the city's long-ignored bicycle license requirement and to ban motor vehicles from bike paths except for emergency purposes.
Continuing on in the editorial,
Mr. Mokwa isn't apologizing for a questionable search of two houses - one on Cherokee Street and one on Illinois Avenue - where some of the protesters were staying. He said neighbors had complained and that some protesters had taunted police.
First, if only the City was the efficient at dealing with code complaints all of the time this might pass the smell test. Second, taunting the police is not against the law. Indeed, I've done my share of taunting though usually in relation to asking officers why they feel traffic laws don't apply to them. For some reason they never want to arrest me.
The chief used a building code violation to send officers and housing inspectors into the homes. There they seized a box of roofing nails - a type not used in rehabbing old buildings, the chief said - a bucket of rocks, a slingshot and some torches.
Some nails, some rocks, a slingshot and some torches. The horrors. The horrors I tell you. Given I recently had a lead paint inspector in my apartment, I might have everything but the torches. I don't know where my slingshot is.
Police also hauled off two eight-foot wooden dolls used in protests (one a caricature of a police officer and the other of an alderman). Police arrested more than a dozen people.
Now here, shouldn't we consider impounding Tom Bauer for being a caricature of an Alderman? I mean really-what is the bigger threat to the city?
Under normal circumstances, housing inspectors and police officers need a warrant before searching a home. Arrests and searches for minor charges can help clean up cities Giuliani-style. But these tactics shouldn't be used to target protesters.
I'm actually a big fan of targeting nuisance crime, but the protesters weren't being nuisances--at least in the legal sense. In one case they were cycling and in the other case, they were, ummmm...in their homes. The point of targeting nuisance crime on the street is to clean up street crime and make it inhospitable to criminals, not people living in their homes.
But the real story appears to be picked up by Indymedia, a group I'm not fond of in terms of their coverage. Via Unsubscibe Indymedia reprints the St. Louis Coptalk threads pulled by the moderator. While one should never take CopTalk too seriously, the thread seems to indicate the police were a little too far on edge for the city's own good.
Another issue that I am unable to confirm is that the condemnation order of the building searched was only issued the morning of the search.
This was a heavy-handed smackdown of dissent. Dissent by those I'm not particularly sympathetic to, but that is the point. They might be silly, they might be stupid, they migh smell real bad, but they have a right to peacefully assemble and to date the SLMPD has shown virtually no credible evidence that widespread violence was likely.
Being prepared is good. Being paranoid and letting that paranoia reduce the ability of individuals to practice freedom of speech is intolerable.
Tuesday May 20, 2003
ACC Scoop!
Dave Drebes passes along a hot scoop ahead of Deb Peterson and Berger, Berger:
Sylvester Brown will take the column vacated by Greg Freeman's death,
according to sources at the Post-Dispatch. Brown will officially join
the staff on June 2nd, but a formal announcement could happen any day.
Brown founded Take Five Magazine, a black monthly, in 1987 and has
been publisher of that magazine. The last issue of Take Five is due
out next week. He is arguably the best writer in town.
Maxwell Unlikely to Take on Bond
Deb Peterson reports that Joe Maxwell is not going to challenge Bond for the US Senate seat. Unfortunately, the union forces don't seem to understand what this means for the Democratic Party. They are reportedly trying to recruit a white legislator from Columbia to run if Maxwell does avoid the race instead of concentrating on getting an African-American on the statewide ticket. Never, ever short your most loyal voters.
Monday May 19, 2003
Budget Veto
Since Chip Taylor is fleeing the state I suppose I should report on the budget.
The veto of the health budget is excellent assuming Holden's figures are correct.
The Democratic governor said his review of the budget passed by lawmakers on May 9 indicated services would be reduced or eliminated for 5,800 developmentally disabled people. He claimed the cuts also would reduce or eliminate psychiatric services to 3,200 mentally ill adults and 800 emotionally troubled children.
Besides snarky jokes about the St. Louis Public School Board, this would be devastating and lead to an increase in other social services--costing more money in the long run. Perhaps we can ship some homeless folks to Hannaway's nabe.
Of course, this gives red meat to pro-choice activists as well and helps Holden in a potential primary versus McCaskill.
Additionally, Holden said the Legislature's elimination of state family planning grants would deny primary health care to about 30,000 women.
Talk About Overkill
It appears the St. Louis Police bought into the fears a bit more than they should have and couldn't quite find real laws being broken.
Police took bicycles Friday from a group pedaling through Tower Grove Park. Police told the cyclists that anyone older than 12 needed a license to ride a bicycle in St. Louis, the cyclists said.
Unfortunately for the officers, that ordinance was repealed a few years ago. Oops.
The rest of the story isn't much prettier, the search warrant was obtained partially because of a bucket of nails in a house being rehabbed. Uh-huh.
Friday May 16, 2003
Town Talk Hits
Towntalk Tidbits:
Note to CofCC Members, try and match trade agreement to the right countries.
Where have the jobs gone?
MY FATHER WAS killed fighting Communists in Korea. I never knew him. He spent two tours of duty in Vietnam fighting Communists. Now the company I work for is closing its plant and moving it to Communist China because people are willing to work over there for $3 a week. What's the North American Free Trade Agreement all about? Did Congressman Gephardt vote for NAFTA? I'm just curious. We're losing more and more jobs to China, and it doesn't make any sense.
Editor's note: NAFTA is a comprehensive treaty that loosened trade restrictions between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. The U.S. Congress passed NAFTA in November 1993. It took effect in January 1994. The agreement only concerns trade between those three nations. Gephardt has opposed NAFTA. One may read the entire North American Free Trade agreement at www-tech.mit.edu/Bulletins/nafta.
The Officer Returns to Duty
Is up at Political State Report. Of course I'm referring to Carl Officer, former and current Mayor of East Saint Louis.
Thursday May 15, 2003
Probable Hoax
While I suppose it is possible there will be some damage this seems a bit overwrought--50,000 anarchists? In St. Louis? That takes more organization than anarchists allow.
Hat tip to Tim for sending it in.
Subject: FW: Caution - May 18th-20th
>>
> Hello,
>
> > As you may have heard already, the media has advised that
> approximately 50,000 anarchists have a trip planned to St. Louis for
> May 18th-20th. They will be looking for targets of opportunity, e.g.,
> large corporations, industry, SUV owners, etc. If you see large
> groups of people, it may be a good idea to avoid the area and/or take
> an alternate route. If you drive an SUV (even the smaller versions),
> or other vehicle that uses a lot of gas -- you may want to be extra
> cautious. (This group is against 'gas guzzling' cars and they've been
> known to destroy vehicles, break windows, etc. In Seattle, this same
> group created about $17M worth of damage.)
>
> Please be alert and cautious over the next couple of weeks -
> - - thanks!
>
Someone else's meth problem just became my problem
Apparently in the infinite wisdom of the Missouri Lege, sudaphedrine is likely to be more regulated at the point of sale. Those of us with chronic sinus problems should salute them with diry hankies.
Washington Park Follies
Apparently the don't really know if they have a budget problem or not--well there is a budget problem in that there really isn't one and city officials spend more than is authorized.
Rational government at work. I'm sure more strip clubs will solve the problem.
Dumb And Dumber
Wow, the Lege really outdoes itself with a proposed bill to make it illegal to photograph livestock operations.
Not only is the content stupid, but the bill would end up being a nice paycheck to the ACLU when they sue for it being a violation of the First Amendment, strike it down, and are awarded court costs.
St. Clair County HiJinks
St. Clair County has some interesting scandals brewing, two of which I report at the Political State Report
The Ambassador Of Mirth
Bob Jamerson, the Ambassador of Mirth, the Baton Guy of the Central West End has a blog.
There is even a picture section and it seems to me that Bob is most likely to create a traffic accident...
I love cities.
Wednesday May 14, 2003
The SLPS Welcome Mat
Berger let's us in on an event that was all to easy to predict.
USE MINE: New St. Louis Board of Education President Darnetta Clinkscale has gotten her first taste of the challenges facing the new, reform-minded majority on the board. Clinkscale and her fellow members voted at their first meeting last month to launch the search for an interim superintendent no later than May 8. However, Clinkscale discovered Tuesday that the completed Request for Proposals was still sitting on a school administrator's desk. The holdup? No one at the district's central administrative office could find the school system's billing number for overnight shipping and didn't report the problem, fumed a Clinkscale aide
I've lost billing numbers. You know who will help you out? The shipping company. They have an interest in an organization being able to ship things.
Monday May 12, 2003
Friday May 9, 2003
Vice Watch
Brooklyn and Washington Park make the news.
Brooklyn fires the officer who lost control of his vehicle and hit a suspect trying to flee. It is truly remarkable to be fired from the most corrupt and incompetent police force around.
The Washington Park follies continue with the Mayor being allowed to use an official vehicle for official duties. Glad to hear that could get settled while Washington Park considers granting two new strip club licenses. From the Post-Dispatch on April 18th,
BODY:
Washington Park, already home to the most strip clubs in the Metro East area, four, has approved permits for two more.
The village has been struggling financially, and the two clubs approved Tuesday by the village board will bring in more than $100,000 a year, officials said.
"We need the revenue," said board member Charlie Byrd, one of five board members who voted to approve the licenses. "We're a poverty-stricken village. If we don't increase the revenue, we're going to have to start laying off police officers."
The licenses were awarded to Doug Talley, owner of a Washington Park trucking company, and Stephen Romanik, whose father, Robert, is former Washington Park police chief and a one-time strip club owner.
Are these two screaming racketeering clowns to anyone else?
They should,
Romanik's father, Robert, has said in the past that he was acting as a consultant for his son's business. Robert Romanik was placed on probation in 1997 for lying to a grand jury during the Thomas Venezia gambling and racketeering investigation.
With just three days to go on a sentence of probation in the Venezia case, Romanik was charged in 1998 with bank fraud for concealing from a bank the true nature of loans used to build topless clubs in Washington Park and Centreville.
He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 months in prison.
Under the plea agreement, Romanik agreed to sell his Washington Park c lub, which is now the Hustler Club.
And with all Metro East nefarious connections, unindicted co-conspirator Jerry Costello is only separated by one degree.
What adults do is their business, but the particular form of businesses in Metro East catering to adults are inextricably linked to racketeering and corruption.
Moore Editorials
Both the Post-Dispatch and the Political Eye address the Rochell Moore situation. It seems to me that both strike the right tone. Get help and if not, the community needs to consider relieving her of her duties.
Tuesday May 6, 2003
Council of Conservative Citizens do Cinco de Mayo
Gordon Baum and his band of racist ne'er do wells showed up to protest immigration at Cinco de Mayo at, I kid you not, West County Shopping Center.
Wait a sec.
Okay, really, it was in Des Peres.
A note of caution--these aren't pretty people.
A couple theories here:
1) They thought they were protesting the French immigrants in Des Peres
2) Because they are inbred they assume Cherokee Street is full of Native Americans
3) They figured the hard working and wonderfully talented immigrants around Cherokee might kick their ass
Metrolink Revenue Enhancement
More tickets for Clayton who issued 24 speeding tickets on Wydown and Forsyth Before Noon.
Metro complains that the buses were running late due to extra traffic.
Some Metro bus drivers said the traffic made them run 10 minutes or more behind schedule. Linda Ross, a spokeswoman for the Metro transit agency, said that was in part because Metro altered the Clayton-Ballas route to accommodate the light-rail construction. Also, six bus routes that stop at Forsyth and Central Avenue encountered heavier traffic.
The problem is there is no way to determine if this is a typical occurrence or due to congestion. Bi-State doesn't track on-time arrival and departures for buses.
SLPS Board: Really Just Sad
Rochell Moore is contending she was dosed with cocaine as part of a conspiracy to, well, control the Board or something. That she had mental health issues isn't that new to most close observers of the Board. Many a person with ties to the SLPS have received long rambling diatribes on the answering machines alleging various conspiracies.
While this certainly adds to the circus atmosphere of the Board, one should pray for Ms. Moore's mental health and hope the rest of the Board simply moves on with an agenda for reform.
Hat Tip to the One-Armed Baseball Player Pete Gray
Monday May 5, 2003
Dean Meetup Wednesday
May I recommend the Dean Meet-up at the Tap Room on Wednesday May 7th . Photos from the last are available here.
I won't be there, but I will have a Schlafly or two while engaged in other pursuits.
Good News and Bad News for Kiel Opera House
The good news: It may well be open by 2005
The bad: Clear Channel will operate it so there may be many songs relating to putting a boot up someone's ass.
East St. Louis Financial Woes Continue
And the head of the Oversight Panel has had it. After dealing with years of foot dragging he is stepping down out of frustration.
Reading the article it seems clear the City is uninterested in spelling out a serious budget.
Pete Parisi is Immortalized on the WWW
Frightening, and truly terrifying. I'm amazed. And apparently videos are available on-line as well.
Very Cozy
A.G. Edwards has all of the SLPS Bond Work for 10 years.
The St. Louis Public School District usually receives five or six proposals from underwriters for bond issues, said George Byron, treasurer for the district. A.G. Edwards has always stood out because of its experience, its presence in Missouri, its number of brokers and the minority participation on its finance team, he said. "They're the best. Why not select the best?" Byron said.
I guess it depends on how you define best--if getting a good value for the money is how we define best, it isn't clear that is the case.
I don't mean to simplify this issue given the ability of AG Edwards to get a better rate at times, but jeesshh...no one even wants to examine if that is necessarily true.
TIF Stupidity
The Biz Journal reports on the Brookings Study critical of the St. Louis region's use of TIFs.
Most of the article speaks for itself, but I loved this line:
"That was a site that had been known in the development community for many years as a prospect, but no one could put anything together that made any sense," Sansone said. "There were 150 homes. To go in and buy those without assistance -- there was no way a developer could afford to do that."
Shockingly, the market might be telling everyone to develop the land on a different scale then. Call me crazy, but a Circuit City and a Borders either can afford the property or they can't.
Wellston School Woes Continue
Wellston students will get to transfer. Sort of. The District has to pay for transportation to one district, but there has to be a district willing to accept students. Districts can probably refuse if they don't allow other students to transfer in. Of the three surrounding districts (I think Jennings might be as well, but that isn't much help) St. Louis is in trouble and doesn't allow transfers in except in rare cases. U City is possible, but frankly more weight than it should have to bear. U City has a system that tries hard, but is inundated with poor kids as it is. Normandy is doing better over the last few years, but has a lot of challenges.
Students can attend other schools as well, but have to pay for transportation which can be prohibitive. For older students it would be possible given Metrolink and the bus routes, but by then it is too late.
The next installment of urban education woes will discuss the problem of geography, but even a school choice plan will face this problem. Transportation may well become one of the largest outlays for a true choice system.
Ultimately, towns like Wellston probably do not have the capacity to govern their own schools.
Other good news comes in the Approval of the State Accountability Plan by the Department of Education. Even better, the state kept reasonable standards despite the challenge they present to school systems:
Two weeks ago, the State Board of Education voted to retain the current "proficient" definition that is used to evaluate student performance on the MAP exams, even though this standard is more rigorous than the standards used by some other states.
Update: Chip Taylor got there first.
I'm not as negative about the entire system as Chip is, but there are a great number of challenges that require us to rethink how we organize public education.
House Democrats Wake Up
And realize the importance of black voters if they hope to win any statewide races next year or, well, ever. The Political Eye Reports:
Freshman state Rep. Robin Wright-Jones (63rd District) has become the first black to be elected Democratic Minority Caucus Chair in the Missouri House of Representatives. Representative Wright-Jones succeeds Rep. Russ Carnahan who resigned as Democratic Caucus Chair in anticipation of a run for Dick Gephardt's 3rd District Congressional seat.
One of the big issues after the Republican takeover was the outstate dimwits hadn't figured out that African-Americans are an important constituency and they received no leadership positions in the Democratic leadership. Black leaders than threatened that if they were not to be taken seriously, their votes might go elsewhere. Or nowhere. Carnahan apparently entering the 3rd's race opened up this spot and the Party members got a clue.
Repeat After Me:
You Can't Discriminate Based on the Content of the Speech even if the Secret Service says so.
This is quite disturbing and Andrew Sullivan even pointed it out last week.
Essentially the Secret Service is getting local police agencies to move demonstrators to free speech zones out of view of the President and the people supporting the President, but not doing the same for those who are supporters of the President or demonstrating about another issue. You can't do that.
While you might be able to quarantine everyone--why should we? The security threat isn't that great and there is nothing wrong with dissent. As the article points out, a smart assassin wouldn't be advertising the dislike of the President--even a dumb one could figure that out.
I talked with one of the arrestees and surprisingly, they weren't looking to be arrested in an act of civil disobedience, they were literally trying to be seen around the event. In fact, they were quite surprised at the system set-up to control war protesters while other protesters were ignored.
While I question the efficacy of such protests, they must be allowed. Even worse for the localities is that they will lose monetarily if these cases go to court. So will the Secret Service, but it can afford that penalty, many local police departments cannot.
What is even more amusing is that in St. Charles a few people are charged with trespassing on private land while also being charged with blocking a public highway. A judge with half a brain would see the contradiction, but in St. Charles they don't pick judges on that criteria and thus, the charges were allowed even though they contradict each other.
NetFlix Resolves Dearth of Hard to Find Movies
Cool, Netflix is coming to St. Louis.
I was happy with my trial experience before they were going to set-up a local wharehouse. Now they will be even quicker which is a huge bonus for independent movie fans not satisfied with Hollywood and Blockbuster.
