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Saturday, November 04, 2006
FRONT PAGE FIRST CAPITOL NEWS - November 4, 2006
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Councilman Gieseke Declares His Candidacy For Mayor
By Phyllis Schaltenbrand
Councilman John Gieseke (Ward 8) has announced his candidacy for Mayor of Saint Charles. When the new mayor takes office in April of 2007 the government of St. Charles will change from a weak mayor, strong city council, and city administrator form of government to that of a strong mayor. The new mayor will assume many of the powers now granted the City Administrator, including the hiring and firing of department directors and city employees.
John Gieseke has lived in St. Charles for thirty years, since 1976. He is a graduate of St. Charles High School and the University of Missouri, Columbia. Gieseke is serving his second term as the Councilman from the Eighth Ward. He is married and the family lives in New Town. His wife Rhesa is the district manager of White House Black Market. “I am very proud of my wife and her success and appreciate all she does for our two children, Jack and Gillian, who keep her and I both busy.” John Gieseke is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia. After graduating he worked as a respiratory therapist at St. Joseph Heath Center. John then moved to medical supply sales and moved up to a Regional Sales Manager and moved to Milwaukee for 2 years. After the birth of his son he and his wife moved back to St. Charles. John and a life long friend then operated a hotel in Earth City. Currently John is employed as the St. Louis Regional Manager for LandAmerica Commonwealth Land Title Company.
John Gieseke stopped by our office the other day and gave us an opportunity to interview him about this important political decision in his life to seek the Office of Mayor.
First Capitol News: Let’s start with why you are running for Mayor?
JOHN GIESEKE: I think it is time that the City of St. Charles takes a new direction that is positive, not divisive. A direction that allows for strong economic growth without having to depend on gaming revenues as heavily as we have. A direction where the economics of the community will help support our school districts. An economic direction that will give us the resources to improve our infrastructure. One that will make the City of St Charles the true leader we should be in the region.
FCN: You have a diverse employment history how does that prepare you for the job of Mayor?
JG: I have been able to lead in each and every job. I actually started working as a lifeguard, old Blanchette was one of the pools. Cathy who still works at the parks was one of my supervisors. I have been able to adapt and learn new business practices. The one thing that applies to all of them is the customer should be the focus.
FCN: What do you see as your greatest accomplishment as a councilman?
JG: There are quite a few. I guess the big one would be standing up for the residents who live on Elm Street when the city wanted to tear up every yard during the reconstruction of the street. I fought to protect their yards and property. On the more fun side I think just helping with the development in the ward has been incredible. There is so much more to come. Expanding the park system at Fox Hill is high on the list. I guess its hard to pick just one thing.
FCN: What do you see as St. Charles greatest asset?
JG: St. Charles has the most diverse population base in St. Charles. That's what I think makes this city great. People make city's great and our focus should be on the people who live here. When you drive through the city you see new and old, starter homes to cluster homes. Each resident is the best spokesman for the city. I grew up here and remember riding my bike to the Dairy Queen on second street. That area has changed so much in the past thirty years because of the people and the efforts to revitalize their neighborhood. Our future depends on the people of the city.
FCN: As we see from recent political campaigns, candidates have gotten down and dirty. Much of the campaign material is filled with lies and misrepresentations. Are you prepared for a campaign like that?
JG: I can tell you from my campaign’s standpoint that we are taking the harder road and that is the high road. I am not going to get down in the dirt with anybody that runs against me. I am not going to go after families and things that have nothing to do with St. Charles. I have a vision of what I believe is great for St. Charles and if people disagree I am not going to destroy the other candidates just to make myself look good.
FCN: Those are strong words but what happens when the campaign is filled with misrepresentations against you made by the other candidates?
JG: I will respond to any negative or untruth if it is worthy of response. If not worthy I have trust in people to see through that. Any misrepresentation of my record will be met and I will respond with the truth. I am not going to get down in the sand box and do a tit for tat.
FCN: What do you believe is the greatest challenge facing the next Mayor of St. Charles?
JG: Of course because we are going to go to a strong mayor system there will be a cultural change within city hall. I think making sure the citizens are not lost in that cultural change is the hardest thing the next mayor will have to deal with. The next mayor will have to make hard decisions because things cannot be done the same way in city hall. The residents cannot be the last thing thought of in city hall. The citizens must be first and then we should work backwards from there.
FCN: We have heard some people remark that a city professional administrator should be in charge of the city rather than someone elected with no experience. Do you think you are qualified to be mayor?
JG: I am a citizen of the City of St. Charles. The current system has no accountability to the residents by the city administrator. Residents can’t fire the city administrator. They can complain to elected officials but if the administrator does not want to listen they can’t make the change and things still stay the same. Under the new system it is the mayor who will be accountable. A mayor will have direct control over getting potholes fixed, sidewalks installed or repaired and sewer backups repaired. With a strong mayor form of government you have an elected official accountable to you and you have a voice in your government.
St Charles is an example of why a city administrator is no good. The administrator is not accountable to the residents. As somebody who has been in the private sector I have been in management positions and have had the ability to grow professionally. That experience translates easily into public life in running an institution like a city. As long as you follow management rules, and people are held accountable, and rules followed, and customers come first, I think it would not be a hard change going from a private to public sector job. Surround yourselves with people who make good decisions and you will always be okay.
FCN: The sales tax in St. Charles is not growing, but it is growing in adjacent cities. What can you do about it?
JG: I can look to the ward I represent and say that the growth of sales tax has grown in our ward. A lot of sales tax revenue for the city is coming from our ward because we are bringing in different business that generates sales tax. Problems come when a city starts asking businesses, “How can we get you here, what do we have to give you to come here?” That then puts more burden on the residents. Instead we should be selling the businesses on the city and on why they should want to come here and how strong our economy is because of our residents discretional spending.
What do we have to do to get you here? Wrong way to go. Identify companies that will not need incentives to come in and go after them. Investment groups, let them run with it. They are the ones that know what to do because they do this for a living. Government is not good at deciding on winners and losers. Investment groups can usually pick a winner because they have the experience and contacts. We have to stop taking prime pieces of real estate and giving them to non-profits. We need non-profits but they do not need to be in high profile locations. Locations that could increase our tax base and provide relief to our taxpayers. We need to be conscious of that and be careful of taking some prime property off the tax rolls.
FCN: What are your feelings about Lindenwood University properties? They have taken about 200 pieces of property off the tax rolls.
JG: Many of the homes purchased by Lindenwood University and taken off our tax rolls were starter homes. Homes that would be available for families to move to St. Charles. I think it is evident that with the decrease in population we do not have enough starter homes available. The population of our schools is decreasing. Take 200 homes, that is a loss of 400 kids who would be going to our schools. We need to look for opportunities to create more starter homes. We just wait for things to happen. We took personal property off our tax rolls so it did have a profound effect on our economics.
FCN: What are your feelings about Lindenwood University?
Lindenwood is one our largest employers and it brings in 12,000 plus people each semester. It does expose the city to families and people from outside the St. Charles area. It is probably one of the best tourism attractions we have. I haven’t agreed with all of the tactics the university has used in securing property and the things they did to grow. They were not as conscious of the city as they should have been and the effect they had on the city. Lindenwood University does have some positive effects for the City of St. Charles. Our children can attend a four-year university without ever having to leave home. A lot of cities can’t say that. While I respect the things that Lindenwood University is attempting to do and the direction they are going, I don’t believe we should place their needs above the needs of the residents of St. Charles.
FCN: Under the current leadership in our city, economic development appears to have stalled. What would you do to jump-start it?
JG: First and foremost I would stop trying to place a square peg in a round hole. I would take my focus from just South Main and tourism and would expand it to go to areas in the core of our city and see what we could do to expand in our city core for the people who live here. It is pretty simple for economic development. We have allowed our infrastructure to deteriorate where investment money no longer comes in. If we take care of sewers, streets and sidewalks and maintain fire and police and do our core job and do it well, the investment will come. We have to understand it is just not tourism. Plenty of people out there, with money in their pockets, are spending in other areas. We don’t have the places for them to spend those dollars. Most people need a place to shop. Current economic development officials in our city would say lets focus on that. How long have they been there? Why did they not focus on it before?
Elm Street is an example. We have let it deteriorate instead of keeping it up. Randolph Street had to be rebuilt instead of keeping it up. If we have problems with our roof at home we patch it. That is what we should do to our streets. We are not doing that and we are not keeping up. People with money looking to invest in our community discover this city does not care about infrastructure. They are not going to invest here. If the city does what it is supposed to do, and does it well, the money will come. Stop thinking we are developers and let the investment groups do what they do best. Invest in our community.
I remember going to St. Charles Dairy. We now have no dairy but St. Peters has two. What happened to our butcher shops? They are in St. Peters. We no longer have a local bakery like Cottage Bakery. What about clothing stores? We just have Thro’s on North Main, where once there were half a dozen clothing stores. We have allowed them to slip away. A lot of things we used to have in our city we have allowed to slip away, replaced with pawnshops and check cashing places that do not lend to the identity of St. Charles.
FCN: If money were no object what would you like to do for the City of St. Charles?
If money was no object I would make sure every single street, sidewalk, sewer, everything in the City of St. Charles, would be at a good standard so people could say I am darn proud to be in the City of St. Charles and look at how good our city is. We consistently and constantly are looking for ways to rebrand the city. The city that works that never sleeps, where history comes alive. If we did what we were supposed to do the civic pride would overwhelm our stores because then people would be telling everyone go to St. Charles. We have had no effort to build city pride. Residents feel a disconnect between the gold building and themselves. If money was no object we could rebuild in a way our civic pride could be rebuilt. Currently we have an administration that believes money is no object when it comes to certain people and special interests. There has been too much of our tax dollars squandered on special interest projects. That money could have paid for so much to help more people in the city or could have decreased the tax burden on the residents.
FNC: If people want to be involved in your campaign how can they reach you?
JG: The best way would be through e-mail jhg426@hotmail.com. Or they can call me at home at 636-946-0877. Please keep in mind that that is my home phone and my kids may answer. I am ready to talk to anyone on a one to one basis. I am also available to meet with any neighborhood group. I am available. If you see me out knocking on doors in your neighborhood please feel free to talk to me.
Councilman John Gieseke (Ward 8) has announced his candidacy for Mayor of Saint Charles. When the new mayor takes office in April of 2007 the government of St. Charles will change from a weak mayor, strong city council, and city administrator form of government to that of a strong mayor. The new mayor will assume many of the powers now granted the City Administrator, including the hiring and firing of department directors and city employees.
John Gieseke has lived in St. Charles for thirty years, since 1976. He is a graduate of St. Charles High School and the University of Missouri, Columbia. Gieseke is serving his second term as the Councilman from the Eighth Ward. He is married and the family lives in New Town. His wife Rhesa is the district manager of White House Black Market. “I am very proud of my wife and her success and appreciate all she does for our two children, Jack and Gillian, who keep her and I both busy.” John Gieseke is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia. After graduating he worked as a respiratory therapist at St. Joseph Heath Center. John then moved to medical supply sales and moved up to a Regional Sales Manager and moved to Milwaukee for 2 years. After the birth of his son he and his wife moved back to St. Charles. John and a life long friend then operated a hotel in Earth City. Currently John is employed as the St. Louis Regional Manager for LandAmerica Commonwealth Land Title Company.
John Gieseke stopped by our office the other day and gave us an opportunity to interview him about this important political decision in his life to seek the Office of Mayor.
First Capitol News: Let’s start with why you are running for Mayor?
JOHN GIESEKE: I think it is time that the City of St. Charles takes a new direction that is positive, not divisive. A direction that allows for strong economic growth without having to depend on gaming revenues as heavily as we have. A direction where the economics of the community will help support our school districts. An economic direction that will give us the resources to improve our infrastructure. One that will make the City of St Charles the true leader we should be in the region.
FCN: You have a diverse employment history how does that prepare you for the job of Mayor?
JG: I have been able to lead in each and every job. I actually started working as a lifeguard, old Blanchette was one of the pools. Cathy who still works at the parks was one of my supervisors. I have been able to adapt and learn new business practices. The one thing that applies to all of them is the customer should be the focus.
FCN: What do you see as your greatest accomplishment as a councilman?
JG: There are quite a few. I guess the big one would be standing up for the residents who live on Elm Street when the city wanted to tear up every yard during the reconstruction of the street. I fought to protect their yards and property. On the more fun side I think just helping with the development in the ward has been incredible. There is so much more to come. Expanding the park system at Fox Hill is high on the list. I guess its hard to pick just one thing.
FCN: What do you see as St. Charles greatest asset?
JG: St. Charles has the most diverse population base in St. Charles. That's what I think makes this city great. People make city's great and our focus should be on the people who live here. When you drive through the city you see new and old, starter homes to cluster homes. Each resident is the best spokesman for the city. I grew up here and remember riding my bike to the Dairy Queen on second street. That area has changed so much in the past thirty years because of the people and the efforts to revitalize their neighborhood. Our future depends on the people of the city.
FCN: As we see from recent political campaigns, candidates have gotten down and dirty. Much of the campaign material is filled with lies and misrepresentations. Are you prepared for a campaign like that?
JG: I can tell you from my campaign’s standpoint that we are taking the harder road and that is the high road. I am not going to get down in the dirt with anybody that runs against me. I am not going to go after families and things that have nothing to do with St. Charles. I have a vision of what I believe is great for St. Charles and if people disagree I am not going to destroy the other candidates just to make myself look good.
FCN: Those are strong words but what happens when the campaign is filled with misrepresentations against you made by the other candidates?
JG: I will respond to any negative or untruth if it is worthy of response. If not worthy I have trust in people to see through that. Any misrepresentation of my record will be met and I will respond with the truth. I am not going to get down in the sand box and do a tit for tat.
FCN: What do you believe is the greatest challenge facing the next Mayor of St. Charles?
JG: Of course because we are going to go to a strong mayor system there will be a cultural change within city hall. I think making sure the citizens are not lost in that cultural change is the hardest thing the next mayor will have to deal with. The next mayor will have to make hard decisions because things cannot be done the same way in city hall. The residents cannot be the last thing thought of in city hall. The citizens must be first and then we should work backwards from there.
FCN: We have heard some people remark that a city professional administrator should be in charge of the city rather than someone elected with no experience. Do you think you are qualified to be mayor?
JG: I am a citizen of the City of St. Charles. The current system has no accountability to the residents by the city administrator. Residents can’t fire the city administrator. They can complain to elected officials but if the administrator does not want to listen they can’t make the change and things still stay the same. Under the new system it is the mayor who will be accountable. A mayor will have direct control over getting potholes fixed, sidewalks installed or repaired and sewer backups repaired. With a strong mayor form of government you have an elected official accountable to you and you have a voice in your government.
St Charles is an example of why a city administrator is no good. The administrator is not accountable to the residents. As somebody who has been in the private sector I have been in management positions and have had the ability to grow professionally. That experience translates easily into public life in running an institution like a city. As long as you follow management rules, and people are held accountable, and rules followed, and customers come first, I think it would not be a hard change going from a private to public sector job. Surround yourselves with people who make good decisions and you will always be okay.
FCN: The sales tax in St. Charles is not growing, but it is growing in adjacent cities. What can you do about it?
JG: I can look to the ward I represent and say that the growth of sales tax has grown in our ward. A lot of sales tax revenue for the city is coming from our ward because we are bringing in different business that generates sales tax. Problems come when a city starts asking businesses, “How can we get you here, what do we have to give you to come here?” That then puts more burden on the residents. Instead we should be selling the businesses on the city and on why they should want to come here and how strong our economy is because of our residents discretional spending.
What do we have to do to get you here? Wrong way to go. Identify companies that will not need incentives to come in and go after them. Investment groups, let them run with it. They are the ones that know what to do because they do this for a living. Government is not good at deciding on winners and losers. Investment groups can usually pick a winner because they have the experience and contacts. We have to stop taking prime pieces of real estate and giving them to non-profits. We need non-profits but they do not need to be in high profile locations. Locations that could increase our tax base and provide relief to our taxpayers. We need to be conscious of that and be careful of taking some prime property off the tax rolls.
FCN: What are your feelings about Lindenwood University properties? They have taken about 200 pieces of property off the tax rolls.
JG: Many of the homes purchased by Lindenwood University and taken off our tax rolls were starter homes. Homes that would be available for families to move to St. Charles. I think it is evident that with the decrease in population we do not have enough starter homes available. The population of our schools is decreasing. Take 200 homes, that is a loss of 400 kids who would be going to our schools. We need to look for opportunities to create more starter homes. We just wait for things to happen. We took personal property off our tax rolls so it did have a profound effect on our economics.
FCN: What are your feelings about Lindenwood University?
Lindenwood is one our largest employers and it brings in 12,000 plus people each semester. It does expose the city to families and people from outside the St. Charles area. It is probably one of the best tourism attractions we have. I haven’t agreed with all of the tactics the university has used in securing property and the things they did to grow. They were not as conscious of the city as they should have been and the effect they had on the city. Lindenwood University does have some positive effects for the City of St. Charles. Our children can attend a four-year university without ever having to leave home. A lot of cities can’t say that. While I respect the things that Lindenwood University is attempting to do and the direction they are going, I don’t believe we should place their needs above the needs of the residents of St. Charles.
FCN: Under the current leadership in our city, economic development appears to have stalled. What would you do to jump-start it?
JG: First and foremost I would stop trying to place a square peg in a round hole. I would take my focus from just South Main and tourism and would expand it to go to areas in the core of our city and see what we could do to expand in our city core for the people who live here. It is pretty simple for economic development. We have allowed our infrastructure to deteriorate where investment money no longer comes in. If we take care of sewers, streets and sidewalks and maintain fire and police and do our core job and do it well, the investment will come. We have to understand it is just not tourism. Plenty of people out there, with money in their pockets, are spending in other areas. We don’t have the places for them to spend those dollars. Most people need a place to shop. Current economic development officials in our city would say lets focus on that. How long have they been there? Why did they not focus on it before?
Elm Street is an example. We have let it deteriorate instead of keeping it up. Randolph Street had to be rebuilt instead of keeping it up. If we have problems with our roof at home we patch it. That is what we should do to our streets. We are not doing that and we are not keeping up. People with money looking to invest in our community discover this city does not care about infrastructure. They are not going to invest here. If the city does what it is supposed to do, and does it well, the money will come. Stop thinking we are developers and let the investment groups do what they do best. Invest in our community.
I remember going to St. Charles Dairy. We now have no dairy but St. Peters has two. What happened to our butcher shops? They are in St. Peters. We no longer have a local bakery like Cottage Bakery. What about clothing stores? We just have Thro’s on North Main, where once there were half a dozen clothing stores. We have allowed them to slip away. A lot of things we used to have in our city we have allowed to slip away, replaced with pawnshops and check cashing places that do not lend to the identity of St. Charles.
FCN: If money were no object what would you like to do for the City of St. Charles?
If money was no object I would make sure every single street, sidewalk, sewer, everything in the City of St. Charles, would be at a good standard so people could say I am darn proud to be in the City of St. Charles and look at how good our city is. We consistently and constantly are looking for ways to rebrand the city. The city that works that never sleeps, where history comes alive. If we did what we were supposed to do the civic pride would overwhelm our stores because then people would be telling everyone go to St. Charles. We have had no effort to build city pride. Residents feel a disconnect between the gold building and themselves. If money was no object we could rebuild in a way our civic pride could be rebuilt. Currently we have an administration that believes money is no object when it comes to certain people and special interests. There has been too much of our tax dollars squandered on special interest projects. That money could have paid for so much to help more people in the city or could have decreased the tax burden on the residents.
FNC: If people want to be involved in your campaign how can they reach you?
JG: The best way would be through e-mail jhg426@hotmail.com. Or they can call me at home at 636-946-0877. Please keep in mind that that is my home phone and my kids may answer. I am ready to talk to anyone on a one to one basis. I am also available to meet with any neighborhood group. I am available. If you see me out knocking on doors in your neighborhood please feel free to talk to me.
Ethics Complaint Charges Dempsey Campaign Misappropriated State Funds
By Tony Brockmeyer
An ethics complaint was recently filed against State Representative Tom Dempsey, his campaign committee and state employee Thomas Smith, Jr. of St. Charles who is Dempsey’s Legislative Director. It raises serious allegations that Tom Smith was being paid by the State of Missouri at the time he was working on the reelection campaign of Representative Dempsey.
The complaint follows a Sunshine Law request made by the Executive Director of the Missouri Democratic Party in September, requesting all public records containing proof of hours worked by Thomas W. Smith from January 1 to August 31, 2006. The records received from the Chief Clerk of the Missouri House of Representatives show that Smith receives approximately $50,000 per year as “Legislative Director”. His time sheets are all approved and signed by Representative Dempsey.
The ethics complaint alleges that Thomas Smith was working for Dempsey’s reelection since the end of the Legislative Session in May of this year. There are no records indicating that Smith spent any time working in Jefferson City since May and yet he was paid the same salary each month as if he were. The complaint says that the Dempsey campaign failed to list Thomas Smith’s time working for the campaign as a contribution to the campaigns required under Section 130.031.
Smith has been the subject of an ongoing series of investigative reports by the First Capitol News. Records indicate that he handled millions of dollars through dozens of committees registered at his home on Monroe Street. His name appears prominently as Treasurer for these committees on mailers attacking various Democratic candidates.
Smith also ran three unlicensed businesses from the same address including one called Survey St. Louis. These businesses were paid tens of thousands of dollars from various campaign committees during the same period Smith was allegedly working for the State of Missouri.
The Ethics Commission complaint was filed by Carol Diller of St. Charles. Mo. Diller told the First capitol News, “I don’t consider myself a politically active person but since I moved to St. Charles six or seven years ago I noticed certain things that have been happening in the City that have given me reason to be concerned. Primarily, the thing that really shocked me was when Mr. Dempsey put forward a bill in Jefferson City involving the City of St. Charles requiring us to provide sewer service.to the St. Andrews development outside the city limits of St. Charles. Then I thought, nobody is paying attention. then I found out from reading in the First Capitol News that Tom Dempsey’s aide was operating several businesses and committees from a house on Monroe collecting money and disseminating it to candidates in attempts to apparently hide it. I checked with the Democratic State Committee and they informed me that Tom Smith, Jr. an employee of the State of Missouri is working apparently actively working for the campaign of Tom Dempsey while being paid as a state employee.”
Asked to comment on the most recent allegations, Councilman Joe Koester, who is challenging Dempsey in the November 7th election said, “I don’t see how Tom Smith could have been wearing all these hats, running surveys, doing mass mailings for dozens of candidates, organizing fundraisers, putting up signs and managing millions of dollars of special interest campaign contributions being laundered through dozens of committees and still have been working full-time for the State of Missouri.”
“Tom Dempsey is the one who signed off each pay period that Tom Smith was working for the State of Missouri taxpayers. If he can’t prove that Tom Smith was engaged full-time on public business, then it is a case of Tom Dempsey and Tom Smith conspiring to defraud the taxpayers. This deserves a full investigation by the Ethics Committee, Missouri Attorney General and local prosecutors here and in Cole County.”
An ethics complaint was recently filed against State Representative Tom Dempsey, his campaign committee and state employee Thomas Smith, Jr. of St. Charles who is Dempsey’s Legislative Director. It raises serious allegations that Tom Smith was being paid by the State of Missouri at the time he was working on the reelection campaign of Representative Dempsey.
The complaint follows a Sunshine Law request made by the Executive Director of the Missouri Democratic Party in September, requesting all public records containing proof of hours worked by Thomas W. Smith from January 1 to August 31, 2006. The records received from the Chief Clerk of the Missouri House of Representatives show that Smith receives approximately $50,000 per year as “Legislative Director”. His time sheets are all approved and signed by Representative Dempsey.
The ethics complaint alleges that Thomas Smith was working for Dempsey’s reelection since the end of the Legislative Session in May of this year. There are no records indicating that Smith spent any time working in Jefferson City since May and yet he was paid the same salary each month as if he were. The complaint says that the Dempsey campaign failed to list Thomas Smith’s time working for the campaign as a contribution to the campaigns required under Section 130.031.
Smith has been the subject of an ongoing series of investigative reports by the First Capitol News. Records indicate that he handled millions of dollars through dozens of committees registered at his home on Monroe Street. His name appears prominently as Treasurer for these committees on mailers attacking various Democratic candidates.
Smith also ran three unlicensed businesses from the same address including one called Survey St. Louis. These businesses were paid tens of thousands of dollars from various campaign committees during the same period Smith was allegedly working for the State of Missouri.
The Ethics Commission complaint was filed by Carol Diller of St. Charles. Mo. Diller told the First capitol News, “I don’t consider myself a politically active person but since I moved to St. Charles six or seven years ago I noticed certain things that have been happening in the City that have given me reason to be concerned. Primarily, the thing that really shocked me was when Mr. Dempsey put forward a bill in Jefferson City involving the City of St. Charles requiring us to provide sewer service.to the St. Andrews development outside the city limits of St. Charles. Then I thought, nobody is paying attention. then I found out from reading in the First Capitol News that Tom Dempsey’s aide was operating several businesses and committees from a house on Monroe collecting money and disseminating it to candidates in attempts to apparently hide it. I checked with the Democratic State Committee and they informed me that Tom Smith, Jr. an employee of the State of Missouri is working apparently actively working for the campaign of Tom Dempsey while being paid as a state employee.”
Asked to comment on the most recent allegations, Councilman Joe Koester, who is challenging Dempsey in the November 7th election said, “I don’t see how Tom Smith could have been wearing all these hats, running surveys, doing mass mailings for dozens of candidates, organizing fundraisers, putting up signs and managing millions of dollars of special interest campaign contributions being laundered through dozens of committees and still have been working full-time for the State of Missouri.”
“Tom Dempsey is the one who signed off each pay period that Tom Smith was working for the State of Missouri taxpayers. If he can’t prove that Tom Smith was engaged full-time on public business, then it is a case of Tom Dempsey and Tom Smith conspiring to defraud the taxpayers. This deserves a full investigation by the Ethics Committee, Missouri Attorney General and local prosecutors here and in Cole County.”
Sally Faith Tied To Mudslinging Against Tom Green
By Tony Brockmeyer
Investigation into campaign mudslinging political flyer links Representative Sally Faith and Thomas W. Smith, Jr. Legislative Director for State Representative Tom Dempsey, to negative mailings sent out against Faith’s opponent, Tom Green.
Campaign reports disclose Representative Sally Faith apparently participated in an elaborate scheme to attack Green and make it appear that the mailings came from an independent committee, Gateway To Victory whose treasurer is Representative Tom Dempsey’s Legislative Director. Green said, “I can’t believe they are brazen enough to try and fool the voters again. Green was referring to a last minute slanderous flyer that was mailed out against him in the election two years ago. In that election Green was the incumbent representative and was opposed by Sally Faith. A flyer was sent out just hours prior to the election accusing Representative Green of vacationing in Alaska on taxpayer money. After the election was over it was proven that representative Green has never been to Alaska and never used taxpayer funds for any vacation. That flyer is the reason for a pending slanderous lawsuit filed by Green in the St. Charles County Circuit Court. Court records reveal that there have been unsuccessful attempts by the other side to get the lawsuit dismissed. The lawsuit is scheduled to be heard on January 23, 2007.
It would appear that “Gateway To Victory Fund”, headed by Dempsey’s Legislative Director Smith, violated Chapter 130.031, RSMo, when printing and mailing a flyer and by concealing the “Committee to Elect Sally A Faith”, as the source of the mail piece of campaign literature mailed during October 2006 for the November general election for State House District 15. It would also appear that Representative Sally Faith, a candidate, in conjunction with the “Committee To Elect Sally A Faith”, a candidate committee, further violated Chapter 130.031, RSMo, by paying “Survey St. Louis”, owned by Thomas W. Smith, Jr., Dempsey’s Legislative Director, $5,000 to print the mail piece while inaccurately reporting the purpose of the expenditure as telephone research.
Thomas W. Smith, Jr. serves as both treasurer of “Gateway to Victory Fund”, that paid for the mailer and owner of “Survey St. Louis”, the company that received $5,000 from the Committee To Elect Sally A Faith.
Based on that information it would appear the purpose of inaccurately reporting the expenditure from the “Committee To Elect Sally A Faith”, was to violate Chapter 130.031 RSMo concealing the purpose of the expenditure and to further conceal the “Committee to Elect Sally A Faith”, as the source of the campaign’s direct mail piece that was slamming Green.
Tom Green told the First Capitol News that he is glad this is being disclosed and feels, “It is important the voters know Sally Faith’s connection to the parties responsible for this slanderous, misleading attempt to once again smear my good reputation. I am not surprised that they continually send out lies about my family, my record and me. I would hope they would stop this type of campaigning.”
Tom Green further said, “People who are close to the political scene understand that when a candidate gets desperate they sometimes stoop to any level in an effort to win a campaign. What people don’t know is what it is like for your kids go to school and suffer through the emotional trauma that this type of mudslinging campaign causes.”
The campaign reports filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission show that payments were made by Sally Faith to Dempsey’s Legislative Director Smith and one of his many firms shortly before each of the recent negative mailings were received by the voters. The reports show that Sally Faith paid Dempsey’s Legislative Director, Tom Smith’s firm, “Survey St. Louis”, and then “Gateway To Victory”, whose treasurer is Dempsey’s Legislative Director Smith, paid for the negative mailings. The mailings show they were paid for by “Gateway to Victory”. The First Capitol News contacted a print mail house that prints and mails political literature and they confirmed the amounts of money transferred were about the same amount of money it would take to mail the negative mailings.
In their latest filing with the Missouri Ethics Commission dated October 30, 2006 the “Committee To Elect Sally A Faith”, reports another payment of $2,440.64 to Smith’s “Survey St. Louis”, and a payment to Faith of $2,722.25. The payment to Smith’s company is marked invitations. The same report lists payments to, “For All Occasions” for $826.93 for invitations and a payment to Minuteman Press for $790.03 for invitations. The payment to Faith was marked reimbursement but it was not noted what was being reimbursed.
Allegations have been made concerning alleged misappropriation of state funds by Dempsey and his legislative director, Thomas W. Smith. See the story on the front page, “Ethics Complaint Charges Dempsey campaign misappropriated state funds.”
Green told the FCN,” I am very proud of my record and accomplishments serving the residents of the 15th Representative District. Green pointed to the new interchange at Highway 70 and 94, the sound wall along the Page Avenue Extension and the bike trails.” He also pointed out he would resume working on road building issues, restoring Medicaid benefits to people who have been cut out of the program and fighting for homeowners who are having problems with builders. “I have worked to accomplish the needed policies for our schools, healthcare and our transportation system. I am committed to raising a family in a safe and prosperous St. Charles County. As a State representative for the 15th District I would like to promote issues that affect our residents in a positive way.
Attempts to contact Sally Faith and Tom Smith were unsuccessful.
Editors note …. We were unable to locate businesses licenses for Survey St. Louis, the company owned by Dempsey’s Legislative Director along with several other companies registered to him. Additional information on Smith in our series, “Money Laundering or Smart Politics. The People Have a Right To Know” can be found on the Internet in our web log at .. firstcapitolnews.blogspot.com. Our new web site is under construction at firstcapitolnews.com. Take a look at it and give us your opinion while it is still being created. Breaking news on a daily basis can be found on the Internet at our web log …
Firstcapitolnews-today.blogspot.com. Please refer all comments to our e-mail address … firstcapitolnews@aol.com.
Investigation into campaign mudslinging political flyer links Representative Sally Faith and Thomas W. Smith, Jr. Legislative Director for State Representative Tom Dempsey, to negative mailings sent out against Faith’s opponent, Tom Green.
Campaign reports disclose Representative Sally Faith apparently participated in an elaborate scheme to attack Green and make it appear that the mailings came from an independent committee, Gateway To Victory whose treasurer is Representative Tom Dempsey’s Legislative Director. Green said, “I can’t believe they are brazen enough to try and fool the voters again. Green was referring to a last minute slanderous flyer that was mailed out against him in the election two years ago. In that election Green was the incumbent representative and was opposed by Sally Faith. A flyer was sent out just hours prior to the election accusing Representative Green of vacationing in Alaska on taxpayer money. After the election was over it was proven that representative Green has never been to Alaska and never used taxpayer funds for any vacation. That flyer is the reason for a pending slanderous lawsuit filed by Green in the St. Charles County Circuit Court. Court records reveal that there have been unsuccessful attempts by the other side to get the lawsuit dismissed. The lawsuit is scheduled to be heard on January 23, 2007.
It would appear that “Gateway To Victory Fund”, headed by Dempsey’s Legislative Director Smith, violated Chapter 130.031, RSMo, when printing and mailing a flyer and by concealing the “Committee to Elect Sally A Faith”, as the source of the mail piece of campaign literature mailed during October 2006 for the November general election for State House District 15. It would also appear that Representative Sally Faith, a candidate, in conjunction with the “Committee To Elect Sally A Faith”, a candidate committee, further violated Chapter 130.031, RSMo, by paying “Survey St. Louis”, owned by Thomas W. Smith, Jr., Dempsey’s Legislative Director, $5,000 to print the mail piece while inaccurately reporting the purpose of the expenditure as telephone research.
Thomas W. Smith, Jr. serves as both treasurer of “Gateway to Victory Fund”, that paid for the mailer and owner of “Survey St. Louis”, the company that received $5,000 from the Committee To Elect Sally A Faith.
Based on that information it would appear the purpose of inaccurately reporting the expenditure from the “Committee To Elect Sally A Faith”, was to violate Chapter 130.031 RSMo concealing the purpose of the expenditure and to further conceal the “Committee to Elect Sally A Faith”, as the source of the campaign’s direct mail piece that was slamming Green.
Tom Green told the First Capitol News that he is glad this is being disclosed and feels, “It is important the voters know Sally Faith’s connection to the parties responsible for this slanderous, misleading attempt to once again smear my good reputation. I am not surprised that they continually send out lies about my family, my record and me. I would hope they would stop this type of campaigning.”
Tom Green further said, “People who are close to the political scene understand that when a candidate gets desperate they sometimes stoop to any level in an effort to win a campaign. What people don’t know is what it is like for your kids go to school and suffer through the emotional trauma that this type of mudslinging campaign causes.”
The campaign reports filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission show that payments were made by Sally Faith to Dempsey’s Legislative Director Smith and one of his many firms shortly before each of the recent negative mailings were received by the voters. The reports show that Sally Faith paid Dempsey’s Legislative Director, Tom Smith’s firm, “Survey St. Louis”, and then “Gateway To Victory”, whose treasurer is Dempsey’s Legislative Director Smith, paid for the negative mailings. The mailings show they were paid for by “Gateway to Victory”. The First Capitol News contacted a print mail house that prints and mails political literature and they confirmed the amounts of money transferred were about the same amount of money it would take to mail the negative mailings.
In their latest filing with the Missouri Ethics Commission dated October 30, 2006 the “Committee To Elect Sally A Faith”, reports another payment of $2,440.64 to Smith’s “Survey St. Louis”, and a payment to Faith of $2,722.25. The payment to Smith’s company is marked invitations. The same report lists payments to, “For All Occasions” for $826.93 for invitations and a payment to Minuteman Press for $790.03 for invitations. The payment to Faith was marked reimbursement but it was not noted what was being reimbursed.
Allegations have been made concerning alleged misappropriation of state funds by Dempsey and his legislative director, Thomas W. Smith. See the story on the front page, “Ethics Complaint Charges Dempsey campaign misappropriated state funds.”
Green told the FCN,” I am very proud of my record and accomplishments serving the residents of the 15th Representative District. Green pointed to the new interchange at Highway 70 and 94, the sound wall along the Page Avenue Extension and the bike trails.” He also pointed out he would resume working on road building issues, restoring Medicaid benefits to people who have been cut out of the program and fighting for homeowners who are having problems with builders. “I have worked to accomplish the needed policies for our schools, healthcare and our transportation system. I am committed to raising a family in a safe and prosperous St. Charles County. As a State representative for the 15th District I would like to promote issues that affect our residents in a positive way.
Attempts to contact Sally Faith and Tom Smith were unsuccessful.
Editors note …. We were unable to locate businesses licenses for Survey St. Louis, the company owned by Dempsey’s Legislative Director along with several other companies registered to him. Additional information on Smith in our series, “Money Laundering or Smart Politics. The People Have a Right To Know” can be found on the Internet in our web log at .. firstcapitolnews.blogspot.com. Our new web site is under construction at firstcapitolnews.com. Take a look at it and give us your opinion while it is still being created. Breaking news on a daily basis can be found on the Internet at our web log …
Firstcapitolnews-today.blogspot.com. Please refer all comments to our e-mail address … firstcapitolnews@aol.com.
EDITORIAL ENDORSEMENTS
Our 2006 Editorial Endorsements
We Proudly Recommend:
JOE KOESTER, running for State Representative in the 18th District, has shown himself to be a hardworking and sincere City Councilman. His opponent, incumbent Tom Dempsey, traded any concern for the taxpayers of St. Charles to champion a millionaire home builder. Our landmark series on money laundering has shown how millions of special interest money has been funneled through committees under the control of Dempsey political ally and state employee Tom Smith. Most disturbing of all is over $32,000 the Casinos have donated to try to keep Dempsey in office. Recently Dempsey’s campaign tried to smear Joe Koester as being against Seniors, when it was Dempsey who pushed through the Governor’s legislation to cut 93,000 Missourians, mainly Seniors, from the Medicaid rolls.
TOM GREEN is running for his old State Representative seat in the 15th District. This is a rematch between Green the Democrat and Sally Faith the current Republican incumbent. Two years ago, Green lost narrowly after the Republican Party of Missouri accused him in a campaign mailing of taking a taxpayer funded trip to Alaska. There was just one catch. Green has never been to Alaska in his life. This bold-faced lie cost Green his seat and voters can right that wrong here in the 2006 election.
KENNETH BIERMANN is running for State Representative in the 17th District. Kenneth is known for his long time service to the Orchard Farm School District as a Board member and volunteer. He is in a David and Goliath race against Republican incumbent Nancy Schneider whose political war chest is far larger. But Biermann, like Koester and Green, has been making the poor performance of Republican legislators in funding our schools a central theme. Change is needed if progress in this area is to be made.
JOE McCULLOCH is running for a second term on the St. Charles County Council from the 5th District. Once the lone Democrat, Joe was joined by County Councilwomen Cheryl Hibbler from O’Fallon, who won in a special election to fill an unexpired term on the Council. Joe is the brother of St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch. His father was a police officer killed in the line of duty when Joe was just a kid. Following a distinguished career in law enforcement himself, Joe became an attorney. As County Councilman, Joe has shown himself able to look beyond partisanship and work with the majority to get things done, but also as someone willing to stand up and just say no when the need arises.
PROPOSITION A is a no tax increase bond issue to build the kind of first class Community Center the residents of St. Charles deserve. Other smaller communities around us have such facilities to offer year-round recreation, sports and entertainment to their residents. As the second largest city in the St. Louis Area, St. Charles has lagged behind in this important area. The list of amenities offered in the facility is long and has something for all ages, from an indoor walking track to an indoor aquatics center. We urge everyone to VOTE YES FOR PROPOSITION A to move this project forward.
We Proudly Recommend:
JOE KOESTER, running for State Representative in the 18th District, has shown himself to be a hardworking and sincere City Councilman. His opponent, incumbent Tom Dempsey, traded any concern for the taxpayers of St. Charles to champion a millionaire home builder. Our landmark series on money laundering has shown how millions of special interest money has been funneled through committees under the control of Dempsey political ally and state employee Tom Smith. Most disturbing of all is over $32,000 the Casinos have donated to try to keep Dempsey in office. Recently Dempsey’s campaign tried to smear Joe Koester as being against Seniors, when it was Dempsey who pushed through the Governor’s legislation to cut 93,000 Missourians, mainly Seniors, from the Medicaid rolls.
TOM GREEN is running for his old State Representative seat in the 15th District. This is a rematch between Green the Democrat and Sally Faith the current Republican incumbent. Two years ago, Green lost narrowly after the Republican Party of Missouri accused him in a campaign mailing of taking a taxpayer funded trip to Alaska. There was just one catch. Green has never been to Alaska in his life. This bold-faced lie cost Green his seat and voters can right that wrong here in the 2006 election.
KENNETH BIERMANN is running for State Representative in the 17th District. Kenneth is known for his long time service to the Orchard Farm School District as a Board member and volunteer. He is in a David and Goliath race against Republican incumbent Nancy Schneider whose political war chest is far larger. But Biermann, like Koester and Green, has been making the poor performance of Republican legislators in funding our schools a central theme. Change is needed if progress in this area is to be made.
JOE McCULLOCH is running for a second term on the St. Charles County Council from the 5th District. Once the lone Democrat, Joe was joined by County Councilwomen Cheryl Hibbler from O’Fallon, who won in a special election to fill an unexpired term on the Council. Joe is the brother of St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch. His father was a police officer killed in the line of duty when Joe was just a kid. Following a distinguished career in law enforcement himself, Joe became an attorney. As County Councilman, Joe has shown himself able to look beyond partisanship and work with the majority to get things done, but also as someone willing to stand up and just say no when the need arises.
PROPOSITION A is a no tax increase bond issue to build the kind of first class Community Center the residents of St. Charles deserve. Other smaller communities around us have such facilities to offer year-round recreation, sports and entertainment to their residents. As the second largest city in the St. Louis Area, St. Charles has lagged behind in this important area. The list of amenities offered in the facility is long and has something for all ages, from an indoor walking track to an indoor aquatics center. We urge everyone to VOTE YES FOR PROPOSITION A to move this project forward.
RAMBLING WITH THE EDITOR - Tony Brockmeyer
CHECK IT OUT!
Since November of 2004 the First Capitol News has placed stories and columnists from our weekly editions on our web log otherwise know as a blog. We continue to place each edition on the blog. It can be found on the Internet at
firstcapitolnews.blogspot.com.
In addition, since February of this year we have provided our readers with a daily update of breaking news. That web log can be found on the Internet at
firstcapitolnews-today.blogspot.com.
We are now creating an additional web site. It is currently under construction and can be found at firstcapitolnews.com
When you have an opportunity we ask that you visit our web site and let us know what you think of it. Any suggestions you have would be appreciated. You can e-mail your suggestions to us at our e-mail address, firstcapitolnews@aol.com.
At firstcapitolnews.com you will find the entire edition of the First Capitol News. It is a rather large file so please be patient. It takes a couple of minutes to open. You will then be able to read the paper or download it onto your computer to read later.
Adobe Acrobat is needed to read the edition and is available free on the Internet.
We also intend to keep updating our web logs, firstcapitolnews.blogspot.com, and firstcapitolnews-today.blogspot.com.
We intend to keep our readers up to date on breaking news that concerns the residents of St. Charles.
Check it out, firstcapitolnews.com and let us know what you think.
Thank you for reading the First Capitol News. Please continue to patronize our advertisers.
ttt
Since November of 2004 the First Capitol News has placed stories and columnists from our weekly editions on our web log otherwise know as a blog. We continue to place each edition on the blog. It can be found on the Internet at
firstcapitolnews.blogspot.com.
In addition, since February of this year we have provided our readers with a daily update of breaking news. That web log can be found on the Internet at
firstcapitolnews-today.blogspot.com.
We are now creating an additional web site. It is currently under construction and can be found at firstcapitolnews.com
When you have an opportunity we ask that you visit our web site and let us know what you think of it. Any suggestions you have would be appreciated. You can e-mail your suggestions to us at our e-mail address, firstcapitolnews@aol.com.
At firstcapitolnews.com you will find the entire edition of the First Capitol News. It is a rather large file so please be patient. It takes a couple of minutes to open. You will then be able to read the paper or download it onto your computer to read later.
Adobe Acrobat is needed to read the edition and is available free on the Internet.
We also intend to keep updating our web logs, firstcapitolnews.blogspot.com, and firstcapitolnews-today.blogspot.com.
We intend to keep our readers up to date on breaking news that concerns the residents of St. Charles.
Check it out, firstcapitolnews.com and let us know what you think.
Thank you for reading the First Capitol News. Please continue to patronize our advertisers.
ttt
Case In Point By Joe Koester, Councilman Ward 9
Some people are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good. Oliver Wendell Holmes
The past several weeks now I have spent nearly every free moment walking door to door to meet fellow Saint Charles residents. Along my route I have met so many good people who are willing to give a couple minutes and chat about why I am running for office. I appreciate the civility that most everyone practices in this town regardless if they are Republican, Democrat, or Independent.
As is the case in most all races for a public office, records get distorted or taken out of context and it can take some time to explain events, but I have encountered patient people who are willing to hear arguments and ask questions.
Not all time spent at homes around town has been discussing politics. I have run into fellow St. Charles High graduates, met some fellow brewers, talked and learned about some Saint Charles history and even met residents who remember my grandparents when they lived at the corner of Elm Street and Kingshighway. I have met those who still refer to Clay Street and seen several Saint Charles Dairy milk delivery boxes displayed on porches around town.
I regret that I do not have the time to meet everyone before Tuesday to discuss the issues and to listen to thoughts and ideas that often arise when adults take time to truly share in meaningful dialog. Unfortunately, most campaigns boil down to mailer after mailer that turns into an adult version of name-calling rather than addressing issues. Unfortunately too, there is no “truth in advertising” clause in a campaign which often results in the guy with the most money being able to manufacture “truth” that only needs to remain “facts” for a couple of weeks. For the candidate who cannot buy fifteen mailers, about the only thing left to do is walk and meet people. Again, thanks to everyone willing to take time from their busy schedules to talk about local issues. Daylight Savings has certainly cut back the time the candidates can dedicate to walking door-to-door (any candidate who must work during the day, at least) since no one goes door to door after dark out of respect for the homeowners, but your two or three minutes time is appreciated since you have the same busy schedule as the rest of us.
THE PEOPLE SPEAK - Letters To The Editor
Dear Editor,
I have just received a glossy mailer from some Jefferson City campaign committee attacking Joe Koester for wanting to make the utility rebates income based.
As I mentioned in one of my columns last month, this would be the best way to see that the limited funds we have to use would be utilized for those who really need the rebate. There are many over 62 who don’t need the rebate and making the program income based would allow using the limited funds for those that could use a little help.
The logic, or lack thereof of these mailers is that we should all get something if anyone gets something. I guess if they were in an accident where two people required ambulances and two didn’t, they would want the uninjured two to get an ambulance ride just because the two injured did.
I am not writing this as an endorsement of Joe Koester. As I have stated in my columns, I am a conservative who is still trying to remain a Republican in spite of the party rapidly loosing touch with the citizens, especially in St. Charles. However, if that is all these outsiders have on Mr. Koester, they should crawl back under their rock and shut their pie-holes. Their own mailer points out that those who really need the rebate would still receive it. This kind of stuff makes them look like desperate fools.
Jerry Haferkamp
St. Charles
Voters,
Remember taxpayers, elections are just around the corner. Just a moment to talk about the October 17 City Council meeting, although the fireworks have calmed down, it seemed that nothing has changed. The Mayor has given her reasons for vetoing the bill to sell surplus computers to the Wentzville Police Department for $25. She says they can be used as trade-ins for new ones and get about $500. She says the taxpayers should get all the benefits they can. I would only hope that she would have used that same logic when employee health insurance was included in the plans that she signed. I do believe these would have benefited the taxpayers more. The Mayor has also continued to try to put her cronies on the City committees, even the ones who have sued the City and was involved in the re-call fraud investigations.
We need to remember the things that our county, state and city elected officials have done to the city residents and vote accordingly. You may think that your vote don’t matter, but it is the strongest thing that a non-millionaire has.
Walter Dietz
Fellow citizens,
As a former election judge of 12 years, I feel you should be aware of something happening in Rich Chrismer’s office. The new touch-screen voting machines are run by a technician, not by a judge.
The election judges do not know how to operate the touch-screen machines and were not instructed how to operate them. A technician does the entire process, yet the judges have to sign-off on the beginning and ending for tapes from the machine. I didn’t! The technician has been trained in the basics of the touch-screen machine, she/he is not a specialist. So, why weren’t the judges taught the basic of this new machine?
There is no room for a “secret” voting machine in our Democracy. I feel the citizens deserve to know what is happening in Rich Chrismer’s office of elections and to our Democracy. Maybe, it’s time for a change! Think about it before you vote on Tuesday, November 7, 2006.
Sincerely,
H.M. Bixler
St. Charles
Dear Editor,
I read with amazement a piece of literature that was recently delivered to my door. The current, albeit appointed Sheriff of St. Charles County, states in this piece of literature that his “dedication to citizen protection and professional investigations” has earned respect from area law enforcement agencies. I failed to find ANYWHERE, in ANY of the current sheriff’s material, where he has any experience in investigating crimes or in his protecting of citizens. The only experience that I find he lists is two years of service as a uniformed deputy from 1974-1976, during the “Good ole boy” era.
Furthermore, this same literature lists (six) areas/issues that he will concentrate on. He will continue, maintain or pursue one or more of these issues. To continue and or maintain would indicate that as an appointed sheriff, he never instituted these programs to begin with. To pursue would indicate, he has an idea, but apparently has not instituted it over the one and a half years he has been in office. The issue that he wishes to pursue as he states is in fact a website.
I have researched every newspaper article and piece of literature distributed during the primary election related to the current sheriff and have only found one single mention of a website. That article appeared several days prior to the primary election in a voters guide where the slightest mention of a county website was found. Ironically, the current appointed sheriff was able to create a website when it was advantageous to him as a candidate. It is apparent that the current sheriff had to adopt one of his opponent’s (Ed Copeland) ideas to have something to offer the community.
As stated in his own writings, the current sheriff has credentials that are based solely on his being appointed to the position and programs such as the Air Metro and Highway Interdiction unit were in fact inherent. Take away the political appointment to the office of sheriff and this man is a nobody!
Donita Meyer
St. Charles
Dear Editor,
I would like to speak briefly on a controversial subject here in Missouri today – the stem cell initiative. Numerous people have asked me why I oppose Amendment 2. How can I be against the curing of disease? How can I?
There are many of us who believe that human embryos – whether resulting from cloning or from fertilization – are human beings. Therefore, we must fight with everything at our disposal to prevent their deliberate destruction.
There are a multitude of cures being achieved here and now today with the use of adult stem cells that do not require the destruction of human embryos.
Therefore, I shall vote NO on Amendment 2.
Glen Dashner
St. Charles
I have just received a glossy mailer from some Jefferson City campaign committee attacking Joe Koester for wanting to make the utility rebates income based.
As I mentioned in one of my columns last month, this would be the best way to see that the limited funds we have to use would be utilized for those who really need the rebate. There are many over 62 who don’t need the rebate and making the program income based would allow using the limited funds for those that could use a little help.
The logic, or lack thereof of these mailers is that we should all get something if anyone gets something. I guess if they were in an accident where two people required ambulances and two didn’t, they would want the uninjured two to get an ambulance ride just because the two injured did.
I am not writing this as an endorsement of Joe Koester. As I have stated in my columns, I am a conservative who is still trying to remain a Republican in spite of the party rapidly loosing touch with the citizens, especially in St. Charles. However, if that is all these outsiders have on Mr. Koester, they should crawl back under their rock and shut their pie-holes. Their own mailer points out that those who really need the rebate would still receive it. This kind of stuff makes them look like desperate fools.
Jerry Haferkamp
St. Charles
Voters,
Remember taxpayers, elections are just around the corner. Just a moment to talk about the October 17 City Council meeting, although the fireworks have calmed down, it seemed that nothing has changed. The Mayor has given her reasons for vetoing the bill to sell surplus computers to the Wentzville Police Department for $25. She says they can be used as trade-ins for new ones and get about $500. She says the taxpayers should get all the benefits they can. I would only hope that she would have used that same logic when employee health insurance was included in the plans that she signed. I do believe these would have benefited the taxpayers more. The Mayor has also continued to try to put her cronies on the City committees, even the ones who have sued the City and was involved in the re-call fraud investigations.
We need to remember the things that our county, state and city elected officials have done to the city residents and vote accordingly. You may think that your vote don’t matter, but it is the strongest thing that a non-millionaire has.
Walter Dietz
Fellow citizens,
As a former election judge of 12 years, I feel you should be aware of something happening in Rich Chrismer’s office. The new touch-screen voting machines are run by a technician, not by a judge.
The election judges do not know how to operate the touch-screen machines and were not instructed how to operate them. A technician does the entire process, yet the judges have to sign-off on the beginning and ending for tapes from the machine. I didn’t! The technician has been trained in the basics of the touch-screen machine, she/he is not a specialist. So, why weren’t the judges taught the basic of this new machine?
There is no room for a “secret” voting machine in our Democracy. I feel the citizens deserve to know what is happening in Rich Chrismer’s office of elections and to our Democracy. Maybe, it’s time for a change! Think about it before you vote on Tuesday, November 7, 2006.
Sincerely,
H.M. Bixler
St. Charles
Dear Editor,
I read with amazement a piece of literature that was recently delivered to my door. The current, albeit appointed Sheriff of St. Charles County, states in this piece of literature that his “dedication to citizen protection and professional investigations” has earned respect from area law enforcement agencies. I failed to find ANYWHERE, in ANY of the current sheriff’s material, where he has any experience in investigating crimes or in his protecting of citizens. The only experience that I find he lists is two years of service as a uniformed deputy from 1974-1976, during the “Good ole boy” era.
Furthermore, this same literature lists (six) areas/issues that he will concentrate on. He will continue, maintain or pursue one or more of these issues. To continue and or maintain would indicate that as an appointed sheriff, he never instituted these programs to begin with. To pursue would indicate, he has an idea, but apparently has not instituted it over the one and a half years he has been in office. The issue that he wishes to pursue as he states is in fact a website.
I have researched every newspaper article and piece of literature distributed during the primary election related to the current sheriff and have only found one single mention of a website. That article appeared several days prior to the primary election in a voters guide where the slightest mention of a county website was found. Ironically, the current appointed sheriff was able to create a website when it was advantageous to him as a candidate. It is apparent that the current sheriff had to adopt one of his opponent’s (Ed Copeland) ideas to have something to offer the community.
As stated in his own writings, the current sheriff has credentials that are based solely on his being appointed to the position and programs such as the Air Metro and Highway Interdiction unit were in fact inherent. Take away the political appointment to the office of sheriff and this man is a nobody!
Donita Meyer
St. Charles
Dear Editor,
I would like to speak briefly on a controversial subject here in Missouri today – the stem cell initiative. Numerous people have asked me why I oppose Amendment 2. How can I be against the curing of disease? How can I?
There are many of us who believe that human embryos – whether resulting from cloning or from fertilization – are human beings. Therefore, we must fight with everything at our disposal to prevent their deliberate destruction.
There are a multitude of cures being achieved here and now today with the use of adult stem cells that do not require the destruction of human embryos.
Therefore, I shall vote NO on Amendment 2.
Glen Dashner
St. Charles
THE CITY DESK - Rory Riddler, Councilman Ward 1
As Election Day Nears
How Low Will They Go?
Give me a second to adjust my soapbox. That’s better. Tap, tap, tap…is this thing on? Hope you can all hear me in the back.
I’m on my political soapbox today to morn the passing of the last shred of civility and decency in American politics. The 2006 mid-term elections have been a bruising slugfest of degeneracy, perhaps equaled only by the blood sport of cage fighting. Negative campaign commercials, automated phone calls and direct mail pieces on behalf of various candidates have employed fear mongering, race baiting and bold faced lies as part of a “win at any cost” campaign strategy that threatens to further alienate voters.
We get it already. Zealots of the Republican Party and their counter-parts of the Democratic Party hate each other. They are unwilling to work together and spend almost all their time in Jefferson City and Washington D. C. trying to put knives in each other’s backs. They are so consumed in playing a giant game of “gotcha” that little things like the War in Iraq, our civil liberties, global warming, education, health care and retirement security take a back seat.
It makes me long for the days when all they did was exaggerate or distort the record of a candidate. Now they just make it up as they go along. Two years ago State Representative Tom Green was the victim of the new lower standards for political attacks. The Missouri Republican Party sent out a negative mailer the week before the election saying that Green had squandered taxpayer money by taking a publicly funded vacation to Alaska.
There was just one little itty-bitty problem with the piece. Green had never gone to Alaska. To his credit, Green is suing them. A judge refused motions to throw the case out, so it looks like Green will get his day in court. Right now, he is even more concerned with the court of public opinion as he ties to regain the seat he narrowly lost two years ago.
As the national battle for control of the United State Senate comes down to which way Missouri falls, tens of millions of dollars are pouring into the campaigns of Democratic challenger Claire McCaskill and Republican incumbent Jim Talent. If you can believe the televisions ads (and you can’t), both of them are the worst kind of people. You wouldn’t trust them to walk your dog, let alone help run the Country.
The mind boggles at how much money is being spent trying to convince us that we wouldn’t want to leave Claire McCaskill alone with anyone’s grandparents as she would surely slit their throats at the first opportunity. Or that Jim Talent spends his spare time killing off our veterans.
Things were getting so bad last week that I thought Walgreens would start selling McCaskill and Talent masks for Halloween. On Tuesday I was getting scared to go to my mailbox alone. Whenever the phone rang with another recorded political message, it was like listening to the wailing of a thousand tormented souls.
In a week, I’ve received at least six pieces of mail and a dozen phone calls about how Claire McCaskill turned her back on the rape, murder and torture of Seniors in nursing homes. Apparently most Missouri nursing homes are run like Iraqi prisons. You would think the President of the United States, the United States Senate, the Congress, Missouri’s Governor, Attorney general or General Assembly could save these poor people from this hell on earth…but no. For some inexplicable reason, unknown to Constitutional experts or high school civics classes, the Republican Party is convinced the State Auditor bears responsibility for whatever goes on in Missouri’s nursing homes.
Particularly annoying this election cycle have been the automated phone calls, sometimes called “robo” calls. Senator Kit Bond has taken the time from his busy schedule to call me twice this week. Confidentially, I think his mind might be slipping a bit. The second time he phoned he called me Elizabeth. I also think it’s funny that he pauses just before saying St. Charles. It is almost as if he just read a long list of communities and they were automatically dropped into the pre-recorded message to make me think he actually cared enough to record the message a few hundred times for every city in the State.
I had a retired Brigadier General call me and leave a recorded message about how important stem cell research was for veterans. A host of movie and television stars also would like me to think they personally called me. I can’t believe they think my vote is that important. Please, no autographs.
I also got an attack flyer yesterday from the House Republican Campaign Committee about my fellow Councilman Joe Koester. Joe is running for State Representative against Tom Dempsey. Dempsey is Majority Floor Leader and seems to have more money to spend in this election than the Danforth Foundation. But I guess it is a sign of just how afraid Republican candidates are from the top of the ticket on down, that the House Republicans felt they had to go negative on Joe Koester.
Last week a photographer made a big production out of standing up in the middle of the Council meeting and flashing pictures of Joe Koester. He took about thirty or so flash photos with an expensive looking camera. But, of course, the one they printed in the attack flyer is grainy and out of focus. They have this standard play book and never show enough creativity to deviate from it. Some “expert” decided that the way voters can tell a good politician from a bad one is the quality of the photo you run of them. The bad politicians are always the ones grainy and out of focus. Personally I think it reflects poorly on a multi-million dollars operation that can’t take a decent photo.
Anyway, the mailer said how Joe had tried to take away utility tax rebates from Seniors. In fact he hadn’t. He proposed a means test based on income where most Seniors on Social Security would have gotten the rebates and those more well off would not have. The bill was never passed, but that never stopped a good attack ad.
Emblazoned in red across the top of the mailer it said, “Why Are You Hurting Our Seniors, Joe?” Apparently Joe holds them down while Claire McCaskill beats them with a baseball bat.
In a few days we will see if the political experts that sold people on going so negative this year were right or wrong. But winning isn’t everything. In the long run, they have traded rational discourse and an informed electorate for mudslinging and brainwashed ideologues.
During the final game of the World Series, the camera zoomed in on a large banner two Cardinal fans were holding. In giant letters it stated, “The Experts Are Idiots!” The announcers in the booth got a chuckle out of it and one in a somewhat muffled voice added, “Well, they’re right.” The sports pundits didn’t give the Cardinals a chance of winning the NLC, let alone the World Series.
The fact is that too many politicians have been listening to the so-called national political experts, and frankly, the experts are idiots.
ttt
THE VIEW FROM THE CHEAP SEATS By Jerry Haferkamp
The View From The Cheap Seats
By Jerry Haferkamp
Thankfully, it’s almost over. I’m referring to the unending political ads in which Jim Talent attacks Claire McCaskill for things she may or may not have done and she returns the favor by attacking him over things he may or may not have done. We can’t be sure who is telling the truth, so most of us probably think neither are.
There is this constant barrage that gets nastier each day, and neither candidate seems to realize that the only voters these ads will get are the “undecided” voters. Most people know what Jim Talent has done as our Senator and what Claire McCaskill has done as our State Auditor. Those who don’t know probably should stay home if misleading ads on TV are the only basis of their vote.
The hot button issue seems to be embryonic stem cell research.
I believe some people think that the defeat of this measure will end this research. It won’t. It only means that the research and possible subsequent treatments of many diseases will not be done in Missouri. Embryonic stem cell research is a fact. It will be done in Missouri or it will be done in California. It will be done in Missouri, or it will be done in Mexico. It will be done in Missouri, or it will most surely be done in India, or France, or Canada, or China.
I said in my last column that I won’t even think of telling anyone how to vote, but I’ll vote for the Amendment. I’ll do it with the hope that I will someday see my neighbor be cured of MS and stand up out of his motorized chair and walk. I’ll do it and hope that my daughter-in-law who has MS can rid her self of the affliction that she can only describe as “thousands of fire ants eating and burning under my skin”. I’ll do it because of the memories of the cuts and bruises I saw on my mother due to her falls from the effects of Parkinson’s disease.
I’ll do it for the living.
As always, that’s just the view from the cheap seats.
By Jerry Haferkamp
Thankfully, it’s almost over. I’m referring to the unending political ads in which Jim Talent attacks Claire McCaskill for things she may or may not have done and she returns the favor by attacking him over things he may or may not have done. We can’t be sure who is telling the truth, so most of us probably think neither are.
There is this constant barrage that gets nastier each day, and neither candidate seems to realize that the only voters these ads will get are the “undecided” voters. Most people know what Jim Talent has done as our Senator and what Claire McCaskill has done as our State Auditor. Those who don’t know probably should stay home if misleading ads on TV are the only basis of their vote.
The hot button issue seems to be embryonic stem cell research.
I believe some people think that the defeat of this measure will end this research. It won’t. It only means that the research and possible subsequent treatments of many diseases will not be done in Missouri. Embryonic stem cell research is a fact. It will be done in Missouri or it will be done in California. It will be done in Missouri, or it will be done in Mexico. It will be done in Missouri, or it will most surely be done in India, or France, or Canada, or China.
I said in my last column that I won’t even think of telling anyone how to vote, but I’ll vote for the Amendment. I’ll do it with the hope that I will someday see my neighbor be cured of MS and stand up out of his motorized chair and walk. I’ll do it and hope that my daughter-in-law who has MS can rid her self of the affliction that she can only describe as “thousands of fire ants eating and burning under my skin”. I’ll do it because of the memories of the cuts and bruises I saw on my mother due to her falls from the effects of Parkinson’s disease.
I’ll do it for the living.
As always, that’s just the view from the cheap seats.
St. Charles School Board President Explains Funding of Public Schools
St. Charles School Board President Explains Funding of Public Schools
I have recently been hearing and seeing some misunderstanding regarding funding of public schools. I would like to attempt to explain the confusing issue of funding of public schools and the St. Charles School District by the State of Missouri.
First, it is not a Democrat versus Republican or vise versus issue. It is basically a rural and urban versus suburban issue. While State funding is a State Legislature issue, our local legislators are outnumbered by rural legislators and have minimal influence on school funding by the State. Between the State School Funding Formula and the courts, State funding is geared to channel more money to rural and urban schools than suburban schools. Thus, the St. Charles School District receives less money per student from the State than many other school districts in the State.
Second, property assessment is not the same throughout the State. Those communities that undervalue property receive more State school funding per student for their school districts. St. Charles County is not one of those communities.
Third, the revenue the State receives from the casinos is not added to the Formula. It simply goes to the general revenue fund, and the general revenue fund is used to fund the State School Formula. And the State does not always fund the Formula at a 100% level.
Fourth, continuously there are unfunded mandates imposed on school districts by the State and Federal Governments which dilutes the funds school districts receive from all sources, including the local tax dollars paid by residents. All this results in placing a bigger burden on local tax payers of suburban school districts like St. Charles. I hope this is of some assistance in understanding school funding in Missouri.
Dennis J. Hahn
Board of Education
Member & President
St. Charles School District
I have recently been hearing and seeing some misunderstanding regarding funding of public schools. I would like to attempt to explain the confusing issue of funding of public schools and the St. Charles School District by the State of Missouri.
First, it is not a Democrat versus Republican or vise versus issue. It is basically a rural and urban versus suburban issue. While State funding is a State Legislature issue, our local legislators are outnumbered by rural legislators and have minimal influence on school funding by the State. Between the State School Funding Formula and the courts, State funding is geared to channel more money to rural and urban schools than suburban schools. Thus, the St. Charles School District receives less money per student from the State than many other school districts in the State.
Second, property assessment is not the same throughout the State. Those communities that undervalue property receive more State school funding per student for their school districts. St. Charles County is not one of those communities.
Third, the revenue the State receives from the casinos is not added to the Formula. It simply goes to the general revenue fund, and the general revenue fund is used to fund the State School Formula. And the State does not always fund the Formula at a 100% level.
Fourth, continuously there are unfunded mandates imposed on school districts by the State and Federal Governments which dilutes the funds school districts receive from all sources, including the local tax dollars paid by residents. All this results in placing a bigger burden on local tax payers of suburban school districts like St. Charles. I hope this is of some assistance in understanding school funding in Missouri.
Dennis J. Hahn
Board of Education
Member & President
St. Charles School District
CONSERVATIVE FACTOR Alex Spencer
I guess Tom Brown was right, Shawn Brown was a crook. Shawn Brown is a convicted felon. Wow. That’s simply a stated fact now. Although, some might argue that it was always a fact. The former mayor of St. Peters pleaded guilty in Federal Court to bribery charges. He abused his office and shook down a potential city vendor for $2,750.
There are always rumors in politics, and most recent occupant of the Mayor’s office in St. Peters seemed to be the subject of a myriad of rumors about corruption and financial irregularities. First, it was the “shady” consortium of folks (later identified as the Great White Duck Hunters) paying thousands of dollars in legal fees to get him on the ballot. See there was a problem when he filed for office. He was a deadbeat and he had not paid his taxes. Shawn threw his hat in the ring against incumbent Mayor Tom Brown on a lark, and the deadbeat was properly kicked off the ballot when the City Clerk discovered that he had not paid his property taxes.
Stupid Shawn claims that the taxes were supposed to be paid out of escrow and that’s how it was always done. Seems that is not the case. Allegedly, our own former County Collector gave a sworn statement that Shawn had previously paid his taxes by personal check. Hey, just a minor irregularity.
(Note: Mayor Tom Brown angered the Great White Duck Hunter himself, Adolphus Bush IV, by proceeding with the 370 levee project. Tom Brown has also drawn a bit of fire because of an ordinance that would yield a salary in excess of $100,000 if he were elected. Hence, a political marriage between Shawn and AB is born.)
Shawn and his new, rich buddies “campaigned” against Tom Brown and unfortunately for Tom, who by all accounts took St. Peters to its glorious height, was defeated because according to the rumor mill, Alderman Len Pagano worked with Shawn to point out the pay increase that would have applied to Tom.
The new mayor tried to become a community favorite by showing up at every ribbon cutting, charity event and pretty much anyplace where he might be able to get in “free” as Mayor. The rumors continued throughout 2004 and early 2005. Some of the local builders started to talk quietly about his tactics. Apparently he thought that “shaking down” local businesses was an appropriate way to do business. He really was a moron.
In July 2005, Alderman David Hayes accused Shawn Brown of public corruption. Allegedly (although we all believe it) Shawn shook down Esteem Homes and threatened to pull his support of their project if they did not purchase electrical supplies from his employer. When Jeff Morrison, the City Attorney was presented with these allegations, he forwarded them to County Prosecutor Jack Banas, who investigated the matter found “insufficient evidence” to proceed. Although recent press reports suggest that he merely had a bunch of uncooperative witnesses. Apparently the Feds were luckier in the witness cooperation department.
Then Hayes files an ethics complaint against Shawn and his wife Rhonda for campaign finance irregularities. From press accounts, it appears that Hayes, a lawyer himself, presented a fairly airtight case against Shawn and Rhonda Brown. The Missouri Ethics Commission refers the complaint to the Attorney General’s office. At this point, when the Missouri Ethics Commission releases the findings, they will probably have to mail Shawn’s letter to his new address in federal prison. Just a campaign finance violation, I guess.
Then, Shawn decided to cash in on Halloween. He tries to be the “silent party” in a haunted house in St. Peters. He tells everyone he is raising money for charity, and then confesses that he is a partner, and then it turns out one of his partners is a criminal. Then, he allegedly fails to pay the employees. Finally, he claims that no money was raised, so none would go to charity. Just another financial irregularity, I guess.
Then, in 2006, it was the beginning of the end for Shawn Brown. He saw his chance to cash in big, and he shook down a red light camera company. The representative went to the Feds and they wired him for the money exchange. Shawn was indicted on August 17th and early that next morning, FBI agents arrested him. According to the FBI press conference, he thought they were there on a different matter. Well, that kind of says it all, doesn’t it?
Alderman David Hayes begins loudly asking the Mayor to resign. I’ve got to hand it to Hayes; he had the power of outrage on his side. Hayes had Shawn dead to rights on campaign finance violations, previously accused him of similar public corruption. Now, Hayes was out there all on his own, but he didn’t back down. The guy may be loud and mean, but he called it. Even when his own fellow alderman, Len “Pandering” Pagano called him out because Shawn was “innocent until proven guilty,” Hayes stood strong. Of course, I wasn’t really sure exactly who Pagano was pandering to at that point. Hey Pagano, incarcerated felons can’t vote, so Shawn won’t be able to vote for you. FYI, they don’t let felons absentee vote. But Pagano has always been a moron, and you can’t even say that he began to campaign for mayor, since he’s never stopped. I’m not sure how many times the guy has to lose before he figures out that no one wants a gavel in his hands.
Now, County Prosecutor Jack Banas, who turned a “duck blind” eye to Shawn’s prior corrupt activities (perhaps at the behest of County Executive Joe Ortwerth who was a great supporter of Shawn’s????) decides to get in the act before people started pointing fingers at his inept investigation, for lack of a better word. Apparently, the boys in St. Peters were right after all, this guy was a crook. Banas rushes to the press to say that he is considering options for removal of the Mayor. Apparently Tom Brown was right too, this guy was a crook. Well, the crook cut a deal with Banas, and Shawn resigned.
R.I.P.
Shawn Brown’s
Political Career
April 6, 2004 – Oct 23, 2006
Simpleton. Crook. Felon.
There are always rumors in politics, and most recent occupant of the Mayor’s office in St. Peters seemed to be the subject of a myriad of rumors about corruption and financial irregularities. First, it was the “shady” consortium of folks (later identified as the Great White Duck Hunters) paying thousands of dollars in legal fees to get him on the ballot. See there was a problem when he filed for office. He was a deadbeat and he had not paid his taxes. Shawn threw his hat in the ring against incumbent Mayor Tom Brown on a lark, and the deadbeat was properly kicked off the ballot when the City Clerk discovered that he had not paid his property taxes.
Stupid Shawn claims that the taxes were supposed to be paid out of escrow and that’s how it was always done. Seems that is not the case. Allegedly, our own former County Collector gave a sworn statement that Shawn had previously paid his taxes by personal check. Hey, just a minor irregularity.
(Note: Mayor Tom Brown angered the Great White Duck Hunter himself, Adolphus Bush IV, by proceeding with the 370 levee project. Tom Brown has also drawn a bit of fire because of an ordinance that would yield a salary in excess of $100,000 if he were elected. Hence, a political marriage between Shawn and AB is born.)
Shawn and his new, rich buddies “campaigned” against Tom Brown and unfortunately for Tom, who by all accounts took St. Peters to its glorious height, was defeated because according to the rumor mill, Alderman Len Pagano worked with Shawn to point out the pay increase that would have applied to Tom.
The new mayor tried to become a community favorite by showing up at every ribbon cutting, charity event and pretty much anyplace where he might be able to get in “free” as Mayor. The rumors continued throughout 2004 and early 2005. Some of the local builders started to talk quietly about his tactics. Apparently he thought that “shaking down” local businesses was an appropriate way to do business. He really was a moron.
In July 2005, Alderman David Hayes accused Shawn Brown of public corruption. Allegedly (although we all believe it) Shawn shook down Esteem Homes and threatened to pull his support of their project if they did not purchase electrical supplies from his employer. When Jeff Morrison, the City Attorney was presented with these allegations, he forwarded them to County Prosecutor Jack Banas, who investigated the matter found “insufficient evidence” to proceed. Although recent press reports suggest that he merely had a bunch of uncooperative witnesses. Apparently the Feds were luckier in the witness cooperation department.
Then Hayes files an ethics complaint against Shawn and his wife Rhonda for campaign finance irregularities. From press accounts, it appears that Hayes, a lawyer himself, presented a fairly airtight case against Shawn and Rhonda Brown. The Missouri Ethics Commission refers the complaint to the Attorney General’s office. At this point, when the Missouri Ethics Commission releases the findings, they will probably have to mail Shawn’s letter to his new address in federal prison. Just a campaign finance violation, I guess.
Then, Shawn decided to cash in on Halloween. He tries to be the “silent party” in a haunted house in St. Peters. He tells everyone he is raising money for charity, and then confesses that he is a partner, and then it turns out one of his partners is a criminal. Then, he allegedly fails to pay the employees. Finally, he claims that no money was raised, so none would go to charity. Just another financial irregularity, I guess.
Then, in 2006, it was the beginning of the end for Shawn Brown. He saw his chance to cash in big, and he shook down a red light camera company. The representative went to the Feds and they wired him for the money exchange. Shawn was indicted on August 17th and early that next morning, FBI agents arrested him. According to the FBI press conference, he thought they were there on a different matter. Well, that kind of says it all, doesn’t it?
Alderman David Hayes begins loudly asking the Mayor to resign. I’ve got to hand it to Hayes; he had the power of outrage on his side. Hayes had Shawn dead to rights on campaign finance violations, previously accused him of similar public corruption. Now, Hayes was out there all on his own, but he didn’t back down. The guy may be loud and mean, but he called it. Even when his own fellow alderman, Len “Pandering” Pagano called him out because Shawn was “innocent until proven guilty,” Hayes stood strong. Of course, I wasn’t really sure exactly who Pagano was pandering to at that point. Hey Pagano, incarcerated felons can’t vote, so Shawn won’t be able to vote for you. FYI, they don’t let felons absentee vote. But Pagano has always been a moron, and you can’t even say that he began to campaign for mayor, since he’s never stopped. I’m not sure how many times the guy has to lose before he figures out that no one wants a gavel in his hands.
Now, County Prosecutor Jack Banas, who turned a “duck blind” eye to Shawn’s prior corrupt activities (perhaps at the behest of County Executive Joe Ortwerth who was a great supporter of Shawn’s????) decides to get in the act before people started pointing fingers at his inept investigation, for lack of a better word. Apparently, the boys in St. Peters were right after all, this guy was a crook. Banas rushes to the press to say that he is considering options for removal of the Mayor. Apparently Tom Brown was right too, this guy was a crook. Well, the crook cut a deal with Banas, and Shawn resigned.
R.I.P.
Shawn Brown’s
Political Career
April 6, 2004 – Oct 23, 2006
Simpleton. Crook. Felon.
FIRST CAPITOL NEWS SPORTS - MIKE McMurran Sports Editor
It is the best of times, it is the worst of times – such explains what has been happening in my life lately. Allow me to explain.
Let’s start by going back to the first round of the playoffs when the Cardinals were playing the Padres. As many of you know I bucked up with Doug and Mary Medley and purchased ? of a season ticket. This afforded me 4 tickets to 10 games. More importantly it put my name in the hat for post season tickets – and boy did I get lucky. Anyway, back to the San Diego game. Lynn and I attended game #1, and I shared with her how the very seats in which we were sitting cost $225 for the World Series. “Well you can be certain we won’t be sitting here for the World Series then, we’re not paying $225 for a baseball game,” she said in her lovely, sexy voice. I suspect the older I get, the smarter I get, because I knew it wasn’t worth arguing over. Heck, what were the chances the Cardinals would even make it to the Series. No way they could beat the Mets, no way on earth!
Well, on the morning of Friday, October 20th, the morning after the Cardinals defeated the Mets, I stood up to Lynn – and told her, yes told her, that I was in fact going to go to one of the World Series games, if my name was selected. “I’m not going, I’m not spending $450 for tickets to a baseball game, who you going to take?” she said, in her lovely, sexy voice. Regular readers of this column will recall that I have a very special nephew who lives in Indianapolis. This nephew has been a Cardinal fan since before he could walk. He and his lovely wife Kelli recently purchased a new house and dedicated an entire room to his Cardinal memorabilia. “I’m calling Tom McMurran and asking him. Of course he will have to pay for his own ticket,” I told her in a manly manner. If my wife has a soft spot, and she does, it has to do with family. Family supercedes pretty much everything – so she put up no fight. I called Tom and told him we had a very good shot at tickets, but he would have to pay $225. He said he would get back with me after he checked with his wife. “Like uncle, like nephew,” I always say.
Here is where my story is going to get tricky. I’m going to try and talk about two things at once. Usually I have a hard enough time trying to talk about one thing – here goes. On the night of Friday, October 20th, Trinity Catholic High School scored its biggest football upset in the young history of the school by beating Cardinal Ritter College Prep by the score of 24-22. Remember now, I am, or was, the offensive coordinator of the Titans. Not only was it the biggest upset in the school’s 4-year history, but, in over 25 years, neither Aquinas, Aquinas/Mercy or Rosary had ever defeated Cardinal Ritter. So we are talking over 50 years of football here. I was on cloud nine!
The following evening much of the football coaching staff and the girls’ head basketball coach attended a trivia night at Trinity. From the beginning of the evening I could tell something was wrong. Now, I am not going to mention any names from this point on, only titles. If you wish to fill in the dots you certainly may do so. The assistant a.d. told me that he would take care of making sure we had a table reserved. Not only was there no table, those in charge made sure we knew that they were going out of their way to seat us. Never mind that there were a handful of empty tables in the gym. We had nine players at our table and there were but 8 chairs. I personally asked the gentleman who collected our money if that would be a problem. He informed me that he wasn’t certain, but would get back to me, and he did. “You just can’t win first place,” were his exact words. How do I know, ‘cause I said to him, “no problem, we never finish very well anyway.”
Well, to make a long story short (I know, it is already too late for that), we finished in a 3-way tie for second place. Now, this is where I think God himself stepped in. The tiebreaker for most trivia nights is picking the number of points you think you will score – we picked 91. I wish it wasn’t true, but our final score was 91 points! There was, I must admit, a commotion, most of which the master-of-ceremonies was yelling, yes yelling at our table: “You’re all a bunch of cheaters! This entire table is full of cheaters!” Never once did we raise our voices, as we were rather shocked at his behavior. Oh, did I mention that while we were coming in second place at trivia night, that the Cardinals took game #1 of the World Series? Well, they did. I also forgot to tell you that Doug Medley informed me that I would be going to the World Series; he just didn’t know which game.
Sunday morning I woke up and figured the President of Trinity Catholic High School would call me into her office and slap my knuckles with a ruler. For the record it wouldn’t have been the first time a nun rapped my knuckles. More importantly, Doug called me and let me know I had two tickets to game #4 of the World Series. By Monday morning I was painfully aware the game #4 couldn’t be the clincher, but at least Tom and I would be going to a World Series game. Monday morning I also received a call from Sister to report to her office at 2:50; assumedly for my knuckle wrapping.
On the way to sister’s office I received a phone call from the former girls’ head basketball coach at Trinity High School. “She just fired me,” he informed me. I swear I thought he was joking. “Nope, she fired me, so be ready.” Well, he wasn’t joking, and neither was she – she fired me too! Of course she then shared with me that it would look much better if I resigned. “I can’t do that Sister,” I told her, “I’ve always told my players that quitting is hard only once – the first time you do it. After that, quitting is easy. I can’t quit on my players. The only way you can keep me from coaching if to fire me.” And she did!
Strangely, the North County Journal reported on its web site that both me and the girls’ head basketball coach at Trinity Catholic High School had resigned. I contacted the gentleman who wrote the column and he told me, “Sister told me you both resigned. I took her word for it; after all, who would think a nun would lie?” Neither the girls’ former head basketball coach, nor myself resigned, so what does that tell you.
In the mean time, my nephew showed up on Wednesday afternoon, and that evening he and I sat in Section 135, Row 5, seats 5 and 6, for over two hours in a steady rain. At about 9:20 or so they postponed the game; rescheduling it for Friday.
I’m quite certain everyone knows what happened next. Wednesday’ game was moved to Friday. The Cardinals won on Thursday, taking a 3-1 game lead, and on Friday evening my nephew and I attended the World Series clincher. God knew that if Trinity Catholic High School’s football team was playing on Friday night, and they were, I would have passed on the World Series game and stayed with my team. God wanted me at that World Series game – and he did his work through a holy person. Never, I might add, did she attempt to wrap my knuckles, although I’m pretty sure I saw her looking at them.
Finally, if the Saint Charles Pirates defeated their rivals of West in football Thursday evening, Corey Nesslage has his first district title in only his second year of coaching. If you do your research you will discover that yours truly predicted, some 4 or 5 weeks ago, that the Pirates would come out on top of the district. How about that?
Let’s start by going back to the first round of the playoffs when the Cardinals were playing the Padres. As many of you know I bucked up with Doug and Mary Medley and purchased ? of a season ticket. This afforded me 4 tickets to 10 games. More importantly it put my name in the hat for post season tickets – and boy did I get lucky. Anyway, back to the San Diego game. Lynn and I attended game #1, and I shared with her how the very seats in which we were sitting cost $225 for the World Series. “Well you can be certain we won’t be sitting here for the World Series then, we’re not paying $225 for a baseball game,” she said in her lovely, sexy voice. I suspect the older I get, the smarter I get, because I knew it wasn’t worth arguing over. Heck, what were the chances the Cardinals would even make it to the Series. No way they could beat the Mets, no way on earth!
Well, on the morning of Friday, October 20th, the morning after the Cardinals defeated the Mets, I stood up to Lynn – and told her, yes told her, that I was in fact going to go to one of the World Series games, if my name was selected. “I’m not going, I’m not spending $450 for tickets to a baseball game, who you going to take?” she said, in her lovely, sexy voice. Regular readers of this column will recall that I have a very special nephew who lives in Indianapolis. This nephew has been a Cardinal fan since before he could walk. He and his lovely wife Kelli recently purchased a new house and dedicated an entire room to his Cardinal memorabilia. “I’m calling Tom McMurran and asking him. Of course he will have to pay for his own ticket,” I told her in a manly manner. If my wife has a soft spot, and she does, it has to do with family. Family supercedes pretty much everything – so she put up no fight. I called Tom and told him we had a very good shot at tickets, but he would have to pay $225. He said he would get back with me after he checked with his wife. “Like uncle, like nephew,” I always say.
Here is where my story is going to get tricky. I’m going to try and talk about two things at once. Usually I have a hard enough time trying to talk about one thing – here goes. On the night of Friday, October 20th, Trinity Catholic High School scored its biggest football upset in the young history of the school by beating Cardinal Ritter College Prep by the score of 24-22. Remember now, I am, or was, the offensive coordinator of the Titans. Not only was it the biggest upset in the school’s 4-year history, but, in over 25 years, neither Aquinas, Aquinas/Mercy or Rosary had ever defeated Cardinal Ritter. So we are talking over 50 years of football here. I was on cloud nine!
The following evening much of the football coaching staff and the girls’ head basketball coach attended a trivia night at Trinity. From the beginning of the evening I could tell something was wrong. Now, I am not going to mention any names from this point on, only titles. If you wish to fill in the dots you certainly may do so. The assistant a.d. told me that he would take care of making sure we had a table reserved. Not only was there no table, those in charge made sure we knew that they were going out of their way to seat us. Never mind that there were a handful of empty tables in the gym. We had nine players at our table and there were but 8 chairs. I personally asked the gentleman who collected our money if that would be a problem. He informed me that he wasn’t certain, but would get back to me, and he did. “You just can’t win first place,” were his exact words. How do I know, ‘cause I said to him, “no problem, we never finish very well anyway.”
Well, to make a long story short (I know, it is already too late for that), we finished in a 3-way tie for second place. Now, this is where I think God himself stepped in. The tiebreaker for most trivia nights is picking the number of points you think you will score – we picked 91. I wish it wasn’t true, but our final score was 91 points! There was, I must admit, a commotion, most of which the master-of-ceremonies was yelling, yes yelling at our table: “You’re all a bunch of cheaters! This entire table is full of cheaters!” Never once did we raise our voices, as we were rather shocked at his behavior. Oh, did I mention that while we were coming in second place at trivia night, that the Cardinals took game #1 of the World Series? Well, they did. I also forgot to tell you that Doug Medley informed me that I would be going to the World Series; he just didn’t know which game.
Sunday morning I woke up and figured the President of Trinity Catholic High School would call me into her office and slap my knuckles with a ruler. For the record it wouldn’t have been the first time a nun rapped my knuckles. More importantly, Doug called me and let me know I had two tickets to game #4 of the World Series. By Monday morning I was painfully aware the game #4 couldn’t be the clincher, but at least Tom and I would be going to a World Series game. Monday morning I also received a call from Sister to report to her office at 2:50; assumedly for my knuckle wrapping.
On the way to sister’s office I received a phone call from the former girls’ head basketball coach at Trinity High School. “She just fired me,” he informed me. I swear I thought he was joking. “Nope, she fired me, so be ready.” Well, he wasn’t joking, and neither was she – she fired me too! Of course she then shared with me that it would look much better if I resigned. “I can’t do that Sister,” I told her, “I’ve always told my players that quitting is hard only once – the first time you do it. After that, quitting is easy. I can’t quit on my players. The only way you can keep me from coaching if to fire me.” And she did!
Strangely, the North County Journal reported on its web site that both me and the girls’ head basketball coach at Trinity Catholic High School had resigned. I contacted the gentleman who wrote the column and he told me, “Sister told me you both resigned. I took her word for it; after all, who would think a nun would lie?” Neither the girls’ former head basketball coach, nor myself resigned, so what does that tell you.
In the mean time, my nephew showed up on Wednesday afternoon, and that evening he and I sat in Section 135, Row 5, seats 5 and 6, for over two hours in a steady rain. At about 9:20 or so they postponed the game; rescheduling it for Friday.
I’m quite certain everyone knows what happened next. Wednesday’ game was moved to Friday. The Cardinals won on Thursday, taking a 3-1 game lead, and on Friday evening my nephew and I attended the World Series clincher. God knew that if Trinity Catholic High School’s football team was playing on Friday night, and they were, I would have passed on the World Series game and stayed with my team. God wanted me at that World Series game – and he did his work through a holy person. Never, I might add, did she attempt to wrap my knuckles, although I’m pretty sure I saw her looking at them.
Finally, if the Saint Charles Pirates defeated their rivals of West in football Thursday evening, Corey Nesslage has his first district title in only his second year of coaching. If you do your research you will discover that yours truly predicted, some 4 or 5 weeks ago, that the Pirates would come out on top of the district. How about that?
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