Gondolfi Outraises Incumbent Schmid in 20th Ward
Three term 20th Ward alderman Craig Schmid has been filing “Limited Activity” reports for so long it was unclear how much money he had around for campaigning. With the most recent reporting we can see he came into the election with just shy of $2,000. However, he has managed to raise only $725 between October 1st and January 20, 2007. Among the contributors was fellow alderman Fred Wessels (D-13th).
Meanwhile, challenger Galen Gondolfi didn’t begin his campaign until late November, 2006 and through January 20, 2007 he has raised nearly $4,000. Challenging an incumbent takes more than simply cash, we’ll see on March 6th if Gondolfi is able to defeat Schmid who is widely credited with helping to rid neighborhoods of problems.
Of course, he who raises the most money is not necessarily the best leader for a ward or city. It would be interesting to see these two debate before the elections so everyone can get a better idea of who they are and what they bring to the table for the next four years.
Here are the candidate’s reports:
Steve:
The Benton Park West Neighborhood Association is sponsoring an 20th Ward Aldermanic Candidate Forum on Thursday, February 15th, at 7 p.m. at the Five Star Senior Center, located at the corner of Oregon and Arsenal. The candidates are incumbent Craig Schmid and former BPWNA President Galen Gondolfi.
The basic planned layout for the forum is as follows:
We will have a neutral moderator. Each candidate is given 5 minutes to tell about themselves and their ideas. The moderator will then ask a set of 3 questions to each candidate (same questions to both). The candidates have 2 minutes to respond each. Following this, questions will be read from those provided by the audience. If the question is to one specific person, the other could get a 30 sec. reply. We would like to ensure a multitude of topics are covered and both candidates have their time to speak and respond. Candidates will be given the opportunity for a two-minute closing statement.
If you have any questions, please contact Eric Winters, BPWNA President: winterse@mac.com or (314) 853-8252 (cell).
One more thing, that link is not to Galen’s report. I am going to have to look at their site to see if that is the only thing they have listed because it’s only the first page of the filing.
Gondolfi’s report says that he had 2 events with 80 people attending at one and 60 at the other. The repord does not indicate how many people live in the ward, but that is quite a crowd for a ward that has about 600 to 700 primary voters.
Maybe, Schmid has a “Can Ald. Schmid get to Washington” documentary that Dale Sweet could play at the Tivioli?
If you’re truly interested, Bean, I have a list. I’m not even sure what your point is.
Schmid’s fundraiser is Saturday. Unlike Gondolfi’s events, it is not being catered by Globe Drug. Number attending also does not represent number of paying supporters. It could be that x-number attendees each paid $50 and everyone else paid nothing or stuck a one in the jar for a beer.
Amber –
My point is that Gondolfi is atracting people and money to him and his events.
Schmid is just getting an event together, according to howard.
Elections are about attracting money and people to an issue or candidate.
BTW – Howard you realy should not slam one of the best known instatutions in the ward. That is just rude.
There are some things your host, who has reviewed Schmid’s past reports, did not tell you. Schmid is not one of those politicians that raises money to establish a war chest or for expense account purposes, pay for expenses related to serving during the term of office. Schmid raises money only when he needs to do so, as is the case today. If you go back to the last election, you will see that about $4000 raised during a short period showed up in the 8 days out report, more than half from donations under $100.
You have to also factor in ward organizations. The ward 20 PAC backing Schmid has about $7500 on hand last report in Dec. Gondolfi’s ward PAC hasn’t filed anything with ethics commission other than the initial filing. Under the standards set by the host, this is huge news and Gondolfi’s campaign is doomed.
Times are pretty bad when someone objects to being called a “host” but a guy sponsors an offensive crucifixion game show and thinks he’s qualified for public office.
Old 20th Ward meets monthly at Bakers Hall, except Nov-Dec holiday season, not exactly a state secret. Candidates spoke at last meeting, members voted to endorse Schmid and Shrewsbury. When and where does Gondolfi’s ward organization meet? When is their candidates forum and endorsement vote, how does one become a member? Old 20th is an open ward group not controlled by an elected official or candidate. What is Gondolfi’s ward organization?
Old 20th filed a campaign finance report for 30 day after Nov. general election. They are required to next file an April quarterly or when they have receipts/expenses adequate to require reporting for primary/general, whichever comes first.
I did not write that Gondolfi’s ward group had “failed to file a 40-day before report.” I wrote, “Gondolfi’s ward PAC hasn’t filed anything with ethics commission other than the initial filing. Under the standards set by the host, this is huge news and Gondolfi’s campaign is doomed. ” It never occurred to me that they had failed to file. They had not the receipts/expenses adequate to require filing was my thinking. Old 20th has funds. Gondolfi’s 20th ward group does not. That’s what I see in the reports.
To find out when and where Old 20th meets why not ask someone? Either of the ward 20 candidates. Or Either of the board president candidates. Or the state rep. Or someone from one of the neighborhood associations who lives in 20th. Or get wild and crazy and call the contact numbers listed at MEC for the treasurer and deputy treasurter.
Having a website requires someone to maintain it. That’s not a volunteer job easy to get someone to do, let alone do very long. Happens all the time with neighborhood groups, someone volunteers to do the website, it goes up, then the web master moves, gets a job leaving little free time, has a baby, etc. and there is no one to take care of the website. A website is a no good deed goes unpunished situation. Having one subjects the group or elected person to taunting regarding dated material and all the things the site does not offer. Blogs by private persons, on the other hand, are treated in a comrade-like fashion.
Blogs are easier to maintain than websites. Anyone want to talk about how to revitalize the Ville?
This is Glenn, Galen Gondolfi’s campaign manager. While this interchange has been entertaining, I think it is time to clear a couple of things up. First, Howard, you really have absolutely no grip on what is happening. You have no idea of our internals, and you really don’t have a grasp on our fundraising abilities. For instance you make it seem like this campaign’s finance report as the end all, which is not the case, we have raised significant monies since that filing, and will continue to do so. You say that our campaign is “doomed”. Well since you have no idea what we have been doing, you shouldn’t really be talking. We beat Craig on getting signs out, and we got out our first and second mailers out before him. Most of the ward’s residents have never met Craig. In two months Galen has talked to more 20th ward residents than Craig has in twelve years of office(including when much of the ward was the 10th).
As far as the 20th Ward committee meeting. Galen not only attended, but also gave a short presentation. The fact that the 14 members of the ward committee(which is also Craig’s campaign) voted for Craig means virtually nothing. The old committee is out of touch with the ward.
While Craig’s supporters have been on the web attacking us for no real reason, we have been talking to voters about what it will take to get the ward moving forward. Rehabbing empty housing stock, attracting small businesses to the wards retail corridors, and building neighborhood organizations that are inviting, inclusive, and effective.
It is time for leadership change in the 20th ward, whether or not you like it.
“Most of the ward’s residents have never met Craig. In two months Galen has talked to more 20th ward residents than Craig has in twelve years of office (including when much of the ward was the 10th).”
Are these facts? Where are you getting them?
I’ve lived in one of the 20th Ward’s neighborhood’s for a little less than a year. Have seen Galen at exactly one neighborhood meeting, last month…. (Coincidental timing that he decides to show up now?)
Craig’s at every one. And knows just about everybody there by name, what specific issues they are having, properties where there are problems, and the status of the city and/or police following up on them, etc.
Honestly? I’d like to see Steve Smith’s bar go in on Cherokee. I’m frustrated by the liquor ban, etc. I like what Galen is doing on Cherokee St. But insinuating that Craig Schmid is uninvolved and nobody in the ward has met him is silly.
(p.s. Never got any mailers about Galen, but would be interested to see them!)
Well, I know that he has been out there, because I have been with him. While he may have only been at your neighborhood meeting this once, but he has been going to his meeting for years, and is a former neighborhood assoc. president. Craig is very involved with people who attend the neighborhood meetings, but to the other 95% of the ward, he is very unresponsive. One thing that Galen wants to do is build the neighborhood groups block by block. There may be block captains in your neighborhood, but in marine villa(where Craig is the neighborhood assoc. pres.) I was told that we didn’t have block captains, when I volunteered to do so. In fact I had to go to the Dutchtown South Community(which covers most of the ward’s neighborhoods) to get any materials(brightside stuff, etc.) for taking greater responsibility. Sorry you haven’t got any of the mailers, our list isn’t perfect, but feel free to call me(258-4149), and I’ll get some to you.
Howard,
I agree with you completely. I found the crucufixtion game to be very offensive.
Galen and his supporters did have many yard signs out. But signs are not what get you elected.
Galen knocked on my door on two different days. The first time it was just him, the second time he came with Glenn. I have never heard of Galen. Doing the months of Jan. Feb. and March he was everywhere. Craig was always visible before he was ever elected alderman. If anyone claim not to know him is because maybe they are not involved with anything. Some people did not know who the board of alderman president. Galen might have never said anything negative about Craig publically. He certainly did when he went door to door.
He screamed at an elderly man because he mispronounced name . He had no idea that the elderly man has a lot of clout on chippewa. Craig does not make all the decisions in this ward. He represents the people. For instance” Dogs & Cream” on Chippewa. Dutchtown neighborhood set the guidelines. Craig was the messenger.
Galen actually went to residents homes that had Craig’s yard signs and debated with them about it.
Galen told me my neighborhood was trash and Craig was not doing anyting for the neighborhood or the people.
He blamed Craig for all the boarded up building and all the crime. Craig is working with developers and works very hard with police officers, the chief and captain. Galen might have done better if he was not associated with anarchists, vandals and graffiti artists. Other neighbors told me that Galen nearly strong-armed them to put his yard sign in their yard. Craig is the hardest working alderman in the City. You may not always agree with him but he never has lied to me. Some things have taken longer to solve and usually that is because there is some sort of hold up at City Hall. He works extremely hard to get the job done. Is he a little old fashion? Maybe. And sometimes that can be a good thing. I think Galen lied to many people and he only lost by 75 votes. That is scary to me. Than again it is a wake up call for Craig.
Galen stated that he will be making house calls, getting loans to homeowners, checking on the elderly , etc . This was over the top. It seems that he is was only concerned about cherokee street. Not the complete ward.
Galen is a neighborhood activist. He can’t really be a good alderman if he can’t follow the rules set by the City of St. Louis. He certainly does not qualify to be an alderman. I think if Galen had won, the 20th Ward would not ever been taken seriously by the board of aldermen or Mayor.
Someone put out a negative postcard about Galen. I have heard rumors that Galen might have put out the postcard. Many stated it was mudslinging. If it is true it is not mudslinging.
Annette