Partisan Candidates Selected For April 2nd General Election

On Tuesday each party selected their candidates to face  each other in the general election.  Apparently we have so many candidates seeking office in St. Louis we must first hold a partisan primary to narrow the field and then a general election where the candidate from each party faces the other and all the independents.

Let’s take a look at all 17 races to see how who was selected to represent each party in the April 2nd primary:

• Mayor: James Eldon McNeely (G) received 115 votes, defeating nobody in the primary, will face incumbent Francis Slay (D). In the 3-way primary Slay had a 10 point victory over President of the Board of Aldermen Lewis Reed and Jimmie Mathews barely registered with 1.31% of the vote. No independent or Republican candidates filed. Unless something major happens, Slay will win an unprecedented fourth 4-year term. Reed’s current seat is up again in two years.
• Comptroller: Jerome Bauer (G)received 108 votes, defeating nobody in the primary, will face Darlene Green (D) who also defeated nobody in the primary. No independent or Republican candidates filed.
• 1st Ward: None of the three candidates in the Democratic primary received greater than 50% of the 1,676 votes. No independent, Green, or Republican candidates filed. Former alderman Sharon Tyrus will be returning to city hall having received 800 votes. Incumbent Charles Troupe came in second with 570. Yolanda Brown got 306 votes.  Read how Tyus got redistricted out of office here.
• 3rd Ward: After the 4-way primary race  incumbent Freeman Bosley Sr. (D) will return to city hall, no independent, Green, or Republican candidates filed. Only 1,483 voted in this race with Bosley receiving 799, Anthony Bell (264), Jeffrey Hardin (261), and Maxine Johnson (159). Bosley has held this seat since April 1989.
• 5th Ward: By far the biggest disappointment of the primary was Tammika Hubbard (D) winning a full term in office, defeating Michelle Hutchings-Medina (713 to 573). No wonder given the family tactics. No independent, Green, or Republican candidates filed.
• 7th Ward: David Brent Gordon (G) received 1 vote, defeating nobody in his primary, will face Phyllis Young (D) , who defeated nobody in the primary with 1,172 votes. Young is seeking her eighth term, yes eighth. Those 7th ward folks love the status quo! No independent  or Republican candidates filed.
• 9th Ward: Susie Mayberry Parker (G) received 8 votes, defeating nobody in the primary, faces Ken A. Ortmann (D), who also defeated nobody in his primary with 1,015 votes. No independent  or Republican candidates filed.
• 11th Ward: Thomas Albert Villa (D) received 1,182 votes, defeating nobody in the primary and faces nobody in the general. No independent or Republican candidates filed.
• 13th Ward: Fred Wessels (D) received 1,456 votes, defeating nobody in the primary and faces nobody in the general. Like Young, Wessels is seeking an eighth term. No independent or Republican candidates filed.
• 15th Ward: Incumbent Jennifer Florida (D) defeated Lisa Miller (996-607) in the primary. No independent, Green, or Republican candidates filed.
• 17th Ward: Joseph (Joe) Roddy (D) received 1,008 votes, defeating nobody in the primary and faces nobody in the general. No independent, Green, or Republican candidates filed.
• 19th Ward: Marlene E. Davis (D) received 955 votes, defeating nobody in the primary and faces nobody in the general. No independent candidates filed.
• 21st Ward: Antonio D. French (D) defeated primary challenger Kenneth D. Wilson (1,527-378), faces nobody in the general. No independent, Green, or Republican candidates filed.
• 23rd Ward: Robert J. Crump (R) received 24 votes, defeating nobody in the primary, faces Joseph (Joe) Vaccaro Jr.(D), who also defeated nobody in the primary 2,418 votes. No independent or Green candidates filed.
• 25th Ward: Shane Cohn (D) received 830 votes, defeating nobody in his primary and faces nobody in the general. No independent, Green, or Republican candidates filed.
• 27th Ward: Incumbent Chris Carter (D) defeated Pamela Boyd (1,278-446).  No independent, Green, or Republican candidates filed so Carter will get a full term.
• 6th Ward (special election): Eugene Frison, Jr. (G), who defeated nobody in the primary, will face Christine Ingrassia (D), who received just over half the votes in the primary (1,043 to Jones’ 541 and Witthaus’ 477).  No independent or Republican candidates filed.

It makes zero financial sense to hold a partisan primary and a general election a month later! Decades ago when we had more people, and more candidates, it made some sense. We need to go to nonpartisan elections and to instant-runoff voting, doing so will level the playing field and get more people involved. Of course the incumbents don’t want to do either.

Six candidates have filed for three seats on the school board and a tax issue will be on the April 2nd ballot, will post about these before the election.

— Steve Patterson

Two Events Today: St. Louis Streetcar Open House & Free Screening of ‘ENVISIONING HOME’

1) A public open house to look at the initial plans for a modern St. Louis streetcar line will be held today from 4pm-7pm at the Moto Museum 3441 Olive. This is an open house so you can come anytime to see the materials. More information here and the draft study is here.

2) A free screening of ENVISIONING HOME: The Jean King and Richard Baron Story is tonight:

Two wildly different individuals come together in St. Louis in the tumultuous 1960s and bravely transform the world of public housing–and in the process take on poverty and racism throughout the country.

ENVISIONING HOME is a feature length documentary film exploring the dramatic world of two imaginative leaders, Jean King and Richard Baron, two agents of change in public housing. A remarkable, homegrown leader, Jean King meets Richard Baron, a legal aide-turned-visionary planner and developer during the St. Louis tenant strike in 1968-69. From that moment to the present day, they have together changed the face of inner city life in St. Louis and beyond. By inspiring resident and family empowerment while creating more humane places to live, their work invigorates the lives of residents and builds vibrant neighborhoods and communities from distressed central cities.

Drawing on Richard and Jean’s personal memories along with spontaneous conversations between the two—both in studio and along the streets and inside the homes of these new communities–we see how a dangerous, volatile moment in St. Louis public housing drew these two together into a shared passion for improving the lives of people in distressed and neglected inner city neighborhoods. Along the way, Jean and Richard forcefully remind us that despite stubborn matters of race and poverty, individuals with conviction and vision can make a difference.

Combining Richard’s unique “mixed income” approach that ends the ‘warehousing” of the poor isolated from the rest of the city, with Jean’s powerful vision of “building people for housing”—fostering job creation and better schools, child care and elder care programs in new public housing developments—their vision focuses on building new affordable housing communities grounded in safe, sustainable neighborhoods. What were once volatile, dangerous, crime-ridden areas of distressed central cities, now become an environment for turning peoples’ lives around. ENVISIONING HOME takes us into this new world of safe and productive urban communities in cities across the country (from St. Louis to Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and San Francisco), where we meet some of the residents and their families who have transformed their lives thanks to more humane and livable neighborhoods and an affirming sense of resident empowerment. 

ENVISIONING HOME is a powerful and revealing exploration into what happens when two people—and all those who have joined forces with them—relentlessly follow their hearts in trying to make a difference.

You can watch the trailer on YouTube and Vimeo. I’ve not seen anything except the trailer so I don’t know if it is worth seeing.

The screening is at 7pm in the Lee Auditorium of the Missouri History Museum. “After the film, King and Baron are joined by filmmaker Daniel Smith, Will Jordan (Executive Director, Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing Opportunity Council) and moderator Casey Nolen, KSDK and host of Nine Network’s Stay Tuned” for a panel discussion. Additional information here.

— Steve Patterson

Readers Support Regulation of Drones in Missouri

Few seem to care about the use of drones by law enforcement or other individuals, only 45 voted in the poll last week.

Q: Thoughts on Drone Use in Missouri?

1. Regulation is needed to protect my privacy from government & individuals 29 [64.44%]
2. Meh, no big deal. Let the boys play with their toys 8 [17.78%]
3. Use by government should be very limited but I should have an individual right to use one 4 [8.89%]
4. Unsure/no opinion 4 [8.89%]

Perhaps if I’d have included the phrase “new regulation” in the question that would’ve enticed more to respond? You can read the original post here.

— Steve Patterson

I’d Love an Urban Plant Nursery in Downtown St. Louis

In the first months of this blog, three years before I moved downtown, I posted about what Washington Avenue was missing. In the eight years since many of the types of stores I listed have opened, though some closed as well. A florist & kitchen store are examples of two types of stores that opened and closed.

One retail type that didn’t occur to me at the time is a nursery.

Living downtown for 5+ years now I see a need for a nursery that can easily be reached without a car. Potted plants for indoors, bedding plants for the balcony, seeds and  other supplies. In addition to residents, office workers might like a small plant to brighten their desk. Paperwhites anyone?

Such a business could transform a dreary & forgotten space. All that’s needed is a fenced area that gets some sun & rain plus access to water & power.

There may not be a sufficient market for such a retail business downtown, it would most certainly be seasonal. Still I hope some green thumb reads this and considers it.

In the Central West End is the very nice, but pricey, Bowood Farms and associated Cafe Osage. Both are great but they’ve made a substantial investment in the location which is reflected in the prices. Still, when I had a car I’d go there as well as the former gas station turned nursery of University Gardens.

— Steve Patterson

Now Part of a One-Car Household

Personal mobility is a big part our lives, it often consumes a large percentage of our income. Over the 8+ years of this blog I’ve written about the many changes to my own transportation modes.

I had a car when I started, added a 49cc scooter after Katrina, got rid of the car in 2007, sold the scooter and bought a car in 2008 after my stroke, began using transit and then finally in April 2012 I sold my car.

Here are the posts:

1. 9/2005: My Way of Dealing With Rising Gas Prices
2. 7/2007: First Time in 25 Years, I Don’t Own A Car!
3. 6/2008: My Beloved Honda Metropolitan Scooter Has Been Sold
4. 7/2008: I Drove My Car Today
5. 2/2010: No longer bus-averse
6. 4/2012: I’m Car-Free…Again!
   

I have one more change, my boyfriend and I have been living together for more than two weeks and his car makes me part of a one-car household. Many one-car couples I know both drive the car, just depending upon who needs it. In our household, for now at least, he’ll be the sole driver.

This new status prompted me to look into some demographics of car ownership.