Saturday, May 19, 2012
The national program airing Saturday and Sunday will focus on initiative petition campaigns tied to capping interest rates at 36 percent.
A Missouri ballot initiative aimed at curtailing interest rates at “payday loan” entities is getting some national attention. For an episode of PBS’s Need to Know, airing locally this weekend, the program traveled to the Show Me State to follow around activists who are collecting signatures for an initiative petition. If the ballot measure makes it to the ballot and if voters approve it, interest rates on certain lending companies would be capped at 36 percent. Supporters of the initiative argue that the loan agencies place poorer Missourians in a cycle of debt. But opponents counter that the entities are usually the only way lower-income citizens can obtain short-term loans to pay ordinary expenses. While supporters of the initiative …
Friday, May 18, 2012
Country music and laryngitis are two of the methods employed this week.
The last few iterations of this column have noted how several candidates for the U.S. Senate utilized creative means to entice fundraising efforts. For instance, Rep. Todd Akin (R-Wildwood) used his rhetorical scuffle with President Barack Obama over student loans in a fundraising pitch. And Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) has directly attacked third-party organizations that are pre-emptively attacking the incumbent lawmaker as she makes a difficult bid for re-election. McCaskill’s campaign staff continued on a creative path in an email that was sent to supporters earlier this week. They played on the fact that McCaskill had lost her voice right before she was supposed to make a speech at a Democratic gathering in Kansas City. “Between …
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Creve Coeur area State Senator Jane Cunningham was hospitalized overnight in Jefferson City after feeling light-headed Wednesday at the state capitol.
Missouri State Senator Jane Cunningham (R-Chesterfield) should be back at the State Capitol following a brief hospitalization overnight Wednesday. Senator Cunningham's Chief of Staff, Kit Crancer told Patch Thursday morning that "the Senator is doing well and will be released later today." According to the Twitter account for the Missouri State Senate, members in the chamber were updated on her health this morning and learned that she would return to the Capitol Thursday. Cunningham, who is not running for re-election after state legislative redistricting essentially left her without a race to run, became light headed Wednesday during debate on an education bill. The legislative session ends at 5 p.m. Friday.
Clayton, Richmond Heights and Olivette have adopted similar measures.
An effort to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of classes protected by anti-discrimination statutes in municipalities in St. Louis County appears to be heading for Creve Coeur. Ward 1 Councilwoman Beth Kistner told Counci colleagues earlier this week she intends to introduce language at a future council meeting. An activist group working in support of the reform identified several areas in Creve Coeur's municipal ordinances which currently do not protect gays, lesbians, bisexuals or transgenders: SECTION 14.2: PROHIBITIONS (a) Activities prohibited. (1) No person employed by the City or seeking employment from the City shall be appointed, promoted, demoted, removed or in any way favored or …
The St. Louis Rams have outlined a renovation plan for the Edward Jones Dome that is estimated to cost $700 million.
The Rams want us to buy them a new house. Just fixing up its current home—the Edward Jones Dome—won't do. Instead, the St. Louis football franchise expects an extreme makeover, to the tune of $700 million, as it is estimated by a company hired by the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission (CVC) to analyze the team's counter proposal to a the CVC's own plan to upgrade the Edward Jones Dome with a $124 million facelift. If someone doesn't cough up the $700 mil to redo the Dome, it is feared the team will take its football and go home to Los Angeles, where it came from before it was the St. Louis franchise. All of this wrangling was set in motion in 1995 when the team negotiated a 30-year lease with the CVC. It was stipulated that the …
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
The Creve Coeur-area State Senator was reportedly feeling light-headed Wednesday
The Associated Press is reporting that State Senator Jane Cunningham, (R-Chesterfield) was taken by her Chief of Staff to a Jefferson City hospital Wednesday after feeling light-headed during a debate on education. Her Chief of Staff, Kit Crancer, told Patch late Wednesday that Cunningham had been admitted to Saint Mary's Hospital. "I expect that she'll be fine," he said via email. The state legislative session ends Friday. Sign up for the Patch Newsletter, including Breaking News Alerts.
Rush Limbaugh was inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians this week. An honor well deserved? Or a mistake on the part of Missouri lawmakers?
Rush Limbaugh, the controversial conservative commentator, was enshrined into the Hall of Famous Missourians this week, sparking controversy across the state and country on whether Limbaugh should be worth of such an honor. Limbaugh's name now sits amongst such famous Missourians as Mark Twain, Dred Scott, Jack Buck and Stan Musial. According to the St. Louis Beacon, Missouri House Speaker Steve Tilley gave reporters less than a half-hour’s notice of the ceremony. From the Beacon: Tilley’s decision to honor Limbaugh, a Cape Girardeau native, has sparked opposition from Democrats and progressives because of Limbaugh’s often strong words when he talks about people with whom he disagrees. Limbaugh’s bust will be placed in the Capitol’s Hall …
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Council members could not reach agreement on issues related to the election of a council President, amid talk of healing a perceptual rift between city wards.
A little more than a month removed from the last election, Creve Coeur leaders showed Monday that there are differing opinions about the best way to provide healing following a tightly contested Mayor's race that has resulted in a pair complaints filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission. The Creve Coeur City Council elected Ward 3 Councilman Dr. Bob Hoffman as Council President Monday, but only after forcing new Mayor Barry Glantz to cast tie-breaking votes in just his second meeting since being sworn into office. The Council President is involved in vetting city committee appointments and also chairs council meetings when the Mayor is absent. Hoffman was chosen over Ward 4 Councilman Dr. Scott Saunders under a new procedure meant to open…
A June 5 vote is planned in St. Louis county and city on Proposition Y, along with eight charter amendments aimed at increasing the efficiency and transparency of the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District.
People living in the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) can't change the fact that their sewer bills are going to rise incrementally over the next several years, Ed Rhode said. What they can control is the rate at which that change happens. That's why Rhode and Mike Kelley—members of the pro-Proposition Y committee Clean Water STL—are encouraging residents of St. Louis County and St. Louis city to vote yes on the $945 million bond issue June 5. MSD is paying for the costs of the June vote, estimated to be roughly $1.2 million. The issue was not ready for the April ballot because the agency's consent degree with the federal government was only announced last fall. If St. Louisans vote yes, sewer rates for the average single-family …
Monday, May 14, 2012
A complaint filed Thursday with the Missouri Ethics Commission alleged misrepresentations with regard to campaign finance disclosures and possibility of an attempt to deliberately confuse voters in Creve Coeur's Mayoral election last month.
In a telephone interview Monday morning Creve Coeur Mayor Barry Glantz addressed the ethics filed against him by Ward Four Councilwoman Jeanne Rhoades and defended his election campaign, first reported by Patch on Friday. Glantz said "When you hold public office, you're subject to all sorts of public scrutiny," adding that he has "nothing to hide" and will cooperate fully with any investigation by the Missouri Ethics Commission. In her complaint, Rhoades points to a problem with a $2,000 donation made by Garrick Hamilton, on behalf of 3G's Yogurt. Rhoades believes Glantz misrepresented Hamilton's primary employer since Hamilton is general counsel for the Koman Group, one of the area's largest developers and long a major player in Creve …
Ann Learner
1:07 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
If the sections listed above are the only ones in the proposed ordinance, they will only protect the employment by the City of Creve Coeur, that is the government of the municipality. It would not protect employment in any other situation. more ›