Politics

Sinquefield's Tax Reform Labeled "Fiscally Untenable"; Could Require 12% Sales Tax

jamesrmoody.comJames Moody​An analysis of nine ballot initiatives financier Rex Sinquefield submitted to state officials this month calling for the elimination of Missouri's income tax has concluded that the state would require a sales tax of 12 percent in order to make up for lost revenue if any ... More >>

City Admits It's Been Financing Firefighter Fund Unnecessarily

President Chris Molitor and other union members after the committee hearing.​St. Louis firefighters won a small victory at City Hall yesterday when union leaders forced a committee of aldermen to hold off on voting for a bill specifying that reimbursement for retirees' unused sick days must co ... More >>

Leaf It Alone: What can be done to stop the thievery of agave leaves?

Return to Sender: What would comprehensive immigration reform look like if the feds got moving?

Mayor Proposes Taking Fire Ax to Firemen's Pension

Slay: Blowing the whistle and prepared to make the cuts.​Mayor Francis Slay's office this morning outlined its plan to curtail run-away costs within the St. Louis Fire Department. According to the mayor's office, the budget for the fire department has increased 40 percent over the past decade than ... More >>

Former Rep Rodney Hubbard Fined $322K Over Campaign Finance Mess

Rodney Hubbard will pay the ethics commission fine.​$2,775 at the Ritz-Carlton, $662 at the Westin Hotels St. Louis and $575 at Brennan's, the Central West End bar. $85,850 in contributions -- and more than $20,000 in cash.Those are among the expenditures and withdrawals that the campaign of ... More >>

New Dem Party Chair Susan Montee: "We're Down About as Far as We Can Go"

Can she bring her party out of the doldrums?​One month after Missouri's Democratic candidates suffered a series of bruising defeats in the midterm elections, the party swiftly moved to make a change at the helm. Out as party chairman is Craig Hosmer, who held the post for two years. In his p ... More >>

Fair-y Tales: Russell Pearce and other illegal immigrant populists rely on misleading, right-wing reports to scapegoat immigrants and terrify penny-pinched Americans

Food Safety Bill Passes Senate

Image via​Legislation to overhaul the nation's oversight of food safety passed the Senate this morning by a vote of 73 to 25. The bill greatly increases the FDA's authority over food producers.Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill (D) voted in favor of the bill; retiring Senator Kit Bond (R) abstained ... More >>

Ed Martin Concedes -- But Not Before Taking Swipes at Election Process

Martin concedes even while continuing to suggest the election was stolen. ​Six days after the election, Ed Martin has conceded that he does not have enough votes to win the Third District race for U.S. Congress. The Republican challenger phoned incumbent Congressman Russ Carnahan this morning to c ... More >>

Kevin Jackson wrote the book on how to win (white) friends and influence (black) people

Voting Maps Show Political Divide in Missouri; St. Louis and Kansas City vs. Everyone Else

If you need anymore convincing that the people of St. Louis and Kansas City have nothing in common -- politically -- with their fellow Missourians, consider these election results....In the race for U.S. Senate, Democrat Robin Carnahan won only three regions in Missouri: Kansas City, St. Louis and S ... More >>

What Options Does Ed Martin Have Left?

Photo by Jennifer SilverbergMartin's gonna have to go to court to avoid a loss.​UPDATED below the jump. As Daily RFT reported earlier today, Republican challenger Ed Martin has refused to concede the 3rd Congressional District race to incumbent Democrat Russ Carnahan. But does it even matter? By a ... More >>

Grinding Justice: Operation Streamline costs millions, tramples the Constitution and doesn't work

Shocking: Ed Martin Picks Up Tea Party Endorsement

Calling him an "original Tea Partier" and someone who will do the "patriotic thing" in Congress, the St. Louis Tea Party has officially thrown its support to Ed Martin.In the video below, St. Louis Tea Party founder Bill Hennessy adds that he'll even contribute $52 dollars to Martin's campaign -- on ... More >>

Carnahan to Make Statement on Last Week's Firebombing

Damage from last week's firebombing.​Update: Carnahan addresses allegations that suspect worked for campaign. Initial post follows...Finally some context! We here at Daily RFT have been inundated all day with emails and comments regarding last week's story on the firebombing of Russ Carnahan's cam ... More >>

Brian Nieves: Ass Clown of the Week

I'm Brian Nieves, and I do NOT support this message. Ass Clown? Moi!? ​Congratulations to State Representative Brian Nieves (R - Union) for winning his second election this month. The first came August 2 when Nieves won the G.O.P. primary for state Senate District 26. The second came this morning ... More >>

Seized: Inside the brutal world of America's kidnapping capital

Watchdog Group Questions Integrity of Missouri's Ballot Initiative Process

Before heading to the primary polls today to vote on Prop C and the Blunt-Carnahan senate seat, you probably ought to peruse the 2010 "Report Card" from the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center.In their annual report, the Washington D.C.-based think tank assigned letter grades for the 24 states that al ... More >>

Tea Party Groups to Protest Roy Blunt Tomorrow in St. Louis

​A coalition of Tea Party groups plan to picket tomorrow in Sunset Hills near the Republican Party's St. Louis headquarters. The groups say they're protesting Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann's decision to come to Missouri to stump for Senate candidate Roy Blunt. Bachmann is seen as somet ... More >>

Tea Party Groups Do NOT Endorse Roy Blunt; Say He's Part of Problem

Mo. Tea Parties put it Blunt-ly.​Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann, a darling of the Tea Party movement, is headed to Missouri this week to lend her support to Republican candidate for Senate, Roy Blunt. And that has some 28 Tea Party groups in Missouri calling foul. In a letter posted onl ... More >>

Planning to Vote in Next Week's Primary? You're Among the Minority

The first round of the 2010 campaign season is about to come to an end in Missouri with next Tuesday's primaries. And while the fate of dozens of political wannabes hangs in the balance, it will be just a smattering of voters who determine their future. Yesterday, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan ( ... More >>

A Good Day for Science in St. Louis -- Science Center, Danforth Center to Expand

danforthcenter.org​You may have already seen the news splashed across this morning's Post-Dispatch. The St. Louis Science Center will announce today that its moving ahead with a $9.5 million expansion to create a new exhibition hall. But that wasn't the only science-related news leaked yesterday. ... More >>

Kinder Finally Files that Lawsuit vs. Health Care Reform

Peter Kinder​He's been huffing and puffing about it since April. But will the lawsuit Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder filed yesterday be enough to blow health care reform down? Probably not. But, hey, it makes for good political theater. In his federal lawsuit filed yesterday in Cape Girardeau, Kinder argue ... More >>

Tony La Russa: Embraces Tea Party, Bitch Slaps Diamondbacks, Wetbacks

​So, as we've reported earlier, Tuesday night was Tea Party night at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals were playing the Arizona Diamondbacks that night and the St. Louis Tea Party was there in force for a "buycott" in support of Arizona and its recent law to crack down on illegal immigrants. As St. Tea ... More >>

Illinois Medical Marijuana Bill Goes Up In Smoke

Image sourceRIP Compassionate Use of Medicinal Cannabis Pilot Program Act​"Illinois House lawmakers will likely not pass the dutchie until next legislative session."That's lede from an NBC Chicago story today on medical marijuana in the Land of Lincoln about the imminent demise of the Compassionat ... More >>

Jay Nixon: Ass Clown of the Week

​For the second time in two years, Jay Nixon has one a landslide election. Though something tells me da' governor isn't going to put this one on his resumé. Daily RFT readers this weekend overwhelmingly elected Nixon as their "Ass Clown of the Week." Nixon earned a whopping 53 percent of the vote ... More >>

Ask a Mexican: Special Potpourri Edition

The Great Divorce: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the City/County Split

Image sourceCity to county: Baby, please come back!​On August 22, 1876, in what was undoubtedly the stupidest move ever in the history of St. Louis, St. Louis City and St. Louis County decided to separate. Like the American Revolution, the great event was prompted by taxes -- the 310,000 city ... More >>

Kirkwood Man Files Lawsuit to Halt Funding of Shooting Memorial

Image sourceMichael Moore​Before we get too far into this story, know that Michael Moore does not oppose the building of the Memorial Walkway in Kirkwood which commemorate the night in February 2008 when Charles Lee "Cookie" Thornton went ballistic and opened fire on a city council meeting, ki ... More >>

PAC Behind St. Louis Tea Party Leads to Name Calling, Bruised Right-Wing Egos

Jamie Allman: Hungry for a fight and smells bacon.​I don't make it a habit of listening to the conservative talk station 97.1 FM (home to everyone's favorite local Tea Party babe, Dana Loesch), but a show this week did provide some quality entertainment and follow-up fireworks. It all began on Wed ... More >>

Is Woodson Terrace a Hotbed of Political Corruption?

Image sourceDoes anyone out there know what the hell a "Boston Harbor City" is?​Things are usually pretty quiet up in the north county suburb of Woodson Terrace, population 4,200. Mayor Lawrence P. "Butch" Besmer has been in office since 2006, his position mostly unchallenged...that is until t ... More >>

The Humane Society and big agriculture slug it out over animal rights

State Auditor Releases Findings on St. Louis Mayor's Office

​Updated 1:23 p.m. State auditor Susan Montee today concluded her nearly two-year audit of St. Louis by releasing her investigation into the office of Mayor Francis Slay. For the Slay haters who hoped for a lot of juice on da' mayor, the audit is something of a disappointment. The biggest problem ... More >>

Missouri Attorney General Sues 10 Firms for Polluting Lake of the Ozarks

Lake of the Ozark's water. So refreshing!​Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster announced today that he is filing suit against ten businesses for violations of the Missouri Clean Water Law. All ten businesses allegedly discharged pollutants into Lake of the Ozarks or its nearby tributaries. The ... More >>

Family of Slain Kirkwood Councilwoman Connie Karr Files Wrongful Death Suit Against Whelan Security

UPDATED at 5:05 p.m. with comments from Whelan Security.Image viaConnie Karr ​The spouse and daughter of Kirkwood Councilwoman Connie Karr, who was shot at a city council meeting on February 7, 2008, filed a wrongful death lawsuit last Friday against Whelan Security Company and one of its guards. ... More >>

Early Voting in Missouri: Easy Work Done, Now Who Wants to Gather Signatures?

​Today Secretary of State Robin Carnahan announced that a petition for changing Missouri election laws can be circulated for signature to voters. The initiative would allow Missourians to cast early ballots for all general federal elections (ie. the offices of Congress, the Senate and the presiden ... More >>

Legal Challenge to Smoking Ban Would Be Tough Sell, Say Law Experts

​Even before voters in St. Louis County overwhelmingly approved a smoking ban last week, opponents of the ban warned that they might challenge the statute in court.  At a press conference in October, Bill Hannegan of "Vote No on Proposition N" and Keep St. Louis Free said he and others were e ... More >>

No Justice: We've bailed out the banks. When do we go after the crooks behind our financial collapse?

Could Australian Answering Machine Hold Answers for St. Louis Public Schools?

Unreal stumbled across the following answering machine message purported to be in use by a school district in Australia. And while we're not sure about the validity of that claim, Unreal is pretty convinced that some of the admonishments in the message might indeed benefit the beleaguered St. Louis ... More >>

Wildwood Councilman Resigns from Office; Wanted Tougher Smoking Ban

facebook.com/bruce.colellaBruce Colella​One gets the feeling that Wildwood City Council meetings might actually be worth checking out. Last spring a former councilman in the west county suburb made headlines when he presented an outgoing official a necktie emblazoned with the man's photo and the w ... More >>

Should Drunks Be Allowed to Carry Guns?

danielhg.blogspot.comThe second amendment just as the founding fathers envisioned​That's the question that will soon be pondered by the Missouri Supreme Court.Missouri's highest court decided to hear the appeal of John L. Richard, a Mississippi County man who, after his wife left him in 2006, popp ... More >>

Zoo To Wine and Dine Elected Officials Again, Despite Protests from RFT's Favorite Alderman

​The Saint Louis Zoo recently mailed out letters to local elected officials inviting them and their families to attend a free breakfast reception, parking and passes to the zoo's paid attractions. The free day for politicians on August 8 follows a similar event the zoo hosted last year. The zoo de ... More >>

With Clayton Smoking Ban All But Guaranteed, Where is U. City, Creve Coeur and Overland?

Last night the Clayton board of aldermen gave initial approval to a smoking ban for businesses and restaurants that would go into effect in July 2010. The bill needs one more reading before becoming law, though it looks to be virtual done deal at this point. Just one alderman voted against the ban y ... More >>

Butt Heads: Want to know where our public officials stand on smoking bans? OK, we'll ask 'em!

Ask a Mexican!: Play That Funky (Spanish) Music: What songs do mariachi bands like to play most?

Mayor Slays Competition

Francis SlayThe results are in, and St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay cruised to an easy victory in Tuesday's primary election. The incumbent captured 61.57 percent of the vote (or 19,350 votes.) His challengers, Irene Smith and Denise Coleman garnered 31.92 percent and 6.51 percent of the vote, respecti ... More >>

More Ruckus in Valley Park, Over Dinero and Jesus

Down in Jeff City, the confirmation of Linda Martinez as Missouri's Director of Economic Development got held up this week because of her legal wrangling against infamous illegal immigration issues in Valley Park.Meanwhile, out in Valley Park, city leaders have finally owned up to how much dinero th ... More >>

Mayor Slay Faces New Challenger. But Can Anyone Topple the Incumbent?

Update: As if St. Louis politics couldn't get any stranger...late this afternoon Maida Coleman held a press conference to announce that she would not be filing for candidacy in the Democratic primary. Coleman's decision followed news that another African-American candidate with the same last ... More >>