Posts Tagged ‘Charlie Dooley’

Yes, yes. The columnist has heard all of the arguments being offered about why Charlie Dooley elected to drive a stake through the heart of a proposed North County casino near the Confluence of the Rivers.  He is an environmentalist. He is protecting the county’s revenue from its existing casinos.  He is getting back at retiring Gaming Commissioner Gene McNary, a Dooley critic who seemed to support the project.  He is making a deal with St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay whose city is losing a gaming license.  Blah, blah.  The real reason is that St. Louis County Economic Council topper Denny Coleman advised his boss that quantitative analysis shows that a new casino in north county lacked the popular public support to make it a strong success, while its mere existence would siphon dollars from existing county restaurants, bars and entertainment venues. Hats off to Chaz!

It is St. Louis County Exec Charlie Dooley’s lot – and advantage – to be underestimated by his opponents.  With his wife, Susan at Chez Leon, Gene McNary, exec director of the Missouri Gaming Commish and a former St. Louis county exec himself, took a few shots at Dooley.  “He’s a nice guy,” McNary began.  “But, it’s embarrassing that he’s running the county.  I’d like to beat him!”  McNary, who will leave his current post in July, last won an election in 1986.  Still, some county stalwarts think that the feisty McNary would have been a stronger opponent to Dooley than Ladue attorney Bill Corrigan. . .So, you’re wondering where some of the money goes here from the federal stimulus funding, known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009?  Ask dad. Dad knows. How about $45 million for Metro Arts in Transit (AIT) for a number of new public art projects?  Metro Arts has received that much and is currently on the prowl for artists.

BILL CORRIGAN

“About 40,000 jobs have been lost in the county since Charlie Dooley took office”, said GOPer and attorney Bill Corrigan, who hopes to beat Dooley at the polls in the race for county executive.  “Furthermore, there’s no entrepreneurial atmosphere to promote small business and growth.  Our current county government is incompetent and broken. There’s also an unfair tax system.  Since Dooley took office, the violent crime rate has gone up 30 percent. In the county’s own application for $8.5 million for federal funding, earmarked for a new crime lab, it reveals that 25 percent of the crimes in St. Louis county have remained unsolved.”  Corrigan, a yesteryear worker on a GM assembly plant, a MoDot trash picker-upper and a Teamster, who loaded pickup track lift trailers, paid his own way through Notre Dame. His wife, Ann, is a lawyer, who teaches in the pre-law program at SLU’s undergrad school.  Over coffee at First Watch, Corrigan concluded, “I’d love a debate with Dooley on issues of leadership and vision.  If he’s transparent, he’ll debate.”

Roberto Gallardo is this close to opening a downtown iteration of Westport’s once-popular Ozzie’s.  Every day last week prospective managers, bar tenders, and servers mingled with construction workers and picketing electricians on the sidewalk of the 1500 block of Washington Avenue.  Gallardo will miss the NCAA basketball crowd, but should be open in time for most of baseball season. Meanwhile, St. Louis County executive Charlie Dooley slipped onto Washington Avenue last week to raise money for his reelection from big crowd of movers and shakers at trendy Smokin’ Joe’s BBQ.

The Missouri Ethics Commission has dismissed as “unsubstantiated” a complaint against attorney (and Charlie Dooley’s adviser) John Temporiti filed by the campaign of fellow attorney Bill Corrigan.  The columnist is now waiting to see if Temporiti files a lawsuit against political pro Lloyd Smith, the new exec director of the state Republican Party, who signed the complaint against Temporiti under oath.

While Jim Buford, honcho of the St. Louis Metropolitan Urban League (UL) held the
attention of the 1,200-member audience at the Millenium Hotel, Marc Morial, the UL’s  national prez, took a shot at the U.S. Congress.  Morial pushed President Obama’s concept of a vote up or vote down on the Health Care Reform bill and then called the lack of action by Congress “troubling.”  Meanwhile, local pols lined up to glad-hand Morial on the 100th anniversary of the New York-based UL. Hizzoner Slay spoke of Morial’s insightful leadership skills, when the two were colleagues with the Conference of Mayors. Morial was then mayor of New Orleans. Slay proclaimed the month of March as “The National Urban League’s Empowering Communities and Changing Lives” month.  Not to be outdone, Charlie Dooley and Alvin Parks did their ceremonial pitches after which Mark A. Kern, chairman, St. Clair County, mused, “I will proclaim it the national Urban League of the Century,” which got a rousing cheer.  Awards were presented for accomplishments in helping people in the African-American community to:  the Rev. Michael T. Jones; Cheryl Heard of Racial Harmony; Citi Corp., Faye Robinson and Habitat for Humanity.  The city unit of the league welcomed to its board Thomas Irwin of Civic Progress at which time some hisses were heard.  On hand for the gambol were:  Col. Bill and Cheryl Young; Susan Buford; U.L. chairman and former Veiled Prophet Stephen C. Jones; Emily Pitts; Melanie DeLeo; Frankie M. Freeman; the Rev. E.D. Shields; Katherine Osborn; Johnny Furr; Dr. Karl Wilson; John and Emma Moten, Jr.,; Henry Givens; Zelema Harris; Dennis Golden; Debra Denham; Christine Chadwick; the Rev. Sammie Jones; Metro Evening Whirl’s Gentry Trotter and St. Louis American’s Donald Suggs. After he was introed to revenue collector Greg F.X. Daly, Morial joshed, “Hey, I don’t owe any taxes.  I’m all paid up!”  And, head table guests eyeballed what some described as a 5-carat diamond ring on St. Louis Comptroller Darlene Green’s finger.  Word was that she recently got hitched to businessman Melvin Hayes.

Although it is still months away from the November election between County Exec Dooley and his Republican challenger, lawyer Bill Corrigan, the two campaigns have already made some “important” decisions.  Dooley has selected blue and gold, while Corrigan has opted for red, white and blue on parchment.

Missing from St. Louis county exec Charlie Dooley’s meeting with Prez Obama’s “car czar” Ed Montgomery in Fenton on Thursday
to announce a new joint effort to find new uses for empty auto plants (and new jobs for former auto workers) was Gov. Jay Nixon, who opted to arrive in our town a day earlier to announce a tax credit award in St.Louis City.  The state of Missouri matched funds with the feds, the county and the City of Fenton to make the auto effort possible.

State economic development officials and St.Louis county exec Charlie Dooley are poised to announce a joint federal/local program to identify new users and uses for the  region’s shuttered auto assembly plants.  Meanwhile, the St. Louis Tea Party folks have likely done both Dooley, a popular Democrat seeking reelection, and Chesterfield Mayor John Nations, a rising star in the Republican party, an inadvertent favor.  They have published an announcement of a Feb. 27 gathering at the Gateway Arch that features a mocking image of the duo.

Somewhere in her family, Alexis Tucci had to have inherited the genes of Cecil B. DeMille or David O. Selznick.  Only they and Tucci could produce a spectacular such as the Mayor’s Ball in City Hall t’other eve, crafted by Tucci.  Usually the corridors are as empty as an Elaine Viets book signing, but Friday night they were wall-to-wall, costumed party-goers as well as those in formal attire.  Why not? It was the eve of Mardi Gras festivities around town and the guests partied and jammed beyond belief. The aforementioned Dooley and Hizzoner Francis Slay were hugging and recalling how earlier in the day, Dooley pulled off his best joke yet. While Slay and others were at a Hardee’s launching of Heat Up St. Louis, they looked in vain for Dooley, whose presence was expected. Finally, someone caught a side-splitting Dooley at a drive-up window.

Speaking of attending functions, Guv. Jay Nixon was invited to the ball, but was a no-show much to the anger of some power brokers. “He doesn’t even care about St. Louis”, said one of them.  Another Dem chimed in about county exec hopeful Bill Corrigan and pointed out, “He’s been elected to Pulaski Bank’s board.  You know, the bank that has not yet paid back the TARP funds?”

With his wife, Gienne, at  his side,  Parks & Rec. chief Gary Best tipped that a conservancy is being formed to raise money for the Gateway Mall park. Nearby, St. Louis Sheriff Jim Murphy lamented about his nephew, Judge Joe Murphy, another victim of lung cancer. “It’s treatable – he’s now on chemotherapy,” said Murphy. Affable 25th Ward Alderman Shane Cohen enthused over having gotten a grant from the Justice Dept. for his district to cover police and prosecutorial services as well as the neighborhood watch program. Taking it all in were Deb and Cong. Russ Carnahan, who admitted he enjoys listening to Rush Limbaugh whenever possible. Getting admirable stares were the stunning duo of Teresa and broadcaster John Brown, while nearby were Michelle and St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson, who expressed comfort about what he described as a “coming together of all factions in the department, but several forces don’t want that.”  A few toasts were raised to Brian Wahby, chairman of the city Democratic Central committee for having pioneered the Mayor’s Ball way back then.

The odd couple of Mayor Francis Slay and County Exec Charlie Dooley seemed to be auditioning for prme time.  They joined Cong. Lacy Clay and United Way prez Gary Dollar and members of the Gateway Earned Income Credit Community Coalition (GECC) at the Metropolitan, Education and Training Center (MET Center) to alert the public on the availability of earned income tax credit (EITC) and free tax preparation services. After they were introduced by Clay, Dooley began presenting the county proclamation. “Unlike my good friend Mayor Slay, I am not going to bore you by reading this long document, but he will,” joshed Dooley.  Slay then thanked Clay and Dooley and said, “Thanks Charlie and by the way, I have no plans to read this proclamation. I’m just going to proclaim it EITC Day in the city. . .and the county. And, if you’ve noticed, my proc is not only bigger than Charlie’s, but it has a nice decorative frame.”

Rumors that Dr. Henry Givens may step down as chief of Harris-Stowe State University were in abundance at the Missouri MLK Statewide Celebration Kick-Off Program the other night on the campus. However, Givens was in full command as an audience of 2,000 gave enthusastic hosanahs for the Rev. Al Sharpton.  The civil rights leader, who filled his keynote with humor, biblical tales and blunt street-talk, was caught twittering in Givens’ office, while Cong. Lacy Clay, Jr. and Cong. Russ Carnahan chowed-down.  KSDK, Channel 5’s most-watched education reporter and the station’s young, news/weather anchor Anthony Slaughter kept the program moving in a timely and pleasant pace. InBev AB’s John Furr and honorary chair of the event introduced Rev. Sharpton as “a transformational leader, a man who has challenged the American social and political establishment.”President Obama calls Rev. Sharpton ‘the voice of the voiceless and a champion for the downtrodden,”  said Furr. Rev. Sharpton mused, “You know, it’s amazing how many people marched with Dr. King.  They will tell you they marched with him and they are probably lying.”  Sharpton began his ministry at the age of  four.  Others getting their time in the spotlight were Robin Wright-Jones, Tishaura Jones, Mayor Slay, Charlie Dooley and Percy Green, who was heckled by an attendee, who was ejected from the room.  MIA was Gov. Jay Nixon, who only did a brief drive-by at a private pouring and then blew the Hood. On Sunday, just getting warmed-up from his Saturday night bombastic and poignant keynote, Rev. Sharpton accepted an invite to deliver a sermon to an SRO crowd at the Friendly Temple Baptist Church on Martin Luther King Drive. Faces in the crowd: the Rev. Earl Nance, Jr., James and Susan Buford, Merdean Gales, Ruth Smith, Gwen Packnett, Betty Thompson, Anita Banks, Frankie Muse Freeman, Stacy and Judge Jimmie Edwards, Judge Charles Shaw and wife, Kay, Argus publisher Yaphett El-Amin, Joe Keaveny and Lou Brock. (See photos taken by the Metro Evening Whirl).

St. Vincent Home for Children got a $45,000 boost the other night from donors at the Four Seasons Hotel.  That’s where hosts Jeanne and Rex Sinquefeld,  Rachel and Travis Brown of Pelopidas and Laura Slay of Slay and Associates plied hundreds of guests with a dinner and music by a Motown-sound band (Arvell & Company).  Sinquefeld and his brother, Jerry, lived at St. Vincent in the 1950s, after their family fell on hard financial times following the death of their father. Rex said to guests, “This organization has an important job.  And, with families struggling in a down economy, our task becomes even more urgent.  The children who come through the center need every bit of tender loving care, and every second of recreational, social, emotional therapeutic and spiritual help we can give them.”  Donors on hand included: Mayor Francis Slay; County Exec Charlie Dooley; Lt. Gov. Kinder; Vince Mannino of R.G.Construction and his wife, Patti; Charlie Brennan of KMOX; Diana Bourisaw of Midwest Charter Solutions; Mark Carlie of Stone Carlie & Co.; Dan Mehan of the Mo. Chamber of Commerce; Sam Fox of the Harbour Group and his wife, Marilyn; Lauren Herring of IMPACT Group; Bob Duffy of The St. Louis Beacon; Antonio Segovia of Monsanto and Guy McCormack of the University of Missouri-Columbia and his wife, Norma.