Compliments of Mr. Casey
St. Louis Post-Dipatch
Monday, Jan. 15 2007
I was amazed by the Monday edition story saying recalls of politicians don’t usually work and the recent insanity going on in Overland. Imagine, with all the controversy and lawyer fees Mayor Purzner is incurring for that city, even the efforts of the citizens to recall such a controversial and disruptive figure from office might not succeed.
America applauded the Iraqis ‘purple finger’ as proof the Iraqis were ‘getting involved’ with democracy. Now, here in the heartland of America, Even after the St. Louis City Courts and the St. Louis Election gave support for the citizen’s complaints and efforts to allow all Overland residents a voice on the matter, Mayor Purzner’s attorney is attempting to fall back on some procedural inconsistency and not acknowledge that this particular public servant does not represent the people nor the direction Overland wishes to pursue.
What has Mayor Purzner accomplished since coming to office except to disrupt Overland official functions and run up tens of thousands of dollars of legal expenses for the voters?
I continue to read in the Post-Dispatch of how Purzner lied about being a nurse; how she was found to have violated the state’s open meeting law; how she tried illegally to remove the police chief — just what does Mayor Purzner have to do before she is removed from office and the will of the people allowed to be heard?
Noel Meyer
St. Louis
posted by PTT at 7:11 AM
10 Comments:
The April ballot will have 13 names for 4 jobs.
Ward 1 has four contenders running against incumbent Knode: a 5-way race.
Eedie Cuminale and Ryan Greiner filed early.
Last-minute filers were Joe Stoverink and Richard Martin. This last name was on the CC around the turn of the century, the BOE website shows.
Ward 2 incumbent Sellers has only one challenger. MBC.
Ward 3 has Michael Oakes and Peggy Keller for the empty seat.
Ward 4 has Tim Jones, Martin Bergin and Shelly Karr.
Does anyone have information on the lesser known names: Stoverink, Keller, Karr
Norm,
I have been giving this a lot of thought. I must say this post contains my preliminary thoughts and I have not thought these through completely.
First, I am still a little confused as to what has actually transpired with the Board of Election Commissioners. I understood that Linda Downs had actually certified to the BOEC that the matter had been addressed by the Board of Aldermen. If I am not mistaken, once the BOEC received that filing, they placed the matter on the ballot. A court could now order differently but I assume that the burden has shifted and the presumption is that the City acted properly (based on the Downs certification). Does anyone have any true confirmation of what was sent?
Second, my understanding is that the action by the City is a ministerial act and the City is without discretion once the BOEC certifies the signatures. I believe the City must place the matter on the ballot. If this is the case, if the Mayor and her dim-witted cohorts believe that this blu-flu strategy will work, perhaps Bevis and the boys should head over to St. Louis County seeking a writ of mandamus forcing the City to have the meeting and/or place it on the ballot. A mandamus action lies when a municipal entity has no discretion and is still not acting. A classic example is a subdivision plat. If a plat is properly prepared in accordance with the City's subdivision code and state statute, the City has no discretion and must certify the plat for recording. If they refuse, a judge will issue the writ forcing the City to comply. If the City still refuses, the Court can find the actors in contempt...... imagine the Tennessee Three sitting in a cell. Of course, if my first observation is correct, this may not be necessary.
Lastly (and this is way out there)under a similar theory you may be able to get a judge to order a bodily attachment to force the meeting. This remedy allows the Sheriffs office to literally, physically, pick up Blow, Larry and Curly and bring them to the meeting to carry out their non-discretionary duty. I would need to research this one more.
Lucky
There is already an Overland ordinance on the books that allows the PD to apprehend and bring the councilmen to the meeting.
SECTION 110.160: MEMBERS TO ATTEND MEETINGS UNLESS EXCUSED
The members of the City Council shall attend all meetings of the Council unless leave of absence is granted or unless excused for illness or other special reasons. (Code 1961 §2-25; CC 1976 §2-104)
SECTION 110.170: QUORUM -- COMPELLING ATTENDANCE
Six (6) Councilmen shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. If at any meeting, a quorum is not present, the meeting shall stand adjourned until the next regular or special meeting, provided, that any four (4) members of the City Council, or the Mayor, may have a call of the City Council and send for and compel the attendance of the absent member or members and make and enter an order for his/her or their censure or fine. (Code 1961 §2-26; CC 1976 §2-105)
Ward 1 no longer has a 5-way race. Two candidates have reportedly not paid some taxes. I believe RG was one.
Latest is that Griener & Martin are both out.
Martin supposedly is 3 yrs behind on taxes for some property he owns in Overland. And Griener for paying late.
Ward 3 I think her name is Kelley, I heard she's the one that talked at the meeting wanting to fill the seat, the one that brings the little boy all the time. She also goes right into the mayors office everytime she goes to city hall.
Ward 4, Carr or Karr? Is 25, has no record of voting in Overland. Has a state ID but no drivers license, does work but don't know where.
mr whitefolks, you've noticed one of my myriad character flaws.
I'm so lazy I call folks by their initials.
That flaw got me a little job as a part-time government bureaucrat.
It wasn't a desk job.
It was just a lap-top job.
I was the only worker in the Division of Acronyms, a segment of the Department of Abbreviations.
"Hi, DOA, Naz here, lv mssg."
I got rplcd w/ n answrng mchn.
There was a lady named Karin West from Ward 3 that attended city council meetings. Her application had impressed the mayor, since Ms. West had experience working for a city government near Seattle, WA.
Ms. West has not filed to run for the vacant seat in Ward 3.
As of Tuesday, all 4 wards are down to a 2-way race.
The game is on!
T & C
Thanks your right I found out I had the wrong person, sorry.
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