The 2008 national holiday in memory of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. left us with an unforgettable comparison: that between Dr. King and Mayor Francis G. Slay. Granted, the comparison is so lopsided as to be ridiculous, but Slay set himself up for it. He ignored several requests from the black community to excuse himself from the various acts of commemoration, and then he took the great man's words into his own small and unreliable mouth.

Dr. King's dream, as even Slay and his presumed speechwriter Jeff Rainford can tell you, is "deeply rooted in the American dream." The actions of the Slay Administration, leading up to this weekend and during it, were deeply rooted in the arrogance of power that has gone too long unchallenged.

To fully understand the arrogance of Slay and Rainford, you have to look behind the scenes. Slay was putting on a brave face to make public pronouncements to the people, but behind the scenes he had covert operatives trying to resolve the Sherman George crisis this weekend.

Yes, the persistent arrogance is difficult to fathom, but that was the first message that business leaders, acting on the mayor's behalf, offered to George and other black civic leaders acting in concert with him. Here was their deal: In exchange for minority inclusion concessions and a prominent job in city government for the ousted fire chief, Sherman George would kiss and make up, publicly, with Francis Slay on MLK Day.

As often is the case, KSDK city reporter Mike Owens' favorite getaway buddy Richard Callow was the first canary to sail into this coal mine. In a courtship lunch that was incorrectly reported in the Post (more on that later), Callow had told George, "You and the mayor could do wonderful things together."

Hold on, it gets even better. Or, worse.

When Slay's messengers were told (with spit flying) that asking for an abrupt make-up on MLK Day was unreasonable, they made a second offer. This was their next deal: We'll get you minority inclusion concessions, Sherman will get a resume to the Regional Business Council, and we will all call a cease fire. In other words: Lay off on the mayor over the MLK weekend.

Oh and, by the way, the black civic leaders also were supposed to agree to help deliver the City's proposed sales tax increase, which will be on the Feb. 5 ballot in the city.

This is all true, but sad. These guys have gone unchallenged in their arrogant exercise of power so long that they actually don't know how to behave when negotiating with another party that sits in a position of strength (and knows it).

The good news for the community: Sherman George said, "No deal." And, until he is satisfied, there is no deal.

Can't stop lightning

More troubling news for Slay: Even if Sherman had taken a big, fat, pay-off check over the weekend, no one sitting at the table with him, including the demoted chief himself, could have stopped the people from chanting down Slay Monday morning at the Old Courthouse.

Sherman George's quiet, mainstream, middle-class dignity may have become a lightning rod such as the black community in St. Louis has not seen in a generation or more. But he doesn't have the power to shut off the lightning.

Slay saw that for himself when Sherman, acting on request of event hosts, tried to quiet the people on Monday morning so the organizers could finish the program as intended. Not even Sherman George could quiet the righteous anger directed at Francis Slay.

The mayor finished the remarks Rainford (presumably) had prepared for him, but no one heard a thing. His lips were moving, but the people were shouting him down. The mayor was mumbling about MLK, but the people were chanting, "Slay - must - go!"

The latest Bryson blunder

The arrogance of power can make smart people forget simple things. Like, you don't shoot your enemy in the face and then ask for a cease fire.

Buried in the list of concessions the mayor was offering via his business operatives was an attempt to make peace in the Fire Department through a Memorandum of Understanding. But Slay, Rainford and their best boy Charles Bryson botched that one, big time.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was supposedly intended to get FIRE (the grass-roots black firefighters' group) to settle its grievances with Local 73 (the white-dominated firefighters' union). When attempting to achieve a private understanding that is genuine, of course, you work it out privately before publicizing the agreement (if you publicize it at all).

But, with Slay and Rainford, the tail often wags the dog. Before FIRE had agreed to anything, a draft of the MOU was blasted to the press by Bryson. (And you know he acts only under orders.) So while business leaders were working out a secret deal that included the MOU, the MOU was abruptly made public - without warning to the negotiators or even to FIRE, the group with whom the "understanding" supposedly is being sought.

Huh? Slay and Rainford had endangered a secret deal just to get a little positive PR spin on the eve of the MLK Day weekend? The business leaders acting on their behalf had to agree that was fatally stupid.

The business leaders had the opportunity to see, again, what the black community so often sees in Slay and Rainford: a bullying, duplicitous administration that does not play well with others. Or, at least, with others who happen to be black.

Oh, also, notice that the St. Louis American was the one news source that did not get the MOU from Bryson. Funny how that worked out. Anyone who reads the other black papers might ask what it cost the mayor to get Charles Bryson's letter on their front page without comment from FIRE. FIRE certainly wondered about that.

Damaged goods

Business leaders are asking themselves if a PR specialist and disgraced former journalist - specializing in entrapping priests in sex scandals - like Jeff Rainford has what it takes to manage a serious civic crisis. Playing tricks on flat-footed, compliant local mainstream media works on a good day, but this is a pretty bad day, and worse days lie ahead. Media manipulation won't get the Slay Administration all the way there on this one. And Rainford has proved himself capable of achieving little else.

It's good to think back on Rainford's attempt, as a journalist, to entrap the priest in a sex scandal. It has a "wow" factor, sure, it is destined to make for a media moment. But could a stunt like that really help to improve a deep, troubling problem - in that case, the fact that some priests are sexual predators and in some cases the Catholic Church covers for them?

No. No more than trying to fool the white folks into thinking there is peace in the Fire Department before MLK Day will settle down the black firefighters who expect justice and equal economic opportunity in their department. And Rainford is running out of stunts to make Slay's problems go away.

He also is more than likely running out of opportunities to make Slay's problems go away. Sherman George is not the only inside player here who will be asked to work on his resume. Friends of the mayor most certainly are looking around for a place to park Rainford that won't look like a penalty box.

Rainford's bloody head in the sand (figuratively speaking) would encourage many players who know inside baseball on this issue. They would know to expect less arrogance, less media manipulation and less opposition to power-sharing with Rainford gone from Room 200. But Slay and his allies in business face a problem beyond that.

The people weren't chanting, "Rainford - must - go!" They were chanting, "Slay - must - go!"

Slay must go - somewhere he hasn't been going, far from his comfort zone - or it's not going to be business as usual around here. And business as usual was hard enough for a city like this.

On friendship

Deb Peterson of the Post and her editors printed that Richard Callow and Sherman George are "old friends." That is not true, unless friendship can be one-sided. George said he does not consider Callow to be a friend.

This lie is nothing on the previous assertion, made in a Post editorial, of all places, that Charles Bryson and Sherman George are "friends." That is not true, unless friendship can be one-sided. George said he does not consider Bryson to be a friend.

The Post needs to develop some sources in the black community - and check those sources before going to press. It is insulting, at this time, for someone like George to be associated as a friend with people paid to do Slay and Rainford's dirty work like Callow and Bryson.

George was talking about friendship last week with a reporter. This person works for the national press and was responsible for one of the stories that blew the lid off Slay's troubles and racism in the St. Louis Fire Department. This story was one of the stories that got the Post (finally!) to cover this story as news. And this story helped (finally!) to get white business leaders to treat this situation as more than a "Negro problem."

"You are lucky to have five friends in your whole life," George told the national reporter. "And, if you have more than five friends, then you've got some enemies."

The reporter told George he liked that. He said he'd like to use it.

Use it in what? His personal identity? That would help explain why Sherman George inspires confidence and loyalty. He's a wise and honest soul. He says things worth remembering and adopting.

Or use it in a follow-up story in the national press?

Worse days ahead for the Slay Administration.

Recall effort still on

Meanwhile, the organizers (black and white) of an effort to recall the mayor continue to work their way through the city, with a big push planned for the polls on the Feb. 5 primaries. Voter turnout is expected to be high because of the presidential primary and the unpopular proposal by Slay to increase the sales tax in the city. Since Slay is an ally of Hillary Clinton and a proponent of the sales tax increase, African Americans have dual incentives to vote against Slay’s interests on Feb. 5. They still meet 9 a.m. every Saturday at Lexington School, 3130 Norwood. Volunteers interested in working on the recall effort can call Zaki Baruti at 726-3442.

Booze distributor to police board

Bad joke? No. The CEO of the state’s largest distributor of hard liquor, Todd H. Epsten of Major Brands, Inc.,, has been appointed to the city’s Board of Police Commissioners by Gov. Matt Blunt.

According to a recent report by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, 4 in 10 violent crimes involve use of alcohol, about 4 in 10 fatal motor vehicle accidents are alcohol-involved; and about 4 in 10 offenders, “regardless of whether they are on probation, in local jail, or in State prison,” say they were using alcohol at the time of the offense.

Whether or not Epsten can judge fairly the work of the City police remains to be seen, but it is certain that his day job helps give the cops plenty of work to do.

His appointment is subject to state Senate confirmation for a term ending January 31, 2012. He replaces Jo Ann Freeman, an African American, whose term nominally expired. If Epsten’s appointment is confirmed, Julius Hunter will be the only black person overseeing a police department that enforces the law in a majority-black city.

Kind of hard to drink to that.

Never too late

It took them awhile, but the Missouri Democratic Party finally has announced its opposition to a proposed ballot initiative that would eliminate all affirmative action programs in Missouri.

“The group behind this initiative clearly feels more comfortable in the Mississippi of the 1950’s than the Missouri of the 21st Century,” state part chair John Temporiti said. “In a time when we need more minority students going to college and more opportunities for women business-owners, this initiative will result in the opposite.”

By the way, folks, with this and other ballot initiatives afoot, look very carefully at any petition before you sign it. Look very, very closely.

Work the polls

Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan needs poll workers for the Feb. 5 primaries. To qualify as a poll worker, Missourians must be at least 18 years old and registered to vote in Missouri. Students under 18 years old can also sign up on the website to help out on Election Day in other ways. Sign up at www.sos.mo.gov/pollworker. A list of Missouri local election authorities with contact information is available at: www.sos.mo.gov/elections/countyclerks.asp