Question distribution of lead funding
By Don Fitz
For the St. Louis American
The City of St. Louis may pay up to $1 million for an audit of its finances. The audit will occur if the Green Party gets the needed 7,200 valid signatures from registered city voters.
“Our main interest is in finding out where millions of dollars for lead poisoning prevention are being spent,” says Madeline Coburn, secretary of the Green Party of St. Louis.
“We’ve tried throughout the year to find out about lead poisoning finances, and city officials just will not tell us which neighborhoods are receiving the money.”
At issue is the $10 million per year that the city has earmarked for lead programs. The city provides the rates of childhood lead poisoning in each neighborhood on its website. But it does not break down spending by neighborhood. This leaves critics questioning whether the greatest amount of money goes to the homes with the greatest need.
“We have done everything we know of to get information,” Coburn said.
“We had city officials speak at two Green Party forums. We have met with them at City Hall. In September and October, the city received over two dozen letters and e-mails requesting financial information. They were unresponsive, so we picketed the Health Department.”
Feeling that they had used up all routes of communication, the Greens decided to circulate petitions for an audit of city finances. The petition requests that the state auditor “conduct an audit of the most recent fiscal year.” Missouri law specifies that petitions must be signed by 5 percent of the number of city residents who voted in the most recent governor’s race.
“If the City of St. Louis refuses to tell its own taxpayers where it is spending lead money, it is time for taxpayers to ask for an audit,” said Willie Marshall, chair of the Green Party Central Committee.
“The last time the state auditor looked at city finances was 20 years ago, when Vince Schoemehl was mayor.”
Following the 1986 petitioning campaign, an audit discovered over $9 million in errors. They included:
? $1.7 million which Lambert-St. Louis International Airport could have saved if it had better monitored a lease agreement.
? $6 million that the license collector’s office failed to collect.
? $250,000 that the Parking Meter Division spent without justifying the need for a parking lot.
“The audit should cost the city about $750,000 to $1 million. But it actually will help the city save money,” Marshall said.
“Based on the last audit, the city should save at least $5 to $10 million each year. The city will be a lot more careful with our money if they know someone is watching how they spend it.”
Greens think that city officials might not want anyone looking at the way it spends lead money because that could resulting a reexamination of the entire lead poisoning prevention program.
“We think that the city should declare a Lead Emergency, but the administration does not believe the problem is that severe,” Madeline Coburn said.
“Lead poisoning is most prevalent in areas that are poorest and predominantly African-American. Do neighborhoods have to be made up of white professionals to get to the top of funding priorities?”
Those interested in helping with petitioning efforts or finding out more about the audit should call (314) 727-8554.
Don Fitz is spokesperson on toxics for the Gateway Greens.