The Missouri Legislative Black Caucus has elected its new leadership: chairman, state Rep. Alan Green, D-St. Louis; vice chair, state Rep. Shamed Dogan, R-Ballwin; secretary, state Rep. Bruce Franks Jr., D-St. Louis; and treasurer, state Rep. Steve Roberts, D-St. Louis. The Missouri Legislative Black Caucus represents 22 diverse districts and more than one out of every seven Missourians. The remaining caucus members are state Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, state Sen. Shalonn “Kiki” Curls, state Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, state Rep. Gail McCann Beatty, state Rep. Karla May, state Rep. Brandon Ellington, state Rep. Joe Adams, state Rep. Courtney Allen Curtis, state Rep. Randy D. Dunn, state Rep. Alan Gray, state Rep. Clem Smith, state Rep. Jay Mosley, state Rep. Richard Brown, state Rep. Jerome Barnes, state Rep. Tommie Pierson Jr., state Rep. Michael Butler, state Rep. Cora Faith Walker and state Rep. DaRon McGee.
What does Local 73’s endorsement of Lewis Reed mean?
The International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Local 73 endorsed Lewis Reed for mayor. The EYE asked Reed and the other three major mayoral candidates – Antonio D. French, Tishaura O. Jones and Lyda Krewson– the following questions in the same group email.
What does it mean for Lewis and his candidacy that he got their endorsement? What does it mean in terms of racial equity, given the black firefighters’ historic grievances against Local 73 and what F.I.R.E. has claimed is Local 73’s efforts to stymy diversity in the department? (You can argue against this premise if you think F.I.R.E. is wrong.) What would you do as mayor to address the historic and continuing complaint by black firefighters that the fire department does not reflect the diversity of the city? Finally: Local 73 credits Lewis with fighting for their pensions. St. Louis like many cities is said to have a looming funding shortfall connected to pension commitments. As mayor, what would you do to address a possible crisis over funding pensions?
Lyda Krewson responded first.
“I strongly support our firefighters and first responders,” Krewson said. “As mayor, I will work closely with Local 73 and leadership from F.I.R.E. wherever possible to make St. Louis safer. All public policy should be viewed through a racial equity lens. As mayor, diversity and inclusion in all departments will be a priority. As mayor I will push for racial equity in the department and across the public sector so as to reflect the diversity of our city. The current status of our firefighters’ pension system is well funded, and we must work collaboratively to maintain its stability.”
Antonio French responded next.
“No one fought harder to preserve firefighter pensions than me. I assume Local 73 leadership made the political calculation that even when Reed loses again for mayor, he will still be in an important role as president of the Board of Aldermen. Unlike Reed or any other candidate, I’m giving up my seat (as 21st Ward alderman) to run for mayor. But I’m also confident that firefighters and their families will remember on Election Day who was really there in those meetings fighting Slay’s attempt to cut their pensions and break the city’s promise to take care of those who put their lives on the line for our city every day,” French said.
“As for the racial divide among firefighters, the same divide exists in the police department and, frankly, in our entire city. If our city is going to move beyond our longstanding racial divisions, we need a mayor who truly represents the interests of the entire city. Lyda Krewson is not that person. She has no record at all of fighting for the interests of black people, poor white people, the homeless, the unemployed, or the underemployed. She and her ward have benefited from the gross disparities that exist in our city. She proudly represents ‘the haves’ in a city full of ‘have nots.’”
Tishaura O. Jones responded next.
“Local 73, a predominantly white union in a predominantly white fire department, is probably right to endorse Reed in this race. He has promised to roll back the reforms to a bloated pension system that the Board of Aldermen enacted several years ago. My consistent question has always been: Where will we find the money to do so?” Jones said.
“We also have a looming crisis for the city employees’ pension system that needs to be addressed in an era of giving away tax abatements and TIFs like Halloween candy. Reed and the old guard have historically agreed on a variety of issues, including their opposition to changes that would ensure that younger firefighters, who are more likely to be African-American, could be better compensated than they are and deployed more efficiently. I have also never understood why the department has not made more of an effort to hire more physically capable women and more African-American men. When I talked to them, I told them that I admire the work that firefighters do, but these practices are shortsighted and unfair. Both are consistent with a fear of doing things differently. Using a racial equity lens means that everything city government does is going be examined for its impact on the community. Reed is never going to do anything differently. And the city’s $20 million budget shortfall will just get bigger.”
Lewis Reed responded last.
“I am proud to have the support of Local 73 and the members of the firefighters union as they will provide great support in my candidacy for mayor. My entire career in public service has been about uniting groups and people to focus on positive solutions. Local 73 is one of the few unions in our area to have an African American (Demetris “Al” Alfred) serving as president. Four years ago I had the endorsement of both Local 73 and F.I.R.E. From what I have been told by officials at F.I.R.E, the organization will not make an endorsement in this campaign. I know that both groups take their profession very seriously and want to see this city get better and I will remain committed to unifying the City of St. Louis and bringing people together,” Reed said.
“A few years back, as a member of the Board of E&A, I voted in favor of a resolution that contained specific testing and reporting guidelines to make the firefighter exam testing and scoring process more transparent, objective and fair. That resolution had the support of both F.I.R.E. and Local 73 officials. The personnel director, who reports directly to the mayor, chose not to follow the guidelines. As mayor, I would demand from the director of personnel a fair, transparent, and objective process – with all employee tests and promotions. It will take many years to make a dent in and turn around the damage that the current administration has done to the African-American community on numerous levels. It is up to the person in the mayor’s seat to bring about this change,” Reed continued.
“I fought for the pensions of all of the hardworking members of the fire department because I knew it was the right thing to do. You cannot make promises to employees and then pull the rug from under their feet. There were some changes that the firefighters were willing to agree with, but the administration chose an ‘all or nothing’ approach to the problem. You have to bring people to the table and negotiate. We can’t always look to employees to shoulder the burden when there are many other areas of spending in city government where we can be more efficient without cutting city services.”
NARAL endorses Tishaura
NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri endorsed Tishaura O. Jones for mayor.
“Tishaura Jones trusts Missouri’s women to make our own decisions about our health care and our families. She knows that women’s healthcare, including access to safe and legal abortion, are matters that are best left between a woman, her family, and her doctor, not politicians,” said Alison Dreith, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri. “Ms. Jones has been a champion for women and families throughout her career, including in the state legislature and in the treasurer’s office. Time and time again, she has shared her own reproductive health story, as a patient at Planned Parenthood, and we trust her to protect and expand women’s rights, in St. Louis City, where the state’s last remaining abortion clinic stands.”
