House Rep. Don Calloway’s responses to last week’s article regarding his Senate 14 campaign were both gracious and stern, perfectly fitting to the “A Smile and a Punch” headline, as we tagged it.
“While your article had some complimentary aspects, I find the sum of your work unacceptable because of the numerous misrepresentations of material fact (be they benign or malicious),” he said in an email to the American.
We got a couple dates wrong, and he called them out. The corrections are on the “Letters the Editor” page.
Last week in Political Eye, we stated, “Since the temporary restraining order, fire fighters tried to oust the first African-American female fire chief in Missouri, Angelia Elgin. Calloway did not come to her aid.”
In both his interview and at the Missouri Association of Fire Protection Districts conference, Calloway stated, “I support and have great faith in Chief Angelia Elgin.” Calloway felt that we did not include this quote or sentiment.
We did not mean to silence your voice, Mr. Calloway. We understand that perhaps your legal position in the district’s case does not allow you to be connected to Elgin or the district. And of course we would never want to discourage your support of Chief Elgin either.
However, in journalism, we strive to “show, don’t tell.” Let’s look at a few of Calloway’s actions to see what they show.
In December, Calloway argued against giving Chief Elgin a $200 “fire chief” badge because it was not a necessary district expense.
In March, Calloway argued to lower Elgin’s pay to $80,000 (from the $107,000 her Dec. 11 contract stated), which was lower pay than the officers she commands.
Weeks before, Elgin was delivered a “motion of contempt” at her office that showed Calloway and Kris Boevingloh as legal counsels in a case to sue Elgin for $25,000, plus back pay, for accepting an increase in pay in violation of the court’s order. The motion for contempt was a draft that was never filed with the Court. However, when it was delivered to her office, Elgin didn’t know it wasn’t filed. When she learned it was just a draft, she suspected that it was an intimidation tactic. Calloway said that the motion of contempt was not filed, “so I would not have had to tell anyone that it was or was not.”
On the first Sunday of February, Calloway presented Elgin with a resolution from the House of Representatives at the Friendly Temple Baptist Church, where he announced her achievements and position. Yet at the podium when he gave her the envelope, he told her that the resolution didn’t have her name on it and that he would get it to her later.
It took about two months for the resolution to get into Elgin’s hands, leaving her questioning why he waited so long.
Already, board member Bridget Quinlisk-Dailey, who Calloway considers a friend, was not being welcoming to Elgin. Quinlisk-Dailey has been trying to oust the Elgin since she got the job.
Calloway said in a recent interview that he and Quinlisk-Dailey are “on the same side, in terms of being the watchdogs of the lawsuit.”
We at the American would like to know: what would you be doing if you didn’t support Chief Elgin, short of punching her in the face?
Again never to silence your voice, Mr. Calloway. In a March 4 email to the American, Calloway states: “Neither I, nor Mr. Boevingloh have a problem with Chief Elgin receiving a raise in pay commensurate with her status as Chief. Our only issue is restricted to the fact that the former board approved, and then enacted the pay raise for Chief Elgin without seeking Court approval.”
The district’s legal counsel Anthony Gray said he provided Judge John Ross with her contract when she was promoted December 11, 2009. Ross seemed content with the documentation, Gray said, until Calloway and Boevingloh started to object.
Calloway said that Elgin’s pay was not a budget concern, but “the general financial malfeasance and mismanagement of the Walton Administration.” He maintains that he tries to urge people not to associate Elgin with Elbert Walton.
We encourage your vowed support, but even more, Mr. Calloway, we encourage your actions to match your eloquent words.
Regarding the resolution, when we emailed Calloway in March about it, he wrote, “While I read the text of the resolution at the Sunday service, the proper inscribed and sealed resolution was not completed at the time of the Friendly Temple presentation. House Communications gave me the proper copy last week to bring home during our spring break this week. It is in my car now, and I plan to get it to Mr. Gray to give to Chief Elgin as soon as possible.”
Checkbook mystery
Here is the puzzling part to us.
Last week’s article states: “The MAFPD members laughed as Calloway told them how the board secretary at the time scratched his face to get the checkbook, which was actually her own personal checkbook. He didn’t mention that in the speech.”
In his response email, Calloway wrote that he saw Yolanda Fountain-Henderson remove a check from the Board checkbook, and begin to type a settlement of $460,000 to former Chief Joe Washington.
Here’s the mystery: Board secretary Rhea Willis said that the district does not have a checkbook. Since she has been on the board, the district has made accounts payable checks on QuickBooks Application and payroll checks at that time went through an agency called ADP. According to district representatives, Fountain-Henderson walked into the district office after the incident and said it was her personal checkbook. And at the time, she was trying to file an order of protection against Calloway for stalking and intimidating her. (She never got it.)
We called Fountain-Henderson on Friday, and she said it was the district checkbook. Slightly mysterious detail in the saga, but we are willing to take the hit on this, so we don’t rattle any more unnecessary ghosts from the closet.
Elections
Calloway, a freshman state representative, is running for State Senate in District 14 to replace term-limited Sen. Rita Days. Joining him are House Representatives Ted Hoskins (in his fourth term) and Maria Chapelle-Nadal (in her third term), along with former University City mayor Joe Adams.
Distinguishing characteristics – both Hoskins and Calloway accepted $30,000 checks from former investor and free-market ideologue Rex Sinquefield, who leads the Show-Me Institute political research center. His strongest political concerns are school choice, particularly school vouchers for private schools, and eliminating state income tax and replacing it with a sales tax, as well as reducing taxes in general. Mr. Sinquefield is spending millions in political campaigns to gain support for his policy goals. Hoskins said that he supported parental choice long before he met Sinquefield in 2005.
In response, Chapelle-Nadal secured her own $30,000 from Sandy Tsai, the founder of the St. Louis Chinese-American newspaper and a community and business leader in the local Chinese community. Chapelle-Nadal said she’s had a long-time relationship with the Chinese-American community and supports expanding trade with China.
Calloway’s co-counsel on the Northeast case, Kris Boevingloh, is running for House of Representative in the 71st district, the district Calloway is currently serving as House Rep.
Get your ballots
Absentee balloting for voters in the City of St. Louis will continue at the Board of Elections until Monday, August 2, 2010, the day before the election, by 5:00pm. If voters wish to vote an absentee ballot by mail, they must make a written request for a ballot, either by facsimile or mail, with the request received at the Board by Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 5:00pm.
Polls for the Primary Election on Tuesday, August 3 will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Voters have the opportunity to select a party ballot of their choice (Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Constitutional or Non-Partisan), and vote for the following races: United States Senator, State Auditor, United States Representative, State Senator (4th District only), State Representative, Collector of Revenue, License Collector, Recorder of Deeds, and Circuit Clerk. In addition, all voters will have the opportunity to vote on a state health insurance-related proposition and a St. Louis Public School District bond issue.
For more information about how you can request your ballot by mail, contact the Board of Election Commissioners at 314-622-3230 or for more information about who is on the ballot in your ward, visit us at www.stlelections.com.
CORRECTION:
On October 20, 2009, (not October 22, 2009 as printed), House Rep. Don Calloway filed a temporary restraining order against the fire district to freeze all spending in the Northeast Ambulance and Fire Protection district.
Calloway did not present the board of directors with the restraining order on October 20. It was on November 22, 2009.