St. Louis American “Political Eye” Inaccurate, misreports information

Dear Editor,

I would like to start out by saying that I have always believed

that the St. Louis American provides quality, unbiased journalism.

Imagine my surprise when I read the recent Political Eye news story

that accused me of misrepresenting my constituents and the African

American community by working across the aisle. Contrary to these

inaccurate claims, I’m here to say I have represented my

constituents well and I’m confident they will recognize that when

I’m up for re-election in a

year.

One thing I know the people recognize is my ability to accomplish

great things for the North St. Louis City area. It’s rare that a

member of the minority party can accomplish much, especially at a

time when the other side has an overwhelming majority. However,

because of my willingness to work across party lines, I have

accomplished a great deal during my time as a legislator. I am the

first state representative—in the history of the 150 years of state

control over our police department—to pass a bill out of the House

of Representatives giving that control back to the City of St.

Louis. This session I also passed a bill that requires school

districts to have students adopt personalized plans of study with

the hope of preparing them for their goals after graduating high

school. While other members of the minority party have had limited

success in passing legislation, I have been able to move issues

through the legislative process that are important to the citizens

of our area.

I also have used my ability to work well with the other side to

secure additional funding for our area through the budget process.

By working across the aisle, I was able to strip dollars that were

irresponsibly used by our governor from his travel budget. I then

moved the funding to an area where it can do some good – to fund

dropout prevention efforts in our city. I also placed three hundred

thousand dollars in the budget for a new math and science tutoring

center in North St. Louis City. All of these actions were possible

because of the productive relationships I have built with

colleagues from each party.

In regard to other actions I have taken during my time in the

legislature, I feel it’s necessary to set the record straight. The

St. Louis American has criticized my vote to modify Proposition B.

My district voted 80 percent in favor of Prop B in the last

election. My vote in the House reflected that of my district. The

mandate passed by voters was unfunded—I sought to enforce the puppy

mill laws by securing state money to pay for it. I also voted for

the “Missouri compromise,” which the Humane Society of Missouri and

Missouri dog breeders both support. I am confident the people of my

district voted in favor of Proposition B because they want to

protect dogs from being treated inhumanely. The bills we passed

this year to fix Proposition B stay true to the intent of the

voters without running reputable dog breeders out of business. The

final compromise has been agreed to by everyone from both sides of

the issue. I find it shortsighted and unfair for the St. Louis

American to criticize me for supporting policy that has been

promoted by the governor, the agriculture industry and animal

welfare groups.

Your paper also took issue with my vote in favor of the

congressional redistricting map. What you forget to mention is how

this map safeguards the voice of African American voters living in

St. Louis City. I worked with Congressman Clay, Rep. Diehl and

Speaker Tilley to ensure that the first congressional district

remained an African American district. My goal going in was to

protect the integrity of the first congressional district and I am

proud to say I was able to do that. I was not the only Democrat to

support the new map. The redistricting bill received approval from

both Republicans and Democrats

alike.

A final issue I feel must be addressed regards my vote on the

so-called pay day loan bill. The article stated that I voted with

Republicans on the pay day loan legislation. That couldn’t be

further from the truth. I voted

“mso-bidi-font-style: normal;”>against

loan proposal because I felt it didn’t go far enough. I hope that

in the future, should you choose to report on any votes I take,

that you will make certain to check the accuracy of your

assertion.

As I said before, I have always respected the journalistic

integrity of the St. Louis American. That is why I was stunned to

find the misrepresentations and errors that were contained in the

article that appeared in your paper. It is the responsibility of a

journalist to report accurately and without bias. The St. Louis

American’s Political Eye failed to do that and blatantly refused to

get both sides of the story. During my campaign I went door-to-door

telling people I would be a voice for those who have none. I have

upheld that promise as being an independent voice in the Missouri

House. I’m not a mouthpiece for any political party. I’m African

American, an independent woman, and a voice for the

voiceless.

State Rep. Jamilah Nasheed