Historical December 1992 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
On November 19, all announced Democratic candidates for mayor and comptroller in the March 2 primary spoke at the 28th Ward Regular Democrats monthly meeting.
The mayoral candidates included Freeman Bosley, Jr., Clerk of the Circuit Court; Tony Ribaudo, State Representative; Michael Roberts, businessman and former alderman of the 20th ward; and Thomas Villa, President of the Board of Aldermen.
The comptroller candidates were the incumbent, Virvus Jones, and James Shrewsbury, alderman from the 16th ward. Bosley spoke first and discussed why he had decided to run for mayor.
He noted that it is a big job, an important job.
When he first moved into his neighborhood, about 20 years ago, there was everything present a community might need: stores of all kinds, theatres.
Now there is little of anything except liquor stores.
He said that it’s time to take a look at what’s going on in our city.
If his daughter needed a prescription, he would have to drive to Lindell and Sarah. Many of the people he went to college with have moved out of the city when their children were born.
They felt their children would not get a good education in the public school system. It’s time for a change. Bosley said we have to look within our own communities for solutions. People don’t feel safe anymore; crime is an overriding issue. Bosley said the city had to elect someone who would bring about change.
The police department takes up one third of the city’s budget.
He said we can’t say we have to have more police: There has to be an agenda.
There have to be plans to get more police and better utilize the police we do have. Jobs, housing, and health care also are key. Responding to questions, Bosley said he would support stringent gun control and the elimination of handguns.
He also spoke of the city’s need for jobs and said that St. Louis residents should get the rust crack at jobs created in the city. Asked-about St. Louis’s public schools, Bosley said that tax abatement should be examined.
There is too much and the schools lose funding. Bosley also mentioned that 52% of city students drop out and that crime is a problem at city schools.
He believes in a voluntary uniform program and more alternatives for students such as vocational training.
He would work with the Board of Education to develop an agenda to improve the schools.
He is opposed to busing.
The next candidate to speak was State Representative Tony Ribaudo.
He said that he had visited 75 neighborhoods recently to talk to people about their problems and that the number one issue was crime.
A young couple with two children who lived at Lucille and Goodfellow told Ribaudo that they would move out if they could.
A middleaged couple at Marcus and Allen said that they were afraid to go out.
On Euclid, residents and business owners said their number one issue was crime.
They wanted more interaction with police and the mayor’s office.
He also met with a couple who owned the bakery.
The man is a grandson of the founder of the bakery.
It used to stay open until 9pm.
Now it closes at 4:30pm because nobody will come out late to shop anymore. Ribaudo supports greater police interaction with neighborhoods.
He also feels the education system is important.
It affects the resale of homes.
There are problems with basic city services. Ribaudo said it seems like this city doesn’t work together.
He wants to open up the budgetary process and let citizens know where their dollars are spent.
The police department and fire department have been reduced; if staffing goes any lower, insurance rates will go sky high.
We are spending $985,000 for wrought iron on the Kingshighway bridge.
If there is money, Ribaudo said, that’s fine but we ought to concentrate on security first. Mayoral candidate Tom Villa spoke next.
He spoke of his experience as President of the Board of Aldermen and as a state representative.
He was proud of redoing the city’s business license taxes to eliminate the head tax.
He feels St. Louis is poised as the cultural, athletic hub of this region.
He feels that it is folly to labor under a desegregation plan when there are neighborhoods where neighborhood schools work. Infrastructure is also a concern. Villa felt there would be some help from the Clinton administration.
The sewer and bridge systems are very worn out. Regarding the St. Louis public schools, Villa said that the mayor’s most important function is to lead.
There must be open lines of communication with the school board.
As a city, Villa said we must do all we can to find out their needs. But, we do not control their budget.
The school administration is a bit heavy at the top but does do a lot of good things. Villa was questioned about the future of Forest Park.
He said that anything done must be inclusive.
If you don’t invite those interested in green space to the table, it haunts you at the polls. Steve Roberts was the last mayoral candidate to speak at the meeting.
He mentioned that he had passed important legislation in the 1980s.
He said he was running for, mayor because of the need for new and creative leadership.
He said that a city cannot rely on state or federal funding.
A city must be competitive with cities across the world. Roberts said he was an attorney by schooling but had spent most of the last 10 years in business.
He helped to redevelop the Sears building on N. Kingshighway and use it as a business incubator. Roberts spoke of the need for vision and new leadership, the need for a person with a track record, a builder and a consensus person. Answering questions, Roberts said that he supported community schools.
He was asked about affirmative action in city contracts. Roberts noted that he has a consulting business that assists firms in the establishment of a minority hiring program.
His firm has consulted with the EPA and AnheuserBusch for example.
He said he believed in affirmative access, an arena where minority businesses can compete fairly.
His firm has shown businesses how to establish goals. Roberts said that small business growth is where employment is going to expand.
He wants to support the businesses here and help them grow.
The ward meeting also heard from the two announced candidates for comptroller. Virvus Jones, the incumbent, spoke first. Jones said that over the past four years he has done what the comptroller has to do.
The job is not necessarily to get along with people, to be the friendliest person in the world.
The city charter provides for checks and balances.
The comptroller has to protect the city’s credit and Jones takes this seriously.
He has taken positions contrary to departments and elected officials when he felt money has been spent inappropriately.
When money is spent, appropriate procedures should be followed; this is good for St. Louis. Ideas all carry a price tag.
The comptroller has to be willing to make sure the money is spent properly. At the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, 9996 of things go through smoothly. But, the newspapers like to show a contest—the other one percent. Jones said that he collected $7 million more than had been coming in when he administered the License Collector’s office.
He received high parks from an outside auditing firm regarding his internal audit division. Jones said that he wanted to make sure that basic services were provided to citizens.
He wanted to make sure that citizens were protected and garbage was collected.
If the city has the money, it can do extra things.
He wanted to make sure the money is spent in a fiscally responsible way. Jones was asked about the city’s credit rating.
He said it was BBB-, just above investment grade. St. Louis is on the edge. Jones said he wanted a moratorium on annual appropriated debt.
If there were any more debt without a commensurate increase in revenue, it would cut into basic services.
The second announced candidate for comptroller is James Shrewsbury. Shrewsbury noted that he has been on the Board of Aldermen for nine years.
He helped abolish the city’s automobile sticker and introduced legislation that made members of the Board account for their expense allowance.
He also has sponsored legislation prohibiting city employees from receiving consulting contracts from the city after they leave city employ. Shrewsbury said that he wished to restore integrity to the comptroller’s office, to pay bills on time, and to see that contracts for the issuance of bonds are given out through competitive bidding (rather than to campaign contributors). Shrewsbury said he believed in minority setasides for people who live in St. Louis.
He also said that he wants to enhance the internal auditing division.
There have been several scandals in St. Louis recently that were not discovered by internal audit.
He said he wants travel kept at a minimum.
He also said that the comptroller can’t be like a watchdog who bites everyone who comes to the front door.
This November ward meeting was attended by 136 people.
The 28th Ward Regular Democrats will hold a Christmas party on December 11 at 7:30pm at the Ballroom (17th floor) of Portland Towers.
All members and ward residents are welcome to attend.
Original photograph caption
Mayoral candidate Freeman Bosley, Jr. Photographer not credited.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, December 1992.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1992_12.pdf, printed page(s) 4, 5; PDF page(s) 4, 5.
