First degree: Divide deepens between Troupe, El-Amins
Political friction in the city’s First Ward has exploded into a textbook St. Louis power struggle after a war of words earlier this month.
In one corner, there is Alderman Charles Q. Troupe, who served over 20 years in the State House before term limits forced him to make the move to City Hall. Opposing him are Talbdin and Yaphett El-Amin, the husband-wife tandem that represent the ward as Democratic committeeman and committeewoman.
Talbdin El-Amin is also the area’s state representative, a seat most recently held by his spouse and, before that, Troupe.
Tensions have been high among the two camps for months, but grew to a fever pitch on Jan. 14 when Troupe wrote a letter to constituents - using official board stationary - blasting the El-Amins.
“Our ward and community is under attack by our elected officials Yaphet (sic) El-Amin, her husband Talbdin El-Amin, and associates,” Troupe wrote.
Troupe is particularly critical of a $40,000 donation Talbidn El-Amin accepted from school-choice enthusiast Rex Sinquefield.
“There are roughly 40,000 black children in the public school system, which means El-Amin sold each child for one dollar a piece,” Troupe wrote.
Talbdin counters by pointing out that Troupe, as a state legislator, supported the bill that laid the foundation for charter schools, as well as the transitional board now running the school district. (That’s accurate - read the roll call here.)
In a separate letter, Yaphett - who got her start in politics when Troupe, then committeeman, tapped her to become committeewoman - sends a stern admonishment to her former mentor.
“I have over the last year resisted your attempts to divide us,” she wrote to Troupe, who is now 71. “I would encourage you in your senior years to concentrate the remainder of your time on God’s precious Earth fighting some of our community’s true enemies: prostitution, drugs, poverty, gang violence, unemployment and crime.”
Expect this feud only to intensify - if that’s possible - as both Talbdin and Troupe launch their re-election campaigns.
(2 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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some enlighten me; how does one get a $40,000 contribution with campaign finance limits? multiple sinquefield pacs? exactly where did money come from and funneled through, please.
I remember my buddy Rodney getting a lot, but forget how; Missouri ProVote would know. they track anti-pub educ things pretty good. And my friend Quincy Troupe is an icon who deserves respect even if one might not agree with him; condescending tribe probably doesnt qualify; I think he should be free to express opinion without dismissive disrespect.
and 71 old? tell that to John McCain.