Slay recall organizers now aiming for “moral victory”
Conceding that triggering a recall vote may not be an attainable goal, opponents of Mayor Francis Slay now have a new objective: “moral victory.”
Veteran activist Zaki Baruti says that the petition movement currently has about 14,000 signatures, well short of the roughly 43,000 needed to force a vote.
Rather, Baruti said the new goal is 19,500 names, a number equal to the amount of votes Slay received in the 2005 general election.
That would send a signal of “serious discontent,” said Baruti, who spoke to KMOX earlier.
The signatures could then be used, Baruti suggested, as an anti-Slay database that could benefit an opponent.
Unseating Slay — either by recall or a regular election — is a tall order. While his foes have been collecting thousands of signatures, Slay has been banking hundreds of thousands to fortify his re-election account.
Baruit and his group of “organizers” all live out in St. Louis County. I think they should focus their attention on issues out there. Why do they care about City issues anyway when they dont live here?
One word description: “Losers”
Uh … how is it a “victory” to make it less than 1/3 of the way to your goal?
It is sorta funny to see the conservative wingnuts posting to stick up for the mayor. Fairly telling…
Regardless I don’t think he can be beat unless somebody with lots of cash $$$ or great name recognition city-wide runs against him.
How disappointing to see everyone immediately decide the candidate with the most money gets to win. Our country’s forefathers should be rolling in their graves at this turn of events. In past city races voters have shown enough savvy to turn down those backed by the Slay machine despite said machine’s pouring thousands of dollars into trying to buy votes. A few rich people can’t outvote a lot of poor ones. The beauty of our system.
When white southsiders are looking for someone else to vote for besides Slay (as became apparent to those canvassing in the state legislature races), the man has problems. And it doesn’t have to be a majority of us, just a few, to join with the North in voting anti-Slay, and that will be enough. And they don’t even have to pay me for my vote.
Honestly, who in this city has the name recognition and general good will to beat Slay? He has been surrounded by disaster, from staff running his campaign site to all sorts of questionable activities regarding the red light cameras. His chief of staff, as hated as I hear he is, talks more than he does, but who is there to take him out? McMillan? you need to actually do something first (and not have huge skeletons in your closet, cough), Daly? ummm not impressed and exactly the same argument besides how can you justify the tax dollars for a new, fancy office, Green? there is more of this city than north of Delmar and you can’t hire everybody off the street for 70,000 a year, Reed? too new and maybe eventually, but he isn’t ready. Chief George? you can’t be serious. Other than that who is there?
Anybody have an answer? If you can’t raise money you can’t win and nobody has the experience or ability to raise money to win. Slay will win, the republicans love him and he can raise all the money he wants.
Why even give Baruti credit for anything? He’s a loser and should stay in the county doing something more constructive like recalling Clay!
Slay needs to go!!!!! He has mismanaged the City,the Public Schools efforts he led have failed miserably, even if he was right about Chief George he handled it badly, my taxes have gone through the roof on my house, we are on a record pace for homicides, the pension system is not funded, he has no new ideas, he was on the Police Board for 7 years while this while debacle was going on, he’s been elected for 23 years and it’s time to go. Rainford, Callow, Bryson and the rest have no leadership abilities and this City is way too segregated.
Slay can be beaten. He is not Mayor for life like Rainford and the rest believe. Green, Daly, McMillan or Reed would all be better Mayors than him. I live close to Darlene and she is not a racist. Daly is competent but I think he did the wrong thing turning his office into a palace. McMillan did a great job as Alderman and would be a good Mayor. Reed beat Shrewsbury when almost no one thought he could and is not a racist either.
I think asdf underestimates how many of us out here in the CWE are ready for a change. Anybody but Slay for Mayor in 2009.
In order for someone to beat Slay, someone has to run against Slay. So far, no announced takers. Slay critics all think it’s a great idea for someone to run against Slay. Someone else, that is, but not them. Everyone wants someone else to make the personal sacrifice, a sacrifice that might even include having to serve as mayor for four years.
If the critics ever get past the hurdle of finding a candidate, they might actually have a shot. Zaki is correct: The list of petition signers would be a great start towards a grassroots effort.
Moral victory — how about winning the mayor’s office? Zaki should run.
Oh, wait.