Comptroller taps Ronnie White to chair “Green Team”
White, left, and Green
St. Louis Comptroller Darlene Green has tapped former State Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronnie White to serve as her honorary campaign chair, the campaign announced yesterday.
“The Green Team is back together for another great campaign,” Green said in statement. “I couldn’t be more pleased that Ronnie White has agreed to serve and that so many of our old friends, as well as new people excited by the victory of President-elect Obama, are volunteering to help.”
White, who served on the Supreme Court from 1995 to 2007, presided over Green’s swearing in at City Hall when she was elected to a third full term in 2005.
Now that she is seeking a fourth, swearing her in may be all that’s left — with filing ending Friday, the veteran Democrat faces no opposition.
Green’s outstanding record, independence and honesty certainly deserves four more years. She is truly one of the few bright spots in St. Louis politics.
I will never understand the black community’s passive-aggressive mentality within the city of St. Louis. For all the criticism against and claims of divisive behavior of Mayor Francis Slay, no one from the so-called ‘power elite’ within the black political community such as Comptroller Green will file to run against him in the mayoral race next year. Instead, FORMER officeholders such as Irene Smith and, apparently, Maida Coleman are doing the filing. It seems the current ones are satisfied with just criticizing Slay on the safe sidelines. If no one is going to actually take the man on, why bother even bothering with complaining about him? Just be quiet and call him ‘Mayor’ Slay for another four years.
Why not direct your criticism at someone who would not have to give up the highest office held by an African-American in the city to run for Mayor. Surely Green is not the only black political leader in the entire City. Is she?
Question, I named Comptroller Green as a reference point only. Of course there are many other local prominent black business and political figures besides her. I am just not sure whether the general black community’s crossed swords with Mayor Slay is based on him alone for being allegedly hostile and disrespectful of its concerns and ambitions, or is based on Slay’s entire mayoral administration and so-called political ‘machine’ for being hostile and disrespectful of the same things. If it is the former, then officeholders like Green and Board of Aldermanic president Lewis Reed need to speak with Slay about his mayoral behavior as corresponding members of the ruling tripod Board over the city government. If it is the latter, then the black political, financial, and social parties needs to unite behind a viable candidate to defeat Slay and his administration next year. But at least do SOMETHING instead of only acting like the late great James Brown once said, ‘talking loud, but saying nothing’.
I think Comptroller Green is doing an excellent job. I realize many people want a competent challenger to Slay (I think Sen. Coleman is that challenger), I don’t hold it against her not running for mayor, since it would mean someone else would have to run for comptroller.