St. Louis County councilman hires a pr company
Steve Stenger
St. Louis County Councilman Steve Stenger, D-Affton, earlier this month hired a public relations firm. On Tuesday, the company sent out an email declaring Stenger “is a rising star in St. Louis politics.”
“At 37 years old, Mr. Stenger has already accomplished more than most in a lifetime, and best of all, he’s only getting started,” the email said. Stenger is an attorney and certified public accountant.
Last November, he defeated a nearly eight-year veteran of the council, Councilman John Campisi, R-south St. Louis County, to win the seat. Stenger later Tuesday said he is not promoting himself to win another office. “I have no plans to leave. I enjoy my job,” he said.
Stenger said the promotional email was only a byproduct of the reason that he hired Musen Steinbach Weiss Image Works Public Relations of Creve Coeur. What he mainly needs from the company is someone “to manage the beast of time,” he said.
“I need an interface to communicate more efficiently with the public,” he said. He said he sought help getting the best use of his time.
Stenger represents a district that is largely in the unincorporated area. In most of his district Stenger is the only local elected official involved with municipal services.
“I have to go to charitable events, business openings,” Stenger said. “I am trying to be everywhere I can for the people,” he said.
Chesterfield’s first mayor, Fred Steinbach, is a key figure in the company.
“He’s good,” Stenger said. “The company is solid.”
Stenger said he pays the company “out of my own pocket.” He said he does not use campaign funds for the company.
A politician hires a PR firm! It’s like saying a prostitute works in a brothel. Why is this news? It is more newsworthy that this PR firm exists as I have never heard of it.
Well, I never heard of the firm, but of course we have heard of Freddie Steinbach. It was twenty years ago this summer than he ran into some legal issues while serving as mayor of Chesterfield. The late Buzz Westfall - for whom the St. Louis County Government Center is named - served as prosecutor in the matter. I’m sure Councilman Stenger has done his due diligence, but since he was just getting his drivers license at the time, he may have had more important things on his mind than Karen Komen’s columns in the Post-Dispatch.
Gosh, I wannabe a rising star too! Perhaps I’ll hire them.
GeneMac: I remember it well.
I also remember that Fred Steinbach was quickly dumped from a state board because of the controversy.
He was dumped by his fellow Republican John Ashcroft who Fred helped raise more than one million dollars in his election as governor.
Why is Democratic Councilman Stenger hiring a Republican not to mention one with this background?
So he’s a CPA and attorney and got elected to office. Steve Conway did the same thing. Whooppee. Wake me up when this guy actually does anything noteworthy.
In all of the campaigns I worked in through the years, one thing was understood — it was about getting the candidate into the spotlight, not the p.r. firm. Someone at this firm may be crowing about getting anything into the media on this, but it violates the first rule. Why does Councilman Stenger feel the need to vouch that the are a “solid firm?” is there some question?
Would there be anything wrong with using campaign funds to hire a p.r. firm, and what difference does it make?
“I need an interface to communicate more efficiently with the public,” he said.
It’s called a telephone.
What he mainly needs from the company is someone “to manage the beast of time,” he said.
It’s called an alarm clock.
“I have no plans to leave. I enjoy my job,” he said.
It’s called self-centered.
The real news here is that as a Democrat the Post prints his press release… for free… and treats it as news. AND doesn’t say anything about Fred Steinbach.
Were Stenger a Republican… well we all know that this would be page one news and that Stenger would be tared with the Steinbach scandal from when he was in high school.
I can see Campisi thumping his forehead..”Why didn’t I think of that”!
“I was using a fire hydrant to fill my swimming pool as a public service”.
“Haven’t you ever seem the Mehlville fire district flush the lines”?