Don't Forget the VP Parade July 1st.

Veiled Prophet Parade

a 128 year tradition

Can I take my taxes as a charitable deduction?

Over the past four years University City resident's taxes skyrocketed. Now it appears that "donations" to our Zoo and Museums were not exactly voluntary and did create hardship.

From the St.Louis usiness Journal:

Visitors to the Saint Louis Zoo can now visit the Insectarium's butterflies, Peruvian fire sticks and ladybugs for free. A giant model dinosaur is getting a new lining at the Saint Louis Science Center. Other upgrades, maintenance projects and educational programs are under way at the Saint Louis Art Museum, Missouri History Museum and the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Thank St. Louis city and County residents for them. These improvements are due in part to larger property tax contributions made to the five member institutions within the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District (ZMD). District revenue increased 8 percent from $62.2 million in 2004 to $67.3 million last year. That followed a 19 percent tax revenue gain of $10 million in 2004 over 2003, according to ZMD financial statements.

Post-Dispatch Censors On Full Alert

From Missouri GOP:

The media typically has a liberal bias. Fine, we get it, it’s our job to fight it. We send out releases detailing how nearly 50,000 jobs have been created in Missouri since Governor Blunt took office, how our state’s unemployment rate has dipped below the national average, how under Governor Blunt’s leadership Republicans in the House and Senate have increased spending on education by over 1/3 of a billion dollars. And those are only a few of the accomplishments we promote to the media outlets in our state. However, despite being spoon-fed the facts, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch continues to ignore the truth and publish blatantly biased articles favoring liberal Democrats in our state. Recently, however, the Post-Dispatch took their liberal bias one step further. Over half a dozen Republican supporters have reported to our office that they submitted letters to the editor on topics ranging from support of the governor’s ethics reform bill to dismay about ludicrous scandal rumors in Jefferson City. Our Executive Director, Jared Craighead submitted a letter over a week ago to all members of the Post-Dispatch editorial staff and received absolutely no response and just this weekend state Rep. Carl Bearden submitted a letter in response to brutal attacks by the Post and his letter was not printed. With a Republican governor and majorities in the House and Senate, Republicans have turned our state around. A $1 billion debt created by Democrats has been turned into a budget surplus which has spurred economic growth and created thousands of new jobs for hard-working Missourians. The Post-Dispatch has made it clear that they are not interested in the facts and the truth has fallen on deaf ears. Don’t go to the Post-Dispatch for your news – you won’t get the whole story. Click here to read Rep. Bearden’s letter.

Hate Crimes

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From People's Cube:

U City Runs Sting Operation On Citizens

For the past several weeks, University City Police have been running a sting operation on Delmar Blvd. near Luptons Chapel. They send a decoy pedestrian into a crosswalk in front of on-coming traffic. If the automobile does not stop (California style) the driver is issued a traffic ticket.

While this appears to make Delmar Blvd. a little more pedestrian friendly, it has created a dangerous hazard on the roadway. The decoy has purposefully stepped in front of on-coming traffic which may or may not have time to stop. Police standing in the road attempting to pull over violators create a hazard and police pursuits have ended up around blind corners where heavy traffic flows.

While there may have been serious injuries on Delmar, this is a busy street and will never be pedestrian friendly. Cross walks with signals have had fatalities on Delmar. People run those red lights all of the time. Creating a dangerous situation to prevent another dangerous situation seems foolish. Creating a false sense security where none should be expected could be lethal.

Kerry's Tire Slashers Sentenced

A congresswoman's son and three Democratic campaign workers were sentenced Wednesday to four to six months in jail for slashing tires outside a Bush-Cheney campaign office on Election Day 2004.
The men pleaded no contest in January to misdemeanor property damage. A fifth worker was found not guilty.
"This case had to be a public example of what can happen when you interfere with voters' rights," said Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Michael Brennan, who rejected prosecutors' recommendation of probation for the four men.

U City Election Results

****** CITY OF UNIVERSITY CITY (17 POLLING PLACES) *****
Precincts Counted - . . . . . . . 17 100.00%
Registered Voters - . . . . . . . 25,581
Ballots Cast - . . . . . . . . . 5,789 22.63 %

MAYOR 1 TO BE ELECTED
JOSEPH "JOE" ADAMS . . . . . . . 2,895 51.15 %
SHELLEY WELSCH . . . . . . . . 2,765 48.85 %

*** CITY OF UNIVERSITY CITY-WARD 1 (8 POLLING PLACES) **
Precincts Counted - . . . . . . . 8 100.00 %
Registered Voters - . . . . . . . 8,712
Ballots Cast - . . . . . . . . . 2,245 25.77 %

COUNCILMEMBER-FIRST WARD 1 TO BE ELECTED
ROBERT G. "BOB" WAGNER . . . . . 1,618 80.38
ALLEN S. SABOL . . . . . . . . 395 19.62

*** CITY OF UNIVERSITY CITY-WARD 2 (6 POLLING PLACES) **
Precincts Counted - . . . . . . . 6 100.00
Registered Voters - . . . . . . . 7,629
Ballots Cast - . . . . . . . . . 1,833 24.03 %

COUNCILMEMBER-SECOND WARD 1 TO BE ELECTED
L. MICHAEL GLICKERT . . . . . . 1,073 67.27 %
EDWARD MCCARTHY . . . . . . . . 522 32.73%

*** CITY OF UNIVERSITY CITY-WARD 3 (6 POLLING PLACES) **
Precincts Counted - . . . . . . . 6 100.00 %
Registered Voters - . . . . . . . 9,240
Ballots Cast - . . . . . . . . . 1,711 18.52 %

COUNCILMEMBER-THIRD WARD 1 TO BE ELECTED
ERIC B. REESE . . . . . . . . 639 39.44%
BYRON R. PRICE . . . . . . . . 981 60.56%

Meet the Hip Hop Republican

Voter Fraud OK According to Judge David Mason

Circuit Judge David Mason in St. Louis has sentenced a woman, who turned in voter registration cards in the name of dead local politicians, to probation, community service and relaxation training using transcendental meditation. Way to go Dave! Missouri citizens do not need fair and honest elections. More crack heads are always a plus.

According to the Assocoiated Press:

Michelle Robinson, 36, pleaded guilty Friday on charges of 13 violations of election law and of possession of crack cocaine and a crack pipe.

Robinson worked for a campaign called Operation Big Vote that aimed to boost the participation of black voters in the 2001 St. Louis mayoral election. But some of the cards she turned in on Feb. 7, 2001, were made out in the names of several dead former city aldermen, triggering state and federal criminal investigations.
Robinson admitted in court Friday that she had filled out 13 fraudulent cards, including ones for now-deceased Aldermen Albert "Red" Villa and Nellene Joyce, whose daughter is a St. Louis circuit attorney.

Maybe Maria needs a Che T-Shirt

A Letter from Maria

There are groups who believe we can better educate our children. This group will support politicians who support their ideas. However, State Rep, Maria Chappelle...... wants to make a political issue out of our kids future:

Dear University City Residents,
As many of you know, I have taken the lead in the Missouri House to ensure our schools districts are safe from special interest groups, such as Wal-Mart, Overstock.com, Alliance for School Choice and the group, which funded Matt Blunt in his campaign against Claire McCaskill, All Children Matter.

From many of my newsletters I have stated the funding stream that right-wing Republicans have used to take democratic seats in the house and senate. I have stated in previous newsletters which legislators have also been swept by these out-of-state special interests, such as Ted Hoskins, democrat from the 80th Legislative district, who has received over $13,000 from All Children Matter-MO PAC directly into his legislative account.

Well, I am sad to say, that Mayor Adams has taken money directly from the sponsor of House Bill1783, Ted Hoskins, which is a state-tax credit voucher bill which will take $40 MILLION dollars from Missouri's Education Budget.

In his last financial disclosure, Ted Hoskins not only maxed out on the Adams campaign, but just this week he PAID for an AD in the Citizen Journal. The School Voucher proponents are BUYING off our local officials AND WE CAN NOT LET THAT HAPPEN!

Take a look at your Citizen Journal again, look at the bottom of the page as it reads "Paid for by 80th Legislative District committee." This is Ted Hoskins committee, which received thousands of dollars for passage of the school Voucher bill just this year.

If you have a problem with Joe Adams taking money from PROPONENTS OF SCHOOL VOUCHERS, please call him and ask why is he selling out our schools and community at 862-7877. Ask why the disguise Joe? It was always peculiar to me why Betty Thompson supported Joe this go round, yet had her son oppose him 8 years ago.

Also, to refer to all financial disclosures of All Children Matter-MO PAC, Ted Hoskins or the 80th legislative district please go to the Missouri Ethics web site at http://www.moethics.mo.gov/.

If Maria would stand up for U City kids, perhaps All Children Matter would
support her too.

Democrats guilty again

Democrats have been found guily again of not reporting campaign contributions. I thougt it was the Republicans who could not be trusted. What were the Democrats afraid of reporting?

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The Missouri Ethics Commission has fined the Missouri House Democratic Campaign Committee $104,000 for various campaign finance violations during the 2002 elections.
The fine is among the largest ever levied by the commission.
The commission found that the Democratic committee failed to report how much direct support it gave to which candidates. It also did not correctly report some contributions and expenditures, mixed money with another campaign committee, was controlled by candidates for office and didn't keep proper records, the commission found.

From the Kansas City Star:

House Democrat committee fined $100,000

Ed McCarthy has Clear Vision for University City

In a community that looks run down, has high taxes and has a low performing school system, one candidate has a clear vision. Edward McCarthy declares that if elected to City Council, he will:

• Build and add to the tax base
• Reduce or curtail high taxes
• Provide timely information to citizens through the web site
• Update technology in City Hall
• Reduce the expenditure of funds for the benefit of small groups in city hall

Edward is a well qualified candidate who is dedicated to this city.

See STLtoday candidates

St. LoiusCounty Republicans Host Lincoln/Reagan Day Dinner

Last night the St. Louis Couty Republicans hosted the Lincoln/Reagan Day Dinner at the Frontenac Hilton. Speakers and guests included:

• Lt. Governer Peter Kinder
• Congressman Todd Akin
• Senate President Pro-tem Michael Gibbons
• Senator Kit Bond
• Kurt Odenwald
• Brenda Talent

Also, the keynote speaker was Sara Taylor, Director of Political Affairs form the White House.

A funtime was had by all.

Can you find the leader?

Two U City Candidates Do Not Meet Requirements

From STL Today:

As of Tuesday, city officials had taken no action on the challenge by Edward McCarthy, one of two candidates for the 2nd Ward seat. On Friday, four
members of the council met in emergency session and told City Manager Frank Ollendorff to sit on McCarthy's letter until the full council can consider
it.

The council is to meet Saturday for a "study session," an open meeting to discuss issues. As of Tuesday, Ollendorff said, no council member had
asked him to include the tax issue on the agenda.

See: Candidates' late payment of taxes becomes issue in U. City

More Democrats Found Guilty of Fraud

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (AP) -- A former Democratic election worker in this battered city was sentenced Monday to a year and a half in federal prison and a City Hall volunteer got probation for scheming to buy votes in the November 2004 election.Noting that the case reflected an American election process "under attack" by fraud, U.S. District Judge G. Patrick Murphy ordered former precinct committee member Sheila Thomas' prison sentence to be followed by two years of supervised release.

See Story: Two sentenced in East St. Louis vote fraud

U City Subject of New Video

During its 100 years of existence, University City has been many things. It was a pioneer in the women's rights movement, a state innovator in the use of the council-manager government, a model for revitalization, a center for arts and a community of diversity, welcoming large populations of African-Americans, Asian-Americans and Russian Orthodox Jews.

Now it can also claim the title of movie star. The city is the focus of a new documentary titled "University City: The First Century," which is making its formal premier tonight, March 8, at the Center of Creative Arts, 524 Trinity Ave.

See: Documentary highlights University City's 100 years

1994 University Crime Statistics

University City, MO updated crime statistics are now available. Click below to see:
U City Crime Statisitcs