By Antonio D. French
Filed Thursday, February 23 at 6:51 PM
BREAKING NEWS
Sources tell PUB DEF that Tyus appeared tonight at the ward meeting of 21st Ward Committeeman Arthur "Chink" Washington. Washington announced his support for the former alderwoman who was kicked out of the Board of Aldermen by her peers and Mayor Francis Slay during the 2001 redistricting.
Also at tonight's meeting was Jamilah Nasheed, who has been the frontrunner in the race to replace term-limited Amber Boykins. Nasheed, who will be receiving a resolution of support and acknowledgement of community service from the Board of Aldermen tomorrow, engaged in an impromptu debate with Tyus at tonight's meeting.
Tyus last appeared on a ballot in March of last year when she was defeated in a landslide by former ally, Charles Q. Troupe, for 1st Ward alderman.
Tyus passed out campaign literature informing 21st Ward older residents of "Circuit Breaker Senior Citizen Tax Relief" and "Free Sidewalks". If people have any questions about the programs, the lit encourages them to contact "Alderwoman Tyus." The material claims to be paid for by "Tyus for 60th District State Representative, Sterling Miller, Treasurer" though the Missouri Ethics Commission's website shows no such committee exists.
It is said that Tyus claimed to have the support of the "entire 21st Ward," apparently referring to the support of Committeewoman Myrtle French. Trust us when we say that is absolutely false.
Also running in the race is Boykins' husband, Shaun Simms, and former state rep. Bob Bartlett.
9 Comments:
Sharon Tyus' tactics often infuriate me.
Sterling Miller is her husband, correct?
That flyer claims that South St. Louis alleys get concrete, while North St. Louis gets asphalt.
I live in the *new* 20th Ward on the Southside; nearby in the 9th Ward, a bunch of previously brick alleys were repaved with asphalt this past summer.
I think Ms. Tyus needs to do a little more investigating before making such claims. Besides, I thought she was running for state rep? What is a state rep going to do about the quality of alley paving?
3:37 PM, February 24, 2006
A couple comments about "the Missouri Ethics Commission's website shows no such committee exists."
First, a candidate has 20 days after receiving or spending $500 to file an organizational statement with the MEC. That filing may not be due for nearly 3 weeks, or maybe not even then (because that flyer probably didn't cost $500).
Second, Jake Wagman cited your blog for "posting the flyer," but also seemed to copy (without further attribution) your observations about its "Alderman Tyus" references and even your possible mistake about the absence of MEC filing.
Joe, there's nothing wrong with either using a family member as campaign treasurer or volunteering service to the community as a campaign tool. Both tactics, in fact, are quite common. There are many other legitimate grounds for criticizing Ms Tyus, but these don't fly.
6:11 PM, February 24, 2006
Alderwoman Tyus has great name recognition and will be a formidable candidate for the State Representative race. Look at the facts, she has years of experience on the Board of Alderman, a law degree, real estate development experience, hundreds of important business relationships, and when you look at the 60th District map to determine who will be voting-she definitely has the best chance to win. By the way, what is the background and qualifications of the other people in that race?
8:43 PM, February 24, 2006
Oracle, what I stated was a fact which can not be disputed. The Missouri Ethics Commission's website does not show that the committee exists.
I made no claim about the legality of the flier or even of Tyus' committee. The fact is that the committee is not registered with the state yet and the public has no way of knowing if Tyus has raised any serious cash or who her contributors are.
9:55 PM, February 24, 2006
Im rooting for shaun simms.
10:00 PM, February 24, 2006
Anony, I would remind you that Tyus' strength as a candidate was tested less than a year ago when she ran against Charles Q. Troupe for alderman.
That race was in the 1st Ward, which included some of the areas that used to be in Tyus' old 20th Ward. She lost that race by 16 points, garnering just 711 votes.
10:01 PM, February 24, 2006
What are the applicable qualifications of the other candidates in the 60th District State Representative race? Do any of the other candidates have a law degree or legislative experience on any level as a elected official? Is Charles Q. Troupe endorsing Tyus or someone else? Antonio you sound like you don't like Tyus, that makes for unbalanced coverage. Are you partial to one side or a true evenhanded journalist?
1:53 AM, February 25, 2006
Anony #3, you asked what are the applicable qualifications of the other candidates in the 60th District State Representative race?
Bob Bartlett is a former state rep. and I think he worked in a union for many years.
Jamilah Nasheed has been active in different campaigns over the years, serving as a lieutenant for Troupe, Irene Smith, Yaphett El-Amin, Eric Vickers, and Sharon Tyus.
Shaun Simms has been married to the current state rep, Amber Boykins. Besides that, he hasn't let much be known about himself.
As for your other observation; Let me first say that this is a blog. I don't strive for impartiality. I advocate for the City, its poor, and its underserved.
That being said, I don't mean to sound like I don't like Tyus. I fought against the redistricting plan that moved the 20th Ward to south St. Louis. I believed then, just as I believe today, that it was an illegal, Unconstitutional act of bullying.
But that incident defined a lot of things for me.
It defined the Democratic Party in St. Louis as an organization that places little weight on the loyalty of black voters.
It defined Mayor Francis Slay as a bully who will do things because he can, whether or not he should.
It unfortunately defined Irene J. Smith as a public urinator.
And it defined Sharon Tyus as disloyal and largely full of shit.
Many people -- myself included -- were prepared to fight to the death with Tyus on this issue, because it was about so much more than her political career. What does it say about black political power in this city for us to allow our largest voting ward to be destroyed with one wave of the mayor's pen?
It is in that spirit that Smith embarrassed herself on the floor of the board of aldermen while trying to filibuster the bill. It is in that spirit that there were rallies at churches were people donated money so a federal lawsuit could be filed, showing that this was illegal gerrymandering.
There was a plan on the table involving Sharon Tyus moving to south St. Louis and running against Craig Schmidt for her seat. It was an opportunity for Tyus to go from being a divisive figure to a cause for black political unity and moving that unity into south St. Louis -- one step closer to getting a black majority on the Board.
But Tyus didn't move. She didn't file a lawsuit. And she stopped her public attacks on Slay, Shrewsbury, and the south. Instead, she turned on the people that supported her the strongest -- including Troupe and Irene Smith.
That's why the woman formerly responsible for the largest voter turnout of any ward in north St. Louis only got 711 votes in her last campaign.
I don't dislike Sharon Tyus personally. She just represents lost opportunities and a deep frustration I have with the black political structure in this town.
7:47 AM, February 25, 2006
"Oracle, what I stated was a fact which can not be disputed. The Missouri Ethics Commission's website does not show that the committee exists."
But a fact stated out of context is still deceiving. In this case, I think it's deceiving to state what you did without noting that a committee's registration with the Ethics Commission (which is what shows that a committee "exists") may not be required yet. For example, it is absolutely true that neither Amber Boykins nor Yaphett El-Amin has filed her personal financial disclosure forms yet for the upcoming senate race. But they're not due yet, and so neither Jeff Smith nor Derio Gambaro has filed them either.
On another note, your observation that ward redistricting "defined the Democratic Party in St. Louis as an organization that places little weight on the loyalty of black voters" is right on. I also agree with most of your other observations.
7:37 PM, February 25, 2006
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