What's NEXT in O'Fallon?

Aldermanic President Lyn Schipper unexpectedly resigned Wednesday, adding fuel to many fires burning in O'Fallon lately.

According to reports, Schipper was admitted to the hospital on Thursday and was released Sunday. Can anyone guess if stress had something to do with this?

After going along with newly elected Mayor Donna Morrow to hire Bob Lowery, Jr. as city administrator, the admission of a fellow alderman that he was tape recording meetings to cover his own ass, the firing of long-time police chief Steve Talbott, booze-gate and various other finger-pointing and name-calling incidents that continue to happen with this new regime, it is no surprise that Schipper has had enough.

Although he's a republican, it should stand as a warning to everyone that wants to get into politics -- if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Schipper and Morrow and others ran on a reform platform for O'Fallon, and in my own humble opinion, they overstepped their bounds on many occasions. I would think that much of the blame should be placed squarely on Morrow's shoulders, as she seems to be the one that wants to run the city, including the police department, her way.

I don't blame Schipper for getting out. Family and health are far more important than staking one's claim in municipal politics.

So, now that numerous city employees and now the President of the Board of Aldermen have left, the real question is: what's NEXT in O'Fallon?

Chief of Police Involved in Greer Recall Election?

So, residents of ward 7 in the city of St. Charles recently received a letter from Police Chief Tim Swope advising them that the upcoming recall election against Councilwoman Dotty Greer was tainted by some signatures that don't appear to be valid. The letter suggests that any individual who believes their name is on the recall petition improperly should notify his department, who will look into the allegations. A source at the police department tells me that they are investigating "dozens" of inappropriately signed names, although Chief Swope admits to having found 15.

It should be pointed out that so many signatures were collected (912) that even if 150 of them were thrown out as illegal, there would still be enough to force the recall election. I'm not discounting what appears to be wrongdoings on the part of some of the signature collectors whatsoever, but since WHEN does the chief of police involve himself with such an obviously political letter one month before an election?




This letter and this tactic reek of Rory Riddler, eternal councilmember and current council president. This was an obvious attempt to intimidate voters, and to also create a certain air of sympathy for Greer prior to the election. I can not imagine any police investigation prompting such a political letter from the chief of police. It is simply inappropriate.

The real question that begs to be answered out of all this, though, is:

HAS DOTTY GREER BEEN THROWN UNDER THE BUS BY RORY AND CREW?

At first blush, it seems like Riddler is doing what he can to protect his ally on the council. After all -- if Greer loses her recall election, Mayor Patti York, forever in Riddler's crosshairs, gets to appoint her replacement -- and you can be damn sure it's not going to be someone that is going to side with Riddler! This essentially shifts the power from Riddler's 5 vote majority to put him back to the minority, which would likely lead to a vote to reorganize the council and remove Riddler as president. More than likely, based upon the current makeup, this would thrust Bob Kneemiller into the role, which, while not thrilling, is better than Riddler.


The interesting thing that is taking place has to do with the recall efforts against another councilman, Mark Brown. Brown, undoubtedly one of the easiest targets for recall (partially because of his bully tactics and partially because of the way he butchers the English language when he speaks), has managed to get Riddler to delay, for months, now, his own recall election, when it should have been on the ballot at the same time as Greer's. This has been a well 0rchestrated plan by Riddler to assure that Brown's recall got delayed, but why wouldn't he do this for Greer? Knowing that his own political power play was in jeopardy should Greer lose her recall election, you would think that Riddler would do all he could for both Greer and Brown. Greer only received 27% of the vote in her "landslide" victory in the first place. That's 384 votes out of 1410 ballots cast. Hardly a mandate!

It is suggested that perhaps this separation was done so that Riddler, the likely campaign manager against the recalls, could concentrate on one election at a time, rather than having to spend all resources at the same time. Either way, the more Riddler and the city council mess around with these recalls, the more people are lining up to throw the bums out. Riddler's power plays over this and other issues threatens his very existence in public office.

The Bastardization of the "Eleventh Commandment"

While reasonable people may disagree, it takes an unreasonable person to consistently bash those in their own organization, as though he is the elite and therefore talking down to the rest of his people.

One such person is well known to many republicans in St. Charles County, and he continues to boggle the mind with his rantings and ravings. The author of riteon.org, whom I'll simply call "Skippy," is at it again.

Not only does this man believe that the state senate is the place to address local development issues, rather than at the county or municipal level, but he also believes that, in order to be the king maker he wants to be, he has to beat the hell out of good republicans so they can be replaced by other, less-deserving republicans that have his personal support.

For example -- State Representative Scott Rupp, candidate for the April special election to the state senate district vacated by Jon Dolan, is on old Skippy's hot seat. Not only did Rupp run an incredible campaign to defeat Darrell Hollinger for the republican nomination in his first attempt to be state representative, but he has impressed many people since that time, with his common sense approach to solving problems, and his ability to maintain a certain level of maturity while people like Skippy attack his record.

Rupp is the Vice Chairman of the House Higher Education Committee, and a member of the House Appropriations Committee for Education, Retirement, and Insurance Policy. Along with that, he is on the Joint Committee on Public Employee Retirement, the Joint Interim Committee on Investments in Higher Education Savings Programs and the Interim Committee on Student Based Higher Education Funding Reform Models. Sensing a theme, here?

Rupp is also owner of a college prep company, Educational Funding and Financial Aid Specialists, where he helps provide information to students and their parents that want to focus on paying for college. He also holds securities dealers licenses and represents companies in the sale of mutual funds, stocks, bonds and variable securities. He ALSO owns a mortgage brokerage company, which specializes in helping to finance higher education expenses. The theme should be pretty well set in your mind. Rupp's expertise is in helping students afford to attend college.

Skippy, however, refers to Rupp as ineffective and "not well liked." Nothing could be further from the truth. If one were to actually meet Rupp, I believe they would walk away with a smile on their face. I would suggest the same for those that meet Skippy's favorite boy, County Councilman Joe Brazil, but there are still vast differences.

Not that I have anything against, Brazil, but the biggest issue that I have with Skippy's recommendation is that Brazil is small time. His fights with Jeff Morrison on the council were highly publicized and made him look petty, but the key issue that Skippy wants to push is "smart growth." The term means managed growth, by definition, to make certain that as the population grows and spreads out away from the urban cores, they don't create piecemeal communities.

Folks, let me set it straight, here -- smart growth issues don't belong in the state senate. They are not state issues at all. They are local issues, and must remain local issues. Skippy, my boy ... perhaps you need to take a drive into Lincoln County, where they don't even HAVE zoning! That's a good chunk of the district, my friend, and if you think that your boy Brazil is going to be accepted by them with open arms, talking your talk of smart growth, you've got a lot of learning to do!

Let's add to this, the woeful story of Darrel Lackey, who Skippy is attacking as someone who won't be "smart growth" on the county council. Lackey is the republican candidate to fill the unexpired term of Morrison. Because Skippy doesn't like the fact that Wentzville is growing (duh!), he is supporting a candidate that was NOT duly chosen by the committee to be the candidate. He is, in fact, supporting a candidate that received only one vote and is now running as an independent (spoiler) candidate.

It seems that old Skippy, in his desire to be a king maker, doesn't mind handing elections off to democrats to prove his point. How far will he go, while peering down at "his people" from his ivory tower in his "I'm smarter than everyone else in the world" castle?

Skippy doesn't enjoy sitting in his ivory tower with Brandy Pederson watching quietly while the rest of the republican party marches past them. Because of their willingness to divide the party in order to gain their own momentum, that is exactly what is being done. They more they both rant, the less that reasonable people will listen to a word they say.

Lincoln Days '06

What a great time Friday night at the St. Charles County Lincoln Days Banquet.

For Lincoln Days to be the night before Mardi Gras, one has to ask -- is it appropriate to wear Mardi Gras beads to a republican event? Of course it is! State Senator John Loudon's campaign staff and volunteers were out in force at the event (I must have counted about twenty) holding banners, handing out literature and wearing beads to promote his candidacy for State Auditor. State Representatives Jack Jackson and Mark Wright were also in attendance, although not quite as flashy -- both also candidates for Auditor.

In my own humble opinion, the speech of the night award goes to Kenny Hulshof. I first met Hulshof when he was a young prosecutor working for the Attorney General's office and was thrust into the limelight as a replacement candidate for congress when Rick Hardy withdrew for health reasons in 1994. He was well spoken, but not quite so well versed when it came to making political speeches. He lost in his first attempt to defeat democrat Congressman Harold "I love to pay taxes" Volkmer, but took him out in 1996 and has never looked back. And wow, has he become polished! I would predict Hulshof as Missouri's highest rising star in republican politics, simply because of his ability to work a crowd. His passionate speech about a future of democrat majorities made a lot of people think of what it would be like if/when the party is over.

Others speaking and mingling that evening include both Senators Kit Bond and Jim Talent. Of course, Talent is up for reelection this year and will face the ever-opportunistic Auditor Claire McCaskill. I wonder if Claire gave up her seat as easily as Nancy Farmer did when she became the sacrificial lamb of the democrat party to run against Senator Bond? Like Farmer, McCaskill will have to give up her own state-wide seat in order to run.

Scott Rupp, always entertaining and never boring (and outstanding candidate for the state senate), introduced Hulshof at the event, and a letter from Congressman Todd Akin was sent in his absence to be read by Rep. Cynthia Davis (who ALWAYS has the microphone just a little bit longer than she should).



It looks like Doug Saulters is back and ready for another run to be Sheriff. He surprised a lot of people when he showed up with bumper stickers already printed at Pachyderms on Friday at noon, but not nearly as much as he did when people saw that he already has numerous signs printed that were posted around the room at the Columns Friday night. Current Sheriff Tom Neer had a contingency, as did Deputy Pat Riley, another candidate for sheriff.

Other notables, state Senator Chuck Gross, sporting a "playoff" beard -- as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I imagine he really feels like he's playing in a playoff game while going through the process! Representatives Sally Faith, Joe Smith, Carl Bearden, and Tom Dempsey. I was disappointed not to see Reps. Sherman Parker, Vicki Schneider or Kevin Threlkeld in attendance, although I know that sometimes schedules just don't allow. (Or, it's quite possible that I couldn't see them because of the vast crowd.)

County Councilmen Doug Funderburk, Joe Brazil and Bob Schnur, who is giving up his seat to run to become the next County Collector were there, as was Patrick Barclay, who has announced that he is running for the seat vacated by Schnur.

For a pompous windbag, I can say that Roland Wetzel and his wife Dee put on a pretty good event, although I'm concerned that they're starting to go just a bit long. By the time the final speaker was finished, a good percentage of the crowd was either gone or in the lobby socializing.

Perhaps they can have something a little scaled back on the speakers next year - or have the speakers start earlier in the program leading up to the big ones. Most everyone was there to hear Talent, but once he spoke, people started mingling more.

The best news of it all, though, is that even though republicans are getting the crap beaten out of them by the liberal media and those democrats with talking points in hand and hotlines to "letters to the editor" of every major media outlet, the energy created by this event still filled The Columns with over 650 in attendance.

Now, if that enthusiasm can continue through November, it ought to be a hell of a year!