Saint Louis Conservative's new Favorite Judge

Judge Robert H. Dierker, Jr., take a back seat.  Though I'm still quite fond of Dierker's personal fight against red light cameras in the City of St. Louis (chronicled here and here), that fight was undertaken as an accused litigant in front of the bench.

Mark Neill has now taken up the fight as a judge behind the bench.  Neill, like Dierker a Circuit Court Judge in the the City, ruled Friday that the City's red-light camera ordinance is unconstitutional and invalid.  (Link to story here.)

As they say in some parts of the country, "Darn tootin'!"

Kudos to Judge Neill, SLC's new favorite!

Recycle Government - Gateway to November

The "Tea Party" is coming to the Arch grounds in St. Louis on September 12, 2010.  For details, click here or here.  Make plans to come on out and show your support for limited government.

A live tiger for Mizzou? I can think of better ways to spend $2 million

Tim Noce, the president of the Missouri Students Association is pushing to have a live tiger at Faurot Field for Mizzou football games.  According to Noce, a real tiger - as opposed to Truman - would "increase school spirit and draw attention to Missouri athletics."  The cost . . . ONLY two million dollars.  (Link to                                                                                  story here.)

Thankfully, Noce is looking for private donations and not tax dollars to pay for this idea but still, in the midst of a pretty big recession, two million dollars is a lot of money.

I would respectfully request that if this young man can attract two million dollars in donations, he ought to be doing it for a cause more worthy of the money than a new school pet.

Here are just a few such causes . . . 

starting scholarships for kids who want to get an education at Mizzou but can no longer afford it because of the recession,

donating to the American Red Cross's Haiti Relief and Development fund, or 

purchasing 200,000 mosquito nets to fight malaria, one of the largest killers of children in Africa, through Nothing But Nets.

Wouldn't you rather support a good cause, save a life, combat poverty, or provide an education to someone in need than look at an animal at a football game?  Rah, rah!

Here's hoping Mizzou gets its priorities in line.

Why is Washington responsible for school lunches?

Today, Michelle Obama took the reigns of the "Let's Move" campaign, described by the New York Times as "a sweeping initiative . . . aimed at revamping the way American children eat and play - reshaping school lunches, playgrounds and even medical checkups - with the goal of eliminating childhood obesity within a generation."  (Link to story here.)  

First Ladies have always had their causes from Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" campaign to Hillary Clinton's failed attempt at socializing medicine in America to Laura Bush's promotion of literacy.  I have no particular problem with Mrs. Obama taking on childhood obesity.  And, frankly, I have no problem with nutritious lunches at school or exercise-promoting playgrounds.  I don't even have a problem with the First Lady using her status to encourage change in habits.

I do have a problem with this campaign coming from Washington, D.C.  It grates on me.  It grates on me because the role of the federal government has expanded so far into the daily lives of Americans that it is taking on the task of determining what to feed our children at school, bypassing state governments entirely and usurping the role of local school boards.

In an ideal world, or even in a country operating as this country's founders envisioned, most power would remain with the people; some would be given to local government entities - like cities, counties, or school boards; a smaller share would go to the states; and very little would be given to the federal government.  Why?  Because the closer the government is to the people, the more responsive the government is to the wants and needs of the people.  If I have a problem with my children's school lunches, or their playgrounds, etc., I should be able to take it up with a neighbor, a school board member who lives nearby and is elected to serve the school district.  Does anyone think that somebody in Washington would be more responsive to me than my neighbor?

Ours is no ideal world.  Everything has been (or is being) federalized.  Washington has its sticky fingers everywhere.  America has lost its way.  The distribution of power is upside-down and "Let's Move" is symptomatic.  

Nothing personal Mrs. Obama.  I hope that your campaign meets its goal.  I just wish the power to do something about the problem was closer to my home than yours.

Scott Brown Election-Night Watch Party

Ed Martin, a Republican candidate hoping to unseat Russ Carnahan for Congress in October is hosting a Senate Watch Party tomorrow night from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at 1921 South Brentwood Boulevard in Brentwood.  Here's a link to the events page at Martin's website.  The establishment is only identified by its street address at the site but, since the address matches, I'm assuming that the party will be at O'B. Clark's.  

The party is, of course, organized to watch the election reports from the special election in Massachusetts where Republican Scott Brown is gaining momentum in his bid to end the Democrats' super-majority in the U.S. Senate.

Go Scott Go!  And, in October, Go Ed Go!

If you've got the time and inclination, head to Brentwood tomorrow night and lend two fellow conservatives your support.

A victory for law

I'm no fan of convicted sex offenders but I still give credit to the Missouri Supreme Court. Today, by a 4-3 decision, the Court determined that additions to the list of restrictions on convicts enacted years after their crimes, trials, and sentencings could not apply retroactively. (Link to story here.)

That's good news for those of us writing blogs that are currently legal.

to talk about the past . . .

Mark McGwire has admitted that he used steroids in the 1990s, including during the faux-magical 1998 season.  (Link to story here.)

Americans are a forgiving lot.  St. Louisans probably more than most.  Admission of past mistakes is, of course, a giant step toward reconciliation.

Let the healing begin.  It is likely to take a long time.

Judge Dierker won his red light camera case . . . that's too bad.

Congratulations to St. Louis City Circuit Judge Robert H. Dierker, Jr., who was found not guilty yesterday of running a red light.  He - or at least his car - had been caught by one of the nearly ubiquitous intersection cameras in December of last year.  (Link to story here.)

Dierker decided to fight the ticket.  First he challenged the constitutionality - and lost at the trial court level.  I had hoped that the judge would move on and be found guilty so that he could appeal the constitutionality of red light cameras - and, hopefully, begin the end of the Camera Age.  (Here's a link to my prior blog of encouragement.)

But, alas, it was not to be.  Dierker won.  The court documents were sealed.  And there won't be any appeal.  The system is again unchallenged.  

I suspect that municipalities and camera contractors everywhere are taking a short break from counting their money to do a little status quo victory dance.

Mr. Smith is, indeed, going to jail

As expected, and despite the pleas for leniency from his fellow Democrats (like Attorney General Chris Koster), former State Senator Jeff Smith has been sentenced to prison.  (Link to story here.)  (Link to backstory here.)

Democrats nominate tax delinquent with bad grammar for General Assembly

Talibdin El-Amin, a Democrat, plead guilty in September to federal bribery charges and resigned his seat in the Missouri House of Representatives.  (Link to prior post here.)

Wouldn't you think that the Democrat power-brokers in the City of St. Louis who met yesterday to pick a replacement candidate would choose somebody without baggage?

Instead, they nominated Hope Whitehead, who had to rush to City Hall on Friday "to pay hundreds of dollars in outstanding taxes."  (Link to Jake Wagman's story in the Post-Dispatch here.)  Apparently, she was delinquent in paying her personal $1,155 in property taxes and only paid because tax delinquents are not eligible for election ballots in Missouri.

Whitehead acknowledged that since she'll be in the public eye she needs to do a better of paying her taxes.  She's quoted as saying "I've got to do that different now."  First of all, note that she's only going to bother paying her taxes when they're due because she's "got to" and, second, instead of doing it "different," shouldn't she be doing it "differently?"

My kingdom for a grammarian.

Freedom of Speech . . . SLU-style

In 2006, the president of Saint Louis University, Rev. Lawrence Biondi, taking heat for his school hosting "The Vagina Monologues" defended intellectual diversity . . . "Sometimes that means hosting speakers, events or plays that some may find inappropriate on a Catholic College campus.  But as soon as censorship begins at any university, where does censorship end?"

That's certainly a good question Father Biondi, and one that you might want to revisit now that SLU has canceled David Horowitz's speech on "Islamo-Fascism Awareness and Civil Rights."  (Link to Kavita Kumar's story in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch here.  Kumar gets credit for the Biondi quotation above too.)

Washington University . . . the good and the very, very bad

Today, my wife and I had the extreme joy of seeing our baby on an ultrasound.  The facility where it was performed was operated by Washington University and staffed by its employees.  Our technician was kind, and wonderful.  And the sight of our unborn child was breathtaking, as it always is.  Life . . .  so small but so wonderfully real.  Thanks to Washington University for that.  It is good.

But seeing the Washington University Physicians logo on the ultrasound technician's lab coat reminding me of this entry I had noticed on a friend's blog a few days ago.  That post linked to one from Joe Ortwerth at the Missouri Family Policy Council's site.  The headline says it all . . . "Washington University Teams with Barnes Hospital to Train Abortionists."  For all the sad details, link here.

A cyberspace pat on the back to Jefferson County Sheriff Glenn Boyer

Why does he deserve a pat on the back?  Read his response to a selfish, whining, e-mail that he received from someone upset by the inconvenience of a fallen hero's funeral procession at this link.  Thanks for telling it like it is Sheriff.

Can Mr. Smith get to Washington anymore? Nope. But he can get to jail.

In 2004, Jeff Smith ran in the Democratic primary against Russ Carnahan (and others) for the congressional seat vacated by the retirement of Dick Gephardt. His effort was became the subject of a documentary titled "Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore?". The movie, apparently, is a behind-the-scenes look at how this novice, upstart, idealist nearly defeated a member of a Missouri political dynasty. I suspect that the filmmakers weren't given access to all the action going on behind the scenes like when Smith "authorized 'a close friend' to raise money for a committee that paid for fliers with an anonymous attack against Carnahan." (Link to Post-Dispatch story here.)

Today, that same Jeff Smith, the underdog idealist (who parlayed his failed run for Congress into a State Senate seat) plead guilty to two felony conspiracy charges of obstruction of justice relating to investigations into those anonymous fliers. He's now facing 15 to 21 months in federal prison.

Does anybody know if there is a federal prison in Washington?

McCaskill Healthcare Forums

Claire McCaskill issued this press release today announcing three more town hall meetings on healthcare "reform."

Senator McCaskill calls these events "Listening Forums."  Missouri conservatives from Hannibal, Moberly, and Kansas City (or those who can get to those locations) should turn out in force to make sure Claire hears what she ought to hear.  Unlike many of her liberal colleagues, McCaskill seems like she might actually be willing to represent her constituents.  Let's make sure she knows what that means on Obamacare.

This fight isn't over.  Far from it.  Keep up the pressure.

McCaskill promises to oppose abortion funding in healthcare bill

It appears that Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill got an earful today at her "Town Hall" meeting in Hillsboro.  

My real job had me in the car much of the day and I listened to more than one newscast on KMOX.  Since I was driving, I didn't take notes but I heard a couple of encouraging things reported.  First off, there was a report that when folks were asked to show their hands if they opposed Obamacare and an estimated 80% of the crowd did.

Second, and even more importantly, I heard that McCaskill promised to vote against any healthcare bill that included federal funding for abortion.  (That promise is confirmed here in a story by KWMU - sorry KMOX, I couldn't find confirmation at your site.)

We heard you Senator.  And we'll hold you to your promise.

(As an aside, I also heard KMOX report that Congressman Lacy Clay claimed that Obamacare was not an attempt to socialize medicine in the United States.  He must either be dishonest, uninformed, or have a very funny definition of socialized medicine.)

Springfield Conference to discuss the truth about global warming

The group Scientists for Truth is holding a conference in Springfield, Missouri, on Thursday called "Debunking Climate Change Myths."  Check out their web-site here.  It includes conference info, registration, and hotel information.  Unfortunately, SLC has to work for a living and won't be there.

Tomorrow's St. Louis Post-Dispatch is running this story on the conference.  Surprisingly, to me anyway, the story is relatively neutral in tone.  But, of course, the last word does go to a name-calling enviro-nut (yes, I know, I'm attempting to be funny here).

Environmental Nuts focus scare tactics on Missouri

Here's the lead of a story from tomorrow's St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

If greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase at current rates over the next few decades, St. Louis could face heat waves every other year like the one that killed hundreds of people in Chicago in 1995, according to a climate-change analysis released Tuesday.

Note two major weasel-words in this single (though long) sentence.  It boils down to this . . . "if" something we don't like happens, something really bad "could" happen and kill lots of people.

But, guess what, if it "could" happen, it also might not.  And, in reality, probably won't.

I have to give credit to the commenter "LEONARDWILSON" who wrote, "If we had valid climate data over the past 1,000 years, which we don't, we might actually be able to see some trends in climate change.  I guess the fact that we've experienced the coolest July on record, more or less, this year, doesn't mean anything."

I hate to tell you this Leonard, but facts don't mean much to the global warming nuts.  Our cool July - like Chicago's - is ignored because it doesn't fit the template.  To them, it isn't about science, it is a cult-like religion to them.

Alton Illinois Tea Party - Saturday

Y'all come.  Details here.

Smoke 'em if you got 'em . . . before it's too late

I'm no fan of tobacco smoke.  Far from it.  I cannot figure out how or why anybody lights up that first one.  Have you no sense of smell?  Have you no desire to live a long life?  Without coughing up a lung?  Or two?

But I am a fan of freedom.  Cigarettes are, at least for now, legal.  Yet anti-smoking crusaders are out in force and attempting to ban Americans from conducting a legal activity on their own time and on their own property.

Two such stories are in the news today . . .

First, "experts" at the Pentagon are urging the U.S. Military to ban tobacco use by soldiers, sailors, and marines.  (Link to story here.)  No word on whether or not the ban would apply to the Commander-in-Chief.

Second, and closer to home, West County EMS and Fire Protection District (which serves Manchester and Town and Country) is banning smoking by its employees on district property and when in uniform (I have no quarrel with that) and "Anyone hired to the district after January 1 must refrain from smoking or chewing tobacco while on or off duty as a condition of employment."  (Link to story here.)

Listen, I understand the harmful effects of tobacco.  And I understand the effects of public smoking.  But these efforts to control employees' behavior off-duty is overstepping the bounds of an employer.

What is happening to Americans' freedom to be left alone?