The Coming Prognostications of Kmail

With a new election season soon upon us in Kirkwood, a certain group of Kirkwoodians will be receiving Kmail election prognostications. The author of Kmail is Keith P. Williams Sr. Keith has a select group of Kirkwoodians he sends his emails to regarding various issues in our community. Keith has refused to allow me to receive his emails directly ever since I dared to question his grand proclamations from on high during the Prop C vote in 2007. Yet, several folks that receive his Kmails forward them on to me for a good chuckle.

Keith’s election prognostication Kmails are always a humorous read. It is especially funny to review them after the election happens. His previous two election prognostications have been so far from reality it is almost hillarious, if it were not so sad. I do not know ...

who makes more outrageous claims in our community …

Keith Williams? … or … Michael Moore?

Keith Williams and how he supposedly speaks for all of Kirkwood with Kmail? Michael Moore and his title of Ombudsman with his alleged Human Rights crusade in Kirkwood? It is a real toss up!

Keith really has a good shot at the top spot though. Take for example his first election prognostication about the Prop C – Property Tax Vote in June 2007.

Keith was rambling on in email after email trying everything he could to defeat the Prop C proposal. It was one excuse after another. Keith finally settled on showing how ignorant or clueless he was about our City’s budget reserves. He tried to paint the reserves as some sort of slush fund and how those funds should be used to bring City employee salaries in line instead of solidifying our community’s financial structure with Prop C. Keith either chose to ignore the realities of how that budget reserve needs to be used by our electric department through 2011 or he was just totally clueless about the facts. Since he never seems to go to City Council meetings or any City Board meetings that I know of, I can only suspect it was an issue of cluelessness. But, it was clear he was feverishly trying to defeat Prop C.

This brought on his totally over the top forecast. He supposedly had Kmail readers who in Keith’s world represent his real Kirkwood do a poll on Prop C. Here are Keith’s comments from his May 4, 2007 Kmail:

“Whoa ! Little did I realize how many DIFFERENT reasons people have for voting no on the upcomming Kirkwood Property Tax increase proposal on June 5th. Nor did I expect to get so many replies to the K-poll in only four or five hours after sending out the Kmail. The replies are still pouring in and I am not prepared to handle them as I anticipated. The long and short is that NO is winning over YES by about 4 to one. There are more "no opinions" than YES votes.”

Prop C is going to be defeated 4-to-1. When I read this I just chuckled for a good long while. The K-Fair Ward Proposal was only defeated 3.2-to-1. There was no way Prop C was going down harder than K-Fair’s mess. The response supporters of Prop C were getting from Kirkwood voters while canvassing around the community was too positive for it to get so badly defeated, if defeated at all.

The elections results on June 6, 2007 were YES – 2,280 and NO – 1,583. That is a 1.4-to-1 victory in Kirkwood. It is not the 4-to-1 defeat predicted in Keith’s Kmail Kirkwood.

The next set of election prognostications came in April of this year. Keith once again did a Kmail reader’s poll over who would be our next City Council members. But, prior to the poll Keith went after City Council candidate Tim Griffin for not subscribing to Kmail. Yes, in Keith’s mind if you do not subscribe to Kmail you are not worthy to be a City Council member. (Yet, he refuses to add me to the Kmail list. It is bizarre and boggling.) He even went so far as to keep Tim’s name off the list of “qualified” candidates for the Kmail poll (March 25, 2008 Kmail). What a fair and open poll Keith was running in his own little world! Here is what Keith sent out on April 7, 2008, just a day before the election:

“The K Poll final results as follows: The percentages are calculated on the total number of VOTES cast. (Some cast votes for only one or two candidates instead of voting for 3)

Grand Total

Gina Jaksetic 23%
Craig Conway 22%
Gary Reim 20%
Gerry Biedenstein 18%
Dan Kertz 11%
Tim Griffin 6% “

These poll results are just too foolish to take seriously. The reality in Kirkwood is that after all his years of service to this community there was no way that Tim Griffin was going to be defeated by the entire field of candidates. Especially, not after the way he stepped up to the plate following the February 7th tragedy to lead our community as Deputy Mayor. Plus, there was just no way Tim would be defeated 3-to-1 by four different candidates. If you know past election results in Kirkwood, you know City Council elections do not have very many 2-to-1 defeats, much less multiple 3-to-1 defeats of a sitting City Council member.

The April 8th City Council election results in order of votes received were as follows:
Tim Griffin 3525
Gerry Biedenstein 3189
Gina Jaksetic 2858
Craig Conway 2564
Gary Reim 2524
Dan Kertz 1768

The reality was the Kmail’s bottom candidate was actually the top candidate in our community. Obviously, Keith and his poll results live in their own Kmail world.

So, what will be Keith’s new Kmail election prognostications with the upcoming August 5th special election? What grand forecasts, proclamations and predictions will be made by Keith in the name of Kmail and Kirkwood?

No one really knows.

But I suspect we will still be asking the question …

who makes more outrageous claims in our community …

Keith Williams? … or … Michael Moore?

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He is Ombudsman of what?

Since, my last posting our City’s logo is no longer being misused and abused by Michael Moore, William Thayer and the rest of the Committee for Unity. When I checked their web site Friday morning they had finally removed our City logo from their various pages.

But, what other issues are there with the information presented by Michael Moore and William Thayer on their web site.

Take a look at: http://www.stlcc.us/mmcco.htm

I am not quite sure if this page is a Michael Moore City Council campaign page or a Committee for Unity page. It is not easy to distinguish between the two with what I read. This is not the only thing hard to distinguish the difference between. I am trying to separate … fact from fiction.

The title of the page reads, “Michael Moore: Ombudsman For Kirkwood City Councilman”

I read it again … “Ombudsman.”

Just in case folks are not familiar with the term, Dictionary.com gives the following definitions for ombudsman: “a government official who hears and investigates complaints by private citizens against other officials or government agencies. “ or “a person who investigates and attempts to resolve complaints and problems, as between employees and an employer or between students and a university.” A simple explanation is … it is an official title of someone who acts as a mediator for two parties.

So, I start thinking about the term. If he is an “Ombudsman For Kirkwood City Councilman,”
then questions just start rolling …

He is Ombudsman of what? … Why is he Ombudsman? … He is Ombudsman for whom? … He is Ombudsman for where? … How is he Ombudsman? … He is Ombudsman for what? … When is he Ombudsman?

I have never seen Michael act in this capacity in our community. But, maybe I missed something?

Someone gave him this official title … right … so what is it all about? What two dissimilar or at times opposing parties selected him to be an official Ombudsman? There are just tons of unanswered questions.

But, what is not in question is the fact that he is using this official title as part of his City Council campaign on a page that also talks about his political group Committee for Unity which is supposedly focused on “Human Rights” in Kirkwood.

I am hoping Mr. Moore can clarify just what all this title of “Ombudsman” he supposedly has completely entails?

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The Arrogance Is Unbelievable …

Today I got onto City Council candidate Michael Moore’s website to find out more about his campaign platform. His site can be found at www.stlcc.us.

I click on the link FIRST HUMAN RIGHTS AND RELATIONS MEETING (url: http://www.stlcc.us/hrinfopg1.htm) under Michael’s picture. It takes me to a page advertising a meeting of Michael’s group “Committee for Unity.” So, I click on the Committee for Unity (url: http://www.stlcc.us/cu.htm) link and come to a web page with the City of Kirkwood’s logo on it.

What!?!?!

What is the logo of the City of Kirkwood doing on the main page of Michael’s political group “Committee for Unity?” Who gave Michael the right to use our community’s City logo for his own personal political agenda?

This has to be a fluke … right? No one would have the insolence to attempt to legitimize their personal political campaign by misusing the copyrighted logo of our City government?

So, I start clicking on the other links on “Committee for Unity’s” page.

Here are the other pages misusing our City’s logo:
http://www.stlcc.us/khraac.htm
http://www.stlcc.us/khraacweb.html
http://www.stlcc.us/hrissues.htm
http://www.stlcc.us/komplaintform.htm

How much more misleading can you get with what is being perpetrated on these pages? I am just shocked by this outright abuse of our City logo for a personal political agenda. This has to be either ignorance or arrogance to have gone this far. The answer to this question becomes clear as I read this statement at the top of each of these pages:

“An Initiative Charter Petition and a Human Rights Initiative are in construction and moving to completion by the Committee for Unity (CU) now. CU is also making some additional proposed changes in related areas of Kirkwood Human Rights Advisory And Awareness Commission and Kirkwood Human Rights and Relations including Web pages like this one to let Kirkwood citizens know how much the community wants and cares for each individual.”

I am just amazed at the gall of this statement given their actions. So, I have to find out who makes up the “Committee for Unity.” Well, according to the “Committee for Unity” main page their members are:

Michael Moore, Carl Jones Jr., Michele Jones, Elswerth Caviness, Lloyd Jones, Charles Howard, Charles Runnel, Yvette Howard, Share Thomas, Sharon Thomas, William Thayer, Reese E. Forbes, Christina OHallaron, Elaine Thayer and Lucy Thayer. Nonresident associates: Pastor Larry Addison, Ken Gordon, Grant A. Godwin, Cindy Neu, David Breeden, Karen Kalish and Arthur Grunmann.

Where do the members of “Committee for Unity” get the idea they can misuse and in this case abuse our City logo that belongs to all of us? Do these folks even have a clue about political campaign ethics? Much less any idea about what the term copyright or trademark means?

Yet, these folks have taken upon themselves to write and draft a new law to replace our present Human Rights Commission ordinance in our community?

Give me a break ... The Arrogance Is Unbelievable … but this is only the beginning with Michael Moore, William Thayer and the rest of the “Committee for Unity.”

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If you are displeased with this abuse of our City logo by the “Committee for Unity” then please contact our Chief Administrative Officer Mike Brown at 822-5806 or brownmg@kirkwoodmo.org to let him know your thoughts. He ultimately has the task of protecting our community and its property from these kind of abuses.

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June Poll: Is the Kirkwood City Council Partisan or Nonpartisan?

St. Louis Magazine in their May print edition carried one part of a 4-part article on the different aspects of the February 7th tragedy. The other three parts of the article were available in the on-line edition. I sent and email to the editors of St. Louis Magazine which became a blog posting on the incredibly poor job of reporting done in the two main parts of the 4-part article. That posting made on May 6th was entitled St. Biased … oops I mean … St. Louis Magazine's “The Kirkwood Shootings” Article. I have yet to receive a response from the author Ms. Jeanette Cooperman or her two editors Mr. Stephen Schenkenberg and Mr. Matthew Halverson.

... We interrupt this broadcast for an important message …

Is it not interesting how journalists are consistently writing articles and editorials trying to “right” some kind of “wrong” or bring some kind of “issue to light” and vehemently defend their actions as “free speech,” but somehow become incredibly quiet when they so miserably create the “wrong” themselves? Why do journalists seem to lack the ability to bring the “issue to light” when they blow it with an article or editorial? Why do they fail to “right” the “wrong” they created by equally exercising their “free speech” rights?

... Now back to your regularly scheduled program …

In Ms. Cooperman’s article she wrote this charge against our community from an unknown source …

"'Do they realize Kirkwood’s the only city in America where you can be mayor without an election? It’s a power grab,' a Democrat insists, pointing out that Karr was the only Democrat on a supposedly nonpartisan council."

Yes, the reporters and editors of St. Louis Magazine want their readers to believe we do not have other Democrats on our City Council. These professional journalists want their readers to believe we have a partisan City Council in Kirkwood. They obviously exercised their trained and professional fact-checking skills before they printed that statement. Right? (wink)

So, in June’s Poll I ask you two questions:

When it comes to national political party affiliation – Republican, Democrat, etc. – do you think Kirkwood’s City Council is … partisan – drawn by part lines … or … nonpartisan – not drawn by party lines … or … do you not know?

When you vote for someone running for City Council what is the most important factor in your decision? The options are … Their national party affiliation – Republican, Democrat, etc. … or … Their public record of who they are what they have done in our community … or … Their picture on their campaign materials … or … Some other factor.

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Results May Poll: Curbside Recycling in Kirkwood

First, I want to say thanks to all of you that participated in this first poll.

The results were a bit surprising. Now I know this was not a scientific poll that used any form of analytical sampling. But, the results do point out some issues about curbside recycling in the community.

I found it interesting that the results for Q1 were almost equally split between whether or not there is “curbside recycling” available in Kirkwood.

The answer is – Yes … there is “curbside recycling” available in Kirkwood. A private hauler, Earth Circle, offers this service. In fact, Earth Circle has been providing this service in Kirkwood since 1997. The fee is only $50 every 6 months for a once a week pickup. For more information about Earth Circle's service see the link “Kirkwood Curbside Recycling” on the left under “useful area links.”

The most telling results were from Q2 on the appeal of “curbside recycling.” The poll mirrored the results of the 2004 election when “curbside recycling” was placed before us to vote on. By a 2-to-1 majority those that took the poll said “curbside recycling” did not appeal to them. The folks that took the poll said they already used our recyclery.

I am sure we are not done discussing the subject of “curbside recycling” in Kirkwood. But, it seems clear to me that we presently have the best of both worlds. Folks that care enough to recycle take advantage of our free recyclery without having to pay extra for a mandatory curbside service. Yet, for those that want a curbside service, they can get one for a very reasonable rate.

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