It was an interesting mail day…
Amid several cards from candidates and about ballot issues came one from Michael O’Donnell, the Republican running for the 95th state house district. Held by Republican Marsha Haefner for eight years, the ice cream cone shaped 95th starts where the Mississippi and Meramec rivers meet, comes up I-55 on the west and then zigzags through subdivisions east to the Mississippi. It is overwhelmingly residential, filled with homes at or often way above the median price for the region. And, it is virtually all white people.
On the back of O’Donnell’s card the final bullet point, a new line in his literature: The ONLY Candidate who will fight against the City-County Merger.
That’s a strange thing to say since the Democrat running for the seat – Mile Walter – has never spoke out in favor of the merger. Not in his literature, not at the League of Women Voters forum, not even at the Oakville Democrats monthly meetings (where Mike speaks a lot).
Of course, I never endorsed a merger, yet, when I ran for the same seat two years ago Haefner’s workers all wore sweatshirts saying The Only Candidate Opposed To The City County Merger.
Likewise, the Republican running for St. Louis County Executive, Paul Berry III, ran a color ad on page 2 of today’s Oakville Call stating STOP CITY – COUNTY MERGER
In the grey cloud of text, “There is a well-funded and concerted effort to merge St. Louis City with St. Louis County, which is supported by our current County Executive Steve Stenger.”
Funny thing, the most positive thing I can find from Stenger about a merger comes from a KSDK news story where he states, ‘let’s look at the study’ being prepared by Better Together. And, of course, county voters must vote for any changes. [ https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/st-louis-county-executive-candidates-discuss-a-potential-city-county-merger/63-579227906 ]
So, why are Republicans at the last minute repeating unfounded lies about their Democratic opponents? Why do they imply that the merger is easy to do and just a finger snap from happening?
Simple. Talking about the city-county merger is Twenty First Century code for “we’re protecting white people from colored people.”
The Republicans keep their campaigns simple. They know racism works. That’s why they use it time and again.
Submitted by Glenn Koenen, WCD Member