Election day, April 8, 2014, wlll you be there to vote?
A lot of discussion has been put forth on this site about who is more qualified to lead Crestwood for the next three years, and to that end I would like to put a couple of facts on the table for your consideration.
Education: Mayor Jeff Schlink, Masters degree in computer technology and business from Webster U.
opponent, Greg Roby: BA degree in criminal justice, Tarkio College
Work background: Mayor Schlink, Management at Edward Jones.
Greg Roby: St. Louis County Police officer, salesman for construction products.
Service to Crestwood: Both were Alderman, both have served on many boards as well.
Family: Both are married with children.
I am sure there is a lot more we could say about both men, but in light of the fact that both seem to be equally tenacious in their willingness to serve Crestwood.
I think I will stop there. So what is the difference that all voters must weigh come Tuesday?
Well on one hand we have a proven entity in Mayor Schlink, a person who has the education and management skills needed to do the job in the community today. His challenger has no prior experience in the day to day management of a business or a community. Yes, he could learn the job while he is in the position, but do we really have time to do that?
On his Facebook page he admits he (were he Mayor) could have done nothing to stop Gordman's from leaving, and truth be known, it's that way with ALL retail stores no matter who is the Mayor.
The Mall is the catch phrase most often seen here so let's take a close look at that. We have to face the fact that the Mall has been dying for some time, and WE, our Alderman or Mayor could do nothing to stop it (ask some of the former mayors.)
It was bought at a fire sale price by a Chicago firm who WOULD NOT NEGOATE with us but rather gave us one proposal (bad at that,) and then refused to move off it one way or the other. Several planning firms were involved one way or the other, but none were hired as a final vote by an Alderman closed the door on any further votes. The Chicago developer and his partner then pulled out, and it will be on the auction block later this month (as was Northwest Plaza.)
Now as I look at it, no amount of tax subsidies, begging or calls by sitting Alderman could have changed the outcome as they had no tenants lined up for a space that would tack on 10 1/4 % tax to everything sold there. They (potential tenants) knew as did I that people vote with their feet, they would have come once, found out how outrageous the tax was and gone somewhere else the next outing. Result for the space, FAILURE, and then what?
Looking at every angle I can I see but one person in this race that can (and will) serve me, my family, and Crestwood the best over the next three years, and that is our Mayor, Jeff Schlink.
Tom Ford
NO. 3053
posted by Crestwood Independent at 12:22
48 Comments:
I will make an election prediction that neither man touches 60% of the vote. I think the winner will clock in at 52-56%.
Looking back at the last mayoral election, Jeff told Crestwood that
"we need a visionary who can manage at a higher level." I agreed with him then, and I agree with him now. Unfortunately for him, I thought he was that guy 3 years ago and he got my vote, but while he has proven to be an adequate manager, he is not a visionary, and that is what the city needs. Someone with vision and creativity does not wind up in Compliance.
As long as we are making predictions, I see a Roby win. I don't know by how much.
What struck me with this campaign was the lack of oomph, on both sides.
Neither candidate spent a lot of money: each had yard signs and two handouts. Gregg might have spent more money with signs and the mailer.
I've seen more competition in a nursing home poker tournament :-).
Neither candidate came to my door nor to any of my neighbors. Neither candidate had a phone bank. Neither candidate personally (nor through a 2nd or 3rd party) reached out.
Considering the issues Crestwood is facing - mall/Watson Road redevelopment, tax rates and possible increases, services, city-county merger - there was enough material to really have an in-depth campaign. Unfortunately, there wasn't any depth.
IMHO, I'm not sure how much either candidate wants the job. I think each one doesn't want the other one to get it, but I'm not convinced that either Jeff or Gregg REALLY want to be mayor.
My opinion only. Thoughts?
I guess you missed the two debates. It is a shame more attended the meeting regarding animal control than attended both debates in total.
What does that say about the customers (voters).?
Talk about lack of oomph!
I saw one debate, read about the other. I still say lack of oomph. I could argue there was some intensity during the debate, but that's it.
2:16 PM Blogger: Lack OOMPH? Could you be more specific?
For instance Mr. Roby had a kick off party, "Expenses:
Pole Position Raceway - $746.24." (kick-off party & food.)
That seems like quite a bit to spend, especially if you only took in less than $600.00 in donations to the campaign.
That sounds like a bit interesting to me (even if it's a loosing proposition.)
Say, is that good management, spending more than you take in?
Tom Ford
Before I vote for Mr. Roby, I'd like him to answer 5 questions.
1. Why are Mr. Roby's own positions looked upon as negative campaigning when someone asks him about them?
2. Why did Mr. Roby leave the County Police dept after only 9 years?
3. Why doesn't Mr. Roby want to talk about his faith?
4. Why is it ok for former Alderman Chris Pickel to say on Mr Roby's Facebook "When an incumbent doesn't have a record of achievement to stand on, he and his supporters can only turn to negative tactics" but it is not ok to ask what were former Aldermen Pickel, Duncan and Beasley record of achievements?
5. Why will Mr.Roby NOT answer questions on his Facebook page?
3:43 PM BLOGGER: answer can be found in the old lawyer tricks. When you have the facts, pound the table with the facts, when you have no facts pound the table with innuendo , when you don't have that just pound the table!
They are just pounding the table, and as for former Alderman, well, who cares what they think or say?
Tom ford
I don't really care, but I am curious:
"Why doesn't Mr. Roby want to talk about his faith?"
What difference does it make, and how would it affect your vote?
@2:36 pm
Alternate headline: "Candidate for Mayor spends $746.24 supporting Crestwood business".
Say, is that good management, spending more than you take in?
As you probably know as a former candidate Tom, most people running for local office dip into their own pockets and spend more than they raise. I believe Jeff also spent more than he raised. Why does that matter?
@3:43
Chuck, we all know you have no intention of voting for Mr. Roby. Your posting concern ancillary issues that have nothing to do with Crestwood. I don't know anything about the faith of either candidate, and I don't care, as it has nothing to do with their job. Where does Jeff go to church? How involved is he?
Why doesn't Jeff have a facebook page for his campaign? Almost every single business, cause, and campaign has a facebook page now. Either 1) he isn't tech savvy enough to have one; or 2) he doesn't want the transparency and openness of a facebook page. Both are unpleasant possibilities.
Should Jeff answer personal questions that have nothing to do with the job description?
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
7:26 PM NLOGGER: No signature, no post, and YOU KNOW IT,
Tom Ford
Everyone, watch yourselves, OBEY THE RULES!
Tom Ford
7:23 PM BLOGGER: Now you know better than that, I guess your into ""selfies?" Well the transparency issue Is one that is owned by your side, Nd not knowing about computers? He has a masters degree in it, Greg, well he knows how to write a traffic ticket (criminal justice degree, remember?
Tom Ford
3:43 PM BLOGGER: Whst does it matter? Well woulden't you want to at least break even?
if he were all that good atmanaging he would have worked to insure It, that's what
Tom Fordp
I will vote, as always! I would like to know more about how Mr. Schlink will engage citizens and youth. Mr. Ford, do you know if Mr. Schlink has any plans to use social media, or city websites more effectively? I know lots of citizens would like to get more involved in the community (and public statement/attendance of the aldermanic meeting is not what I mean by involvement.) Thanks for answering if you know.
8:45 PM BLOGGER: I don't know the answer to that, but I do know that if you call him (his number is on the City web site) he will be glad to tell you.
You make a good suggestion, so why not call and discuss it?
Tom Ford
@8:45
That suggestion may be better for Mark Sime, as he is likely to outlast the current administration. Also, the mayor doesn't seem too immersed in social media.
8:45 PM BLOGGER; Don't bet the keys on regime change, or for that matter social media.
By the way, do YOU Post your
every move or vacation on a social media site? Hope not a burglar just love to read about homes where no one is home.
Tom Ford
@8:45
In all seriousness, that is a good idea, and there is no reason why Crestwood shouldn't at least have a Facebook page (once Crestwood finally gets its website fixed).
Sunset Hills has a nice Facebook page that crestwood could model theirs after.
1. "Where does Jeff go to church? How involved is he?"
If you had been at the GOP debate you would know that Mr. Schlink answered that question at length.
2."Why doesn't Mr. Roby want to talk about his faith?"
What difference does it make, and how would it affect your vote?"
I'd be more curious to know why Mr. Roby doesn't want to talk about his faith, but finds it to his political advantage to go to St. E's fish fry?
3. "Why doesn't Jeff have a facebook page for his campaign? Almost every single business, cause, and campaign has a facebook page now. Either 1) he isn't tech savvy enough to have one; or 2) he doesn't want the transparency and openness of a facebook page. Both are unpleasant possibilities."
LAUGHABLE purely laughable for several reasons
a. Do you really expect us to believe that Mr. Roby is running his own facebook and is there fore "tech savvy"?
b. Transparency? What's transparent about Mr. Roby if he doesn't like the question asked on his face book deletes it and then asks the poster not to post on his facebook site again?
Now that's real leadership, fearlessly cutting off any debate that he doesn't can't deal with, refusing to answer any question he doesn't like.. Can you imagine what would happen if he was mayor and didn't like what someone said at a BOA meeting if he is already showing his unwillingness to allow for a different view point than his?
Remember how former mayor Roy ran the BOA meetings? Sounds more than just a little like how Mr. Roby is allowing his facebook to be run! Talk about back to the future!
You want more youth to become engaged in the community? Really? Is that why there were masses of youth lined up at city hall during the snow storms asking for names of seniors that needed help with snow removal? Better question, how would Mr. Roby answer your question? Just dont ask him on his facebook.
again, will someone please tell me what Mr. Roby's "faith" has to do with anything....why does anyone need to know his religious beliefs??
5:26 AM Blogger: "what Mr. Roby's "faith" has to do with anything?"
Well in the scope of things it really doesn't matter what faith (if any) he practices, or doesn't practice, now does it.
What is interesting is that he put's himself up a the "candidate of transparency," and then refuses to answer a simple question like that.
Understand it now?
Tom Ford
8:45 and 9:38 PM Blogger's: The "face book" page is a great idea, especially for the younger set in Crestwood.
I think a visit to Mr. Mark Sime, C/A (he runs the joint) to suggest that, and offer to make it happen would be in order.
Once this "silly season" ends tomorrow why don't you go there and recommend it? If you want support, I will be glad to attend.
We need to do a bit more for the younger set to get them more involved with their community, and that is a great way to do it.
Tom Ford
Understand it now?
No, actually, I don't. Religious preference or practice, quite frankly, is no one's business, and it does not reflect on how his mayoral duties will or won't be carried out. Being transparent should go only so far, in my opinion, and what faith he is or isn't is where the line should be drawn. He's under no obligation to tell anyone about his religious practices, and it means zero about his professional life. It irks me when candidates of any sort are asked personal, private questions, then when they choose to not answer, people scream about transparency. The fact of the issue is: it's none of anyone's business and is in no way tied to being mayor. If he is elected, and does a poor job, it will NOT be because we didn't know what church he attends. Residents should be focusing on questions that have some logical bearing on the office of mayor, since this election may well make or break Crestwood.
http://investorplace.com/2014/02/facebook-users-demographics/#.U0KTwPldUsA
http://istrategylabs.com/2014/01/3-million-teens-leave-facebook-in-3-years-the-2014-facebook-demographic-report/
Facebook is actually skewing older...
@9:54 pm
I was at most of the first debate, and don't recall a faith question being asked. I'm guessing Jeff isn't Catholic? In any event, the candidates' faith or lack thereof is not going to affect my vote. It's not like either one of the men are professed Wiccans or something.
6:59 AM Blogger: One more time, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH RELIGION!
Forget about that, it has everything to do with a man who has professed to BE TOTALLY OPEN AND HONEST with the voters, some call it transparency.
By not answering or worse yet refusing to answer it proves that that person has no intention of doing what he said he would do!
Tom Ford
7:07 AM Blogger: Correct it should not ever affect yours or anyone's vote. religion wise.
All you or I have to do is decide for ourselves who is the candidate that most fills our want's and desires and vote for Him or Her.
Tom Ford
9:54 PM Blogger: Excellent! Wouldn't it be great if such a thing a Facebook page would unite us for a change?
I will look up the Sunset Hills page to get an idea (we really don't need to copy it) and then make an appointment with Mr. Sime to discuss it.
Do you have anyone in mind to be a volunteer administrator to keep the page up and going?
Tom Ford
" Religious preference or practice, quite frankly, is no one's business"
Says you.
"I'm guessing Jeff isn't Catholic?"
Wrong again, you should have gone to the GOP debate. Jeff professed himself a Catholic and a member of and attending St. Peters where his daughter attended school after St.E's school closed up.
Mr. Roby admitted he hadn't had a church home for the past 3-4 years.
Now ask Mr. Roby on his face book and see what you get for an answer.
"One more time, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH RELIGION!"
Then ask something it DOES have to do with and stop playing little word games. Whether a candidate chooses to answer a private question about his church preference is NOT relevant to how he'll do his job. It's is ridiculous assumption to ask a personal question and then try to to apply it to professional duties. You can insist all you want that his answer to what church he goes to will tell us SO much about how he will do as mayor. I insist you are way off base.
@10:53
That's funny, I always was taught that marriage was a sacrament.
The 11:05 poster is absolutely correct. A promise of governmental transparency has no relation to keeping personal matters like faith and family private.
11:05 and 12:02 Bloggers: Actually what is relevant is the world class weather vane approach by your candidate!
HE was the one who said more than once HE WAS FOR TOTAL TRANSPARENCY!
Your trying to walk back a statement made by him, and guess what, it has no legs, so unfortunately your going to have to adopt it!
Tom Ford
total transparency in one's PROFESSIONAL life is not a promise of the same in his PRIVATE life. Assuming it is is niave at best. Next time let's demand to know if he prefers ibuprofin or asprin for headaches. If he won't answer? He lied about being transparent!! Which is his preferred beer? Not relevant? None of my business?? He's not being transparent!! Boxers or briefs? Of COURSE it's my business, sir!! YOU said you were being totally transparent, which means you MUST answer every single question I ask you, no matter how personal, no matter how much it doesn't relate to anything relevant to being mayor. What a ridiculous premise, and what an inane way to judge a candidate.
The 1:01 pm poster should run for mayor. Finally someone in Crestwood displaying some common sense.
1:01 PM BLOGGER: While you any not like it, you know I'm right!
If your not going to do it, keep quiet and don't say yo will!
Look up TOTAL in your dictionary and tell us minus the spin what I means.
Tom Ford
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/completely-surreal-pictures-of-americas-abandoned-malls
And you thought it was all our fault and just local! What, oh what will Cannidate Roby propose to do about these? The Mayors of these town's would love some of the magic!
Tom Ford
"you know I'm right!"
Well, I recognize and understand your compulsion to be right at all times, and I am a-okay with whatever need you have on that subject. Everyone else who is based in reality knows that my position is the one rational, thinking residents will adopt, instead of taking everything literally. We are not in kindergarten, Mr. Ford. No one needs to look up the meaning of total. It saddens me that there are those, yourself included, who take things that literally, so as to be invasive into privacy. But do what you will. After all, you're always, right!
2:30 PM BLIGGER: Say what you will but one thing I am not is a coward who hide in the shadows of anonymity.
Have a nice time tring to convince yourself that you told me!
Tom Ford
@2:28pm
If only some developer had wanted to redevelop the property. Oh wait....
At the end of the day, had Centrum been given the green light, and the project totally flopped, do you know who would be out money? Not Crestwood. Centrum, Angelo Gordon, and whatever bank lent them money would have taken a hit. Crestwood and the rest of the taxing districts only pay if the project is a success, and then the 26 million in TIF would have kicked in, which are future tax dollars that would have never been earned anyway but for redevelopment.
Given how difficult it is to redevelop abandoned malls, as evidenced by your link, I think 26 million is a gamble worth taking, especially when it is only paid if the project is successful.
3:18 PM BLOGGER: Ah it was 34 million, remember and the developer had no tenants, don't try to revise history here. If you want to do that, try the fed's
Tom Ford
ps: open places for Centrum to go for it, no?
Tom, 26 million is the TIF. 4 million was the TDD. 4 million was the CID. 34 million was the total potential cost of all tax benefits if the project was a success. If the project flopped, and no sales taxes were collected, the CID and TDD wouldn't have been collected either.
Centrum (or a future developer) takes all of the risk that the project flops, and in return, the City shares the reward with Centrum (or a future developer) if the project is a success.
There has been some redevelopment of old malls, but it is so expensive to tear those things down, it seems a lot of new development gets built elsewhere instead of messing with the old malls. I hope the City takes a better look at the risk/reward of tax subsidies in dealing with the next developer.
Again, even if you are right that Centrum's project was doomed to fail, the City would not have borne the risk of financial failure.
3:49 PM BLOGGER: Agee whiz, what was I thinking, nobody but the developer and his partner is on the hook for any thing.
Gee, if that's true why do the schools oppose these " tools?"
There is no free lunch my friend, but if you think there is, " I will gladly pay you Tuesdau for a hamburger I can have today!"
Tom Ford
I agree there is no free lunch, but some things are worth paying for, especially when someone is else is paying most of the cost, and is taking on most of the risk.
Schools are opposed when TIF isn't needed, because they you are giving up future tax revenues for no reason.
The "risk" to the City is that they are giving up a portion of future tax revenues that they didn't have to if someone is willing to come along and develop the property without tax incentives. I don't think that's a risk we have to worry about here. I would love to see it happen, but it won't anytime soon.
"What a ridiculous premise, and what an inane way to judge a candidate. "
Almost as bad as claiming a Mayor can effect decisions made by business.
Go get um Tom! You are right on when you said "Your trying to walk back a statement made by him(Roby), and guess what, it has no legs, so unfortunately your going to have to adopt it!"
Well done Sailor.
4:34 PM Blogger: I pray that the property goes to a firm that has a much better vision for Crestwood.
I further hope that they have the courage, the wisdom and the capitol to make it happen.
By the way, a vote for the school district will give them what they need to continue to turn out stellar graduates.
Please consider a vote in favor.
Tom Ford
I pray that the property goes to a firm that has a much better vision for Crestwood.
I further hope that they have the courage, the wisdom and the capitol to make it happen.
I too hope for good things from the next developer. I also hope that the mayor and BOA will work a little more collaboratively and less confrontationally with the next developer.
By the way, a vote for the school district will give them what they need to continue to turn out stellar graduates.
Please consider a vote in favor.
I will be voting for Prop G and the qualified school board members. Apparently there is also an election for a community college position. Need to research that one. Don't think I've seen/read anything about either candidate.
Apparently there is also an election for a community college position. Need to research that one. Don't think I've seen/read anything about either candidate.
Fitzgerald actually responded to the candidate questionnaire in the Post. If the other candidate is too lazy to do that, then I don't see why they deserve support.
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