[imc-st.louis] For immediate release: May 11, 2007

[Fitzdon at aol.com]

Gateway Green Alliance/Green Party of St. Louis
P.O. Box 8094, St. Louis MO  63156
314-727-8554  E-mail: fitzdon at aol.com  www.gateway-greens.org

For immediate release: May 11, 2007

Contact: Don Fitz, 314-727-8554

Petitioners Near Goal for Audit of St. Louis City

Petitioners now have over 7500 signatures calling for an audit of the City of 
St. Louis.  Missouri statutes indicate that the number of signatures must 
equal 5% of those who voted in the most recent race for governor.  That would be 
7200 signatures.  Spokesperson Willie Marshall says that Greens will continue 
to collect signatures because challenged petitions need more than the required 
number.

Petition coordinators ask that everyone interested in signing or circulating 
the petition to call 314-727-8554.  They also invite Mayor Francis Slay to 
endorse the audit as a principle of good government and that he urge people to 
sign the petition.  The press conference will be: 

3:00 pm, Friday, May 11, 2007, St. Louis City Hall, Tucker entrance

Members of the Gateway Green Alliance began circulating the petition because 
the City of St. Louis was unresponsive in answering questions concerning where 
money for lead poisoning prevention was being spent.  After ignoring requests 
for information throughout 2006, the City finally responded in early 2007.  
"But they really did not answer our questions," reported Marshall.  

The limited data supplied by the City only included 28-35% of lead 
remediation funds, combined data for 30 months so that it was impossible to compare lead 
poisoning and lead spending rates for individual years, and only included HUD 
funds, which meant there was no data for funds that were not already examined 
by the federal government.  The data which was provided did not indicate that 
the most funds went to neighborhoods with the highest rates of lead 
poisoning.

 "This was pitiful," observed Marshall.  "We met with City officials several 
times in 2006.  We coordinated a letter writing campaign to ask for 
information.  And we held a picket to 'Unmask the lead money' last Halloween.  And they 
still refused to answer our questions."

The Greens have been joined by American Federation of Teachers Local 420, the 
Universal African Peoples Organization and the Organization for Black 
Struggle.  The audit would be conducted by the Missouri State Auditor.  The last 
audit of the City of St. Louis, 21 years ago, uncovered over $9 million being 
misspent. 

A scandal broke in April 2007 which brought together the issues of lead 
poisoning prevention and financial accountability.  Following a three year decline 
in meeting targeted dates for home clean-ups, Housing and Urban Development 
(HUD) informed the City that it was performing so poorly that it was in danger 
of losing $3 million in federal grant money.

Rather than developing a strategy for neighborhoods with the highest 
proportion of lead poisoned children, on March 15 the City submitted a "Workout 
Strategy" which would focus on the largest multiple-family housing units it could 
find.  The City indicated that playing "catch-up" with the target quota of 
grants was more important than children's health. 

Lead is devastating.  Just a few of its effects include:
 
*   Brain damage;

*   Kidney damage;

*   Lower math and reading scores for children; and,

*   Increased behavioral disorders and violence.
 
An audit of the City of St. Louis is the best way to promote general fiscal 
responsibility and good use of funds designed to protect children's health.

-30-



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