Bye, Bye Bauer

Bye, Bye Bauer

Looks like Tom Bauer is out as 24th ward alderman.

Now the question is: will he run in the special election, most likely on November 8th?

If John Corbett runs and wins, meanwhile, November 8th could be a double win for the firefighters - that is to say, both local 73 of the IAFF, the (mostly white) union for firefighters in the St. Louis Fire Department; and the Missouri State Council of Fire Fighters, which Corbett formerly headed.

Why? Because also on the November 8th ballot will be Proposition One, a $13 million bond issue proposed by the City of St. Louis to improve the police/fire radio system.

See my earlier post on this topic. (The enabling legislation, BB #153, is now found as Ordinance 66766.)

Of course, it's not just white firefighters who want better radio systems. Presumably, since BB #153 was sponsored by Terry Kennedy - chair of the Public Safety committee - there's a good chance the Firefighters Institute for Racial Equality (F.I.R.E.), the union representing most African-American firefighters, would support the Proposition as well.

Some things, like radio systems, are not a question of race. Others - like captains' tests - are.