QUIT PLAYIN' !  

By the Honorable Freeman Bosley Jr., Esquire

Gospelfest Mother of the Year; Wellston & Cell Phone; Lance Lekook

Mother of the Year: I had a very special guest in the studio with me on Saturday’s Freeman Bosley Jr Show. Mrs. Azelie Pitts, who is 94 years old and the mother of 15 made my day when her family brought her by to celebrate a special honor. Mrs. Pitts was named the Shrimp Shack Gospelfest Mother of the Year.

She and the 12 surviving children were honored onstage during the Gospelfest concert featuring Mary, Mary and Fred Hammond. She was presented with a proclamation from the City among other accolades.

I thoroughly enjoyed talking with the spry fashion plate in the studio. We had a good time talking about the days of her youth.

 
She attended Simmons elementary when it was brand new and Charles Sumner High School. She fondly recalled sitting on her porch in The Ville and watching May Day Parade.

 
Mrs. Pitts talked about how tough it was raising children after her husband’s death and it made me think about the young mothers out here trying to raise children who now have another burden on them caused by the state’s mishandling of the Medicaid program. It looks like Molina Healthcare will appeal a judge’s ruling and continues to expose the state’s handling of the contracting process.

 
Deal me in: Celeste Metcalf, director of the Office of Equal Opportunity in the State Office of Administration, has a message for minority and women-owned businesses: the state can’t use you if they don’t know you exist. The OEO has responsibility for diversification of state workforce and state contracts.

 
The office is currently raising funds for a disparity study to help determine capacity and ultimately utilization of M/WBE. The last disparity study was done in the late 90’s. Metcalfe correctly pointed out that you cannot answer the question about discrimination if you don’t have a foundation to determine capacity. The study will cost about $1.5 million or more depending on the levels of contracts (in terms of dollar amount) are reviewed.

Missouri spends billions in purchasing and construction so if appropriate goals can be set—even as low as 10 percent for minority participation that means millions flowing into the minority community.

 
What I found interesting is the fact that for expenditures under contracts can be expedited using discretionary funds—sometimes with just a phone call. Metcalfe said this shows the importance of minority and women companies being certified by the state and in their database. Right now the state has a goal of 10 percent minority and 5 percent women but there are no teeth in the enforcement. Not surprising.

At least Metcalfe’s department is stepping up: OA spent $99 million with 3 percent to WBE’s and 34 percent to minorities; that’s over $36 million going to minority firms. But remember, they can’t use you if they don’t know you. Get on the web and find out more at Oeo.mo.gov.

Lance LeKook? What in the world got into Lance LeComb, the public relations man for MSD? Several people are scratching their heads over his strange outburst Wednesday night in Clayton of the St. Louis County Republican Central Committee.

 
Apparently he got worked up during a debate over the sewer district’s Proposition Y, a $945 million bond issue that will be on the June 5 ballot in St. Louis and St. Louis County.

 
I hear he got so worked up he had to be chastised by the vice-chairman of the central committee, Celeste Witzel of south St. Louis County, who was chairing the meeting. LeComb was upset that after he spoke in support of Prop Y Tom Sullivan (who has always kept an eye on MSD) offered a different take on the issue. Sullivan told me he isn’t opposing just offering a different view on some of the details. That apparently set the $84 thousand pr man off. With that kind of reaction maybe we all need to be watching MSD.

 
Wellston: The City of Wellston is participating in a free cell phone giveaway May 15 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on the corner of Lucas and Hunt and St. Charles Rock Road. To be eligible you must be receiving some sort of public assistance. For info call Wellston City Hall. There are restrictions so don’t think you can just have a free phone to call Pookie and ‘nem all day. Quit Playin!

Editor’s Note: Freeman R. Bosley Jr., is the first African-American elected Mayor in the City of St. Louis. He currently practices law, and is a regular contributing columnist in the New St. Louis Evening Whirl.
Catch the Freeman R. Bosley Jr. Show every Saturday on AM/1600 from 10:00 a.m. until Noon. On the web, it’s at www.gospel1600.com. Just click on Listen Live. Email him at:

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