Article in today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

ST. LOUIS CITY HALL: The Dogtown Shuffle


09/19/2005

The peculiar charm of Alderman Thomas E. Bauer, D-24th ward, apparently has
worn off for many of his constituents. Mr. Bauer faces a recall election
Tuesday in his Dogtown ward that includes all or part of such neighborhoods as
Hi-Pointe, Clayton-Tamm, Franz Park, Ellendale and Clifton Heights.

Mr. Bauer, 59, a gregarious attorney who has served on the Board of Aldermen
since 1999, is best known publicly for campaigning with his pet donkey,
although the donkey has been stabled for the recall election.

Behind the scenes, however, Mr. Bauer is an old-school ward politician; his
opponents say he sometimes ignores the line between public interest and
private interests. They point to a 2003 deal in which Mr. Bauer profited from
purchasing and rehabbing a property across the street from a new development
he'd pushed through the board. In 2004, he served as probate attorney in a
deal that resulted in a high-density luxury housing development that many in
the neighborhood opposed.

Mr. Bauer says the recall effort stems from his support for blighting
properties at Manchester and McCausland avenues for a QuikTrip convenience
store. Neighbors say there are already too many places to buy liquor in the
vicinity. Mr. Bauer says the opposition is led by the owner of a competing
convenience store. Advertisement


The recall election is local politics at a micro-level but has wider
implications. It points out the absurdity of 28 aldermen being redevelopment
czars for their wards when the city needs a broader view. Mr. Bauer was a
leader of opposition to last year's failed effort to reform the city charter.

In that campaign, as in his 2001 primary challenge to Comptroller Darlene
Green, Mr. Bauer used contemptible racially divisive political tactics. He's
also filed a $2 million "SLAPP" suit against his opponents for daring to
challenge him.

There are good reasons for 24th ward voters to recall Mr. Bauer. Ward
committees would then choose Democratic and Republican candidates to run in a
special election to replace him. If Mr. Bauer didn't get the Democratic nod -
and his ward's committeeman and committeewoman are involved in the recall
effort - he could run as an independent. He might need to get the donkey out
of the stable to win that one.