Franklin County Democrats

NPR picks up on Ameren’s plans to build a coal ash landfill in Labadie Bottoms and the story behind the Ladadie Environmental Organization’s (LEO) formation. Very cool.

I got a kick out of John Griesheimer’s quote. He understands why people don’t want a landfill in the floodplain but …

…  the bottom line is we have to put it somewhere. To be opposed to it, and have an alternative is one thing, but to be just opposed to it without giving us another option here, that’s another matter, and that’s what’s hard for everybody to do.

But it’s not the responsibility of opponents to come up with another option. That’s what Franklin Countians elected Griesheimer to do — work with Ameren to come up with alternatives acceptable to the people he represents.

Besides, Ameren’s Chief Executive, Thomas Voss, reportedly gets paid $4.7 million a year. Let him come up with another option. That’s supposedly why he gets paid the big bucks.

Being the boss is hard work.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial board makes an interesting observation:

Some six years ago, after lawyers for AmerenUE had written a bill making it easier for Missouri utilities to pass on costs to consumers, the company needed a state senator to sponsor it. It turned to Sen. John Griesheimer, R-Washington.

Mr. Griesheimer got the job done. Senate Bill 179 became law.

Last fall, as term limits closed in, Mr. Griesheimer ran for presiding commissioner of Franklin County and was elected in November. Because his predecessor, Republican Ed Hillhouse, had resigned to take over the East-West Gateway Council of Governments, Mr. Griesheimer took office right away.

And before Mr. Griesheimer could even get his chair warm, who does he see before him with a controversial piece of business for the Franklin County Commission but his old friends at AmerenUE?

The “controversial piece of business” the Post’s editorial refers to is the pending land use regulation that could allow Ameren to build its soon-to-be proposed toxic coal ash landfill in the Labadie Bottoms floodplain. So yeah, Griesheimer’s cozy relationship with Ameren is a problem. It seems pretty clear where his allegiance lie. But as the Post’s editorial rightly points out, thanks to the bill he sponsored, Senate Bill 179, the utility can now pass the costs of finding a safer way to store its waste on to ratepayers.

Nice job, John.

So, let’s say you’re a large corporation with boundless financial resources that wants to build a wildly unpopular, toxic waste dump in a floodplain but you’ve run into a little resistance from the local plebs. What do you do?

Ameren Missouri has donated $60,000 to the “Always Ready” capital campaign, a campaign dedicated to expanding the emergency department at St. John’s Mercy Hospital.

In recognition of their generosity, a pediatric exam room will be named for Ameren Missouri, whose gift to St. John’s Mercy is its largest allocation to a Franklin County organization.

A growing demand exists for pediatric care in the emergency department where more than 25 percent of patients are children. The Ameren Missouri pediatric exam room will be part of the new pediatric wing, which will consist of three additional rooms and a designated pediatric waiting area.

“We are grateful for the support from local corporations like Ameren Missouri and believe their contributions to the campaign will make a significant impact in our community,” said Terri McLain, president of St. John’s Mercy Hospital. “Ensuring quality health care for families, friends, co-workers and neighbors in our region is an area about which we all are passionate.”

It’s a brilliant public relations move on Ameren’s part, really: drop 60 grand on the local hospital to expand, of all things, emergency pediatric care. They seem to care so deeply about our health and well being. How could anyone deny such good “corporate citizens” their right to operate freely in our community after they donated such a selfless gift? They’re even getting an examination room named after them. And just think of the children! Oh, the children!

And where is Scott Dieckhaus on this issue? It’s all happening in his district. His own survey shows, by a 48 to 40 percent majority, his constituents are opposed to the landfill idea. And yet, he’s taken no public position on it as far as I know. And why should he? If Ameren can shell out 60 big ones on public relations at the drop of a hat imagine what they could do to his political career if he stood by his constituents. It’s safer to just remain silent and wait for Ameren to change some hearts and minds.

Meanwhile, LEO is hosting a holiday fundraiser and fashion show. It hardly seems like a fair fight.