Mayor Slay In Bed With Big Law Firm. Missouri Tax Payers To Be Taken To Cleaners By Lewis Rice & Fingersh.

Another disgrace is taking place with your tax dollars. The City of St.Louis has unanimously approved a $300,000.00 loan that is forgivable and does not need to be re-paid so that the millionaire attorneys from a 200 person St.Louis law firm of Lewis Rice and Fingersh can buy new fancy desks for themselves in a move to new offices. See St.Louis Business Journal Article dated Friday, October 16th, 2009. The City through its St.Louis Development Corp. decided it must have too much money, federal money that is, and decided to spread the wealth, but the wrong way. It is not giving to the poor, the needy, the hungry, but to rich attorneys to help them move. Now the City of St.Louis on behalf of Lewis, Rice and Fingersh (Lewis & Rice) wants to petition to Missouri Development Finance Board, a State agency, to approve over $5 million of tax payer money to help the law firm move to fancy new offices at One City Center and you the tax payer will be paying for that.

This is absurd injustice at its greatest. This is insulting to the tax payers of the City of St.Louis and all the residents of the Great State of Missouri and to all tax payers throughout the country. Media should take note of this and help stop this abuse. Lewis Rice & Fingersh has donated thousands of dollars to city and State officials and now its pay back time with your tax dollars. County Executive Charley Dooley received a $10,000.00 political contribution this year. The City of St.Louis Mayor received a $5,000.00 this year alone in contributions as well. There is a conflict here. Its politics the old fashioned way, the corrupt way.

How can you get in on some of these favors with Mayor Slay, well, give him a $10,000.00 political contribution (is that what its called) and he will give you back $300,000.00 and ask the State for $5 million, thats how. You scratch Mayor Slay’s back and he will more then scratch your back. So what else did the chairman of Lewis Rice & Fingersh Jack Pruellage have to say or do for the Mayor to get such special treatment. Mr. Jack Pruellage who takes home a seven figure income needs tax payers to buy him new furniture for his new offices and he prefers the tax payers pay for his fancy new furniture and for his move. Why should he pay for it when he has Mayor Slay for a friend.

Think of all the homeless, the hungry and the needy there are out there. Think of how many blankets and bologna sandwiches can be bought with that money. But Mayor Slay found a better home for it, in the pockets of Lewis Rice & Fingersh attorneys and Jack Pruellage, its chairman. The Missouri Development Finance Board meeting to hear the proposal to provide $5 million to One City Center building so that the law firm can move and have fancy new offices, will be held at 8:30 AM, Tuesday October 20th at the Rennaissance Grand Suites at 827 Washington Ave., Lennox Room, St.Louis, MO.

Action must be taken to stop abuse and waste of tax payers dollars to enrich millionaire attorneys at your tax payers expense. The partners at Lewis and Rice make $400,000 to $600,000 per year and the chairman Jack Pruellage makes millions per year and Missouri tax payers will help him get richer. No wonder they say its a “Great Country America”. Sure is, but great for who ? Officials on the take with public money, thats for who. Politics Chicago style no doubt, right here in Missouri.

Call Governor Jay Nixon to voice your objection at 573-751-3222 and your local State Representative’s office. You should also call the Missouri Development Finance Board at 573-751-8479 to complain about the proposal and tell them not to do it. Call the Mayor Francis Slay at 314-622-3201 and make him aware that receiving political contributions and then using tax payers money to buy furniture for Lewis Rice & Fingersh is plain wrong.

Submitted by Citizens Against Waste, a non for profit organization aiming at stopping waste and abuse of tax payers money. Phones 314-226-2808 or 314-226-2146.

Via EPR Network
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