“Call the Tune” by Mike Anthony
Executive Editor
news1@callnewspapers.com

The end of 2017 also saw the end of the fourth quarter of the year, which provided a bounty of candidates for the Call’s Most Misguided Quotes in which we chronicle the most misguided, misinformed and misleading statements of the year.
In St. Louis County, the drama continues with Auditor Mark Tucker, who has been on the job since March but has yet to produce an audit. County Executive Steve Stenger contends Tucker is unqualified, yet the County Council continues to employ him.
Sixth District Councilman Ernie Trakas, R-Oakville, contends Tucker needs more auditors to do the job, saying, “The absence of audits isn’t proof of lack of qualifications.”
We’re not so sure about that. We believe if additional staff members were hired, they would be the ones doing the work — not Tucker.
In Crestwood, during an aldermanic discussion about a five-year lease extension for the nonprofit Friends of Animal Control and Rescue, or FOACAR, which has rented the former city animal shelter since animal control was eliminated from the city’s budget, Ward 3 Alderman Grant Mabie voiced his opposition to reducing the rent payment.
While acknowledging FOACAR provides a worthy service, he said, “We’re basically giving them a lengthy extension with no inflationary increase.”
Needless to say, the rent wasn’t reduced. God forbid that Crestwood would cut some slack to a nonprofit organization, yet city officials have no problem subsidizing for-profit businesses, including granting $25 million in tax incentives to the owner of the former Crestwood Plaza site.
How’s that working out?
Lindbergh Schools Superintendent Jim Simpson is retiring this year.
During a Board of Education discussion of whether to select the Missouri School Boards’ Association or Ray & Associates to facilitate the search for the district’s new leader, board member Matt Alonzo asked, “Do you think from the point of view of the public that they would want us to choose a firm that Lindbergh has used most recently or do you think they would want us to try to obtain a new perspective?”
In 2008, Ray & Associates delivered Simpson, who has served 10 years and helped lead Lindbergh to the No. 1 ranking in the state for academic achievement for five straight years.
Given the success Lindbergh has en-joyed during Simpson’s tenure, why would residents want a new perspective? Yet the board declined to give Ray & Associates a return engagement.