^ I could see the City moving forward with something like that on transit; as for schools, I don't follow how that would be different than SLPS issuing its own bonds.... Prop S passed in 2010, which I believe was the last bond issue. There will be another one when SLPS feels the need is there and the timing right.
The city's property tax raised $57.4M in FY15.
The budget summery is really helpful
https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/d ... ted-v2.pdf
The budget summery is really helpful
https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/d ... ted-v2.pdf
Good point.as for schools, I don't follow how that would be different than SLPS issuing its own bonds.... Prop S passed in 2010, which I believe was the last bond issue. There will be another one when SLPS feels the need is there and the timing right.
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Strange goings on at the B of A.
One member throwing around charges of bribery and corruption? Saying basically the system allows legalized bribery for votes.
So is there a problem or not?
One member throwing around charges of bribery and corruption? Saying basically the system allows legalized bribery for votes.
So is there a problem or not?
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I would love to see a large metro-wide sales tax proposal for a transformative change. Similar to MAPS in Oklahoma City 15 years ago. They had the advantage that the city limits include most of the metro area, so it was only a City vote there. They put together a plan and a team to carry it out. A major portion was downtown revival. It had a 5-year sunset, but the folks in charge did such a good job spending the money per the plan that it has been renewed by voters. And the 2nd five year plan focused on schools.
This could be similar, but for transportation, schools, & downtown revival, and possibly some other region-wide things that would revive the area. I believe the metro voters want St. Louis downtown and metro core revival. The proposition would need to spell out in reasonable detail exactly how the money would be spent. The tax could be graduated for lower cost/lower reward for outlying counties. Maybe 1 cent for the City and County, 1/2 cent for St. Charles County, and 1/4 cent for remaining metro counties. And if a county votes it down, their transportation, schools, etc. will be removed from the plan.
To lead this regional vote, we need to draft Dave Peacock and Dave Blitz. We've had success with metro area votes on Great River Greenway proposals. GRG has credibility & a good track record of doing what they said they will do -- good things. That could be expanded beyond hiking and biking. And no matter how the stadium turns out, Peacock and Blitz have shown the public they are passionate about St. Louis. And they've shown they know how to work the political and financial elements of the region. No matter where you stand on the stadium, I believe the public would have faith that an effort to improve the region led by these gentlemen would get widespread support.
This could be similar, but for transportation, schools, & downtown revival, and possibly some other region-wide things that would revive the area. I believe the metro voters want St. Louis downtown and metro core revival. The proposition would need to spell out in reasonable detail exactly how the money would be spent. The tax could be graduated for lower cost/lower reward for outlying counties. Maybe 1 cent for the City and County, 1/2 cent for St. Charles County, and 1/4 cent for remaining metro counties. And if a county votes it down, their transportation, schools, etc. will be removed from the plan.
To lead this regional vote, we need to draft Dave Peacock and Dave Blitz. We've had success with metro area votes on Great River Greenway proposals. GRG has credibility & a good track record of doing what they said they will do -- good things. That could be expanded beyond hiking and biking. And no matter how the stadium turns out, Peacock and Blitz have shown the public they are passionate about St. Louis. And they've shown they know how to work the political and financial elements of the region. No matter where you stand on the stadium, I believe the public would have faith that an effort to improve the region led by these gentlemen would get widespread support.
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Apparently that piece of human garbage was Lewis Reed's biggest campaign donor for the mayoral election. I think that helps explain why Reed just laughs. DIsgusting.
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I don't think highly of Megan Green but that was pretty ridiculous. It takes someone special to make public statements that vulgar.
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The political rot of STL rears its ugly head. Only in STL would Romanik even have a radio show.
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+1NickOnDelor wrote:I don't think highly of Megan Green but that was pretty ridiculous. It takes someone special to make public statements that vulgar.
Her tactics during the stadium fiasco, including the serious accusations she made with no evidence, were thoroughly juvenile, but this is just disgusting. Can't believe Reed just stood by.
Romanik even gave Lewis Reed an opportunity at the end of the interview to denounce and or distance himself from Romanik's vulgar commentary.
Instead, Reed continued critiquing Megan Green (albeit in a civil manner), and then went on to endorse Romanik for public office because he speaks his mind and stands for his principles. (The same sorts of things he doesn't like that Megan Green does, and she does so without the ignorant and offensive vulgarity.)
This is a very, very, very bad look for Lewis Reed.
Instead, Reed continued critiquing Megan Green (albeit in a civil manner), and then went on to endorse Romanik for public office because he speaks his mind and stands for his principles. (The same sorts of things he doesn't like that Megan Green does, and she does so without the ignorant and offensive vulgarity.)
This is a very, very, very bad look for Lewis Reed.
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The worst you could say about Green is that she is tone deaf and talks down to her fellow aldermen as if she is educated and they are not. That's annoying, but that doesn't make her wrong or completely ineffective at her job.
It does not seem quite right that every news outlet in town uses an uncomplimentary action shot of her rather than a more representative image like the one in the lower corner of the greeting card above. It is like they want her to seem unorganized and not all there, when in fact she has that much stuff because she came prepared to work.
Reed should receive an official reprimand far more serious than the one he has brought against Green.
It does not seem quite right that every news outlet in town uses an uncomplimentary action shot of her rather than a more representative image like the one in the lower corner of the greeting card above. It is like they want her to seem unorganized and not all there, when in fact she has that much stuff because she came prepared to work.
Reed should receive an official reprimand far more serious than the one he has brought against Green.
I'm not a 15th ward resident, but I know two who both voted for Green and weren't happy in any way with her before the stadium stuff hit.CarexCurator wrote:The worst you could say about Green is that she is tone deaf and talks down to her fellow aldermen as if she is educated and they are not. That's annoying, but that doesn't make her wrong or completely ineffective at her job.
I didn't even think about her appearing unorganized. It's the bird flippin while holding the box.CarexCurator wrote:It does not seem quite right that every news outlet in town uses an uncomplimentary action shot of her rather than a more representative image like the one in the lower corner of the greeting card above. It is like they want her to seem unorganized and not all there, when in fact she has that much stuff because she came prepared to work.
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She seems far more serious about her Ph.D. than her job sometimes, and that can lead to obnoxious hubris in how she communicates. If her decisions are otherwise good ones though, there's nothing to hold anything against her. What has she done that's would disqualify her from the short list of aldermen we really need to keep in office?dweebe wrote:I'm not a 15th ward resident, but I know two who both voted for Green and weren't happy in any way with her before the stadium stuff hit.CarexCurator wrote:The worst you could say about Green is that she is tone deaf and talks down to her fellow aldermen as if she is educated and they are not. That's annoying, but that doesn't make her wrong or completely ineffective at her job.
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From the STLtoday article at http://m.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-a ... b2bf2.html
http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/ ... de-a-spade
Fun historical fact: The phrase "calling a spade a spade" was not about race originally, although many people urge caution in its use today due to the historical context of the word spade:Reed said he was disappointed that Green said on another radio station that she was simply "calling a spade a spade."
"Megan referring to another African-American alderman as a spade is a problem also," Reed said. "That kind of reference is bad in a very divided city."
http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/ ... de-a-spade
I think Megan Green has been good so far personally, at the very least in contrast to the rest of the clowns that make up our board of aldermen.
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Agreed. I understand the issues that some Alderman have with her speaking up and not being able to provide proof... however, this feels more like a 'First rule of St. Louis Aldermen: You don't talk about Aldermen." as in she's not part of the corrupt system, and they are using this situation as an excuse to try to get her out.
I'm sure there are a lot of Alderman who don't like Ogilvie too for not always walking in step with the rest.
St. Louis needs a political enema. New faces, new ideas. People who will actually make progressive change.
I'm sure there are a lot of Alderman who don't like Ogilvie too for not always walking in step with the rest.
St. Louis needs a political enema. New faces, new ideas. People who will actually make progressive change.
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Her annoying, condescending demeanor is only the start of it.CarexCurator wrote:The worst you could say about Green is that she is tone deaf and talks down to her fellow aldermen as if she is educated and they are not. That's annoying, but that doesn't make her wrong or completely ineffective at her job.
She flippantly threw out some pretty serious accusations on Twitter when a vote didn't go her way, and local police and the FBI investigated them and found there wasn't anything to substantiate them. At best, it makes her a petulant child; at worst, a liar with questionable credibility.
She was disingenuous in her methods attempting to derail the governor's task force, too.
I actually (mostly) agree with her political views, and I agree our city's board of aldermen needs more progressive-minded, independent thinkers (so does our mayor's office, for that matter). People like Ogilvie and Ingrassia are people that can make me excited about the future. I cannot honestly say the same applies for Green; I think she's more of a liability to the cause than someone who can help.
I still don't think Megan Green said anything that wasn't true. We all know back room dealing takes place with the Board of Alderman. We all know it.
She says it out loud, and because it's not illegal (she never said with any certainty that it was), she's a petulant child or a liar?
No. She just fought the other side of a battle that people were passionate about, and those people on the other side couldn't wait to find something to rip her on.
I loved that Megan Green represented me for a while, and I wish she still did. She's fantastic.
She says it out loud, and because it's not illegal (she never said with any certainty that it was), she's a petulant child or a liar?
No. She just fought the other side of a battle that people were passionate about, and those people on the other side couldn't wait to find something to rip her on.
I loved that Megan Green represented me for a while, and I wish she still did. She's fantastic.
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She specifically said that she was offered "bribes by a stadium proponent." She hasn't been able to offer any evidence to substantiate that. She also said that her colleague Sam Moore was offered bribes. She wasn't able to offer any evidence to substantiate that, either, and he vehemently denied it. These are serious charges. Again, she made them flippantly, after a vote didn't go her way. Yes, it makes her a petulant child at best, and a liar with questionable credibility at worst.
Also again, she's not the only one who "fought the other side of a battle that people were passionate about." She could learn a lot from the likes of Scott Ogilvie, Christine Ingrassia, et. al.
I shouldn't have to make this clear, but in this day and age, you never know, but obviously none of this is to justify the disgusting things that radio ass said about her, or the fact that Lewis Reed implicitly endorsed those remarks.
Also again, she's not the only one who "fought the other side of a battle that people were passionate about." She could learn a lot from the likes of Scott Ogilvie, Christine Ingrassia, et. al.
I shouldn't have to make this clear, but in this day and age, you never know, but obviously none of this is to justify the disgusting things that radio ass said about her, or the fact that Lewis Reed implicitly endorsed those remarks.