urbanSTL

I hope this doesn't mean that he is going to lead a filibuster: http://www.stlbeacon.org/voices/blogs/p ... hub-bubble

Finally, an article about prospects for export of meat to China. I still would like to get a definitive word on beef, though, as the article says that it is still banned.
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stori ... eat-china/

The weird stat though was the huge increase in beef export to "China" beginning a few months ago that made it seem like it was more than just Hong Kong and a lift of the ban. The googlenet didn't seem to have any authoritative answer.

This doesn’t directly relate to China hub developments, but it does touch on something Count discussed in deconstructing Charlie Brennan’s opposition to the project. More specifically, Brennan was concerned with the extent to which the China hub would serve to help siphon more money out of the US and in to China (or something like that). Putting aside the bilateral nature of the China hub (and the fact that the Chinese government is becoming increasingly focused on boosting domestic consumer spending), a recent study by the SF Fed points out some interesting facts about the US-China trade relationship. According to the study, even when buying “made in China” products, most of the money goes to US companies. Further, China only gets 2.7% of US consumer dollars. This kind of surprised me; I honestly thought that far more than 2.7% of US consumer spending actually ended up in China. Not trying to make any grand point. The study just caught my attention.
Link: http://www.frbsf.org/publications/econo ... 11-25.html

On a different note, so many misconceptions, so little time: http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/ar ... 23478.html
Although I share the author's dissatisfaction with Missouri's public education system, as a current student at one such public university, I also would like business activity to pick up in the region so that I might actually eventually get a job. China hub is a step in the right direction.

Horse and buggy? Is he f*ing serious? Rex Sinquefield has obviously told them to shoot down the initiative, and they just doing his bidding.

He might be a chill guy, but it's just frustrating to read his hatchet jobs

Slightly off topic but if you have read the Riverfront Times this week we find out the reason Pete Kinder loves St. Louis so much

I wonder what Gone Corporate has to say about this.

gone corporate wrote:^OT, and politicizing this discussion. Let's talk business & economics, not electioneering based on random RFT whoretalk.

Touched a nerve did I?

Sorry but you have fawned over Kinder non stop on these threads, but when called on it you suddenly say you don't want to get political and lecture us to "focus". Sorry but if this guy is "pro-St. Louis" it's because he likes spending taxpayer dollars at fancy hotels and being a typical older bachelor.

Now I know he has repaid the state for the former and there is nothing wrong with the latter. But let's be honest here. This is Missouri--home of Republicans like John Ashcroft and Todd Akin. Kinder's goose is cooked. No way this guy is gonna be governor or even Lt. Governor after next year. The religious right that runs the GOP in this state will see to it.

If the China Hub or anything else that benefits St. Louis is going to come to fruition he won't have anything to do with it.

CBS is doing a show right now but how much soy beans and corn exports from the U.S. to China are increasing. Apparently the Chinese middle class are also devouring any form of meat they can find.

More political BS: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt ... 0f31a.html

gone corporate wrote:OK, how's this - Dude, I don't give a good fark if the China Hub comes from the efforts of the Missouri Communist Party.

I want new business opportunities, more jobs, international markets, increased flights (personal & business), a long-term relationship between STL and the world's second-largest economy, reutilization of land by the airport & in North STL, companies based in Shanghai establishing their North American business operations in STL (including new Downtown construction), domestic companies moving ops to STL, the return of STL being something close to resembling "global", and more restaurants serving duck with orange sauce.

You apparently just want attention for your preferred political candidate by politicizing the China Hub legislation, a move which you'll remember worked so great in the last legislative session.

Quid pro quo: If a politician actively supports the China Hub, I like them; if one is actively against it, I don't like them. That's it.

Quit derailing this thread for your personal partisan politics - THAT'S the nerve you touched. Quit trying to electioneer.

Caveat: I'm a former professional political consultant to individuals & issues on both sides of the political aisle, having worked for both the Dems and the GOP. When I say I'm not partisan and vote the person here, I know what the fark I'm talking about.
Southside: If you've worked in Dem politics in STL City, there's a good chance we've met.

Oh, and can you find a better source for your "trump card" than a middle-aged, attention-seeking barmaid talking to the RFT? Might as well have the next Presidential debate moderated by the "Real Housewives".
Here's the Beacon's assessment: "Politics by other means". Basically, non-election year BS.
http://www.stlbeacon.org/issues-politic ... not-issues

I want the same things you do in regards to the China Hub. But your posts on this topic constantly mention that Kinder "likes St. Louis more than Nixon"--which is really a silly comment to make from someone who insists they are non-partisan and that they "don't give a fark" about who gets credit for a China Hub deal.

In full disclosure I voted for Kinder for Lt. Gov--twice. I have volunteered for various campaigns in the past but am not currently working for anyone. Nixon has disappointed me in some ways in regards to urban policy, but so has Kinder. If the two face each other next year I am not sure which one would get my vote. And if this is all about the China Hub why do you feel the need to make such comments about the bartender/former stripper? Obviously you support Kinder and hope he whethers this storm. Just come out and say it.

^Storm being? That a guy went to a strip club 20 years ago?

What does that have to do with current leadership of this state?

And better yet, what the hell does that have to do with the China hub?

(I am on neither side, just think the tabloid-ization of politics is extremely idiotic and stupid. Also, I think this thread is being railroaded off topic.)

"Said Mr. Mehan, of the Missouri chamber: "Flights will begin in September.When people see that happening, they will understand that Missouri will be transformed into an international trade hub. It will get a lot of attention not just in the state but in the world." Said Mr. Johnson, of the St Louis chamber: "Recent declarations by two air cargo consultants that no international air cargo hub could succeed are interesting. The naysayers seem to have relationships with airports that might be impacted by our success."

http://www.scanews.com/2011/08/s1094/109421/

^ He also says this...

St Louis remains the second-largest inland port by tonnage and the third-largest rail commerce centre in the country. Eighty per cent of US truck and 50 per cent of US rail traffic passes within a 50 miles. Few airport cities can match that.

When people disregard the China Hub as fruitless, they are ignoring the advantages that we have above. Those are facts and great assets to our region. It shows me people have an ulterior motive when they say the hub won't work.

The KC Star trashed the China hub. Unfortunately, it seems like they are under the impression that we are trying to lure domestic carriers to STL. Specifically, they think we are trying to convince airlines that currently transport air freight to divert China related cargo to St. Louis while continuing to ship other air freight through traditional channels. They also apparently think that we are going to necessarily spend $360 million to get this off the ground. I suppose these misunderstandings would have been kind of understandable earlier this year, but a respected news outlet should know better by now. They also rely on the director of a rival airport (KCI) to support the argument that the initiative would fail. As a side note, Mike Webber, the first analyst to come out against the hub, left a string of like 4 comments in a row in the comments section.

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/08/18/30 ... cargo.html

Colby wrote:The KC Star trashed the China hub. Unfortunately, it seems like they are under the impression that we are trying to lure domestic carriers to STL. Specifically, they think we are trying to convince airlines that currently transport air freight to divert China related cargo to St. Louis while continuing to ship other air freight through traditional channels. They also apparently think that we are going to necessarily spend $360 million to get this off the ground. I suppose these misunderstandings would have been kind of understandable earlier this year, but a respected news outlet should know better by now. They also rely on the director of a rival airport (KCI) to support the argument that the initiative would fail. As a side note, Mike Webber, the first analyst to come out against the hub, left a string of like 4 comments in a row in the comments section.

I feel compelled to reply to this. But first, let me give you some background info:
I am from St. Louis, and I lived and worked in Kansas City MO for 3 years before returning back to the STL area.

I read on these message boards as well as the STLToday message boards that people continually look at the negative side of all positive St. Louis stories. KC is by far...WORSE than St. Louis when it comes to this.

The three years I lived in KC, all they ever worried about was getting outside of St. Louis's shadow. When the new Busch stadium opened, KC officials wanted to build a new stadium in the downtown area for the Royals. That ultimately failed. When STL was confirmed to get the All Star game at their stadium, KC tried passing a vote to put more $$$ in their stadiums to get a moving glass structure to cover the baseball or football field whenever bad weather was on the horizon in hopes that they'd land the Superbowl. That failed. Before I left to move back to St. Louis, they took to a vote to pass their own version of a Metrolink. The newscasts all kept comparing it to what St. Louis did in the 1990s and kept looking at St. Louis's structure and route in the hopes that they could duplicate that success over there. That also failed.

With that knowledge, just know that the KC media over there will trash anything and everything that goes on over here and I'm not surprised. When I told people that I was from STL when I lived in KC, they always worried that I "didn't like it here." Well, they were right.

I will say, I love the KC Power and Light District and the Plaza and I wish we had something like that here in STL (I know there are plenty of naysayers about that). But let KC keep fighting STL. They'll never escape our shadow.

Shouldn't we care more about what the China Star thinks about the idea than the Kansas City Star?