St Louis' Role in Missouri

Chalupas54 · PostJul 29, 2018#12018-07-29T06:34+00:00

So I happened to sit in on a very interesting conversation at a dinner earlier with some of my coworkers who brought the general talking point of " St Louis VS Missouri". I have always been so perplexed by the relationship between MO and STL. I know it all boils down to politics, but I really cannot find a similarity where a city wields so much political and economic power, yet is routinely targeted and harmed by its state government.

I believe we account for nearly half of the states GDP, and are still far and away the most populated region of the state. In Missouri, quite literally all roads lead to St. Louis,alll major cross-state Interstates pass through the area. All said, St. Louis is Missouri's most prominent and important city and that's not changing anytime soon.

One thing someone pointed out is how Governor Parson seems to be very invested in St. Louis and it's success. He's practically always here, is routinely meeting with companies and networking. I've seen this firsthand. Maybe a sign of hope for the future?

I guess my whole take on this, I would really like to see MO be more embracing of STL.

Trololzilla · PostJul 29, 2018#22018-07-29T09:28+00:00

Wholeheartedly agree that MO vs. STL needs to not be a thing.

That's actually good to hear about Parsons, provided it's not just a facade. From what I'd heard previously, he was rather 'rural' in his mindset and had a certain... I dunno, disdain for urban areas I guess. Could've just been hearsay though. Hopefully he is truly cognizant of the importance of urban areas to the success of Missouri, considering that together, STL and KC account for - what, 75% of the state's GDP, give or take? Greitens basically throwing urban areas under the bus despite being a "St. Louis guy" was incredibly frustrating.

IMO, one of the best things the state can do to help both itself and its urban areas is to reinvest in higher education. The slashing of the budget really hurt, from what I could tell. All the emails I received from my own alma mater detailing all the painful choices they had to make in light of the slash was evidence aplenty. The key to future success lies with how you prepare the minds of today's youth for tomorrow, and it's vital in a modern society to place education on a pedestal.

Another thing the state can do that would really help (and fortunately seems to have a little traction at least) is raising the gas tax (finally). Something needs to be done about the states' infrastructure, and raising the gas tax is one of the easiest ways that it can raise money (especially seeing as how the legislature is apparently opposed to tolls, for some reason). If our state infrastructure is allowed to continue to crumble away (particularly that in urban areas), it'll have an extremely detrimental effect on the economy. It shouldn't be difficult for the legislature to see that.

urban_dilettante · PostJul 29, 2018#32018-07-29T19:28+00:00

Trololzilla wrote: ↑
Jul 29, 2018
Something needs to be done about the states' infrastructure, and raising the gas tax is one of the easiest ways that it can raise money (especially seeing as how the legislature is apparently opposed to tolls, for some reason).

reason = trucking company lobbying of GOP state legislators.

Trololzilla · PostJul 30, 2018#42018-07-30T07:22+00:00

^ Makes sense. But still, something's gotta give eventually.

kipfilet · PostJul 30, 2018#52018-07-30T14:50+00:00

Chalupas54 wrote: ↑
Jul 29, 2018
I know it all boils down to politics, but I really cannot find a similarity where a city wields so much political and economic power, yet is routinely targeted and harmed by its state government.

NYC vs New York State is similar in the sense that the city has more than half of the state's population and the downstate area (NYC + suburbs) generate 70% of the state's revenue, yet the state government often mistreats/punishes the city to appease rural upstate interests (even though both city and state governments are in the same party!). The more blatant case of mistreatment and constant source of tension is the state's (terrible) management of the public transit authority, the MTA.

Ebsy · PostJul 30, 2018#62018-07-30T20:19+00:00

As someone who has worked in the legislature, I can tell you that the powers that be in Missouri state government hate both cities, STL and KC, though they definitely reserve extra hatred for us. Part of this is the urban/rural divide, as the legislature is much more rural than the state, but a lot of it has to do with prejudice against liberals/blacks/Jews/Catholics/union workers.