Apparently, Elliott Davis did a "You Paid for It" segment last night on street improvements in North St. Louis. Did anyone see it?
Watch the news around 5:30 tonight and it will probably be on, possibly tommorrow morning too, but it was probably on this morning, but it may have been contact 2 on this morning. Regardless, just watch them today or tommorrow, and you may get to see it.
Ok, watch it at about 5:25- 5:30 tommorrow, because it will probably be on. Friday's Contact 2 was repeated tonight.
It will probably be repeat of tonights tommorrow, but worth checking though, I guess.
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I didn't see it myself, but I heard it was about the road work on Riverview Drive south of the circle. Eliott was going after the alderman asking why money was spent on lighting and brick pavers for crosswalks instead of fixing the road. Hopefully there will be a transcript available, I saw the previews during the super bowl, but I fell asleep before it came on.
I just remembered I accidentally taped the news along with the simpsons. I will watch it later today.
I've seen the pavers and street lights. The streetscape really enhances the area. I don't know what the problem could be. Interested to know.
The pavers and lights are in this area just south along Riverview Blvd. which straddles the Walnut Park East neighborhood.
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The pavers and lights are in this area just south along Riverview Blvd. which straddles the Walnut Park East neighborhood.
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Here is the transcript off the fox2ktvi.com website:
You Paid For It: RIVERVIEW
It's a hardpressed northside neighborhood with a lot of economic needs. Residents say this latest project isn't one of them. They were stunned to see the end result of months of construction on Riverview boulevard.
Brandy Williams, Northside resident: "it held up traffic forever and the finished product is this. And there's still potholes and stuff so I think it was a waste of time and a waste of our money."
The regular concrete cross walks were ripped out.In their place, these fancy brick inlaid crosswalks.They were built at 10 intersections along this stretch ofRiverview boulevard.
In a touch of irony, one of the new crosswalks was built right in front of a school...closed a year ago because of budget cuts. Residents can thank their alderman, Greg Carter, for this beautification project. He apparently thought this was a good way to spruce up the neighborhood.
Brandy Williams:"when I saw the finished thing I was appalled, outraged and outdone because they had a lot of manpower down here for a long time."
Although you have new brick crosswalks, the street is still a mess. There are big cracks everywhere and potholes to boot. Some cracks are right next to the fancy new crosswalks.(sot)Brandy Williams:"who really utilizes this? Nobody! It's a waste they could have just filled the potholes in and just left the regular street concrete down there."
You paid a pretty penny for for the project that also included decorative lights. Taxpayers tab: 1.6 million dollars.
William Lumpkins, Northside resident:"we don't care about the crosswalk... the cross walk was fine before they inlaid the bricks. It wasn't a safety hazard or anything."
Elliott Davis:"hello alderman how are you doing?"I caught up with alderman Greg Carter who didn't seem anxious to talk to me about this deal.
Elliott Davis:"what about the riverview project?"Greg Carter:"I told you I don't do..."Elliott Davis:"do you think this is a good use of taxpayers money?"Carter:"that's not a city project."Elliott Davis:"is that a good use.."Carter:"it's not a city project"
Here are the facts. The St. Louis board of aldermen had to okay the project. Gregory Carter was one of the prime sponsors of the bill authorizing the work in his ward.The St. Louis board of public service hired the contractors for the construction. More than a million dollars for the city project did come from your federal tax dollars, but the city kicked in a big chunk too. More than a half million also came from city capital improvement funds.
Carter:"it's a state project it's federal money!"Elliott Davis:"it's still tax money... do you think it's a good use of taxpayers money?"Carter:"I don't do any more interviews with you Elliott"
William Lumpkins:"I think it's a waste of money when you got schools you closing... you did this in front of the schools that you're closing because we didn't have enough money to operate it but yet you put millions of dollars into a cross walk... it just doesn not add up to me."
If it doesn't add up to you either, why not give St. Louis alderman, Greg Carter, a call at 314-622-3287?Tell him what you think, after all you paid for it.
You Paid For It: RIVERVIEW
It's a hardpressed northside neighborhood with a lot of economic needs. Residents say this latest project isn't one of them. They were stunned to see the end result of months of construction on Riverview boulevard.
Brandy Williams, Northside resident: "it held up traffic forever and the finished product is this. And there's still potholes and stuff so I think it was a waste of time and a waste of our money."
The regular concrete cross walks were ripped out.In their place, these fancy brick inlaid crosswalks.They were built at 10 intersections along this stretch ofRiverview boulevard.
In a touch of irony, one of the new crosswalks was built right in front of a school...closed a year ago because of budget cuts. Residents can thank their alderman, Greg Carter, for this beautification project. He apparently thought this was a good way to spruce up the neighborhood.
Brandy Williams:"when I saw the finished thing I was appalled, outraged and outdone because they had a lot of manpower down here for a long time."
Although you have new brick crosswalks, the street is still a mess. There are big cracks everywhere and potholes to boot. Some cracks are right next to the fancy new crosswalks.(sot)Brandy Williams:"who really utilizes this? Nobody! It's a waste they could have just filled the potholes in and just left the regular street concrete down there."
You paid a pretty penny for for the project that also included decorative lights. Taxpayers tab: 1.6 million dollars.
William Lumpkins, Northside resident:"we don't care about the crosswalk... the cross walk was fine before they inlaid the bricks. It wasn't a safety hazard or anything."
Elliott Davis:"hello alderman how are you doing?"I caught up with alderman Greg Carter who didn't seem anxious to talk to me about this deal.
Elliott Davis:"what about the riverview project?"Greg Carter:"I told you I don't do..."Elliott Davis:"do you think this is a good use of taxpayers money?"Carter:"that's not a city project."Elliott Davis:"is that a good use.."Carter:"it's not a city project"
Here are the facts. The St. Louis board of aldermen had to okay the project. Gregory Carter was one of the prime sponsors of the bill authorizing the work in his ward.The St. Louis board of public service hired the contractors for the construction. More than a million dollars for the city project did come from your federal tax dollars, but the city kicked in a big chunk too. More than a half million also came from city capital improvement funds.
Carter:"it's a state project it's federal money!"Elliott Davis:"it's still tax money... do you think it's a good use of taxpayers money?"Carter:"I don't do any more interviews with you Elliott"
William Lumpkins:"I think it's a waste of money when you got schools you closing... you did this in front of the schools that you're closing because we didn't have enough money to operate it but yet you put millions of dollars into a cross walk... it just doesn not add up to me."
If it doesn't add up to you either, why not give St. Louis alderman, Greg Carter, a call at 314-622-3287?Tell him what you think, after all you paid for it.
^Thanks for posting. Although $1.6-million is a lot for such a project, what a sensational story.
Please go see the pavers. It's not Wacker Drive in Chicago, but they don't look bad in my opinion. There are some viable businesses in the area. It does make the strip look a little better. Sounds like KTVI found residents who would complain no matter what. They'd probably complain if pavers were being put down somewhere else in the city, but not their neighborhood.
If the neighborhood is enhanced aesthetically, it has the potential to allow people to feel good about their community then other positive movement might follow.
And how could Greg Carter possibly know the school was going to be closed down? The street project was likely planned months before the district closed the school. Furthermore, it doesn't mean the school can't be used again or the land for something new.
You can't win. I've driven down Riverview plenty of times and it is in much better shape than many roads in St. Louis City or County.
I just think Elliot Davis sometimes finds petty subjects to keep his show going.
Please go see the pavers. It's not Wacker Drive in Chicago, but they don't look bad in my opinion. There are some viable businesses in the area. It does make the strip look a little better. Sounds like KTVI found residents who would complain no matter what. They'd probably complain if pavers were being put down somewhere else in the city, but not their neighborhood.
If the neighborhood is enhanced aesthetically, it has the potential to allow people to feel good about their community then other positive movement might follow.
And how could Greg Carter possibly know the school was going to be closed down? The street project was likely planned months before the district closed the school. Furthermore, it doesn't mean the school can't be used again or the land for something new.
You can't win. I've driven down Riverview plenty of times and it is in much better shape than many roads in St. Louis City or County.
I just think Elliot Davis sometimes finds petty subjects to keep his show going.
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Sounds to me like a case where Carter had to either take the money for streetscape improvements or lose it all together.
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DeBaliviere wrote:Sounds to me like a case where Carter had to either take the money for streetscape improvements or lose it all together.
Correct, this was a federally funded project, the city had to pay 30%. If it wasn't built they would have lost the money. Also, there is a resurfacing project on the same stretch of road in 2006/2007.