As the new committeeman for my local area, I will be writing a monthly column for the Tesson Times. It's a Republican newsletter. Here's an early look at this months column:

Escape from New York... and St. Louis?

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, 420,000 people moved out of New York City between March 1st and May 1st. The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in late May triggered widespread riots and looting across America. The crime and violence sweeping America’s cities, including St. Louis, is causing people to flee these once great cities. Why are people leaving? In a word: Democrats. New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, Portland and others have been controlled by Democrats for a long time.

Let’s take a look back in time at our own City of St. Louis. The population of the City of St. Louis peaked in 1950 at 856,796 people. That also happens to be when our last Republican mayor left office and the City initiated its’ 1% earnings tax. The City has been controlled by Democrats ever since. The population of St. Louis County was 406,349 in 1950. Fast forward 50 years and by the year 2000 the population of the City of St. Louis had dropped to 348,189 while St. Louis County had grown to over a million people (1,016,315).



We don’t have the 2020 census numbers yet but by 2010 the City had dropped further to 319,294 and the County had declined slightly to 998,954. Estimates are that the City continues to bleed population and the County remains nearly stable.

Why do population trends matter? A place with a growing population is a place where people want to be. It’s a sign that a place is vibrant and attractive to people. On the other hand, a declining population signifies that people are unhappy. Every person and family that move out represent a personal choice that life would be better somewhere else.

Democrats make a lot of promises, mostly which come down to something for nothing or mostly at other’s expense. Look at what they want to do now. The Democrats on the County Council want to expand low income or subsidized housing, widely known as “Section 8” housing vouchers — in St. Louis County, particularly unincorporated areas the largest part of which is South County. They want to make it illegal for property owners to not accept “Section 8” tenants.

Recently, the St. Louis County Council voted along party lines to give St. Louis County Executive Sam Page exclusive power over directing nearly $175 million worth of federal coronavirus funds. Democrats Lisa Clancy, Kelli Dunaway, Rita Days and Rochelle Walton Gray voted for the measure. Republicans Tim Fitch, Mark Harder and Ernie Trakas voted against it. The County Council has abdicated its’ responsibility to retain oversight authority over the use of these funds. What could go wrong? Sam Page is starting to look an awful lot like Steve Stenger.

If the County wants to avoid a similar fate to what we have seen in the City, we are going to have to stop electing Democrats. We are going to have to re-elect Ernie Trakas. In addition we are going to have to make significant gains in some of the areas that reflexively vote Democrat. Paul Berry is making significant progress in North County, but we are also going to have to make progress in places like University City, Webster and Kirkwood, and Lemay if we are ever again going to have a majority on the County Council or a Republican County Executive.

Otherwise, St. Louis County faces a future much like that of the City with high taxes, higher operating costs for businesses, and the corruption and self-dealing brought by single-party government.

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Recently, the St. Louis County Council voted along party lines to give St. Louis County Executive Sam Page exclusive power over directing nearly $175 million worth of federal coronavirus funds.

What could possibly go wrong?

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What could possibly go wrong?

I know, right?

Thanks for reading. I realize this column is a little too 'local' for most of my Sigforum friends.

In one respect you are correct, it is too small for our fellow Sigforum friends. However, it reinforces the primary point that when Democrats are unchallenged things go to heck and a hand basket.

And if they run MetroLink into SoCo...

I don't want Democrats to move here!

St louis County is.done for, i just hope.it takes more than 17 years for it to go completely off the rails.and I can get the hell out.

1 year, 7 months, and 23 days to go.

Great article, and applicable to many big cities. Thanks for posting. Growing up in Independence, I like to keep up with KC and St Louis.

I drove through the county when I moved to O'Fallon

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I drove through the county when I moved to O'Fallon

As the article implies, there's a good chance a lot more of us will move out of St. Louis County.

If the merger happens, it's all over. But even if it doesn't, it's a slow burn.

Let this be a warning to those who think that giving broader authority to the county commission will protect you from liberals in a city government. They'll just run for county office.

You might have to draw a picture for your target audience:

https://www.howmoneywalks.com/irs-tax-migration/

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Originally posted by Ogie:
I don't want Democrats to move here!

Or here! Too many have come already!

flashguy
(1gkek, I sang with tthe O'Fallon Mississippi Valley Chorus in the mid-1970s.)

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Or here! Too many have come already!

flashguy:
Rest assured, I'm not a Democrat!
But, in fact, I'm very familiar with Dallas. If I left here, it would be on my short list.
I'm a graduate of the University of Dallas.

Your title had me wondering because the movie Escape from New York was filmed in St.Louis.

South county used to be about as Republican as you can get but it has sure changed in the last 5 years. I grew up in Oakville and when I drive through South County now it's sad watching the erosion happen. So much so that the Affton politicians cater to a certain group because they always vote Democrat. Go check out the massive Mosque they put up near 55 and Bayless.

I think it was about 5 years ago when a couple from St Louis bought the house next door to me. Their kids and grandkids moved here to the OKC area too. Great couple, great neighbors, great friends.

A year or so ago his Dad died in St Louis and he moved his Mother down from St Louis to live with them.

A month or so ago he told me he was helping his Son move back to St Louis because he got a job with the Cardinals Home Office.

Now I'm worried about them.

I hope they are safe and will stay safe in St Louis, please keep up the info on how things are going there.

Thanks.

OP, I hope your daughter is doing well, last I saw she was in Ponca City. I think that was your daughter.
.

I remember living in St. Louis for the 2010 census and they were SURE the flight had turned with all the gentrification going on and the lofts and the new couples (not families) moving into South St. Louis and and and and...the population dropped some more. It seemed alot more giving up occurred. Fast forward a bit and in 2014 you had Ferguson and all that came afterwards. We still visit once or twice a year and I go to St. Charles County every year for rifle deer season opening weekend, but my wife and I moved to Iowa in 2012 and I haven't seen a police car drive past my house with lights on in the 8 years since. That was a couple times a week occurrence then, and once or twice a month a police helicopter circling with a spotlight overhead. Due to the market and 90% financing, we had to pay $20,000 to get out of our house that backed up to Compton Heights which we loved. Best $20,000 I've spent.

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Originally posted by OKCGene:
I hope they are safe and will stay safe in St Louis, please keep up the info on how things are going there.

Thanks.

OP, I hope your daughter is doing well, last I saw she was in Ponca City. I think that was your daughter.
.

OKCGene,
Yes, she is still in Ponca City and doing well. Thanks!