quote:

Originally posted by dgshooter:

Always pissed me off to see half a dozen squad cars from St. Ann conducting a speed trap on I-70 by Lambert Airport.

They got me several years ago. I jumped ahead of an erratic driver to get out of his area of influence, got ticketed for 7 mph over the limit.

How long before opposing the merger is seen as racism?

quote:

Originally posted by spunk639:
How long before opposing the merger is seen as racism?

It's already being done...

Writer: Opposition to a city-county merger does not equate to racism

To the editor:

Glenn Koenen wrote in an Oct. 25 letter that “city-county merger talk is just Republican code for keeping blacks out of the county.”

Many people might simply be opposed to a city-county merger because they feel the city has not been fiscally responsible.

County residents may end up paying higher taxes and/or see their services reduced.

If people are truly saddened by how divisive our political system has become, perhaps articulating the benefits of their viewpoint might be the best way to change hearts and minds.

Accusing people you have never met of racism is wrong on so many levels.

It seems like code for, “I’d rather not exchange ideas. You must have my ideas, otherwise you are a racist.”

I see positives and negatives on both sides of this debate. I see no positives whatsoever in accusing people you have never met of racism. Hopefully moving forward we can do better attacking problems and not people.

https://callnewspapers.com/wri...ot-equate-to-racism/

quote:

Originally posted by spunk639:
How long before opposing the merger is seen as racism?

You've got others within the city calling the merger an effort to dillute black voting power. It's a real shit show.

What the City needs is bankruptcy...

St. Louis needs a bailout. There is another option.

By Tim Fitch

Make no mistake. If the municipal government of the city of St. Louis was financially healthy, and the rest of St. Louis County was failing, we would not be having a conversation about the region being Better Together. This conversation is about a city bailout and wealth redistribution. Nothing more; nothing less. However, it’s being packaged and marketed as a “fragmentation” issue. Yes, there needs to be significant change to move us forward as a region. But let’s not blame our issues on the entire region as the cause for our lackluster performance among other comparable cities. The region doesn’t need a major change; the city of St. Louis needs a major change.

On Jan. 5, St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones tweeted in part, “We’re a recession away from bankruptcy.” St. Louis is already more than $1.6 billion in debt, according to the nonprofit government finance watchdog Truth in Accounting. St. Louis can barely deliver basic services to its residents with the revenue and expenses it has today, let alone ever repay its debt.

What’s Better Together’s preferred option? Blame the issues on the region. Don’t point the finger at the city of St. Louis. After all, the city has done everything it can to be successful. It has maxed out local taxes. It has provided TIFs and other incentives to almost anyone who asked. More than 40 percent of the land in the city is nontaxable or owned by city government. The 2020 census will most certainly drop the city below 300,000 residents.

Not many would look to Detroit as a good example of local governance. However, if you haven’t been there lately, you wouldn’t have noticed that the city is on its feet and coming back strong. If you visited Detroit in the ’80s and ’90s, you would have seen a picture much like we see today in the city of St. Louis. Large numbers of abandoned buildings, high taxes, businesses fleeing to the suburbs, out-of-control violent crime, poor basic governmental services and failing schools. A city that once had 2 million residents was down to 700,000. Detroit was sick and getting sicker. Like a cancer, the city’s problems started spreading to adjacent suburbs. Sound familiar?

Much like a drug addict, the city of Detroit had to hit rock bottom before it was forced to admit it had a problem and needed help. It went through all of its money and started borrowing money to stay afloat. Debt ran as high as an estimated $18 billion. Detroit couldn’t look to its county government for a bailout. The city was already part of Wayne County. Being part of Wayne County couldn’t save it. Five years ago, the city of Detroit filed for bankruptcy and the state took over control of its finances. This was just the start of its renaissance.



Just last week, a candidate in Chicago’s mayoral race discussed the possibility of annexing neighboring cities in order to generate additional revenue to shore up Chicago’s pension obligations. At least this candidate wasn’t blaming Chicago’s financial woes on the 135 municipalities in Cook County.

If approved as designed, the new “Metro City” of St. Louis will confiscate all of the sales taxes generated in unincorporated St. Louis County and all of its municipalities. Additionally, the St. Louis earnings tax will continue to be collected for 10 years after the proposed new government is established. Even if the Better Together plan is approved, the city of St. Louis will probably not be able to financially survive until the wealth from the county is captured and redistributed. If they are doomed to bankruptcy, why not just do it and save the rest of the county from being pulled down with them?

The Revised Statutes of Missouri (427.100) grant municipalities the power to declare bankruptcy. It’s time for Better Together and the city of St. Louis to look at this option instead of destroying the current county governance system, which is working for most of the region. Only after the city of St. Louis has reorganized its system of local governance and becomes financially viable should there be a discussion about re-entry into St. Louis County as one of its municipalities.

Bankruptcy isn’t a preferred option for any city. However, it is working for Detroit. It can work for St. Louis — without destroying many of the communities in St. Louis County that we are proud to call home.

Tim Fitch, R-Fenton, is a St. Louis County councilman and former St. Louis County police chief.

https://www.stltoday.com/opini...7d-cca8fe35d586.html

Well written article. I never met Tim Fitch but he always sounded like a "well grounded" person based upon what I read and saw on tv in the past.

quote:

Originally posted by h2oys:
Well written article. I never met Tim Fitch but he always sounded like a "well grounded" person based upon what I read and saw on tv in the past.

Obviously I know him personally. He is a stand up guy.

Better Together has had a bad couple weeks.

1. Had to re-write their proposed new super city government plan. Their current plan was whoever was the County Executive on 1 January 2019 would be the the new mayor.......except the current County executive who was there on January 1 might be impeached or indicted. So they could have a mayor who was out of office or in prison at the start of his new term.

2. Was suppose to met with the local Fraternal Order of Police last Wednesday but cancelled 2 hours before the meeting.

3. Met with Overland on Monday or Tuesday last week (this may explain why they skipped out on #2) and provided all kinds of crime stats for current crime levels and projected much lower stats as a result of the new "unified" police department. A Overland Police Officer in audience asked where they got these crime stats (both current and projected). The BT rep said they got both crime stats from SLAPCA (St. Louis Area Police Chief Association).....unfortunately Tim Lowery/Florissant Police Chief and as of this week newly elected Florissant Mayor was in the audience. He got up and identified himself as a Florissant police Chief AND Vice President of SLAPCA. Lowery told everyone that NONE of the stats that BT was using came from SLAPCA. Apparently, the stats were made up by BT. Needless to say the meeting went downhill from there.

4. It was found out that the guy who did the study that BT is using said combining St. Louis City and St. Louis County governments and functions would save money but none of the municipalities would benefit as all would be looking at a drastic loss of revenue. The Mayor of Des Peres was on Marc Cox this week and said the loss of money for his town would be 7 to 9 million a year.

5. So far not one municipal government has signed on and most have passed resolutions against it. Now there is a lawyer who lives and works in Jefferson City MO writing letters to the mayors and city councils threatening to file lawsuits against them if they come out against Better Together. The lawyer is representing someone but he won't disclose who it is.

Tim Fitch's article is spot on. Based on the Dimocraps history in St. Louis City and other large cities, they will immediately spend the new money for their usual shit shows and stupid projects. Once the new City is broke (think 5-10 years) they will be eyeing St. Charles County and Jefferson County for annexation.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: jsbcody,

quote:

Better Together has had a bad couple weeks.

1. Had to re-write their proposed new super city government plan. Their current plan was whoever was the County Executive on 1 January 2019 would be the the new mayor.......except the current County executive who was there on January 1 might be impeached or indicted. So they could have a mayor who was out of office or in prison at the start of his new term.

The would-be anointed, but un-elected, king of the new entity...
Steve Stenger thinks he's the next Bill Clinton... but he's not that smooth.
Apparently, he's not so good at covering his tracks either.

Federal Investigation Into St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger Starts With Internal Ethics Report

Yep, Stenger the County Executive who doesn't attend any County Council meetings.

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:

quote:

Better Together has had a bad couple weeks.

1. Had to re-write their proposed new super city government plan. Their current plan was whoever was the County Executive on 1 January 2019 would be the the new mayor.......except the current County executive who was there on January 1 might be impeached or indicted. So they could have a mayor who was out of office or in prison at the start of his new term.

The would-be anointed, but un-elected, king of the new entity...
Steve Stenger thinks he's the next Bill Clinton... but he's not that smooth.
Apparently, he's not so good at covering his tracks either.

Federal Investigation Into St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger Starts With Internal Ethics Report

[FLASH_VIDEO]<iframe frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/a42o6Z3UWtY" width="560"></iframe>[/FLASH_VIDEO]

Boston Still has them beat. They elected a Mayor who was serving Fed time for Mail Fraud, James Michael Curley.

The Missouri Legislature voted down putting a non binding resolution on the ballot regarding the merger question.

https://www.stltoday.com/news/...qXn-acJgHayA0AsCgX4Y

Billionaire Rex Sinquefield is popping up everywhere in Missouri politics spending lots on many candidates $!. He supports the merger and might be behind HB864, a proposal to bust the Missouri State Teacher's pension.

quote:

Originally posted by pbslinger:
The Missouri Legislature voted down putting a non binding resolution on the ballot regarding the merger question.

https://www.stltoday.com/news/...qXn-acJgHayA0AsCgX4Y

Billionaire Rex Sinquefield is popping up everywhere in Missouri politics spending lots on many candidates $!. He supports the merger and might be behind HB864, a proposal to bust the Missouri State Teacher's pension.

It looks like if they put the merger on a statewide ballot, the Missouri Senate will pass a bill requiring a referendum with only St.Louis County and St. Louis City residents voting on if it can go forward.

This is a horrible idea that is getting worse the longer it goes on. Just this week 2 UMSL Professors and a Webster University Professor studied the financial numbers and all said that Better Together VASTLY overstated the gains for the merger.

quote:

Just this week 2 UMSL Professors and a Webster University Professor studied the financial numbers and all said that Better Together VASTLY overstated the gains for the merger.

Here is an article regarding BT misstating merger cost savings:

https://www.stltoday.com/news/...05-071201005be2.html

Steve Stenger coming out in handcuffs.... resigned... will be arraigned this afternoon.

St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger indicted on federal charges of bribery, mail fraud and theft of honest services ...

https://www.stltoday.com/news/...ec-1b35b0388c7c.html

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:
Steve Stenger coming out in handcuffs.... resigned... will be arraigned this afternoon.

St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger indicted on federal charges of bribery, mail fraud and theft of honest services ...

https://www.stltoday.com/news/...ec-1b35b0388c7c.html

For some strange reason, several of the local news outlet are NOT pointing out he is a democrap.......no mention at all about party affiliation.

Ernie Trakas has done a great job exposing this.
It's a shame the Council can't appoint him tonight. Sam Page most likely.

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:
Ernie Trakas has done a great job exposing this.
It's a shame the Council can't appoint him tonight. Sam Page most likely.

Did I ever tell you my story about those 2? And how deeply Stenger was involved behind the scenes against Trakes? (Note, I am no fan of Trakas, but it was dirty politics)

quote:

he told a reporter in an interview that his top priority was “restoring integrity to St. Louis County government.”

I'm not shocked. Almost everything these Democrats say is 180 degrees opposite reality.