UrbanReviewSTL named an Influential Missouri political blog
UrbanReviewSTL has been named by blognetnews.com the 20th most influential political blog in Missouri (see list). Not to shabby considering that was never a goal of mine. I simply want to make St. Louis a better place. But with big money, tax incentives and state involvement in projects like the razing of the historic Century building for a parking garage you can’t help but touch on the politics.
Pubdef.net, published by my friend Antonio French, moved up a notch from 5th to 4th – congrats. The Arch City Chronicle, now online only, slipped four slots from 12th to 16th as it falls from being relevant.
Once I am back in St. Louis I plan to begin looking into state house & senate races as well as state-wide races. Late last year I met one-on-one with one candidate for state-wide office — I was trying to get some issues on the table for discussion and action. Locally we will see party committeemen & committeewomen elected in each of the city’s 28 wards on August 5th. To what extent I can, I hope to influence the issues being discussed with support going to those candidates that publicly hold views close to my own (pro mass transit, reduced dependence on cars, local production of food & goods, etc). We are less than a year from odd-ward elections, the mayors race and a couple of other city-wide offices. The next year will be interesting.
Congrats on the high honor and thank you for your tireless work – you help make STL a better place to live, work, and play.
Aesthetics are vitally important!
Now get better soon!
You only get the respect you deserve, and you’ve earned this!
You definitely deserve the recognition. Thanks for providing such a valuable resource. Because of you I view my surroundings differently.
i would be remiss not to mention the ongoing feud of local bloggers against blognetnews for their reapppriation of ohter blogger’s work for their own profit. I’m glad you’re getting recogntion, but it wasn’t so long ago that many of us staged a protest action against this corporate entity that violates the wishes of local bloggers like ourselves. Since you may have been left out of the backlash, I encourage you to reconsider these dubvious honors and to investigate our reasons for protesting this group.
Congrats on cracking the top 20.
If you feel like diving in to Matthurst’s suggestion, I hope you’ll take time to read some of the excellent rebuttals that are out there. This blogger was contacted by someone in St. Louis: http://www.nolanotes.com/2008/03/26/i-like-blog-net-news-yeah-i-said-it/
It makes perfect sense to me that you’d be on the list, since I’m probably not the only reader who’s been introduced to urban design and planning issues through reading UR’s coverage of the S. Grand McDonalds and the Grand & Halliday parking pad.
On parking pad front, it turns out there’s another hearing scheduled for the 16th and rumor has it the developer wants to put the parking pad back in. There hasn’t been any contact with the neighbors this time, just the poster indicating meeting time
Steve, I’ve learned so much from reading your work and the comments it inspires (and sometimes provokes). Keep up the great job and run, Steve, run!
When you get better I suggest that you and your blogger friends come to the 3rd,5th,and 19th wards and discuss what is going on w/Paul Mckee and LRA. It is no secret that we are being ignored on the Northside. All of these wards are holding elections next year. We welcome any media attention to our attempts to get a response from Mayor Slay. Neighbors for Justice in cooperation with Sts Teresa and Bridget Social Justice committee has been working with community to relay our concerns and demands to our local politicians. Any assistance that you could offer would be greatly appreciated.
Sheila Rendon
Neighbors for Justice
Please describe “Neighbors for Justice”. It’s history? It’s membership? It’s mission? Thank you.
Neighbors for Justice was created by members of Sts Teresa and Bridget church who are residents of the 5th and 19th wards alond with their neighbors who have been complaining for years to the respective Alderpersons, The Citizen Service Bureau, City Hall about vacant buildings and overgrown vacant lots in their wards. We have some neighbors who have tried to purchase LRA property only to be refused as it was being “held for future development”. When we ask what /when regarding the future development…
silence.We were told the wards were ripe for developmentand a plan was developed by the neighbors. We never told about Paul Mckee until one of our residents figured it out. We have homes that were built in the 1800’s that are owned by Mckee and LRA that are crumbling due to brick theft. We want a say in our wards future and we feel like we are being ignored. Some members delivered a letter listing the complaints about unattended vacant buildings that are being stripped for brick and lumber, refusal of LRA to sell or develop their property, the threat of Eminent Domain to Mayor Slay’s office of April 4th. We also requested a meeting with the Mayor’s Office to express our concerns we have not gotten a response.
Also if you want to contact us our website is http://ststb.org/
Neighbors for Justice