Former St. Louis Mayor Vince Schoemehl on Regionalism
A few nights ago I attended a panel where Former St Louis Mayor Vince Schoemehl was speaking on the future of Metro and Prop M. He got sidetracked a few times and ended up covering regionalism, cities he considered St Louis’ competition while he was mayor (San Francisco & Boston!), how it is “ridiculous to have the Mayors of Clayton & St Louis fighting over the location of a law firm.
Click here to listen to an excerpt of the audio
Schoemehl was mayor from 1981-1993.
I have to admit, Vince Schoemehl ensured my presence at the conference Tuesday. Born in 1970, Vince Schoemehl and Ronald Reagan were individuals that were part of my political awakening at 11-12 years old. It is such a pleasure to still have the ex-mayor still leading in this community. He has taken public service to be the calling in his life and I am infinitely respectful of those efforts.
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I wholeheartedly agree with his take on regionalism and the need for better cooperation amongst people and government of this St. Louis area. To me, for much of my adult life, the major obstacle in St. Louis to reach that conclusion of connectivity amongst us all, was the persistance of racism and its ability to prohibit the efficient development into one of abandonment and mass exodus. Which is just part of the reason I am so resentful of St. Charles, in what it represents, not who lives there. So don’t take it personally!
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As an example to that, Mr. Schoemehl brought up the land use in the region, 3% growth using 42% additional area in that same time. That could only happen through the pervasive abandonment of older areas for newer ones, versus well managed re-use.
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It was a pleasure to meet you on Tuesday and I too agree with your take on Prop M but hold little faith for its passing at this time. Mainly due to something else cited Tuesday, Marketing and P.R.
Beautifully put….he was right on. I hope the next generation of St. Louisans DONT embrace this separatist, racist, anti-urban agenda that we have been holding for the past 50 years.
Hey Steve! Do you have the rest of the conference. Can it be heard anywhere else?
I always get a kick out of those pointing out the racism in others. It must be such a warm feeling to be so smug!
Schoemehl is an engaging character, but in the end he spent most of his time spinning his wheels and ultimately didn’t accomplish much. I do give him credit for planting all those pin oaks that line Gravois and the like.
The guy or gal who will get credit for truly turning the city must tackle education and the tax structure.
Funny thing about efforts, in spite of a Disney outlook, they don’t always end in results. I am aware of plenty that didn’t get accomplished. But he has put St. Louis professionally first and I admire that and despite the good intentions it doesn’t always work out. So what. On this particular recording he even points out a recent two year failure in trying to get a Hyatt hotel in the Grand center area at Olive.
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Racism and many issues are personal issues that have an affect outside of ourselves. If I was unaware of my own issues, I would be unable to identify its potential in others or in this whole community. So my recognition of it is in essence an awareness of my own failures and a desire to change it both internally and out.
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I feel neither self satisified nor complete on the subject for myself, but I do at least put effort into it, you can too, join me at NCCJSTL.org with any of the events or workshops. Volunteer, learn whatever.
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Oh and as far as smugness goes, my flatuence does smell terrific.
To be successful, transportation design must efficiently integrate autos, busses, trains, bicycles and and pedestrian facilities. The New 64 proves that the area respects and prioritizes auto use over all other alternatives even to the extent that each of these alternatives are purposely deleted from the design process. Political representation is fractured and self destructive by design. MoDOT takes full advantage of these problems. Case closed.
Hey Southsider, riddle me this. Does it make someone an elitist or “reverse-racist” to say that racism has been the root to a lot of problems in American society’s past and present? How is that self satisfying to simply state a truth? Would it make you more comfortable if all the ills of society were never talked about? Do you think I have some kind of agenda, because we may have some philosophical disagreements? Am I a terrorist?
Oh I get it now…..nobody can talk about racism, crime, poverty, corruption and their social impacts, because if you do your a far left-wing, radical, anti-American, reverse-(insert anything), hypocritical hate monger……wow it really must be great to live in your bubble, where everything is black-white (no pun intended).
The people of North County who relocated across the river did so to raise their children in safe neighborhoods and schools that taught. Their parents had left North St Louis a generation prior for similar reasons. Is it wrong for them to want that for their children? One can get into all the socio-economic speak you want, but until you can answer that question I for one am very hesitant to cast the term racist about.