Poll: Best Thing Expected to Happen in the St. Louis Region in 2014?

2014 will be a busy year in the region with a number of positive things:

• Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge opens to traffic
• St. Louis celebrates 250th anniversary
• Phase One of Ballpark Village opens
• March Madness basketball tournaments
• Fields Foods opens

Some things that are controversial in some circles:

• Same-sex marriages begin in Illinois (mine’s June 8th!)
• Medical marijuana in Illinois
• Loop Trolley construction starts

The poll this week asks you to pick one thing you think is the best thing for the region. Because there may be other things happening I didn’t list you can add your own item in the poll (right sidebar).

— Steve Patterson

National Prohibition Ended 80 Years Ago

Eighty years ago our country made a big constitutional change:

The 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified, repealing the 18th Amendment and bringing an end to the era of national prohibition of alcohol in America. At 5:32 p.m. EST, Utah became the 36th state to ratify the amendment, achieving the requisite three-fourths majority of states’ approval. Pennsylvania and Ohio had ratified it earlier in the day. (History.com)

Today many counties in the country remain dry or semi-dry:

33 states have laws which allow localities to prohibit the sale (and in some cases, consumption and possession) of liquor. Still, many of these states have no dry communities. Three states, Kansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee, are entirely dry by default: counties specifically must authorize the sale of alcohol in order for it to be legal and subject to state liquor control laws. (Wikipedia)

From the same Wikipedia article:

Missouri state law specifically prohibits any counties, or unincorporated city or town from banning the retail sale of liquor, but only allows incorporated cities to ban the sale of liquor by the drink by public referendum. No incorporated Missouri cities have ever chosen to hold a referendum banning alcohol sales. In addition, Missouri state law specifically supersedes any local laws that restrict the sale of alcohol. (see Alcohol laws of Missouri)

At least in this regard, Missouri is a blue state.

— Steve Patterson

Readers: Raise Missouri’s Fuel Tax

Some are working to get a measure on a state ballot in 2014 to increase the state sales tax to fund road infrastructure. I don’t know the view statewide, but readers made it clear last week that increased sales taxes on all purchases is the least desirable option: 

Q: How should Missouri make up the shortage in funding for roads & highways? (pick 2)

1. Increase the state fuel tax 79 [40.31%]
2. Toll some highways 58 [29.59%]
3. Increase auto licensing fees 31 [15.82%]
4. Close unsafe highways/bridges rather than maintain/replace them 16 [8.16%]
5. Increase the state sales tax 8 [4.08%]
6. Unsure/No Opinion 4 [2.04%]

Closing highways and bridges came in ahead of an increase in sales taxes. Here’s a look at how we got to our tax rate: 

1992

A 6-cent per gallon increase in the motor fuel tax is passed by the Legislature. The 6 cents is to be phased in over a 5-year period; 2 cents in 1992, 2 cents in 1994 and 2 cents in 1996.

1987

Proposition A, a constitutional amendment to increase the motor fuel tax by 4 cents per gallon, is approved by the people. It becomes effective June 1. (MoDOT)

Where does this put Missouri comported to other states? Forty-fifth!

Some say fuel tax isn’t enough to do everything on MoDOT’s wish list. Probably true, but starting with fuel taxes is better than sales taxes. I also think tolling some urban highways is a good idea, I-270 comes to mind.

 — Steve Patterson

November 28, 1939: Black Tuesday In St. Louis

Tomorrow is known as “Black Friday” but 74 years ago today is known as Black Tuesday here in St. Louis.

The day became infamous as Black Tuesday, the worst of many smoke-choked days in what was to be St. Louis’ smokiest cold-weather season. The city already was known for the nation’s filthiest air, worse even than Pittsburgh’s.

The reason was the area’s reliance on cheap, dirty, high-sulfur “soft” coal dug from the hills and hollows across the Mississippi River in Illinois. St. Louis’ first anti-smoke ordinance dated to 1867. But as the city grew in population and industry, the smoke kept getting worse. (stltoday.com)

This day finally prompted the city to ban the use of cheap soft coal, a hard sell during the Great Depression. Watch a brief KETC9 Living St. Louis video here.

On this day be thankful earlier generations took steps to protect the air we breath.

— Steve Patterson

Readers: Missouri Should Wait Until Courts Force Same-Sex Marriage

In unusually high voting, it seems readers don’t want Missouri to recognize same-sex marriages until forced to do so by the courts, likely the United States Supreme Court. Here’s the results from last week’s poll:

Q: Should Missouri allow same-sex couples to marry before being required by the courts?

1. No 130 [51.79%]
2. Yes 102 [40.64%]
3. Unsure/no opinion 19 [7.57%]

These polls, of course, aren’t scientific.

Even without recognition by Missouri, my boyfriend and I are registered Domestic Partners with the City of Saint Louis. We’ll be married across the river in Illinois in June. In 2015 we’ll file our federal and state taxes as a married couple.

In the meantime more Missouri same-sex couples will continue getting married out of state — especially border states like Iowa & Illinois. Missouri could draw couples from redder states like Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Doing so would help our state economy.

Once the SCOTUS makes same-sex marriage recognized in all 50 states, the short-term geographic advantage will be lost. Sadly, Missouri will probably be among the final holdouts — like Mississippi and Alabama.

— Steve Patterson