General Election on Tuesday

Tuesday is general election day in much of the region, here ere a couple of links to help you find what you will see on your ballot:

• City of St. Louis
• St. Louis County

In the city I’ll be rooting for independent Scott Olgilvie over former 24th alderman Tom Bauer (he was previously recalled by voters). I also anticipate the passage of Proposition E to retain the earnings tax for the next five years.

In the county I will be watching the contest for Assessor, which hasn’t been an elected position in years.  In Florissant they have a six-way race for mayor, I happen to know two of them: Andrew G. Podleski and Susan M. Geerling.

– Steve Patterson

Readers: Gentrification In St. Louis Is A Good Thing

In the poll last week readers indicated gentrification was a good for St. Louis:

1. a good thing, we need more middle & upper income residents to fill vacant structures 115 72.78%
2. Other answer… 20 12.66%
3. neither good or bad, not really a problem 14 8.86%
4. a bad thing, making it harder for the working poor to stay in newly trendy areas 8 5.06%
5. unsure/no opinion 1 0.63%

But there were many “other” answers submitted:

1. Sometimes it is good, sometimes if it bad but always an issue in redevelpment.
2. non existent
3. Both good and bad, for the aforementioned reasons.
4. a good thing that needs to be matched by investment in lower income housing
5. Both aspects: good b/c we need redevelopment
6. an insanely complex issue that calls for property tax/assessment reform.
7. We would be lucky to have this problem.
8. nonexistent!
9. Some gentrification is needed to revive parts of the city
10. Much more complex than a poll……………………………………………
11. generally bad, but some mixed-income options are becoming available…
12. every city needs a good mix of people of all income levels
13. as long as the new residents are filling previously vacant structures it is ok.
14. I would say its a problem that has both good and bad aspects
15. I don’t like poor people, they don’t like me, and I don’t want &#
16. seeing as how low income residents have treated the city i would say its great
17. both, can be good for the economy but minorities
18. Both good and bad.
19. “. . . is”: uncontrollable in a free society.
20. It’s fine, but needs to be better organized.

Indeed, gentrification in a complex topic but clearly the majority feels that it is needed on some level in St. Louis.

– Steve Patterson

24th Ward Endorsement: Independent Scott Ogilvie

If you thought the 2011 St. Louis municipal elections wrapped up with Tuesday’s primary, you’d be wrong.  Tuesday was just the primary, the election is April 5th.

Democratic voters in the 24th Ward on Tuesday nominated former alderman Tom Bauer in a 3-way race.  Bauer received 437 votes to incumbent Bill Waterhouse’s 425. In 2005 voter recalled Bauer.

In the only upset, former Alderman Tom Bauer beat his old foe, incumbent Bill Waterhouse, along with two others to take Dogtown’s 24th Ward Democratic slot in April’s general election.

In 2005, Bauer was recalled by voters and replaced by Waterhouse after an uproar over eminent domain. (STLToday.com)

However, it is Independent Scott Ogilvie that has my attention and endorsement for the general election.

Hopefully Ogilvie can motivate the 563 people who didn’t vote for Bauer to vote for him on April 5th.  Check out Ogilvie’s website (ward24stl.com) and you will see he lists both ward issues and city-wide issues. Like me, Ogilvie wasn’t born in St. Louis, but he is sharp.  The ability to think and reason is far more important than a political party or where someone went to high school.

I have donated advertising space on this site to Ogilvie and I even sent him a small check, something I will only do for independent candidates.

– Steve Patterson

St. Louis Needs To Go Non-Partisan

Today is the partisan municipal primary in the City of St. Louis, each political party (Republican, Green, Democrat) will select from candidates to represent them in the general election next month.  Well, at least in theory.

In practice, today is the election and next month is an unrelated election for school board and propositions. You see we have so much money in St. Louis we can afford to hold two elections every two years.  After all, any city with a massive budget shortfall wouldn’t continue funding duplicate elections, right?

If we faced severe budget issues we’d go non-partisan for local officials and condense two elections into a single election with instant runoff. Just glad not all races will be decided today, as a few will not be determined until next month.

– Steve Patterson

Shaming Owners of Rundown Properties

St. Louis could learn something from Webster.  No, not the suburb Webster Groves, Webster Mass:

WEBSTER, Mass. – The health board in a Massachusetts town has approved a plan to shame owners of rundown buildings into fixing and securing their properties.The plan approved Monday by the Webster board allows the town to place 4-by-8-foot signs on the sides of dilapidated buildings with the owner’s names, address and telephone number. (Mass. town approves plan to shame property owners)

St. Louis could just print lots of signs with the same info — no, not Paul McKee:

The LRA “receives title to all tax delinquent properties not sold at the Sheriff’s sale. Also receives title to properties through donations. The SLDC Real Estate Department maintains, markets, and sells these properties and performs land assemblage for future development.” Maintains?

– Steve Patterson