Getting Connected – the first step

One of my priorities as Alderman would be to get DSL coverage for all of the 25th Ward and the entire City of St. Louis. We cannot expect to compete with other city wards and the region without offering such a basic service to residents and businesses. Right now residents both West and East of Grand cannot get DSL.

I suspect SBC looked at demographics and decided our household incomes didn’t justify the expense of adding another switching station. We need to demonstrate sufficient demand to make the expense at the very least a break even proposition for SBC.

To that end I’ve been on SBC’s list for over 3 years. Every couple of months I get an email from them saying service is still not available for my phone number. But, they know I’m still interested. At times when I’ve been on the phone with SBC I’ve made it a point to remind them I’d love their DSL service but can’t get it.

Click here to go to SBC’s residential page where you can enter your phone number to check DSL availability in your area. Please get on their list to show your interest. You are under no obligation to get DSL when it becomes available. If you have multiple phone numbers or say a business in the area enter every number.

The first step is to show interest and the second step is for the Board of Aldermen to apply political pressure to get coverage for the entire City of St. Louis. We’ve got to show SBC we are here and that we matter too!

– Steve

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise…

By a vote of 26-4 the 25th Ward Democratic Club endorsed the incumbent, a former Committeewoman, at last night’s ward meeting. Nobody should be surprised.

In the Mayor’s race Francis Slay received a similar majority of votes with Irene J. Smith and Bill Haas each getting a few votes (sorry – don’t have the exact numbers).

Related Posts:
• Not Trying To Get the Ward Endorsement
• 25th Ward Committeeman Takes Exception to Arch City Chronicle
• 25th Ward Democratic Club Moves Up Endorsement Vote
• Old Ward System Has Lost Clout in City Politics

Mt. Pleasant Skate Rink

I drive past Mt. Pleasant Park all the time since I live in an adjacent block. I snapped a few pictures yesterday just before 5pm. It was clouding up but the temperature was still great for February. But where were the kids in their skate gear?

The fact is, I have yet to see a single person – kid or adult – skating here. What I have noticed is in a few short months we are already getting areas where mud & water collect.

In another area leaves & debris are collecting. Who is responsible to keep this clean? Asphalt as a material needs maintenance – regular sealing and eventually a new layer added or the old replaced.


Where did the idea for this come from? How long had this been in the works before construction started?

This morning I made a written request to Marjorie Melton who is the President of the Board of Public Service to find out the total cost of the project. As soon as I get a response I will pass along the costs of this project to the public.

– Steve

Save the Date – it is Time to Debate!

It looks as though various neighborhood leaders have managed to organize a debate between my opponent, Dorothy Kirner, and myself. The League of Women Voters will supply a moderator.

At this point the date is set for Tuesday March 1st – exactly one week prior to the March 8th primary. The time will be 7pm-9pm and location will most likely be the Gretchen Inn banquet facility on Meramec – adjacent to the related Feasting Fox.

Format and questions have not yet been determined at this point. I am open to any format the League of Women Voters determines is best for this race. Stayed tuned for more details as they become known.

– Steve

When Good Tools Go Bad: Eminent Domain & TIF

Eminent Domain & TIF (Tax Increment Financing) are supposed to be good things – mechanisms for serving the greater good. However, both have been abused. From a recent Post-Dispatch story:

The City of St. Peters blighted cornfields. Since when is open land blight? Hopefully we will see the courts narrow the definition to prevent such broad application of the term. It was bad enough when affluent suburban shopping mall West County Center was blighted because it wasn’t as new as competitive malls.

Related to this is the abuse of eminent domain. We’ve seen eminent domain used mainly to take people’s homes, businesses, churches and schools for highways, housing projects, and big box developments. Where is the public good? Please tell me when eminent domain was used to take deteriorating properties away from speculators that were sitting on properties simply for profit. I can’t think of any examples.

St. Louis will join other communities in protesting this abuse with a rally from 11:00am to 1:00pm – St. Louis City Hall (north side of building) on Tucker and Market. I hope to see you there.

– Steve