Readers Supportive of Mayor Krewson’s Advocating for a vote on DACA

Many of you might think of immigration issues and those who came here as kids as something for border cities/states — like San Diego, California. The numbers are smaller, but it’s an issue right here in Missouri:

In Missouri, 3,500 young people have registered under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. They want Congress to pass a long-term solution that would allow them to stay in the country. (St. Louis Public Radio)

When mayors have residents who are fearful of authorities it is good to find a way to reduce that fear — they’d be more likely to talk to the police about crimes they might have witnessed, for example. Not having families torn apart if one or both parents are detained/deported.

Here’s more:

What is a “Clean” Dream Act and Why Should You Support It?

1. A clean Dream Act would keep more families where they belong?—?together, by excluding any provisions that would harm our immigrant communities by increasing immigration detention, enforcement and deportation.
2. A clean Dream Act honors the voices and lived experiences of those in border communities by refusing further militarization of the U.S. southern border, including the use of drones, more agents or the expansion of a wall.
3. A clean Dream Act promotes the reunification of families by avoiding any changes in immigration law that would reduce current immigration pathways by expanding grounds of inadmissibility and removability or radically changing family-based petitions and the diversity visa lottery.
4. A clean Dream Act would uphold our values of offering humanitarian aid to those fleeing persecution or other dangers by safeguarding protections for unaccompanied minors, asylum seekers and others in need.
5. A clean Dream Act rejects any attempts to further scapegoat and demonize the immigrant community, whether through increased funding for policing of immigrant and communities of color, provisions falsely claiming to address gang violence that actually provide a license for racial profiling of immigrant youth, and the creation of new grounds for inadmissibility and deportation. (Medium)

A clean Dream Act would help St. Louis and other cities. In the recent non-scientific Sunday Poll less than a third didn’t think Krewson should be adding her name to 100+ other mayors in support of a vote on the Dream Act:

Q: Agree or disagree: St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson shouldn’t be pushing for changes to federal immigration policy.

• Strongly agree 9 [31.03%]
• Agree 0 [0%]
• Somewhat agree 0 [0%]
• Neither agree or disagree 2 [6.9%]
• Somewhat disagree 2 [6.9%]
• Disagree 1 [3.45%]
• Strongly disagree 15 [51.72%]
• Unsure/No Answer 0 [0%]

These people have been here since they were kids, they don’t know how to live in the countries they came from. Let them stay and work toward citizenship. Keep their families intact.

— Steve Patterson

Sunday Poll: Should Mayor Krewson Be Pushing For A Change To Federal Immigration Policy?

Last week Mayor Lyda Krewson posted the following on Facebook:

This week I joined more than 110 mayors calling on leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives to bring the #DreamAct up for a vote and pass a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers. Read the letter:

Here’s the text of the letter signed by Krewson and over 100 other mayors & county officials at the U.S. Conference of Mayors:

Dear Speaker Ryan and Minority Leader Pelosi:

We, the undersigned mayors and county executives, urge you to move expeditiously to pass a bipartisan solution with a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers that does not further harm immigrant communities—the DREAM Act. We are gravely concerned about the futures of Dreamers, hundreds of thousands of whom know our cities and counties as home. We are equally concerned about the increases in immigrant detention and non-criminal arrests over the past year. Congress can and must provide permanent protections for Dreamers without increasing enforcement measures against immigrants at large.

As local leaders we work closely with our residents. We know first-hand that immigrants are cornerstones of our communities who contribute with their diverse perspectives and ingenuity to ou

r local economies and participate robustly in civic life. This is why we are members of Cities for Action, a national coalition that advocates for inclusion of immigrants into our communities to create stronger, safer, and more prosperous cities. Our coalition includes over 175 mayors and county executives, representing over 70 million residents, including 17 million foreign-born residents. The 1.3 million young undocumented immigrants enrolled or immediately eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program contribute an estimated $2 billion a year in state and local taxes to economies like ours. DACA-eligible residents pay an average of 8.9 percent of their income in state and local taxes.

Recent federal court decisions currently allow DACA recipients to apply for renewals but DACA recipients are hesitating to renew because of the uncertainty over the future of the program, despite our robust efforts at the local level to conduct community outreach. We are concerned that Dreamers without DACA status will be in danger of deportation. Every day that Congress fails to pass legislation, more young lives are thrown into chaos.

DACA recipients have done everything the government has asked of them in good faith: they have proven that they are not public safety threats, submitted to regular check-ins, earned degrees, served in the military, and paid their taxes. They deserve a permanent place in this country they call home. We commend the bipartisan efforts on House Resolution 774 which already has the support of over half of the House of Representatives. We urge you to listen to these Members of Congress and bring legislation that protects Dreamers up for a vote. This is an opportunity to pass the DREAM Act, and finally provide Dreamers the protection they deserve.

This is the subject of today’s poll.

This poll will close automatically at 8pm tonight.

— Steve Patterson

St. Louis Board of Aldermen: New Board Bills Week 8 of 2018-2019 Session

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen will meet at 10am today, their 8th meeting of the 2018-2019 session.

Today’s agenda includes 15 new bills:

• B.B.#72 – Pres. Reed – An ordinance revising The Transparency in Government Law, Ordinance 69707 and Ordinance 70321, codified at Chapter 3.115 of the Revised Code, to require the effective closed captioning of all public meetings of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, including committee meetings; the Board of Estimate & Apportionment; and the Preservation Board.
• B.B.#73 – Howard/Murphy – An ordinance pertaining to conveyances of title and the recording of such transfer with the Recorder of Deeds; amending Section Three of Ordinance 56141, and Ordinance 65038, by removing the requirement of the signature of the grantee on deeds issued by the Sheriff of the City pursuant to court order.
• B.B.#74 – Davis – An Ordinance recommended and approved by the Airport Commission, the Board of Public Service, and the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, establishing and authorizing a public works and improvement program (the “Airfield, Building & Environs Projects”) at St. Louis Lambert International Airport® (the “Airport”), as more fully described in the attached EXHIBIT A, entitled “FY19 PROJECT LIST” ; and containing a severability and an emergency clause.
• B.B.#75 – Davis – An ordinance recommended and approved by the Airport Commission, the Comptroller and the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, making certain findings with respect to the transfer of up to Three Million Dollars of excess moneys that The City, the owner and operator of St. Louis Lambert International Airport, intends to transfer from the Debt Service Stabilization Fund to the Airport Development Fund in accordance with Section 516.B of the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport Indenture of Trust between the City, as Grantor, and UMB Bank, N.A., as Trustee, dated as of October 15, 1984, as amended and restated as of July 1, 2009, as amended and supplemented; authorizing a transfer in an amount not to exceed Three Million Dollars from the DSSF into the Airport Development Fund during the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2018, for the purpose of making funds available to address Coldwater Creek Emergency Repairs Phase 2 – Installation of Two 12 Foot BY 12 Foot Reinforced Concrete Box Culverts and the Restoration of the Charlie Pad Aircraft Ramp, Glycol Recovery System, Ramp Edge Lighting System, and Associated Impacted Improvements; containing a severability clause; and containing an emergency clause.
• B.B.#76 – Hubbard – An ordinance recommended by the Planning Commission approving the name of a new public street located in the approved Jonas Hubbard Estates subdivision, located in City Block 552.
• B.B.#77 – Williamson – An ordinance, recommended by the Board
  of Estimate and Apportionment, authorizing a supplemental appropriation; amending Ordinance 70540, commonly referred to as the City of St. Louis Annual Operating Plan for Fiscal Year 2017-2018; appropriating and setting apart projected local use tax and gaming fund revenues to address certain shortfalls in revenues and excess expenditures in the General Fund for the current fiscal year, in the amount of Three Million Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($3,200,000) as hereinafter detailed; and containing an emergency clause.
• B.B.#78 – Moore – An ordinance approving a Redevelopment Plan for 2615 Billups.
• B.B.#79 – Spencer – An ordinance approving a Redevelopment Plan for 3437-3439 Iowa.
• B.B.#80 – Spencer – An ordinance approving a Redevelopment Plan for 3211.
• B.B.#81 – Martin – An ordinance approving a Redevelopment Plan for 7714-18 South Broadway.
• B.B.#82 – Guenther – An ordinance approving a Redevelopment Plan for 2829 Iowa.
• B.B.#83 – Ingrassia – An ordinance approving a Redevelopment Plan for 2528 Texas.
• B.B.#84 – Coatar – An ordinance approving a Redevelopment Plan for 2235 McNair.
• B.B.#85 – Coatar – An ordinance approving a Redevelopment Plan for 705-719 North 2nd.
• B.B.#86 – Davis – Pursuant to Ordinance 68937, an ordinance authorizing the honorary street name, Urban League Square which shall begin at the intersection of North Spring Avenue and Grandel Square and run East on Grandel Square to North Grand Boulevard.

The meeting begins at 10am, past meetings and a live broadcast can be watched online here. See list of all board bills for the 2017-2018 session — the new bills listed above may not be online right away.

— Steve Patterson

Opinion: Eric Greitens Was a Victim of Himself

Eric Greitens, Missouri’s now-former governor,  played the roll of victim when he announced a week ago he’d be resigning at the end of that week.Like many of you I watched it live on television.

Here is the full text:

Good afternoon. Today I am announcing that I will resign as governor of Missouri effective Friday, June 1, at 5 p.m. 

I came to office to fight for the people of Missouri, to fight for the forgotten. I love Missouri, and I love our people. That love remains. I am thankful to all those who have worked beside me, sweated beside me, those who gave their time, their energy, their precious resources so that we could pursue our mission of taking Missouri in a new and better direction. We have accomplished a lot together. I am proud of you, and I am proud of all of our work.

The last few months have been incredibly difficult for me, for my family, for my team, for my friends and for many, many people that I love. This ordeal has been designed to cause an incredible amount of strain on my family. Millions of dollars in mounting legal bills, endless personal attacks, designed to cause maximum damage to family and friends. Legal harassment of colleagues, friends and campaign workers. And It’s clear that for the forces that oppose us, there is no end in sight. I cannot allow those forces to continue to cause pain and difficulty to the people that I love. 

I know, and people of good faith know, that I am not perfect, but I have not broken any laws nor committed any offense worthy of this treatment. I will let the fairness of this process be judged by history. It has been a great honor and a privilege to serve as your governor. Traveling the state, I have talked to many of you who harbor extraordinary anger at this ordeal and for those who have pushed and promoted it. 

For those who would be moved to vengeance, let us allow history and God to bring justice. We must, as we have always done, work to improve the lives of those around us. This is not the end of our fight. I will always be a fighter for the people of Missouri. A great deal of work is left undone. The time has come, though, to tend to those that have been wounded, and to care for those who need us most. So for the moment, let us walk off the battlefield with our heads held high. We have a good and proud story to tell our children. Let’s love them and each other every day.  (Springfield News-Leader)

May God continue to bless you and to bless the great state of Missouri.

You can watch the video here. It was that second paragraph where Greitens portrayed himself as the victim:

The last few months have been incredibly difficult for me, for my family, for my team, for my friends and for many, many people that I love. This ordeal has been designed to cause an incredible amount of strain on my family. Millions of dollars in mounting legal bills, endless personal attacks, designed to cause maximum damage to family and friends. Legal harassment of colleagues, friends and campaign workers. And It’s clear that for the forces that oppose us, there is no end in sight. I cannot allow those forces to continue to cause pain and difficulty to the people that I love. 

No doubt this time was difficult for him and his family, but the designer is Eric Greitens himself! He couldn’t take responsibility for his actions. To quote our president. SAD!

Here’s his original campaign video that got him noticed and the nomination.

In the recent non-scientific Sunday Poll most readers also felt he wasn’t the victim:

Q: Agree or disagree: Eric Greitens is the victim of a plot designed to force him to resign as Missouri’s governor.

• Strongly agree 5 [16.67%]
• Agree 0 [0%]
• Somewhat agree 3 [10%]
• Neither agree or disagree 1 [3.33%]
• Somewhat disagree 0 [0%]
• Disagree 6 [20%]
• Strongly disagree 15 [50%]
• Unsure/No Answer 0 [0%]

I doubt there’s much policy positions of now-governor Mike Parsons that I’d agree with, but I’m pretty sure we won’t see a mugshot of him or that’ll he’ll be on the national news or late night shows.

A future poll question might be about the office of Lt. Governor — should it remain vacant or bill filled? By appointment or special election?

— Steve Patterson

Sunday Poll: Was The Last Few Months Designed To Force Eric Greitens To Resign?

After months of saying he wouldn’t resign, Tuesday last week Eric Greitens  announced he would resign as Missouri’s 56th governor effective 5pm Friday June 1, 2018. Today’s poll is about Greitens’ resignation statement on Tuesday May 29, 2018:

Here is the full text:

Good afternoon. Today I am announcing that I will resign as governor of Missouri effective Friday, June 1, at 5 p.m. 

I came to office to fight for the people of Missouri, to fight for the forgotten. I love Missouri, and I love our people. That love remains. I am thankful to all those who have worked beside me, sweated beside me, those who gave their time, their energy, their precious resources so that we could pursue our mission of taking Missouri in a new and better direction. We have accomplished a lot together. I am proud of you, and I am proud of all of our work.

The last few months have been incredibly difficult for me, for my family, for my team, for my friends and for many, many people that I love. This ordeal has been designed to cause an incredible amount of strain on my family. Millions of dollars in mounting legal bills, endless personal attacks, designed to cause maximum damage to family and friends. Legal harassment of colleagues, friends and campaign workers. And It’s clear that for the forces that oppose us, there is no end in sight. I cannot allow those forces to continue to cause pain and difficulty to the people that I love. 

I know, and people of good faith know, that I am not perfect, but I have not broken any laws nor committed any offense worthy of this treatment. I will let the fairness of this process be judged by history. It has been a great honor and a privilege to serve as your governor. Traveling the state, I have talked to many of you who harbor extraordinary anger at this ordeal and for those who have pushed and promoted it. 

For those who would be moved to vengeance, let us allow history and God to bring justice. We must, as we have always done, work to improve the lives of those around us. This is not the end of our fight. I will always be a fighter for the people of Missouri. A great deal of work is left undone. The time has come, though, to tend to those that have been wounded, and to care for those who need us most. So for the moment, let us walk off the battlefield with our heads held high. We have a good and proud story to tell our children. Let’s love them and each other every day.  (Springfield News-Leader)

May God continue to bless you and to bless the great state of Missouri.

You can watch the video here.

This poll will close at 8pm tonight.

— Steve Patterson