Poll: How Should The St. Louis Region Respond To The Rams?

ABOVE: Dome would be expanded across the existing Broadway and Baer Plaza

The CVC has until June 1 to accept or reject the Rams’ proposal:

The Rams’ proposal was released against their wishes on Monday, a response to the dome improvement plan submitted by their landlord, the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission, in February. And the discrepancy is wide: The CVC plan called for $124 million in upgrades, 52% of which would be paid for by the Rams; the team’s plan called for a complete overhaul estimated by the city to cost more than $700 million, and it wasn’t clear how it would be funded. (USAtoday.com)

My post from Tuesday is here, it includes a link to the proposal. Who holds the cards in the negotiations?

Los Angeles is really the only viable remaining market in North America that would potentially support an NFL team and help the league generate greater revenues. If they don’t build a facility, or if they do but another franchise beats Kroenke to the punch, then Kroenke’s negotiating leverage versus the CVC will be weakened. (Forbes)

Well we’ve got great negotiators here in St. Louis! We got the Kiel Opera House 20 years ago and that vibrant Ballpark Village in 2006. Oh wait…

The poll this week asks how the St. Louis region, via the CVC, should respond. I say we wish them well wherever it is they move after the 2014 season.

- Steve Patterson

St. Louis Earth Day Festival; Poll On Global Warming

Earth Day is recognized all over the world today, including here in St. Louis:

The St. Louis Earth Day Festival is the oldest Earth Day festival in the Midwest and the third largest celebration in the country! Attracting 30,000+ attendees annually, the Festival is a premier destination for the public to learn about a wide-range of environmental issues in an engaging and entertaining setting. 

The St. Louis Earth Day Festival is today, Sunday April 22nd, from 11am to 6pm in Forest Park. The event is free.

ABOVE: Forest Park

The organizers, naturally, would prefer you not drive to Forest Park for the event, their “Planning Your Visit” page offers directions on using public transit, bicycling, walking and carpooling. Unfortunately, like most local events they mention MetroLink but forgot about MetroBus — you know the part of our public transit that carries more people daily.

The number of bus lines around Forest Park are too numerous to list. Besides taking a bus to Forest Park you can take a bus to one of the MetroLink stations to get on the light rail system. Buy a transfer on the bus ($2.75 total) and the transfer will also cover your MetroLink trip for 2 hours.

ABOVE: From Metro's Missouri system map, click to view (large PDF)

WEEKLY POLL:

The poll this week seeks to see if readers see a connection between global warming and the weather in the US. The poll question was copied from a national poll that will be credited on Wednesday May 2, 2012 when the poll results are presented. The poll is in the right sidebar.

- Steve Patterson

Poll: Are Posted Handbills Urban Art Or Another Form of Graffiti?

Posted handbills, those posters often tacked up in urban cores, were the subject of a debate on a friend’s picture on Facebook. The photo was of handbills for the St. Louis Symphony’s new campaign called Save Powell Hall.

ABOVE: Handbills posted on the Pine side of the Arcade-Wright building

The debate went something like this:

• Friend A: Destruction of property, resulting in blight.
• Friend B: Not destructive but more colorful.
• Friend A: It’s illegal and will cost money to remove.
• Friend B: I like it, makes it look like something is happening
• Friend A: It’s ok to deface someone else’s property for your own interests?
• Friend C: Handbills are different than graffiti, removed by weather
• Friend B: Better than blank plywood
• Friend A: Project a negative image
• Friend D: Plywood isn’t a positive image

The debate continued but you get the point.

ABOVE: Handbills were posted on the Pine St side only (left), the 10th St side wasn't touched

Gangs did “tag” numerous buildings downtown recently with graffiti.

ABOVE: One example of graffiti from late last February

Are handbills and spray paint equal? The poll is in the upper right sidebar, mobile  users need to switch to the desktop layout to vote.

- Steve Patterson

Poll: How Expensive Must Gas Get Before You Take Transit Instead of Drive?

ABOVE: A large crowd waits to board the #70 Grand MetroBus at Union Station

The headlines are full of stories about rising gas prices & transit use:

Ridership on public transit, which is measured by number of trips taken, hit its highest level in the mid-1940s — roughly double today’s rate.

But with the widespread adoption of the automobile and America’s suburbanization in the 1950s, public transit use steadily declined until the early 1970s, when gas prices spiked following the Arab oil embargo. 2011′s ridership rate is the second highest since 1957. (CNN/Money)

The rate of transit use was double in the 1940s? Half the population used twice the transit of today!

The poll this week asks how expensive would gas have to get before you took transit. The poll is in the right sidebar, mobile users need to switch to the desktop theme to see the sidebar.

- Steve Patterson

Readers: Seniors Need To Retake The Driving Exam — No Consensus At What Age, How Frequently

Less than 15% of readers indicated “no” in the poll last week regarding seniors having to retake their driving test. Answers regarding at what age and how often were all over the board:

Q: Should seniors have to retake the driving test?

1. Yes, all drivers should have to retake the driving test, more frequently as they age: 22 [23.4%]
2. Yes, every five years starting at age 65: 21 [22.34%]
3. Yes, every two years starting at age 65: 8 [8.51%]
4. Yes but at a higher age than 65, like 75+: 20 [21.28%]
5. No: 13 [13.83%]
6. Yes, every ten years starting at age 65: 3 [3.19%]
7. Other: 6 [6.38%]
8. Unsure/no opinion: 1 [1.06%]

I was glad to see the top answer was everyone should retake the driving test. I think I’m a good driver but it’s been 29 years since I took the driving test. I’m sure many of us have encountered drivers of all ages that we thought were poor drivers. Here were the “other” answers supplied by readers:

1. Stop discriminating against the elderly. Old people need to drive too.
2. Eye exams every 2 yrs starting at 65, driving every 2 yrs at 80 or earlier
3. All drivers should be tested after insurance-involved accidents.
4. All drivers, full comprehensive test every five years
5. All drivers should retake the test every 5 years – regardless of age
6. Yes. all drivers every renewal.

The 2nd half of the first other answer (“Old people need to drive too.”) is my point for this post. We’ve created places where most people must drive to function. Driving shouldn’t be the only alternative to function in society.

- Steve Patterson

Poll: Should Driver’s Retake The Driving Test When They Get Older?

I have friends now dealing with elderly parents, including facing the difficult decision to take away their keys or at least convince them to not drive at night. My brothers and I were getting close to this dilemma after our our father had a few minor accidents, and one that totaled his car.  He bought a replacement car but shortly thereafter he became ill and passed away at age 78, saving us from what would have been a very difficult discussion. My father had expressed to me his fear of not being able to drive.

I also have close relatives & friends at or quickly approaching 65 years of age. With people living longer and Baby Boomers now turning 65 this become an increasing issue. Neither of my grandmothers drove — ever — but they were born in 1902 & 1905. Today’s seniors likely have been driving since they were teens.

Letters like the following letter to the editor in a Pennsylvania paper will be increasingly common:

Editor, the Record:

In regard to the article stating that older drivers are more to blame for auto acidents, it doesn’t sit too well with me and other senior citizens in the area.

First of all, we’re not in any hurry to get anywhere, so we don’t speed. We don’t gander, looking out the window while driving — we’ve already seen it all. Very few us us drive at night. So I don’t think the privilege of driving a car should be denied us. We don’t all have family members at our disposal to take us to the doctor, grocery shopping, etc.

And I’m sure you won’t find any bags of heroin or other illegal articles in our trunks.

I drive back and forth the the Loder Senior Center five days a week to have lunch and visit with other folks my age. Without my car, this wouldn’t be possible.

LAURA (mcwilliams) kappes

East Stroudsburg

But senior drivers are a cause for concern:

While traffic fatalities are down across the country, older drivers still account for a “disproportionately high share” of the casualties.

[snip]

Consider this: One in every five drivers will be 65 or older by the year 2025, the report found. (STLtoday.com)

The report mentioned above  was released this month from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials:

With the first wave of the Baby Boom Generation turning 65 in 2011, the number of older Americans and their share of the population will begin to grow significantly in the coming years. And as this generation continues to age and grow, it will demand a level of mobility and an active lifestyle that far outpaces any of America’s previous generations. This aging population will both create and face significant transportation challenges, including a transportation system that lacks many features that would accommodate the level of mobility and safety older Americans desire and expect. Transportation innovations to accommodate the Baby Boom Generation’s need for improved safety and mobility will benefit users of all ages. (Full report: Keeping Baby Boomers Mobile: Preserving Mobility and Safety for Older Americans)

Regular readers know I advocate making our regions more pedestrian & transit friendly, partly to help out our aging population. Regardless of that, many seniors will want to keep driving so the issue of testing comes up:

There was strong support for testing senior drivers, with 76% favoring drivers over the age of 75 to take a driving test every two years. A majority of American drivers also indicated they would support requiring expanded road testing of already licensed drivers. Nationwide, 56% said drivers should be required to take a road test every 10 years, and 76% said those who have their license suspended or revoked as the result of a moving violation should have to take a driving test to get it reinstated. (Source)

The poll this week asks your thoughts on retesting drivers. The poll is in the right sidebar — mobile users need to switch to the desktop layout to vote in the poll.

- Steve Patterson

Poll: Thoughts On Missouri Bill That Would Prevent Homeowner’s Associations From Banning Political Signs

ABOVE: Subdivision in St. Charles County

Many live in places where a homeowners association may restrict your rights, one Missouri state rep has introduced a bill to curb that:

The measure, by Republican Rep. Kurt Bahr, would prevent homeowners associations from enforcing or adopting bans on political signs.

“Should a private organization allow you to contract away constitutionally protected inherent rights?” Bahr asked. (STLtoday.com)

The bill is  HB 1380 — Restrictive Covenants

This bill prohibits a property owners’ association from enforcing or adopting a restrictive covenant that prevents a property owner from displaying on his or her property one or more signs advertising a political candidate or ballot item for an election on or after the ninetieth day before the date of the election to which the sign relates or before the tenth day after that election date.

A property owners’ association is authorized to:

(1) Enforce or adopt a covenant that requires a sign to be ground-mounted or limits the property owner to displaying only one sign for each candidate or ballot item;

(2) Enforce or adopt a covenant that prohibits a sign that contains a nonstandard decorative component, is attached in any way to plant material, a traffic control device, a light, a trailer, a vehicle, or any other existing structure or object;

(3) Enforce or adopt a covenant that prohibits a sign that contains the painting of architectural surfaces; threatens the public health or safety; is larger than four feet by six feet; violates a law; contains language, graphics, or any display that would be offensive to an ordinary person; or is accompanied by music or other sounds or by streamers or is otherwise distracting to motorists; and

(4) Remove a sign displayed in violation of an authorized restrictive covenant.

This is the subject for the poll this week.  Mobile users need to switch to the desktop layout to see the poll in the right sidebar.

- Steve Patterson

Readers: Komen St. Louis Will Suffer From Recent National Controversy

ABOVE: Thousands of women, men and children in last year's St. Louis Race for the Cure.

Last week readers weighed in on a question about Komen St. Louis:

Q: Will Komen St. Louis Suffer From Recent National Controversy?

1. Yes, but not enough to notice 34 [45.95%]
2. Yes, participation/fundraising will be down significantly 22 [29.73%]
3. It’ll remain unchanged 8 [10.81%]
4. No, will see a slight increase in participation/fundraising 6 [8.11%]
5. Other: 3 [4.05%]
6. No, will see significant increases in participation 1 [1.35%]

Nearly half say fundraising will be down significantly but more than half picked the other answers that go from down but not enough to notice to an increase.  The “other” answers added by readers were:

1. Yes, they should have not caved to Planned Parenthood strong arm tactics.
2. i hope so! but i have little faith that all the catholics will agree with me.
3. I don’t know, but I hope not!

We’ll just have to wait and see how it goes to know the answer. I know you won’t see me or many of my friends out there this year. The question is how many feel like we do?

- Steve Patterson

St. Louis Question: Answer Depend On If You Attended High School Here

The results from last week’s poll was interesting to me. The question asked is below with the answers presented in order from highest to lowest responses:

Q: The St. Louis Question: “Where did you go to school?” is?

1. Just an ice breaker (I went to high school here) 40 [26.49%]
2. Highly parochial (I went to high school here) 24 [15.89%]
3. Annoying (I didn’t go to high school here) 22 [14.57%]
4. Annoying (I went to high school here) 16 [10.6%]
5. Other: 15 [9.93%]
6. Just an ice breaker (I didn’t go to high school here) 13 [8.61%]
7. Highly parochial (I didn’t go to high school here) 11 [7.28%]
8. Great question (I did go to high school here) 10 [6.62%]
9. Great question (I didn’t go to high school here) 0 [0%]

But it’s hard to draw any conclusions from the above as presented. Of the 151 responses, 136 answered with one of the predefined answers and the other 15 provided their own answer. I took the 136 that used the answers I provided and divided them based on if they went to high school here or not. Two-thirds of these did go to high school here, one third didn’t.

What we can see from the two pie charts is those of us that didn’t go to high school here (right) have very different thoughts on the question, with seventy-two percent of us selecting one of the two negative answers (annoying & highly parochial).  Conversely, fifty-five percent of those that did go to high school selected a positive answer (just an ice breaker & great question). No surprise, where you went to high school (here or not) influences your viewpoint.

The 15 “other” answers were:

1. An ingrained part of growing up in STL. I find it annoying, but am unable to b
2. a way to size someone up by class
3. More than highly parochial, it is often a hierarchical query..
4. It is an accepted, right or wrong, way of identifying you socio-economically. 
5. Lived here 2 and half years, never heard it.
6. used to discriminate and continue prejudice – another reason outsiders move away
7. a salute to St. Louis 
8. It’s part of the St. Louis culture – enjoy it, it makes you unique!
9. a way to pigeonhole people by class. (I didn’t go to high school here). 
10. Amusing. Especially from the perspective of one who was raised in the Metro-East 
11. Who the hell cares? I’m in grad school! 
12. An annoying question asked by dullards who have nothing more interesting to say 
13. Symptomatic of a insular, backwards, anti-progressive community. 
14. county – e, n w or south city east of grand west of grand TIRED TIRED TIRED 
15. not an issue…..not worth discussing…..people make too much of the question

Among the above you get a full range of views.

The city and region needs more people to grow and prosper economically and those from the region aren’t pro-creating fast enough, too many Catholics using contraception.The region must attract more people from outside while not pushing away those raised here or attended college here. Last week the RFT had an article and brilliant flow chart on this topic.

- Steve Patterson

Poll: Will Komen St. Louis Suffer From Recent National Controversy?

At the start of the month the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation implemented a new funding policy that would cease funding $680,000/yr in breast cancer services at Planned Parenthood, setting off a huge backlash against Komen. On February 3rd the new policy was reversed:

After Komen’s decision to end the grants became public, Planned Parenthood raised about $3 million in pledges from more than 10,000 donors, Cecile Richards, Planned Parenthood’s president, said in a call with reporters. Komen announced its reversal in a statement today with an apology “to the American public” from Chief Executive Officer Nancy Brinker. (Bloomberg)

On Facebook, many of my friends said they were done with Komen which got me wondering about the annual fundraiser in St. Louis.

ABOVE: The fountain at Kiener Plaza is pink in preparation for the big event last year

ABOVE: Thousands come out to support the participants

ABOVE: Thousands of women, men and children in last year's St. Louis Race for the Cure.

Will the 2012 event have fewer participants than the 64,461 last year?

The 14th annual Susan G. Komen St. Louis Race for the Cure® will take place in downtown St. Louis on Saturday, June 23, 2012.

Sharon Korn and Stacy Kingston will serve as volunteer co-chairs of the 2012 Komen St. Louis Race for the Cure.

“I look forward to seeing a huge crowd gathered in downtown St. Louis on the morning of June 23,” said Korn. “It’s such an exciting day and a meaningful event that directly benefits those in need in our community. I am so honored to be a part of it.”

In June 2011, the Komen St. Louis Race for the Cure welcomed 64,461 participants. The event raised more than $3.1 million in the fight to end breast cancer forever.

Up to 75 percent of the net money raised by the Komen St. Louis Affiliate stays in the St. Louis area to fund screening, treatment, education and research programs. A minimum of 25 percent of money raised goes to the national Susan G. Komen for the Cure Research and Awards Program® specifically to fund research. (Komen St. Louis)

This is the setup for the poll question this week — see right sidebar.

- Steve Patterson