Weekly Poll: How do we reduce the number of municipalities in St. Louis County?

In February I ran a poll asking about the number of municipalities in St. Louis County – a massive 91. With nearly 94% of the votes readers overwhelmingly agreed St. Louis County has too many municipalities.  OK, so now what?  With the exception of 6% of readers and the St. Louis County Municipal League, we all agree there are too many but the next question is how do we reduce the number? And to what? 88? 45? 20?

The question of how to reduce the number is the topic of the poll this week, see the upper right of the site to cast your vote.  The results will be published Wednesday April 13th.

– Steve Patterson

Redd Foxx, B.B. King and LaWanda Page

When I pass through the Delmar Loop I can’t help but read the names on the St. Louis Walk of Fame, often stopping to take a pic.  Last October I snapped the above image of Redd Foxx‘s star.  As a kid Sanford and Son was a favorite show.  Foxx was born John Elroy Sanford in St. Louis in 1922, but raised on Chicago’s south side.

Foxx’s TV character Fred Sanford was also from St. Louis, but living in Los Angeles. In an episode called “Fred Sings the Blues” Sanford meets B.B. King and learns he sings the blues because a man stole his ‘E.W’ in St. Louis.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu6JaxobP-g

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTMNKrdwfGE

Sanford thinks King is referring to his late wife Elizabeth Winfield Sanford, turns out it was her sister, Esther Winfield Anderson, played by the great LaWanda Page (1920-2002).  Page was born in Cleveland but raised in St. Louis. We need to get her a star…

Have a great weekend.

– Steve Patterson

Readers Overwhelmingly Agree St. Louis County Has Too Many Municipalities

Despite what the St. Louis County Municipal League thinks, readers nearly unanimously feel St. Louis County’s 91 municipalities is too many.

Q: 91 Municipalities in St. Louis County Too Many, Too Few or Just Right?

1. Too many municipalities 168 [93.85%]
2. Too few municipalities 4 [2.23%]
3. Unsure/no opinion 3 [1.68%]
4. Just the right number of municipalities 2 [1.12%]
5. Other answer… 2 [1.12%]

I agree, way too many!  Some, like Uplands Park & St. George, are so tiny — too tiny to matter in the big picture.  Here are the other answers readers provided:

1. We need more government to keep black people out of St. Louis County
2. way too many municipalities

The reader who submitted the first other comment must have mistaken my blog for this site.

– Steve Patterson

91 Municipalities in St. Louis County Too Many, Too Few or Just Right?

Two interesting stories this week, one saying 91 municipalities in St. Louis County is a strength.  The other from an alderman in one of those municipalities, wanting to unincorporate.

Mayors of some of St. Louis County’s 91 municipalities say they’re tired of being portrayed as one of the county’s biggest problems — and they hope to spend 2011 setting the record straight.

“There’s a wrong perception that the number of munipalities [sic] makes (St. Louis County) less competitive,” said Glendale Mayor Rich Magee, president of the St. Louis County Municipal League. “We’re the solution, not the problem.” (The more, the better: Municipal League says county’s many cities are its strength)

Here is the long list:

In contrast is St. George:

Alderman Carmen Wilkerson wants to erase the city she represents from the map.

St. George covers just 0.2 square miles and has a population of about 1,400. Wilkerson says there’s no reason to keep a city so small. She wants it to revert to unincorporated south St. Louis County. (St. George official backs end to city)

The poll question this week asks “91 Municipalities in St. Louis County Too Many, Too Few or Just Right?“  The poll is located in the upper right of the site.

– Steve Patterson

Readers: Businesses Will Think They Are Grandfathered On New Smoke-Free Laws

Every year the week between December 25th and January 1st is the lowest readership.  Last week was no exception so I’m not surprised at the low number of votes in the weekly poll.  The current poll had more voters in the first 24 hours than all of last week. Here are the results:

Q: Will St. Louis businesses be ready when the smoke-free law begins on 1/2/2011?

1. No, many will incorrectly think they are “grandfathered” 23 [34.33%]
2. Yes, most will post the required signs but some won’t 20 [29.85%]
3. No, some will post the required signs but most won’t 19 [28.36%]
4. Unsure/no opinion 3 [4.48%]
5. Other answer… 2 [2.99%]

The majority feel businesses wouldn’t be ready for Sunday, but for different reasons.  The two “other” answers were:

1. Stupid poll
2. NO, most will ignore or think they are exempt.

Sunday night I had dinner at Chevy’s in Olivette.  This was one establishment I stopped going to in 2008 due to the fact they permitted smoking in the bar area. It was nice to return for dinner with friends in a smoke-free environment. But like so many businesses, Chevy’s didn’t have the required universal no-smoking symbol displayed at the entrance.

Yesterday I went down both sides of Washington Ave from 10th to 16th trying to find a single business in compliance with the sign requirement of the new ordinance. Like St. Louis County, no smoking signs must be displayed at all entrances.   I’ve yet to see a business in compliance.  You might point out it has only been a few days. True, but both laws were passed in 2009, businesses had all of 2010 to get ready.  Businesses that were already smoke-free just needed to add a universal no-smoking symbol at each entrance.

How can compliance be so bad?  The departments responsible for enforcement got the word out didn’t they?

The St. Louis Department of Health could use a calendar, they think it is still summer. Someone should check on Dept of Health webmaster James A. Heitert to see what he is working on. It sure wasn’t putting out press releases.

Although I shouldn’t put much stock in the City’s Press Release page to be accurate.

It shows one press release from the Mayor’s Office in October 2010 and then March before that.  I know I’ve received many press releases not listed here.  It seems our folks at City Hall are so incompetent they can’t seem to get the word out about a significant new law with over a year to do so.  Or maybe they did but they forgot to archive the press release?

Licensed business owners could have easily received a notice of the new law with their license renewal in 2010, but they didn’t.  Successful compliance begins with communications.  Maybe the aldermen spread the word at well attended neighborhood meetings?  Can we get some real leadership in City Hall?

– Steve Patterson