Twenty-Five Years in Saint Louis

I didn’t go to high school here, but 5 years after high school St. Louis became my new home — 25 years ago today. A couple of weeks earlier I arrived in St. Louis for a 2-night stay on my way to Washington D.C., but I quickly feel in love with St. Louis.

After visiting Washington D.C. for a few days, then Chicago for a few hours, I loaded up my car (a 1984 Dodge Colt) in Oklahoma City and moved to St. Louis. I was 23.

I’ve lived in several neighborhoods, 6 months in the Central West End, 3+ years in Old North St. Louis when it was still officially Murphy-Blair, 10+ years in Dutchtown, 3+ years in neighboring Mt. Pleasant, and now nearly 8 years in Downtown [West].

When I moved here we didn’t have an NFL team, razing buildings to build a stadium to attract a team was an odd priority. The street grid and solid brick buildings were too irresistible.

I often wonder what my life would’ve been like had I kept to my original plan and moved to Washington D.C. Or had I left St. Louis for Seattle in 1999 — I’d sold my furniture and was preparing my house for sale when I got a new job that kept me here.

The other day on the bus I passed by the house where I stayed my very first 2 nights and about a month after I returned permanently. I saw the for sale sign out in front of 2930 Lemp.

— Steve Patterson

Readers Would Like Bernie Sanders To Get 2016 Democratic Nomination

On the night in 2008 that Barack Obama was first elected president I told myself in the future I wouldn’t support a candidate born before him. In the years since I realized there was nobody born in the 1960s or 1970s I could support. My first choice would be Sen. Elizabeth Warren, like me, she’s also a native of Oklahoma City. A year older than my brother, they briefly attended the same high school — then my parents moved. Like George W. Bush & Bill Clinton, Elizabeth Warren was born in the 1940s — June 22, 1949.

While the GOP field is considerably younger than the six Democratic candidates, none represent my progressive liberal views. I took a look at the ages of all 17 GOP candidates and the Democratic candidates (+ Joe Biden).

Here’s a breakdown of the decade the 17 GOP candidates were born in:

• 1970s: 3 (Cruz, Jindal, Rubio)
• 1960s: 3 (Christie, Paul, Walker)
• 1950s: 8 (Bush, Carson, Fiorina, Graham, Huckabee, Kasich, Perry, Santorum)
• 1940s: 3 (Gilmore, Pataki, Trump)

The average of the field is 59 years old.

Here’s a look at the Democratic side:

• 1970s: 0 (–)
• 1960s: 1 (O’Malley)
• 1950s: 1 (Chafee)
• 1940s: 4 (Biden, Clinton, Sanders, Webb)

Their average is 67 on election day, 68 on inauguration day. To date the oldest president was Reagan — he was 69 at both election and inauguration.  Biden will be 73 & 74, respectively. Clinton will be 69 at both, Sanders 75 at both.

Here is a very short video of Bernie Sanders’ supporters.

Here’s a long video of Bernie Sanders speaking in Los Angeles, with introduction by Sarah Silverman:

Here are the results from the Sunday Poll:

Q: Of the following, who would you LIKE to see get the 2016 Democratic nomination?

1. Bernie Sanders 25 [49.02%]
2. Hillary Clinton 14 [27.45%]
3. Joe Biden 6 [11.76%]
4. Unsure/no answer 4 [7.84%]
5. Martin O’Malley 2 [3.92%]
6. TIE 0 [0%]
   1. Lincoln Chafee
   2. Jim Webb

Some further reading:

• Bloomberg: Hillary Clinton’s Bernie Sanders Problem Is Bigger Than Anyone Realizes
• Huffington Post: Almost Every Major Poll Shows Bernie Sanders Challenging or Defeating Clinton and Republicans. Here’s Why

Missouri & Illinois both hold their primary on Tuesday March 15, 2016:

• Missouri has open primaries, so if you’re registered to vote you can vote for Bernie Sanders. You must register by 5pm on Wednesday, February 17, 2016.
• Illinois has closed primaries, so you must be registered as a Democrat to vote for Bernie Sanders. Those who will be 18 by November 8, 2016 can vote in the primary even though they’re 17.

I recommend everyone — even those who think they know who they’ll vote for —  take the quiz at ISideWith.com to see which candidate from both major parties best aligns with your views. The more detailed you get in the questions the more accurate it’ll be.

— Steve Patterson

Over A Month To Move One Trash Can

When I spotted a trash can sitting in the middle of a curb ramp last month I thought it would be a simple matter to get it moved. Boy was I wrong!

On the morning of July 17th I posted the following image on Facebook & Twitter, stating “Trash can placed on curb ramp SW corner 14th & Pine”

At the end of the tweet I mentioned @stlcsb — to report problem to the Citizens Service Bureau.

The CSB responded: “What are you asking or saying about it?” At this point many others joined the conversation, not always including me in the loop. In short, others could see the problem from the pic but the CSB: 1) thought I or someone else was talking about the car making a left turn in the background, 2)  was confused by the term “curb ramp” and told me it’s a “wheelchair ramp” — more on that later, 4)  that the containers don’t belong to the city — they just empty them. The tweets went back and forth for nearly 4 hours! Finally I got a Service Request number, which I favorited for future reference.

A curb ramp is the term used by the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Federal Highway Administration within the U.S. Department of Transportation. They’re not called “wheelchair ramps” because many pedestrians use them — such as those who walk with a cane or walker, for example. Plus it’s six fewer letters.

Nearly 3 weeks later, on August 5th, I passed by and noticed the trash can still hadn’t been moved.  I realize not everything can be done immediately but often little things are addressed quickly. So I posted another image on Facebook & Twitter noting “Trash can blocking curb ramp SW crnr 14th & Pine, reported to @stlcsb (no 7560493) on 7/17 still in the way.”

This is a good time to note that I had no problem getting around the trash can in my power chair. My concern wasn’t for me — it was for others who use a manual wheelchair, came, walker. Trying to navigate the flared side can present problems! I didn’t want someone else wheeling in the road or falling because of this ill-placed trash can. This is a curb ramp I use often — the trash can had’t been there before in the last 7 years.

Two days later I heard from Dena Hibbard, a Neighborhood Stabilization Officer (NSO) asking if it had been moved.  I replied it hadn’t, then she said my service request was closed — city staff indicated it was not blocking the ramp. WTF!?! We keep in touch and finally she got through to someone in Refuse. I got word on August 20th it was finally moved off the ramp.  A few hours later I go by on the way from from the grocery store.

It shouldn’t have taken more than a month and lots of effort to get this moved! I’m grateful Dena Hibbard follows my blog/social media, without her help it wouldn’t have gotten moved. The best part is her area is the 9th Ward — but this ramp is in the 7th Ward.

— Steve Patterson

17th Street Should Be Two-Way Again

Downtown St. Louis, and Downtown West to a lesser degree, has lots of one-way streets. This was done decades ago to facilitate  driving in & out. A decade ago Locust St., which had been one-way Westbound, was reverted back to two-way West of 14th St. But there are some odd little one-way remnants that need to be reexamined.   One is a very short stretch of 17th St between St. Charles St & Washington Ave.

St. Charles Street, which is a glorified alley, runs parallel between Locust & Washington Ave.  — it is one-way Westbound. Yes, 17th from St. Charles to Locust is two-way. From Locust to Olive it is one-way Southbound. Confused?

Typically one-ways are done in couplets — an opposite direction street a block away. Such is the case between St. Charles & Washington.

Motorists routinely treat 17th as two-way — we should just make it official.

– Steve Patterson

Sunday Poll: Who Would You Like To See Get The 2016 Democratic Nomination?

We’re about 6 months away from Missouri’s presidential primary — Tuesday March 15, 2016. Unlike some states, Missouri voters can take a primary ballot from any party they want. A while back the Sunday Poll asked about the GOP side, today is about the Democratic side.

This is who you want to see get the nomination — not who you think will.

The answers are presented in random order, the poll closes at 8pm.

— Steve Patterson