The Next Conservatives are Pro-Aesthetics?

Last month the Saint Louis Metropolitan Area Council of Conservative Citizens had an interesting post about the end of “new right” and discussing the “next conservatism” and referenced Urban Review STL.  Now, I know what you are thinking, I’m about as conservative as Rush Limbaugh is liberal.

They started off referencing an article in The American Conservative magazine:

If the New Right is dead, or dying, what could be offered in its place? What will be “The Next Conservatism”?

Weyrich and Lind say that it must be a social conservatism, and it must be a cultural movement (not economic) and not a political movement (although the political sphere must not be surrendered).

Themes of “the next conservatism” in article:

– pro-homeschooling
– rejection of mainstream culture
– anti-affirmative action
– anti-political correctness in all forms (e.g. charges of ‘racism’, ’sexism’, etc.)
– anti-abortion
– anti-gay “marriage”
– anti-illegal immigration, anti-amnesty, and pro-reduction in legal immigration
– pro- strong national defense based in America’s concrete interests, but an abandonment of the Bush/neocon Wilsonian foreign policy
– pro-agrarianism
– anti-two party system in Washington
– pro-environmentalism in the sense of pro-conservation
– skeptical of big business
– pro-aesthetics (and disdain of ugly growth, such as strip malls)
– pro-trains and streetcars

This sounds like the Council of Conservative Citizens almost to a tee.

There is so much to talk about in the above list but the short answer is very little of that fits me, except at the end.  Of course, my views on urbanism are not based on aesthics although that does play apart.  It is more about the relationships between buildings and the related public space.  They then go on to reference my site in serveral places, such as here:

The irony here is that URSTL blog has a liberal political bias; however, I think its emphasis on urban uniqueness and its opposition to suburban uglification is more in tune with a properly understood and historically correct version of “conservatism,” (and what Weyrich/Lind think it will be again), that is, opposition to homogenization in all its forms.

It almost sounds as if a rational conversation could be had around common ground but then they speak on trains & streetcars:

Yes, that “preponderance of racial minorities utilizing public transit by necessity” is such a problem in our society.  Too bad decades of policy decisions have created such a necessity.  And too bad they can’t all drive single occupancy SUVs spewing pollutants into the air.

Click here to read the full post from the Saint Louis Metropolitan Area Council of Conservative Citizens.  For the article reference click here.

What Should Lewis Reed’s Agenda Be?

Yesterday my post suggesting President of the Board of Aldermen – elect Lewis Reed address a simple city-wide issue of bike parking has people wondering if that is what we want him and his staff working on. For me and others, bike parking is not just about bike parking. Click here to see that post.

Lewis Reed has four “issues” on his website: Crime & Safety, Responsible Economic Development, Accountability & Leadership and Information Technology and Access to Government. I thought I’d take a look at each of these to see how that fits into the big picture.

CRIME AND SAFETY

The cornerstone of my campaign to become your next President of the Board of Alderman is to work hard to make our city safer and to lessen all types of violent and civil crime. I initiated and helped pass legislation to establish police substations that have expanded community policing to increase public safety citywide. I will lead our effort to ensure the allocation of sufficient resources to our prosecutor’s office so that repeat criminals no longer are on the streets. I worked for full funding of the MAP problem property initiative, which holds property owners financially and personally accountable to their tenants and the city. I concretely support city budgetary allocations that will put 40 new police officers on the street to ensure greater public safety. Another major goal of mine is to help find funding to hire more police officers. As recent history has shown, I will also work closely with our other city and state elected officials for more federal money so that our city is prepared for any type of disaster, natural or man-made.

All of the above is about police and focusing on problem properties, certainly valid approaches. But where is the discussion about increasing safety due to the sheer number of people out on the sidewalks? Active streets are safe streets.

RESPONSIBLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT—NEW OPPORTUNITIES

I have been directly responsible for $1.7 billion dollars in new economic development initiatives along with various infrastructure improvement projects. I introduced, sponsored, and directed the passage of the first Neighborhood Tax Increment Financing legislation in St. Louis City and its largest Community Improvement District (CID), which redeveloped Lafayette Square. Where businesses such as Sqwires and 1111 Mississippi thrive now, once stood vacant, dilapidated factories and lots that were only good for burning tires.

Our neighborhoods are still the greatest nest eggs of opportunity. I will work hard to expand our tax base by offering more affordable housing opportunities in the still depressed areas of our city that have been overlooked for far too long. I want to establish a legislative agenda that meets the needs of our citizens to offer hope and opportunity to increase new businesses and expand existing ones. This is evident in the numerous economic development and derelict property redevelopment bills I have introduced in this session alone that will provide for new housing and business opportunities.

Furthermore, in my aldermanic tenure, my legislative initiatives have brought over 300 new jobs to our city. Thus, I have and will continue to be an advocate for strong, but responsible, development.

I concur that it is our neighborhoods that hold much opportunity. I always love how politicians tally up all the development in their jurisdiction and claim they are responsible. I guess that means that if they hadn’t given incentives it wouldn’t have happened otherwise yet seldom do we see any discussion about the quality of the developments.

I think TIF and CID districts are excellent tools but these are great opportunities to develop zoning overlays and other mechanisms to guide development, hopefully avoiding a project by project fight. Unfortunately, most of the politicos focus simply on giving away tax dollars without any design/policy criteria in the interest of the public.

And finally Reed mentions affordable housing but doesn’t really elaborate. I don’t know that we’ve seen any requirements n in the last eight years for new projects in the 6th ward to have an affordable component. What does affordable housing mean on a city-wide basis?

ACCOUNTABILITY AND LEADERSHIP

The Board of Alderman requires a full-time President and I intend to be exactly that. Board of Aldermen meetings must be administered with the utmost efficiency. Our city faces many unique challenges in the new millennium and consistent proactive leadership at the Board of Aldermen is crucial.

Our city has garnered much positive national and international news in recent years, but in 2001 it also drew negative, even infamous, attention due to lack of compassionate leadership and simple peer respect for all board colleagues and their families.

As Board President, I will work hard to set a tone to ensure that all actions and records of the Board of Alderman, its committees, and the Board of Estimate & Apportionment are accessible and we remain accountable to the citizenry.

This section was largely a dig at Shrewsbury over how he managed the Board of Aldermen, including not allowing an alderwoman to use the restroom while holding a filibuster over redistricting. The last paragraph gets into the next topic of access to government.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FOR BETTER ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT

Having earned a degree in computer science and working for many years as an IT professional, as an alderman I successfully passed legislation that restructured the city’s arcane computer networking and information system to make St. Louis City government more transparent, accessible, and user-friendly for our constituents. I want to expand on this initiative to have more information readily accessible — including voting records of aldermen and the Board of E&A, campaign finance records, and committee actions.

I strongly advocate more openness government and I want to utilize the continuing advances in technology to streamline government processes and services for its citizens.

While this does not address things out in the streets I do think a more accessible government will help get more people involved in the community. Reed indicates he passed legislation that restructered the city’s system. Really? When will that actually take affect? The city’s “CIN” website is about as arcane as they come and so many departments even fail to tell you who is in charge. Inconsistencies are rampant throughout the website. But is this a matter for the head of the legislative body or should the mayor’s office finally step up to the plate and deal with our city’s website?

In 2005 Shrewsbury and his staff improved the Board of Aldermen website by including more information. There is certainly room for more improvement such as votes by individual aldermen. Another big step would actually be able to include the attachments for board bills — nothing is more frustrating than trying to understand proposed legislation only to find “Attachment A” not attached.

Here are the city-wide issues I see missing from Reed’s website, in no particular order:

• Zoning: Our 1940’s era zoning code encourages suburban development and sends the wrong message to developers about the type of city we want. Reed & Slay need to work with the public, as Kansas City has been doing for the last 18 months, to develop a new zoning code reflecting the communities current wishes for the future. We need zoning which is based on building form, not our current use-based zoning. Furthermore, in 2005 the Board of Aldermen passed the new Land Use plan but by not adoping new zoning the land use plan has no teeth.Furthermore, new zoning can be pro-development. Currently developers are at the whim of individual aldermen if they want to do anything different than what the old zoning allows. With physical development being a big part of what St. Louis will be doing over the next 20 years it only makes sense to give us a good foundation upon which to literally build. With consistent form-based zoning deliniating what it is we are seeking throughout the city it will help developers by knowing what is expected of them. Rewards such as allowing more floors if a developer does other things (underground parking over a blocky base, payments to an affordable housing fund) can improve the quality of new construction without punishing anyone.
• Transportation: Discussion in the city about transportation has focused on how to create more lanes across the Mississippi River into Illinois. What about mass transit? Metro (aka Bi-State) needs a tax increase from the city and county to continue basic operations but I’ve heard nothing out of Reed or Slay on this issue. Furthermore, East-West Gateway has been planning new rail transit for northside and southside, requiring additional funding. Again, leaders in the city have been quite on trying to get the necessary funding. We need some city-wide discussion of transportation issues and solutions.
• Regionalism: Lewis Reed needs to reach out to the rest of the region to build a coalition around issues bigger than the city limits such as transportation. Collectively, our city leaders could be a strong force in the region. One area to address is how municipalities continue to steal sales tax revenue from each other. St. Louis needs to step up our profile in the region.

• Charter Reform: Shrewsbury was a supporter of charter reform until it came to eliminating the post he held. Will Lewis Reed take a similar view of charter reform — change other positions but not mine? I have little confidence that anyone in office currently can really take on the issue of improving city government through charter reform.Of course, my favorite form of charter reform would be to shift our elections to non-partisan, effectively eliminating one election every two years. This would also reduce the stranglehold the local democrats have over the system to further their own personal interests.We have a couple of choices in going non-partisan in our local elections. Under our current system, in a 3-way or more race it is likely the winner would be chosen even without 50% of the vote. It happened that our one 3-way race this week (6th ward) the winner received over 50% of the vote. But had she only received 49% she still would have been declared the winner. If we want the winner to receive 50% or more of the vote we could hold a second vote between the two highest candidates. The better solution is Instant Run-Off elections where voters rank the candidates and:

  “if no candidate receives an overall majority of first preferences the candidates with fewest votes are eliminated one by one, and their votes transferred according to their second and third preferences (and so on) and all votes retallied, until one candidate achieves a majority.”

  Again, I don’t see Reed and the majority of aldermen backing him looking seriously at various proposals to refine our government structure.

Bike Parking a Good City-Wide Issue for Lewis Reed

The city faces many big issues all needing attention, including things like our outdated zoning and city charter. Michael Allen has a nice commentary on the big issues still facing us today, the day after a big election. He’s right, our political system needs a major re-think. But that is not what has kept me awake (it is 3am). No, I’m looking for some real & simple areas where Board President-elect Lewis Reed can use his new city-wide status and majority of the board support. Bike facilities came to mind.

Reed, during the campaign, rightfully bragged about being a founding alderman with Bike St. Louis, a series of on-street urban bike routes throughout a limited area in the city. Basically, those aldermen willing to part with some of their funds helped shape the routes through their wards. Interestingly, it is all south of Delmar. But I am not looking for more bike lanes or share the road signs, I want bike parking. Urban cyclists use their bikes for errands but need places where they can secure their bikes at they make their trips.

Here is where Reed, working with Mayor Slay’s office, can make a difference:

• Make it easier for private property owners to place an approved bike rack in the public right of way.
• For projects with public funding & public parking, require bike parking.
• For projects requiring a public parking lot, such as a shopping center, require bike parking regardless of any public funding.
• And finally set up a program such as Chicago’s whereby the city provides and installs bike racks along major commercial streets based upon a request from local cyclists or business owners.

Let’s examine these areas in more detail.

Currently for a building owner to place a bike rack in the public right of way (say on the outer edge of the sidewalk in line with street trees and lamp posts) they must jump through many hoops. You see, the city considers such a bike rack placed by a private entity to be an enchroachment into the public space. In reality, it would be an amenity such as a bench or trash can. Our current view of bike racks pretty much eliminates the possibility a building owner will opt to place a bike rack in front of their business. Policy changes within the city can reverse this without costing the city.

Similarly, for projects that require public parking we should look at mandating bike parking. This is especially important for those projects receiving subsidies from the public. In these cases, we should look at some ratio of reducing full sized auto spaces in exchange for providing bike parking. Throughout the country numerous cities have similar requirements, including Springfield MO. Issues such as rack type, dispersement and placement would need to be written into an amended parking ordinance.

Ideally we as a city would fund bike parking along public rights of way, perhaps through parking fees at meters and city owned parking garages. The more cyclists we have, the less demand we have to provide on-street spaces, vast surface lots and costly parking garages. Commercial streets such as Euclid, Martin Luther King, South Grand, Cherokee should all have bike racks among the city-provided amenities, just as is the case along Washington Ave downtown. This, unlike the others, requires funding. So this may need to be a stated goal while the others are implimented in short order.

Bike parking will not be a watershed moment that turns the city around. However, it will add to the quality of life for those who use the bike racks and set us apart from the balance of the region which simply cannot match the urbanity of our commercial districts.

As subtle as they may be, bike parking is something of importance to the “creative class” which seek out other cities while overlooking St. Louis. We need them as residents as well as the jobs that always seem to follow them around.

Big & Small Changes at City Hall

As you probably already know: Jim Shrewsbury is out as President of the Board of Aldermen, Lewis Reed will be the next to hold that city-wide office.  Besides the obvious, we’ll see new staff in the President’s office.  I want to wish Mr. Shrewsbury and his out-going staff best wishes.  To Reed and his incoming staff, I want to wish you the best as well — the city has many issues facing it and we all need to get on or near the same page to move forward.  And yes, you’ll hear from me often about what I think it takes to move forward.

Kacie Starr Triplett worked her way to the top of a 3-way race to replace Lewis Reed as 6th ward alderman.  Some said he was too young, others said she was not next in line.   On the campaign trail, she proved how tenacious she can be.  Although I endorsed 3rd place Christian Saller I am content that voters selected Triplett over Cacchione.

Craig Schmid will be returned to the Board of Aldermen for another four years after defeating challenger Galen Gondolfi in one of the most heated races this season.  Schmid needs to take this election as a wake-up call and to be a bit more open minded about alternate approaches to problems in the ward.  Schmid was a Shrewsbury supporter so we will see how he does with committee assignments under Reed’s leadership.

Republican Fred Heitert easily defeated ex-cop Matthew Browning in the 12th ward but now faces a challenger in the general election.  Will this seat go Democrat for the first time in a generation?

In the 4th Ward incumbent OL Shelton was sent packing in big numbers, receiving less than 30% of the vote.  Shelton was just elected in the summer of 2005 after the previous alderman was recalled.  We’ll see if newly elected alderman Sam Moore will have any better luck bringing the factions together in this ward.

Two other northside aldermen, Boyd (22nd) and Williamson (26th) soundly defeated their repeat rivals.  In the 24th former alderman Tom Bauer was again defeated by voters although he managed more than 40% of the vote.  Bill Waterhouse, the winner, was also a Shrewsbury supporter.
I stopped by the Reed HQ just as License Collector Mike McMillan was about to announce Reed had won the race.  Most certainly, the mood was very upbeat.  I didn’t make it to the Shrewsbury event and by the time I was ready to head there I had already heard the news he had lost so I figured the crowd would quickly disappait.
Now begins that period where we will see if Reed’s actions match his words.  The first test will be to see if he is less vindictive than he claimed Shrewsbury to be.  That is, how will aldermen such as Wessels, Villa, Young, Ortmann, Jones-King and others who backed Shrewsbury be treated?  What about those that sat on the fence, such as Dorothy Kirner?

An Open Letter to 20th Ward Residents [Updated]

The 20th Ward is diverse in so many respects, including race. Besides punishing Ald. Craig Schmid, the last redistricting was intended to create a black south side ward yet no black person has filed for the seat. Some say this is a sign blacks are content with representation from Schmid, a claim I can neither substantiate or refute.

What is without question, the aldermanic contest between incumbent Ald. Craig Schmid and Cherokee St. resident Galen Gondolfi has illustrated a major rift among the ward’s residents. Schmid has failed over the years to bring into the fold the more progressive residents. If Gondolfi wins, I think he will have issues bringing in the more conservative based of Schmid. In other words, I see the rift continuing regardless of who wins the race today.

Schmid represents the the “broken window” theory whereby you address all the small issues such as trash and broken windows which will then lead to less crime. This is a very valid approach to addressing problems but it falls short on the revitalization side. Conversely, it is a challenge to revitalze an area without employing some of the broken window strategy.

Many have tried to dismiss Gondolfi as only caring about his own personal interest of selling one of his buildings to Steve Smith, helping him get a liquor license along the way. I believe Gondolfi is approaching this from a broader perspective — what do we do with the many corner storefront properties throughout the 20th ward (and city) that are vacant or underutilized. Furthermore, what is the long-term future for commercial corridors such as Cherokee Street.

Regardless of who wins the election today, the issue of revitalizing the city’s commercial districts is a critical issue all over the city. Numerous wards have similar bans on new liquor licenses, the 20th is not alone in this issue. The conflict between long-term residents and newbies will only increase as we attract new people to our neighborhoods. Collectively we must find a way to work together.

My personal belief is we need to think less about boundaries — ward or neighborhood — and focus on commercial districts serving adjacent residents. We need to embrace diversity in terms of old & new buildings, large houses next to small flats, the staid next to the eclectic. You know, a real city. This will require all of us to look at the city through the eyes of others for whom we may not always agree. Our divisive perspectives are not serving ourselves or our city.

Again, regardless of who wins the race in the 20th (or the other races for that matter), we have considerable work to do. We need leadership to build concensus around the future of the city.

UPDATE 3/6/07 – 8:45pm

The five precints are in and Schmid has won another four years in office with 376 votes (55.46%)  to Gondolfi’s 301 votes (44.40%).  Given the ward’s 5,403 registered voters this is clearly not a mandate for either candidate.  Schmid’s challenge now will be to bridge the divide in the ward.