Sunday Poll: Should St. Louis County Personal Property Taxes Be The Same Regardless of Location?

We recently received our personal property tax bill in the mail for our 2007 Honda Civic EX, but I know anyone else with the same car registered in the City of St. Louis will owe the same amount. St.Louis County, however, is very different. Yesterday the Post-Dispatch did a story on the variation in rates, citing two women at the start:

Each owns a 2014 Cadillac XTS. And each got her personal property tax bill in the mail from the county this month.

Johnson’s tax bill was $895. O’Neal’s was $436.

Across the St. Louis area, people are writing checks to pay their personal property taxes, which are due by year’s end. Residents of St. Louis all pay the same rate. But St. Louis County residents are not assessed evenly — far from it.

All county residents pay the same real estate and personal property tax rates for certain services, such as county government and community colleges. But the rates for public schools, fire protection and municipalities vary dramatically. The boundaries don’t overlap cleanly, so even next-door neighbors can pay different rates. (Post-Dispatch)

According to the Post-Dispatch it is lower income areas that are paying the most.

The above is the subject of today’s poll:

This poll will close at 8pm tonight, I’ll post my thoughts on Wednesday.

— Steve Patterson

Readers Split On Restriction Of Police Tactics

Following protests earlier this year, the ACLU sued the St. Louis Police over their tactics.  Last week came a ruling:

U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry’s order says that police can’t declare an “unlawful assembly” and enforce it against those “engaged in expressive activity, unless the persons are acting in concert to pose an imminent threat to use force or violence or to violate a criminal law with force or violence.”

Police also can’t use that unlawful assembly order or threaten the use of chemical agents to punish protesters for exercising their rights, she wrote.

Perry barred the use of pepper spray, mace and other chemical agents against “expressive, non-violent activity” without probable cause to make an arrest and without providing “clear and unambiguous warnings” and an opportunity to heed those warnings. (Post-Dispatch)

In the recent non-scientific Sunday Poll readers were split on this decision.

Agree or disagree: St. Louis Police should be able to declare protests as “unlawful assembly”, use pepper spray. etc.

• Strongly agree 11 [34.38%]
• Agree 3 [9.38%]
• Somewhat agree 1 [3.13%]
• Neither agree or disagree 1 [3.13%]
• Somewhat disagree 0 [0%]
• Disagree 4 [12.5%]
• Strongly disagree 12 [37.5%]
• Unsure/No Answer 0 [0%]

This ruling is long overdue.

— Steve Patterson

Reading: The Community Resilience Reader: Essential Resources for an Era of Upheaval

Communities must remain resilient to weather change, a recent book explores this issue:

The sustainability challenges of yesterday have become today’s resilience crises. National and global efforts have failed to stop climate change, transition from fossil fuels, and reduce inequality. We must now confront these and other increasingly complex problems by building resilience at the community level. But what does that mean in practice, and how can it be done in a way that’s effective and equitable?

The Community Resilience Reader offers a new vision for creating resilience, through essays by leaders in such varied fields as science, policy, community building, and urban design. The Community Resilience Reader combines a fresh look at the challenges humanity faces in the 21st century, the essential tools of resilience science, and the wisdom of activists, scholars, and analysts working with community issues on the ground. It shows that resilience is a process, not a goal; how resilience requires learning to adapt but also preparing to transform; and that resilience starts and ends with the people living in a community. Despite the formidable challenges we face, The Community Resilience Reader shows that building strength and resilience at the community level is not only crucial, but possible.

From Post Carbon Institute, the producers of the award-winning The Post Carbon Reader, The Community Resilience Reader is a valuable resource for students, community leaders, and concerned citizens. (Island Press)

A long list of writers have contributed chapters, helping us understand the predicaments, tools, and action to take:

PART I: Understanding Our Predicament

Chapter 1. Six Foundations for Building Community Resilience | Daniel Lerch
Chapter 2. The Environmental Crisis: The Needs of Humanity Versus the Limits of the Planet | Leena I
Chapter 3. The Energy Crisis: From Fossil Fuel Abundance to Renewable Energy Constraints | Richard Heinberg
Chapter 4. The Economic Crisis: The Limits of 20th Century Economics and Growth | Joshua Farley
Chapter 5. The Equity Crisis: The True Costs of Extractive Capitalism | Sarah Byrnes and Chuck Collins
Chapter 6. The Roots of Our Crises: Does Human Nature Drive Us Toward Collapse? | William Rees

PART II: Gathering the Needed Tools

Chapter 7. Systems Literacy: A Toolkit for Purposeful Change | Howard Silverman
Chapter 8. A Crash Course in the Science of Sustainability | Margaret Robertson
Chapter 9. A Crash Course in the Science of Resilience | Brian Walker and David Salt
Chapter 10. Pulling It All Together: Resilience, Wisdom, and Beloved Community | Stephanie Mills

PART III: Community Resilience in Action

Chapter 11. Energy Democracy | Denise Fairchild and Al Weinrub
Chapter 12. Building Community Resilience at the Water’s Edge | Rebecca Wodder
Chapter 13. Food System Lessons from Vermont | Scott Sawyer
Chapter 14. Learning Our Way Toward Resilience | William Throop
Chapter 15. Beyond Waste: Sustainable Consumption for Community Resilience | Rosemary Cooper
Chapter 16. Resilient Streets, Resilient Cities | Mike Lydon
Chapter 17. Community Resilience and the Built Environment | Daniel Lerch
Chapter 18. Conclusion: Where to Start | Asher Miller

Those with their heads buried in the sand with respect to climate change isn’t the target audience, but the rest of us are.

— Steve Patterson

Sunday Poll: Should St. Louis Police Be Able To Declare Protests Are “Unlawful Assembly”?

Last week a judge put limits on the St. Louis {P;oce:

U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry’s order says that police can’t declare an “unlawful assembly” and enforce it against those “engaged in expressive activity, unless the persons are acting in concert to pose an imminent threat to use force or violence or to violate a criminal law with force or violence.”

Police also can’t use that unlawful assembly order or threaten the use of chemical agents to punish protesters for exercising their rights, she wrote. (Post-Dispatch)

Based on reactions on social media, the public seems split on her decision. Today’s poll seeks the view of readers.

This poll will close at 8pm tonight.

— Steve Patterson

St. Louis Board of Aldermen Week 24 of 2017-2018 Session

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen will meet at 10am today, their 24th week of the 2017-2018 session. No new bills were introduced last week.

THIRTEEN (13) NEW BOARD BILLS ON THE AGENDA* FOR INTRODUCTION TODAY 11/17/17:

*Note that just because a bill is on the agenda doesn’t mean it’ll be introduced, similarly, bills not on the agenda might be introduced if they suspend the rules to do so. This information is based on the published agenda as of yesterday @ 8am:

• B.B.#188 – Coatar –An ordinance to terminate and dissolve the Orpheum Theater Community District pursuant to the Community Improvement District Act, Sections 67.1401 – 67.1575 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri.
• B.B.#189 – Moore –An Ordinance recommended by the Planning Commission on November 8, 2017, to change the zoning of property as indicated on the District Map and in City Block 3666, from “C” Multiple?Family Dwelling District and “F” Neighborhood Commercial District to the “F” Neighborhood Commercial District only, at 2505 N. Sarah Street; and containing an emergency clause.
• B.B.#190 – Boyd –An Ordinance pertaining to the administration and use of the Parking Meter Fund and repealing Subsection B-2 of Section Two of Ordinance 70611.
• B.B.#191 – Roddy –An ordinance recommended by the Planning Commission to provide for the establishment of a FOREST PARK SOUTHEAST Form-Based District; and containing a severability clause and an effective date clause.
• B.B.#192 – Roddy – An ordinance recommended by the Planning Commission to repeal the Grove Commercial Area Special Use District, Ord. 67924, and setting an effective date.
• B.B.#193 – Pres. Reed –An ordinance amending Ordinance 69429 by repealing Section Two and Section Three of that ordinance and enacting in lieu thereof a new Section Two and a new Section Three pertaining to the same subject matters; and containing an emergency clause.
• B.B.#194 – Howard –An ordinance submitting to the qualified voters of the City, a proposal to repeal Section 2 of Article VIII of the City Charter requiring City officers and employees to reside within the boundaries of the City and thus allow said officers and employees to reside outside of the boundaries of the City and; providing for an election to be held for voting on the proposed revision and the manner of voting thereat and; for the publication, certification, deposit, and recording of this ordinance; and containing an emergency clause.
• B.B.#195 – Coatar –An ordinance approving a Redevelopment Plan for the 2001?2003 Ann.
• B.B.#196 – Conway/Pres. Reed –An ordinance approving a Redevelopment Plan for the 4121 Russell.
• B.B.#197 – Martin –An ordinance approving a Redevelopment Plan for the 7500-7518 South Broadway.
• B.B.#198 – Vollmer –An ordinance approving a Redevelopment Plan for the 5231-5233 & 5239-5241 Shaw.
• B.B.#199 –Guenther –An ordinance approving a Redevelopment Plan for the 4601 South Broadway.
• B.B.#200 – Roddy – An ordinance determining that the Tax Increment Financing Plans listed in Exhibit “A” are making satisfactory progress under the proposed time schedule for completion of projects therein.

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.

— Steve Patterson