Know Your Ballot: Presidential Candidates

Election day is tomorrow…finally.  Here is a list of prior posts starting at the bottom of the St. Louis ballot:

• Propositions & Amendments
• Judges
• Citywide, State Rep, US Rep Races
• Statewide Races, U.S. Senate

By now most, if not all, of you know how you’ll vote tomorrow. This post isn’t intended to get anyone to change their minds, my purpose is to help the undecided and to explain the rational behind my own choice.

FOR PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT (A VOTE FOR PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT IS A VOTE FOR THEIR ELECTORS) (VOTE FOR ONE PAIR)

I should point out the ballot language is different than every other race on the ballot. “A vote for their electors” is referring to Missouri’s 10 electors in the electoral college. Nationally, there are currently 538 electors  — Missouri’s 10 is less than 2% of the 270 needed to win.

This video is good, though it reinforces the two-party duopoly:

While two states (Maine & Nebraska) have proportional electors, all 10 in Missouri vote for the president/vp team with the most votes — winner take all. Since 1980 there have been nine presidential elections, with all Missouri’s electoral college votes going for the Republican pair seven times.  The two times Missouri went for the Democrat was Clinton/Gore in 1992 & 1996 — two decades ago. Obama/Biden came very close in 2008, but not in 2012.

For years Missouri went for the president that was elected, but not the last two elections. Missouri has lost its previous status as a bellwether/battleground state. The only reason Clinton & Trump visited Missouri since becoming nominees was to attend the recent debate at Washington University, or raise money. Missouri is considered safe red or leaning red, depending upon who you ask.

• FiveThirtyEight lists Trump as having a 90.3 chance of winning Missouri a week ago, up from 83.3%as of 10/6/2016.
• 270ToWin lists Missouri as sold red, not even pink.
• RealClearPolitics does show Missouri as pink, but Illinois as solid blue.

It’s safe to assume all 10 of our electoral college votes will go to Trump/Pence. Still, the electoral college map favors Clinton. The following video is from August so the polling data mentioned is dated, but the electoral math remains basically the same:

Missouri voters have five pairs to choose from, the two major parties and three 3rd parties:

• HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON / TIMOTHY MICHAEL KAINE – DEM
• DONALD J. TRUMP / MICHAEL R. PENCE – REP
• GARY JOHNSON / BILL WELD – LIB
• DARRELL L. CASTLE / SCOTT N. BRADLEY – CST
• JILL STEIN / AJAMU BARAKA – GRN

Last week I voted, but I didn’t vote straight party. With many offices on the ballot I voted for 6 Democrats, 3 Greens, 1 Libertarian, and 1 Republican. The presidential race is one where I voted Green — to help them try to get 5% of the popular vote nationwide.

Just 5 percent of the national vote for the Green Party Stein/Baraka ticket can be a true game-changer for American politics. It will qualify the Green Party for recognition as an official national party, and for federal funding in the 2020 presidential race proportional to the amount of votes received — at least $8 million to $10 million. It would also secure ballot access in a number of states that automatically grant ballot status if the presidential candidate receives anywhere from 1 percent to 5 percent of the vote (varying by state). It means the party can leap over the undemocratic barriers to ballot access for independent parties in many states, and help us lay the groundwork for a truly competitive challenge to the two-party system and the corporate rule it perpetuates. — Dr Jill Stein on MSNBC

In Missouri, Illinois, and most states, voters can vote for the ticket that best represents their values. Voters in battleground states like Florida & Pennsylvania, on the other hand, have a much tougher choice as their vote will help determine the final winner.

I didn’t want to waste my vote on a major party candidate when it could help a 3rd party in four years. This is my 8th time voting in a presidential election, though my pick won’t even get a fraction of one electoral college vote — I’ve never felt better about my decision.

— Steve Patterson

Sunday Poll: Would You Reconfigure The Top Deck Of The Eads Bridge, How?

Last month I attended the celebration marking the completion of work on the Eads Bridge to give it another 75 years of life.

After posting a photo to Twitter & Facebook, a discussion began on Twitter about the configuration of the top deck — it’s currently four vehicle lanes with a pedestrian part on the Arch side (South).

Today’s non-scientific poll is an attempt to see if readers have a preference about reconfiguring the bridge, or keeping it as is. This poll required visuals:

For the purpose of this poll bicyclists were not given a separate bike lane, they could take a vehicle lane or use the pedestrian area — including bike lanes would’ve have added too many options. The poll below has the above configurations listed in the same order. An unsure was added at the bottom.

The poll will be open for 12 hours, closing at 8pm.

— Steve Patterson

St. Louis Board of Aldermen: New Board Bills 11/4/2016 (174-184)

The following eleven (11) Board Bills will be introduced at today’s meeting of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, review today’s agenda here. Note: this post was updated at 8:20am with links to each Board Bill.

• B.B.#174 – 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.
• B.B.#175 – Roddy – An ordinance approving a Redevelopment Plan for 4398 Chouteau.
• B.B.#176 – Roddy – An ordinance approving a Redevelopment Plan for 916-26 Talmage and 4307 Chouteau.
• B.B.#177 – Coatar – An ordinance approving a Redevelopment Plan for 501-09 Olive and 303 N. Broadway.
• B.B.#178 – Spencer – An ordinance approving a Redevelopment Plan for 2920 Cherokee.
• B.B.#179 – Davis – An ordinance prohibiting the issuance of any 3 a.m. closing permits for any currently non-3 a.m. licensed premises within the boundaries of the Nineteenth Ward Liquor Control District, as established herein, for a period of three years from the effective date hereof; containing exceptions and allowing, during the moratorium period, for the renewal of or transfer of existing licenses, under certain circumstances, and containing an emergency clause.
• B.B.#180 – Ogilvie – An ordinance approving a blighting study and redevelopment plan dated September 27, 2016 for the 6654-56 Mitchell; and containing a severability clause.
• B.B.#181 – Kennedy – An ordinance repealing Ordinance 69396 and 69006 and in lieu thereof enacting a new ordinance prohibiting the issuance of any package or drink liquor licenses for any currently non-licensed premises within the boundaries of the Eighteenth Ward Liquor Control District; and containing an emergency clause
• B.B.#182 – Roddy – An ordinance dissolving the Special Allocation Funds for theGgrand and Shenandoah Redevelopment area and terminating the designation of a certain portion of the City, relating to that redevelopment area and authorizing certain actions relating thereto, and containing severability and emergency clauses.
• B.B.#183 – Roddy – An ordinance dissolving Special Allocation Funds for the Lasalle Building Redevelopment area and 500 N. Kingshighway Redevelopment area, and terminating the designation of certain respective portions of the City, relating to each as a redevelopment area and authorizing certain actions relating thereto and containing severability and emergency clauses.
• B.B.#184 – Roddy – An ordinance terminating a Modesa Development plan, downtown St. Louis Core Development and Streetscape Enhancements Development Area, as approved by ordinance No. 67320 and the development project and the designation of the development area described therein; dissolving the Special Allocation Fund; and containing a severability and emergency clause.

The meeting begins at 10am, it can be watched online here. I want to learn more about 182-184.

The Board of Aldermen usually meet on Friday mornings, but next week their meeting will be held on Thursday November 10th because city hall will be closed Friday the 11th for Veterans Day.

— Steve Patterson

Readers Prefer A Downtown Soccer Stadium Near Union Station

In the non-scientific Sunday Poll less than 10% of readers didn’t favor a dedicated soccer stadium, almost as many were undecided.  Just over half picked near Union Station first with Grand & Chouteau 2nd.

Q: Which of the following represents your priorities with respect to a dedicated soccer stadium:

• 1) no dedicated soccer stadium 2) Grand/Chouteau 3) Near Union Station 3 [4.92%]
• 1) no dedicated soccer stadium 2) Near Union Station 3) Grand/Chouteau 3 [4.92%]
• 1) Grand/Chouteau 2) Near Union Station 3) no dedicated soccer stadium 16 [26.23%]
• 1) Grand/Chouteau 2) no dedicated soccer stadium 3) Near Union Station 0 [0%]
• 1) Near Union Station 2) Grand/Chouteau 3) no dedicated soccer stadium 31 [50.82%]
• 1) Near Union Station 2) no dedicated soccer stadium 3) Grand/Chouteau 4 [6.56%]
• Unsure/No Answer 4 [6.56%]

Back in February 2016 I proposed a site near Union Station, see A Great Site For A Major League Soccer (MLS) Stadium In Downtown St. Louis. Regardless, I don’t think either ownership team or city leaders have the slightest clue about how to crete a quality pedestrian-friendly neighborhood. The Grand & Chouteau site should become a dense mixed-use neighborhood, but SLU is opposed to quality urbanism.

We’ll see what happens.

— Steve Patterson

12th Anniversary of UrbanReviewSTL.com, No More Comments Section

Twelve years ago today I registered the domain UrbanReviewSTL.com and began writing. I stopped only when I was sedated for a few weeks following my February 2008 stroke. I originally started the blog as a distraction to my father’s recovery from a heart attack a month earlier. It worked — turns out it was just what I needed at that point in my life.

This blog has always been a way to help me express myself. I really enjoyed the first decade, but the last two years not so much.

I’ve blogged for 12 of my 26+ years living in St. Louis, Missouri. It has been a long time coming, but I’ve become very disillusioned with St. Louis — the entire region. My optimism has been replaced with skepticism. More than a century of doing the wrong thing has permeated the culture to the point of no return. A few months ago I stopped trying to convince the region to become more urban, more pedestrian-friendly. Harland Bartholomew did irreparable damage to the city & region.

My husband and I would like to move to another region, Chicago is our top pick at this point. However, financial reality may not enable us to do so. While a new mayor in 2017 is a reason to be hopeful, it’s not enough to get us to give up relocating elsewhere. Again, the region has been so mislead for decades — whomever is in room 200 isn’t going to change the region’s culture.

At the same time, the number of people commenting on the blog has decreased. Those who do comment frequently express the very views that represent the reasons why St. Louis won’t recover. I’ve argued with them before, but I’ve realized I’m just wasting my time doing so. However, I hate seeing their narrow views go unchallenged. Those who used to challenge them have also given up.

For a while I considered ending this blog today, I am spending more time working on writing fiction. Ending the blog completely would allow me to devote all my time to the various novels I have outlined. However, as we’ll still be living here until we can afford to move, I’ve decided to keep posting but to turn off the comments. They’ve increasingly gotten under my skin, distracting me.

Only a tiny percentage of viewers actually comment. Granted, some may come here to read the comments, but that’s also a small percentage. Besides, I haven’t checked my traffic in years — yes, years. Like that day 12 years ago, I’m writing for myself. I’m doing what I think is best for me. If others want to read what I write, great. If some are upset they can’t comment, they’re free to start their own blog where they can share differing views.

For the next two months, at least, I’ll continue posting four times per week:

• Sunday 8am: new poll
• Monday 5:45am: new post
• Wednesday 5:45am: results, discussion of recent poll
• Friday 5:45am: new board bills, other topics if no bills

I do hope the young people here will continue to fight for change. but I’ll be 50 in February — I’m tired of fighting for what I consider fundamentals.

— Steve Patterson