Proposition 1 Only Item on Tuesday’s Ballot

If you’re like me you’ve received several glossy mailers supporting Proposition 1  — the only item on Tuesday’s ballot.  Here’s the official ballot language:

Shall the following be adopted: Proposition to issue bonds of the City of St. Louis, Missouri in an amount not to exceed One Hundred Eighty Million Dollars ($180,000,000) for the purpose of funding a portion of the cost of acquiring certain real property for, and purchasing, replacing, improving, and maintaining the buildings, vehicles, and equipment of, the City, the St. Louis Police Department, Fire Department, and Emergency Medical Services, and other City departments and for maintaining the safety and security of the jails and improving public safety; for funding a portion of the costs of reconstructing, repairing and improving streets, bridges, and sidewalks; for funding a portion of the costs of infrastructure development and of demolition and abatement of various abandoned or condemned buildings owned by or under the control of the City of St. Louis or its related agencies; for funding a portion of the cost of city owned building stabilization and preservation; for funding a portion of the costs of home repair programs; for funding ward capital improvements; for funding a portion of the cost of paying for economic development and site development infrastructure, and for paying incidental costs of such work and of issuing the Bonds.

Here’s what it means, via the League of Women Voters:

The City wants to borrow $180 million to make significant repairs, improvements, and reconstruction, equipment upgrades in addition to upgrades of public safety equipment, vehicles, condemned and abandoned property demolition and abatement, and numerous other projects. Specific projects include municipal court improvements, replacement of fire trucks, a secure and centralized 911 center, corrections department updates, city building improvements, and home repair programs. In addition the city’s wards would get $10 million for aldermen to share and spread throughout the city’s neighborhoods.

The $180 million bond would be funded through a property tax increase. For example, a homeowner with a property tax bill based on $80,000 (home and vehicle) will pay approximately $28 more in annual property tax. Someone with a current property tax bill based on $140,000 would pay an additional $50 each year. A property tax bill based on $275,000 would have a $97 annual increase. The City last passed a general obligation bond in 1999.

Proponents say that it is time to reinvest in St. Louis. These improvements are long overdue and much needed to continue delivery of critical services, maintain the City’s financial health, and save millions of dollars in annual maintenance. They also say that repairs are particularly needed around the old Pruitt-Igo housing complex in north St. Louis since the City wants to have that site approved by the federal government for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s Western headquarters.

Opponents say added ward money, home repairs and demolition programs, work against the central purpose of the bond issue, which is to repair the city’s roads, streets and bridges and to upgrade equipment for police and firefighter equipment.

I voted absentee in favor — I think the positives outweigh the negatives.

— Steve Patterson

Both Styles of New Parking Payment on Same Block

New parking meters are pretty much installed throughout greater downtown St. Louis.  These include multi-space pay stations and updated single-space meters. I’ve yet to determine how it was decided which type would go on which blocks. In the 7 blocks I travel to reach the store both types are used.

Last week, looking at the Chestnut bike lane, I noticed in the 1000 block of Locust each side of the street is different from the other.

I might map out block by block to see if a logical pattern emerges…or I’ll enquire. It just seems like downtown visitors might be confused by two different physical ways to pay for on-street parking.  I still prefer the app.

— Steve Patterson

Becoming An Independent Uber Driver

I have no doubt that Uber will soon be operating in St. Louis, as the Post-Dispatch explains, they’ve never lost against local regulations designed to protect the established taxi industry. But, we must consider the ramifications:

Uber operates mainly in big cities like San Francisco and New York, chock full of liberals. Liberals have been caught up in the cult-like enthusiasm for Uber, demanding it in communities where it wasn’t offered and viewing its absence as evidence that their cities didn’t measure up on the tech-savvy cool-meter.

Getting Uber may offer immediate gratification. But communities must understand what it portends, which is more trouble for the middle class. An Uber driver may average about $16 an hour in pay, after deducting the cost of insurance and gas and mileage on their cars. But he probably doesn’t work full time for Uber nor receive benefits. He’s probably going to need another job or two to make ends meet. This doesn’t sound much like progress.

There’s another word that is sometimes used to describe the new, Uberized labor market — the serf economy. (Editorial: Uber is changing more than just transportation)

Manu of you may be ready to sign up as Uber drivers. Just like taxicab drivers, Uber considers its drivers to be “independent contractors”, not employees. What does this mean to you?

People such as doctors, dentists, veterinarians, lawyers, accountants, contractors, subcontractors, public stenographers, or auctioneers who are in an independent trade, business, or profession in which they offer their services to the general public are generally independent contractors. However, whether these people are independent contractors or employees depends on the facts in each case. The general rule is that an individual is an independent contractor if the payer has the right to control or direct only the result of the work and not what will be done and how it will be done. The earnings of a person who is working as an independent contractor are subject to Self-Employment Tax.

If you are an independent contractor, you are self-employed. To find out what your tax obligations are, visit the Self-Employed Tax Center. (IRS: Independent Contractor Defined)

The first thing you should wonder about is the “self-employement tax” mentioned above:

Self-employment tax is a tax consisting of Social Security and Medicare taxes primarily for individuals who work for themselves. It is similar to the Social Security and Medicare taxes withheld from the pay of most wage earners.

You figure self-employment tax (SE tax) yourself using Schedule SE (Form 1040). Social Security and Medicare taxes of most wage earners are figured by their employers. Also you can deduct the employer-equivalent portion of your SE tax in figuring your adjusted gross income. Wage earners cannot deduct Social Security and Medicare taxes. (IRS: Self-Employment Tax (Social Security and Medicare Taxes))

Depending upon your situation, this many not be applicable to you. I’m not an accountant, but I’ve been an employee, an employee & independent contractor concurrently, and just an independent contractor. From my own personal experience I can tell you it’s important to know the differences.

Why you ask? If you get paid say $1,000 from Uber, some of that money may need to be set aside to cover taxes you’ll owe on the income. This tax money might even need to be paid monthly or quarterly. Don’t forget about state and local taxes too.

Additional considerations:

• You’ll also need a system for keeping track of vehicle expenses (fuel, miles driven, maintenance).
• You may need different auto insurance.
• If your car is financed, would driving for Uber violate any terms of the finance agreement? Uber’s financing is described as a “risky-bet.”

When you get a job your employer takes care of much of the above concerns. If you decide to drive for Uber, or similar, then you’re starting a new business. Accept that — or do like others have and sue:

As you may have heard, the on-demand car-service juggernaut lost a case early this month before the California Labor Commissioner on whether a driver was an independent contractor or an employee, and thus eligible for expense reimbursement. Uber is appealing that ruling in court, but it already faces a class-action lawsuit over the same issue in federal court in California and similar fights in Floridaand Massachusetts.

These legal battles have actually become pretty common lately for car services and taxi companies, not just Uber. Sometimes the issue is that drivers who clearly are employees (they don’t own the cars, they only drive for one service) are treated as independent contractors by skinflint car-service owners. More often than not, though, it is cases like Uber’s, where drivers own their cars, can drive for other services and can set their own timetables — all attributes of an independent contractor — but are dependent on the service in ways that make them seem not quite independent. (Bloomberg View: Uber and the Not-Quite-Independent Contractor)

The taxicab companies, for their part, are looking like dinosaurs. Our taxicab experiences in Chicago have been much more positive than here.

Time marches on, this industry will look totally different in 5 years time.

— Steve Patterson

Chestnut Street Bike Lane From 20th to 4th

Those of you who follow this blog on Twitter & Facebook know I post a few pics of the new protected bike lane last week. I’d read about it in an article on the 18th or 19th:

The city also announced the addition of its first parking-protected bike lane downtown on Chestnut Street between Fourth and 20th streets. It uses parked cars and flexible posts to separate the cycling lane from the driving lane. A striped buffer painted on the street also creates space between open car doors and the bike lane. (Post-Dispatch)

It was a few days before I could get over to Chestnut to see in person, passing by at 15th headed to transit.

With the bike lane running for 16 blocks, 20th t0 4th, I knew I couldn’t just cross at a single point and expect to understand it. If I wasn’t disabled, biking the mile distance would be the best way to experience it. Friday morning I started at 20th and made my way East to 4th, mostly on the adjacent sidewalk or at crosswalks. Let’s start at 20th:

So 20th to 15th is parking-protected, 15th to Tucker (12th) isn’t:

• Protected: 5 blocks
• Exposed: 3 blocks

As we continue East across Tucker things get more complicated. Also back to a single lane for vehicular traffic.

So Tucker to 4th the break down is:

• Protected: 3.5 blocks
• Exposed: 4.5 blocks

Which gives us totals of:

• Protected: 8.5 blocks
• Exposed: 7.5 blocks

Of the 16 blocks from 20th to 4th, just over half (53.125%) are protected.

The new white stripes look great against the dark black asphalt, but how will this look in a few years when both fade? I’d like to see the bike half block next to the Civil Courts be protected. When Kiener Plaza gets rebuilt hopefully those two blocks can become protected.

— Steve Patterson

Sunday Poll: What Should Qualify As A Disability?

Twenty-five years ago today President George H.W. Bush singed the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. A national poll released Friday showed support for the ADA but disagreement over what should qualify as a disability. For the poll today I want to see how reader’s views compare to the national results.

Select all that apply. There are additional qualifiers not listed — this list matches those from the poll — enabling a comparison. Please vote above and come back Wednesday to see how the results compare to the national poll.

— Steve Patterson