Sunday Poll: Will NLEC’s Closing Be Positive Or Negative In The Long-Term?

Late last week Larry Rice said his downtown emergency emergency shelter, the New Life Evangelistic Center will close today:

Rev. Larry Rice said he will comply with a judge’s order and close his downtown shelter.

The New Life Evangelistic Center (NLEC) will be ceasing operations on 5:00 p.m. Sunday. A judge refused Rice’s request to keep the shelter on open Thursday. (Post-Dispatch)

Rice said he hopes the closure is temporary.  Today’s poll assumes the closure is permanent:

NLEC will close at 5pm, this poll closes at 8pm.

— Steve Patterson

Sunday Poll: Should Municipal Bans On Pit Bulls Remain?

Two weeks ago one local municipality voted to repeal a prior ban on pit bulls:

The Florissant City Council voted Monday night to end the city’s ban on pit bulls and pit bull mixes.

The new ordinance that passed states it “allows pit bull dogs in the city with mandatory spaying and neutering”.

The city council chambers were packed as lots of residents attended to voice their opinion. Extra chairs were brought in, and some residents sat on the floor. (KMOV)

All sides in the debate over pit bulls are passionate — a perfect topic for a Sunday Poll:

This poll will close at 8pm tonight.

— Steve Patterson

Sunday Poll: Will The Loop Trolley Be A Successes or Failure?

Testing of car 001 will begin soon on the Loop Trolley project — a 2.2 mile vintage streetcar line. Initially the car will be pulled by a truck to test tolerances , followed by powering up the overhead wires so it can run on its own.

Few projects have been so controversial:

Supporters say the trolley will bring in visitors and be a boon for businesses. They also say the trolley is being built for significantly less than streetcar lines in other cities, even though it surpassed its initial $43 million estimate, in part because of street paving and landscaping costs.

“The fixed-track nature does attract investment,” Edwards said, citing as an example a new 14-story, $66 million apartment building in the Loop at 6105 Delmar Boulevard, where the trolley will run.

Critics say that the trolley duplicates current mass transit — a MetroLink line runs between the Forest Park and Delmar stations — and that the project’s cost is too high. Businesses were hurt by construction, spurring a forgivable loans program.

Trolley opponents filed in 2015 a lawsuit in St. Louis County Circuit Court seeking to block the trolley. The suit contends the trolley will go beyond its authorized boundaries. No ruling has been issued. (Post-Dispatch)

Since the project is nearing the ribbon cutting I thought it would be good to see where readers side:

The poll will close at 8pm, I’ll share my thoughts on Wednesday. This poll will be monitored for the 12-hour duration — if it appears a campaign is underway to sway the results either way it’ll be shut down early.

— Steve Patterson

Sunday Poll: Will City & County Both Lose Population In Upcoming 2020 Census?

Every Census since 1940, except 1950, the City of St. Louis has lost population. In that same period, St. Louis County has gained population — except the most recent Census in 2010.  Today’s poll is pretty straightforward, will both lose population in the 2020 Census to be held just 3 years from now? Or do you think one (perhaps both) will show an increase?

Missouri Route 364 (aka Page Ave Extension) opened on December 13, 2003 — which helps explain the county’s first population loss other than the 1880 loss following the city leaving the county in 1876.

As always, the poll is open until 8pm.

— Steve Patterson

Sunday Poll: Will The Increase In St. Louis’ Minimum Wage Be a Long-Term Positive or Negative?

Last week the Missouri Supreme Court upheld a 2015 St. Louis ordinance increasing the local minimum wage — it had been challenged by business groups:

St. Louis will be able to raise its minimum wage to $11 by 2018, after the Missouri Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the city acted within its charter authority when it approved the hike.

The decision reverses a circuit court judge who struck down the increase in 2015, just hours before it was set to take effect.

The city was sued by business groups who said the ordinance conflicted with state law that caps the minimum wage at $7.65. (Post-Dispatch)

This is the subject of today’s poll:

The poll will close at 8pm.

— Steve Patterson