Sunday Poll: Half a Century After the Fair Housing Act, Has Housing Discrimination Been Eliminated?

Half a century ago the Civil Rights Act of 1968 was signed into law by President Johnson. Included in the landmark legislation was a section known as the Fair Housing Act:

The Fair Housing Act (Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968) introduced meaningful federal enforcement mechanisms. It outlaws:

• Refusal to sell or rent a dwelling to any person because of race, color, disability, religion, sex, familial status, or national origin.
• Discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin in the terms, conditions or privileges of sale or rental of a dwelling.
• Advertising the sale or rental of a dwelling indicating preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, disability or national origin.
• Coercing, threatening, intimidating, or interfering with a person’s enjoyment or exercise of housing rights based on discriminatory reasons or retaliating against a person or organization that aids or encourages the exercise or enjoyment of fair housing rights.

When the Fair Housing Act was first enacted, it prohibited discrimination only on the basis of race, color, religion, and national origin. Sex was added as a protected characteristic in 1974. In 1988, disability and familial status (the presence or anticipated presence of children under 18 in a household) were added (further codified in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990). In certain circumstances, the law allows limited exceptions for discrimination based on sex, religion, or familial status. (Wikipedia)

Today’s poll is about housing discrimination.

As always. this poll will close automatically at 8pm tonight. My thoughts and the non-scientific results on Wednesday.

— Steve Patterson

Sunday Poll: Was the Greitens Affair Consensual?

Last week a special House committee released a report on its investigation into the affair Eric Greitens had before he became Missouri’s governor:

He blindfolded and bound a woman to exercise equipment, spanked her, and tried to kiss her without her consent.

Those are among the scandalous allegations against Gov. Eric Greitens of Missouri that were released in a legislative report on Wednesday that has put the first-term Republican governor’s political future in deep trouble.

The report, the result of a House committee’s weekslong investigation into an extramarital affair that the governor admitted he had before he took office, has led to intense, bipartisan calls for him to step down. Mr. Greitens, however, insisted that he would not resign. (New York Times)

Here’s a quote relating to one aspect — consent:

While Greitens has described the extramarital relations as “consensual,” the woman, referred to only as Witness 1 in the report, said it included unwanted and potentially coerced sexual acts that she felt afraid to say no to and physical violence, in addition to the threat of photographic blackmail. (Washington Post)

Today’s poll is about this issue of consent. We’ve got two diametrically opposite stories on the subject — she claims it wasn’t consensual, Greitens says it was. .

This non-scientific poll will close at 8pm tonight. My thoughts on the subject on Wednesday.

— Steve Patterson

Sunday Poll: Should St. Louis End Development Incentives?

Today’s poll is about the controversial topic of incentives to spur development. In December 2017 a report from Comptroller Darlene Green said, for the 2017 fiscal year that ended in June, tax abatements resulted in forgoing about $17 million dollars in revenue — St. Louis only receives about 19% of property taxes.

St. Louis municipal operations, therefore, did not receive about $3.3 million in property taxes that property owners would have paid last fiscal year absent the incentives. The school district missed out on about $10.3 million. The remainder would have gone to other tax-supported entities, such as the Zoo-Museum District, the St. Louis Public Library and the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District.

For the city, the forgone revenue is a drop in the bucket of its $1 billion budget. And economic development officials argue that tax abatement can help revitalize distressed properties, potentially attracting new residents who also pay city sales taxes and earnings taxes to make up for the property tax break. (Post-Dispatch)

So here’s today’s poll question:

This poll will close automatically at 8pm tonight. Wednesday I’ll share my thoughts and the non-scienitific results.

— Steve Patterson

Sunday Poll: Any Issues With ‘In God We Trust’ on Wentzville’s Board of Alderman Dais?

The opening of new buildings can sometimes be controversial, but using things like proportions, materials, colors, etc.  Wentzville’s new city hall opened last year and 12 letters are sparking protest & debate.

From earlier this month:

Dozens of people packed Wentzville City Hall on Wednesday night to rally behind a display of “In God We Trust” in the City Council chambers.

But their show of support didn’t stop several opponents of the motto’s display from voicing their opposition to the council.

The motto has been on display in large letters on the council dais since the building opened in November. (Post-Dispatch)

The phrase appears on the dais where the aldermen sit during their meetings. This issue is the subject of today’s non-scientific poll.

This poll will close automatically at 8pm tonight.

— Steve Patterson

Sunday Poll: Would Video Gaming Help Missouri’s Budget?

There’s an effort in Jefferson City to bring in more revenue to Missouri, the way Illinois did 5 years ago:

Missouri could reap a $90 million per year jackpot if it allows slot machines in bars, truck stops and fraternal organizations, according to a new analysis of a gambling expansion proposal.

In addition to funneling more money to the state, members of a Senate panel Tuesday heard advocates say video gambling could generate an extra $20 million a year for local governments when as many as 15,000 machines are fully up and running by 2020.

The measure is being pushed by coin-operated vending machine companies, who’ve long wanted a chance to put terminals into local establishments over the objection of the state’s casino industry. (Post-Dispatch)

This is the subject of today’s poll.

This poll will close at 8pm tonight.

— Steve Patterson