Sunday Poll: Favorite Type of Venue For a Major Pop/Rock Concert?

Fifty years ago today the Beatles played at the then-new Busch Stadium II (1966-2006):

The Beatles made their only appearance in St. Louis on Aug. 21, 1966. They performed 11 songs, including some of their biggest hits: “Yesterday,” “I Feel Fine” and “She’s a Woman.”

One song they didn’t play was “Rain.” Nature took care of that. A substantial thunderstorm competed at times with the sounds being piped from 200 speakers at Busch, which was only a few months old. (Post-Dispatch)

I wasn’t there — I was still in my mom’s womb in Oklahoma. I also wasn’t at the Paul McCartney concert on the 13th at the decade-old Busch Stadium III.

Thinking about these two concerts got me wondering about venues, which is the subject of today’s non-scientific poll:

The answers above are shown in random order, the poll closes at 8pm.

— Steve Patterson

Sunday Poll: Aquarium A Good Fit For Union Station?

Last week LHM, owners of Union Station, announced plans to add an aquarium as par of the remake of the property. The 1985 mall under the train shed failed, but the hotel portion has continued to do well.

Developers are planning to build a $45 million aquarium is [sic] Union Station near downtown St. Louis and they say it will feature one of the largest collections of sharks in the Midwest.

The 75,000-square-foot St. Louis Aquarium will display thousands of aquatic species, such as stingrays and fish in 1 million gallons of water in the complex’s former mall area. A planned v-shaped rope bridge will suspend visitors above the shark tank. It will also include a gift shop, 8,500- square-feet of private event space with the shark tank as a backdrop, and possibly a themed restaurant in the old Houlihan’s space. (An aquarium for St. Louis is part of the redesign for Union Station’s former mall)

Thinking many of you have opinions, it’s the poll topic this week.

The poll will close at 8pm.

— Steve Patterson

Sunday Poll: Should The Polling Threshold For Presidential Debates Be Changed?

The two major parties have now nominated their candidates for the general election. Another election between a giant douche and a turd sandwich. But some think the rules governing the presidential debates should be revised so candidates beyond the Republican & Democratic nominees could participate:

In a forum at the University of Minnesota Monday, Stanford professor Larry Diamond and Republican heavyweight Vin Weber made a strong, interesting case for changes to the rules for presidential debates that would make it easier, and perhaps automatic, to expand the cast to at least three candidates in the fall debates.

The current Republican-Democratic duopoly is “embarrassingly undemocratic,” Diamond said, and the fact that the commission that runs the debates is dominated by representatives of the two parties, who have no real interest in expanding the choices presented to the public, “doesn’t pass the smell test” and is “not defensible.”

More voters now identify themselves as independents than as Democrats or Republicans, Weber said. If the two current frontrunners, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, are the major-party nominees, the debate between them would feature two candidates who have higher unfavorable than favorable ratings, he noted. If the only two candidates on the debate stage are Clinton and Trump, a lot of Americans will be wondering why they can’t have other choices, he said. (Minnesota Post: Why we need more than two candidates at presidential debates)

As of 2000, the rules require a 15% polling threshold to participate.

This poll will close at 8pm,

— Steve Patterson

Sunday Poll: Impression of St. Louis’ New Riverfront?

On June 2nd Lenore K. Sullivan Blvd was reopened to pedestrians since it was rebuilt and raised up. A few days later it was opened to vehicles.

Today’s poll:

The poll will close at 8pm.

— Steve Patterson

Sunday Poll: Should St. Louis Require A License To Give Food To The Homeless?

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen are on their Summer break, when they return they’ll take up Board Bill 66:

The measure would require a vendor’s license to distribute food, blankets or other goods on city sidewalks or parks — even if those items are being given away. It would also make it illegal to give anything away between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. (St. Louis Public Radio)

The following is today’s poll question:

The poll will close at 8pm.

— Steve Patterson