Astronomically speaking, the equinox (March 19/20) marks spring’s beginning begins in the Northern Hemisphere (whereas it announces fall’s arrival in the Southern Hemisphere). At this moment, the Sun crosses the celestial equator on its way north along the ecliptic. The equinox happens at the same moment worldwide, even if our clock times reflect a different time zone. Did you know this is the earliest spring of our lives thus far? Do you remember when spring started on March 21? It’s due to leap year madness. Read more about, “The Earliest Spring of our Lives.”
Meteorologically speaking, however, in the Northern Hemisphere the official spring season always begins on March 1 and continues through May 31. Summer begins on June 1; autumn, September 1; and winter, December 1.
Weather scientists divide the year into quarters this way to make it easier to compare seasonal and monthly statistics from one year to the next. The meteorological seasons are based on annual temperature cycles rather than on the position of Earth in relation to the Sun, and they more closely follow the Gregorian calendar. Using the dates of the astronomical equinoxes and solstices for the seasons would present a statistical problem because these dates can vary slightly each year. (Old Farmer’s Almanac)
Today’s poll question isn’t about Spring, it is about the Winter that just concluded:
March 18, 2016Featured, Politics/PolicyComments Off on Local Propositions on April Ballott, Filing Period Still Open for August Primary
The St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners is on the first floor at 300 N. Tucker (@ Olive)
We just finished a primary, but election season continues — switching now to local & state issues/races.
Filing is still open for offices like city Circuit Attorney, Sheriff, Treasurer, and party committeeman & committeewoman. The last day to file is Tuesday March 29th, it opened in late February. Here is a summary of the filings, as of March 14th (list obtained March 16th):
Circuit Attorney: four (4) seeking the Democratic nomination, Jennifer Joyce is not seeking another term.
Sheriff: five (5) seeking the Democratic nomination, One (1) seeking the Republican nomination. Jim Murphy is not seeking another term.
Treasurer: One (1) candidate filed for the nomination in each of the following parties: Democrat, Republican, Green. Tishaura Jones is seeking a 2nd term.
Committeeman/Committeewoman, which are filled for each party in each ward in August, is a great way to get involved in the political process. As of March 14th filing report, the following are the only ones with 2 or more Democratic candidates:
Committeeman, Ward 1
Committeewoman, Ward 1
Committeeman, Ward 3
Committeewoman, Ward 3
Committeeman, Ward 6
Committeeman, Ward 7
Committeeman, Ward 8
Committeewoman, Ward 8
Committeeman, Ward 9
Committeeman, Ward 10
Committeewoman, Ward 10
Committeeman, Ward 11
Committeewoman, Ward 14
Committeeman, Ward 19
Committeeman, Ward 20
Committeewoman, Ward 20
Committeeman, Ward 23
Committeeman, Ward 26
Committeeman, Ward 27
The other Committeeman/Committeewoman seats in the Democratic party either had zero or one candidate as of March 14th.
Republicans have one candidate for Committeeman in each of the following Wards: 7th, 8th, 16th, & 23rd. Greens have one candidate for Committeeman in each of the following Wards: 8th, 20th, 24th, 26th, 28th; Committeewoman in: 20th. Again, the above is all based on the March 14th filing report.
St. Louis has 28 wards. Following the 2020 Census, the number of wards will be cut in half.
Shall the earnings tax of 1%, imposed by the City of St. Louis, be continued for a period of five (5) years commencing January 1 immediately following the date of this election?
PROPOSITION F
Shall the following be adopted:
Proposition to issue bonds of the City of St. Louis, Missouri, in an amount not to exceed Twenty-Five Million Dollars ($25,000,000) for the purpose of purchasing, replacing, improving, and maintaining the buildings, bridges, and equipment of the City of St. Louis, including (1) acquiring fire trucks, ambulances, personal protective equipment, and other fire-fighting apparatus for the St. Louis Fire Department; (2) acquiring refuse trucks for the Refuse Department; (3) updating computer hardware and software for City departments; (4) providing match share funds to repair, renovate, and replace bridges; (5) renovating recreation centers, buildings, and facilities owned by the City of St. Louis; and (6) for expenses associated with the issuance of the bonds. If this proposition is approved, the property tax levy is estimated to remain unchanged.
PROPOSITION 1
Shall the Special Administrative Board of the Transitional School District of the City of St. Louis be authorized to increase the operating tax levy of the District by $0.75 per $100 of assessed valuation to continue offering early childhood education, to expand character and alternative education options, to improve safety and security equipment and personnel, and to offer competitive salaries to teachers and staff? If this proposition is approved, the adjusted operating tax levy of the District is estimated to be $4.50 per $100 of assessed valuation.
PROPOSITION Y
To comply with federal and state clean water requirements, shall The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) issue its sewer revenue bonds in the amount of Nine Hundred Million Dollars ($900,000,000) for the purpose of designing, constructing, improving, renovating, repairing, replacing and equiping new and existing MSD sewer and drainage facilities and systems, including sewage treatment and disposal plants, sanitary sewers, and acquisition of easements and real property related thereto, the cost of operation and maintenance of said facilities and systems and the principal of and interest on said revenue bonds to be payable solely from the revenues derived by MSD from the operation of its wastewater sewer system, including all future extensions and improvements thereto?
PROPOSITION S
Shall the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) impose a Stormwater Operations and Maintenance property tax upon all real and tangible personal property within the district at a rate of not more than Ten Cents ($0.10) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) assessed valuation for the purpose of providing revenue for the operations of the district’s stormwater utility, including stormwater system operation and maintenance, rehabilitation and limited construction of infrastructure and other capital improvements, and an operating reserve?
If this proposition is approved, MSD will repeal (a) the existing stormwater operations and maintenance property tax of approximately Seven Cents ($0.07) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) assessed valuation that is imposed on property within the original boundaries of MSD, as defined in the MSD Charter, and within the annexed areas described in MSD Ordinance No. 3753, and (b) the existing monthly 24-Cent or 18-Cent stormwater service charge that is imposed on each MSD customer account. As a result, a uniform districtwide stormwater revenue system for operations, maintenance, and limited capital improvements will be in place.
Absentee voting on the above issues began on the 14th! The first is easy — we must continue the earnings tax for at least another five years. I need to give more thought to the other four.
In addition to April & August, some are already preparing to run for Alderman next March — odd-numbered wards are up for reelection.
Lately the issue of safety in parking garages has been in the local news:
There are surveillance cameras at the parking garage on N. 7th street near Washington Ave., however the company that owns and operates the garage, SP Plus, told the victim in a voicemail, “The cameras are not operational”
Now, two years later, it’s the same story. According to an email sent to News 4 by the victim of the sexual assault that happened two weeks ago, SP Plus told her “There are no cameras at 701 N. 7th Street. We apologize for the inconvenience.” (KMOV)
I’m no fan of parking garages — except when I want to take pictures from them. They can often provide some of the best vantage points. Well. assuming I can access them.
Structural repairs being made to one of the Kiener garages in 2010
From a photography perspective I like that I can easily access many downtown parking garages without being stopped, but that’s not good for the personal safety of those who park in them. Newer garages seem to do a better job of keeping out people who aren’t retrieving their vehicle. Still, with any public garage a person can get access if they drive in.
In August 2004 Missouri voters approved a state constitutional amendment that barred legal recognition of same-sex marriages, it passed with 71% support. This was ruled unconstitutional in June 2015 when the US Supreme Court ruled states cannot ban same-sex marriages. Eleven years.
Some view LGBT rights as an affront to their religion:
In 1993, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act was passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. Originally, the federal law was intended to apply to federal, state, and local governments. In 1997, the U.S. Supreme Court in City of Boerne v. Flores held that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act only applies to the federal government, but not states and other local municipalities within them. As a result, 21 states passed state RFRAs before 2014.
In 2014, the United States Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. recognizing a for-profit corporation’s claim of religious belief. Nineteen members of Congress who signed the original RFRA stated in a submission to the Supreme Court that they “could not have anticipated, and did not intend, such a broad and unprecedented expansion of RFRA”. The members further stated that RFRA “extended free-exercise rights only to individuals and to religious, non-profit organizations. No Supreme Court precedent had extended free-exercise rights to secular, for-profit corporations.” Following this decision, many states have proposed expanding state RFRA laws to include for-profit corporations, including in Arizona where SB 1062 was passed but was vetoed by Governor Jan Brewer in 2014. (Wikipedia: Religious Freedom Restoration Act)
After the law passed on March 26, 2015, reaction was swift, strong and negative, with cancellations of planned events and business expansions, travel bans and denunciations from across the spectrum: companies including Salesforce, Apple, Eli Lilly and Angie’s List; sports leagues including the NCAA, NBA and WNBA; states and municipalities coast to coast; rock concerts; comedy shows and church groups. (Forbes: Indiana’s Religious Freedom Act Cost Indianapolis $60 Million In Lost Revenue)
And now the Missouri legislature wants to join the cause, which will cost its two biggest and liberal cities. Kansas City & St. Louis.
Should either SB 916 or SJR 39 become law, Missouri could experience the same kind of backlash as Indiana. Expect cancellations of conventions in St. Louis and Kansas City. Businesses worried about protecting their reputations would put expansion plans on hold in Missouri. Lawsuits would ring down like thunder. (Post-Dispatch Editorial: The no-catering-gay-weddings issue comes to Missouri)
Thankfully the readers here are strongly opposed to such measures, from the Sunday Poll:
Q: Missouri is one step closer to having a “religious freedom” constitutional amendment on a ballot. Support or oppose such an amendment?
Strongly support 5 [10.2%] Note: one reader says he voted for this by mistake, wanted “Strongly oppose” instead.
Support 1 [2.04%]
Somewhat support 0 [0%]
Neither support or oppose 2 [4.08%]
Somewhat oppose 0 [0%]
Oppose 4 [8.16%]
Strongly oppose 37 [75.51%]
Unsure/No Answer 0 [0%]
If it clears the last vote in the legislature Gov Nixon can’t veto it — he can only decide if placed on the August or November ballot.
Today is presidential primary day in Missouri, Illinois, Florida, Ohio, and North Carolina. As you vote today you’ll see names of people who’ve dropped out of the race, plus names you’ve never heard of before — plus “uncommitted.”
In the two main parties: Missouri has the least delegates to win today — Florida has the most.
Sen. Bernie Sanders at Affton High School on Sunday. Actor Danny Devito at far right. Secret service, center
In the February 5, 2008 primary St. Louis had 181,317 registered voters, with 77,911 ballots cast (42.97%). Much higher than turnout for local elections but still pretty low.
AARP Livibility Index
The Livability Index scores neighborhoods and communities across the U.S. for the services and amenities that impact your life the most
Built St. Louis
historic architecture of St. Louis, Missouri – mourning the losses, celebrating the survivors.
Geo St. Louis
a guide to geospatial data about the City of St. Louis
Today is presidential primary day in Missouri, Illinois, Florida, Ohio, and North Carolina. As you vote today you’ll see names of people who’ve dropped out of the race, plus names you’ve never heard of before — plus “uncommitted.”