Poll: Which Candidate Do You Want To Be Elected The Next U.S. Senator From Missouri?

It’s been a crazy week with national media focusing on comments made by Republican Todd Akin during a local television interview:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdisTOKom5I

Prior to Akin’s comments he held a comfortable lead over incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill. Just weeks earlier Akin won the GOP primary, defeating Sarah Steelman and John Brunner. Despite calls for him to withdraw. Akin decided to remain in the race and his campaign released a new ad asking for forgiveness:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R57E3S8RO7A

The poll question this week is which of these two candidates do you want to see elected on November 6th. The poll is in the right sidebar.

 — Steve Patterson

Citygarden On A Warm Summer’s Night

Citygarden is a busy place during the day, but if you haven’t experienced it at night you’re really missing out.

I love strolling through Citygarden because no matter how I feel when I arrive I know I’ll leave with a smile on my face. On those days when it’s just been too hot to go out when the sun is up I get grumpy being indoors so a late night visit is still warm, but needed relief to being stuck in air conditioning.

— Steve Patterson

Five Guys Adds ADA Accessible Route To Reach Former Blockbuster

Back in March I photographed the lack of an ADA accessible route from the public sidewalk to the Lindell Marketplace building that once contained a Blockbuster video rental store. For years pedestrians have had to walk in the auto driveway, risking getting hit.

I was pleasantly surprised months later when Five Guys Burgers and Fries opened in the west end of the former Blockbuster — they’d added an ADA accessible route before opening!

They had to modify the fence, pour concrete in two places and stripe the route. It was the right thing to do, it’s just refreshing to see it done without having to ask.

And yes, I stopped and had lunch there recently.

— Steve Patterson

Convention Center MetroLink Station Maintenance Neglected

Many visitors coming to St. Louis for a convention use our MetroLink light rail to get downtown from the airport. The eastbound station they’ll use to reach their hotel and America’s Center looks decent, but when they leave to return to the airport they’ll see neglected maintenance.

Overall the station looks okay but one column is highly visible and clearly in need of attention. This column has been in this sad condition for at least a few years now.  I know many other stations also need attention, largely from exposure to the elements. Would it really cost that much to patch the plaster and repaint? Maybe a flash mob could so up one day and take care of the plaster when the guard is on the platform?

Big deal you say, we’ve got bigger problems. True, we do. Perception as a failed city is one. With a little effort paid to details around our city we, and our visitors, can begin to feel better about our future.

— Steve Patterson

Readers: Move Parking Out of Treasurer’s Office

During the democratic primary Tishaura Jones noted that no other city places the responsibility for parking management under the office of treasurer. I didn’t check other cities to verify this claim but it seems valid.

In the poll last week it became very clear readers agree with Jones about removing parking from the treasurer’s office:

Q: Parking Management, Planning, & Revenues for St. Louis Should:

1. Made part of a city department subject to oversight by the mayor and board
   of Aldermen 58 [90.63%]
2. Be kept within the “county” office of treasurer 6 [9.38%]
3. Unsure/No Opinion 0 [0%]
4. Other: 0 [0%]

Moving responsibility for parking will require changing Missouri law, as Jones indicated during the primary.

Missouri statues Chapter 54 establishes the office of treasurer for each county and details the office responsibilities. The office is about handling the county’s money (St. Louis is a city-county), not parking meters and garages. Except for the City of St. Louis.

St. Louis is a “constitutional charter city” which has its own chapter, Chapter 82. There are numerous  statutes relating to the office of treasurer such as:

82.485. 1. The treasurer of any city not within a county is hereby made and constituted supervisor of parking meters. (full statute)

and

82.516. For such services as supervisor of parking meters, the city treasurer may receive the sum of sixteen thousand dollars per year from the parking fund, as approved by the parking commission. (statute)

Nice salary bonus for handling parking!

Tishaura Jones will face two challengers in the November 6, 2012 general election, a Green and Republican. Jones is expected to win. The winner will be sworn into office in January 2013.

— Steve Patterson