Monday night I will be joining Randall Roberts of the Riverfront Times and hosts Thomas Crone and Amanda Doyle on The Wire. The show runs from 7:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on KDHX, FM 88.1.
While Randall is the main guest, I expect to join him in discussion of a certain large-scale development project on the near north side.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
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8 comments:
give'em hell harry
Just listened to the show...nice job to both you and Randall.
Too bad they didn't give you more time, or go into questions about the reaction on the part of our local elected officials.
More like complete denial of the obvious signs. Our elected officials are rubber stamps for the developers with no business or public sector advocates for true City interests. The elected officials in this town would rather cast a blind eye rather than taking an "obstructionist" position. I wonder who they serve? The writing is on the wall.
good show
For the record, I repeatedly requested comment from the Mayor's office while working on my article, and was referred by press secretary Ed Rhode to contact Barb Geisman. I left three or four messages with her secretary. She never took my calls, didn't call back, never even said 'No comment.' Stonewalled me at every turn.
Randall,
That's great, but the Mayor's office isn't the leader for development in individual wards.
You have to start with the alderman for the ward.
If the alderman stonewalls you, then call the President of the Board of Aldermen.
If the President stonewalls, then go to the Mayor's office.
If you don't work up the chain of command, you can expect to receive short shrift from those in higher authority.
He DID contact April Ford-Griffin for the story, as well, anon--she's quoted in the story for all to read.
But considering that the plans for this thing seem to involve bulldozing much or all of the 5th ward--about one tenth of the City's land mass--I should think that both Slay and Geisman are well overdue for comment and action on this thing! We're talking about 500 parcels that they already own throughout several neighborhoods, not just one little tiny vacant lot in an isolated area. Is the 5th ward not a part of the City of St. Louis?
Yes, by all means the 5th ward is a part of the city of St. Louis, just as the 3rd ward is a part as is the 12th ward a part. In all cases, development starts with the alderman.
Aldermen are the ones introducing bills for redevelopment ordinances at the Board of Aldermen, not the Mayor.
If an alderman opposes a project, it will never get introduced at the Board of Aldermen. Based on the tradition of aldermanic courtesy, other aldermen won't touch a development plan in another alderman's ward.
ALdermanic approval is necessary for any city assistance to a project. This applies toward the purchase of LRA property, the awarding of tax abatement, the installation of capital improvements, or any funding assistance from the city whatsoever-you name it, it all starts with the alderman. They are the masters of their domain.
Think of this procedure relative to the effort to block the Century demolition. Preservation advoates spent most of their time targetig their protests at the Mayor's office, while the redevelopment plans were sailing through the Board of Aldermen.
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