Saving St. Louis
By Kevin M. Mitchell
Illustration by John S. Dykes
In these divisive times, in this city with a rich history long on tradition and short on progressiveness, there are two related truths nearly everyone who calls the metro St. Louis area home can agree on:
1. This is a really great place to live.
2. Progress on any level happens very slowly, and sometimes not at all.
Many would go so far as to say we’re mired in a molasses of political roadblocks, infighting, turf protecting, ineffective leadership and downright fear of change. In her book, tellingly titled St. Louis Politics: The Triumph of Tradition, Lana Stein writes: “Many newcomers to St. Louis look askance at the city’s political life, which may seem somewhat archaic to them.” That can be said of the social and economic structure as well.
“Yes, we’re slow on progressing,” Stein says. “I think St. Louisans have a tendency to think that the city is unique and that we can’t learn from other cities, yet at the same time, we put ourselves down.”
There are many reasons this city, over the last 100 years, has lost its position as a leading city in America, with most of them—the city-county divide, the city charter hamstringing local government, the natural evolution of the country’s economy, to name just a few—beyond the control of today’s most visionary citizens.
The city needs work in several areas, but what if you could change just one thing? What if you were, say, anointed king or queen for a day? That’s the question we put to a potpourri of citizens—some the usual suspects (media personalities, politicians, business leaders), some a bit more off the beaten path (musicians, artists, bar owners).
All of the answers are telling and insightful and offer a prism-like view of not only where we’d like to go, but where we think we are now.
Christine Bierman
Owner of Colt Safety, Fire & Rescue; Missouri national founding partner of Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP)
The reign of Queen Christine Bierman would ensure economic access for all. “That means that small, diversity-owned companies, who represent well over 50 percent of all American businesses, would receive their fair share of contracts and business opportunities,” she says.
Bierman, on the front lines of this issue both with her own small business and the WIPP, points to studies showing that small, minority-owned businesses provide “a better product, better value and better service at a better price.” Should larger businesses start opening their doors to smaller enterprises owned by women, minorities and service-disabled American veterans, it would “spur growth, level the playing field and assure access to all,” she says. “In turn, the newfound financial access would increase spending across the many socioeconomic levels in our city.”
Father Jim Cormack
Of St. Catherine Laboure parish, formerly of St. Vincent de Paul
In his years working with St. Louis’ poorest souls, Father Jim Cormack has seen a great deal more than most of us have—or want to. So addressing the equity issue of the region is foremost on his mind.
“The single most painful and destructive aspect of the region is the fact that the city and county are not under one government,” he says. “The city continues to be a place where most of the poor live, yet most of the tax revenue has moved to the county, and the city is less able to deliver to those who need it most. It’s been 125 years’ worth of foolish separation.”
To remedy the situation, he would stop sprawl and encourage a recommitment to directing appropriate money to the city.
“We have far too many separate municipalities—just a plethora of small governments,” says the pastor, who holds a Master of Arts in Urban Affairs. “There are ways of keeping local autonomy yet uniting in a way that makes sense for the area as a whole.”
Dick Fleming
President of St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association
The first order of business for Dictator Dick: merge the city and county government. “If the city and county were one entity, we would rank high relative to other cities on just about every level,” Fleming says. “There’d be a psychological benefit, a fiscal benefit and certainly a benefit on how we are viewed outside the St. Louis area.”
With a merger, St. Louis would be the fourth largest city in the country geographically and sixth or seventh largest in terms of population. It would be 148th in overall crime (we’re in the top 10 now), would not be the leader in population loss and would boast a huge increase in “quality of life” measurements such as the number of hospital beds and parks.
“It’s clearly beneficial to residents of the county to have a national and international perception of St. Louis that it is a city on the way up, a city going through a dynamic revitalization, and the instant buzz of ‘What is happening in St. Louis? Why has it suddenly become a top 10 city?’” he says.
Karen Foss
KSDK news anchor
Believing the Mississippi River is our great natural resource, “our mountain range, our ocean front,” Karen Foss would put her attention on the river, specifically, the area in front of the Arch.
“I would like to see it as a destination for St. Louisans and visitors with something for everyone,” she says. “Marinas, restaurants, hotels, shops and galleries—all developed in such a way that doesn’t lose the view of the majesty and simple grandeur of the river’s natural elements.” Her vision includes bike trails, picnic parks and an aquarium or river museum.
“And a few apartments and condos with river views that would command premium prices and could be found on both sides of the river. Does everyone know that one of the most stunning sunset views of the Arch and skyline can be found on the river bank in East St. Louis?”
Flint Fowler
Executive director of Herbert Hoover Boys & Girls Club; board member of Community Partnership Program for the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Saint Louis Zoo and others
“We say education is important, but I don’t think our policies and actions deem it as a priority,” says Flint Fowler. So he would dedicate his day to celebrating and promoting education throughout the area, “a community-wide celebration of education for young people.”
Getting kids excited about learning and placing a community emphasis on the importance of education, no matter what the community, is key to improving this city, he says. So is making sure that kids in poorer neighborhoods get as good an education as those in wealthier ones.
“We have to take a regional approach to education,” as opposed to a neighborhood-by-neighborhood approach where tax laws and property values determine quality of education.
Nancy Larson
Editor of The Vital Voice, member of Human Rights Campaign
“If I were dictator I would decree full equality for everyone,” Nancy Larson says. “As a lesbian with a partner and three children, and in my work as newspaper editor for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community, I see discrimination against myself and others every day.”
Specifically, Larson would erase the discriminatory Amendment 2 from the state constitution, invalidate all other laws banning same-sex marriage and require “equal rights, pay, treatment and access for everyone regardless of gender, color, faith, sexual orientation, gender identity or ability.”
Lest it sounds too idealistic, she adds a practical aspect: Equality is a proven way to draw educated, creative people and progressive thinkers to an area, a lure that would be extremely valuable to St. Louis.
Al Montesi
Professor emeritus of literature at Saint Louis University, poet and author of books including The St. Louis World’s Fair: The Killing at Tom Thumb Bridge
Al Montesi has written books on several different neighborhoods in St. Louis, and doesn’t hesitate to say what he would do: restore the north side of the city.
“If St. Louis could turn its attention to the north side, it would go a long way in restoring the city’s history,” he says. “It’s the first area established after St. Louis became a town, and it needs to be an area where people want to return.”
The idea is rooted in more than nostalgia—Montesi thinks it would go a long way toward bridging the city’s black-white relationships and “do more for the health of the town at large.”
Like most, he’s opt-imistic his particular vision for St. Louis will come true. He points to the progress made in the area he calls home, Lafayette Square. When he first moved there in 1967, “it was a ghetto, and now it’s a posh place.”
Mark O’Shaughnessy
Owner of BB’s Jazz, Blues and Soups; former board member of St. Louis Blues Society
Mark O’Shaughnessy has owned this downtown haven for musicians since 1976, so it’s no surprise he would give our local musicians their due.
“I would declare a St. Louis Music Appreciation Day,” he says. First on his list would be honoring St. Louis’ elder statesman of blues, Henry Townsend.
“Henry just celebrated his 95th birthday yet just did a gig in Houston,” he says. “He’s still representing us, and we should take pride in that. I would like to see the street he lives on renamed after him. I mean, he’s been making music since the 1920s. If this were France, he’d have a statue.”
Also, longtime St. Louis icon Oliver Sain, who recently passed away, would get a street named in his honor, and his Archway Sound Studios would be turned into a rhythm and blues museum.
But most of all, it would be about getting people out and listening to all the great local music played in all the great local clubs. “I just wish all these people would go hear the different kinds of music we have and give the hometown guys a pat on the back,” he says, citing local greats such as Chuck Berry, Miles Davis, Ike and Tina and Clark Terry. “The city has a phenomenal amount of history.”
Mike Parkinson
Music department chair at Webster University, professional trumpet player
If a dictator could dictate kindness, that’s what Mike Parkinson would do. And as someone who spends a lot of time in his car, he’d start with St. Louis drivers.
“Almost every other day I see serious examples of selfish driving, a real ‘get out of the way’ attitude,” he says. “I think this reflects on the unfortunate split mood in our country, and I’m of the opinion that it resonates down from our public officials.”
He would have elected officials spend less time focusing on their divisive political agendas and more time promoting good citizenship. “I find it very disturbing that our TV stations thrive on sensationalism, and public service is something that seems to be forgotten about.” Specifically, he feels leaders such as Mayor Francis Slay and County Executive Charlie Dooley could have a very positive effect on the community if they would take time to talk about what’s good for our society. “There are so many problems, and the biggest step we could take would be to just try to be nicer to each other,” Parkinson says.
Frank O. Pinion
KTRS afternoon show host
Given free rein to reign, Frank O. Pinion would require every St. Louis resident to “spend an entire day with the kind of person he or she would be least likely to spend the day with. If you’re a wealthy corporate executive, spend a day with a poor person; if you’re white, spend a day with a black person; if you’re healthy, spend the day with a sick person.”
We don’t reach out to people different from ourselves, he says. “Christmastime comes and, sure, we drop coins in a bucket. But to put yourself in a situation where you think you’ll be miserable … and discover that you wouldn’t be,” would make a real difference in how we relate to each other.
Pinion has already put his idea into action. When he learned his son was making fun of a “weird” kid at school, he took him to the kid’s house to apologize, then made him spend the afternoon playing with him. The kids found they had things in common, had fun and “he never picked on him again.”
Cindy Prost
President and executive director of Saint Louis Art Fair and St. Louis Jazz Festival
“If I were queen for a day, I would decree that St. Louis create an outdoor, public festival venue that would be large enough to host a major cultural festival each month,” Cindy Prost says. “The venue would be complete with a performance stage, sound and lights, sanitary facilities and room for additional tents and exhibit space.” Queen Prost has even picked a location: the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.
Her inspiration comes from the magnificent Jay Pritzker Pavilion, designed by Frank Gehry, in Chicago’s new Millennium Park, “where you can experience everything from interactive public art and ice skating to alfresco dining and free music concerts.”
It’s not just her love of art and music that inspires her to create a festival venue—she believes it’s a quality-of-life issue. “Festivals enrich neighborhoods and provide new experiences for everyone who attends. Cultural festivals also boost tourism and contribute economically to surrounding businesses.”
Smash (Asher Benrubi)
KFTK morning show host, front man for Smash Band
King Smash’s creation of a “St. Louis Speed Day” will be get nodding approval from anyone who regularly drives on Highway 40. It would work something like this:
One Saturday a year, Highway 40 would be shut down to regular traffic from the Poplar Street Bridge to I-270. King Smash would also close all exits and entrance ramps in between.
“Then, for that one day, you could go on 40 as fast as you wanted,” Smash says. “You would release all the tension and aggression that you’ve built up all year long from being stuck in St. Louis traffic. You’d feel that you’re a bad ass for the day. You wouldn’t have to worry about the cops, other drivers—you’d just feel the pedal to the metal.”
Lana Stein
Professor of political science at University of Missouri-St. Louis, author of St. Louis Politics: The Triumph of Tradition
For Lana Stein, a day of royalty would involve breaking down barriers between people and regions.
“I would like to arrange some kind of thing where people in all the various parts of the metro area could learn more about each other’s neighborhoods,” she says. “It would involve tours of different areas, meals together, lots of different things. That’s what I really want to see.”
When people from different backgrounds reach out to each other, they learn they have more in common than they think. Stein says she has learned that from her experience of living in an integrated neighborhood. But it’s not just a white-black issue for Stein: “People who live in South County are perceived a certain way, people in West County perceived another way. People make assumptions about other areas that may or may not be true, and it helps to get people face to face and talking.”
Andrew Theising
Professor of political science at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, author of Made in USA: East St. Louis
“If I were king for a day, I would decree that all local governments—city halls, school districts, fire districts and the like—be required to pass an assessment of government service delivery by the citizens who receive those services,” Andrew Theising says. “And business as usual cannot occur until the citizens are satisfied that government is moving forward on the correct path.”
Theising points out that smart businesses work to their customers’ standards and seek their customers’ input, and he feels that local government should have to do the same. “When citizens are engaged, government gets better,” he says. “When citizens are disengaged, the door is open for mismanagement at best, corruption at worst.”
Jenna Bauer
Artist, founding director of South City Open Studio and Gallery for Children (SCOSAG)
Queen Jenna Bauer would ask the nobles, the serfs and even the ne’er-do-wells of the city to rethink the demolition of St. Louis landmarks.
First order of business: Put the brakes on the impending demolition of Busch Stadium. “It’s our own coliseum,” she says. “I’m personally thankful every time I find myself in its line of sight. The reason they are tearing it down is simply because a handful of people got together and realized how they could make a financial killing if they could convince the city that the existing structure was no longer in our best interest. The new plan is devoid of character and will be a constant reminder of one of our biggest mistakes.”
Terry Jones
Professor of political science at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, co-editor of St. Louis Metromorphosis: Past Trends and Future Directions
“On my day as absolute sovereign, I would mandate that everyone within the St. Louis region spend their entire day outside their geographic comfort zone,” Terry Jones says. “There would be Missourians going to Illinois, central corridor types to St. Charles County, Jefferson Countians to North St. Louis City, and so forth. The instructions would have one ‘do’ and one ‘don’t.’ The do: Learn why the St. Louis metropolitan area is a better place because X is a part of it. The don’t: Avoid focusing on what is strange/different/sick about X.”
Barbara Bartley-Turkington
Retired Air Force Lt. Colonel, co-owner of CPR Packaging Outsourcing
The key to success in St. Louis, according to Barbara Bartley-Turkington, is “a really vibrant downtown.
“In the military I traveled a lot, and I would dread coming to St. Louis … it seems like after the workers leave downtown, there’s nothing.”
Such revitalization already is under way on Washington Avenue, and Bartley-Turkington is optimistic. “It won’t ever be [Chicago’s] Michigan Avenue, but we can take a good run at it,” she says. “It’s just going to take a while, and it’s going to take some people with some vision and courage to step up and say, ‘We can do this.’”
Kathleen Osborn
Executive director of Regional Business Council
Kathleen Osborn’s monarchy would have a singular focus: the economy. She would ask 10 of the most entrepreneurial and successful people from all regions of the state to produce an economic development plan and would review every state department in an effort to streamline government functions.
Osborn says a thriving economy would increase the overall standard of living and, simultaneously, produce much-needed revenue for state services.
“It could happen with bold leadership,” she says. “I believe that market conditions will necessitate some states to change from standard operating procedures to a more entrepreneurial approach in order to create a competitive edge.”
Martin Duggan
Host of KETC’s Donnybrook, former editorial page editor of the Globe-Democrat
“I would implement a system of school choice,” Martin Duggan says. Only a voucher system, he says, can rid us of the problem of taxpayers overpaying for failing schools. Duggan insists that blacks in the inner city have the most to gain from a voucher program. “They are forced to stay in these failing schools that perpetuate this economic misery,” he says. The Citizens for Educational Freedom (to which Duggan belongs) recently offered help in getting children into better schools. They were “deluged with responses from blacks, from poorer city parents, desperate to get their kids out of public schools but with no way of doing so.”
