Subdivision Trustees - St. Louis Metro Area

Hancock School District Buys Lemay Baseball Association Fields

2012-01-28T18:53:00.000-05:00

The Hancock Place School District has purchased Heine Meine Field for $1 from the Lemay Baseball Association, said Superintendent Kevin Carl. The school had previously leased Heine Meine, which is in the center of the district, for soccer, softball and baseball games.

The Lemay Baseball Association will continue to use the fields on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays for its leagues, Carl said. The district will take over maintaining the fields.

The fields cover nine acres near Lemay Ferry Road and Little Broadway. The property was named for Heine Meine, a St. Louis Browns and Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher in the 1930s who owned a bar near the field, according to the association's website. The diamonds were built in 1939.

Budget ax falls in St. Louis County

2012-01-26T08:37:00.000-05:00

The budget ax that has been hovering for three months over St. Louis County government has finally come down, on the Parks and Public Works departments.

County Executive Charlie A. Dooley said Wednesday that he was laying off 20 full-time employees in the Parks Department and six in Public Works.

Other cuts will include closing the county's three public swimming pools two weeks earlier this summer.

Along with reductions in maintenance work and in capital purchases and projects, the move is designed to trim about $3.6 million out of the Parks Department.

The cuts rekindle the friction between Dooley, a Democrat, and the Democratic-controlled County Council that broke out last year over the budget.

Council Chairman Mike O'Mara, who played a key role in ending the impasse in December, reacted angrily Wednesday to news of the layoffs.

"Charlie and I had an agreement that there would not be any layoffs this year, and he broke it," O'Mara, D-Florissant, said Wednesday. "His promise was part of my sell (of the budget compromise) to my fellow council members. I don't know what happened since last month, but now I've lost my trust with my council members."

Dooley denied making such a promise.

Supreme Court rules warrant needed for GPS tracking

2012-01-23T21:52:00.000-05:00

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that police must get a search warrant before using GPS technology to track criminal suspects.
The GPS device helped authorities link Washington, D.C., nightclub owner Antoine Jones to a suburban house used to stash money and drugs. He was sentenced to life in prison before the appeals court overturned the conviction.

Associate Justice Antonin Scalia said that the government's installation of a GPS device, and its use to monitor the vehicle's movements, constitutes a search, meaning that a warrant is required.

"By attaching the device to the Jeep" that Jones was using, "officers encroached on a protected area," Scalia wrote.

All nine justices agreed that the placement of the GPS on the Jeep violated the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable search and seizure.

Scalia wrote the main opinion of three in the case. He was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas and Sonia Sotomayor.

Sotomayor also wrote one of the two concurring opinions that agreed with the outcome in the Jones case for different reasons.

Justice Samuel Alito also wrote a concurring opinion in which he said the court should have gone further and dealt with GPS tracking of wireless devices, like mobile phones. He was joined by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan.

A federal appeals court in Washington had overturned Jones's drug conspiracy conviction because police did not have a warrant when they installed a GPS device on his vehicle and then tracked his movements for a month. The Supreme Court agreed with the appeals court.

No More Speed Trap in St. George

2012-01-19T12:29:00.000-05:00

The tiny, south county town of St. George died a quiet death on December 31st, after residents voted last year to disincorporate.

Now-former Mayor Carmen Wilkerson says it’s already a more pleasant place, at least if you’re a driver. St. Louis County workers, she says, came out immediately after taking over and tore down the 15 mile-per-hour speed limit signs.

She agrees that the city had a reputation for being a speed trap.

“Yeah, I believe it was 15 miles an hour to give the police an excuse to pull somebody over. But now it’s been changed to 25 miles per hour, which is the speed limit on all the county roads, so we’re real happy with that.”

And, ironically, Wilkerson says one of the final acts of a trustee appointed to wind-down the city… is to settle all of the traffic tickets.

Ten Surprising Reasons You Can’t Get a Home

2012-01-18T22:28:00.001-05:00

Getting a home signifies financial security and an investment for the future. Owning a home is part of the American Dream. There are some surprising reasons why you can’t get a home.

Down Payment – You may have the required 10%-25% on the asking price of the home you are interested in but how you acquired it and how long you’ve had it could keep you from getting the home. Many times relatives offer young couples the down payment. Lending institutions take this into consideration when looking at the ability of a homeowner to keep up with mortgage payments. Saving the down payment over time lends to the credibility of money management.

2. Credit – Credit history is an ongoing process. Student loans are one of the first obligations a person may have as an adult. Late payments may have a bearing on your ability to acquire a home later in life. Credit scores are also affected by utility payments. Any recurring bill that is paid late may come back to haunt you even though your financial situation is now more sound. Your debt to income ratio ideally needs to be under 45%. Less than a 3 month asset reserve in a bank account will generally keep you from getting a home. Check your credit score with all 3 agencies and make sure there is nothing being reported incorrectly. You need to aim for a score of 660 or better.

3. Job Security – Your job history may be why you can’t get a home. Lenders look for stability. If you jump from job to job, regardless of monetary or career improvement, lenders see you as a financial risk. When the economy takes a downward turn, employers tend to retain employees with seniority. Also taken into consideration is the risk of the job.

4. Parent History – If your parents have a questionable credit history, you may be dealing under their shadow. If parents foreclosed, you may be affected. If they were late with mortgage or credit card payments, you may be looked upon as having the same traits. If you are asked information on parent particulars, you may need to look elsewhere for home financing.

5. Location – The location of a home may affect whether or not a lender is willing to risk mortgaging it. LNG routes, Super Site areas, fault lines, destructive weather patterns all have bearings on mortgage risks lenders are willing to take on.

6. Inspection – More and more, home inspections are being required to seal the closing deal. Hopes have been dashed to learn major expenses must be incurred to pass inspection for the approval of the sale.

7. Condition – Fixer-uppers may offer pricing that appears affordable. If you have no background of construction or home improvement projects completed, lenders are leery to finance such undertakings. They may require a lump sum amount be in an account to cover the improvements necessary to ensure the property does not result in a loss to the lender.

8. Liens – If you owned property before and were subject to liens for unacceptable reasons such as credit card debt or unpaid taxes, you may not get the home you desire. A current homeowner may also have substantial liens that need to be satisfied at closing either from the sale itself or as additional costs to the buyer.

9. History – The history of the home may be the deciding factor that keeps a lender from financing in your behalf. A murder, haunting, nearby sinkhole, or other less favorable activity, bear upon the lender’s willingness to finance such a home.

10. The Bank – Economic conditions and bank lending history may be the reason you can’t get a home. Banks may be leaning toward only very secure clients to up their lending credibility. If a bank turns you down, look to other options before you decide to settle on thinking you can’t get a home. FHA, VHA, or a first time buyer program offer other alternatives for which you may qualify.

If you can’t get a home loan with one lender, chances are good that another institution will also turn you down. You should take some time and work at increasing the good points that will work in your favor. Try again when your situation has improved.

More information at: http://blog.doorfly.com/articles/2012/10-surprising-reasons-you-cant-get-a-home/

Dooley Makes Top News List for 2011

2011-12-30T09:10:00.000-05:00

County Exec. Charlie Dooley dukes it out. St. Louis County Executive Charlie A. Dooley survived a strong challenge from Republican Bill Corrigan to win a fresh term in Clayton. But, now that he's extended his lease, he's finding opposition from his own party: Democrats on the county council unhappy with his budget proposals. But, as is the case with many family spats, it's never about that one thing.

Democrats may sense that a battered Dooley would have a tough time winning again in 2014, if he even wants to run. Dooley, meanwhile, may be reacting to the perception that others around him —Steve Stenger, Jake Zimmerman—are measuring the drapes in the executive office.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/political-fix/eleven-in-top-local-political-stories-of-the-year/article_37206944-3240-11e1-803c-0019bb30f31a.html#ixzz1i1jfDcVh

County Officials Can't Agree on District Boundaries

2011-12-23T13:34:00.000-05:00

Three St. Louis County Council members and four voters filed suit Thursday in federal court here, asking a judge to redraw election districts before February.

The suit, filed against the St. Louis County Board of Election Commissioners, follows the failure of the county's Reapportionment Commission to redraw the district boundaries last month. The boundaries are supposed to be redrawn by the seven Democrats and seven Republicans to equally divide the population as reflected in the 2010 Census.

Neither side could agree on the size of the 5th District.

The suit says that with districts in limbo, potential candidates can't decide whether and where to run for office. The suit asks a judge to come up with a plan before Feb. 28, the first day candidates for the county council can file for election.

The suit was filed by three Democratic council members — Patrick Dolan, Michael O'Mara, and Steven Stenger — and voters Mary Sanders, Vincent Sansone, Jasmina Vajzovic and Keith Walston.

The commission hasn't been successful in redrawing the boundaries since the 1970 census.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/political-fix/suit-asks-a-judge-to-draw-new-st-louis-county/article_39b24da8-2d86-11e1-b287-0019bb30f31a.html#ixzz1hNsIA4pb

Dooley: "We will do a better job"

2011-12-21T11:25:00.002-05:00

County Executive Charlie Dooley pledged in an interview after the vote to keep the County Council and the citizenry better informed about the county's finances and budget in 2012.

"We will do a better job of communicating with the County Council, and being open and transparent, " Dooley said. "Everyone will know where we are. We have challenges but also opportunities."

Dooley said the budget "kicks the can" of some budget problems down the road. "In my lifetime, the economy has not been this bad," Dooley said.

Dooley proposed on Tuesday a standing County Council committee to meet biweekly or monthly to discuss the status of the budget all year.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/after-difficult-prelude-st-louis-county-council-approves-budget/article_edc8678f-8adc-5be4-b292-c35ecd9f9b17.html#ixzz1hBechpH0

While St. Louis County Agrees, San Jose Declines LTE Deal with Motorola

2011-12-19T22:03:00.001-05:00

Dec 14, 2011 11:26 AM, By Donny Jackson (donald.jackson@penton.com)

With San Jose putting the brakes on, Charlie Dooley and company are moving ahead. Will Charlie suffer another foon-in-mouth bout?

Citing funding uncertainties, San Jose City Council members yesterday voted unanimously against a proposed agreement with Motorola Solutions to build and operate an LTE network in the San Francisco Bay Area that could jeopardize the controversial project that is slated to receive a $50.6 million federal stimulus grant.

From Jaryl Jones (daryl@tcomeng.com)

Rockdale County, Georgia desires to update its public-safety radio system and is about to become yet another poster child for a project that will under-perform and cost much more than budgeted. Basic rules for successful procurement and project implementation are being skirted, starting with a RFP that calls for an “upgrade” of an old analog radio system. This effectively precludes competition from other qualified bidders. It’s like buying a new telephone system and requiring that it be capable of working with proprietary, antiquated rotary-dial telephone instruments.

The RFP clearly states that the proposed system price must not exceed the designated budget of $4,500,00. This will limit any vendor from proposing a solution that could honestly meet the County’s requirement, resulting in a situation where very expensive additional infrastructure equipment will be essential. Once the initial contract is awarded, the County will have no choice but to sole-source millions of dollars in additional equipment and services. This allows the preferred vendor to have total control over predatory pricing for the life of the radio new system.

From the Chicago Tribune – 11/29/2011
Aug. 15, 2006: The DuPage County Emergency Telephone System Board announces its intent to “purchase a county-wide radio system.”

Aug. 20, 2006: On behalf of the 32 mayors and city managers in the DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference, Naperville Mayor George Pradel writes a letter opposing approval of the no-bid contract with Motorola, saying the project lacks a clear plan.

Sept. 14, 2006: The emergency telephone board votes 6-1 to approve its $7 million contract to build a nine-tower, five-channel radio system to be completed in 10 months.

Oct. 4, 2006: The DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference criticizes the board for approving such a complicated contract too quickly.

June 28, 2008: After Motorola said it needs more time, the emergency telephone board increases the contract total amount to $13.6 million from $7 million – to add more station sites and frequencies to the system.

Dec. 13, 2010: The board again increases the total to $28.6 million. Saying it is no longer affordable to build a new countywide system, DuPage agrees to rent air time on STARCOM, a statewide network Motorola already has built for the Illinois State Police.

Jan. 1, 2011: Motorola misses its first deadline in the new agreement: delivering 1,800 new radios to the county by the beginning of the new year.

Nov. 21, 2011: Emergency telephone board chairman Pat O’Shea reports that the system will not be up and running by its current target date of Dec. 1, 2011. Motorola declines to comment. O’Shea says he hopes the project will be completed by the end of 2012.

The following article appeared in the 09/23/2011 edition of the Chicago Tribune.
By John Byrne / Tribune reporter
7:35 p.m. CDT, September 23, 2011

The city(of Chicago) has spent nearly $23 million on a new digital communications system that still doesn’t work after more than five years — a shortcoming back in the spotlight following a federal report that criticizes the Chicago Fire Department for not having enough radios during a December fire that killed two firefighters.

Yet as costs mount and test after test fails, there is still no firm timeline on when the system will be up and running.

http://urgentcomm.com/networks_and_systems/news/san-jose-declines-lte-deal-20111214/index.html

Does Your Subdivision Need a New Look for the New Year??

2011-12-19T21:12:00.000-05:00

Creative Sign Solutions for Subdivisions

Bring your Subdivision into the 21st Century

http://www.designery.com/

Vehicles in Subdivisions Create More Problems than Occupancy Inspections Solve

2011-12-19T11:12:00.003-05:00

The county charges you 80 dollars for an occupancy inspection when you sell your house in the name of neighborhood preservation. Yet, they allow commercial vehicles to be parked in subdivisions creating one of the biggest eye sores one can imagine, especially if you live across the street from it.

The county allows this kind of thing to go on as if it had no negative impact on the neighborhood or the value of homes. They had to create a new branch of bureaucracy rather than use existing agency of government, police, street department, etc. to enforce existing laws which would do as much if not more to preserve neighborhoods than worrying about smoke detectors, anti- tip over devices on kitchen stoves, and the type of metal your water heater flue pipe is made of, and the type of material your dryer vent is made of.

There is a commercial pickup truck that is parked on Farmcrest in Oakville every night and every weekend. Better yet, the truck is licensed in Illinois. The trustees and police do nothing about it.

There is a house on Cinnabar in the Sappington area that has a huge motor home parked in the driveway that hasn’t moved in months. Way to go Mr. Earls!

There is a commercial mini-bus parked in a drive way in a south county subdivision that gets moved about every 2-3 months. The vehicle is painted with the usual commercial messages.

The same subdivision has an unlicensed car parked in the driveway for the past 6 months.

While these may be deemed nuisances, they’re a real eyesore for neighbors trying to sell their property and create a reduction in property values.

What’s next????

County Executive Charlie Dooley Signs Contract with Motorla Solutions Two Years After Voter Approval

2011-12-19T11:00:00.001-05:00

St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley signed a $75 million contract Thursday with Motorola Solutions, a long two years after it was approved by voters.

The contract allows modern interoperable radio communications for police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and essential local government agencies throughout St. Louis County.
Currently, emergency response agencies operate on their own individual radio systems, which makes coordination for daily work and emergency incidents difficult.

In November 2009, voters passed an Emergency Communications Sales Tax of one-tenth of a cent which provided funding for the St. Louis County Emergency Communications Commission to move forward with a plan to bring over 150 agencies and organizations under a single radio umbrella, which will allow them to communicate by radio with each other.

The next question is how long will it take to implement the program?
More information at: http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?odyssey=topicpage&storyid=291343

Subdivisions Voicing Concern on Parking of Vehicles in Subdivisions

2011-12-17T14:02:00.001-05:00

St. Louis County should be taking a look at the growing problem of vehicles being parked in subdivisions, particularly commercial vehicles. Vehicles in question include commercial vans, buses, limousines, ambulances, tractor trailers and more. Other vehicles in question include recreational vehicles (RVs), trailers, boats, campers, motorcycles, tractors and other miscellaneous vehicles. While most are parked on pavement, there’s a growing number being parked on the grass or in the backyard.

This topic is rapidly becoming a hot issue as subdivision trustees endeavor to maintain a good appearance in their subdivisions. One commented these vehicles are “visual pollution.” No one likes to look out their window every day to see a commercial vehicle parked across the street. Another cited an example of a 25 foot recreational vehicle that’s parked in a driveway in his subdivision. He said the RV has not been moved in over a year.

The real question is if these vehicles are “parked” or “stored.” There’s a difference. If it’s “parked,” it’s being used on a regular basis. If it just sits there, it’s “stored.” He said if someone can afford a large RV, they should be able to afford to store it some place other than their driveway.

Some companies allow employees to drive their company van home from work and report to their next job direct from their home the next day. This also releases the company from providing overnight parking and security at their company location. It also is a form of advertising if their name and company information is painted on the van or truck.

One subdivision has a restriction on allowing trucks to be parked in their subdivision – either in the street or in the driveway. Trucks must be parked in a garage. One homeowner parks his family car in the driveway, while his son’s pickup truck is in the garage. (Note: We do not have the name of this subdivision available, but will endeavor to obtain it and report it in a future article.)

County regulations require vehicles to be parked on pavement, but reports from various subdivisions say the County is not enforcing the regulation. One cited a situation where a resident had a trailer parked on pavement on the side of his house, but had to drive over the lawn to get there. The department responsible for enforcement is headed by Garry Earls of St. Louis County. Earls is ignoring a problem that won’t go away and will get a lot worse before it gets better. Regulations are regulations and must be enforced.

We visited an adjoining subdivision to see if we could find some of these problems. We took the following series of photos, some of which are in direct violation of County regulations, while others may be acceptable. What do you think?

This residence has a gravel driveway next to a paved driveway. Vehicles are usually parked on the gravel driveway to allow the family vehicle access to the garage.

NOTE: Click on photos to enlarge.

This homeowner stores his boat in the driveway. The boat is actually larger than their vehicle. Is this "parked" or "stored?"

This boat & trailer is parked on pavement next to thehouse. The homeowner provided pavement access from the driveway to the parking area.

Here's a clear cut case of storing their camper at curbside but in their driveway. Since it's stored at the end of the driveway, they can access both side of their garage.

The family RV parked within a few feet of the curb. Is this "visual polution?" Is it "parked" or "stored?"

This is an unmarked truck and trailer and could be either a commercial vehicle or for personal use.

Here's a resident that has the guts to store his camper in the street. Admittedly, this is a dead-end street, but are there any legal implications here?

What happens if everybody stored their campers and boats in the street?

This boat and trailer is stored on the ground next to their driveway - clearly in violation of county ordinances.

REMINDER: Click on photos to enlarge.

The subdivision where these photos were taken does not have a formal association or elected trustees. They do not have any common ground or lighting expenses. They have brickwork at their entrance which periodically needs repair. When needed, the subdivision seeks donations from residents.

What are your thoughts? Any Comments? Are these vehicles and trailers legally parked or not? What does your subdivision allow? Click on COMMENTS below to share your thoughts with other subdivision trustees.

Dooley Crying Wolf

2011-12-11T12:13:00.001-05:00

It's a good process. And it's a model that St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley should consider if he expects county residents to take him seriously.

Instead of leading a fair-minded discussion about revenue estimates and budget priorities, Mr. Dooley, a Democrat, spent the past couple of months crying wolf.

In August, as a prelude to presenting the budget, he told the County Council that revenue was $10 million behind last year's pace. To give police officers and other employees a much-needed raise, he said, there would need to be a tax increase. Otherwise, Mr. Dooley said, he would have no choice but to fire cops.

County Council Chairman Steve Stenger, a Democrat, objected. Mr. Stenger pointed to county documents that showed Mr. Dooley's numbers were wrong. Other council members followed Mr. Stenger's lead.

Mr. Dooley then changed his numbers. Twice.

Later, he apologized for the whole thing.

Then, in November, he submitted a new budget that also predicted calamity. He suggested that, once again, the county staff's proposed budget would have to be cut by $10 million.

This time Mr. Dooley cried WOLF! in capital letters, suggesting closing dozens of parks, laying off employees (though none from his own staff) and closing the West County satellite office.

County residents went nuts. The council stood firm and did the unthinkable. Horror of horrors, it formed a budget committee seeking actual facts.

Mr. Dooley again retreated, and now we're back where we started.

There's not really much of a budget problem. To the extent that it exists, it can be solved by thoughtful cuts, not dramatic ones intended to stir fear in the public. There will be no police officer layoffs or closed or sold-off parks.

The moral of this fable is an easy one: Numbers don't lie.

Here's what should happen going forward, regardless of who sits in the county executive's chair: The county council should be involved in the budget process from the beginning.

There is no reason the county executive and the council chairman couldn't follow the state process and agree on a revenue estimate from the beginning.

There is no reason — none at all — why the council shouldn't have a standing budget committee that does what it did over the past couple of months: Ask tough questions and force the county executive to back up his assertions and projections.

Read even more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/columns/the-platform/editorial-dooley-should-welcome-more-scrutiny-to-county-budget/article_98038b07-1bd7-594a-af25-769c1543cf40.html#ixzz1gFNSG99m

HIGH SCHOOL -- 1957 vs. 2010

2011-12-10T11:36:00.000-05:00

Scenario 1:

Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck's gun rack.

1957 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.

2010 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.

Scenario 2:

Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.

1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.

2010 - Police called and SWAT team arrives -- they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it.

Scenario 3:

Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disrupts other students.

1957 - Jeffrey sent to the Principal's office and given a good paddling by the Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.

2010 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The family gets extra money (SSI) from the government because Jeffrey has a disability.

Scenario 4:

Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.

1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman.

2010 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse, Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has an affair with the psychologist.

Scenario 5:

Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.

1957 - Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock.

2010 - The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is then searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario 6:

Pedro fails high school English.

1957 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.

2010 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against the state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

Scenario 7:

Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed.

1957 - Ants die.

2010 - ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents - and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated. Johnny's dad is placed on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario 8:

Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.

1957 – In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.

2010 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.

This should hit every email inbox to show how stupid we have become!

County Council Backs Down Dooley . . . Again

2011-12-07T17:31:00.001-05:00

County Executive Charlie A. Dooley on Tuesday backed off his plan to close any county parks and said he had reached a compromise with members of the County Council to seek alternative cuts to balance the budget.

Dooley also withdrew his threats to close the county government's West County Satellite Office and to cut back on snow plowing in unincorporated subdivisions.

"I met with the council and we found some compromises that we all can agree on," Dooley said at Tuesday's regular council meeting in Clayton.

As to layoffs, he said: "That's the sad part. That's something that we still can't get away from."

Dooley said specifics for making up the $10 million budget shortfall had yet to be determined.

Mr. Dooley continues to suffer from foot-in-mouth disease. It’s just a matter of time before he comes up with something else off the wall. It’s always interesting when a politician says that the government needs to change when that individual has been part of that government for many years.

In Mr. Dooley’s case, he’s not equipped to handle problems of this magnitude. The County’s budget crisis did not happen overnight. Things like this are months and years in the making. You don’t say we’re $10 million in the hole and then turn around and withdraw your statement. Something is still very wrong here.

Tuesday marked the second time in recent months that the county executive has retreated from one of his proposals in the face of strong opposition from the council.

In September, he withdrew a call for a tax increase after Council Chairman Steve Stenger, D-South County, questioned financial statistics that Dooley had offered to support the request.

Dooley later admitted that he had supplied inaccurate financial data on the plan. He also publicly apologized and promised in the future to keep the council involved on major issues.

However, Dooley refused to characterize the latest budget development as a personal setback.

"This is not a defeat. This is a success," he said after the meeting. Duh!!! Hello.

You can read more about this fiasco along with the committee's cost-saving and revenue enhancing recommendations at:

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/compromise-on-st-louis-county-budget-keeps-parks-open/article_2e9f3e35-cd5f-5a7f-b772-3c77fe8e94ca.html#ixzz1ftGsBLFV

St. Louis County Budget Debate Explodes with Talk Show Comments

2011-12-06T10:58:00.001-05:00

Less than a month until the New Year and the budget-balancing debate in St. Louis County is less about dollars and more about education, race and whether a budget gap even exists.

A firestorm was sparked last week when County Executive Charlie Dooley questioned Council Chair Steve Stenger’s budget-balancing experience and Stenger then retorted by pointing out Dooley’s lack of a college education. Dooley demanded an apology for Stenger’s comment.

While interviewing Dooley’s Senior Policy Advisor Mike Jones, KMOX talk show host Mark Reardon admitted “baiting” Stenger into making the remark. Jones explained that Dooley was offended by the comment because he remembers a time in history when African-Americans’ intelligence was routinely questioned.

Reardon and Jones tangled over that assertion, which led to Jones asking Reardon, “How old are you, boy?”

Hear the broadcast in total at: http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2011/12/06/st-louis-county-budget-debate-explodes-with-talk-show-comments/

Dooley Takes Steps to Cut Expenses; Parks Next?

2011-12-04T10:21:00.000-05:00

St. Louis County Executive Charlie A. Dooley challenged the credentials of County Council Chairman Steve Stenger. "Being chair of the council doesn't make you a budget expert," Dooley told Stenger, a fellow Democrat.

Dooley spoke before a special budget committee that Stenger formed in response to the county executive's announcement last month that he planned to close 23 of the county's 50 active parks and lay off scores of workers to balance the budget.

Dooley also told Stenger that the council member "did not have a plan" for addressing what the administration has characterized as a budget crisis. Stenger, a certified public accountant and a lawyer, retorted: "It's not the council's responsibility to have a plan. It's your responsibility to have a plan and your plan so far is to close half the county's parks."

Stenger accused Dooley of inflating the county's budget woes to force the council to increase taxes.

At the meeting, the county's director of operations, Garry Earls, provided updated figures on the administration's planned layoffs. Earls said 173 positions would be eliminated, about 81 of which are full-time jobs. Most of the cuts are directed at the parks department but Dooley also plans to eliminate 13 positions in the code enforcement division.

Dooley said the cuts would save $10 million and balance the budget.

The meeting featured some feuding between Burkett and Stenger.

"When this committee first started, Councilman Stenger said he would show us the money," Burkett said. Burkett has also not been able to show the money or justification. Stenger told Burkett "I don't appreciate your comments."

Stenger then asserted that $21 million in county funds were tied up in what he described as "323 funded but unfilled positions" in county government. He also said that the county filled 241 full-time positions last year at a cost of $10 million to $12 million. “I just racked up $33 million" in savings, he said.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/democrats-argue-at-st-louis-county-budget-meeting/article_2a32a584-3690-5328-8d52-e7c2789fa983.html#ixzz1fVJ5QyYi

Dooley Takes Steps to Cut County Expenses

2011-12-03T15:01:00.000-05:00

St. Louis county government's West County Satellite Office will close permanently after Dec. 16. A press release announcing the closure was issued through the county's revenue office. The office is at 74 Clarkson Wilson Centre in Chesterfield.

Although revenue is only one of several county departments with offices at the west county site, the entire center will be closing, said revenue department spokeswoman Martina Price.

The closure of the west county facility marks the first of numerous cuts that Dooley recommended in October to resolve what he has described as a budget crisis.

Dooley also recommended closing almost half of the county's 50 active parks but so far had not done so. He also threatened to eliminate 173 jobs.

The county will continue to offer services at its remaining government satellite offices at 21 Village Square Shopping Center in Hazelwood; and at 4546 Lemay Ferry Road in Keller Plaza in South County.

St. Louis County parks controversy could haunt Dooley

2011-11-24T10:06:00.001-05:00

A botched attempt at raising property taxes earlier this fall had earned St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley an unprecedented amount of criticism. Then he presented the county’s 2012 budget in early November. A proposal to close a number of parks (link includes a map of closures) and lay off employees touched an especially piercing nerve.

Citing a worsening fiscal outlook, Dooley and members of his administration have defended the proposed cuts by saying that the county must live within its means. Failure to do that, they say, will lead to more fiscal problems in the future. But some point out that Dooley’s plan is out of scale when compared to other counties with comparable parks systems. The county council’s chairman has questioned whether the cuts are necessary. And the idea to partner with local and state entities has garnered a mixed reaction.

The opposition to Dooley’s plan was clear during a standing-room-only budget hearing where detractors packed the St. Louis County Government Building in Clayton. With a majority of County Council members stating their opposition, Dooley may have to change course.

This story is published by the St. Louis Beacon. The complete article can be found at: http://114343-county-parks-controversy-could-haunt-dooley

The following are quotes from various individuals mentioned in this article.

"It strikes at the very core at what we are as a county," Stenger said. "It calls into question for me what the possible goal and objective of this proposal could possibly be. It is so ill-conceived that it effects the very fabric of our community. It is concerning. ... This is perhaps the most ill-conceived proposal I have ever heard of, read about or even thought about.”

~~~~~

“If you look at him as sincere, you look at him as the author of the cuts,” said Dave Robertson, a political science professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. “And I think that offering a very unpopular policy prescription is going to cost you politically in the short and medium term.”

~~~~~

"If anything, we've been able to hold off the crisis associated with that for several years while we've made due with resources that we have," Earls said. "In some cases, we've had some special one-time funding, we've had some new revenue that's been in place. But our current forecast is there's no new revenue coming in."

~~~~~

"I have about 30 items that I've identified that could be looked into, at a minimum, on the expenditure side for savings," Stenger said. "We're talking about things like ... energy savings, parkings savings, some fees that may or may not be collected on adjusted services. I have a whole lot of issues I'd like to raise there."

~~~~~

"I'm always willing to work with them, but I haven't heard anything other than 'I don't like this,'” Dooley said. "Well, tell me what you do. We only have so money to spend."

~~~~~

"And maybe in times gone by, there might have been a lot of interest in (counties assuming control of the state parks)," Dolesh said. "There's very minimal interest in assuming the costs and liabilities and operating expenses."

~~~~~

“No way in hell are we closing any parks,” Sonderegger said.

~~~~~

“These problems are so serious in different places that it’s really hard to find to find a way out that is politically skillful and also solves the problem,” Robertson said. “This is one effort to do that, but it sure did backfire. … If you’re going to cut something, at least if it’s concentrated in sort of one area that geographically is limited, then you might have a better chance at getting away with it. These cuts are going to threaten parks that are popular across the county. They mobilized a pile of people in all different parts of the county.”

~~~~~

“These two things coming so close together reinforce each other and make observers think that Dooley is politically wounded and will have a hard time recovering,” Robertson said. “To recover from it, he’s going to have to appear to be much more politically savvy about the kind of impact his proposals will make than he has been so far.”

~~~~~

"They have a right to believe what they believe and I have a right to believe what I believe," said Dooley, when asked if he was at a weaker position with the council. "In the business we're in, we are not always going to agree 100 percent. Does that mean I don't like working with these individuals? That's not true. This is just one issue we don't necessarily agree on."

~~~~~

Read the full article at: http://www.stlbeacon.org/region/114343-county-parks-controversy-could-haunt-dooley

St. Louis County board fails to agree on voting districts

2011-11-23T11:46:00.001-05:00

The Post Dispatch writes:

The St. Louis County Reapportionment Commission failed on Tuesday night to draw new council district boundaries to conform to the 2010 census, leaving the decision in the hands of a federal judge.

The last time a redistricting commission — seven Democrats and seven Republicans — succeeded in drawing the seven council district boundaries was after the 1970 census. Federal judges established the boundaries after the last three population counts.

Both parties submitted maps for consideration.

The sticking point this time involved the 5th District, in the southwestern part of the county.

The Republican map produced a bulge in the 5th District by including Ladue and Frontenac.

Francis "Butch" Miller, the commission's Democratic chairman, said that the Republican motives were political.

"By putting Ladue and Frontenac in the 5th, which just elected a Democrat (Pat Dolan) to the County Council, you're trying to make that district more Republican," Miller, a lawyer with the Clayton firm of Gallup, Johnson and Neuman, told his Republican counterparts at a meeting at county government headquarters in Clayton.

The Republican chairman, former state Rep. Allen Icet of Wildwood, said Ladue and Frontenac were among several cities, including Crestwood and Creve Coeur, that his party had tried to situate entirely within single council districts at the request of residents.

"Based on public comments, citizens thought it was a good idea for municipalities to reside within one district and not be split amongst two or more," Icet said.

"That makes sense from the standpoint of elected officials, such as the mayor, who can address concerns to one councilman rather than multiple ones."

The Republican members asserted that the Democratic map, which made few changes to the current one, was designed to protect the Democrats' 5-2 majority on the council.

A last-minute Republican motion to have the commission meet today to consider a compromise map for the 5th District failed.

The deadline for approving the new map is Thanksgiving, but the commission will take no further action before then.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/st-louis-county-board-fails-to-agree-on-voting-districts/article_ba2be4b3-2c14-52f7-a48e-20097ba55ad2.html#ixzz1eY1R89wm

"We fully agree with you ..." - Walgreens spokesman

2011-11-22T18:18:00.001-05:00

Walgreens' consumer relations has apologized for offending customers by labeling dozens of Christmas-specific items as "holiday" in its pre-Thanksgiving newspaper inserts last Sunday.

In responding to thousands of phone calls, Walgreens community affairs director John Gremer issued a statement to AFA, which says, in part:

"During the months of October and November, we make greater use of the word 'holiday' to include celebrations such as Thanksgiving and Hanukkah. But as Christmas Day draws closer, you’ll see more references to the word 'Christmas.' That includes the message, 'Merry Christmas,' which will be on the front of our newspaper sales insert on Dec. 25.

"We fully agree with you that – while we're helping customers celebrate a variety of holidays during this time of year – we should continue and increase the use of the word 'Christmas' when referring to items specifically for the Christmas holiday."

AFA is grateful to Walgreens for its response and willingness to listen to customer concerns. As a result, AFA is suspending its "Christmas Boycott" of Walgreens.

Parks must be closed and workers laid off in order to balance the budget

2011-11-22T09:12:00.000-05:00

Comments circulating around country government center.

· Dooley said the cuts would save $10 million and balance the budget.

· "Money exists on the revenue side and on the expense side, as well.

· The county collected $10.4 million more in revenue last year than it had expected.

· Sales tax revenue this year would be 17.9 percent higher than anticipated.

· I would encourage you to be cautiously optimistic.

· The county's charter required conservative estimates in establishing the budget.

· The administration is "committed to working with (the council) so we don't have to accept this budget."

· We are committed to working with you.

Companies That Don't Use "Christmas" in Their Advertising; What Holiday Are we Celebrating

2011-11-21T15:48:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, Walgreens placed a 24-page circular in newspapers all across America. It had all the festive markings of that day known as...Holiday?

It's true! At Walgreens, they advertise "Holiday Candy," "Holiday Gift Tags," "Holiday Gift Wrap," "Holiday Decor," "Holiday Accessories," "Holiday Nuts and Snacks" and "Holiday Hats and Stockings." But no Christmas! In total, Walgreens used the term "holiday" 36 times, rather than using "Christmas."

Oh, the trees advertised in their circular? It's just "Prelit" trees.

Go to Walgreens' website and you can shop their "Holiday Shop" and take advantage of their "Holiday Shipping." If you want Christmas, it's not there.

At Walgreens, Christmas doesn't exist! Walgreens wants you to do your "Christmas" shopping with them, while refusing to recognize that Christmas even exists.

Walgreens doesn't want to offend non-Christians by using the word Christmas. The fact that they're censoring the use of Christmas and might offend Christians by doing so seems to be of no importance.

Based on current advertising, below is a list of companies that avoid, ban, or use the term "Christmas" in their advertising.

Other companies AGAINST "Christmas"

Banana Republic

Barnes & Noble

Foot Locker

Gap Stores

Hancock Fabrics

L.L. Bean

Limited Brands

Office Depot

Old Navy

Radio Shack

Staples

Supervalu

Victoria's Secret

Walgreens

For more info, visit: http://action.afa.net/item.aspx?id=2147486887

Smith & Wesson Mailbox

2011-11-19T16:11:00.000-05:00

A mailbox that you'll remember.

79 aircraft that should have been taxed

2011-11-19T14:26:00.001-05:00

County Assessor Jake Zimmerman says his staff discovered 79 aircraft that should have been — but weren't — on county tax rolls. They added $1.6 million to the county's personal property tax billings this year, including $300,000 paid by McCaskill and her husband.

McCaskill disclosed her tax problem to reporters in March after the online news site Politico raised questions about her use of the plane. She hinted that because the county relied on owners to report their own property, there could be others who owed taxes, too.

The Post-Dispatch later analyzed data on federal aircraft registrations, and takeoffs and landings, and compared them with tax accounts. It found several planes that seemed to be based in St. Louis County but weren't on tax rolls.

When asked about the Post-Dispatch findings, Zimmerman said he planned to investigate 'substantial noncompliance" with tax obligations by aircraft owners.

In an interview with the Post-Dispatch last week, Zimmerman said his inquiry was far from over and that his findings could be "the tip of the iceberg."

He said several plane owners reported themselves and declared their property after the Post-Dispatch story. His staff also found taxable aircraft by pressuring private hangars at the county-owned Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Chesterfield to comply with state law and provide contact information for their tenants.

He said a staff member also analyzed data on takeoffs and landings, and scoured websites, to identify planes flying under the tax radar.

Zimmerman said a few businesses at Spirit continue to refuse to respond to his office's request for information about planes.

"This is a detective story that is going to be going on for months," Zimmerman said.

It's a matter of fairness for people who are paying their taxes.

"What do taxing districts do when revenue is down? They raise taxes," he said.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/st-louis-county-assessor-finds-planes-that-weren-t-on/article_0fe84457-dac8-551b-a770-95010027dac0.html#ixzz1eBHAcdUr

Ellisville Trash Contract Approved

2011-11-19T13:54:00.001-05:00

The Ellisville City Council approved its contract with Allied Services Inc. for residential solid waste disposal and recycling services and yard waste.

The contract extension goes until Dec. 31, 2015, with an additional three-year option through Dec. 31, 2018, at the discretion of the city.

The fees for solid waste and recycling curbside collection and disposal services will remain at a monthly rate of $13.49, with fees for all additional years increased with the consumer price index not to exceed 4 percent.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/local-news-digest/article_0b7ee9a5-70ba-5c77-9784-bc5fdeff7793.html#ixzz1eB9YVG95

Women’s Shelter & County Parks Held Hostage

2011-11-18T08:54:00.001-05:00

http://mopns.com/2011/11/11/womens-shelter-county-parks-held-hostage-to-dooleys-political-appointees/#more-4396

St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley proposes selling county parks to make up for an alleged budget deficit. In order to save money, Dooley has been ordering the county’s domestic abuse shelter to only admit county residents – all while his political appointees keep their cushy taxpayer funded jobs!

St. Louis County officials are denying reports that they have been requiring proof of residency from abuse victims seeking entry to the county’s domestic violence shelter.

Michelle Schiller-Baker, executive director of St. Martha’s Hall, a domestic violence shelter in the city of St. Louis, said her staff has been getting reports for months that the county’s Kathy J. Weinman Shelter has been turning women and children away who were not county residents.

Schiller-Baker said she called the county’s director of human services, Andrea Jackson-Jennings, to confirm reports that the county had begun to turn some away.

“Andrea told me that yes, at this time, the county shelter was only accepting county residents,” Schiller-Baker said Thursday. “I asked Andrea who decided to make this change and she said the decision came from (County Executive) Charlie Dooley and (the county’s Chief Operating Officer) Garry Earls, because Weinman is a taxpayer-funded shelter.”

Gov. Nixon Offers Help to Dooley to Keep St. Louis County Parks Open

2011-11-18T08:40:00.001-05:00

Nixon said that he had offered assistance to Dooley. In particular, the governor mentioned Lone Elk Park, which is adjacent to Castlewood State Park. Nixon said such a state-county operation there would save money.

Scott said that the county and the state had not discussed which parks could be part of the plan, or when such a joint operation would happen.

County Council Chairman Steve Stenger has said that the threat to close the parks was actually Dooley's ruse to gain a tax increase that Stenger said the county does not need.

Dooley has denied such a tactic.

The county's chief operating officer, Garry Earls, said last month that the county hoped to share management of some parks with other governmental entities. He cited the possibilities that Lone Elk would go to the Missouri Department of Conservation; Greensfelder to the city of Wildwood; George Winter to Fenton; and Bon Oak to Dellwood.

Earls initially said that some of the parks, including Lone Elk, could be sold. However, Dooley dismissed that possibility at a special budget meeting Tuesday night.

Residents Rally Outside County Government Headquarters in Support of County Parks

2011-11-18T08:29:00.000-05:00

Paul Hampel of the Post Dispatch in his recent article advises a crowd spilled out of the St. Louis County Council chambers and into the hallway on Tuesday demanding that the county administration rescind its proposal to close 23 parks as part of a plan to balance next year's budget.

The crowd of about 500 people, 90 of whom signed up to speak at the special budget hearing, was the largest in memory for a meeting at the county administration building in Clayton.

The turnout proved that County Executive Charlie A. Dooley touched a collective nerve two weeks ago when he sent a budget recommendation to the council that calls for closing almost half of the county's 50 active parks, eliminating 175 jobs, cutting back on snow removal in unincorporated subdivisions and closing facilities such as the government's West County Satellite Center. About 140 of the jobs to be cut are in the parks department.

Dooley, a Democrat, said the cuts would save the county $10 million and balance the 2012 budget. Parks he marked for closure include Lone Elk, Greensfelder, Fort Bellefontaine and George Winter.

The council has balked at Dooley's proposal, vowing not to pass the budget without changes. Dooley, once again, may be suffering from foot-in-mouth disease.

"Speaking for myself, I will not support a budget proposal that seeks to sell or close parks," Council Chairman Steve Stenger, D-south St. Louis County, announced to loud applause at the start of the meeting. The other council members then took turns announcing that they, too, were adamantly opposed to park closures.

Stenger has said that he does not believe that park closures or layoffs are needed in order to balance the budget. He recently established a special budget committee to examine the issue.

Dooley vowed to work with the council and the public to mitigate painful budget cuts. "But we can't continue to do what we used to do with the same amount of money," he said. Dooley did promise that no county parks would be sold.

Among the many speakers to address Dooley and the council was Kevin Ganley, a retired parks supervisor. Ganley, whose son currently works in the parks department, asked that layoffs be spread more evenly. "If layoffs are required, I think a fairer implementation is needed, and all political appointees should be the first to go," he said.

Marty Koch, of the Affton area, told elected officials that voters would not tolerate threats to parks. "If this wonderful county park system, which took so long to assemble, is split up, or sold or turned over to other government entities, I don't care who you are or what party you're in, you won't be re-elected," Koch said.

Stenger has accused Dooley of using the parks issue and the threat of layoffs and cuts in services as leverage to force the council to approve a tax increase.

My Blackberry Is Not Working

2011-11-17T22:12:00.002-05:00

http://www.flixxy.com/my-blackberry-is-not-working.htm

Check this out if your PC or blackberry is not working.

St. Louis County to webcast revenue projections

2011-11-15T09:10:00.000-05:00

St. Louis County budget director Paul Kreidler will present revenue stream projections through 2018 in a live webcast at 6 p.m. tonight. The public may view the presentation live.

Questions may be submitted before, during and after the webcast via email to answers@stlouisco.com and to Twitter @SaintLouCo using hashtag #STLC2012.

Kreidler had given a similar presentation to members of the County Council in early September at the height of a feud between the council and County Executive Charlie A. Dooley over a tax hike that Dooley was seeking.

The county executive and the council have found themselves again at odds in recent weeks over Dooley's recommended budget for 2012, in which he calls for closing 23 county parks and eliminating 175 jobs.

Kreidler has repeatedly forecast steadily declining property and sales tax revenue in the face of rising costs.

Tonight's presentation will be archived on the county's website, stlouisco.com.

Dealers Give Teens Free Heroin Samples

2011-11-14T11:50:00.001-05:00

St. Louis County Police Chief, Tim Fitch, says dealers are giving teens free samples of heroin. Sometimes teens are not told that its heroin. Once they get addicted to it, the teens start buying it from drug dealers.

This year, 69 people have died from heroin in St. Louis County. That's up from last year. And statistics show the people dying from heroin overdoses are younger than in the past.

The police chief says the heroin is coming mainly from Mexico via drug dealers in Chicago. He says Fenton is Ground Zero for heroin.

"I always ask them, how did you use this the first time?" says Fitch. "And they will almost always tell you it was in some party situation. They were already impaired by alcohol, or impaired by marijuana, or impaired by painkillers and they just took the next step."

The St. Louis County Police Department is setting an example for other departments around the country with their town hall forums on heroin. The chief gets calls from other departments about how they are educating the public. The next town hall forum is November 15th at Rockwood Summit High School from 7 to 8:30 PM.

Public Budget Hearing on Parks & Save Our Parks Rally

2011-11-13T19:52:00.005-05:00

County residents are organizing a rally in opposition to the proposed closing of parks and other facilities in St. Louis County. The rally is set for Tuesday, November 15 • 4:30pm - 10:00pm
________________________________________

Location - St. Louis County Government Center, 41. S. Central Avenue, Clayton, Mo.
________________________________________

Created By - "Help Save Lone Elk Park In St.Louis,Mo"
________________________________________

More Info - Stand Up to Save Parks! & Save Our Parks Rally

Attend the Public Hearing
St. Louis County Council Public Hearing on Proposed 2012 Budget- Tuesday November 15, 6:00pm
St. Louis County Government Center, 41. S. Central Avenue, Clayton, Mo.

In order to address the business before the Council at this meeting in an efficient manner, the Council will NOT hear public testimony at this meeting on the topics of the 2012 Recommended Budget and/or recommendations pertaining to the St. Louis County Parks.

Interested parties who wish to comment publicly on these specific topics are encouraged to attend the St. Louis County Council’s Public Hearing immediately following the regular Council meeting at 6:30 p.m.

===========================

///////Save Our Parks Rally///////

Tuesday, November 15 • 4:30pm - 6:00pm

City Council Chambers

41 S. Central Ave.

Clayton, MO

Wear green, bring bullhorns / noise-makers / bike horns, and get ready to tell the STL Co. Council we won't let them close our parks!

Meet at 41 S. Central Ave., 4:30 P.M. to RALLY against this proposal!

>> Stay after the Rally to SPEAK at the St. Louis County Council Meeting at 6 P.M.

Make your voice count.

Politics Rotten in St. George; Residents Vote to Get out of the Business of Running a City

2011-11-13T19:31:00.000-05:00

Thanks to a movement led by Ms. Carmen Wilkerson, mayor of the municipality of St. George, voters ( population 1,337), decided to disincorporate their town. St. Louis County now has 90 municipalities, not 91.
It's a start.

For decades, studies have shown fractured government to be a major impediment to the growth of the region. The biggest problem is the city-county split, but within St. Louis County itself, the vast proliferation of municipal governments and other taxing agencies has led to wasteful and inefficient government. In some towns, city services are poor to non-existent.

This raises the question as to how many other of the 90 cities within St. Louis County are experiencing the same thing.

Like many of the county's small municipalities, St. George relied heavily on traffic ticket revenue, much of it from an infamous speed trap on Reavis Barracks Road.

Earlier this year, Ms. Wilkerson said, she learned that city officials had been in contact with officials in far-off Charlack, a near-north county municipality famous for government-by-speed trap. The idea was that Charlack would send officers across 10 or 11 county municipalities to run speed traps in St. George, she said.

Again, this raises the question as to how many other of the 90 cities within St. Louis County are experiencing the same thing.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/columns/the-platform/editorial-st-george-slays-the-dragon-of-fractured-government/article_a71678a3-ab4c-5d70-99e5-47f1009b3cff.html#ixzz1ddPgE07K

County Parks Going to The Dogs

2011-11-09T20:03:00.000-04:00

Hmm. Let's see if I get this straight. We're spending $4.5 to open an animal shelter and also proposing to close some of the prime parks in St. Louis County. Somehow this just doesn't mesh. What do you think?

County Officials Looking to Close County Parks to Save Money

2011-11-09T02:18:00.002-04:00

Members of the St. Louis County Council and County Executive Charlie A. Dooley vowed on Tuesday night to seek ways around closing county parks, cutting services and laying off employees next year.
"I'm concerned about the parks and I'm frustrated about the parks," Dooley said at the regular meeting of the council in Clayton. "My family uses the parks, just like your family uses the parks. I'm confident that we can come up with alternatives to closing them."

Last week, Dooley sent a budget recommendation to the council that called for closing 23 of the county's 50 active parks, eliminating 175 jobs, cutting back on snow removal and closing facilities such as the West County Satellite Center.

Dooley said the cuts would save the county $10 million and balance the 2012 budget.

Council Chairman Steve Stenger, who strongly criticized Dooley's proposal, said he would "do everything possible to keep the parks open and to preserve services."

Stenger has accused Dooley of using the parks issue and the threat of layoffs and cuts in services as leverage to force the council to approve a tax increase. Stenger maintains that the county can balance its budget without making the cuts Dooley has recommended.

A majority of the council has said it would not approve Dooley's budget without changes. Failing to approve the budget by the Dec. 31 deadline would mean that the county would operate under the 2010 budget while the council regularly approves spending.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/st-louis-county-residents-plead-to-save-parks/article_e906637a-5b11-5ae6-949a-9cd8a4c09f57.html#ixzz1dBbrvdsb

Dooley's controversial proposal, filled with cuts, fuels ongoing interparty feud

2011-11-07T01:26:00.002-04:00

Party politics, with its foundation of lockstep voting, private disagreements and routine political hires, is cracking in St. Louis County.
The latest fracture followed County Executive Charlie A. Dooley's presentation Monday to the County Council of his proposed 2012 budget.

For many years, Democratic County Councils have routinely approved budgets presented by Democratic county executives. Before that, it was the Republicans who were in sync.

But with a call for closing almost half of the county's 50 active parks, 175 job cuts and reduced snow plowing, this was no typical budget proposal.

And since Steve Stenger was sworn in as the Democratic councilman from Affton in 2009, this has been no typical County Council.

Stenger — now the council chairman — has publicly opposed Dooley on key issues. Five of the seven council members are Democrats, and most have consistently backed Stenger.

He has raised objections to:

• The departure of former Police Chief Jerry Lee, who was replaced after he publicly questioned Dooley's expenditures.

• A proposed contract for a family member of a longtime Dooley aide.

• Political hires in administrative positions.

• A tax increase that Dooley proposed in August.

Now, Stenger, backed by the council majority, is digging in against Dooley's budget proposal.

"Dooley's plan is to try and force the County Council to take the blame for a tax increase that county government doesn't need," Stenger said. "The fact that there is dissension between this council and the county executive is to be expected when the county executive holds parks and jobs hostage against us."

Dooley has held the county's top office since 2003, when he succeeded George R. "Buzz" Westfall after Westfall died. He acknowledged the current strained relationship but attributed it to extreme circumstances.

"I'll be 64 on Dec. 1, and we have never in my lifetime been involved in the economic circumstances we have today," Dooley said. "I think that changes the way people do things."

One longtime observer — and former participant — of county politics said he could not recall a relationship that was this combative between prominent members of the same political party in county government.

"The answer is no; I can tell you that without even thinking about it," said Gene McNary, whose tenure as county executive from 1975 to 1989 marked the last time a Republican held the seat. "When the council was Republican and I was county executive, we knew we were a team on 90 percent of the issues. On the other 10, we settled things privately."

Dooley's senior policy adviser, Mike Jones, said last week that partisan politics as they have existed in the county may be extinct. County government, he predicted, will include more of the visceral, interparty feuds that have long been a hallmark of politics in the city of St. Louis.

"My observation, based on my 30 years in politics, is that party identification and party loyalty is not what it used to be in the county," said Jones, chief of staff to St. Louis Mayor Clarence Harmon in the 1990s. "And dissension, depending on how it plays out and what its motivation is, may not necessarily be a bad thing."

Read a lot more at:
Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/democratic-unity-fractures-in-st-louis-county/article_544623c2-0de9-5891-b4c3-2a33f5842389.html#ixzz1czhvhRtw

South St. Louis County corridor moves forward

2011-11-07T01:22:00.001-04:00

Only one of five corridors considered to provide better north-south access from South St. Louis County will proceed to the analysis phase, St. Louis County officials said Thursday.

According to a press release from the St. Louis County Department of Highways and Traffic and Public Works, officials want additional analysis on expanding River Des Peres Boulevard. The project is expected to address issues with road capacity, congestion and safety, the release stated. The decision came after the study team screened all the proposed areas - including Laclede Station Road, Shrewsbury Avenue, South Outer Road and one using local roads - for their ability to meet the project's goals as well as social and environmental factors and public input.

The River Des Peres Boulevard corridor would begin at Hanley Road, just north of Deer Creek Park, and continue on the north side of Deer Creek, pass through either Big Bend Industrial Court or the Laclede Gas property, then cross Interstate 44 and pass through the Shrewsbury MetroLink Station to connect to River Des Peres Boulevard. Officials said the project includes an option for a new full interchange with Interstate 44 near the Shrewsbury MetroLink Station.

County officials have said the project could begin between five and 10 years from now.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/plans-for-south-st-louis-county-corridor-move-forward/article_8fc8c674-0674-11e1-bf17-001a4bcf6878.html#ixzz1czgnhyhA

Girl Scouts now allow 'transgendered boys' to join Brownie troops

2011-11-01T21:27:00.003-04:00

If you're against this action, send an email to the new Girl Scouts of America chief executive, Anna Maria Chávez, expressing your disappointment in their recent decision to allow boys as troop members.

> November 1, 2011

The Girl Scouts of Colorado has flip-flopped on a decision not to let a 7-year-old boy join their organization, now saying he is welcome even though he's not a girl, according to FoxNews.

The Girl Scouts issued a statement to the local Fox affiliate, saying they are an inclusive organization and will accept "Bobby." The troop leader who turned him away made a mistake, they said, and the situation is being rectified. "If a child identifies as a girl and the child's family presents her as a girl, Girl Scouts of Colorado welcomes her as a Girl Scout," the statement said.

This follows a long history of liberal leanings by the Girl Scouts of America:

The Girls Scouts of America has lost it's way and lost its mind. A boy is not a girl, end of story.

TAKE ACTION

Send an email to the new Girl Scouts of America chief executive, Anna Maria Chávez, (http://secure.afa.net/afa/activism/TakeAction.asp?id=410) expressing your disappointment in their recent decision to allow boys as troop members. Let them know you will not support the Girl Scouts as long as it continues down a path of destructive policies.

The American Family Assocication (AFA) is proud to recommend the Christian-based American Heritage Girls as an alternative to the Girl Scouts of America. American Heritage Girls has over 13,000 members in 41 states.

Smoking Bans Help Business

2011-11-01T16:19:00.003-04:00

Despite warnings to the contrary, restaurants did nicely in Clayton in the first year of the city's smoking ban.

"The Clayton scene is alive and well and, most importantly, more healthy, than it has ever been," said Mayor Linda Goldstein, who advocated the ban to protect public health. Sales tax revenue from restaurants is up slightly, and the number of restaurants is increasing, Goldstein said.

The ban on smoking in restaurants and other public places went into effect July 1, 2010.

City officials said that from July 2009 through April 2010, the city took in $1,677,269 in sales tax revenue from restaurants. From July 2010 through April 2011, the restaurants collected $1,684,029 in sales taxes, an increase of about $7,000.

Clayton's ban was followed by St. Louis County and city of St. Louis bans that went into effect on Jan. 2, 2011. Both the city and county bans include exemptions for establishments that do not sell much food.

Scare tactics like the photo above turned into false advertising. Smokers, take note. Smoke free businesses make more money.

County Exec Proposes Closing Parks & Other Facilities Plus Eliminating Jobs

2011-11-01T15:54:00.001-04:00

Executive Charlie A. Dooley on Monday presented a budget to the County Council that calls for eliminating 175 jobs, closing 20 parks and other facilities, and increasing fees for construction permits.

Many of the positions targeted for elimination are currently vacant, but funding for them would be eliminated. County officials said the budget would require some layoffs but couldn't estimate how many.

Among the parks recommended to be closed are Lone Elk in West County, George Winter in South County, Fort Bellefontaine in North County and all three county-operated swimming pools. Also proposed for shutdown would be the St. Vincent Community Center in North County.

Under Dooley's plan, some county residents would get a taste of life in the city of St. Louis during winter storms: The county would not plow subdivision streets in unincorporated areas when it snows 2 inches or less, a move projected to save $277,000 in overtime, fuel and salt.

In a letter distributed late Monday afternoon to the council, Dooley stated that, altogether, the cuts would save the county $10 million.

He said declining tax revenue and rising prices forced the slashing.

An All St. Louis World Series Remembered

2011-10-31T14:44:00.000-04:00

St. Louis is still abuzz over the Cardinals capturing the World Series. Can you imagine how wild St. Louis would have been if all 7 games would have been played in St. Louis. This was the case in 1944 when we enjoyed two professional teams here. Our two were the St. Louis Browns and the St. Louis Cardinals.

By the time 1944 rolled around, the Cardinals had well established themselves as the predominant team, but that was not the case in the early 1900s. The Browns were the powerhouse. It was in the mid 1920s their decline started and continued to the early 1940s.

The 1944 World Series was an all-St. Louis World Series, matching up the St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Browns at Sportsman's Park. It marked only the third time in World Series history in which both teams had the same home field.

The Browns left St. Louis after the 1953 season and became the Baltimore Orioles. To show how strong a baseball town St. Louis is, after 58 years the Browns are still very popular with their fan club (330 members), memorabilia sales on eBay, mentioned numerous times in the newspapers during the recent World Series, and now planning a museum presence in the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame in the Scottrade Center in early 2012.

While we dearly love the World Champ Cardinals, a lot of St. Louis still “follow the Browns.”

Top Scams for 2011

2011-10-28T18:11:00.002-04:00

Where there is money to be had, there will always be con artists looking for new ways to scam you. Listed below are five top scam complaints to protect yourself against:

• Skimming is on the increase this year. Banks have been reporting a huge increase in ATM rigging. Criminals attach a device to the ATM that collects the card information or traps the card so they can use it. When using an ATM, always check around the machine for anything unusual before placing your card into the slot.

• Along with other economy related scams, such as loan modification and foreclosure rip offs, work-from-home scam complaints are becoming more prevalent. Con artists will state that the job requires the purchase of materials to begin working and claim you'll be reimbursed on your first check. Legitimate employers do not charge you for information, start-up kits, software or anything else related to the position. A few popular types of work-from-home scams to avoid are assembly, marketing and stuffing envelopes.

• Internet phishing is still a fast growing complaint with the advancement of more sophisticated malware and hacking of social networking accounts. These phishing scams steal your identity and financial information. Never open emails or links from unknown senders. It's also a good practice to change your passwords often.

• The simple, and less sophisticated, "doorstep" scams are easier to spot. Fake contractors, utility workers, charity collectors and others make the rounds from neighborhood to neighborhood. Simply ask the individual for ident ification, license number or a supervisors name and phone number to verify their identity.

• Vacation and travel related scams mainly target those who journey abroad. Fraudulent companies will book the traveler in sub-standard accommodations or disappear with their money altogether. Be wary of unsolicited offers and promotions as well as unknown callers. Only use established, well-known company websites. If you are suspicious of a deal, research the company and offer before giving out your credit card information.

Creve Coeur Approves Trash Extension

2011-10-27T09:37:00.001-04:00

The Creve Coeur City Council has approved a contract extension for trash collection with Allied Waste through 2014, with a possible extension through June 2017.

City Administrator Mark Perkins said the contract will save the city 10 percent of what it's paying now because recycling has helped cut costs.

Under the contract, residents will pay $20.20 per month for curbside and rear trash collection. One resident who spoke up at the council meeting to object to the contract questioned the cost. Stan Edelstein, a retired accountant, said that eliminating the rear trash collection would mean residents would pay only $14.62 per household.

Chickens in the Subdivision

2011-10-26T11:46:00.000-04:00

GrantwoodVillage recently hatched a plan that was what chicken lovers wanted.

GrantwoodVillage will allow residents to keep chickens in their backyards. "We feelthat this will be a good law," said Cathy Forand, chairman of theGrantwood Village Board of Trustees. "We were looking for ways for peopleto have chickens without disturbing their neighbors."

Householdswill have a limit of four hens with no roosters, so as to keep down the noise.They must be kept in a covered, fenced enclosure with the chicken coop insideof it. The area and coop must be kept clean to avoid fowl odors.

Theenclosure must be attached to the back wall of the house.By attaching it to theback wall, the coop and chickens also will not be seen from the street.

Thevillage's board of trustees approved the plan at its Oct. 18 meeting. Anordinance to pass the plan will be on the Nov. 15 agenda.

How's The Pavement in Your Community? Stop Cracks Before they Destroy You.

2011-10-22T17:06:00.000-04:00

http://www.badpavement.com

Frontenac Approves Changes to Residential Fences

2011-10-21T09:19:00.000-04:00

Frontenac is losing some of its openness with the approval of a new fence ordinance, allowing fences to be up to 6 feet tall. There are many provisions to slow the growth of closing some of the openess in the community. For example, all fences must be black metallic in a wrought iron style in steel or aluminum finishes. Stockade fences for new homes and replacements are now banned by voice vote of the board of aldermen, passing by a vote of 5-1.

“We are approving this with an abundance of caution,” Ward 3 Alderman John Levis said.

After a lengthy discussion by homeowners, the unofficial tally was 6-5 favoring the new ordinance. About 40 concerned residents attended the meeting.

Several of the speakers said losing stockade fences would be a hardship for those who live on busy through streets and seek additional privacy. Mayor Keith Krieg tried to call for a 12th hour compromise, only to be soundly defeated by a vote of the aldermen.

Nine Things That Will Disappear in our Lifetime

2011-10-14T11:49:00.002-04:00

1. The Post Office. Get ready to imagine a world without the post office. They are so deeply in financial trouble that there is probably no way to sustain it long term. Email, Fed Ex, and UPS have just about wiped out the minimum revenue needed to keep the post office alive. Most of your mail every day is junk mail and bills.

2. The Check. Britain is already laying the groundwork to do away with checks by 2018. It costs the financial system billions of dollars a year to process checks. Plastic cards and online transactions will lead to the eventual demise of the check. This plays right into the death of the post office. If you never paid your bills by mail and never received them by mail, the post office would absolutely go out of business.

3. The Newspaper. The younger generation simply doesn't read the newspaper. They certainly don't subscribe to a daily delivered print edition. That may go the way of the milkman and the laundry man. As for reading the paper online, get ready to pay for it. The rise in mobile Internet devices and e-readers has caused all the newspaper and magazine publishers to form an alliance. They have met with Apple, Amazon, and the major cell phone companies to develop a model for paid subscription services.

4. The Book. You say you will never give up the physical book that you hold in your hand and turn the literal pages. I said the same thing about downloading music from iTunes. I wanted my hard copy CD. But I quickly changed my mind when I discovered that I could get albums for half the price without ever leaving home to get the latest music. The same thing will happen with books. You can browse a bookstore online and even read a preview chapter before you buy. And the price is less than half that of a real book. And think of the convenience! Once you start flicking your fingers on the screen instead of the book, you find that you are lost in the story, can't wait to see what happens next, and you forget that you're holding a gadget instead of a book.

5. The Land Line Telephone. Unless you have a large family and make a lot of local calls, you don't need it anymore. Most people keep it simply because they've always had it. But you are paying double charges for that extra service. All the cell phone companies will let you call customers using the same cell provider for no charge against your minutes

6. Music. This is one of the saddest parts of the change story. The music industry is dying a slow death. Not just because of illegal downloading. It's the lack of innovative new music being given a chance to get to the people who would like to hear it. Greed and corruption is the problem. The record labels and the radio conglomerates are simply self-destructing. Over 40% of the music purchased today is "catalog items," meaning traditional music that the public is familiar with. Older established artists. This is also true on the live concert circuit. To explore this fascinating and disturbing topic further, check out the book, "Appetite for Self-Destruction" by Steve Knopper, and the video documentary, "Before the Music Dies."

7. Television. Revenues to the networks are down dramatically. Not just because of the economy. People are watching TV and movies streamed from their computers. And they're playing games and doing lots of other things that take up the time that used to be spent watching TV. Prime time shows have degenerated down to lower than the lowest common denominator. Cable rates are skyrocketing and commercials run about every 4 minutes and 30 seconds. I say good riddance to most of it. It's time for the cable companies to be put out of our misery.. Let the people choose what they want to watch online and through Netflix.

8. The "Things" That You Own. Many of the very possessions that we used to own are still in our lives, but we may not actually own them in the future. They may simply reside in "the cloud." Today your computer has a hard drive and you store your pictures, music, movies, and documents. Your software is on a CD or DVD, and you can always re-install it if need be. But all of that is changing. Apple, Microsoft, and Google are all finishing up their latest "cloud services." That means that when you turn on a computer, the Internet will be built into the operating system. So, Windows, Google, and the Mac OS will be tied straight into the Internet. If you click an icon, it will open something in the Internet cloud. If you save something, it will be saved to the cloud. And you may pay a monthly subscription fee to the cloud provider. In this virtual world, you can access your music or your books, or your whatever from any laptop or handheld device. That's the good news. But, will you actually own any of this "stuff" or will it all be able to disappear at any moment in a big "Poof?" Will most of the things in our lives be disposable and whimsical? It makes you want to run to the closet and pull out that photo album, grab a book from the shelf, or open up a CD case and pull out the insert.

9. Privacy. If there ever was a concept that we can look back on nostalgically, it would be privacy. That's gone. It's been gone for a long time anyway. There are cameras on the street, in most of the buildings, and even built into your computer and cell phone. But you can be sure that 24/7, "They" know who you are and where you are, right down to the GPS coordinates, and the Google Street View. If you buy something, your habit is put into a zillion profiles, and your ads will change to reflect those habits. And "They" will try to get you to buy something else. Again and again.

All we will have that can't be changed are Memories.

Alton Approves Allied Waste for Trash Services

2011-10-14T11:41:00.000-04:00

The Alton City Council on Wednesday approved contracting with Allied Waste Services for trash pickup, recycling and yard waste removal for nine more years.

Allied Waste has held the city's contract for at least 10 years and officials say the new agreement will save the city more than $400,000 over the next few years.

Alton pays about $2 million annually in refuse services for its residents, which includes about 11,400 homes. Residents now pay $16.88 a month for the service. Under the new contract, that fee will decrease to $15.25 through September 2012 then rise to $15.86 through 2013 and $16.49 until 2014. Trash rates won't actually increase from what is paid now until 2015, when the monthly fee will be $17.15.

Two other proposed changes from the existing contract include automated trash and recycle services, in which two carts will be provided to each home, one for trash and one for recycling. Also bulk item pickup will be scheduled and paid for by the individual resident.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/illinois/article_b65e9910-f555-11e0-a7e2-0019bb30f31a.html#ixzz1alq8BK4m

Attn: Remodelers, Decorators (Interior or Exterior), Craftsmen

2011-10-05T10:55:00.000-04:00

Attention home decorators on a budget. Interior or Exterior. A city resident asked for our help in disposing of vintage doors removed from a remodeling rehab project. Jim has 22 doors that needs to get moved out of a garage. Some are solid, or paneled and some with glass (french door).

What can you do with doors? We asked the same question and when we went searching, we came up with some great home decorations. You can see what some doors look like after they are enhanced. You can also view some of the doors which are available from Jim. We set up this blog site for doors only. http://vintagedoors.blogspot.com/.

Jim’s rehab project is 99% complete. If you have a friend, family or co-worker looking for an enhanced place to live, checkout –

Walk to S. Grand, Tower Grove Park and all the great places on Morganford. Newly rehabbed 2-unit building in Tower Grove South. Downstairs unit available. 900 sq ft. one bedroom.

The layout and dimensions from front to back are....living room (13x12), large multi-use room in the middle (18X12), bathroom, galley style kitchen (8x7) large dine-in area (12x11), bedroom (12x10.5) with walk out deck (10x7.5). Each unit comes with use of ½ of 2 car garage.

Washer and electric dryer hookups in basement. 2 1/2 blocks from Grand and about 8 blocks south of Arsenal.

All NEW amenities include kitchen, bath, hardwood floors, light fixtures, appliances, doors, windows, plumbing, furnace, central air. Must see in person. More pictures available at https://picasaweb.google.com/105530328045746055772/ForRent#

$700/mo with $700 deposit, Minimum 1 yr lease.

Contact Jim at: 314-397-0573.

Call Jim to see all at 314-397-0573

Great Rivers Greenway invites residents to participate in 3rd annual River Des Peres Trash Bash

2011-09-30T19:32:00.000-04:00

The Great Rivers Greenway District, in partnership with the River des Peres Watershed Coalition and the St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer District, is inviting area residents to join them in their fight to clean up the rivers and creeks within the River des Peres watershed. On Saturday, Oct. 8, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., the three organizations are sponsoring the third-annual River des Peres Trash Bash, a family friendly event being held with the goal of improving area neighborhoods and water quality in St. Louis City and County.

Volunteers of all ages are needed to clear litter from several sites, including Gravois Creek in Crestwood/Green Park, Deer Creek in Maplewood/Ladue, Engelholm Creek near the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus, the Lower River des Peres along Germania St. in South St. Louis City and the Upper River des Peres in University City. Registration will take place from 8 a.m. to 8:30. The main sign-in location will be held at Fultz Field, located along the River des Peres Greenway on River des Peres Boulevard between Morganford and Gravois in St. Louis City. The second registration site will be at Centennial Commons, located at 7210 Olive Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63130. All cleaning supplies will be provided to volunteers.

The clean-up event will last from 8:30 a.m. to noon with a celebratory lunch taking place at Fultz Field from noon to 1 p.m. During lunch, volunteers will also be rewarded for their efforts with entertainment and prizes for the “best” trash finds.

“The annual River des Peres Trash Bash has proven to be a successful clean-up event in previous years, and we are expecting an even bigger turnout this year,” said Susan Trautman, executive director of Great Rivers Greenway. “The St. Louis area is filled with residents who value our waterways and neighborhoods, and we encourage new and old volunteers, alike, to join us for our third annual event and help improve the waterways and neighborhoods located in or around the River des Peres watershed.”

10 High Priority Utilities You Need in a New Home

2011-09-28T16:20:00.001-04:00

Here's the first 5 and you can get the entire list of 10 at:
http://www.connectutilities.org/blog/2011/10-high-priority-utilities-you-need-in-a-new-home/

---------------------

I’m grateful for the day of modern conveniences. I have early childhood memories of getting my homework done by lamp light or eating supper by lamp light in the winter for sure. However I have to squeeze my brain hard to remember the strain it had on my eyes. It doesn’t take long for us to get accustomed to modern conveniences and utilities.

In moving to another location, especially to another state, finding the utilities you are accustomed to, we may have to rely on a realtor or the company we work for to help us find the best for our household.

We can’t do without electricity, and this is one of the first things we want to be informed about.

1. How much the former owners paid on average, Ask the Electrical company if you have a choice of levelized billing. Meaning we pay the same amount (within a few dollars of course) each month. The statement takes an average of the past twelve months previous usage, and bills you for one twelfth of the entire year. It really works for me and makes it so much easier to do a budget using a figure that won’t vary much from month to month. If you are in the process of purchasing a home with a history of a huge electricity bill, I’d take a second look as to why. Not enough insulation, or is there several children who keep doors and lights on to cool the neighborhood?

2. Many homes do not have any appliance that needs natural gas. For those whose water heater runs from gas, or the heating unit, it would be good to have a choice. Many states are blessed to have a choice making the price competitive. This is one of those utilities (the same with electricity) we could call from our home before moving, and learn what companies are available, and what is needed up front; Like, deposit and how much, as well as if they offer levelized billing.

3. I learned quickly the name brands of Sanitation Companies, may own the biggest and best looking trucks, but the little man can offer a better price. I figure as long as they take my garbage to the dump, I don’t care what they drive. So a way to save money is to shop around (especially in the newspaper service area) and find a man who makes his living picking up the garbage. His prices are much better and again, it is a good idea to support the small business man.

4. Many years ago, the government got involved in the Bell Telephone Company and broke it into smaller companies. Otherwise they were a monopoly and could charge anything they wanted. Today the choices are somewhat better, in that we don’t even have to have a land line unless there are circumstances that dictate otherwise. If you are one of those households that need a land line, your realtor should be able to give you a list of utility providers.

5. Whether kids are involved or not, we love our TV and what it has to offer. There are many choices to fit every budget. Making the choice that fits you should be easy enough as Direct TV, Cable Service, Satellite and other services that bring the world to your door is a fairly simple decision to make as long as you have the facts you need. Again, letting your fingers do the walking through the yellow pages should give you information to fulfill your desires for TV reception.

Read more at: http://www.connectutilities.org/blog/2011/10-high-priority-utilities-you-need-in-a-new-home/

St. Louis County Board of Equalization Takes Action

2011-09-27T20:31:00.002-04:00

The St. Louis County Board of Equalization, following a dramatic hearing Tuesday afternoon about the appraised values of the county's two casinos, threw out one of its rulings and stood by another.

Earlier this month, the board cut the values of River City Casino in Lemay from the the county assessor's preliminary estimate of $284 million to $164 million.

It reduced the value of Harrah's casino in Maryland Heights from $502 million to $215 million.

Last week, County Assessor Jake Zimmerman assailed the cuts, calling them "outrageous" while questioning the board's competency. (Click on photo enlarge)

On Tuesday, board chairman Leslie Broadnax defended herself and her fellow board members, accusing Zimmerman of "creating a problem and then campaigning against" it.

After an hour of testimony that include comments from Zimmerman, attorneys and officials on behalf of the casinos and representatives of taxing districts, Broadnax and her fellow board members, Burton Boxerman and Thomas Craddock, huddled together with the board's attorney to sort out the matter.

Four minutes later, they delivered their ruling: The board set the market value on River City back to where it had been in 2010 — $270 million, and left Harrah's at $215 million.

Read more from the Post Dispatch at: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_9ba4e424-e945-11e0-ba23-001a4bcf6878.html#ixzz1ZCbGM9Uj

Building in a Historic Section of St. Louis Collapses; Across from Shaw's Garden

2011-09-27T19:38:00.000-04:00

A building collapsed in the heart of a historic neighborhood. The residential building sits right across from St. Louis' famed botanical garden.

The back wall of the building actually collapsed. It happened sometime Sunday morning and both residents and city leaders say this has been a problem property for the past decade." It happened in the historic Shaw neighborhood at 4274 Flad.

"Houses on the next block are going for half-a- million dollars. Supposedly the world class botanical garden is right across the street," says McGraw Milhaven, a local radio personality who lives right next door to the building. Milhaven says it's been vacant for the past 10 years.

The owner has been cited for a number of building code violations. "The city supposedly has tried somehow to somehow get him to fix up this building for 10 years. He hasn't done it. I could have sat and sold tickets to this thing because you knew it was going to happen at any moment," says Milhaven.

Milhaven says within the last week the back wall on the building was starting to buckle. Eighth Ward Alderman Stephen Conway was called-in to take a look. "I came last week, looked at the property. Had the city send the building inspector out. They cited it for the bulge in the wall," says Alderman Conway. Conway says this was the latest of many citations for the building's owner through the years.

For now, what's left of the building has been roped-off and a building inspector who visited the property Sunday plans to recommend demolition. That won't come soon enough for Milhaven, who sits sandwiched between two of the property owner's buildings. "It's a beautiful street, why have a burned out building next to you?"

STL County Sale of Tax Delinquent Property Set for November 1

2011-09-27T14:35:00.000-04:00

The annual supplemental sale of tax delinquent property will be held on Tuesday, November 1, 2011.

The St. Louis County Collector of Revenue announced the sale Tuesday. It will begin at 10 a.m. in front of the County Council Chambers on the first floor of the County Administration building in Clayton.
Sales will go to the highest bidder at the public auction, and all sales are final.

Anyone who wishes to participate in bidding must register beginning at 8:30 a.m. the day of the sale at the Office of the Collector of Revenue at the County Administration building.

Bidders must bring verifiable current picture identification.

Changes to registration will not be made, except for a properly noted assignment of the certificate of purchase.

The St. Louis Countian will publish a list of properties available for bid on September 20, 27, and October 4. The list is subject to change without notice.

Anyone with questions should call the delinquent tax department at 314-615-4207.

Dooley Taking the Heat . . . Again

2011-09-27T09:54:00.001-04:00

The Post Dispatch says Dooley takes heat from taxpayers upset over lower assessments for casinos

By Scott Bandle STLtoday.com
Posted: Monday, September 26, 2011

The idea was for residents to talk with St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley, his staff and department heads. However, at last week's town hall meeting at Lindbergh High School, some residents wanted to speak to one person who wasn't there — St. Louis County Assessor Jake Zimmerman.

During a tense Q&A session with Dooley, a recent decision by the St. Louis County Board of Equalization was brought up. The board lowered the assessed values of the Harrah's and River City casinos by a combined $407 million. River City in Lemay went from $284 million to $164 million. Lemay's taxes from River City will drop from $8.7 million to $5 million.

One resident wanted to know the affect of lost taxes, especially in the Lemay area. "How much money are we going to lose from lost taxes?" he asked.

Each time, Dooley declined to comment, saying that he "couldn't speak for another elected official." "Let's be fair," he said several times. "You need to make an appointment to talk with (Zimmerman)."

When asked why Zimmerman wasn't at the meeting, Dooley said it was just for the county administrative staff.

Gary Barna, 68, felt frustrated that the assessor wasn't there. "I had some questions I hoped I'd get answered," Bama said. "Frankly, this whole thing was a waste of time."

The town hall meeting was the first of two meetings set between St. Louis County administrators and South County residents. The second will be Oct. 19 at Bernard Middle School of the Mehlville School District.

Some residents also asked about the new trash districts and ongoing litigation with the county. In July, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled 5-2 in favor of St. Louis County, dismissing a class-action lawsuit brought by three residents. They believed the new trash districts were unconstitutional.

One of the plaintiffs, Cathy Ambruster, 60, of Lemay, accused Dooley of taking people's rights away. The county selects the trash hauler to handle the routes for a given district.

"We should have the right to choose the trash hauler we want," she said after the meeting. "Dooley is treating us like puppets."

In other litigation, the St. Louis County Circuit Court recently ruled that the county must pay $1.16 million to three trash haulers for breach of contract for hiring one hauler for the trash districts.

County Attorney Pat Redington said the county will continue to fight any legal action. She is confident that appeals would be successful. When asked if the taxpayers will lose money from the lawsuits, she said no. "We've got this kind of legal action in our budget," she said. "We're also insured for this kind of thing. The county gets sued all of the time."

Before the Q&A, session, Chief Operating Officer Garry Earls spoke about South County road projects.

Second South County Town Hall Meeting
WHEN: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19
WHERE: Bernard Middle School gymnasium, 1054 Forder Road

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/suburban-journals/metro/news/article_624d11a4-a90c-5421-bb90-8b45f3fd391d.html#ixzz1ZA0BtCxS

Top Spot in St. L Couinty May turn into a Race

2011-09-26T18:38:00.002-04:00

From the Post Dispatch: BY PAUL HAMPEL • phampel@post-dispatch.com > 314-727-6234 STLtoday.com

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_f13ba3c2-e883-11e0-8a6b-0019bb30f31a.html#ixzz1Z6JNZLVU

Three incumbents on the St. Louis County Council have announced their bids for re-election next year, with one hinting at higher ambitions.

Steve Stenger, D-Affton, who was elected from the 6th District in 2008, will go for his second full term - while leaving the door open to running for the county's top post in 2014.

Stenger, the council's chairman, has recently leveled public criticism at County Executive Charlie A. Dooley, a fellow Democrat, over budget issues. Stenger's comments have led to widespread speculation that he would seek Dooley's job. (Click on Photo to Enlarge)

When asked on Monday if that was, indeed, his goal, Stenger said, "My focus in the foreseeable future is to continue providing the best representation that I can for South County and St. Louis County as a whole on the County Council."

However, he added: "If members of our community asked me to run for County Executive in 2014, I would base my decision on what was best for St. Louis County at that time."

Dooley won re-election last year to his third, four-year term.

His spokesman, Mac Scott, said Monday that Dooley has not ruled out another run.

Do You Complain When You Get Bad Service?

2011-09-26T16:33:00.001-04:00

We've all been there -- ignored by a waitress, given the "wait a second" gesture by a clerk finishing a phone call. But instead of enduring it, you should let the management know about it. A report in Time magazine says that consumers experience disrespectful treatment about once a month.

And I am willing to bet that most of us do exactly what the magazine reports. (It's exactly how I react.)

Instead of complaining to a supervisor after being treated poorly, most disgruntled customers just go home and gripe to family and friends about their experience. The customer who was the initial target of the employee’s bad behavior is less likely to return to that business in the future. If they’re angry enough, they may abandon the brand entirely, and they’ve given their circle of acquaintances a heads-up to avoid it, too.

I avoid one big-box retailer at all costs because I've encountered too many surly clerks and gum-snapping cashiers. A department store is on my "don't shop there" list because I can never find an employee, and when I do, it seems they are usually on what sounds like a personal call and too busy to answer my question.

Even though it's been many years, I worked in retail for two years at a big box discount store in high school. Just as there are rude clerks and cashiers, there are rude and obnoxious customers, too.

When you get poor service or bad treatment in a retail business or restaurant, do you complain to a manager? Or do you endure it as a part of life? Is there one particular bad behavior that will send you in search of a manager?

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/columns/talk-of-the-day/article_89524822-e83f-11e0-b885-0019bb30f31a.html#ixzz1Z5nbS0uJ

Webster Groves Approves new Fence Restrictions

2011-09-24T10:02:00.001-04:00

It took two more readings than normal, but the Webster Groves City Council passed a bill establishing new standards for the design and material of front-yard fences.

Not allowed under those standards are what are commonly called 'stockade" fences. That's in part why Councilman Ken Burns voted Tuesday against the bill. He said the fences were attractive, affordable and readily available through home improvement stores.

The law applies to fences in front of a main building, and in front-yard areas, in residential areas. It requires the fences to be "decorative or ornamental, and constructed of wood, wrought iron, ornamental wire, brick, stone, or like materials." It outlaws chain-link fences and wire-mesh fences, among others.

The bill had languished before the council. Tweaks to it eventually led to five readings, rather than the typical three.

Also, what two weeks ago appeared to be a contradiction between the bill and current city law turned out not to be so, according to City Clerk Katie Nakazono. The bill appeared to limit fences on an entire lot to 4 feet in height. But Nakazono said current law exempted backyard fences, which can be as high as 6 feet.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_ed7169b3-a9f2-5d83-a0d2-98b7915d6d8c.html#ixzz1YsWQfte2

South County Council Member says he Will run for Re-election

2011-09-24T09:56:00.000-04:00

Current St. Louis County Council Chairman, Steve Stenger, announced recently his bid for a second term in the November, 2012 election. Stenger, a Democrat from Affton, represents the 6^th District in South County, which is the largest unincorporated area in the county, as well as the “hotbed” of opposition to the county’s controversial trash districting program.

Stenger, an attorney and certified public accountant, was first elected to the council in November of 2008 when he defeated incumbent councilman John Campisi (R-South County), who had served two, four-year terms on the council.

In announcing his bid for re-election, Stenger said that he wasn’t totally ruling out a run for the county’s top job, which is currently held by fellow Democrat, Charlie Dooley. Stenger said his primary focus “in the foreseeable future” is representing the 6^th District. However, when asked about whether he would ever consider running for county executive, he said: “If at some point members of the community came forward and asked me to run for county executive, if that was the situation, I would have to consider it given whatever circumstances there were. That would be something I'd certainly have to consider at that time, and under all the circumstances involved." The next election for county executive will be in November of 2014. Incumbent Charlie Dooley won re-election to a second term in November of 2010.

Even though Stenger’s election to the council increased the Democratic majority to five of seven members, he doesn’t always vote along party lines. Stenger has voted against the trash district program legislation, as well as tax proposals, and he has also challenged the political hiring practices of county assessor Jake Zimmerman and Dooley’s proposal to roll up the county’s property tax rate.

Let's Start Reading the Labels

2011-09-22T13:06:00.001-04:00

This probably sounds crazy, but just yesterday I was in Wal Mart looking for a wastebasket. I found some made in China for $6.99. I didn't want to pay that much so I asked the lady if they had any others. She took me to another department and they had some at $2.50 made in USA .. They are just as good.

Same as a kitchen rug I needed. I had to look, but I found some made in the USA and they were $3.00 cheaper. We are being brain washed that everything that comes from China and Mexico is cheaper. Not so.

That is also why I don't buy cards at Hallmark anymore. They are made in China and are expensive. I buy them at Dollar Tree........50 cents each and made in USA ..

One Light Bulb at a Time:

A physics teacher in high school, once told the students that while one grasshopper on the railroad tracks wouldn't slow a train very much, a billion of them would. With that thought in mind, read the following, obviously written by a good American . . .

Good idea . . . one light bulb at a time . . .

Check this out.

I can verify this because I was in Lowe's the other day for some reason and just for the heck of it I was looking at the hose attachments . . .

They were all made in China.

The next day I was in Ace Hardware and just for the heck of it I checked the hose attachments there. Theywere made in USA ... Start looking .

In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else - even their job .

So, after reading this email, I think this lady is on the right track. Let's get behind her

My grandson likes Hershey's candy. I noticed, though, that it is marked made in Mexico now. I do not buy it any more.

My favorite toothpaste Colgate is made in Mexico . . . now I have switched to Crest. You have to read the labels on everything . .

This past weekend I was at Kroger . . . I needed 60W light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets. I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off-brand labeled, "Everyday Value." I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats - they were the same except for the price . . . The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in MEXICO and the Everyday Value brand was made in - get ready for this - the USA in a company in Cleveland, Ohio.

So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that are made right here . . .So on to another aisle - Bounce Dryer Sheets . . . yep, you guessed it, Bounce cost more money and is made in Canada . . . The Everyday Value brand was less money and MADE IN THE USA !

I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at almost half the price.

My challenge to you is to start reading the labels.

St. Louis County government to hold town hall meeting

2011-09-21T13:29:00.001-04:00

BY PAUL HAMPEL • phampel@post-dispatch.com > 314-727-6234

South St. Louis County • Residents will have a chance to meet with St. Louis County Executive Charlie A. Dooley and other officials at a town hall meeting in south county on Wednesday and Oct. 19.

The Oct. 19 meeting will be at the Bernard Middle School gymnasium, 1054 Forder Road.

The meeting will start with an open house from 6:30 to 7 p.m., with displays and materials highlighting government services. Residents can speak with government staff about issues affecting their neighborhoods.

From 7 to 7:30 p.m., government staff will give presentations about projects and events in south county.

A question-and-answer session with Dooley will be from 7:30-8:30 p.m.

For more information, call Lori Fiegel with the county planning department at 314-615-2520

Appeals court rules St. Louis County residents must pay for curbside recycling

2011-09-14T14:31:00.000-04:00

BY PAUL HAMPEL • phampel@post-dispatch.com 314-727-6234

A state appeals court in St. Louis on Tuesday ruled against a group of St. Louis County residents who had claimed that being forced to pay for curbside recycling pickups that they did not request violated the state Hancock Amendment, which requires a public vote on new taxes.

The residents, who live in unincorporated areas of the county, sued the county in 2009. A county circuit court ruled against them; Tuesday's decision upheld the trial court's ruling.

The county set up the trash districts in 2008 and required all residents of unincorporated areas to contract with waste haulers for a "minimum level of service," which was to include weekly trash and recycling pickups.

The case had been before the Missouri Supreme Court. The supreme court sent the case back to the appellate court after it ruled in favor of the county in a separate suit that challenged the county's creation of the trash districts. The high court ruled that establishment of the districts was within the county's authority.

Which One is Your House??

2011-09-12T21:13:00.001-04:00

Your House As Seen By:

Yourself...

Your Buyer...

Your Lender....

Your Appraiser..

And....

Your County Tax Assessor...

Coins Costing Taxpayers?

2011-09-11T20:52:00.002-04:00

Federal government mints coins that nobody uses.

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/coins-costing-taxpayers-14076274

Presidential One Dollar Coins. Pretty stupid if you ask me.

10 Unique Support Groups You May Not Have Heard of

2011-09-09T18:42:00.001-04:00

http://www.changeofaddress.org/blog/2011/10-unique-support-groups-you-may-not-have-heard-of/

Afraid to fly in an airplane? There’s a support group to help you deal with that. Spending too much of the paycheck at the track? There’s a support group for that. Drink too much? There are groups for that, too. Worried about the alarming decline in the White Abalone population? Help is available (for the abalone, that is). There seems to be a group for every personal issue or social concern, but people are often still unaware that help is out there.

Below are some groups you may not have heard about; some are traditional 12-step groups while others speak to different issues.

Beasts of Borneo – Silica mining, shrimp farming, forest mono culture and agricultural pesticides are threatening the rain forests and orangutan habitat of Borneo. The OFI (Orangutan Foundation International) hopes to establish programs that will protect nearly a million acres of rain forest and some 20,000 orangutans. www.orangutan.org/

Couples Coping – Available through www.webmd.com/, discussions and advice columns are used to address issues involving dating and relationships.

Binge Eating – Online forums and threads offer support for people who suffer from this eating disorder. Online counseling is also available, for a fee. http://binge-eating.supportgroups.com/

Arachnophobia – If you fear our eight-legged friends, you are not alone. If you google “Arachnophobia Support Groups,” you’ll see nearly 42,000 results pop up.

Sacharuna Foundation – P.O. Box 130, The Plains, VA, 22171. The Sacharuna Foundation is one of many groups dedicated to furthering the cause of a free Tibet.

Pharmacophobia – Many people have suffered from side-effects and allergic reactions when taking medications, and this has led them to have an overriding fear of taking any medications. Support is often available through hospitals and clinics, and there are many online connections to help.

Coulrophobia – The fear of clowns has been used so much in literature, television and film that it has become something of a cliché, but the fear does exist and there are support groups that deal with this fear, as well as other anxiety disorders.

Clutterers Anonymous – A classic 12-step program designed for those who find their lives hopelessly cluttered, physically and emotionally. Meetings are available across the country.

Pet Loss – At http://www.pet-loss.net/ pet lovers who have been devastated by the loss of a family pet can communicate with others who have suffered a similar loss. Advice content is posted, and forums are available for those who wish to share their grief.

OLGA – On-Line Gamers Anonymous, or OLGA, is another 12-step program for those addicted to computer gaming. The program was initiated by a mother whose son committed suicide over online gaming.

Don’t be afraid to reach out, either to receive help or to lend a helping hand. For every person who has something to offer, there is another person who needs something.

See more information at: http://www.changeofaddress.org/blog/2011/10-unique-support-groups-you-may-not-have-heard-of/

St. Louis County to Appeal Trash Verdict

2011-09-08T09:52:00.001-04:00

St. Louis County Counselor Pat Redington said Wednesday that the county would appeal a judge's ruling awarding $1.16 million to three trash-hauling firms that did not land contracts when the county set up trash districts in 2008.

County Circuit Judge Barbara Wallace on Friday awarded the damages to American Eagle Waste Industries, Meridian Waste Services and Waste Management of Missouri. Wallace ruled in September that the county had breached an implied contract with the haulers when it failed to give them two years' notice before setting up the trash districts.

Redington said she had not settled on a specific appeal. "But in general, we're saying that there never was a basis for a lawsuit to begin with and we don't think they proved damages anyway, so we will appeal on those grounds," she said.

The haulers had sought $23 million. In her ruling, Wallace wrote: "The evidence suggests the amount of Plaintiffs' damages had been inflated. It is not for the Court to give an inflated or exaggerated measure of damages, or to award a windfall judgment."

Wallace awarded $799,593 to Waste Management, $261,086 to American Eagle and $99,224 to Meridian.

The plaintiffs and their attorneys did not return calls for comment.

Interesting Web Sites for Fun & Business

2011-09-07T17:01:00.001-04:00

One of the better Genealogy web sites.
http://www.rootsweb.com/

Select your own favorite music right thru your PC
http://www.grooveshark.com/

How to find hard to locate 800 numbers - Google, Yahoo, Amazon, e-Bay and more
http://www.hardtofind800numbers.com/

What’s going on in the banking industry.
http://www.americanbanker.com/issues/

A neat credit union blog site written by Chuck Bruen, Credit Union CEO
http://www.cbruen.com/blog/

Want postage stamps with your own photo on them?
http://www.zazzle.com/cr/design/pt-stamp

Funny Slogan Creator type in a word to create funny slogans,
http://www.megafungames.com/games/slogan_creator/aff.php

Get human service and by-pass the messaging system.
http://gethuman.com/

The Newseum displays these daily newspaper front pages in their original, unedited form.
http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/flash/

Send super big files that are too big for e-mail
https://www.yousendit.com/

How many are there of me using my name?
http://howmanyofme.com/search/

20 Coolest iPad Ideas for Your Library

2011-09-06T21:19:00.000-04:00

Since its 2010 release, attitudes about the iPad have undergone a radical change. Once mocked by techies for being both frivolous and having a silly name, the device has since become nearly ubiquitous in coffee shops, schools, airports and businesses across the nation. Why? Because in many ways, the iPad actually did live up to the hype. It's easy to use (even for little kids), intuitive, lightweight and generally a highly versatile tool adaptable everywhere, from the board room to home room.

With iPads all the rage in schools and colleges across the nation, it was only a matter of time before libraries started getting in on the craze as well. Many public and university institutions lead the way with iPad adoption by developing some pretty cool uses for their patrons. Librarians, MLS majors and avowed bibliophiles alike should take note, as there are plenty of great ideas about using the iPad worth emulating– or at least taking the time to explore. We've listed just a few ways we think these wondrous gadgets are best being used in libraries, hopefully providing some inspiration on how to get started making your workspace a more tech-savvy, iPad-friendly environment.

Check out the 20 coolest iPad ideas at: http://www.onlinecollege.org/2011/09/05/20-coolest-ipad-ideas-for-your-library/

Court Announces $ettlement to Trash Haulers

2011-09-03T16:16:00.000-04:00

Judge rules county owes haulers more than $1.1 million

A county circuit court judge on Friday awarded more than $1.1 million in damages to three waste haulers who sued the county over the establishment of its trash-district program.

Judge Barbara Wallace ordered the county pay a total of $1,159,903.90 to American Eagle Waste, Meridian Waste and Waste Management in their suit that alleges the county failed to provide the state-required two years' written notification it was establishing eight trash districts in unincorporated areas.

Wallace awarded $261,086.65 to American Eagle Waste; $99,224.20 to Meridian and $799,593.05 to Waste Management. The haulers claimed they collectively were owed roughly $23 million.

They sued in May 2008 after failing to win contracts to exclusively serve the trash districts.

Contracts were awarded to Allied Waste, IESI and Veolia Environmental Services. Veolia last fall pulled its operations from the St. Louis region and transferred its trash district contracts to Allied.

Unauthorized haulers are prohibited from offering service to district residents.

Plaintiffs cited Missouri Statute 260.247, which states in part, "Any city or political subdivision which annexes an area or enters into or expands solid-waste collection services into an area where the collection of solid waste is presently being provided by one or more private entities, for commercial or residential services, shall notify the private entity or entities of its intent to provide solid-waste collection services in the area by certified mail.''

Trash-collection services cannot begin until at least two years after the date of notification, according to the statute, which was modified by the General Assembly in 2007 to include the county. The County Council approved legislation in December 2006 calling for the future establishment of trash districts. Eight districts were implemented by Oct. 1, 2008.

On Jan. 25, Wallace ruled the haulers were entitled to damages.

"The county's action resulted in a finite loss to plaintiffs of 40,000 customers for the statutory two-year notice period," she wrote in a Jan. 25 opinion. "By enforcing the exclusivity of its trash hauling districts, the county has effectively prevented plaintiffs from even the possibility of regaining those lost customers in that two-year period."

Read more in The Call Newspapers: http://www.callnewspapers.com/

St. Louis County Presents Workshop for Subdivision Trustees

2011-09-02T22:57:00.001-04:00

St. Louis County is sponsoring a workshop for subdivision trustees set for Tuesday, Oct. 4,2011.

Learn about St. Louis County's new and improved resources for trustees.

Discover what web-based information is available to trustees and view an online demonstration.
Network with other trustees and meet County staff who provides services to your subdivision.

Space is limited and reservations are required. Registration begins Sept. 6, 2011. To RSVP or for more information, contact the Department of Planning at 314-615-7673 or e-mail to ameyerkord@stlouisco.com.

Date: Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011

Time: 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Location: World Trade Center, 121 S. Meramec, Clayton, MO 63105

Cost: FREE (including parking)

Refreshments and door prizes will be provided.

Visit the subdivision trustees resource center website at;
http:/www.stlouisco.com/trustee

Missouri Supreme Court: Government May Criminalize Truthful, Harmless Information for Helping a Friend Find an Apartment

2011-09-01T16:11:00.000-04:00

July 19, 2011 By Dave 2 Comments FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 19, 2011
CONTACT: Dave Roland, (314) 604-6621

Missouri Supreme Court: Government May Criminalize Truthful, Harmless Speech

St. Louis, Missouri—On July 19 the Missouri Supreme Court issued its opinion in Kansas City Premier Apartments v. Missouri Real Estate Commission, in which it upheld a state law that criminalizes the communication of truthful, harmless information. Although at trial the government’s own expert witness had testified that KCPA’s speech was both truthful and unlikely to cause any harm to the public, five of the high court’s seven judges ruled that Missouri citizens may not tell others about real estate unless the government has given them special permission to do so.

“The U.S. Supreme Court has held that the First Amendment protects nude dancing, burning the American flag, and images of animals being crushed to death,” said Dave Roland, director of litigation for the Freedom Center of Missouri, the public interest law firm challenging the speech restrictions. “But today the Missouri Supreme Court has ruled that you can be thrown in jail for helping a friend find an apartment.”

The court’s ruling runs contrary to the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent emphasis on protecting free expression. As Judge Michael A. Wolff pointed out in his dissenting opinion, less than one month ago the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Vermont law that prohibited the sale of certain commercial information, powerfully reaffirming the constitutional principles that should have applied to the speech restrictions at issue in this case.

Wolff, whose opinion was joined by Chief Justice Teitelman, also highlighted the government’s failure to identify any likely harm that might justify the prohibition of KCPA’s speech: “If the state wants an injunction limited only to the use of false or deceptive information, the state may be able to make the required showing. But the broad prohibition of this injunction violates the First Amendment.”

The Freedom Center’s executive director Jenifer Zeigler Roland said, “The U.S. Supreme Court has made clear that where the government seeks to restrict speech, it must show evidence as why that restriction is necessary. In this case the government offered no evidence to justify its criminalization of truthful speech. By failing to protect KCPA’s speech, the majority has left all Missourians at the mercy of overzealous bureaucrats.”

The Freedom Center of Missouri plans to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Founded in 2010, the non-profit, St. Louis-based Freedom Center of Missouri represents individuals statewide fighting to defend free speech rights and the right to earn an honest living in the occupations of their choice. Additional information about the Freedom Center’s mission, cases, and activities can be found online at www.mofreedom.org.

Dooley Says County is in a Crisis

2011-08-30T08:39:00.000-04:00

Dooley on Monday repeated his call for a countywide property tax increase but revised some of the figures he cited last week in pitching the plan.

"Right now, St. Louis County is in a crisis," Dooley said Monday in a meeting with members of the Post-Dispatch editorial department and with a reporter. "Let me make this clear: If we don't get this tax increase, citizens will see cuts in service and we will have to lay off employees."

Dooley said Friday that county tax revenue was on course to fall by $10 million this year.

On Monday, he halved that estimate, saying the county stood to lose $5 million this year.

Dooley's spokesman, Mac Scott, later confirmed that the lower estimate was correct, and that Dooley misspoke when he cited the higher figure last week.

County Council Chairman Steve Stenger said that the lower estimate "has only solidified my position that the county needs to do what everyone else is doing in this economy, and that's tighten its belt."

Stenger, a Democrat like Dooley, said the county had enough money in reserves to cover pay raises for county employees that the county executive supports. He also said that the council could cut appropriations in the coming year to free up additional revenue.

On Friday, Dooley cited a report he had given to the County Council that called for a pay raise of 2.5 percent in 2012 for the county's 3,700 employees, who have not had a pay raise in more than three years. Such a raise would require $5 million in extra revenue, he said.

Read more of this story in the Post Dispatch at: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_60210fd6-7d70-5e27-9beb-245dcebfbced.html

St. Louis County Property Tax Increase in the Making?

2011-08-26T16:39:00.000-04:00

Paul Hampel, St. Louis Post Dispatch

St. Louis County Council Chairman Steve Stenger said Friday that County Executive Charlie A. Dooley has been manipulating County Police Chief Tim Fitch in an attempt to get the council to pass a property tax increase.

Stenger, D-Affton, said that Dooley, a fellow Democrat, had approached him and Councilman Mike O'Mara, D-Florissant, earlier this week to ask if the council would approve a 2.3 cent property tax roll-up to cover pay raises for the police department and other county employees, whose salaries have been frozen since 2008.

"Charlie told Mike and me that he wanted to sell this tax increase to the public by using the police pay issue," Stenger said. "When we told Charlie we wouldn't support a tax increase because there's plenty of money in the budget already for a pay raise, Charlie turned around and tried to use the police to sell the tax raise to us (the council)."

Dooley said he would not be available for comment until late Friday afternoon.

Fitch confirmed that Dooley had asked him to call the council regarding the tax raise and pay issue.

"The county executive wants to do this property tax roll-up in order to enable additional revenue to do the pay raise and other things he has in mind," Fitch said.

In 2009, Dooley called a press conference to announce that he was proposing cutting the county's property tax by 3.5 cents, to 52.3 cents for each $100 of assessed valuation. The county council approved the request.

At the time, Dooley was running for re-election.

"When Charlie called a press conference two years ago to announce his tax cut, it was nothing more than a campaign stunt," Stenger said. "If he really cared about the employees, he would have got them the pay raises instead of cutting taxes.

"Charlie knows that tax raises are a poison pill. He doesn't want to take that pill himself, so he's trying to force it down the throats of the five Democrats on the County Council. If he wants to raise taxes, let him call another press conference and announce it that way."

Stenger, a lawyer and a certified public accountant, said he has examined the county budget and found plenty of room in it for a pay increase without a tax increase.

"The only thing I can surmise is that the Dooley administration wants to do more with less, instead of tightening their belts and playing by the same rules as everyone else is playing by in this economy," he said.

A poll of the county council revealed overwhelming opposition to a tax raise. Of the seven members, two of whom are Republicans, only Kathleen Burkett (D-University City) did not come out against the roll-up. Burkett declined to say where she stood on the matter.

The issue has revealed a rare rift between Democrats in the county and may mark a change in interactions between the council and the county executive.

"My fellow council members' actions show a great deal of independence and leadership," Stenger said. "Charlie, on the other hand, is not displaying the kind of leadership that I am going to follow."

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/political-fix/article_acc95cc8-d020-11e0-9090-0019bb30f31a.html#ixzz1WAYgdlnY

November Election to Decide Fate of City of St. George

2011-08-25T16:38:00.000-04:00

The unanimous decision by the council to put the issue up for a vote prompted a small cheer from St. George Mayor Carmen Wilkerson, who attended the meeting, along with several other supporters. In an interview, Wilkerson said she was very excited’ about the voters getting to “make a choice for themselves.”

Those in support of disincorporation have spoken to citizens about the importance of registering to vote.

“Now we get out the vote,” Wilkerson said.

Asked if it would be difficult to get voters to disassemble the town they live in, Wilkerson pointed to the success disincorporation supporters had getting enough signatures to put the initiative on the ballot

Dooley Defends Trash Districts at Grantwood Village Meeting

2011-08-24T14:25:00.001-04:00

County Executive Charlie Dooley defended the county's trash-collection districts last week, contending the program has cut residents' trash bills and reduced the number of trucks and cans on the streets.

Dooley told a group of Grantwood Village residents at a Board of Trustees meeting that when the county contracted with haulers three years ago to provide exclusive service in unincorporated areas, it was no different than what municipalities already were doing.

When he joined the County Council in 1995, Dooley said constituents in the 1st District frequently brought up the topic of trash collection.

"That's all I heard about: 'I've got four or five trucks coming down my street every week. Can you do something about it?'" Dooley said. "There are places in north county that people pay $60 a month for two trash pickups. Some places are $30.

"That is documented proof. The reason why I know it is because a couple of my directors live in north county and told me that's what they pay: $60 a month ...

"We had people on different streets paying different things and trucks in the area every day of the week, trash cans out every day of the week."

Unincorporated areas were divided into eight trash districts in 2008. Residents are required to set up service with their district's hauler or face prosecution. Unauthorized trash companies are prohibited from providing waste collection.

Officials have said they established the program as a way to standardize service, encourage recycling, save unincorporated residents money through competitive bidding and reduce the frequency of trash trucks on the streets. But many residents — particularly in south county, where four of the eight districts are situated — have argued that the program took away their right to choose their hauler or whether to have trash service at all.

And waste haulers who were not awarded trash district contracts contend they've lost a significant amount of business as a result of the program.

Several lawsuits have been filed over the establishment of the program. In one suit, a ruling is pending on how much in damages the county must pay three haulers that successfully argued they did not receive a state-required two years' written notification before the trash districts' establishment.

Allstate Good Hands Roadside Assistance & Rules for Driving Teens

2011-08-24T09:14:00.000-04:00

From Tidy Mom at:
http://tidymom.net/2011/good-hands-roadside-assistance-teen-driving-rules/

As a parent safety is always the first thing on our mind when driving, and even more so now that my youngest just turned 15 this week and will be getting her driving permit any day {yikes! how did THAT happen?}. That means we now have to worry about both of our girls when they are out on the road. No matter how careful we all are when driving, things can and will happen……accidents, flat tires, car trouble or running out of gas.

We have been discussing things like how to jump a battery, how to pull over with a flat tire, what to do if she leaves the movie theater to find out she forgot to turn the headlights out, always pay attention to the gas gauge and what we would do if she was stranded an hour away from home.

Fortunately, the Good Hands Roadside Assistance service from Allstate gives us access to the Allstate 24/7 Nationwide Roadside network, with no annual fee. That’s right! Allstate wants every driver to be safe on the road, Good Hands® Roadside Assistance is the first free-to-join, pay-per-use, roadside assistance service that is available to all drivers, not just Allstate customers. you can be in Good Hands® even if you’re not an Allstate policy holder. I LOVE that peace of mind.

Benefits of Allstate Good Hands® Roadside Assistance

•You do not need to have Allstate insurance to use this assistance. Available to everyone in the U.S.

•Only pay for the service as you need it and when you need it – in most cases just $75 per tow and $50 per other service. No monthly fee {sweet!}

•Service covers any driver, any car, any time, just dial 1-800-ALLSTATE

•Download the Good HandsSM Roadside mobile app to your smartphone for faster, easier service. Available now on iPhone®. BlackBerry® and Android® available December 2010

•You can register up to 5 users on your account

Read More at: http://tidymom.net/2011/good-hands-roadside-assistance-teen-driving-rules/

Home Copper Theft on the Rise

2011-08-22T08:58:00.001-04:00

St. Louis (KSDK) - Copper theft is a growing problem in the St. Louis area, and the Better Business Bureau wants consumers to know how to protect themselves.

They're offering the following tips:

•Secure items if possible. Keep items thieves could pilfer inside. For larger targets, like air conditioning units, keep the area fenced in and lock any gates.

•Make it difficult for thieves. Move dumpsters and ladders away from buildings to make it difficult for thieves to reach rooftop refrigeration units. Clear brush around ground-level air conditioning equipment so others can spot people attempting to work around the unit or destroying it.

•Invest in security. Add motion-sensing or continuous outdoor lighting around air conditioning units. Businesses should try to have someone on site at night or install video cameras to watch for thieves.

•Start a neighborhood watch. Get to know your neighbors and ask them to help keep watch. Never assume the person working on the neighbor's air conditioner or gutters is a repairman. Check with the neighbors, then call the police.

•Mark materials. If materials are stolen, the best chance of identifying them is to make them stand out from other similar material that might come to a recycler legitimately. Marking items with bright paint, and etching an identification number at various places can make the items more difficult to sell.

We Need More Citizens Like This

2011-08-21T11:20:00.001-04:00

Maureen Williams has been waging a campaign against roadside clutter for more than two decades.

Armed with a plastic bag and a keen eye, she has scooped up trash along roads and parking lots in Baden and more recently in the Spanish Lake area. Last week, she was rewarded for her volunteer efforts with a road sign with her name on it.

While watering the neatly manicured lawn at Cigno Dental Care, Williams made clear she didn't go looking for any fanfare.

"I don't expect anything," said Williams, 69. "Sometimes I think the mailman, and the fireman and the policeman deserve it more than me. Because they do it every day. ... The mail people never get awards."

On Friday, she received a "Way to Go Green" award from St. Louis County.

Sheryl Hodges, the county's director of highways, traffic and public works, said Williams' efforts have included pulling weeds and sprucing up "just to make our neighborhoods more beautiful."

On weekends, she keeps a watchful eye on businesses in the neighborhood. Her vigilance paid off when she noticed a broken window at a Bellefontaine Road business and reported it to the building's owner. She also makes sure gates are closed.

"I want to get involved where I live," she said.

Williams, who grew up in the city of St. Louis, credits her parents for first impressing the importance of respecting others. Helping others, she said, is satisfaction enough.

Nonetheless, Hodges said, the county will post an adopt-a-roadside sign along Bellefontaine Road. Usually reserved for groups that perform volunteer litter pickup, this one has just one name on it: Maureen Williams.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_f799f57a-c31c-57f9-9c0e-e87dc1f6cebb.html#ixzz1Vg22f95h

Trash Landfill to Close

2011-08-20T11:38:00.000-04:00

The Superior Oak Ridge Landfill west of Valley Park will stop accepting trash on Oct. 9, and then be covered. The St. Louis County Planning Commission granted a petition by the landfill's owner, Veolia Environmental Services, to withdraw a proposed extension of the landfill's permit.

With the closure, the only landfill left in St. Louis County will be the IESI site in Maryland Heights. The massive Milam landfill, off Illinois Route 203 in Fairmont City, also takes area trash.

Veolia said that Superior Oak Ridge landfill, which opened in 1974, was near capacity. The facility's original life expectancy of seven years was extended by various alterations, as well as by the emergence of recycling and a prohibition on dumping yard waste there.

In 2005, the County Council rejected a petition from the landfill's owner at the time to raise its top by 70 feet, stating that nearby residents had expected the 54 1/2-acre facility to reach its capacity when its mound of trash reached 680 feet above sea level. Increasing the landfill's height was not compatible with the residential development that had taken place since the facility began operating, the council ruled.

Closing the landfill will involve hauling in 60,000 to 70,000 yards of material for a composite cover, a clay layer and a vegetative cover. A "membrane layer" will cover the clay cap to limit water infiltration. The process is expected to be completed next year.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the county Health Department will monitor the site after it is closed, filing monthly reports on methane production or any escape of liquids.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_cde85027-5616-53a8-8d73-cde2795e7c8b.html#ixzz1VaFxhuF0

Theater Chain Blocks Cell Phones in Theater

2011-08-18T15:29:00.001-04:00

Wehrenberg Theaters, which operates nine multi-screen theaters in the St. Louis area, is getting attention for its zero tolerance cell phone policy.They detailed its policy, which will be enforced during previews and the feature attraction, in a statement and on its Facebook page:

"Compliance would be all moviegoers are asked to turn off cell phones or put them on vibrate before entering the auditorium. Should you need to take a call or text message, please do so outside the auditorium."

Wehrenberg said violators of the policy will be asked to leave, and they won't get a refund.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/columns/talk-of-the-day/article_1634ef0c-c9a4-11e0-a962-001a4bcf6878.html#ixzz1VPUUMh3b

Hazelwood, MO Demands Girl Scouts Stop Selling Cookies

2011-08-17T23:10:00.002-04:00

It's been a rough summer for entrepreneurial kids. July brought two stories of lemonade stands gone wrong: one was robbed, and the other was broken up by police who mistakenly thought it was in violation of city ordinances. And now a group of Girl Scouts has lost their right to sell cookies from their own driveway. A law suit by a group of Scouts in Hazelwood, MO defend their right to do so was thrown out by a St. Louis County Circuit Judge.

Yes, we know a law is a law, but come on. Can't some governing body rule that the offending neighbor and the girl scout family be brought to arbitration? Better yet, can't the city turn it's head for two weeks and overlook this dastardly deed . . . just like the city's police department overlooks people driving 2-3 MPH over the speed limit. Hey, they're breaking the law.

Does your subdivision have any girl scout cookie sellers doing something similar? Selling cookies from a stand in the subdivision or fro their driveway. Click on COMMENTS below and share your thoughts.

Don't we have better and more important things to do???

My Dog? It Just Dawned on Me.

2011-08-09T17:15:00.000-04:00

My dog sleeps about 20 hours a day.

He has his food prepared for him. He can eat whenever he wants.

His meals are provided at no cost to him.

He visits the Dr. once a year for his checkup, and again during the year if any medical needs arise.

For this he pays nothing and nothing is required of him.

He lives in a nice neighborhood in a house that is much larger than he needs, but he is not required to do any upkeep.

If he makes a mess, someone else cleans it up.

He has his choice of luxurious places to sleep.

He receives these accommodations absolutely free.

He is living like a King, and has absolutely no expenses whatsoever.

All of his costs are picked up by others who go out and earn a living every day.

I was just thinking about all this, and suddenly it hit me like a brick .......

I think my dog is a member of Congress!

City of St. George One Step Closer

2011-08-04T12:14:00.001-04:00

The city of St. George is one step closer to becoming nothing more than a history lesson.

The town’s biggest claim to fame is likely a police officer’s vulgar run-in with a young motorist a few years ago. Since then, the police department has been disbanded and some city leaders launched an effort to take the town in the same direction.

St. Louis County elections officials this week certified signatures on a petition to dissolve the town, and all the measure needs now is a formal vote from the St. Louis County Council.

County Council Chairman Steve Stenger said he supports the right of St. George voters to decide their own future. Officials say the town is so small it doesn’t have a reason — or the financial means — to exist.

The other side has alleged that taxes would rise and the neighborhood would lose its identity. If residents so vote, the area would become just another stretch of unincorporated south St. Louis County.

Reader Comments on Supreme Court Trash Suit

2011-08-03T12:16:00.002-04:00

This is a simple case and the solution is simple

"Kick all the politicians out of office and vote someone else in.

Install term limits on any elected office -- higher number of years for the office 1 term the lower number of years 2 terms max/.

Get a petition together to put this on a ballot and vote.

People whine and moan and like Congress do nothing but sell a bill of goods.

If you feel your representative at any stage of government is not serving you Kick the Bastard out -- it is that simple.

Reader Comment from: M. Elliott on the Supreme Court decision on the STL County trash suit

Florissant Council Candidates Respond to Your Questions About Trash Haulers

2011-08-02T10:06:00.001-04:00

Would you be in favor of letting residents choose their own trash hauler again?

Mark Behlmann, Ward 3: I believe in the philosophy of purchasing at wholesale prices. In many cases, this requires bulk purchasing. I'm not opposed to holding open meetings for the community to come together and learn how to achieve the best purchasing power for all that are concerned. If there is a benefit for a resident to have individual trash hauling service, I am very open to learning and understanding those effects. But as with any benefit those who are directly affected must be given the opportunity to see both sides thoroughly in order to make a wise decision.

Joe Eagan, Ward 3: Not answered

Elizabeth O’Fallon, Ward 3: I am in favor of allowing residents to choose their own trash hauler. My family has experienced some problems with our trash pickup and despite repeated phone calls and complaints, nothing was done to remedy the problem. Going door-to-door, I have heard several similar complaints from residents. I believe competition not only reduces costs but helps maintain quality of service.

Steve Purgahn, Ward 6: Recently, St Louis County established new ordinances requiring all of St Louis County to abide by their Solid Waste Ordinance. That ordinance requires communities to either contract to provide the service themselves or join the St Louis County contracting pool. Florissant has chosen the option to contract for the services.

Pat Stinnett, Ward 6: The citizens of Ward 6 are satisfied with the savings and convenience of awarding a bid to one hauler. They do not want to go back to multiple haulers on multiple days tearing up our streets.

http://florissant.patch.com/articles/reviewing-choices-council-candidates-respond-to-your-questions

Kirkwood Recycling Does Better than the Rest

2011-08-01T11:04:00.001-04:00

Kirkwood continues to clean up on curbside recycling, according to the company contracted to manage the program. The haul for the first half of the year is just above $200,000, according to the company's six-month report.

"Great job - amazing job. Nobody else is turning those kinds of numbers in St. Louis County," Gary Gilliam, sales manager for Resource Management Company, told the Kirkwood City Council on July 21. "I get calls from other cities asking 'How do they do that? What are they doing? What's different?'"

The key is "a lot of dedication," Gilliam said. He added it's also many, many years of work in recycling - since the 1970s with the city's recycling depository.

"I think the attitude overall is one of recycling," he added.

Kirkwood recycled 2,820 tons of trash, which is 43 percent of 4,949 tons produced in the first six months of the year, Gilliam reported. Resource Management paid the city $119,871 for this recycled material, and the city saved an additional $80,171 in landfill fees that would have been incurred had the recycled material been thrown away, according to Gilliam's data.

Supreme Court Backs STL County on Trash Districts

2011-07-26T21:22:00.001-04:00

Last week, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled in favor of St. Louis County in the class-action lawsuit brought by three county residents (Mike Weber, Paul Marquis, and Cathy Armbruster v. St. Louis County) in 2009, who argued that the county’s creation of eight trash districts violated the county charter.

By a vote of 5-2, the state’s court of last resort affirmed the decision of the Missouri Court of Appeals, thus ending any further litigation in one of the four trash lawsuits.

In its majority opinion, written by Judge William Ray Price, Jr., the high court held that:

(1) the county did not violate its charter by establishing the trash district areas,

(2) that the plaintiffs/taxpayers lacked standing (the right to sue) to challenge the two-year notice before replacing the previous trash haulers,

(3) that the county did not violate the state’s merchandising practices, and

(4) that the county’s ordinances were not improper/invalid.

Two of the seven judges dissented. The dissenting opinion was written by Judge Michael Wolff. In the dissenting opinion, Judge Wolff wrote that the county charter requires voter approval of trash districts for which a service charge will be collected and that the county charter does not specify whether the charge must be collected by the county. He also wrote that he would reverse the circuit court’s decision and let the county’s voters decide whether to approve the new trash collection arrangements.

There are still three trash lawsuits pending in the courts. In the first case, (American Eagle et al. v. St. Louis County), the trash haulers won their case against the county requiring a two-year notice before implementing a trash districting program. However, Circuit Judge Barbara Wallace withheld her decision on damages until the high court ruled in the present case. Now that the class-action case is final, it seems plausible that the three trash haulers (American Eagle, Meridian, and Waste Management) will be awarded damages, which could amount to $23 million.

With regard to the “right to vote” case (Buchanan et al. v. St. Louis County), which was the second lawsuit, filed by two residents in 2008, it appears likely that St. Louis County may prevail in that case.

And, in the “Hancock Amendment” case (Grace v. St. Louis County), which was the third lawsuit, filed in 2009, it seems that the county may also prevail in that case.

However, as the three plaintiffs in the class-action lawsuit learned, anything can happen in the courts, especially in the U.S. and states’ Supreme Courts, since the decisions of those courts impact public policy, thus making them political, as well as judicial institutions.

Mapping the 2010 U.S. Census

2011-07-25T21:46:00.000-04:00

Browse population growth and decline, changes in racial and ethnic concentrations and patterns of housing development.

One amazing chart for your neighborhood.

http://projects.nytimes.com/census/2010/map?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=thab1

A Community Response to Heroin

2011-07-21T11:10:00.001-04:00

TOWN HALL MEETING

A Community Response to Heroin

Thursday, July 21st 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Hazelwood Central High School

15955 New Halls Ferry Road

Florissant, MO 63031

The St. Louis Area is currently experiencing an extremely dangerous epidemic of heroin and prescription painkiller use by teens. Our community experienced over two hundred overdose deaths last year alone! This forum is intended to provide helpful and useful information to the community in order to proactively confront this situation and help stop the epidemic before it gets any worse.

This meeting is open to professionals, parents and students. Speakers will be on hand from the St. Louis County Police Department, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse – St. Louis Area and the St. Louis County Children’s Service Fund.

There is no charge for this meeting and refreshments will be served. For questions or more information, please call 314-962-3456.

This communication was sent to you on behalf of Sergeant Ray Rice (North County Precinct), the National Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse (NCADA), the Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse (ADA), the St. Louis County Children’s Service Fund, the St. Louis County Police, the St. Louis Police Chiefs Association, and the United Way of Greater St. Louis.

Missouri Supreme Court Says its Legal for County to Require Some Residents (Note: not all) to Pay an Unwanted Trash Hauler for Services

2011-07-19T17:43:00.000-04:00

Three taxpayers Mike Weber, Paul Marquis, and Cathy Armbruster and three trash haulers, IESI MO Corporation, Veolia ES Solid Waste Midwest, LLC, and Allied Services, LLC appealed the trial court’s dismissal of their suit challenging the validity of county ordinances establishing a new trash collection program in unincorporated areas of the county in which they live.

In a 5-2 decision the Supreme Court of Missouri affirmed the trial court’s judgment. The county did not violate its charter by establishing the trash collection areas, the taxpayers lack standing (a legally recognized right to sue) to allege a violation of a state statute requiring notice to existing trash haulers, and they fail to establish a violation of the state’s merchandising practices act. As such, the trial court properly dismissed their suit.

In December 2006, St. Louis County enacted an ordinance establishing collection “areas” in unincorporated parts of the county “for the collection of waste and recovered materials” and authorizing the county to advertise for bids and proposals for the collection and transfer of such waste in those collection areas. Under the ordinance, the selected trash haulers would provide exclusive services in only certain areas. Subdivision who did not want the county designated service provider could refuse the service.

As one resident put it, “How can you pass a law that only applies to certain people? It’s either all or none. This is ridiculous. If the County is in the trash business, that’s one thing, but they’re not. They’re forcing an unwanted trash hauler down our throat. I don’t have a problem with a law requiring trash pickup, but let me select my service provider. Do you want to select my doctor next?”

In 2008, the county executed contracts with three trash haulers to collect waste in eight collection areas. No payments were made to the county; its residents were forced to have independent contracts with the selected haulers. If a person lived in a subdivision, the subdivision was able to opt-out of the program. This was done by several hundred subdivisions in the County.

In November 2008, the county enacted another ordinance prohibiting trash haulers that had not been selected in the bidding process from providing waste collection services in the eight designated collection areas. Three taxpayers who live in designated collection areas subsequently filed a class action petition against the county and the three haulers challenging the waste collection program. They alleged the ordinances violate the county charter as well as a state statute. The trial court granted the defendants’ motion to dismiss, with prejudice (preventing the suit from being refilled), for failure to state a claim on which relief could be granted. The taxpayers appeal.

The Court affirms the county did not violate its charter by establishing the trash collection areas. The division of the county into geographic regions for trash collection purposes does not by itself require voter approval. Rather, voter approval is triggered when those regions pay for services using funds the county has raised through special assessment, general taxation or service charge on the regions’ residents.

Here, the county never collects any monies from its residents for trash services. Instead, the citizens have independent contracts with the trash collectors, which they pay directly. The court made no mention about the forced selection of trash collectors.

The court said the taxpayers lack individual and taxpayer standing to challenge the county’s alleged failure to comply with section 260.247, RSMo. They allege this statute required the county to provide two years’ notice by certified mail to the previous trash haulers before replacing them.

To have standing, a plaintiff must have a legally protectable interest in the litigation so as to be affected directly and adversely by its outcome – a personal stake in the outcome in the controversy. Such an interest exists if the plaintiff is affected directly and adversely by the action in question or if the plaintiff’s interest is conferred by a state statute.

Here, the taxpayers are not engaged in the business of trash collection. They fail to show how the lack of notice adversely affected them. They do not have a legally protectable interest in the outcome of their claim and, therefore, do not have standing. They also do not have taxpayer standing, as they have not pleaded any facts showing that taxpayer funds were expended due to the lack of notice to the trash haulers.

The taxpayers’ claim that the county and trash haulers violated the state’s merchandising practices act by making false statements about the legality of the trash ordinances and by coercing citizens to transact business with the selected trash haulers is derivative of their earlier claim that the county ordinances are invalid. The ordinances are not invalid, and it is not unlawful to enforce valid laws.

Solar Panels Heating up with Homeowners in County

2011-07-19T12:11:00.000-04:00

Thanks to federal, state and even Ameren Missouri rebates and other incentives, an increasing number of solar panels and arrays are being installed on homes throughout St. Louis County. The systems generate electricity fed into the home's power grid to supplement usage from the utility company.

Unincorporated St. Louis County and many cities allow them, though permits are often required.

However, some neighbors have questioned how future installations will look, and some cities are investigating whether to allow them.

Denish and Gaitry Gangasingh, who since 1999 have lived in the Wynfield Pointe subdivision in Des Peres, had 40 solar panels installed on their roof early in April.

"We had a solar power happy hour after they went in on the same day as the Good Friday tornado," Gaitry said. "We wanted to be a little more environmentally friendly, because we also do a lot of composting and recycling," she said. The family originally wanted to have the panels installed a year and a half before.

"The price then was really prohibitive but our provider, StraightUp Solar, helped us find federal grants, and we went ahead when it looked feasible for us," Gaitry said.

A federal rebate provided the family with $30,000 off the $45,000 starting cost. Des Peres required a permit for the installation.

"Since the installation on the back roof, we've saved a good 50 percent on our electricity bills," Gaitry said. "Also, if the panels generate extra energy stored at the end of each month, Ameren reimburses us," she said. The flat panels haven't changed the roofline.

"The only comments we've gotten from neighbors are that they're thinking of doing it too," Gaitry said.

Meanwhile, Frontenac is still deciding how to control panel installation.

City Administrator Bob Shelton said the only request the city has received for solar panels has been from Tom and Becky Minogue in Lynnbrook subdivision off South Spoede Road.

They were turned down for a building permit by the design review commissioner to allow panels on the front of their house last year.

The city's planning and zoning commission upheld the turndown but also has devised some recommendations on solar panels and creations of some standards for them at homes.

The Board of Aldermen last month recommended changes which were sent back to the commission for further review.

"All recommendations have been that there is no concern about solar panels not visible from the street, but the Minogues said their best reception would call for panels to be on the front of the roof," Shelton said.

Gail Choate, land use manager for the department of planning, said that St. Louis County zoning laws allow for solar panels on rooftops at homes in the unincorporated county.

Dave Kasl, assistant division manager with the code enforcement division of the county's public works department, said panels require a permit since there are structural requirements on, for instance, roof anchorage to resist wind. Also, a second electrical permit is required for panels that generate electricity versus a system that, for instance, just assists a hot water system.

Dr. Joe Gira installed a 44-panel solar array a couple of weeks ago in a corner of the back yard at his Town & Country home on Claymark Drive after he moved in in March.

The city's Board of Aldermen studied the proposal carefully after a neighbor in an adjoining neighborhood was concerned about the potential appearance.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/suburban-journals/metro/news/article_9d5a20b3-db20-5038-a5fe-1f43e36c1e0b.html#ixzz1SZHLOB9c

Borders Closing Book Stores

2011-07-19T10:05:00.002-04:00

National bookstore chain Borders announced Monday that it will move forward with the sale of the company to a pair of firms which will liquidate what's left of the Ann Arbor, Michigan-based firm, including the bookstore's location at the South County Mall in Mehlville. It will close all remaining 399 bookstores with six in the St. Louis area.

Employees estimate the store will be closed within one to three months. After a tally of inventory, the bookstore will have a sale to get rid of all its remaining stock. Pending court approval, liquidation of some stores could happen as early as Friday and be complete by September. The chain intends to liquidate under the Chapter 11 bankruptcy code.

Calculator: Renting vs. Buying a Home

2011-07-15T22:13:00.000-04:00

Should you rent or should you buy your home? It takes more than looking at your mortgage payment to answer this question. This calculator helps you weed through the fees, taxes, and monthly payments to help you make a decision between these two options.

This report is based on the original purchase price, fees and taxes payable at that time. Insurance and tax costs can fluctuate from year to year. Click the "View Report" button for a detailed look at the results.

Click here to "View the Report" : http://www.aarp.org/money/budgeting-saving/rent_buy_home_calculator/?cmp=RDRCT-RNT2BUY_MAY31_011

Overland Considers Expanding FREE trash pickup

2011-07-13T14:47:00.001-04:00

Overland has offered free trash service for the past three years to residents whose income is no more than 150 percent of federal poverty guidelines. The City Council is considering raising the qualification level to 160 percent, to include more people. A total of 108 households now qualify under the 150 percent guideline.

The council agreed on Monday night to consider the change, beginning in August; later, the council also will consider asking voters to approve the city's first park sales tax, a half-cent, on the November ballot.

Increasing the income threshold for trash payment assistance was promoted by council member Ken Owensby. City trash service bills are about $22 a month. But Owensby was quick to oppose the sales tax proposal, saying residents couldn't afford it and the election cost itself would be a waste of funds.

Councilman Jerry May said the council got a city attorney's opinion in 2008 that the free trash service program is illegal, but other members disputed this. An attorney's opinion will now be secured in writing, the council agreed.

In the meantime, Overland is one of the few St. Louis County cities where voters can approve a park sales tax but have not yet done so, officials said. Projections show that it would produce $1 million for parks and/or stormwater services annually.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_85a5751a-ffd0-5125-b5f9-6888b9645904.html#ixzz1S0q0RzhN

Tracing Unscooped Dog Waste Back to the Culprit

2011-07-12T16:27:00.001-04:00

Canine DNA is now being used to identify the culprits who fail to clean up after their pets, an offense that Deborah Violette, for one, is committed to eradicating at the apartment complex she manages.

Everyone who owns a dog in her complex, Timberwood Commons in Lebanon, N.H., must submit a sample of its DNA, taken by rubbing a cotton swab around inside the animal’s mouth.

The swab is sent to BioPet Vet Lab, a Knoxville, Tenn., company that enters it into a worldwide database. If Ms. Violette finds an unscooped pile, she can take a sample, mail it to Knoxville and use a DNA match to identify the offending owner.

Called PooPrints, the system costs $29.99 for the swabbing kit, $10 for a vial to hold the samples and $50 to analyze them, which usually takes a week or two. The company says that about two dozen apartment complexes around the country have signed up for the service. In 2008, the Israeli city of Petah Tikva created a dog DNA database for the same purpose.

“It’s kind of like the F.B.I., but on a much smaller scale,” said Eric Mayer, director of franchise development for BioPet Vet Lab, which makes the kits.

Ms. Violette said that at her complex, which opened in December and has a designated building for pet owners, unwanted surprises have sometimes been found on lawns.

“We had a little bit of a problem,” Ms. Violette said. “Enough that I wanted to try to nip it in the bud.”

Dog owners were notified about the testing last week, and most are now taking their pets in to provide DNA samples. But not everyone.

“I’ve had some people say it’s completely over the top and ridiculous,” Ms. Violette said. “I’m sure I’ll have a few people who won’t come in, and I’m sure those are the people we’ll have to chase and those are the people who are doing it.”

Tom Boyd, the founder and chief executive of BioPet Vet Lab, said the company made the kits in response to the large of numbers of the dogs in the United States and to health concerns connected to dog feces. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, there are about 75 million dogs in the United States.

“If you took 75 million Americans and said they no longer have a commode, can you imagine what would happen in a week?” Mr. Boyd asked.

Not everyone is on board with the idea, though.

Karen Harvey of Forest Property Management in McCall, Idaho, said her company was not prepared to collect canine samples along with the rent checks. “If you allow pets, that sort of comes with it,” Ms. Harvey said. “I guess I would never take the issue of dog poop that far.”

Panel outlines population shifts in St. Louis County's council districts

2011-07-12T11:43:00.000-04:00

By Jo Mannies, Beacon political reporter
http://www.stlbeacon.org/issues-politics/176-Missouri_Issues/111565-panel-outlines-population-shifts-in-st-louis-countys-council-districts

Four of St. Louis County's seven council districts have lost population during the past 10 years, which will force changes in all the boundary lines in the next few months. The four: the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th districts.

The 14-person commission charged with drawing those lines laid out the numbers during Monday night's first public hearing on the matter, held in the County Council chambers in Clayton. Only a handful of people showed up, with only one offering comments.

The largest percentage loss -- 7.7 percent -- took place in the 1st council district, which takes in the near north St. Louis County suburban communities of Jennings and Wellston, among others. Next comes the neighboring 2nd District (loss: 4.3 percent), which takes in such northwest St. Louis County communities as Maryland Heights, St. Ann and Overland.

The 4th District -- which includes Black Jack and part of Florissant -- lost 3.6 percent. The 5th, which spans from University City south and west through Shrewsbury and Webster Groves, lost 1.9 percent.

Not surprisingly, the biggest gain over the last decade -- 3.8 percent -- was in the county's 7th District, which takes in far west St. Louis County and the communities of Wildwood and Chesterfield. The 3rd District, which takes in central-west communities such as Creve Coeur and Kirkwood, grew 1.4 percent. The remaining 6th District, in far south St. Louis County, remained stable, growing just .3 percent.

Read more at: http://www.stlbeacon.org/issues-politics/176-Missouri_Issues/111565-panel-outlines-population-shifts-in-st-louis-countys-council-districts

40 Revolutionary iPad Apps for Homeowners

2011-07-11T15:27:00.000-04:00

Buying and owning a home can be an amazing experience, and a great investment to boot, but that doesn't mean homeownership is always a walk in the park. From buying a new home to making your current one look fantastic, homeownership can be a lot of hard work. Luckily for modern day homeowners, there are technologies — including the increasingly popular iPad — that can help make things a little easier and ensure home improvements don't wreck havoc on your personal finances. iPad owners will find a wealth of techie tools out there to help them do everything, from choosing a paint color to landscape their yards and just about everything in between.

Here, we've highlighted some of the best iPad apps for homeowners, whether they're looking for help, advice and or perhaps just a little inspiration to make their houses into homes. Buying and Selling Install these applications on your iPad to get a little help finding your dream home or selling the home you already own (or both).

Visit this website for easy access to all of the following applications:

http://www.insurancequotes.org/40-revolutionary-ipad-apps-for-homeowners/)

1.Zillow: With Zillow, you can find homes in any neighborhood based on factors like number of bedrooms, bathrooms and price. You can also get estimates of what your home and those in your area might be worth– a helpful tool when thinking about selling.

2.Trulia: Trulia has thousands of home listings, making it easy to find real estate in your desired area and check out pictures online.

3.LoopNet: Another real estate search tool, this application is perfect for the homeowner looking to upgrade, downsize or just make room for an expanding family.

4.Coldwell Banker: If you want to go with a trusted real estate broker, you can try this app showcasing homes listed with Coldwell Banker.

5.Home Value Pro: Want to know how much your home is worth? How about the one you're thinking about buying? This application will give you accurate and reliable estimates of home values across the U.S.

6.Mortgage Calculator: Figure out how much your monthly payment would be on a new home using this handy tool.

7.Realtor.com: If you still haven't found the home you've been dreaming of, take a look at this real estate app for a great selection of listings.

Home Control and Automation For decades, people have been imagining a home where everything is controlled by a computer. These days, that dream is a reality for some homeowners, and these apps help to control every aspect of a home, from the lights to the entertainment system.

8.Control4: This application turns your iPad into the ultimate touch screen remote, allowing you to control you TV, lights, sound system and home security from one easy place.

9.Vantage EMEA Home Control: Whether you want to set the mood or turn your living room into a movie theater, this application can help. It lets users adjust everything from the temperature of a room to the volume of the stereo.

10.Lutron RadioRA2: Control lights, shades, temperature and appliances with the touch of a digital button using this iPad app and accordant Lutron setup.

11.Splashtop Remote: This application allows users to see their desktop computer screen from anywhere, using an iPad, iPhone or other mobile device.

Interior Design and Decor Making your home look amazing doesn't have to be a chore. Use these apps to choose paint colors, get inspired by high end design, find great furniture and even choose a wood color for flooring.

12.Craigsphone: Originally designed for the iPhone, this application also works well on the iPad, allowing homeowners to score discount furniture, a great new house or even a new stove – all from one centralized place.

13.Ben Color Capture: Benjamin Moore paint has created this application that lets users take a picture of just about anything and find the closest matching paint out there.

14.Houzz Interior Design Ideas: Need some inspiration for your interior design project? With over 100,000 photos on hand, this mobile database is sure to provide something that catches your fancy.

15.Dream Home HD: Get some ideas on how to integrate the latest interior design trends into your home with this amazing photo-rich application.

16.Palettes: If you're trying to develop a color scheme for a room, this can be an invaluable tool, letting you pull together colors to see how they work before investing in any decor.

17.Sherwin Williams Color Snap: Take a snapshot of your favorite color and easily find a coordinating or matching paint from Sherwin Williams' line when you use this application.

18.Paint Tester: Instead of getting stuck with walls painted in a color that just doesn't work, use this app to try out the color ahead of time, no paint involved.

19.Trends: This application will help you to keep up with the latest in design trends. While some may be a bit high-end, it can provide inspiration for your budget version of the same look.

20.I.D. Wood: Want to know what kind of wood your floors or dining chairs are? In this, you'll find a reference guide that can help you ID any kind of wood or to choose a color and grain that you love for future projects.

21.MySurface: DuPont makes it easy to find the color that's perfect for your home, whether inside or out, kitchen or bath, with this application.

Home Improvement Even if your home is already pretty nice, chances are good that there's something you'd like to change or improve on it. These apps can help, assisting you in managing costs, buying supplies, and laying out a design.

22.Sum+It Project Cost Calculator: Renovations don't come cheap, but you can help reduce the shock of it by using this tool to do a little calculating of costs before you begin the job.

23.Home Design It Yourself: Create a room and arrange furniture and other elements in it without lifting more than a finger with the help of this great application.

24.Photo Measures: With this tool, you can easily measure any part of your home simply by taking a photograph of it with your iPad.

25.Kraft My Style: If you're thinking of installing new cabinets, this application from KraftMaid can help you get an idea of what would look good in your space.

26.My BTU: Whether you're thinking of getting new radiators or are just curious about your home's energy usage, this application will help you determine the BTUs you need to heat a room.

27.Renovation Budget Tracker: It can be easy to go over budget when doing renovations, but with this tracking application it can be a lot easier to stay on track, with charts and information that break it all down.

28.Home 3D: Don't tear down a wall until you've used this excellent home modeling software that will let you see how your home will look when it's finished.

29.HGTVtoGo: Get home decor ideas, help with home improvement and more from this popular cable station's application.

30.Remodelista: You don't have to look far for remodeling inspiration when you install this interior design and DIY application that is full of amazing ideas.

31.Home Improvement Glossary: If you're not familiar with the home improvement jargon, then get yourself this application. It contains hundreds of words you can look up and define.

Tools and Calculators These handy apps will make doing math a cinch for homeowners, leaving more time for the important stuff.

32.Ruler 2: Home improvements often require a boatload of measurements. If you don't have a ruler handy, start out with this digital one instead.

33.Home Sizer: Whether you're designing a new home or remodeling your existing one or just want to know the size of your bedroom, this tool can help.

34.Task This: Home renovation and decoration can require a lot of errands and supplies. Keep track of everything using this handy tool for homeowners.

35.DIY Calculator: Whether you're adding paint, wallpaper, tile or another product to a room, this calculator will help you determine just how much you need.

36.DIY Toolbox: This handy app has just about every kind of calculator you'd need for home renovation projects, from converting units to figuring how much of a certain supply you need.

Outdoors Ensure your home has some great curb appeal by using these landscaping apps to add plants and improve your garden.

37.iScape: If your yard is a boring expanse of grass (or dirt), then turn it into something special with the help of this application that lets you lay out landscaping digitally, helping to ensure your plantings will look great when you put them in.

38.Gardening Toolkit: From gardening photos to help knowing what plants would grow best where you live, this application will help turn you into a master gardener.

39.Landscaper's Companion: This application is the ultimate reference guide for information about trees, shrubs, flowers, herbs and all kinds of plants.

40.Planimeter: Want to know how big your yard is? This tool is an awesome way to easily find out without pesky tape measures.

Visit this website for easy access to all of the above applications:
http://www.insurancequotes.org/40-revolutionary-ipad-apps-for-homeowners/)

Trash Law Suits Status

2011-07-06T20:58:00.002-04:00

There are Four Lawsuits pending in the St. Louis County Courts.

1.) Haulers Vs. St. Louis County:
Trial Was Held. For Damage Amount on ( May 31, 2011 ) in St. Louis County Circuit Court Before Judge Barbara W. Wallace, (Division 13)

ON MAY 16, 2011 THIS COURT WILL DEFER ITS RULING ON THE CASE UNTIL AUGUST 15, 2011 IN ORDER TO SEE IF THE MISSOURI SUPREME COURT RULES ON ANY ISSUES PRESENTED IN THIS CASE.

RULING DATE: AUGUST 15, 2011

January 25, 2011 - Judge Barbara Wallace ruled that the St-Louis County owes the trash haulers.

2.) Citizens (Right to Vote) Vs. St. Louis County:
Missouri Appeal Court now waiting for a Hearing Date or a Ruling.

3.) Tax Violation of Hancock Amendment Vs. St. Louis County
Missouri Appeal Court Opinion - Transferred to Missouri Supreme Court
Now Waiting for Hearing Date to be Set.

4.) Citizens ( ILLEGAL TRASH SERVICE ) Vs. St. Louis County:
Class Action Suit
Missouri Supreme Court
For the return of monies paid to the illegal monopoly Trash Haulers

May 11, 2011 - Oral Arguments were Heard.
Now Waiting for Missouri Supreme Court ( Seven Judges ) For RULING.