SECOND ONLY TO DETROIT — According to the latest government statistics, the St. Louis metropolitan area lost 3,300 jobs over a recent yearlong period — the worst in the nation, save Detroit. (What is it about St. Louis and Detroit? First crime, now job loss. Talk about a race to the bottom.)
The report, which examined 367 metropolitan areas, showed Detroit and the St. Louis area (which includes suburbs in Missouri and Illinois) as the worst of 60 metro areas that saw decreases. Detroit was by far the worst with over 26,000 people losing their jobs.
According to the AP, Mayor Francis Slay’s office had a positive spin.
“We don’t have the city numbers yet but our earnings tax withholdings went up by 4 percent last year, which was an increase over the previous few years,” Slay spokesman Ed Rhode told the AP. “Based on that we think the city’s economy is improving.”
REED GETS THE 15th — Both candidates for President of the Board of Aldermen appeared last night at a forum hosted by the 15th Ward Democrats (check back later for exclusive video). Afterwards, the ward members voted by secret ballot to endorse challenger Lewis Reed over incumbent Jim Shrewsbury.
15th Ward Ald. Jennifer Florida, a Reed supporter, was unable to attend the meeting because of a family emergency (Our thoughts go out to her and her family).
“CASH”-CHIONE — Patrick Cacchione, candidate for 6th Ward Alderman, has given some cash to help with the cost of a study aimed at getting a new grocery store in his ward.
According to his press release, Cachione donated “10 percent of the cost” of the population density and demographic study to the Gate
District East Neighborhood Association in an effort to bring in a major grocer to the vacant Foodland Grocery site on 1605 S. Jefferson Ave.
That 10% works out to about 100 bucks.
January 10th, 2007 at 11:07 am
So, St. Louis and Detroit compete for most jobs lost and highest crime. Hmmmm…do we think those things might be related?
January 10th, 2007 at 11:22 am
Unemployed May Company fashion designers go on urban rampage?
If they revise the jobs numbers upwards and it turns out St. Louis gained jobs instead of lost them, will they also revise the crime reports?
January 10th, 2007 at 11:25 am
The recent E-W Gateway Report notes this trend among other disturbing ones:
http://urbanstl.com/viewtopic.php?t=3474
Perhaps not everything is being done to address the issue of jobs in the St. Louis Region?
Maybe instead of battling other municipalities with tax incentive, we could promote unique urban housing, entertainment, and other cultural draws so that employees would prefer to live in the City as opposed to suburban and exurban areas? Are we doing this?
In my view some of our policies are quite contradictory. Wonderful loft and condo development is occurring in many neighborhoods along with historical rehabs; these are unique and draw people to our City. Yet, our leaders promote historical rehabs or lofts on one hand while allowing massive land speculation by out-of-City developers like Blairmont. We also allow the LRA to mismanage thousands of parcels City wide. How can we grow uniformly when there is no continuity?
January 10th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
The Post-Dispatch’s editorial today said not to believe the jobs numbers because they must be wrong. Talk about being in deep denial! This cements the Post as a cheerleader for the area’s establishment.
January 11th, 2007 at 10:10 am
Why can we not vote out our pathetic leaders in St. Louis? This whole job loss and crime thing didn’t happen over night. It happened because we care too much about whether a candidate is democrat and not enough about their on the job performance. Take Lacy Clay. One blogger recently stated that the Clay family gets things done in St. Louis. Are you kidding me? Lacy Clay doesn’t care about the black folks in this community. He cares about the black vote; You know the vote that keeps getting him and all the other democrats elected only to turn on us later by their inaction. Stop fooling yourself and look at the results that really effect the black community. Our schools are a mess but where is Lacy Clay? The crime rate in the city is tops in the nation; but where is Mr. Clay? We are second to the top on job losses in the nation; on Mr. Clay’s watch we lost more jobs then any other city in the nation other then Detroit. Oh and do you really think there has been any relief from the police brutality and racial profiling in our city over the last 6 years? Come on! Wake up! Lacy Clay doesn’t deserve the black vote but we keep giving it to him. Way to go St. Louis maybe we should be tops in the country in stupidity as well.
Next election don’t forget the results of Lacy’s job performance!!!!