So AmerenUE just received approval to raise their rates.
While realistically the rate increase isn't too terrible let's take a look back on some events that have involved Ameren in the last two years.
The Thom Sauk Hydroelectric plant collapsed destroying a state park and causing millions of dollars in damage.
There were also two storms, one last summer and one last winter, that caused some customers to be without power for up to two weeks.
Yet both in 2005 and 2006 the corporate officers awarded themselves millions of dollars in performance bonuses.
And now Ameren is raising the rates to pay for the storm damages.
It's like they're asking to be the first ones up against the wall when the revolution comes.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Monday, April 30, 2007
Gays, Polish and Sheryl Crow?
I apologize for the tardiness of this entry but I've been kind of busy. I know it's no longer topical but I wrote it two weeks ago and never got around to posting it.
Archbishop Raymond Burke is in the papers again.
Sheryl Crow is Pro-Choice so Burke resigned as chairmen of Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital when Crow was scheduled to play a benefit show for the Bob Costas Cancer Center.
In starting I understand that Burke's job is to support the Catholic Church's beliefs 100% of the time.
However I feel that this presents a clear danger to our society.
The main goal of the concert was to raise money for cancer research and treatment.
This had nothing to do with stem cell research, abortion or "moral evils".
What has happened is that religious beliefs, although well founded, have interfered with a genuinely good thing.
And this is the point where religious Americans can no longer hold themselves above "fundamentalists" because their beliefs have caused some sort of destruction.
Archbishop Raymond Burke is in the papers again.
Sheryl Crow is Pro-Choice so Burke resigned as chairmen of Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital when Crow was scheduled to play a benefit show for the Bob Costas Cancer Center.
In starting I understand that Burke's job is to support the Catholic Church's beliefs 100% of the time.
However I feel that this presents a clear danger to our society.
The main goal of the concert was to raise money for cancer research and treatment.
This had nothing to do with stem cell research, abortion or "moral evils".
What has happened is that religious beliefs, although well founded, have interfered with a genuinely good thing.
And this is the point where religious Americans can no longer hold themselves above "fundamentalists" because their beliefs have caused some sort of destruction.
It's what leads to flying planes into buildings.
Please don't excommunicate me....
Listen to him talk. The similarity is uncanny
Monday, April 23, 2007
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
"Nappy Headed Hos"
Don Imus called the Rutgers basketball team "nappy headed hos".
OK, America. Calm Down
Was it offensive? Yes.
Was it racist? Yes.
Did it really deserve the attention that it was given? No.
The aftermath of the Imus comment was the most undeserved media circus since the Michael Jackson trial.
Imus was a shock jock. He was paid to piss people off. You really can't expect someone in that profession to be an upstanding member of society.
OK, America. Calm Down
Was it offensive? Yes.
Was it racist? Yes.
Did it really deserve the attention that it was given? No.
The aftermath of the Imus comment was the most undeserved media circus since the Michael Jackson trial.
Imus was a shock jock. He was paid to piss people off. You really can't expect someone in that profession to be an upstanding member of society.
He was fired. He deserved it.
But America as a whole needs to breath before making such rash decisions.
I'm not black and I'll never understand what structual racism is like.
This being said there are a few things I'd like to say;
I don't think everyone should have been so upset.
I don't think a racist comment made by a shock jock should be taken heart.
I don't think a public apology means shit to Imus.
I don't think this reaction is good for America.
Sometimes we need to accept that the world isn't politically correct.
I'm not trying to say these sort of comments should be allowed, I'm saying that an overzealous reaction to them is potentially just as dangerous.
If reactions like this continue our society will continually grow more and more sterile to the point that it no longer reflects the reality.
At that point someone might even find a commercial about a robot jumping off a bridge offensive.
Oh shit...
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Reflection on a Cruel World
I left class yesterday and saw CNN covering the Virgina Tech shooting.
32 dead. 30 injured.
Terrible.
Yet I wasn't really moved at all.
I saw Columbine.
I saw 9/11.
I saw the bombs hit Baghdad.
I've accepted that things like this happen in this world.
And that is the real tragedy.
We live in a world where by the age of 20 a man can be so jaded from all of the violence and destruction around him that he doesn't care that 30 innocent people were murdered.
They're going to blame it on movies.
They're going to blame it on television.
They're going to blame it on video games.
But what no one ever thinks about is that systematic genocide existed before all of those things.
We live in a harsh, terrible, unrelenting world.
Ironically it was a beautiful day in St. Louis.
32 dead. 30 injured.
Terrible.
Yet I wasn't really moved at all.
I saw Columbine.
I saw 9/11.
I saw the bombs hit Baghdad.
I've accepted that things like this happen in this world.
And that is the real tragedy.
We live in a world where by the age of 20 a man can be so jaded from all of the violence and destruction around him that he doesn't care that 30 innocent people were murdered.
They're going to blame it on movies.
They're going to blame it on television.
They're going to blame it on video games.
But what no one ever thinks about is that systematic genocide existed before all of those things.
We live in a harsh, terrible, unrelenting world.
Ironically it was a beautiful day in St. Louis.
Monday, April 9, 2007
"Intolerable"? Come On...
So about a month ago the story broke that several St. Louis Police Officers used World Series tickets they had confiscated from scalpers.
Last week 8 officers were suspended and Police Chief Joe Mokwa requested a pay reduction that would cost each officer about $20,000 a year. He referred to their decisions as "intolerable".
Eight Men Out. How Ironic.Come on...
They took tickets from scalpers.
They gave the tickets to their family and friends.
They returned the tickets to evidence.
No one was hurt. No evidence was damaged.
And a couple people got to see the Cardinals win a World Series game.
Sounds more like a job perk rather than a $20,000 infraction.
Loosen up people.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
American Beauty
Yesterday in the City of Overland in St. Louis voters decided to recall Mayor Ann Purzner.
Purzner's year long tender had been filled with nothing but accusations and scandal.
One of the greatest beauties of the American Government System is the concept of the recall.
It stands as an ever present warning to politicians.
It actually gives citizens real power in their government.
It makes the politicians servants of their people.
It says "Do your job right or we'll find someone who can do it better".
Today the people of Overland have done a beautiful thing.
Let's hope it catches on.
Purzner's year long tender had been filled with nothing but accusations and scandal.
One of the greatest beauties of the American Government System is the concept of the recall.
It stands as an ever present warning to politicians.
It actually gives citizens real power in their government.
It makes the politicians servants of their people.
It says "Do your job right or we'll find someone who can do it better".
Today the people of Overland have done a beautiful thing.
Let's hope it catches on.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Product (red)
A widespread campaign known as Product (Red) was launched late last year.
The idea behind it is to develop a brand that lets consumers know that part of their money is going to towards fighting AIDS in Africa.
Quite a few large companies have signed on including Motorola, Gap, Giorgio Armani, American Express, Converse and Apple.
Guess who spearheads the organization.
That's right, Bono.
If you read the "manifesto" posted above (Red) explained that by using more (Red) products and services we can save our brothers and sisters in Africa.
Product (Red) has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on advertising making the world aware of their plan to fight AIDS in Africa.
We should all go out and consume our way to a better world.
Fucking useless after Joshua TreeThursday, March 8, 2007
Here's to "Scooter" Libby
In the past few years I've been disillusioned by the United States Government. No need to go into the specific reasons why but there are plenty.
Up until Tuesday I thought that the government was inefficient, corrupt and hopeless.
But then came a long a true hero.
A man who proved that no matter how high up, no matter how well protected, no matter how corrupt, the United States Justice System can grab you by the balls and bring you down.
Up until Tuesday I thought that the government was inefficient, corrupt and hopeless.
But then came a long a true hero.
A man who proved that no matter how high up, no matter how well protected, no matter how corrupt, the United States Justice System can grab you by the balls and bring you down.
The man I refer to is Lewis "Scooter" Libby.
Today I raise my glass to "Scooter", a true American, who gave me faith in my country again.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
New York Bans "Nigger"?
On February 28 New York City banned the use of the word "nigger" claiming that it is one of the most hateful words in the English language.
While there is no actual punishment for using the word, the idea was that musicians and comedians would take the initiative and stop using the word.
Say what you want about the word.
You can never say it.
You can say it with hatred
You can drop the "r".
It doesn't really matter.
What's important here is that New York City just banned a word.
A word.
I'm glad City Hall in the Big Apple has so much stuff to do.
While there is no actual punishment for using the word, the idea was that musicians and comedians would take the initiative and stop using the word.
Say what you want about the word.
You can never say it.
You can say it with hatred
You can drop the "r".
It doesn't really matter.
What's important here is that New York City just banned a word.
A word.
I'm glad City Hall in the Big Apple has so much stuff to do.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Rowdy Record Release Party
Oh man, I'm excited. Everyone needs to come down to Off Broadway on this Wednesday night for what will probably be the party of the season.
The Vultures and Johnny O and the Jerks are having a concert to release their new split 7 inch album.
These two band are throwbacks to when rock n' roll still rocked and didn't involve dying your hair black and piercing your lip.
Their music is true to the Spirit of St. Louis and is performed with a love only the city could inspire.
The Vultures and Johnny O and the Jerks are having a concert to release their new split 7 inch album.
These two band are throwbacks to when rock n' roll still rocked and didn't involve dying your hair black and piercing your lip.
Their music is true to the Spirit of St. Louis and is performed with a love only the city could inspire.
It's also dollar Stag and PBR night.
The concert will also feature Pokey LaFarge, a Louisville, Kentucky, native, who plays mandolin and sounds a lot like Dylan.
Starts at 9 p.m.
$5 at the door.
$1 per beer.
It's gonna be cheap.
It's gonna be a party.
You should come.
PR Assignment: American Idol and Social Darwinism
Bill Carter of the New York Times just wrote this article about the strength of "American Idol" in the television market.
His question is whether or not it's alright for a single media to have so much power. After all other networks have completely changed their programming in order to avoid being squashed by this giant.
It is a pertinent question because the show now runs three times a week for a total of five hours and other networks can no longer schedule their hit shows around it like they have in the past.
I don't watch "American Idol" but I've seen it a few times and I don't really understand why 30 million people would watch it three times a week.
In general I believe in Social Darwinism when it comes to this kind of thing. But I also recognize when that things can get out of hand and there are points when the government needs to step in and disregard laissez-faire.
This is not one of those times.
While Carter brings up some good points, the situation is not nearly as scary as he makes it out to be.
It's a show about people singing, it's not 1984.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Uncertain Future for St. Louis Journalism Review
Sorry I haven't posted in awhile, I've been a little busy.
Webster University has recently decided they don't care about academic prestige, journalism or the City of St. Louis.
That's a bold lead but it's true.
Just read on.
The St. Louis Journalism Review was founded in 1970 by Charles Klotzer. In 1995 Klotzer turned over ownership of the Review to Webster University.
The basic function of any journalism review is to monitor and critique the news media. Reviews keep journalists on their toes and make sure that they operate in an ethical manner. This is important because a democracy cannot function properly without an efficient press, hence the First Amendment.
However reviews don't make a lot of money. In fact they have a tendency to be a financial burden. So it probably wouldn't surprise you to find out that very few journalism reviews are in print in the United Sates.
The actual number is 3.
The Columbia Journalism Review, The American Journalism Review and The St. Louis Journalism Review.
So the City of St. Louis is home to one of the last remaining journalism reviews in the United States. That's something to be proud of.
You'd think that Webster University would be more than happy to support the Review. It puts them in the same league as the prestigious Columbia University, a school that Webster can't even compare too.
You thought wrong.
Webster had been subsidizing the journal between $35,000 and $50,000 every year for the last 11 years. They decided that the best way to cut that cost would be to take the Review out of print and make it solely available online.
The Board of the Review thought this would destroy the credibility of the journal and refused to cooperate.
That's when Webster cut the funding and ownership of the Review was returned to Klotzer.
The future of the Review is now in question.
Webster University has recently decided they don't care about academic prestige, journalism or the City of St. Louis.
That's a bold lead but it's true.
Just read on.
The St. Louis Journalism Review was founded in 1970 by Charles Klotzer. In 1995 Klotzer turned over ownership of the Review to Webster University.
The basic function of any journalism review is to monitor and critique the news media. Reviews keep journalists on their toes and make sure that they operate in an ethical manner. This is important because a democracy cannot function properly without an efficient press, hence the First Amendment.
However reviews don't make a lot of money. In fact they have a tendency to be a financial burden. So it probably wouldn't surprise you to find out that very few journalism reviews are in print in the United Sates.
The actual number is 3.
The Columbia Journalism Review, The American Journalism Review and The St. Louis Journalism Review.
So the City of St. Louis is home to one of the last remaining journalism reviews in the United States. That's something to be proud of.
You'd think that Webster University would be more than happy to support the Review. It puts them in the same league as the prestigious Columbia University, a school that Webster can't even compare too.
You thought wrong.
Webster had been subsidizing the journal between $35,000 and $50,000 every year for the last 11 years. They decided that the best way to cut that cost would be to take the Review out of print and make it solely available online.
The Board of the Review thought this would destroy the credibility of the journal and refused to cooperate.
That's when Webster cut the funding and ownership of the Review was returned to Klotzer.
The future of the Review is now in question.
I think that Webster has made a bad decision.
By ending their relationship with the Review they have sacrificed academic prestige and have also taken away a point of pride for the City of St. Louis.
That's just a shame.
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
National Budget Proposal
I usually avoid discussing politics. Not because I don't like to think about them, but because political conversations usually end up with people getting angry and never reaching any sort of enlightenment.
This is New Oleans
But today is different.
Yesterday President Bush gave Congress his budget proposal for the next couple years; it included a military budget of $624.6 billion.
$141.7 billion of the total is allocated for fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This is North St. Louis.
This is New OleansThis is Detroit
Just something to think about...
Monday, February 5, 2007
PR Assignment: Too Damn Cold
This PR assignment involves discussing how the recent cold weather has affected my day to day living. Frankl,y I'd rather not dedicate an entire post to just complaining about my life because there are plenty of other blogs that handle that far better than I ever could.
But it's homework so I guess I'll do it.
It's really cold in St. Louis right now. In fact the majority of the country is feeling an arctic blast. Minnesota recorded a -42 degrees today. That's ridiculous.
The past few years St. Louis has had some mild winters, the worse usually coming around February but only lasting about a week.
However this year is different.
It has been below 35 degrees for about an entire month now and I'll be blunt, it sucks.
My 1992 Geo Tracker has spun out of control 3 times.
I had to break icicles out of my hair twice.
I cut my hair and now my ears are freezing.
I've spent roughly $15 on chap stick.
It only snows after I've left my house with my suede jacket on.
I've had various head colds.
That's a little of how my life has been affected.
Not everything about the weather is bad though.
We all have a great conversation starter for greeting strangers.
Thank God baseball starts in a month.
But it's homework so I guess I'll do it.
It's really cold in St. Louis right now. In fact the majority of the country is feeling an arctic blast. Minnesota recorded a -42 degrees today. That's ridiculous.
The past few years St. Louis has had some mild winters, the worse usually coming around February but only lasting about a week.
However this year is different.
It has been below 35 degrees for about an entire month now and I'll be blunt, it sucks.
My 1992 Geo Tracker has spun out of control 3 times.
I had to break icicles out of my hair twice.
I cut my hair and now my ears are freezing.
I've spent roughly $15 on chap stick.
It only snows after I've left my house with my suede jacket on.
I've had various head colds.
That's a little of how my life has been affected.
Not everything about the weather is bad though.
We all have a great conversation starter for greeting strangers.
Thank God baseball starts in a month.
Saturday, February 3, 2007
Woes of the St. Louis School Board
I'll just come out and say it, The St. Louis School Board is an inefficient, backwards cluster-fuck.
I apologize for the obscenity but it really is the perfect prose for the given situation.
Last Tuesday, January 30 about 1,200 parents, teachers, students and ordinary citizens packed into the Harris-Stowe auditorium to protest the proposed takeover of the St. Louis Public School District by the state of Missouri. People lined up as early as 7:30 a.m. to make sure that their voice was heard.
In theory their opinion made sense. If the School Board was appointed by the state and not elected by the voters then the voters lost all say in the education system.
Sounds like a legit complaint but there's one main problem with it.
The voters are terrible at selecting members for the School Board.
Here's a list of things that have happened recently in the School Board:
1. The cash strapped School Board had 2 Apple iPods and 4 MacBook Pros charged onto it's credit card. The iPods and 4 of the MacBooks are sitting at the office unused. No member of the Board has claimed responsibility for ordering them. One former employee said that School Board President Veronica O'Brien ordered them for her children. O'Brien says former liaison to the Board Chip Clatto ordered them. Clatto says that O'Brien told him to order them and the circle of blame continues.
"Where are the other 2 MacBooks?" you ask. Oddly enough no one on the Board seems to know.
2. About six months ago O'Brien refused to sign ten board approved contracts that would allow for the purchase of needed desks, textbooks and even a heating bill. So children in several schools went without heat in November and December due to the lack of a signature. O'Brien claims that superintendent Diana Bourisaw failed to send the contract to her. Bourisaw says that she did. The Board backs Bourisaw's story.
3. On January 16 the School Board voted down an investigation into how successful a state run board would be. This was just a study to see if a state run district would improve the schools, not an actual choice to hand it over to the state.
4. On January 3 O'Brien barely held on to her job. In what has become routine in the School Board the last few years the president was nearly ousted but kept her position in a 4-3 vote.
These are recent events yet the dysfunction and incompetence goes back years. Board members have been caught on camera calling for God to curse other Board members.
And these people were elected.
Anyone that's against a state run School Board needs to ask themselves one question,
"Could it be worse than what we have now?"
No. Not a chance in hell.
I apologize for the obscenity but it really is the perfect prose for the given situation.
Last Tuesday, January 30 about 1,200 parents, teachers, students and ordinary citizens packed into the Harris-Stowe auditorium to protest the proposed takeover of the St. Louis Public School District by the state of Missouri. People lined up as early as 7:30 a.m. to make sure that their voice was heard.
In theory their opinion made sense. If the School Board was appointed by the state and not elected by the voters then the voters lost all say in the education system.
Sounds like a legit complaint but there's one main problem with it.
The voters are terrible at selecting members for the School Board.
Here's a list of things that have happened recently in the School Board:
1. The cash strapped School Board had 2 Apple iPods and 4 MacBook Pros charged onto it's credit card. The iPods and 4 of the MacBooks are sitting at the office unused. No member of the Board has claimed responsibility for ordering them. One former employee said that School Board President Veronica O'Brien ordered them for her children. O'Brien says former liaison to the Board Chip Clatto ordered them. Clatto says that O'Brien told him to order them and the circle of blame continues.
"Where are the other 2 MacBooks?" you ask. Oddly enough no one on the Board seems to know.
2. About six months ago O'Brien refused to sign ten board approved contracts that would allow for the purchase of needed desks, textbooks and even a heating bill. So children in several schools went without heat in November and December due to the lack of a signature. O'Brien claims that superintendent Diana Bourisaw failed to send the contract to her. Bourisaw says that she did. The Board backs Bourisaw's story.
3. On January 16 the School Board voted down an investigation into how successful a state run board would be. This was just a study to see if a state run district would improve the schools, not an actual choice to hand it over to the state.
4. On January 3 O'Brien barely held on to her job. In what has become routine in the School Board the last few years the president was nearly ousted but kept her position in a 4-3 vote.
These are recent events yet the dysfunction and incompetence goes back years. Board members have been caught on camera calling for God to curse other Board members.
And these people were elected.
Anyone that's against a state run School Board needs to ask themselves one question,
"Could it be worse than what we have now?"
No. Not a chance in hell.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
St. Louis Music Scene
Anyone that's interested in good music should go listen to Casey Reid tomorrow night at the Way Out Club around 8 p.m.
Casey is one of the most talented musicians to come out of St. Louis in years and plays amazing live sets.
His trashcan blues embody the grit and grind of St. Louis in a way that only truly good music can.
He was selected by the Riverfront Times as St. Louis' best songwriter of 2006.
Here's what they they think of him over at the RFT
You should seriously consider checking him out.
Casey is one of the most talented musicians to come out of St. Louis in years and plays amazing live sets.
His trashcan blues embody the grit and grind of St. Louis in a way that only truly good music can.
He was selected by the Riverfront Times as St. Louis' best songwriter of 2006.
Here's what they they think of him over at the RFT
You should seriously consider checking him out.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Maplewood Police Brutality?
About a year ago St. Louis appeared in a shocking national news story. Maplewood Police Officers had run down an African-American and beat him within an inch of his life. It was disgusting. It was revolting. It was the next Rodney King.
Here's a link to the video of the arrest.
The victim, Edmon Burns, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday claiming that his civil rights were violated by the police when they attacked him.
According to the report Burns, 34, was sitting in his car at a gas station in Maplewood around 7 a.m. on January 30, 2006 when police officers approached his van, called him a racial slur and demanded that he get out of the vehicle. Burns was filled with terror and took off towards his home. His van was stopped when a police car rammed the back of it. He then took off on foot, was chased down by four police officers and beaten.
The suit says that his fear of police officers comes from a long line of police abuse towards him and his family.
I watched the video when it first came out. I've watched it probably about a hundred times since then and it is terrible. It is the definition of excessive use of force. The officers involved deserved to be punished and they were.
There were three officers from Maplewood and one from St. Louis.
The Maplewood officers, Adam McIntyre, John DeBisschop and David Arnett, each had different punishments. One resigned, one was forced to retire and the other still works for the MPD but is no longer an officer.
Ray Knight, the St. Louis officer, was suspended, disciplined and then returned to the force and has had no other complaints to this day.
Burns is filing suit against everyone remotely involved. This list includes all four officers, Maplewood Police Chief James White, St. Louis Police Chief Joe Mokwa, Maplewood Police Department, St. Louis Police Department and the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners. He wants money for damages, punitive damages and attorney's fees.
Here's where it gets interesting.
I talked to a lot of police officers about this last summer. In the last two days I've talked to a total of 9 police officers about this lawsuit from several different counties and ethnicities. I even got a chance to talk to a sergeant and a detective.
The List includes:
Maplewood
Richmond Heights
Brentwood
Clayton
St. Louis
University City
Needless to say the officers did not speak highly of Mister Burns. I also heard a few details to the story that were left out by the news.
Apparently when Burns left the gas station he hit a parked car and then floored it into reverse and hit a parked cop car at a high speed. A police officer had to dive out of the way to avoid being run over.
Legally if a police officer is being attacked with a vehicle they have the power to shoot to kill in self defense.
The unanimous decision of the cops I talked to, both black and white, was that Burns was lucky to be alive at all. Many of them felt that if Burns was shot at the gas station it would have only been a news story for about two days.
I also found out that the reason Burns waited an entire year to file suit. He was busted for a parole violation and went back to jail for a couple months.
Alright as I said before I know a lot of cops and I still don't like the profession on the whole. Some of the ones I know are just flat out insane and are the exact kind of people that would beat the shit out of you for going five over the limit.
But in this case I have to agree with them.
Burns got the shit beat out of him.
The men that did it lost their jobs or were severely punished as they deserved to be.
However Burns is in a questionable position too. He's an ex-con who tried to run over an officer and then proceeded to start a dangerous high speed car chase through morning rush hour and it was all because he was "afraid".
Yeah right.
I know this is a stretch but I've been illegally searched by police officers. I've been a victim of a sloppy police report that cost me about $800 even after it was thrown out of court.
I didn't get any money for my damages and I didn't even do anything criminal in those cases.
Bottom line opinion, Burns shouldn't get a dime.
Given our legal system he'll probably get a lot of money but he doesn't deserve it.
What do you think?
Here's a link to the video of the arrest.
The victim, Edmon Burns, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday claiming that his civil rights were violated by the police when they attacked him.
According to the report Burns, 34, was sitting in his car at a gas station in Maplewood around 7 a.m. on January 30, 2006 when police officers approached his van, called him a racial slur and demanded that he get out of the vehicle. Burns was filled with terror and took off towards his home. His van was stopped when a police car rammed the back of it. He then took off on foot, was chased down by four police officers and beaten.
The suit says that his fear of police officers comes from a long line of police abuse towards him and his family.
I watched the video when it first came out. I've watched it probably about a hundred times since then and it is terrible. It is the definition of excessive use of force. The officers involved deserved to be punished and they were.
There were three officers from Maplewood and one from St. Louis.
The Maplewood officers, Adam McIntyre, John DeBisschop and David Arnett, each had different punishments. One resigned, one was forced to retire and the other still works for the MPD but is no longer an officer.
Ray Knight, the St. Louis officer, was suspended, disciplined and then returned to the force and has had no other complaints to this day.
Burns is filing suit against everyone remotely involved. This list includes all four officers, Maplewood Police Chief James White, St. Louis Police Chief Joe Mokwa, Maplewood Police Department, St. Louis Police Department and the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners. He wants money for damages, punitive damages and attorney's fees.
Here's where it gets interesting.
I talked to a lot of police officers about this last summer. In the last two days I've talked to a total of 9 police officers about this lawsuit from several different counties and ethnicities. I even got a chance to talk to a sergeant and a detective.
The List includes:
Maplewood
Richmond Heights
Brentwood
Clayton
St. Louis
University City
Needless to say the officers did not speak highly of Mister Burns. I also heard a few details to the story that were left out by the news.
Apparently when Burns left the gas station he hit a parked car and then floored it into reverse and hit a parked cop car at a high speed. A police officer had to dive out of the way to avoid being run over.
Legally if a police officer is being attacked with a vehicle they have the power to shoot to kill in self defense.
The unanimous decision of the cops I talked to, both black and white, was that Burns was lucky to be alive at all. Many of them felt that if Burns was shot at the gas station it would have only been a news story for about two days.
I also found out that the reason Burns waited an entire year to file suit. He was busted for a parole violation and went back to jail for a couple months.
Alright as I said before I know a lot of cops and I still don't like the profession on the whole. Some of the ones I know are just flat out insane and are the exact kind of people that would beat the shit out of you for going five over the limit.
But in this case I have to agree with them.
Burns got the shit beat out of him.
The men that did it lost their jobs or were severely punished as they deserved to be.
However Burns is in a questionable position too. He's an ex-con who tried to run over an officer and then proceeded to start a dangerous high speed car chase through morning rush hour and it was all because he was "afraid".
Yeah right.
I know this is a stretch but I've been illegally searched by police officers. I've been a victim of a sloppy police report that cost me about $800 even after it was thrown out of court.
I didn't get any money for my damages and I didn't even do anything criminal in those cases.
Bottom line opinion, Burns shouldn't get a dime.
Given our legal system he'll probably get a lot of money but he doesn't deserve it.
What do you think?
Monday, January 29, 2007
PR Assignment: Highway 40 Construction
Highway 40 is being closed for improvements and anyone who has ever gotten on or off the highway at Lindbergh is happy. If not that exit try Hampton.
While the highway had a lot of character it was just time. The problem arises in the fact that Highway 40 is the main route connecting St. Louis City to St. Louis County. Thousands of people travel it everyday just to get around the Metropolitan area.
I don't know the exact dates for all of the construction but they're going to do it in sections. This year they're taking out several bridges and exit ramps from Hanley to Kingshighway. In 2008 40 will be closed from Spoede to 170. In 2009 it will be closed from 170 to Kingshighway.
Most people are concerned and scared about physically getting around with these closures which is a valid thing to worry about.
However I know the side roads here in St. Louis like the back of my hand, so I'm more concerned with the economic effects of these closures on the local communities. I don't have the data or the numbers but I think it's safe to assume that most people, specifically those that dwell in West-County along Highway 40 will frequent the city less often due to the inconvenience of getting there. In 2009 it will be even worse with practically all of the communities around 40 not having a convenient way of getting to the city.
I've been brainstorming a little and here are my predictions on what may happen because of the construction:
1. Development in the city will slow down.
Most of the consumer money put into the city comes from residents of the county. With no way of getting there businesses will take a hit and developers will be less likely to invest. Those who already have invested in projects like Ballpark Village for instance are screwed.
2. Mid-County specifically Richmond Heights will take a hit.
A lack of money coming in from the West will wreak havoc on the principalities in Mid-County like Richmond Heights, Brentwood, Maplewood, University City and Clayton. Richmond Heights will take a huge hit due to the location of the Galleria at 40 and 170. Residents west of 170 will just stop coming because it will be easier to get to the West County Mall. This happens at an extremely inopportune time because Richmond Heights just revealed plans for development around the Galleria.
3. Public Transportation starts to take off.
With all the construction some in the county may just start using the Metrolink to get downtown. After all it almost runs directly along Highway 40 and from personal experience is rather convenient.
That's just some of the things that might happen. Go ahead and share your ideas on the matter.
While the highway had a lot of character it was just time. The problem arises in the fact that Highway 40 is the main route connecting St. Louis City to St. Louis County. Thousands of people travel it everyday just to get around the Metropolitan area.
I don't know the exact dates for all of the construction but they're going to do it in sections. This year they're taking out several bridges and exit ramps from Hanley to Kingshighway. In 2008 40 will be closed from Spoede to 170. In 2009 it will be closed from 170 to Kingshighway.
Most people are concerned and scared about physically getting around with these closures which is a valid thing to worry about.
However I know the side roads here in St. Louis like the back of my hand, so I'm more concerned with the economic effects of these closures on the local communities. I don't have the data or the numbers but I think it's safe to assume that most people, specifically those that dwell in West-County along Highway 40 will frequent the city less often due to the inconvenience of getting there. In 2009 it will be even worse with practically all of the communities around 40 not having a convenient way of getting to the city.
I've been brainstorming a little and here are my predictions on what may happen because of the construction:
1. Development in the city will slow down.
Most of the consumer money put into the city comes from residents of the county. With no way of getting there businesses will take a hit and developers will be less likely to invest. Those who already have invested in projects like Ballpark Village for instance are screwed.
2. Mid-County specifically Richmond Heights will take a hit.
A lack of money coming in from the West will wreak havoc on the principalities in Mid-County like Richmond Heights, Brentwood, Maplewood, University City and Clayton. Richmond Heights will take a huge hit due to the location of the Galleria at 40 and 170. Residents west of 170 will just stop coming because it will be easier to get to the West County Mall. This happens at an extremely inopportune time because Richmond Heights just revealed plans for development around the Galleria.
3. Public Transportation starts to take off.
With all the construction some in the county may just start using the Metrolink to get downtown. After all it almost runs directly along Highway 40 and from personal experience is rather convenient.
That's just some of the things that might happen. Go ahead and share your ideas on the matter.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
What Happened?
According to the 1900 census St. Louis was the 4th largest city in the United States. It was in fact such a highly considered place that the 1904 World's Fair and Olympics were held there.
Just a little over a hundred years later St. Louis isn't even in the top 50 most populated cities in the country, it's the "most dangerous" and we still talk about that god damn World's Fair as if we had something to do with it.
Apparently something happened to get the city where it is today. Probably a lot of things happened.
I'm currently writing an article and doing some interviews about what caused the downfall of St. Louis.
I know no one is reading this yet but if anyone stumbles on this blog feel free to comment.
I'm eager to hear what you think did the city in.
Monday, January 22, 2007
PR Assignment: St. Louis in the International Media
On January 8, 2007 Ben Ownby, 13, was abducted after getting off his school bus in Franklin County. Four days later he was found in the apartment of Michael Devlin, 41, in Kirkwood, St. Louis County. Shawn Hornbeck, a boy who had gone missing in 2002, was found in the same apartment.
This is a rather simplified version of the story but it will due for the topic at hand.
The question I'm addressing is "How was St. Louis portrayed in the Media's coverage of this case?".
Given the nature of the event this immediately became an international story. Suddenly there were crews from the BBC, FOX and CNN in St. Louis and the entire city was in the spotlight.
How did we hold up?
I have a friend from New York whose image of St. Louis includes silos, pickup trucks, cows and cups to spit dip in. Now there's something to be said for that lifestyle but I don't feel it accurately reflects the city in which I live.
So needless to say I was a little upset at the initial reports. Mitchell Hults, the boy in Ownby's class that had identified Devlin's truck, was interviewed while wearing all camouflage and a hat with a Confederate Flag on it. He even added a passionate "Git R Done" at the end. I also noticed that he was two years older than his classmate. This was because he failed two grades.
The parents weren't much better.
I don't want to sound pretensious but let's face it, Franklin and Washington County aren't St. Louis and they don't reflect "well" on the city. I was afraid that the entire world would view St. Louis as the "Git R Done" city. I still don't even know what that means.
However as I continue to read articles by CNN, BBC, FOX and MSNBC I've found I have nothing to be ashamed of. The networks are all focusing on how miraculous the situation is. In fact I've found no undertones in the reports that could be considered negative.
In the end the case was so amazing and bizarre that the news media tried to paint St. Louis, specifically Kirkwood, as an everyday place. Devlin was just an everyday person who worked at a pizza shop. In creating this picture of the location the media made the story more interesting and sinister as if could have happened anywhere to anyone.
So overall I feel that St. Louis was portrayed in a neutral light.
But talk about "cruel world" syndrome...
This is a rather simplified version of the story but it will due for the topic at hand.
The question I'm addressing is "How was St. Louis portrayed in the Media's coverage of this case?".
Given the nature of the event this immediately became an international story. Suddenly there were crews from the BBC, FOX and CNN in St. Louis and the entire city was in the spotlight.
How did we hold up?
I have a friend from New York whose image of St. Louis includes silos, pickup trucks, cows and cups to spit dip in. Now there's something to be said for that lifestyle but I don't feel it accurately reflects the city in which I live.
So needless to say I was a little upset at the initial reports. Mitchell Hults, the boy in Ownby's class that had identified Devlin's truck, was interviewed while wearing all camouflage and a hat with a Confederate Flag on it. He even added a passionate "Git R Done" at the end. I also noticed that he was two years older than his classmate. This was because he failed two grades.
The parents weren't much better.
I don't want to sound pretensious but let's face it, Franklin and Washington County aren't St. Louis and they don't reflect "well" on the city. I was afraid that the entire world would view St. Louis as the "Git R Done" city. I still don't even know what that means.
However as I continue to read articles by CNN, BBC, FOX and MSNBC I've found I have nothing to be ashamed of. The networks are all focusing on how miraculous the situation is. In fact I've found no undertones in the reports that could be considered negative.
In the end the case was so amazing and bizarre that the news media tried to paint St. Louis, specifically Kirkwood, as an everyday place. Devlin was just an everyday person who worked at a pizza shop. In creating this picture of the location the media made the story more interesting and sinister as if could have happened anywhere to anyone.
So overall I feel that St. Louis was portrayed in a neutral light.
But talk about "cruel world" syndrome...
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Let's Get Things Started...
All things have to start somewhere.
This blog starts at 2:00 a.m. on a Thursday morning in a college dorm room somewhere in the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri.
I'm currently taking a class called "Writing for Public Relations" and one of the assignments for the class is to create a blog and occasionally update it. I've always wanted to start a blog but have lacked the motivation until now. So here it is. My grand experiment. Hopefully it will go well.
The Why, When and Where are covered so let's get to the Who. My name is Marty and I'm a 19 year old college student. I'm double majoring in Public Relations and Marketing at a small liberal arts university in St. Louis, Missouri. I like music, the outdoors and professional baseball. I'm a talented orator. I'm arrogant. That will do for now, I'll write more on myself later.
Now on to the What. Asides from the writing which I will be doing for the PR class this blog will try to express what living in the City of St. Louis is like for me.
I've lived in St. Louis my entire life. The city has a character and atmosphere that can't be found anywhere else in the world. There's a sublte beauty to the seedy diners, dive bars, decrepit buildings and that big muddy river. I love it all but at the same time I hate it. I've seen fear and neglect destroy the city. It hurts me more than anything ever has.
But I think we're at a pivotal point. People are ready to give the city another chance and this excites me more than anything has in the past. At the same time I fear we'll let this moment slip by and continue to wallow in the mediocrity that is.
This blog is about my thoughts on the this pivotal point in time and how it affects me.
This blog starts at 2:00 a.m. on a Thursday morning in a college dorm room somewhere in the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri.
I'm currently taking a class called "Writing for Public Relations" and one of the assignments for the class is to create a blog and occasionally update it. I've always wanted to start a blog but have lacked the motivation until now. So here it is. My grand experiment. Hopefully it will go well.
The Why, When and Where are covered so let's get to the Who. My name is Marty and I'm a 19 year old college student. I'm double majoring in Public Relations and Marketing at a small liberal arts university in St. Louis, Missouri. I like music, the outdoors and professional baseball. I'm a talented orator. I'm arrogant. That will do for now, I'll write more on myself later.
Now on to the What. Asides from the writing which I will be doing for the PR class this blog will try to express what living in the City of St. Louis is like for me.
I've lived in St. Louis my entire life. The city has a character and atmosphere that can't be found anywhere else in the world. There's a sublte beauty to the seedy diners, dive bars, decrepit buildings and that big muddy river. I love it all but at the same time I hate it. I've seen fear and neglect destroy the city. It hurts me more than anything ever has.
But I think we're at a pivotal point. People are ready to give the city another chance and this excites me more than anything has in the past. At the same time I fear we'll let this moment slip by and continue to wallow in the mediocrity that is.
This blog is about my thoughts on the this pivotal point in time and how it affects me.
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