On Living in Mound City

She's Gotta Go!

2005-07-15T13:08:00.000-07:00

Within the monolithic walls of City Hall there lies a woman who is ruthless when it comes to attempting to get her agenda passed. She pretends to wield the power of the Mayor, but in reality she does nothing more than flaunt her power and attempt to intimidate.

After being rather unceremoniously dumped by her previous employer Kathy Hale was brought into the inner sanctum of the Mayor’s Office and was given tasks which required her to interact with people outside of that building on Market and Tucker. She attempts to demonstrate her savvy and her “in” with the Mayor, but in turn only demonstrates her scathingly doltish persona.

While she certainly believes she is solidly well in play with Francis Slay, one has to assume her connections go no further than Slay’s Chief of Staff Jeff Rainford. While Hale often ruffles feathers and serves to generally make the masses upset Rainford must come in behind her to save face for Slay.

Hale, who has often professed her undying love for the city can’t even bring herself to live within the city’s limits although she is required to do so. On several other occasions she has even professed her support for residency requirements for all city employees; all the while she is thumbing her nose at the rule herself.

She has, on more than one occasion, been heard to complain about the parking situation around her loft, when in reality she parks in the driveway of her boyfriend’s home who lives not in the city.

Her reckless mouth, her brazen attitude, and her inept ability at speaking to other human beings has lost her one job and so she has decided to take a position in city government. It is even rumored that she cannot get along with her fellow co-workers much less those folks in other city offices.

Yes, all of this makes one wonder, how exactly did she land her job in the Mayor’s Office, and why exactly is she still there? If she did truly love the city she works for, why then can’t she bring herself to actually live there, and further why wouldn’t she do this city a favor and leave her position?

You may not know the name Kathy Hale because she has an inside job, but if you’ve ever worked with her you would understand immediately why she should just put us all out of our misery and just quit. If not that, then Jeff Rainford should wise up and realize it is time to send her on her way.

It is time Hale move on and find someone else to torture. Maybe Charlie Dooley is looking for someone to help him alienate himself from the voters, that seems to be her specialty.

Flat Timers and the Homeless Fixtures

2005-06-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

Anyone who works downtown in St. Louis is familiar with the homeless. If you walk over by the main library you will see them mulling about, you will see the vans pull up to feed them, and you will see the police shooing them away. Some may even become familiar to you.

For instance there is the guy who dresses semi-nicely, and tells you about the program he is going through trying to improve himself. He asks you how he looks, how he presents himself and then all he asks you for is your signature and a quick comment about his presentation.

If you’ve gotten this far, he’s dropped the hook into you. Now that you’ve signed he’d really like a donation to the group he works with. It would really mean a lot to his organization so that he can in turn help other young people improve themselves.

Or there is the guy that has glasses so dirty he can’t see out of them. He wears camouflage and three coats no matter how hot it is. He’s got his backpack on, and he gives you his talk about being a Vietnam veteran and how he’s been down on his luck for the last 6 months, and he needs just a little money for a meal and to help him get back on his feet.

I first met this guy about 4 years ago. At that time he had only a short beard, and he was cleaner. I bought his story; he looked like he’d only been on the street for six months then. Here we are though, 4 years later and he cusses me now when I don’t buy his story. So be it.

These guys, and others like them, are part of the scenery in St. Louis. A lot of them are harmless, only looking for a few bucks. As people who know me I’m not opposed to giving them a buck or two. Well I am opposed to them if they tell me a lie, or some cockamamie story.

There are the ones that won’t lie, that tell you they want booze, they want to party. I’m not opposed to oblige because at least then I know they are being mostly honest about it. Maybe I am an enabler, but I am just trying to reward honesty. After all, if I don’t give them a dollar, someone else surely will.

Of course there are scarier ones out there, the ones you have to watch for. A lot of people are unaware of where some of these homeless come from. They are unaware of who they are dealing with when they are approached, and it is these that are scary, because it is unknown how they will react.

These people, of which I speak, are called flat timers. They have served their time in prison, all of it. The only people that really serve all of their time in prison for crimes are those who could not make parole for good behavior, or good status, or they could not be rehabilitated.

When their time has run out, the state boots them out of the system. They are offered a bus ticket to wherever they wish to go. If they pick St. Charles, Jefferson County, or someplace similar, they are given a bus ticket, a couple of bucks and shipped to the Greyhound station downtown.

After they arrive they are no longer tracked, they no longer are followed, and they slip through the cracks. They can’t be tracked because they are no longer incarcerated, their time is up, and the state can’t legally hold them anymore. No one ensures that they arrive where they wanted to go, and so most get off the Greyhound and return to their old habits. And most of those folks find their way back into the legal justice system.

Maybe it’s time St. Louis comes up with a better system. Sure our homeless problem isn’t as big as say San Francisco, but if we don’t do something to fix the problem soon, there will be less of the harmless people out there, and more of the dangerous one.

And who knows, maybe next time I think a guy is lying and I refuse to help him out, he will do something that lands him back in the penitentiary. I don’t know about you, but I prefer no to be the victim of a crime.

Busch Stadium = Class Act

2005-06-07T13:51:00.000-07:00

There are some things that are just all about St. Louis. Going to a Cardinals game is one of those things. I go to as many of these games as I possibly can, and I have rarely if ever been let down.

When going to a Cardinals game there is something in the air. No matter how they perform on the field, you feel as if you are doing something genuinely unique to St. Louis. Arguably one of the best baseball towns in the country, our version of baseball here is unique.

While there are exceptions, we have probably the friendliest and best fans in any sports. While last night I was concerned that our darker side was showing when the boos began as Edgar Renteria stepped up to the plate I was filled with a warm feeling as the standing ovation outweighed the initial reaction.

Walking to the game I was impressed with just how friendly my fellow St. Louisans can be. Walking down the street I struck up a conversation with a young couple in Red Sox jerseys, and they made mention on just how nice everyone had been with them today. From the guy outside their hotel who gave them directions to the brewery to the police officer who offered them a ride to Union Station because he was heading in that direction.

On our way to our seats we were greeted by an usher at the gate who smiled and made small talk while he checked people’s bags, and we passed several more ushers who said hi, enjoy the game and didn’t hesitate to stop and ask those around us who looked lost if they could help them. We have traveled extensively to other ballparks, and I doubt you will find a friendlier customer service staff at any ballpark.

Once in our seats we made small talk with the various Sox and Cardinals fans around us, even having a bit of fun with friendly taunting. The Sox fans sitting in front of us pointed out how friendly everyone was in St. Louis, from the staff to the fans.

Yes, indeed going to a Cardinals game is unique to St. Louis. It is something that must be done when coming in town. It’s not quite the same going to a Rams or Blues game, it’s probably better. And last night St. Louis demonstrated just how much class they have. The welcomed Boston back in town even after they beat us badly in the World Series, and they welcomed their prodigal son Edgar back, with mostly open arms.

Sure, maybe I’m a sap when it comes to baseball, but to be honest, I don’t know that anything really compares to a baseball game in Busch Stadium, or the fans that love their team so…

Go Cards!

Loving the City

2005-06-01T12:44:00.000-07:00

It used to amaze me, but now I’m used to the question. “You live in the CITY?!?” I never really encountered that question until I went to high school. Being that I am Catholic and from St. Louis I went to Catholic grade school and high school. In grade school everyone I went to school with lived in the city. South City to be exact. We lived in a part of the city that was at one time predominantly German, and to this day is still deep in tradition of German America. CYC events and all other events include beer, and so on. All of the typical crap that we are stereotyped for.

It wasn’t until I entered the private Catholic high school that was on Clayton that I realized that living in the CITY was a foreign idea that anyone could live within the city. Even those that lived just on the other side of the border thought that only criminals lived in the city, and that if you went into the city you would be car jacked, robbed or killed.

So being that I was born and raised in the city, it was only appropriate that when I got married I would live in the city. Luckily for me I married another south city girl. We bought our house, moved in, and I can assure you we are in a safe part of the city. I would even venture to tell you that we are safer in our part of the city than some of those in the county are. The only difference is that we don’t have a false sense of security. I understand that no matter where I live that my car may be broken into and at some point in my life I may very well be the victim of a crime. That’s just life.

So why do I like living in the city so much? Well, for one I can walk to a grocery store, and never once encounter a major intersection or a major street. Now I don’t do that, but only because when we shop we buy copious amounts of food and therefore need to drive it back home. But the option was there, and on occasion I have walked there if I only need to get one thing.

Another reason is that I am less than 10 minutes from work (downtown) on a good day, and maybe 15 minutes from work in heavy traffic. God bless I-55, is all that I need say. As a matter of fact, I can’t think of many places that aren’t close to me.

Another of the many reasons is the closeness of my neighborhood. I could probably tell you the name of every one of my neighbors, their children, what they do for a living and where their kids are in school. I have had neighbors let me know when they saw something or someone suspicious around their place, and I do the same for them. We will stand in our front yards and talk, and we will invite each other over for parties, or just to have drinks.

I have friends in the county that live in neighborhoods like this, but truth be told the majority of them couldn’t tell you what most of their neighbors are, or when the last time they said hi to them. There is somewhat of a close nit bond in city neighborhoods, and part of that is because the neighborhood bonds are deeply rooted.

For those of us who grew up in the city we don’t really want to leave. I never really want to move out of the city. I plan on staying here as long as I can, as long as work allows, or we can afford the house we need. And it all goes beyond that. I mean this weekend I had any number of options to choose from. I could have gone to Ribfest, or to the Cardinals game, or the Gypsy Caravan or any number of other events in Forest Park or elsewhere around the city.

Yes I love living in the city, and that is why I have devoted a blog to writing about the city. I will move onto better topics soon, once I have more time. Hopefully if anyone is reading this they are enjoying it so far, even though my writing has been a bit sub par and off the top of my head.

I promise, stick around and the next topic will be a bit more insightful and though provoking.

Introduction

2005-05-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

I have yet to really find my niche in the blogging world. My other blog, the one all about me is nearing the one year mark, and I have gathered a bit of a readership over there, but I feel at times that I can be boring, and that my writing doesn’t follow the steady stream I wish it could. I started using the blog as an outlet, and as a place to improve my writing. Some day I secretly want my writing to pay the bills, or at least make it so I can write and make money at the same time. But it isn’t all about the money; it is about voicing my opinion, or getting myself out there.

So I have been struggling with where to go with my writing. I want to keep my other blog, but I also want to do some anonymous writing and gain a larger readership. I have started and neglected other blogs, feeling I didn’t have enough material, or didn’t have enough time to write my blog. Partially because I get locked into thinking I need to write every day.

So instead I decided a blog that has to do with my home town would be great. I realize I like to talk about my city, the goings on, the politics, the big issues, and I don’t particularly like the media outlets. So I have decided to start a blog, have my little piece of the world where I can comment on my home town.

Unless you are from St. Louis, MO, you may not know that my title references my city. I was born and raised in THE CITY. I still live there now with my wife. I work downtown, and my wife works at a well known company. To be honest we are what St. Louis is all about. This city is great at producing people who never leave St. Louis. If we do leave, we return always.

Some complain about this, but I never do. I love St. Louis. I love it because it has its faults, it has its quirks, it is a small city striving to be a large city, and striving to be the large city it once was. I love the Cardinals, and I enjoy the Rams when they do well and I definitely could live life happily if the Cubs never win another World Series.

I feel there are too many blogs about New York and not enough about the real America that is the Midwest. There should be more Milwaukee, Chicago, and KC blogs. I feel that we are the nations best kept secret, but I doubt that a woman from San Francisco really said that to the Mayor, but maybe I am wrong.

My hopes are to educate anyone who stumbles across this site that maybe, just maybe St. Louis isn’t as bad as it sounds in the media. Sure we may have a lot of murders in our city, but the likelihood that you will experience any violent crime when you come here is very slim. But I want to comment on a lot of things.

I want to comment on the hot topics, or my experiences in the city, or what it is like working downtown. I hope that who ever stumbles upon my humble blog will read it, ask questions, and maybe even contribute. I’m not completely opposed to allowing others to post on the site. My real hope is that I can draw a St. Louis readership, and maybe even a readership from others around the Midwest and the rest of the country.

And who knows, if I do well enough maybe I will end up in the RFT’s blog of the week section. But in all reality, I’m not sure what direction this blog will go in. In reality the only real rule for it is that I want to comment from time to time on what it is like living in Mound City…