This week EYE asked the four major mayoral candidates the same three questions in the same group email. Here are those questions and their responses in the order received.
Public subsidy for a soccer stadium in St. Louis? Yes or no? Why or why not? If yes, on what conditions?
Lyda Krewson: I love soccer. My kids played soccer. Many of yours probably did too. I hope we are able to get an MLS team but I would prefer that the city not own a soccer stadium. I want to thank my colleagues who worked with the ownership group to make the proposal better. City voters will get their say on April 4.
Tishaura O. Jones: This isn’t a theoretical question any more. City voters will find it on their ballots in April. That vote will be for the city to give up any real direct economic benefit from building a stadium and hosting a professional soccer team by diverting years of ticket tax revenue and using the new use tax to pay for tens of millions of dollars of bonds so that the millionaire owners of the team will see a faster return on their investment. I’ll vote no on that “deal,” and I suspect a majority of city voters will, too. If the sales tax passes and the soccer subsidy fails, the would-be soccer money could be better spent in North St. Louis and in impoverished pockets of the South Side, and for things like affordable housing, grocery stores, infrastructure and recreation centers. We’ll still have plenty of “intangible sports pride” from subsidizing construction projects for the baseball and hockey teams.
Antonio French: I absolutely oppose raising people’s taxes to pay for a new soccer stadium. First, the City of St. Louis has many more urgent needs that need funding: public safety, vacant buildings, economic development and job creation in neighborhoods. Secondly, the city can’t afford to build and maintain such regional amenities all by ourselves. St. Louis County and the State of Missouri should also chip in. Not to mention that we still haven’t figured out how to pay for upgrades and maintenance on the Dome or the Scottrade Center, so why would we add another 30-year obligation on our books? It’s crazy! This city has to get its priorities straight.
Lewis Reed: Only if voters in the City of St. Louis approve it.
As mayor, what support and defense, if any, would you offer to immigrants and refugees in St. Louis, in relation to the Trump administration’s efforts to limit or eliminate immigration and sanctuary for refugees?
Lyda Krewson: I believe our diversity is our strength, and we are a welcoming city. Trump targeting immigrants and the deportation of good, decent people is despicable. I support St. Louis becoming a sanctuary city. We need to understand the impact of that policy on the federal funding we receive, which protects our most vulnerable citizens. We have to do it right.
Tishaura O. Jones: You have two different groups in your question: immigrants and refugees. The city must ensure St. Louis is a welcoming place for everyone, regardless of race, class, disability or sexual orientation. A vital part of that effort is attracting and retaining immigrants. I’ll open a government office for New Americans that engages immigrants, welcomes them to their new neighborhoods, and shows them how to participate in our government and in our economy. I’ll implement a Municipal ID program that will be a basic document that allows any city resident, regardless of immigration or housing status, to identify themselves to gain access to city services and cultural institutions, and to have easier access to banking services. Lowering barriers will benefit everyone, and being able to prove who one is will also make it easier and safer to interact with law enforcement. Detroit already does this. We should, too. As for refugees: I will make St. Louis a sanctuary city, no matter who tells us not to.
Antonio French: We are a nation of people who came from other places. Some of us came here as immigrants on ships. Some of us came here as property in the hulls of those ships. But we’re all in the same boat now. Immigrants help make America stronger. Immigrants fuel entire industries, from agriculture to technology. Immigrants have helped stabilize neighborhoods in St. Louis, most notably our large and vibrant Bosnian population. America and St. Louis must always be welcoming places to immigrants. Our future depends on it. That’s why I introduced a resolution calling on the city counselor to report back to us in 30 days to present our legal options regarding protecting all St. Louisans in the face of these unprecedented and unconstitutional attacks from Donald Trump. We must always stand up to bullies and protect the most vulnerable. That’s who we are and we won’t let terrorists or Trump change that.
Lewis Reed: In a city with teenagers being murdered and preteens being kidnapped, our police officers have better use of their time than to figure out the immigration status of some residents. I would instruct our police department to focus on the safety and security or all of the residents of the City of St. Louis.
As mayor, what support and defense, if any, would you offer to advocates for safe and legal abortion in Missouri, in relation to federal and state efforts to limit or eliminate abortion as a legal option?
Lyda Krewson: The right to a safe and legal abortion was recently reaffirmed by the Supreme Court of the United States. I support that decision and as mayor I will support and protect the services provided by Planned Parenthood, the only legal provider in the state.
Tishaura O. Jones: Mothers manage the majority of their families’ health care decisions. Their own reproductive health – and the rights surrounding it – can be a constant concern. Women need to feel confident that they will not be discriminated against (in civic life and/or in the workplace) for choices related to their own autonomous health decisions – both the decision to carry a pregnancy to term and the decision to have an abortion. NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri is one of the strongest voices in the state for women. They endorsed me. I strongly support Board Bill 203 which would strengthen the city’s anti-discrimination ordinance by making pregnancy and reproductive health protected classes ensuring that no woman in St. Louis could be legally fired, demoted or lose her pay based upon decisions about her health. Paired with greater protections for women seeking healthcare at Planned Parenthood, paid family leave for employees of the City of St. Louis, and a plan to have city government reach out to every child born here, it is my intention to make St. Louis a sanctuary for women and their families.
Antonio French: I’m a strong supporter of a woman’s right to choose. And I’m proud that the City of St. Louis remains a place where women can come to receive the medical care they need in a safe environment. As mayor, I will fight any state or federal attempt to end or otherwise limit those hard-fought rights of women.
Lewis Reed: Democracy only works if you are fighting for what you believe in. On issues outside of the control of local government such as this, It will take the movement of the masses, like those that showed up to the Women’s March, to battle federal and state legislation that runs counter to local beliefs, also including voters rights, minimum wage, and education. I have always encouraged people to stand up for their rights and fight for things that they believe in.
