St. Louis city is in trouble, and the people who live in the city are in dire need of rescue. Mayor Lyda Krewson and St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger want to make changes to our city that a lot of black people know nothing about.
Where did this Better Together come from? They did not think we were better together with the massive white flight experienced in St. Louis city.
A ballot initiative is being prepared for a constitutional amendment that would superimpose a new type of government, a metro city, over the city and county. Control and finance are the motivating factors in this scenario, and it does not involve blacks controlling anything. All of this has been bankrolled by the billionaire Rex Sinquefield.
We people of color must be prepared for eminent domain and unforeseen loss. There may be a plan to make St. Louis better, but you can bet your bottom dollar that blacks and people of color are not included or on the beneficiary list of the Better Together scenario in a mindful way.
If the powers that be want to make St. Louis city better, then ask the people who live in the city what would be better for them. Ask us how you can help us with the problems of a shortage of police officers, utility trucks, clean-up crews, street maintenance crews. Ask us about closed-up school buildings. Tell us why you don’t want to fix up St. Louis before you come in telling us how you want to rearrange St. Louis.
Everyone knows that St. Louis needs change. However, this is not the change we want or need. We need a vibrant city with black voices being heard across the table equal in every way to the people who think that we are inferior and not able to make decisions for ourselves.
We are equal, and our voices will be heard. This is like telling St. Louis residents that they may live in the city but they must abide by the Better Together rules in which they have no say-so. Mayor Krewson has offered the city very little transparency in this endeavor.
I invite Mayor Krewson and Rex Sinquefield into North St. Louis’ Penrose area. Despite its many problems, it still has possibilities. It has the Julia Davis Library, Wesley House, four large churches within blocks of each other, O’Fallon Park, JoyceMyersCenter, and  the North Newstead Foundation.
The city needs to be given an equal chance. We can thrive if given an opportunity to bring the city back to what it once was.
The mayor of this city who knows all of the important people who are involved in Better Together should be working her behind off to save this city. All the people who are on the sidelines cheering her on are the ones who got us where we are now.
