Completely left out of the glowing remarks about the City and County made this morning by Mayor Slay and County Executive Dooley during their address at the St. Louis Business Journal’s “State of St. Louis 2007” annual breakfast is a problem that is severely stifling the area’s progress: economic disparity.
Studies and newspaper editorials too numerous to mention have pointed out that, even with all the development taking place, we have not elevated the poor and low income as much as we have just shifted them around. These officials can talk all they want about improving the school system and combating crime, but unless and until there is an escalation in the economic status of the black community, their words will amount to no more than an aspiration.
In the same way these elected leaders coalesce and collaborate to promote development, they need to come together and develop a plan specifically to address the debilitating, pernicious and growing economic disparity.
Eric E. Vickers
St. Louis