“font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;”>In this business, all of the people do not always agree with you. Last week the EYE cast doubt on a plan to reduce the number of state representatives in the Missouri House of Representatives, and on politics in the Northeast
“mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;”>Ambulance and Fire Protection District in connection to its running a third ambulance. Not all of the people agreed with us.
“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>The Missouri Secretary of State now has approved ballot language for a petition to reduce the number of state representatives from 163 to 103. If the initiative gets on the ballot and is approved, it would go into effect in 2020 for elections in 2022. Note that the timing is calculated so as not to threaten the political pork chops of the people currently serving in the House, which is a tacit admission that the proposal is threatening. According to a Democratic consultant working on the proposal, however, the process is not equivalent to “shooting donkeys” (eliminating Democrats), as the EYE suggested.
“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>He argues that reducing the number of state representatives would produce representatives who would be forced to look at issues from a much broader perspective if their districts were larger and more diverse. Currently, except for a very few districts, most of the state House districts are either urban or rural. Reducing the number of districts would create districts with more diverse demographics.
“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>He also argues that a smaller number of more diverse districts would increase the influence of the urban areas of the state. Urban areas now produce more than 60 percent of the tax revenue in Missouri but receive less that 40 percent of the representation in the state House.
“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>There is also a strong fiscal argument for reducing the number of state representatives. Currently, the annual salaries and per diem costs for 163 state representatives is some $4.6 million. The estimated annual savings if the number of state representatives were reduced to 103 would be more than $2.5 million.
“mso-spacerun: yes;”> costs like employer taxes, pension and health benefits, or the cost of office operations and space.
“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Currently there is one state representative for every 36,734 people in Missouri. Compared to other states with similar population, Tennessee has a population of 6,296,254 and 66 state representatives, which translates to a ratio of 78,174 people per representative – more than twice as many as in Missouri. Indiana has a population of 6,080,485 and 100 state representatives, or 60,805 people per reps. In Illinois, which has a population of 12,910,409, there are 118 state representatives – that’s 109,410 people per state reps, very nearly three times as many as in Missouri.
“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>In most statewide elections in Missouri, there are seven counties that outvote the other 114 counties. All of these counties are in urban areas. This is why Democrats often are able to win statewide and control the executive branch of government and at least one of the state’s seats in the U.S. Senate. Reducing the number of state representative districts would help to bring more balance to the state Legislature – it would bring the political balance of the state House closer to the political balance in the state’s population. This, the Democratic consultant maintains, would be good for Democrats.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”> Ambulances and money “font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;”>
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As for the
Northeast Ambulance and Fire Protection District, the fire board’s
chairman Derek
Mays raised some objections to last week’s coverage in the
EYE. He framed his complaint with the acknowledgement that the
piece was “an op-ed, not necessarily to be viewed as a normal
article premised on journalistic investigation.” We corrected him
on that point, as the piece was in fact reported and the district
was given an opportunity to share its side. Chief Medical Officer
Ken Farwell
told our reporter
“mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;”>Rebecca Rivas
been told not to talk to her, and Acting Fire Chief
“mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;”>Bilal Olushola
after deadline, despite repeated calls. We can’t report what we are
not told on time.
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Now Mays is
telling us “our district was on a path to incur a $900,000 loss as
of last February. After restructuring, job eliminations, salary
reductions and penny-pinching we still ended the year with a
$115,000 loss. When we ran a third ambulance at the end of 2009 and
the beginning of 2010, we averaged 1.3 calls with that ambulance
per day. In rough math, running these calls would generate a bit
less than $9,000 per month on average as a result of insurance
billings we would receive. However, to run an ambulance in terms of
staffing and vehicle costs the district incurs over $31,000 per
month. In other words, to continue running a third ambulance with
the current call level would cost the district $22,000 additional
per month or more, which equates to more than $250,000 additional
loss for the year. That simply would be unsustainable for our
district at this point.”
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The American
will revisit
these numbers in a future edition.
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Mays added:
“Further, it is deeply offensive to many in our district that the
tragic incident of
“mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;”>Scherese Bishop
suggest a third ambulance is desperately needed for our residents.
The University City ambulance called to assist arrived on the scene
to transport Scherese
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“mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;”>before
be transported to the hospital. Regardless of the proximity of our
fire house to the scene there would not have been any difference in
transport time from the time of the incident to Scherese’s arrival
at the hospital.”
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This
account, too, merits further investigation.
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Tragically,
district paramedic Scherese Bishop has since died, elevating the
stakes on this incident a great deal. See the story on Page
A1.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Show-Me vacancy “mso-bidi-font-style: normal;”>
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The American
was given a
sneak preview of the Show-Me Institute’s forthcoming study on the
City of St. Louis’ reluctance to sell its vacant land to willing
buyers. It is an inspired piece of nitty-gritty research that asks
a number of questions that needed to be asked and will force city
officials to formulate and defend their redevelopment
policy.
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Under the
assumption that every Show-Me Institute study is a knife intended
for somebody’s back, the intended victim of this study would appear
to be Paul McKee
Jr. and his Northside Regeneration project. If so, Show-Me
man Rex
Sinquefield may be disappointed. He may find that McKee is
one of the many willing buyers lined up to buy city land and ready
to pay. Getting the city off the dime on the vacant land it is
holding may help, not hurt, McKee.
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Also, it is
possible that the study already can count one political corpse in
former city development director
“mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;”>Barb Geisman
post after Show-Me researcher
“mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;”>Audrey Spalding
gathering the data that will be reported in the study.
