As we approach the April 6 election date and the vote for ¼ cent sales tax increase (Proposition A), the importance of this opportunity can not be ignored.
We are living in an environment of “I want mine, and I don’t care if you get yours,” until something tragic or drastic happens and reminds us that we are all living in the same world and what affects my neighbor affects me.
The April 6 ballot will hold an opportunity for the citizens of St. Louis County to acknowledge that the health of one community affects every community.
The Citizens for Modern transit are working to ensure that the vote to support the Metro transit funding be a successful vote. The loss of service to Metro clients adversely affected every community in the metropolitan region. Students could not get to school, employees could not get to work, our seniors and citizens with special disabilities could no longer exercise a degree of independence by using Call-a-Ride services.
Our quality of life is directly affected by our ability to move about the region efficiently and at costs which are manageable within strained budgets. The current service routes and those which will be established will go far to making the St. Louis region a place business will want to relocate in. It will ensure that our residents, both young and old, have access to transportation and are able to independent and self-sufficient.
Our passage of the ballot item will also open the door for the St. Louis region to receive allocations of federal transportation monies to assist in operating our transit system.
The St. Louis regional transit system is one of the most cost-effective systems operating today, and the plans being developed for the future will ensure that we remain responsive to the needs of the region and also manage our costs effectively.
As a St. Louis County resident and pastor of a congregation that uses the Metro services, I support the ¼ cent sales tax increase. Join me and keep Metro rolling.
The Rev. Sammie E. Jones is pastor of Mt. Zion MB Church.