In St. Louis city, this pandemic is proving that when my neighbor is ill, so am I. When our neighbors lack basic human needs, none of us is safe – medically, physically, emotionally, financially, not even spiritually.
St. Louis city has been in crises for decades and we have been fed the same racist, sexist, superiority, party-town attitude. They have sucked the blood from the turnip –taking from city residents while giving away resources for sports, hotels & developers through tax giveaways, gap financing, TIFs, CIDs. Bottom line: GREED with no priorities for the health and welfare of our people.
For years we’ve had thousands of un-housed children in the public school system, more people begging, addicted to heroin and a culture of gun love.
Washington University had a 30-year plan to expand into Forest Park Southeast /The Grove. For the 30 years I watched, they deliberately underdeveloped our area with our alderman at their service. Properties were purchased for minimal amounts and kept vacant for 25+ years. The crack epidemic ripped at the roots of this bi-racial community, creating fear and lots of lost children in its wake. Much of the Grove was developed with public money, our infrastructure serves Wash U and employees were given incentives to live here. Yet through those 30 years , Wash U and our officials never once considered providing health care to citizens? A few masks? Some soap? Testing? When will we ever learn?
Kim Jayne
St Louis
