Greasing the St. Louis Democrat Machine with #Aerotropolis Dollars

Audrey Spalding of The Show Me Institute spoke to the K & N Patriots Saturday morning about the crony capitalism in the aerotropolis bill. Spalding explains that the bill provides $360 million dollars of tax credits. Of that, $300 million is designated to build warehouses in north St. Louis where there are already 18,000,000 sq. ft. of available warehouse space.

She also notes that new warehouses can only be built in "gateway zones". Those zones can only be created by County Executive Charlie Dooley (D) in St. Louis county or Mayor Francis Slay (D) in St. Louis city. In short, Missouri's Republican controlled General Assembly, led by Speaker Steve Tilley (R), wants to oil the St. Louis Democrat machine with $300 million dollars to dole out to their cronies.

Given that Moody's Investors Service is contemplating a review of Missouri's AAA credit rating, wouldn't the passage of this boondoggle negatively effect their rating of the state?

Related articles

• "Aerotropolis" Author Doesn't Think Saint Louis Proposal Will Work (showmedaily.org)
• On Aerotropolis and High-Speed Rail (showmedaily.org)
• Aerotropolis Tax Credits Are Still a Bad Idea (showmedaily.org)
• Eco-Devo Mad Libs: So, Are 5,000, 29,000, or 37,000 Jobs Being Saved or Created With "Aerotropolis"? (showmedaily.org)
• Air Cargo Expert Hammers Aerotropolis Plan in Industry Publication (showmedaily.org)
• It's Still a Flight of Fancy (showmedaily.org)

St. Louis County Executive Race

In early September, the Lemay, MO, Chamber of Commerce held a political candidate luncheon. The videos above are from that event and feature the two candidates for St. Louis county executive: Bill Corrigan and Charlie Dooley. Based on the videos above, I think the October 14th debate between Corrigan and Dooley will be worth attending!

Previously:

• Lemay Chamber of Commerce Candidate Forum

Lemay Chamber of Commerce Candidate Forum

The Lemay, MO, Chamber of Commerce held a political candidate luncheon forum Wednesday. Candidates and office holders appearing in these photos include Charlie Dooley, Bill Corrigan, Ed Martin, and Jake Hummel.

County Exec Race: Corrigan v Dooley

Republican Bill Corrigan out-raised Charlie Dooley (D) in second quarter:

In the quarter that ended last month, Republican challenger Bill Corrigan significantly outraised incumbent Democrat Charlie A. Dooley. Corrigan raised $340,000 and spent $71,000 in the reporting period; Dooley raised $210,000 and spent $170,000.

Corrigan's successful quarter spooked a desperate Dooley who immediately sent the offering plate back around.

Lacy Clay Throws the Dice

Lacy Clay (D-MO) supports the proposed Spanish Lake casino:

After St. Louis County Executive Charlie A. Dooley weighed in against it in May, the odds have appeared stacked against the Spanish Lake area getting the state's 13th and final gaming license.

The Gaming Commission is considered unlikely to award the license in a community that doesn't want one. Nonetheless, the proposal got an endorsement this week from U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis.

Charlie Dooley used tax payer funds to poll that issue among likely voters, so he knows that 58% oppose it. One wonders whether he shared that ill-gotten result with Congressman Clay.

At least one of Clay's Republican challengers, Robyn Hamlin, has come out against the casino:

What people in our area want are jobs that have a future. We are not Las Vegas. Does Lacy Clay think that casino jobs are going to be able to replace the manufacturing jobs he keeps voting to run out of our area? They have taxed the manufacturing jobs right out of our area. A casino is not going to employ factory workers.

Bill Corrigan calls out Charlie Dooley's Self-Dealing with Public Funds

KMOX reports that County Executive Ignores Questioning On Casino Poll:

St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley is ignoring questions about a poll, paid for with taxpayer dollars.

It asked about a potential casino along the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers in north county. The poll only included registered voters and divided their responses by political party.

The County Executive used the results to decide against supporting a new casino.

Republican challenger Bill Corrigan issued a news release, saying the poll 'breaches public trust' and calling on Dooley to 'immediately reimburse the citizens on St. Louis County for this political poll.'

Corrigan also cites the polling of the persuasiveness of messages and questions on the health of the economy.

KMOX attempted to ask Dooley about the poll after Tuesday's meeting of the County Council. He kept his head down and walked through the chambers, the hallway and to the elevator without responding to a KMOX reporter.

The survey's cost was $11,600.

The Post Dispatch's Political Fix has details about why Corrigan wants Dooley’s campaign to pay for county casino poll:

Corrigan’s statement called the poll political because it:

> Excluded non voters.

> Gave poll results by political party.

> Asked respondents their opinion of economic conditions.

> Asked for reaction to messages.

> Was conducted a few months before an election.

...

The poll found that 58 percent of the respondents opposed a casino along the Mississippi River north of Interstate 270 in Spanish Lake when first asked about it and 53 percent did after being asked about various issues relating the project. The poll said 37 percent favored the casino when first asked and 44 percent favored it hearing about the issues. Dooley cited the poll as a reason to oppose a Spanish Lake casino.

If you'd like to do something about the fiscal mismanagement of St Louis County government, please consider supporting Bill Corrigan's campaign.