Elliott_Davis's Blog

 I'd like to get the blogging community's feed-back on this.

 St. louis COunty Residents are forced to pay a $12  a month recycling fee on their trash bill even if they never recycle.

 Is it just me or does it seem unfair when taxpayers are already having a tough enough time with the existing taxes and fees.  Why have to pay for something they're not even using.

I think it's great that some people want to recycle. That's their right. But what about those who don't want the hassle. They're paying a fee and getting absolutely nothing in return. WHat happens to the money the county gets for doing nothing at all..

I've gotten a number of calls on this issue from irrate homeowers..To date I haven't done anything on it..I'm considering doing something now..and questioning St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley.

What do you guys think.

Elliott

 St. Louis Aldermen apparently heard you loud and clear after my You Paid For It on an Alderman trying to get a extra $400 gas allowance to help them with the high cost of fuel.

 You already pay them $30,000 a year for the part time job that meets once a week.

Plus you give them a $2,400 a year expense account.

 Alderman Charles Quincy Troupe called all the money you're paying "chump change"

But taxpayers weren't "chumps" this time.

 I recently grilled the head of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen Louis Reid.

He told me Troupes bill was dead, and won't see the light of day anytime soon.

Score one for common sense and for the many people that called the Board and blew up the phone lines.

After all You Paid For it.

  Barak Obama's campaign is historic by any measure.  He's possibly on the road to becoming the first African American  President. Now of course he's facing a big decision.

Who to pick as his Vice President..
I've heard a lot of names tossed out. But one name consistantly snuffed out..Hillary Clinton.

 I think much of the excitement in the Democratic Primary contest was the rivalry between the first African American with a serious chance to become president and the first woman with a serious chance to get elected.

  Some of that excitement has wanned since Hillary got out of the race. The question is can Obama keep that same level of interest on his own. That may be a tall order. 

For weeks polls have been showing Obama's race with McCain tightening.

A Pew Poll  after his race with Hillary ended showed that half the public was tired of hearing about Obama'.

 There's a simple explaination. Without Hillary and Bill  as targets for the media, Obama is left the take all the arrows himself and his teflon seems to have been stripped away some time ago.

 In my opinion the only way to re-energize his campaign is to bring back Hillary and Bill.

 If they became the whipping boy once again Obama could soar back to his once lofty heights..And have a better chance of  gliding into the While House.

 None of the other names on his short list of Vice Presidential Candidates will give him nearly the lift that Hillary could. Lets not forget she landed 18 million votes, and racked up a sizable number of state victories in the Primary race.

  Right now Obama is taking of  fire from the McCain campaign, through attack TV ads, plus he's gotten hammered in the aftermath of the Saddleback appearance.

The New Zogby poll shows McCain ahead by 5 points.

 Add to it ,the Republican's haven't even openned up on him with their heavy guns yet. That's coming.

  Obama needs a strong defense, plus some tough attack dogs to fend off the expected in-coming fire...Who better than Bill and Hillary...And as and added bonus you'd get James Carville too..Probably the best Democratic pit bull dog in the business.

  You don't have to like your VP choice.  Kennedy wasn't that fond of Johnson, Ford had no love for Jack Kemp, The first Bush called Reagan's economic policy voodoo economics yet Reagan picked him, Roosevelt barely knew Truman..and the list goes on and on.

 As for McCain the tightenning polls makes his job a lot easier. As one news article said before he may have been force too make a radical choice like Former Governor Tom  Ridge or Senator Joe Lieberman to shake up the ticket and add some excitement if possible.. (Former Governor Ridge is  Pro-Choice-Lieberman a  Democrat/Independent) Now McCain has the luxury of playing it safe, and not rocking the conservative boat that's got him to this point. in a year the Republican's were supposed to have no chance of winning.

 If Obama wants to throw a monkey wrench into the Republican machinery..he'll get the Hillary and Bill show..back on the road.

At the very least it would be fun to watch.

 It's amazing to me that our station has featured the You Paid For It segment for almost 20 years.

  I never would have thought there would be enough government waste to sustain something like this that long. There's always something new and unbelievable.

 Take this month for example where we showed you the Mayor of East St. Louis and his plans for a $1.3 million dollar monument of a flower. This with all the other issues facing that city.

 Or the Jennings School District deciding to buy nearly a million dollars worth of Palm Pilots to hand out to grade schoolers to take home..only to decide the kids couldn't take them home after all.

Or the story in West County where Modot building a soundwall right in front of a Frontenac family's front door..And then told me there was nothing wrong with it.

Lets not forget the City of O'fallon where they spent $41,000 for furniture for a historic house, only to discover the furniture didn't fit the time period.

 And of course the Governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich, who cost taxpayers hundreds of thousand of dollars commuting to work on the state owned executive plane.

 Of course I'll never forget the old favorites, Dorothy Moore of Hillsdale fame who tried to take my mike.

 Then St. Charles County Executive Joe Ortwert (Jesus loves you Elliott)

There's one of my all time favorites.."Are you a traveling man"

And of course Gales Towing...My cameraman was shot during the course of that investigation.

 It is really encouraging when I run into many of our viewers on the street who tell me they appreciate Fox Two's You Paid For it.

 It's truly a team effort made possible by a lot of folks behind the scenes you never see but who are nonetheless essential in getting these reports on the air.

 As for the officials. I think most are well intentioned. But many of them change when they get elected and stop using common sense in some of their decisions..

It's almost like they say "it's taxpayers money, There's more where that came from" Plus they're on boards and commissions where others think the same way. Before long you're got a boondoggle on your hands..that you paid for.

  I really want to thank all of your for making this franchise possible. You're the ones who make those calls that hold officials feet to the fire..And tie up their phone lines, and make them think.  

As I'm fond of saying it's your government. You're the shareholders. Office holders are in charge at your discretion, and only as long as you want them to be..Thank you for letting us be a part of making sure your voices are heard..

After all You Paid For it.

 We did a You Paid For It last night on the high flying governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich.

He's logging a lot of flight hours in the State's executive private plane on your dime.

 Part of the problem as a taxpayers watchdog group pointed out, is that he chose to keep his residence in Chicago instead of moving to the governors mansion in Springfield,

 He could at least stay there when the legislature is in session. It might facilitate better communications in resolving a multi-billion dollar mess.

 It also would cut down on what you're spending to fly the governor back and forth to Springfield..

With gas being what it is every little bit helps.

It's one of the most bizarre things I've ever seen you pay for.

We did a report on a West County Modot soundwall built right in front of a Frontenac family's home. I mean you walk out your front door only to see this huge monstrosity.

I think this is one of those deal swhere a little common sense should have come into play. And the agency higher ups shoudl have asked themselves, would I want this in front of my house. The answer would have been a resounding no.

When I questioned Modot the agency said it's the best way to curb highway noise.

There's also such a thing as quality of life. And this definitely affects that.

Modot says since all the walls are interconnected to reduce sound there maybe nothing they can do and the homeowner may be stuck with this deal that certainly doesn't help the value of your home when it comes time to sell.

I certainly believe the Modot experts should go back to the drawing board and figure out something to mitigate the negative effects of this wall.

Modot's done many good things on the highway 40 project.. But someone didn't have on their thinking cap when built this wall.

I just saw the new Batman movie.. It was great. I think it's the best of series so far.

There wasn't a dull moment. All the acting was superb especially the joker..who managed to be villianous with a evil comic twist. There was non stop action from start to finish. Hard to believe it was nearly 3 hours long. I really wouldn't mind seeing it again.

I give it two thumbs up..

I am a true science fiction buff. I used to watch the original Battlestar Galactica staring Loren Green years ago.. I really liked the series even though I thought it was kind of lame at times..

I have to admit the new version is 1000 percent better..Not only the photography but the action and story plots have so much realism that the original.

I'ts shot with this ominous look that befits the dire situation of the Battlestar's crew. Everything about it is really great. This is a case where the remake is better than the original. How often does that happen.

I have in mind Star Trek. It took a while for the Next Generation with Captain Picard to grow on me..But I just couldn't get into Deep Space Nine. By the time Voyager landed I was gone..contenting myself with looking at my old dvd's, and vcr's of the original, and the next generatioin.

But the way I was a fan when the series first aired in 1968..

Now I'm proud to say I'm on Galactica's bandwagon.

The You Paid For it Team is taking a hard look at a brewing fight in the City of Olivette.

 The city is building a Pavillion in a tiny neighborhood park in the middle of  the Indian Meadows  subdivision.

Neighbors have already had trouble with an unwanted element congregating in the park and fear adding amenities like a pavillion and restroom will just attract more undesirables to the park that's just 50 feet from some of their homes.

 They've told city hall they don't want it. The answer they get. It's been in the works and it's too  late to stop it.

 Here's a case of spending taxpayers money to do something taxpayers don't want.. It's amazing that officials can't grasp that. I caught up with the Mayor who says they're pushing on anyway regardless of what the people affected think..Unbelievable.

For their part citizens aren't backing down from the fight and have gear up  a petition drive with over 200 signatures and climbing.

 I love to see citizens activism. I always say officials rule by the consent of the governed..and when the people get fed up they can take back the power.

 It seems citizens in the Indian Meadows Subdivision may be on the road to doing just that.

I've been pouring over the travel records of Governor Rod Blagojevich's trips on the state owned airplane between Chicago and Springfield..I've calculated he's taken 101 flights on the plane that costs you $5,800 a trip.

That's part of the trouble with a commuter governor who insists on living in Chicago year round as opposed to staying in Springfield when the Legislature's in session..No wonder there's always budget gridlock, which hurts Illinois taxpayers in the end..

A state audit questioned the the way the state runs it's flight service..You won't like what it says..

Stay tuned to You Paid For It.

 I'm looking at the latest on MidAmerica Airport in Mascoutah.

It's alway an experience when I go there to shoot, on days that it's empty.

I remember when it was Christened and all the dignitaries were on hand to tell how great a deal this was for taxpyaers $300 million dollars..and St. Clair county officials have been trying to get it up and going since it openned in 1997..

 Now they're hoping the latest $3 million dollar investment to refrigerate the cargo area will do the trick.. A lot of promises that this will do it.

Haven't we taxpayers heard that tune before..

 I did get a treat the other day though some of the Blue Angels used the field along with their Cargo Plane..called Fat Albert.. I guess that was worth the $317 million dollar price of admission.

You ever heard the expression I need that like I need a hole in the head.

Maybe not that drastic but a new proposed million dollars monument for downtown East St. Louis comes close.

I did a You Paid For It report on it last night. The monument would be in the shape of a flower opening. called rebirth.. It would be put on a vacant lot flanked by a gas station and city hall, near the Metro Train tracks..just a few blocks away from a boarded up downtown. Right down the roa, streets that flood when it rains making them almost impassible because the sewers system is broken and the city hasn't had money to fix them..And I guess hasn't requested it from the Federal Govenment. But they're asking the feds for a million bucks for a downtown monument that won't do anything. 

  Monuments are like the icing on a cake..BUt in this case we're dealing with a problem cake that needs more than just a little icing. East St. Louis needs an over-haul from the ground up.

 I couldn't believe it when I interviewed the Mayor about this..and he told me with a straight face it was a good deal.

He reminded me of the Mayor of Creve Coeur Harold Dielman when I questioned him about a $3 million dollar over-pass. In fairness to Dielman though Creve Coeur is in a lot better shape than East St. Louis, and can afforded to look at a frill or two..(Just wish we didn't have to pay for it)

 But in the case of East St. Louis the new Mayor should stick with the basics. Things that citizens need to make their lives better, like sewers and streets, and jobs, and fewer abandoned falling down houses, and better schools, and community centers to give kids somewhere to chill...

 East ST. Louis needs the basics...

 The ICING can wait.

I had the greatest experience this morning on my way to church. There's a disabled man I speak to every time I go to a convenience store on Sunday Morning.

But this morning I after I said hi..we started talking about Independence Day and he told me he served in the Navy in World War II.

I'm a student of history, and have a great respect for the soldiers and sailors who serve our nation.

And a special interest in those who served in WWII..I was all ears.

He told me how he was stationed on a security detail on Tinian Island and actually stood next to the atomic Bomb that was ultimately dropped on Hiroshima which ended the war. And that he'd seen the B-29 Bomber that dropped the device.

He was 17 years old at the time and remembered everything in great detail..We talked nearly and hour. While I missed a good part of church, hearing his story gave me more insight into a valuable piece of history.

We can all take time to at least give a listen to the people who were willing to give their lives if need be for the sake of the nation.

Vets are always worth listening to, even when we're not celebrating Independence Day.

Where would we be without them?

Here's one I had trouble believing.

 I'm doing a You Paid For It on Monday on a St. Louis City Alderman who wants a special gas allowance for alderman.

 Consider this.

It's a Part time job. Alderman have once a week regular meetings.

You paya them $30,000 a year . Plus a $2,400 a year expense account.

 Now because of the rising cost of gas Alderman Charles Quincy Troupe thinks you should kick in a few hundred extra dollars a month for them a special gas allowance.

Excuse me. This while citizens are struggling with trying to gas up their cars to get to work..we're supposed to kick out more of our hard on dollars for Alderman to get to their part time job that we're paying them a salary for.

 And the alderman says you should want to fill up their tanks..  Where as taxpayers just have to suck it in..and cut corners it's amazing how officials always think of you when it comes time to pay more..

 This story airs Monday night at 9pm.. 

 I remember when the fFair St. Louis started..I'm glad the tradition is continuing.

 I think one ot the most unfortunate decisions though is the elimination of the popular Air Show.

That ws my main reason for going to the fair for many years.  The  Air show was a real crowd pleaser and gave folks a chance to see military aircraft they'd never seen before..

It ws also a real inspriation for kids, who may have dreamed of being pilots, and for taxpayers who could see what some of their defence dollars are paying for..And be entertained.

 It seems without the Air Show the Fair has lost a lot of it's luster. I understand that in this time of tight budgets something had to go..

But it's a shame the most popular offering, next to the fireworks ,was eliminated.

Perhaps that's one of the reason for the dwindling crowds.

Maybe one day they'll bring the air show back..I for one miss it.