Elliott_Davis's Blog

I just aired a You Paid For It about a new 4 screen movie theater Granite City wants to builld  in it's downtown.

 The city wants to spend $4 Million bucks on the theater in hopes of revitalizing downtown.  They'd have to pay up to $150,000 for a manager to run it.

  First problem with this deal..No one has studied it to make sure it's even feasible or will be profitable considering all the money you're spending.

 Secondly many of the residents aren't too keen on where the city wants to put it.

 My view if it was such a great idea a private company would have come in and built one with private funds.

  Granite City Mayor Ed Hagnauer was nice enough. However I believe cities should study these projects beforehand to at least know whether a project has a fighting chance to work.

It's really a big gamble to spend $4million based a feeling, when there may be a lot of more worthwhile projects for the money.. In this time of a tough economy cities have to make all their bets with your money count.

What do you guys think of Granite City's idea?

Last night I did a report on a $100,000 consultant the East St. Louis Schol District hired to advise them on ways to improve the high school.

 it's bad enough that the district is spending your money on a dubious job. Why hire a consultant for the high school when your already have a $120,000 a year principal to run it.

But the consultant they hired was actually forced out of his last job as Superintendent of the Birmingham Alabama School District for alledged mismanagement. It was a subject he didn't want to talk about but i was able to get the skinny.

The Alabama School Board actually fired him at first but then after some legal wrangling allowed him to resign with a $75,000 severance.

 Is this what we should be paying for out of your federal dollars.

 My contention is that with all the high priced folks on the staff they should have enough advice on how to solve the problems. That's what we pay them for.

 Your Superintendent makes $171,000 a year.. Two assistants superintendents around $126,000 a third assistant superintendent  $95,000..

Not to mention the principal of the high school who's paid $120,000 who  the consultant is supposed to help.

 It just makes no sense at all. What can the consultant tell them that they shouldn't already ready know. All the information is already out there..Just put the good ideas into practice and throw out the failed ideas..The folks on your payroll should be able to do that.

But consider this..They haven't in all these years..Maybe the problem is not with the consultant but in the people who hired him.. And right now they aren't talking.

It never fails..A troubled school district, alway figures going to an out of town conference is the way to get ideas to solve problems here.

In this case Riverview Gardens School District, considered the lowest performing in the State of Missouri sent 16 teachers and admnistrators to a conference in Los Angeles California.

We aired this You Paid For It Monday night..The c0-superintendent was colorful enough but even Rhonda Key didn't want to talk about this deal on camera.

While the financially and academically challenged Riverview District spent $30,000 sending all those folks to LA.. Most other district's in the St. Louis area didn't send anyone..

Rockwood, one of the areas best district 's just sent one person...I couldn't find another that sent anyone.

School districts like Riverview should realize that every dollar counts..That $30,000 could have been used more directly to help students..Whatever information that came out of the California conferenced could have been gathered on line for free.

If there's a special individual you need to hear from..Fly them here and hold an auditorium session so everyone can hear..

Most of the time these conferences are little more than junkets, and when you're in as bad a shape as Riverview..That's something you can't afford unless of course you're spending taxpayers money.t.

Go to our website if you'd like to see the full interview with Co-Superintendent Rhonda Key..It's a hoot.

Click here to see the You Paid For It Report

  I recently caught up to Mayor Francis Slay to talk to him about the city's decision to spend  $2 million  to beautify the Grand Avenue Viaduct.  It seems like a waste of money to me. But that's just one man's opinion.

The story is airing tonight on You Paid For it.

I just find it hard to believe that in a city with all the troubles St. Louis has like workers unable to get decent pay hikes, crime, bad housing, crumbling infrastructure the last thing you need to worry about is making a bridge prettier. The city is getting federal dollar to rebuild the bridge safely. But the feds won't kick in extra bucks for beautification..(Fortunately)

Mayor Slay told me you deserve a prettier bridge to look at ,not just your garden variety bridge to get from point A to point B.

  But in this time where taxpayers are having to make do with basics, I think government should be able to do the same with your money.

 When you look at the highway 40 rebuild.. Modot tore down a ton of eixisting overpasses and just rebuilt basic ones..and no one's complaining.

 I don't think there would be an outcry from city taxpayers if there were a stripped down version of the Grand Avenue project as opposed to a $2 million dollar extraveganza.

 There are two many other ways to spend $2 million bucks, than on decorative lights and medians on a bridge..on Grand Avenue...But as the Mayor said..Some folks will like it ,some won't...

True that.

Often i criticize public officials for how they're spending our money. Now I've got a suggestion for a better use for the $100,000 they're spending on the new P.R. Man when they already have 7 others on the Public Information Staff.

 I think the District should sponsor a trip for a group of maybe 50 deserving students.

 They could go somewhere like the nation's capitol in Washington D.C. If they plan it well enough they may even be able to land a meeting with the President, or at the very least the Senator's from Missouri. And maybe to the Smithsonian to see the things our nations innovators have made possible.

 Only Students with good GPA's, and good conduct  would be eligible..Sort of like a reward at year's end for a job well done.

 I think it would accomplish a couple of things.

1. Encouragement to those who do well to let them know wthat hard work pays off.

2. Incentive to those who are underachievers to give them something tangible to shoot for, sort of like dangling the carrot.

 As a product of public schools myself (Vashon High School) I think such an enticement would do wonders. You could change up the destinations every year. For example New York, Paris, London, Berlin etc...In a tight year maybe Chicago to tour the museums, or take in a musical, even a Bulls Game.

Our students are constantly being told theres no money for anything but the basics, but there is money, (without another tax hike) if our officials would spend what they have wisely, which they don't as exampled by the recent spending of $100,000 on a P.R. Man.

Another suggestion why don't all of you blog your ideas for how the district could have better spent that $100,000 to help students more directly..Maybe we can then send all the suggestions to the new P.R. man to  sift thru...and pass on to higher ups for action.

It never fails. One of the first acts those in charge of running city schools alway decide to do is pay for more p.r.

 I just did a report on the new $100,000 P.R person when there are already 7 other people on the St. Louis Public School Districts  Public Information Staff.

 The district is looking at shutting down schools to save money. Student performance on state tests is dismal. The district doesn't look to be in any better shape than it was in before the state put the new board headed by Rick Sullivan in charge..

 There are I'm sure a lot of ways to spend $100,000 that may have a more direct benefit for students than hiring more p.r to polish the district's image..

 Improved student performance would take care of the P.R. nightmare.

 It's like a football team..All you have to do is start winning games to get positive press.

 No amount of P.R. will help a losing team for long..  While The head of the Special Administrative Board Rick Sullivan insists this is a good deal. I beg to differ..

I still think there are better uses for your $100,000..Than to hire someone to try and convince the public things aren't as bad as their are..The public has seen this bad movie too many times already.

 I'm airing a You Paid For It tonight on the continuing Eminent Domain  struggles of Rock Hill residents threatened with losing their homes to make way for a mall.

Seems the first developer offered a higher price for their homes. Tthe second city developer declined to honor. the first offers.  So folks have to get a lawyer to fight for a fair price for their homes.

 Rock hill has cleared out hundreds of residents to make way for the two phase mall project. Many fought tooth and nail to stay in their homes or at the very least get a fair price for itthier property

The people in Rock Hill Estates couldn't believe it when the first offer was yanked off the table,  And it's not easy waging a legal battle with the city.. After all the city can just use taxpayers money to fight the citizens trying to save their houses..

 It's really a sad situation..all for the sake of the city getting "A Few Dollars More"

Anyone remember that movie with Clint Eastwood..where Almost everyone is done in except of course Clint and his co-star."

  I wonder if the Rock Hill Mall is worth the sacrifice of so many citizens.

Phase One along Manchester looks pretty bleak whenever I drive past. A lot of empty store fronts.

 Add to that a bleak economy, and malls across the United State really being hit..because consumers aren't spending.

 What if Rock Hills Mall deal turns out to be a bust.  I'm sure that's a possibility too awful for city officials to contemplate..After all they've driven out taxpaying citizens, WHat if they can't get enough revenue from the malls to make the project pay.

  What iff the city forced out all those homeowners for nothing..  This deal could end up being a poster child for Eminent Domain over-kill.   DOn't think officials aren't having a few sleepless nights..

 But they're better off than some people in Rock Hill Estates who are wondering where they'll lay their head after they're forced to hit the road..in the name of progress.

I think this is a first ,getting Modot to reverse something it did.

I'm talking about the soundwall built right in front of a Frontenac family's front door.

 I think even Modot realized how bizzare it looked after we aired the story and the homeowner asking the agency to do something. I'd seen some strange sights before but this is one of the strangest. It literially made the house fortress-like. Modot defended this deal in the name of sound protection. BUt I think the more they looked at it the more they realized that it was a strange deal.

  After some prodding the agency is agreeing to take down the offending panels so the homeowner will once again be able to see out her front door. She says she'll just make do with the additioinal highway noise.

   In all my years and all my Modot stories I don't recall the agency back-tracking..But this one was just too obvious and public to ignore. Tens of thousands saw it each and every day..It was one deal that just wasn't' going to go away quietly.

  The agency says it will take down the sound panels once some paper-work is finished..

The homeowner can't wait to see it go.  As I always tell viewers your calls do count

You Paid For It recently aired a segment on all the money you're paying MSD executives.

 I couldn't believe what i found when I went thru the records for my report on their pay that aired last week.

 25 executive making six figure salaries including the Executive Director Jeff Theerman who's paid $185,000 a year..

That's more than the St. Louis Mayor,The St. Louis County Executive as well as the Governor.

I questioned the head of the MSD Trustee Board about this. I was surprised when Bob Berry said he wanted to pay some of the high paid executives more money.

 I  sometimes think MSD is oblivious to what's going on around them. First they're raising fees on folks who don't even use the sewer service..A lot of folks are livid about the run off fees.

The agency continuously says it doesn't have all the money it needs to fix sewer problems..But there's apparently no problme when it comes to doling out big bucks for administrators.

The story I aired focused on those with six figure salaries..but there were dozens making between $90,000 and $100,000..  We won't even to about the $70 and $80 granders which is still nothing to sneeze at in these times.

 These folks get raises every year. It's just amazing that when private industry is cutting back, many government agency act like they can just print money..or even better just take more of yours to make their elevated ends meet.

There's no talk at MSD of cutting back on executive pay. Despite all the sewer troubles metro area residents are having the agency still think it's doing a bang up job and therefore executives are entitled to more of your money..

 Must be nice.

Some of you may have seen my You Paid For It on the Wentzville Street Creep issue.

Every once in a while a politician says something that surprises me. Such was the Mayor of Wentzville Paul Lambi

 After getting enough of my questions he said. "Mr. Davis the Lord gave you two ears and one mouth it would be good if you used them in the right proportion.

."Ouch"

Sometime I really don't think politicians believe I'm going to air comments like that..but by now viewers certainly know better..

  I usually get the most colorful answers when the person I'm interviewing is at a loss for answering questions on the issue at hand..Such was the street creep issue.

  In fairness I do have to say the Mayor wasn't mean spirited about it.  I don't doubt a lot of officials wish I would shut up.

 What happens is when the person I'm interview ing is not answering my question I ask it again..and again if need be.

 The St. Charles homeowners called me when they couldn't get answers about the street creep damaging their property and the city trying to wash it's hands of the matter.

 They wouldn't want me to just take no for an answer..I really do listen to what's being said..But most of the time it's not the answer to the question I'm asking..

 But the colorful responses do make for entertaining..TV.

We'll add the Mayor of Wenzville to our growing cast of You Paid For It characters.

Finally at long last I caught up with the Illinois Governor to question him about the use of the State owned plane for his commuting from his home in Chicago to the Capitol in Springfield.

 The Governor made a point of saying he wasn't running from me this time. The last time was almost comical as many of you will remember..I almost slipped trying to catch up with his SUV.

In a state with a lot of budget problems Illinois should  certainly look at trimming this perk.

But the Governor defended this deal..and even evoked Sarah Palin..You won't want to miss the response of the Governor I've been chasing for a year.

It airs on You Paid For It Thursday night at 9.

 There's a new battle shaping up in the Missouri Legislature to give property owners more protection against Eminent Domain.

  I'm featuring the author of that new bill tomorrow night on You Paid For It.

State Representative Belinda Harris from Jefferson County is introducing a bill to take away the power of cities to take your property and force you to sell it, under threat of condemnation ,to a private developer so he can make money off your hard earned homes and businesses.

 Her bill calls for changing the Missouri Constitution to give you that protection. If it passes the General Assembly, it would go to a vote of the people.

The big problem is getting it passed the legislature. To be sure all the lobbiest and those who stand to loose millions if you got that type of protection will be lining up to defeat it or water it down so that it means nothing.

 Rep. Harris knows she's fighting an up-hill battle and she needs your help.

 The public should call their State Representatives, and State Senators to get them on board with this bill..

You can reach the house at 573-751-3839.  And the Senate at 573-751-3766..

  You'll recall the  failed citizens effort to get a Eminent Domain  measure on this Novembers ballot. They spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in the statewide effort but came up a little short of the needed signatures. 

   Rep. Harris took the exact language of that effort for her new bill.  So citizens have a second shot at it.

  I learned just how big a difference citizens can make during the fight over the emissions program..All your calls made the difference in getting a change. This is a chance for you to make a difference in a matter that may save your home our your business.

 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.

 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.