The city of St. Louis is facing major issues providing basic services, including pothole ridden streets, overflowing trash dumpsters, neglected parks, and uncollected recycling.

911 Dispatch:

Whatever it takes, higher pay, incentives, new equipment and facilities. There is no excuse for not picking up the phone when there is an emergency.

Trash Pick up:

More drivers, more trucks. It is just that simple, The city has a billion dollars to spend. We can’t have rats proliferating in trash filled alleys. 

Streets and Parks:

If we maintain our streets and parks our neighborhoods become more desirable places to live. If we have clean, and usable infrastructure neighborhoods will improve.

The root of these problems is the undervaluation of city employees, who are paid low wages and are unable to fill crucial positions. The city must prioritize hiring and paying fair wages to its employees to improve the quality of life for all residents. A living wage for all city employees would allow for the filling of open positions and provide basic services like paving roads, collecting trash, and improving public spaces.

Additionally, the city does not budget routine maintenance. Everyone knows eventually they will have to re-shingle their roof or tuckpoint their bricks; and you plan for it. The city doesn;t do this. 

We all know that streets and alleys need to be repaved. The city does not budget this routine maintenance and lets it fall apart. This is just one example. A little budgetary planning can go a long way if we do it.

St. Louis has the resources to make these changes, it just requires prioritizing public dollars in a way that benefits the most people. Improving the basics of city services is essential for the well-being of every resident and should be a top priority for the city government.