tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7190846390008853053.post6417575351110114843..comments2023-11-09T14:29:37.102-06:00Comments on St. Louis City Talk: St. Louis Population Loss During Modern Mayoral TermsMark Grothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15778135869139492251noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7190846390008853053.post-5992740953259624222016-07-13T15:32:39.979-05:002016-07-13T15:32:39.979-05:00I get trolled so rarely from county people on this...I get trolled so rarely from county people on this site...thanks for imparting your ignorance of St. Louis on my website Tom and anonymous. I find uninformed comments like this from county people to be exhausting. You are either part of the problem or the solution and leaving comments like this from the burbs are part of the problem and do no good.Mark Grothhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15778135869139492251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7190846390008853053.post-88043150058298810642016-07-07T17:49:50.856-05:002016-07-07T17:49:50.856-05:00High crime and crummy schools. Who would want to ...High crime and crummy schools. Who would want to live in the city for the past 60 years or so?Tomnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7190846390008853053.post-68300306737938214162016-07-07T11:45:16.442-05:002016-07-07T11:45:16.442-05:00There are two big problems with the city that have...There are two big problems with the city that have been consistent over the period studied: (1) terrible schools, and (2) high crime rates. <br /><br />My family and I lived in the St. Louis area twice, and neither time did we even consider buying in the city. We lived in Richmond Heights (Clayton schools) and then in Chesterfield (Parkway schools). <br /><br />The city has a LOT to recommend it. But no parent would sacrifice his children's education and well-being just to live there. <br /><br />For the record, there was bussing from the city into Parkway schools while our children were there, and we were fine with that. The hope was that inner city children could learn better in better school districts. It appears that that ideal was never realized for reasons that I don't completely understand. But while I was fine with bussing inner city children into the suburbs, I would have stenuously resisted bussing my children into the city schools (which never happened, and as far as I know was never even proposed.)<br /><br />But the bottom line is (1) poor schools and (2) high crime. Why would anyone want to live there?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7190846390008853053.post-42005214121339363522016-06-18T15:58:05.238-05:002016-06-18T15:58:05.238-05:00I think the sharp drop between 2008 and 2010 may h...I think the sharp drop between 2008 and 2010 may have to do with St. Louis contesting the population numbers up until about the last census. Notice how the data shows a slight increase in population between about 2001 and 2010, which we know didn't actually happen. So if the numbers had been reported properly (i.e. not contested so as to artificially raise them) I think the data would show a gradual decline from ~2001 to 2010.<br /><br />That said, I don't think it's accurate to say that St. Louis' population is still dropping fast. I mean, if a city were adding a few thousand people per decade we wouldn't say it was growing fast. And relative to the precipitous loss of the 70's (-27%) our current loss rate of <1% per decade is pretty flat.<br /><br />I'm not a big fan of Slay, but I don't think one can judge a mayor's performance purely on growth, particularly when that mayor takes the helm of a sinking ship. It could be argued that Slay has successfully curtailed the rampant loss of the 70's and 80's (I'm not arguing that but someone could probably make such an argument). I do think it's time for Slay to step down, but I'm not at all encouraged by the candidates and potential candidates so far. That said, things are getting noticeably better in the city. There's a reasonably healthy rate of new construction and the residential stuff, at least, seems to filling up pretty quickly. Unfortunately job growth is still lacking, but a big part of that, I think, is our fractured region and the stifling competition between the city and county. I was recently depressed by an editorial in the PD essentially praising St. Louis as great place to start a business and then move it to one of the coasts—complete with quotes from Wash-U-graduated entrepreneurs saying "St. Louis was fine but I have no intention of living in the Midwest again." that's not going to do much for our job growth. sigh.Adamnoreply@blogger.com