East Saint Louis, IL- An American tragedy (unemployment, legal, regular)

[Repubocrat]

East Saint Louis, IL is considered one of the most dangerous places in the USA. Population right now is about 30000.

In 2010, there were 21 murders, pretty high for a town of 30000. I drove through this town when I was in St Louis last time and it is very bad. There are intersections where the traffic lights do not work, most of the roads in ESTL are in very bad condition, the average price of a home in ESTL is $40000.

Population is 98% Black and the other 2% are White, Hispanic and Asian.In your opinion, is there a way to fix a town in this condition? If so, what would it take to fix a town like this?

East of anywhere," writes a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "often evokes the other side of the tracks. But, for a first-time visitor suddenly deposited on its eerily empty streets, East St. Louis might suggest another world." The city, which is 98 percent black, has no obstetric services, no regular trash collection, and few jobs. Nearly a third of its families live on less than $7,500 a year; 75 percent of its population lives on welfare of some form. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development describes it as "the most distressed small city in America."

[jetakai]

Training. Get some habitat for humanity going on. Get some unions to help by providing trainers. Take a block at a time. Update the homes, fix the broken stuff, teach the people how to budget, cook, take care of their kids, paint, plaster, everything. Even provide mechanics to work on cars. If they are that poor they are most likely on welfare. Pay them and train them. Then move to the next set. There are many people laid off from government positions, and if they had to work to get welfare, unemployment they will be happy to learn. Rotate people through the program. 2 days providing child care, 2 days at book learning, budget, GED, etc. 3 days working (yes...no weekends). Get them on and off the program. Give tax breaks for anyone who puts in a walmart, or whatever else is needed. Get some ideas flowing. Ask them what they need. Be specific. Let the kids take the classes as extra credit in school. Offer scholarships if they have high grades, stay out of trouble. Offer trade school scholar ships. We pay so much for people to do nothing, how about if we keep paying but require people do something for it.

[lifelongMOgal]

Originally Posted by Repubocrat

East Saint Louis, IL is considered one of the most dangerous places in the USA. Population right now is about 30000.

In 2010, there were 21 murders, pretty high for a town of 30000. I drove through this town when I was in St Louis last time and it is very bad. There are intersections where the traffic lights do not work, most of the roads in ESTL are in very bad condition, the average price of a home in ESTL is $40000.

Population is 98% Black and the other 2% are White, Hispanic and Asian.In your opinion, is there a way to fix a town in this condition? If so, what would it take to fix a town like this?

East of anywhere," writes a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "often evokes the other side of the tracks. But, for a first-time visitor suddenly deposited on its eerily empty streets, East St. Louis might suggest another world." The city, which is 98 percent black, has no obstetric services, no regular trash collection, and few jobs. Nearly a third of its families live on less than $7,500 a year; 75 percent of its population lives on welfare of some form. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development describes it as "the most distressed small city in America."

How to fix East St. Louis:

Raze every building and haul the waste away. Hand the long term unemployed shovels to dig a canal, and, make the land formerly known as E. St. Louis a wildlife preserve and estuary along the Mississippi River. Same thing should have happened a little further down river to the town of Cairo, IL last summer too.

And no, Larry Flint's strip joint/casino doesn't qualify as a historic landmark.

[kshe95girl]

Originally Posted by Repubocrat

East Saint Louis, IL is considered one of the most dangerous places in the USA. Population right now is about 30000.

In 2010, there were 21 murders, pretty high for a town of 30000. I drove through this town when I was in St Louis last time and it is very bad. There are intersections where the traffic lights do not work, most of the roads in ESTL are in very bad condition, the average price of a home in ESTL is $40000.

Population is 98% Black and the other 2% are White, Hispanic and Asian.In your opinion, is there a way to fix a town in this condition? If so, what would it take to fix a town like this?

East of anywhere," writes a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "often evokes the other side of the tracks. But, for a first-time visitor suddenly deposited on its eerily empty streets, East St. Louis might suggest another world." The city, which is 98 percent black, has no obstetric services, no regular trash collection, and few jobs. Nearly a third of its families live on less than $7,500 a year; 75 percent of its population lives on welfare of some form. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development describes it as "the most distressed small city in America."

My dad was born in E STL in 1926, I am a STL native myself.
It wasnt always like it is now......
Miles Davis lived about a mile down the road from my grandparents.
I fear its too late for E STL.
-sigh-

[kshe95girl]

Originally Posted by lifelongMOgal

How to fix East St. Louis:

Raze every building and haul the waste away. Hand the long term unemployed shovels to dig a canal, and, make the land formerly known as E. St. Louis a wildlife preserve and estuary along the Mississippi River. Same thing should have happened a little further down river to the town of Cairo, IL last summer too.

And no, Larry Flint's strip joint/casino doesn't qualify as a historic landmark.

Sounds like big gubbermint to me.

[joebaldknobber]

Legalize and tax crack.

[Repubocrat]

Originally Posted by kshe95girl

I fear its too late for E STL.

Well, when a town becomes 98% Black, I am afraid that very few non-Black people would be willing to invest money to fix it, we are dealing with a town where more than 75% of its population is on welfare, what would be the incentive?

It is fascinating that in the USA, we have places like this, the local school district is a disaster, crime is out of control, urban decay is everywhere and just a few miles on the other side of the bridge, you have communities that are very safe and have very good schools.

[kshe95girl]

Originally Posted by Repubocrat

Well, when a town becomes 98% Black, I am afraid that very few non-Black people would be willing to invest money to fix it, we are dealing with a town where more than 75% of its population is on welfare, what would be the incentive?

It is fascinating that in the USA, we have places like this, the local school district is a disaster, crime is out of control, urban decay is everywhere and just a few miles on the other side of the bridge, you have communities that are very safe and have very good schools.

There are nice communities just a stones throw away from E STL on the IL side, Collinsville and Edwardsville, just to name 2.
The IL side is still considered part of the metro STL area, just wanted to point that out.

[alphamale]

Absolutely no outside force can help these people.

The residents need to fix the problem themselves.

[wutitiz]

About 25 years ago I lived in St. Louis. I remember reading that a jail inmate sued the city of East StL because the inmate had been beaten up and put into a coma. He won a $3 million judgement against the city, but the city had no money. The judge ordered that the city give him the deed to city hall in order to cover the debt.
Who owns City Hall?/Troubled East St. Louis files lawsuit to find out 10/06/1990 | Archives | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle