Economic Stimulus

Aldermen to Vote on Ballpark Village Today; Signs Are Favorable

The St. Louis Board of Alderman are scheduled to vote on the newest, scaled-down version of the long-stalled Ballpark Village plan, and for the first time in many years things are looking positive on that front. Yesterday, the Missouri Downtown Economic Stimulus Authority approved $17 million in sub ... More >>

President Obama's Jobs Plan -- Voices from Barrister's

Albert Samaha"Stimulus has become a bad word," says Lasky (left).​Last Monday in his jobs speech, President Barack Obama made a serious effort to wrest control of the Narrative away from the Republicans.For months Democrats have complained about how they kept ending up negotiating on Republicans' ... More >>

The Downgrade -- Voices from The Royale

Somebody clearly messed up. But who will take the blame?​After S.& P. downgraded America's credit rating from AAA to AA , the political strategy on both sides of the aisle was clear: Blame the other guys.The irony of the situation, of course, is that Monday's stock market dip, partially sparke ... More >>

St. Louis Macho Man Impersonator Laments Death of Randy Savage

Moore in 2009 when he came by the RFT to tell us his economic stimulus plan.​J.R. Moore's phone is ringing off the hook today. "I know why you're calling," says Moore the moment he picks up the receiver. "It's a sad day, isn't it?"For a decade, the 63-year-old Moore has made something of a name fo ... More >>

Filibuster Leaves State Senators Dyslexic; Wanted $41 Million in Cuts, Take $14 Million

Jim Lembke stares confidently at a reading chart.​Missourians won't be getting any federal aid to weatherize their homes in next budget year after four Republican state senators pulled an all-night filibuster that ended around 7 a.m. today. The senators -- Jim Lembke of Lemay, Brian Nieves of Wash ... More >>

Tobacco-Free St. Louis Faces IRS Complaint Over Lobbying, Campaign Contribution

Jim Pepper is complaining to the IRS that an anti-smoking agency has crossed the line.​O'Fallon Councilman Jim Pepper has followed through on his threat to complain to the IRS about the political work of Tobacco-Free St. Louis.Pepper yesterday filed a complaint with the IRS, charging that the non- ... More >>

St. Louis County Spending $7.5 Million to Stop Smoking

Here's telling you to put your cigarette out, kid.​St. Louis County is finalizing a series of contracts worth $3.4 million aimed at convincing you to give up your cigarettes -- and hopes to ink even more in the coming months.Whether you like it or not, that's your federal tax dollars at work -- or ... More >>

Stimulus Funds to "Educate" St. Louis County Council About Need for Tougher Smoking Ban

Your stimulus dollars at work!​As we reported earlier today, St. Louis County has received $7.5 million in federal stimulus funds for a campaign to cut back on tobacco use here.But now Daily RFT has learned that the county is using some of the money to hire a non-profit organization to "educate" i ... More >>

Tea Party Crasher: Hard-charging Ed Martin wants to win your vote — and Russ Carnahan's congressional seat

Missouri Completes Nation's First Economic Recovery Act Project

The old Tuscumbia Bridge soon to go bye-bye.​Correction to this article appears at end of post. The Missouri Department of Transportation first made history books back in February 2009 when it began the nation's first Economic Recovery Act project within a few minutes of the measure becoming law. ... More >>

John McCain: University of Missouri Shouldn't Get Federal Stimulus Money To Freeze Rat Sperm

Image viaMizzou scientists splurged taxpayer dollars on rat sperm.​During the 2008 presidential election, John McCain simply could not shut up about earmarks. Even though the wasteful "pork" spending makes up just a tiny fraction of the federal budget, the aging senator from Arizona seemed to thin ... More >>

Construction on High-Speed Rail to Chicago Underway

Amtrak's St. Louis-Chicago route, converting to high-speed...eventually.​The dream is alive! Construction on a new high-speed rail line between St. Louis and Chicago is set to begin in September and the first 90 miles -- extending from just north of Alton to just south of Lincoln but excluding ... More >>

St. Louis to Get 50 More Cops Thanks to Federal Stimulus

​The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department will grow by at least 50 new officers over the next three years. Today the city was granted $8.6 million in federal stimulus dollars to fund the additional cops. The city currently has 1,290 police officers and could end up adding 65 more by the end of ... More >>

St. Louis County Cops Get Tasers, Shoot Each Other, Laugh Hysterically

The St. Louis County Police Department recently purchased a cache of 312 new Tasers through federal stimulus funds. The new munitions add to the 275 Tasers currently in use by the department. In a press release today, Chief Timothy Fitch credited the stun guns with reducing injuries to both suspects ... More >>

Top Sellers at Area Record Stores: Week of March 15-21

Euclid Records 1. Jimi Hendrix - Valleys Of Neptune 2. Johnny Cash - Ain't No Grave 3. White Stripes - Under Great White Northern Lights 4. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach 5. John Hiatt - The Open Road 6. Graham Parker - Imaginary Television 7. Drive By Truckers - The Bi ... More >>

Cents Less: Budget Cut of $7 Million Would Cost Missouri $38 Million in Federal Funds

Bill would send $38.7 million in federal funds down the crapper.​A budget bill making its way through Jefferson City could have a devastating impact on child care in Missouri.  Legislators in the Missouri House are looking to balance a projected $500-million budget gap for fiscal 2011. In so ... More >>

Latest Lucky Stimulus Recipient Wash. U. Gets $14.3 Million for Genomic Data Center

Image sourceThe little green and purple spots are breast cancer genes. The federal government just gave Wash. U. $14.3 million to track down more cancer genes.​A $14.3 million stimulus grant to Washington University Medical School's center for genomics in the Central West End will create 350 new j ... More >>

Does McKee Have Private Financial Backing to Execute His Plan? Local Attorneys Say NO

Photo by Jennifer Silverberg Paul J. McKee, Jr. -- Can he pull off his $8.1 billion plan? One of the major arguments driven home by the four attorneys and four plaintiffs trying to bring down Paul McKee's plan for the north side (check out this week's feature) is, basically, SHOW ME THE MONEY ... More >>

High-Speed Rail From St. Louis to Chicago Gets $1.1 Billion in Funds

​Four-hour train trips to Chicago -- at speeds hitting 110 m.p.h. -- are one step closer to becoming reality. President Barack Obama will be in Florida today to unveil how the government plans to spend $8 billion it's set aside in stimulus money for some 13 high-speed rail corridors throughout the ... More >>

Metro to Voters: Pass Our Tax or We'll Cut Ya' in Half

That's pretty much the message that Robert Baer, president and CEO of the Metro transit agency, delivered to St. Louis County voters in today's Post-Dispatch. Baer says that if county voters do not approve a half-cent sales tax in April, the agency will be forced to cut half its service beginning ne ... More >>

Recently Retired Post-Dispatch Editor Gets Six-Figure Gig with Governor Nixon

Bertelson​Well, that didn't take long. Last month we reported how Post-Dispatch features editor, Christy Bertelson, was retiring after 23 years at the paper. Bertelson's last day at the P-D was this past Friday, August 28. Now -- three days after leaving the paper -- the Post-Dispatch is ... More >>

May the UrbanFORCE be with you, and hey, still looking for Cardinals home addresses?

Is an Influx of Stimulus Cash Too Much for UrbanFORCE to Handle?

flickr.com/photos/eszter​Thanks to the federal stimulus, Friday, August 7, was payday for hundreds of urban youths. At least, it was supposed to be.The teens had all found work this summer through UrbanFORCE, a program sponsored by the St. Louis Agency for Training and Employment (SLATE) that matc ... More >>

Emergency Funding For Metro Clears One Hurdle, Faces More

The Missouri House this week approved spending $12 million in federal stimulus funds to alleviate budget cuts at cash strapped Metro. The bill (H.B. 22) -- part of a larger stimulus measure -- was defeated once in the House before passing on Monday. It now faces an uncertain battle in the Senate. It ... More >>

What Does the St. Louis Corps of Engineers Say to $250 Million Stimulus Check?

flickr.com/photos/cottergarageDam. As in "now we can finally finish that locks and dam renovation up there in Granite City." The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers here in St. Louis recently received nearly $250 million -- part of the $4.6 billion the Corps was appropriated under the Recovery Act.

St. Louis to Chicago in Under Four Hours By Train

It may be possible in the not-too-distant future. Yesterday President Barack Obama unveiled plans for a high-speed rail network throughout the United States. A Midwestern route -- with a hub based in Chicago -- could go online in 2012 connecting the Windy City with Milwaukee and Detroit. Another lin ... More >>

Right-Wing, Anti-Gay Group Planning Another Tea Party in St. Louis, Elsewhere

teapartyday.comThe American Family Association -- a Mississippi outfit known for its crusades against homosexuality, pornography and the entertainment industry -- is helping to plan a national "TEA Party Day" on April 15. TEA, according to organizers, stands for "Taxed Enough Already." The AFA says ... More >>

Ground-breaking News: We're No. 1 in Shovel Readiness

flickr.com/photos/sethgainesThe old Tuscumbia Bridge. She ain't what she used to be. Ain't what she used to be.In recent weeks a lot of states have gone to extraordinary lengths -- as if a free trip to Disneyland were at stake -- to make the case that they were first to break ground in tho ... More >>

Tea and "Grumpets" Under the Arch

flickr.com/photos/cmbellmanA group of folks opposed to the federal stimulus package President Barack Obama signed into law earlier this month are meeting under the Gateway Arch tomorrow to protest the legislation.Similar rallies are being held across the country on Friday. Protesters are comparing t ... More >>

A Macho Man Randy Savage Impersonator's Sure-Fire Plan to Save the St. Louis Economy

J.R. Moore displays his economic stimulus plan -- and winning lottery picks. Got a call this morning from a J.R. Moore of St. Louis who told me that he had an idea better than President Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan. "Could I meet you in person today for five minutes?" asked Moore over the p ... More >>

McCaskill: "I'm home from work. Time to focus."

Hats off to Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill, who shows us again that she's one of us, "our Claire" even, this time via Twitter:http://twitter.com/clairecmcOne thing though, now that McCaskill's home from "work" (a.k.a. the U.S. Capitol), only now is she going to focus? The devotion to college bask ... More >>

Top 13 Non-Music Reasons to Attend the RFT Music Showcase

Spend Your Stimulus Check on DVDs, Bumper Nuts!