McPherson
@McPherSTL
Followers
2K
Following
36K
Media
1K
Statuses
7K
Independent journalism from St. Louis since 2018. Tweets by Jack Grone, editor. I write about cities, public policy, media, and elephants in rooms.
St Louis, MO
Joined August 2017
Five years ago: Former judge Jimmie Edwards, speaking to @kmoxnews, issued an epic takedown of BLM protesters in St. Louis during the wild summer of 2020. Worth a read.
Thread: @STLCityGov Public Safety Director Jimmie Edwards made forceful remarks Tuesday at an event downtown called “Protest That.” @kmoxnews broadcast Edwards’ remarks at length. He’s brutally honest in expressing his feelings about black-on-black crime and recent #BLM protests:
2
0
5
Details of military aid to Israel on the left; ChatGPT’s assumptions for U.S. defense spending on the right.
0
0
0
Was curious, so I asked ChatGPT to calculate on a per-capita basis how much the U.S. has spent on military aid to Israel since the October 2023 attacks by Hamas. Comparison: For each defense dollar the U.S. spends on an American, it spends roughly 43 cents on an Israeli. 🇺🇸 🇮🇱
1
0
3
RT @McPherSTL: Why is the value of commercial property contracting? Aside from Covid, one reason is probably that so many of the STL region….
0
1
0
RT @McPherSTL: Sign of trouble for city government: Revenue from earnings & payroll taxes slipped in 2024, for the first time since 2018.….
0
1
0
RT @McPherSTL: Unfortunately, the value of commercial property fell by almost 25% from 2015 to 2024. (Covid really hurt downtown.). Homeown….
0
1
0
Source for data (already a year old) is the latest annual report from @stlcomptroller:. Thanks for reading.
0
0
5
Meanwhile, look at @WashU and its affiliated hospitals: They now employ almost 9% of the city’s workforce. In past years this ‘eds & meds’ trend was great, but now in the Trump era, our city looks worryingly exposed. (cc: @GreaterSTLinc)
1
0
1
Why is the value of commercial property contracting? Aside from Covid, one reason is probably that so many of the STL region’s businesses prefer to be in the ‘burbs. Of the city’s top 10 employers, only two (Wells Fargo & Anheuser-Busch) are private, for-profit companies.
1
1
2
Sign of trouble for city government: Revenue from earnings & payroll taxes slipped in 2024, for the first time since 2018. Fortunately, sales taxes continue to rebound since Covid. And the funds from property taxes that pay for government services are holding steady.
1
1
0
Unfortunately, the value of commercial property fell by almost 25% from 2015 to 2024. (Covid really hurt downtown.). Homeowners are increasingly paying the taxes supporting @SLPS_INFO and others. Residential assessments now far outstrip commercial (the latter pays a higher rate).
3
1
2
Where’s the momentum in the City of St. Louis? Despite ongoing population loss overall, residential neighborhoods are driving growth. Assessed value of residential property in the city was up by almost 40% in 2024 versus 2015, per latest financial report from @STLCityGov. 🧵
3
1
9
For anyone who remembers the ‘80s in STL, this story carries extremely strong Virvus vibes.
Fantastic work by @ahuguelet tracking down all the embellishments and lies in Sheriff Alfred Montgomery’s resume:. Police intern ❌.Licensed funeral director ❌.Degree from ASU ❌.Degree from Lincoln ❌.
0
0
3
Biking the new 7th Street path in downtown STL. Love this new infrastructure for cyclists. Sunrise yoga by @GatewayArchSTL Foundation was very popular this morning. ☀️
Good experience in Downtown STL yesterday: Nice lunch with a colleague at Ukraft Cafe (it was extremely busy) and oh they’re putting in bike lanes on 7th Street on the west side of Kiener Plaza. 👍
4
0
6
RT @BradWilcoxIFS: For most boys, the biggest missing "role model" is Dad. NYT acknowledging: "Growing up without a father at home, as 1-….
0
255
0
Today while on the 🛵, wallet flew out of my pocket as I crossed Forest Park Parkway. Only realized it was gone 5 mins later. (Panic ensued.). 30 mins later: Woman named Vanessa returns it to my front door. I’m often critical of St. Louis. But today the city was good to me. 🙏
4
6
109
Hope someone runs a poll soon to ask city residents how they feel about this new, more muscular approach by @SLMPD. Guessing that support would be extremely strong.
Some have asked why the @SLMPD is enforcing fireworks laws and holding parents accountable for the behavior of their children. This is why. A firework was thrown into the back of a police SUV. Thankfully, no one was hurt. Our strong presence will continue tonight.
9
2
65