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Thank you very much for joining us for Last Call.

This is where we broach the topics we couldn't get to in the first 30 or so minutes.

Wendy, I want to ask you about a national report that came out taking a look at the St.

Louis County Jail.

Now, this is the jail that's in downtown St.

Louis at the Buzz Westfall Justice Center.

No, I'm sorry.

Clayton.

Clayton.

Clayton.

>> Isn't it the old regional?

>> Well, >> it it's been there 20 years ago.

Named after the late great county executive price.

Yes.

>> Right down used to call it the Buzz Carlton.

>> That's right.

>> He thought it was too posh.

>> That's right.

>> Yes.

So, um it's actually right.

It's on Central Avenue downtown Clayton.

But that's neither here nor there.

The key is that this national organization took a look at it and evaluated and said that it's horrible.

That the plumbing doesn't operate, the showers are cold, the kitchen is filthy, people are sleeping on the floor, the place is understaffed and overcrowded.

When is St.

Louis going to do something right about its jails?

Either in downtown St.

Louis or in the county.

I think um I I I think that people hear these stories and when you hear about something like when you when you read this when I read the story, I lost my appetite for the day and that takes some doing, let me tell you, especially at Christmas time with all the cookies.

But it was it was just it was a horrible story.

Um the black mold, the fact that some giant six-foot piece of metal had fallen from the ceiling and it was just being it was just left on a counter or something like that.

It wasn't even removed.

Uh the fact that they have a rotating I mean it is a it's just a a ro revolving door of personnel.

Somebody you know you can't get in and make any changes because everybody's leaving all the time.

It's a disaster.

And I think that St.

Louis is is you know we're facing obviously a manpower crisis like every other city in the country.

I don't know that it's that we don't care.

It's just who knows what to do.

We're busy trying to take care of law-abiding citizens on on the outside of the jails.

>> Well, I think yeah, >> that's where it comes up is we care to a point.

We theoretically care.

We hypothetically care.

But at the end of the day where it's like where do you want to divide your money up fars fall down because there is for at least somewhat of a good reason.

There is a way to avoid not being in jail.

>> Not always.

Yeah, if they're just >> for the vast majority of people are in jail because they should be.

Now, there is a way and I'm saying that plays into what do we feel?

So, if it comes, do we send money to schools?

Do we send money to road safety or do we send it to a jail?

We're going to pick the other two every time.

>> And in fairness to the jail, the story also mentioned that the St.

Louis County Jail was the only only jail in the state that had been accredited, right?

So, so it isn't like the county jail is the the den of iniquity, the worst place, and everybody else is good.

And it, you know, so it it was hard to get too upset about the fact that the county jail.

>> What I thought was really what I thought was really fascinating is there have been a number I I would say dozens of deaths over the last decade at the county jail.

But the medical unit at the county jail with this through this accredititation service was received some of the highest marks they've ever seen for for cleanliness for the way that the you know the people who who go for treatment are are accommodated which I thought was great and they were happy about the they were happy about the chaplain.

I talked to um one lawyer who said that his clients in the city and the county jail want to plead guilty just so they can go to the state, >> right?

Oh, that's that's pretty common, Charlie.

>> That's horrible.

Well, but but I mean that's been true for as long as I can remember.

>> Sure.

And do we know if they were guilty or not?

>> Well, of course the lawyer maintains their innocence.

I don't know.

I think that's terrible.

The the jail is where people who are accused of a crime wait until they go to trial.

>> Yeah.

And it should be in very good condition.

>> No, take me.

All right.

I want you to take me to the county jail.

Any county in America that's a nice county jail.

I mean, it's jail.

>> You might have to go to Sweden.

I don't know.

>> No, I'm running the United States of America.

And I'm not being any man.

I'm just saying that it's just that I'm not saying it should just be like uh devil's eye.

Right.

Right.

Right.

But at the same time, I just I I I'm like Joe.

>> Yeah.

If people had to vote on money to the Humane Society for the animals, >> I know what that vote is.

>> I mean, there's no question.

>> There were comments on our website when that story ran about the jail that said, "I would much rather spend the money to save the animals than under I mean that that's people and and the idea is we say we should care about it.

We do to a point."

>> Well, you know, some I've had friends in jail, probably you guys have, too.

Some of them have had mental issues and I don't think that they're necessarily there because they wanted to do something wrong.

So I feel for these people.

>> I do too.

And I don't want them living in backed up plumbing.

>> All right.

But Charlie, we just look I ain't saying that the 17 year olds and 16 year olds that rampaged in Fallon, but where are we supposed to put folks that need to be in jail?

We got to put them in jail and it that's what leads to overcrowding.

We got too much crime.

Everybody wants to do something about crime, but then nobody wants to put nobody in jail.

Come on.

We we got to pick.

>> Bill McClellen, I want to ask you about um a St.

Louis Business Journal seminar that included the mayor of St.

Louis, Cara Spencer.

And among the thoughts she had is that wouldn't it be nice or transformative?

She said that if graduates of the St.

Louis public schools could get a year at the community college or in a trade school courtesy of the schools.

What do you think?

>> Well, I don't think it's a transformative idea.

I mean, we we have a lot of them around here.

I mean, from the St.

Louis Center to you name it, everything's transformative.

And I think the the mayor just, you know, this is a similar to what the former mayor wanted to do, Tishara Jones, setting up educational funds.

I just don't think that uh it's really a workable idea.

I think there's a lot of things the city can do, but guaranteeing postsecary education for kids just doesn't work out.

Well, if you all right, if somebody else is going to pay for it, i.e.

private sector, I don't have any problem with it.

Also, you would still have to qualify to go to junior college.

You know, it just mean you just show up, they have to let you in.

Maybe the same thing with the trade school.

So, I I I don't have a problem with the concept of the idea, but the idea is don't start it until you have five 10 million.

Don't start it when you can send eight kids or something like that.

Make sure that it would be actually be there for those that want to.

And you have to live in the city, too.

And you know, like, no, I don't care if you wherever if you graduate from high school, you have to live in the city to take part in this program.

And I'm tired of transformative and the other one is I'm tired of the narrative.

Those two words agreed.

Agreed.

>> I think what happens is when when the word transformative is used, what I read is something that will never happen, but it sounds really >> It sounds great.

And back then, St.

Louis Center, we didn't use the word transformative.

It was just a really big thing.

It was cool.

Yeah, it was it was a great a great thing to have a mall >> because it wasn't transformative.

>> That's exactly right.

For about transformative I in South City named one in the last 60 years.

I'll tell you that >> I think to rely on the the deep pockets those are sort of formerly deep pockets.

I just I don't know that we can that no this is where and not to pick on him put the name in just on my mind.

This is where the Bob Clarks of the world who really want to help.

Now, this is where you can help.

And he call Mayor Spencer.

This is a program that wouldn't it be nice by the Beach Boys should be playing in the background as a music bed.

That's what this is.

It's like gee, wouldn't it be nice if So, if these companies want to start up a $10 million fund, I'm all for it.

Don't ask me as a city resident for my tax monies to send people to college.

>> Is it Ron Kitchens?

>> Yeah, Ron.

>> Okay.

All right.

So, I was I was devastated that we were being compared to Kalamazoo and I had that I had that soundbite of Senator Thomas Eagleton saying that St.

Louis was sort of a rockus de mo.

>> Well, maybe I should point out Ron Kitchen is the new head of Greater St.

Louis, Inc.

He headed up southwest Michigan, their chamber of commerce, and then he went to other places.

>> Wah Falls is where we just as their falls fell apart.

You remember that boom town?

It's a great idea.

I I just think that in the city of St.

Louis, they have to concentrate on tornadoes, water manes, schools, lead pipes, and public safety.

>> But that has to be paid for by us.

And I don't have a problem with that.

>> Maybe they could ask the these businessmen to help with uh that.

>> And they're going to have to for the tornado relief.

>> Yeah.

In instead of >> Well, I think what is is is we're we're >> uh inappropriately blending the things.

This was never said that she wanted us to be taxed to guarantee this thing.

That's right.

She said it'd be a great program.

I agree.

It would be a great >> It's been a tough time for the SLPS.

So, I would love to see something exciting.

>> But why would you have to go to SLPS?

That's what I'm saying.

This doesn't really have anything to do with it.

Look, if you're a kid, you're going to school SLPS college, wherever, and you live in the city and you have done well enough that you can be accepted to go to junior college or regular college and there's a fund that'll pay for it.

Let's go.

Unfortunately, we're getting the timeout sign and that means we have to say goodbye for now.

But we'll see you again next week at this time.

Thanks for joining us.