St Louis's problem is the reputation of East St Louis.

If we just focus on East St Louis...

The interstates caused property values to tank. Dropping tax income caused budget cuts, driving the fire department to go on strike.

Dissatisfied with the police and fire situation, many large employers petitioned the state to let them secede from the city and negotiate police and fire services directly from St Clair County, further deepening the city's tax problems, causing maintenance deferral to spread into basic infrastructure maintenance.

St Louis's problem is the reputation of East St Louis.

Well, if we just focus on East St Louis...

The interstates caused property values to tank. Dropping tax income caused budget cuts, driving the fire department to go on strike.

Dissatisfied with the police and fire situation, many large employers petitioned the state to let them secede from the city and negotiate police and fire services directly from St Clair County, further deepening the city's tax problems, causing maintenance deferral to spread into basic infrastructure maintenance.

Well, if we just focus on East St Louis...

The interstates caused property values to tank. Dropping tax income caused budget cuts, driving the fire department to go on strike.

Dissatisfied with the police and fire situation, many large employers petitioned the state to let them secede from the city and negotiate police and fire services directly from St Clair County, further deepening the city's tax problems, causing maintenance deferral to spread into basic infrastructure maintenance.