Collateral Damage

Reporter Craig Cheatham discusses leaving KMOV, stories from his 30-year career and what he would have done differently, and reporting on corrupt officials in St. Louis.

Veteran journalist and broadcaster Hank Thompson discusses the ways that government leadership has fallen short when it comes to addressing race relations in Saint Louis.

Ruth Ehresman, Advocacy Coordinator for Vision For Children at Risk, and Jeanette Mott Oxford, Executive Director of Empower Missouri, discuss the minimum wage debate, the vicious cycles that keep people entrenched in poverty, and the misperception that wealth is based on a meritocracy.

UMSL Professor Todd Swanstrom discusses “rebound” neighborhoods in St. Louis and how the decline of mixed income neighborhoods is a growing concern.

Executive Director of the Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition, Melanie Sheetz, talks about the current state of foster care in the st. louis region and how people can get involved.

Tom Michler discusses his outreach program New Dimensions, which helps underserved children develop character, community, and life skills with organized soccer games that are managed significantly differently than typical children's soccer leagues. Michler, also a counselor, discusses how aspects like the 4 vs 4 playing style and lack of mid-game instruction from coaches helps kids evolve in ways that the way that the current "pay-for-play" children's soccer world cannot.

Public education in Missouri is in trouble, and nobody knows that better than Mike Jones, a member of the state’s board of education. Mike visits this week’s Collateral Damage to talk about why Governor Nixon vetoed the school transfer bill, why he turned down an offer to be president of the board, and what needs to be done to improve public education.

Is marijuana going to be legal in Missouri? John Payne of Show Me Cannabis visits Collateral Damage to talk about the upcoming ballot issue in November 2016. Payne says Show Me Cannabis is looking to put medical marijuana on the ballot instead of full legalization, because close to 70 percent of Missourians support medical marijuana.

Tom Villa, Longtime city alderman and state representative, and Les Sterman, former head of the East West Gateway sit down for a chat about Metro Link, crime, Paul McKee, minimum wage, and why state government has no “empathy” for the city.

Former City Comptroller Vivus Jones talks about his $7 electric bill last month (thanks to solar panels) and why he’s against the stadium, against the upcoming bond issue, and why he thinks fighting poverty should be government’s top priority.