MONTAGE
The
Serving the St. Louis Community College - Meramec community since 1964 • ACP Award Recipient VOLUME 56, ISSUE 5
FEBRUARY 4, 2021
WWW.MERAMECMONTAGE.COM
MO Representative Weighs in on How College Students Can Be Politically Active The Montage interviews Rep. Peter Merideth
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mary wilson opinions editor
lected representatives in the Missouri legislature are faced with some of the most important issues affecting the state. This session, the representatives in the Missouri legislatures have introduced a plethora of bills, about everything from Medicaid to gambling to the Second Amendment. Rep. Peter Merideth (D) of the 80th District, St. Louis City, shared what he thinks are the most important issues for the general public to care about, and what college students can do to be more involved about the issues they’re passionate about. “I would say that the first and biggest thing that all Missourians should pay attention to is the money,” said Merideth. “The state really does pay for a lot of the things we depend on, and the things that we’ll need to depend on for the coming centuries, things like Broadband across the state, so that everyone has access to high speed internet.” Merideth continued, “When areas of our cities and areas of rural Missouri
don’t have any access to high-speed internet, that keeps them from participating in the modern economy, and it holds us back as a state.” Meredith also said he recognizes that tax cuts have affected the state. “For the last decade, we’ve had a whole lot of cuts to taxes, mostly for wealthy Missourians and corporations,” Merideth said. That means that there’s less money to pay for things like “roads and bridges, and education, and healthcare.” Merideth said that although the state had to borrow money last year to pay for maintenance of roads and bridges, maintenance is still not where it should be. “For the first time in our history,” Merideth said, “Our money (for roads and bridges) is coming not just from taxes, but from general revenue.” That means things like paying for the maintenance and safety of roads and bridges--something everybody across the state benefits from--comes from the same budget that is used to fund schools and healthcare. Merideth said that because there’s not enough money to go around, transportation to school is suffering. Merideth said some school districts in
Missouri are “having to drop to four day weeks, because they can’t afford to get their kids to school.” Another hot button issue is Medicaid expansion. “The voters passed Medicaid expansion...and now we have to see it get implemented,” Merideth explained. “Some people are trying to make changes to Medicaid and who’s eligible, putting in things called “Work Requirements”, that really create another layer of bureaucracy to kick people off. We saw 100,000 kids (in the state of Missouri) kicked off (Medicaid) last year that shouldn’t have been kicked off.” Merideth also said that there is a budget issue. “We’re trying to make sure we have the initial money we need in order to bring in the federal dollars that will actually save us money in the long run, but we have to find that money right away,” he said What can people--including college students--do if they want to get involved? For one, taking political science classes can help students learn the basics of how our government works. “Find out who your
rep(representative) is, and be in touch with them,” Merideth said. “Ask them if they want to get coffee and talk about the things that they’re working on, because honestly most of us are excited when we hear from a constituent that takes an interest in what we’re doing. We’d love to sit down and talk about what you care about.” Meredith also said using social media to reach out to legislature members is a solid practice. “Aside from those direct meetings... following people on Facebook that are active, on Twitter that are active,” Merideth said. “Emails are good. Inperson meetings are always best, phone calls are next, but...you’d be surprised at how few emails we get as state legislators. On the federal level, people know to email their senator. But a lot of times, people don’t even know who their state rep is.” Merideth said that although personal emails are best, even the form emails located on government websites make a difference. “If we get 10 emails on a subject, we can tell that that subject has a lot of interest from people, because that’s more than what we usually get,” he said.
STLCC offers technology resources for students Access to free WIFI hotspots and laptops now available at all STLCC campuses ashley biundo editor-in-chief Most classes for the spring semester have been moved to online and STLCC has created ways to help students with distance learning and classes that are both in person and online. For more information, go to www.stlcc.edu and see how students can access wifi hotspots and borrow laptops from the school. Students needing to borrow a laptop are required to fill out the Equipment Rental Form to borrow, extend the time, or return the laptop. You will be prompted to login with your my.stlcc.
edu email address and password to access the form. “You will need to know your A number, your STLCC email address, your home address, the name of a fall class you are taking, the fall class Course Reference Number (CRN), and the Professor’s name who is teaching that class,” according to the STLCC website. “Laptop requests take approximately 4 business days to process and delivery takes approximately 2 business days.” When confirmed, students will get an email with the tracking number. All STLCC campuses have internet access for students at certain parking lots. WIFI is available Monday-
Friday 7a.m.-7p.m. and to login in, students will use their regular login information. “While you’re accessing Wi-Fi hotspots at STLCC, you do not have to sit in your car, but if you choose to sit outside of your car, please follow recommended guidelines for physical and social distancing: Keep a distance of six-feet or more between yourself and others not residing in your home. Keep hand sanitizer or wipes with you. Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. Stay home when sick or if other family members are sick,” recommends STLCC. Contact IT help desk if having any difficulties accessing the hotspot.
STLCC’s website reads that “Although St. Louis County and St. Louis City have issued a Stay at Home Order, please understand that STLCC is identified as an essential service for purposes of facilitating distance learning or performing essential functions, provided that social distancing of six-feet per person is maintained to the greatest extent possible. Recommendations for social distancing are available from St. Louis County, Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization” LEFT: Map of Meramec and the location of the WIFI hotspots RIGHT: The Equpiment Rental Form.