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.

Donald Suggs, publisher of the St. Louis American, and Don Marsh, of St. Louis Public Radio (KWMU-FM 90.7) talk about the changing dynamics of media, how media handled Ferguson, and what St. Louis can and should do in a post-Ferguson world.

  After 14 years on-air, Collateral Damage morphs exclusively to podcast. Host DJ Wilson discusses what that is, and what that ain’t.

What amounts to the Paris Bureau of Collateral Damage returns to St. Louis from the city on the Seine to discuss life and politics on the Continent, how France is dealing with immigrant backlash and what the Euros think of the United States. George grew up in South City and was an Urban Affairs professor at St. Louis University before moving to France. Francoise lived and worked in St. Louis before returning to her native France with George. They come back once a year, then not surprisingly, return to France. 

Kathy Corley, professor and chair of the Department of Electronic and Photographic Media at Webster University, discusses changes and trends in higher education, including the cost of college, and the recent recent conflicting views on the value of college and the role and pay of professors and adjunct instructors.

Tim Eby

Virvus Jones, a former alderman, was the comptroller for the city when he opposed the construction of the dome and the lease given to the Rams back in the '90s. On Collateral Damage he discusses the problems with the current financing scheme for the new stadium and gives his take on the new civilian review board for the police, the school transfer dilemma, and other issues affecting the metro area.   

Chad Garrison

Tim Fitch, former St. Louis County Police Chief returns to KDHX for his fourth interview since 2010, this time looking at the ongoing turmoil in North County. Back in 2010 on Collateral Damage Fitch discussed how the multiplicity of police departments and small municipalities in the county led to strained citizen-police relations due to underpaid police writing tickets to bolster municipal budgets.

Jeff Rainford, chief of staff for Mayor Francis Slay for the last 14 years, visits KDHX to talk about race, crime, schools, a new stadium, downtown, the recent suicide of State Auditor Tom Schweich, what the city and region need to do, and what he plans to do now that he's left City Hall. Rainford was a guest on the first Collateral Damage in July 2001.