The problem is that cure-alls do not require thoughtful diagnoses. Quests for Holy Grails smother reality and require the suspension of common sense. There is no foundation work, nor do these searches enlist the hearts and energies of the citizenry. They become activities for people struggling to prove their leadership. They cater to narrow interests.
Leadership supports a feeding frenzy for insiders who benefit from continued decline.
This behavior was illustrated by the City Living Foundation debacle. Spurred by the desire to find a panacea, checkbook leadership gravitates to those whose smooth and expensive words conceal quackery, deception and fraud. This process squanders precious resources and obscures solutions based on development of the real assets which St. Louis possesses. The city, despite enormous expenditures, is still in a state of decline. Once proud and thriving, St. Louis is reduced to playing the futile game of doling out tax breaks, subsidies, TIFs and cash incentives to all comers, giving away the store.