Ray Hartmann
Riverfront Times
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Past articles by Ray:
Hartmann: St. Louis Is Not Missouri's Only Crime Problem
Complicit politicians continue to distort a situation they helped create → Read More
Hartmann: Missouri Politicians Finally Trust the Locals With Something
The nice people who run state government in Missouri have concluded that smaller public entities can no longer be trusted with the big stuff. Local public health departments cannot be trusted with emergency public-health decisions. → Read More
Hartmann: Friendly Tidings From Mark McCloskey, a Racist Lout
The “Dear Ray” email got right to the point. The subject line read, “The Fascist BLM mob.” And the outrage poured forth: “We were threatened... → Read More
Hartmann: Missouri's COVID Crisis Takes a Sharp Turn for the Worse
Missouri is sick and getting sicker. Thanks in no small part to the abject failure of its state government, it has cracked into some top ten national rankings in the past week that nobody wants. → Read More
Hartmann: A Smart Idea on Guns (That Nobody Will Try)
With the trauma of gun violence ravaging St. Louis, there’s one topic that seems to have escaped everyone’s attention in the race for simplistic solutions. Guns. → Read More
Hartmann: White Democrats Betrayed Black Senators on Parson's Crime Bill
The noted philosopher Bill Maher once observed the following: “It is one thing to bring a knife to a gunfight. → Read More
Hartmann: Rex Sinquefield 'Promotes' St. Louis with Outsourced Racism
Have you ever wondered what keeps people up at night in Cape Girardeau? OK, neither have I, but the answer is still pretty interesting. → Read More
A Rural Missouri County Can Attest COVID-19 Is No Urban Myth
We know one thing for certain about the COVID-19 virus: There is no certainty. As all the serious health care professionals and other scientists tell us every day, the nation and world are navigating uncharted territory. → Read More
Blame the P Word
St. Louis County voters took what they thought was a major step to upgrade police in April 2017, when they approved by a whopping 63... → Read More
Cooperation at the Airport Is an Idea for the Ages
As we roar into the Twenties, it's certainly nice to see people from the city and county showing a patient willingness to work together at... → Read More
Trust Missouri Voters on Medicaid Expansion — Even as They Elect Republicans Who Fight It
It's time once again for Missouri voters to come to the rescue. I realize that sounds a bit strange. → Read More
St. Louis' Ever-Growing List of Murdered Children Falls on All of Us
I was in New York for a couple days last week, and the friendly gentleman from Central America who was driving me to the airport had a couple of questions, one easy and one a bit more complicated. Where's St. Louis? → Read More
Jay Ashcroft Carries on the Family Tradition of Extremist Politics
I can't believe we're dealing with another Ashcroft in Missouri. It has long been my policy to keep someone's children out of any argument — political or otherwise — that I might have with an adversary. → Read More
Americans Need to Own the Gun Violence Crisis at Our Door — And Do Something
El Paso, Texas, is 1,215 miles from St. Louis. But last weekend’s white domestic terrorism — compounded shortly thereafter by more atrocities in Dayton, Ohio — hit home as much as this year’s 115 homicides through Monday in the city, which are five more than at this time last year. → Read More
Missouri Is Number One — in Cutting Health Care for Poor Children
Great news, Missouri, we're finally number one! Yes, Missouri ranks at the very top of the 50 states in the decline of health care coverage for poor children between March 2017 and March 2019. → Read More
How a Newly Energized Lacy Clay Is Playing Kingmaker
When it comes to Democratic Party politics, do not underestimate Congressman William Lacy Clay. Last Tuesday, Clay announced his support for the presidential bid of Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA). → Read More
Our Best and Brightest New High School Graduates Show What's Right in Public Education
Graduation season is upon us, caps and tassels joyously flung through the spring air by proud students against a backdrop of beaming parents, friends, relatives and educators drinking it all in. These are the good days in education. → Read More
Bringing an MLS Team to St. Louis Is About Money for Its Owners, Not Just Our Civic Good
With all the recent hubbub over St. Louis maybe, possibly, no-we-really-mean-it-this-time landing a franchise in the wonderland of Major League Soccer (MLS), there's one feature that has to make the league fun for everyone to watch, even for non-fans: The goal posts are always moving. → Read More