2: Tangazo! 17th Ward Alderman Joe Roddy Seeks to be a Pragmatic Politician

Joe Roddy Jr grew up the son of an Irish political powerbroker in the city of St Louis, but he's spent the last 30 years making a name for himself as the pragmatic Alderman for the 17th Ward, overseeing some of the city's most robust development during his tenure. Here's a look at how the conversation went: Part 1: "When you actually vote on something... suddenly you begin thinking about right and wrong..." Alderman Roddy talks about his father, who he described as the "Last of the Irish Politicians" and how he came to shape himself as a pragmatic mid-town politician. (0:00-15:45) Part 2: "Being biggest isn't always the best." The leader of the 17th ward discusses his views on development, population decline, and how his point of view differs from those of progressive and protest leaders. (15:45-29:40) Part 3: "Anything that we can do to provide a more equal distribution of tax dollars." Roddy likes the sound of everyone paying their fair share to improve the health of the St Louis region overall: City/County merger, airport privatization, and the contraction of the Board of Aldermen. (29:40-42:20) Dhati Kennedy provided the beats behind Tangazo. Andy Heaslet is the show's engineer. Listen to more of Hank's interviews on KDHX from his time filling in for DJ Wilson on Collateral Damage. Check out episodes 122-134.