Monday News Roundup

• Today is the first day of cuts to Metro services in St. Louis.  So far, the cuts have been a disaster, just like many people predicted.  The Post-Dispatch writes that we have one last chance to avert mass transit collapse.  Please check out Midwest Common Sense's diary to see how you can help.  
• STL Rising lists (tongue in cheek) the top ten benefits of the restricted Metro schedule.
• The St. Louis mayoral candidates debated last night.  I couldn't find much coverage online, but the Beacon had a pretty thorough article.  It's no secret that print media is struggling, and the Beacon is an experiment in all-online news.  My opinion is that in order to be successful, papers need to do more than just get rid of publishing costs, they need to actually return to providing solid coverage of local politics, and this Beacon article is a good step in the right direction considering how limited other media outlets' coverage of the event was (although, I admit, there might be other coverage that I couldn't find..please let me know if you saw some).  Honestly, how could anyone think that providing coverage of the first mayoral debate isn't important?
  
• In other mayoral news, the Green Party candidate for mayor's van was torched last night.
• Suburban Journal article on "Saving a sense of city" (h/t Michael Allen).
• Antonio French's Twitter feed says all charges against him by his former aldermanic opponent were dismissed in court.
• Possible "Pay to Play" in GOP Committee Assignments.
• Statehouse Republican says providing children with health care is "like slavery."
• If you haven't already, check out SLU's absurdly good "Atlas Week" events (which thankfully, is not referring to Ayn Rand).
• If you have anything to add, please post in the comments.