Reader Responses: In St. Louis, Comparing the Stimulus to the New Deal

On Monday, Paul’s segment comparing the New Deal and the stimulus in St. Louis aired (you can watch it below), and as usual, a number of viewers wrote in. The topics ranged from okapi to jaywalking. Here are a few.

Comment: On Monday’s show, your segment about the New Deal in St Louis opens with a view of the zoo and, then, so remarkable I could hardly believe it, a view of an Okapi. But no identification of that amazing, rare, and endangered animal that none knows of unless you have lived in the DRC or Zaire, as I knew it when I lived there in Okapi country. You missed a chance. I know that the focus of your story was not the animals that live in that zoo but some animals were identified. Not the Okapi. If any animal should have been id’ed, it was that one. Seeing that animal is almost enough to get me to travel to St Louis. —Georgiana

Paul Solman: Ah, only in NewsHourland: Viewers who recognize Okapi – and love them. Hope you don’t mind my sharing your email to the Online NewsHour over here on the Business Desk, Ms. Anderson. I thought other viewers might want to hear your reaction.

Comment: Okay, maybe Grand Ave. does need quieting, but I doubt it. But you illustrate how “dangerous” crossing is for pedestrians by going AGAINST the light?! Come on! A lot of what you say is correct, but why lie with this? Paul…in Boston they would have run you down. In St. Louis one driver stopped, and you dodged the other- all while JAYWALKING! —Chaz

Paul Solman: Okay, usually I come back at emailers with all sorts of reasons as to why they’re wrong and I’m right. In this case, Chaz, I have only a cheesy excuse. It was very hard crossing Grand Ave., honest, but the only way I could think to illustrate it on TV was by, well, jaywalking. It wasn’t a “lie” though, was it?

As to Boston (or New York, for that matter), they would most definitely NOT have run me down, BTW. Don’t ask me how I know.