"We're here on behalf of the people who put us here, and who need to know that their government is accountable to them, and that we, their representatives, will ask questions and investigate discrepancies on their behalf," said District 2 Councilor Sameer Kanal.
"Life tends to be cyclical and it's impossible to know where we are on those cycles. The best we can do is be resilient, and if we avail ourselves of our intelligence, and family and communities, we can make it through."
"Music and the arts will be the key to the rebirth of our downtown and the health and safety of our streets, our kids, and our culture as a city," Dunphy said when he first proposed the plan.
Luna Rosado, a single mother, has seen her gas expenses rise by $40 weekly due to a 30 percent increase in prices after the war in Iran. This has resulted in $160 less for groceries and other necessities each month, forcing her to constantly adjust her budget.
That 2025 NOFO that dropped in November was the precursor of what the future's gonna look like. I strongly believe that, for the majority of wild and crazy things in that NOFO, that is what's going to drop in July of 2026. If that happens, dozens of people in the region could fall back into homelessness.
"If we don't get what we need [in terms of extra government help] then a Section 114 Notice will come in, which is effective bankruptcy. We'd then get administrators come in, in effect - they'd then make a plan for where the money gets spent in Worcestershire. It would be a catastrophe. We're going to have to halt projects that were put into the budget by the previous administration, things that maybe were 'nice to have', but we can't afford them."
The bulk of the money Missouri gives to its crisis pregnancy centers comes from federal funds meant to assist families experiencing poverty with basic necessities and child care, Republican Rep. Jason Smith said on the U.S. House floor in January. As many as $3 of every $4 for pregnancy centers in Missouri was from the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program in 2024, and in the 2026 fiscal year, it will be $2 out of $3.