The city/county merger should put a big band aid on the STL region.
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/columns/tony-messenger/messenger-there-are-two-fronts-in-the-battle-over-the/article_a2a89218-1e31-583c-b663-a24103cb8cf3.html
It would be like Kansas City got its hand on Johnson County's tax base to pizz away as it pleased.