The China hub had a big credibility problem. No one — even the supporters — seemed to believe the extravagant promises made on its behalf.

There is no justification for handouts for the proposed air cargo hub at Lambert. Tax credits and other subsidies do not support the public good in any clear or identifiable way.

Taxpayers, beware! The call will go out this week for “bold” and “innovative” job creation schemes at both the state and national level.

Don’t be fooled by promises of amazing returns made by supporters of the Aerotropolis legislation. The underlying economics is not there. So why have a number of self-described conservatives rushed to support a misuse of taxpayers’ money? The author calls it a “complete abandonment of principle.”

Supporters are calling for fast action - knowing that the economic case behind the Aerotropolis legislation does not survive close scrutiny.

The economic merits of the Aerotropolis tax credits are highly questionable, but if the legislature insists on enacting them, it should not allow that money to be controlled by political figures.

More than a decade ago, Lambert-St. Louis International Airport rolled the dice on an ill-advised gamble on future growth that wasn’t there. Let’s hope it’s not about to repeat the same mistake.

Politicians often tout the wide variety of schemes intended to promote job creation and economic development. To think in this way, however, is to engage in single-entry bookkeeping — counting jobs gained but ignoring jobs lost because of higher taxes or increased public indebtedness. Government job creation efforts do more harm than good.

If the director of the airport did indeed help introduce the “Aerotropolis” bill, there are serious questions she needs to answer. It is disheartening that the executive director of an airport would be concerned with making sure that only a few politically powerful individuals and businesses would be eligible for hundreds of millions in state tax money.

In July, Springfield will begin building a taxpayer-funded $ 7 million fitness center that will compete for the same customers that existing private fitness centers already serve. The proposed taxpayer-funded fitness center is unfair to those businesses that took the risk of opening up a shop without government assistance, and shortchanges taxpayers.

Government officials lay down billions in tax dollars in the vain hope of hitting it big with a stimulus or economic development bill. We are promised that a dollar in government spending will create more than a dollar in economic growth. This idea, known as the fiscal multiplier, has never been borne out by evidence.

Cities pursuing “Aerotropolis”-style development hope that establishing a new global air trade hub can help them grow their economies. Increased trade is important for any economy, and the United States should not wall itself off from other countries. If such development is the right move for a city, however, private investment will blossom without handouts.

The defeat of a bill calling for the creation of a heavily subsidized “Midwest China Hub,” or “Aerotropolis,” in Saint Louis represents a clear victory for common sense and limited government. Officials should stay out of the business of using taxpayers’ money to try picking economic winners and losers. Any attempt to resurrect the idea should be rejected.

Kansas City officials want to build a $ 300 million hotel, likely to be backed in some way by taxpayers. Kansas Citians shouldn’t let themselves be captive to another “big idea” pet project promoted by its political class, and should press city officials to drop the plan. The fact that private actors haven’t built this hotel suggests that there isn’t a market for one.

The cash-strapped Missouri government is about to place a huge and ill-advised bet on the so-called “Midwest China Hub” or “Aerotropolis” bill. The plan entails gambling hundreds of millions of dollars, and leaving Missouri taxpayers on the hook. If lawmakers were serious about “taking a chance,” they would work to create a more favorable playing field for all businesses.

The best way for Missouri to grow the economy is to create a business climate that does not award special handouts to favored industries, and that relies instead on reducing taxes and regulatory constraints on businesses and individuals alike. Entrepreneurs in Missouri will seize upon the opportunities around them as soon as the government gets out of their way.

The president’s State of the Union address was filled with a misplaced belief in the ability of government to do a better job of picking winners and losers than the free-enterprise system is able to do on its own. There is an overwhelming body of scholarly evidence suggesting that government officials almost always wind up picking losers and compounding failure.

The Missouri Department of Economic Development has awarded $8 million to a redevelopment project that a court judge has ruled no longer exists. Not only does Missouri desperately need a thorough, critical review of tax credit programs in general, it is clear that the workings of the department need to be examined. 

Year end is a time to reflect — and to think ahead. In the holiday spirit, the Show-Me Institute has compiled a list of five New Year’s resolutions for state officials, to promote better government for 2011 and beyond. Taken together, these policy changes have the potential to propel Missouri’s income and job growth into the front ranks.

A Kansas City ordinance meant to deal with vacant properties leaves too much discretion in the hands of a few city officials, who effectively have the power to take property from one person and give it to another. They also have the incentive to enforce the ordinance selectively. No one can predict accurately who will be a better, more successful property owner.