Portland’s (And Kansas City’s) Streetcar Collapse
A television station in Portland, Ore., reported that the city’s ever-expanding streetcar system is losing money. Streetcar service and routes...
The Difference Between A Low Tax And A Harmful Tax
In September, the Missouri General Assembly attempted to override Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto of House Bill 253. Discussion was...
How Many Missourians Have Gotten Coverage Through The Exchange? Insurers Keep Mum
As the problems mount at HealthCare.Gov, the question of how many people have been able to actually enroll is becoming...
The EPA And Kansas City
Most people know that as a result of foot dragging from Kansas City politicians, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sued the...
Federal Funding By Any Other Name
Previously, we discussed Kansas City Aviation Department Director Mark Van Loh’s objection to local voters interfering with his $1.2 billion...
Why Should County Taxpayers Fund Private Medical Research?
Jackson County’s ballot proposal for a medical research tax to raise $800 million over 20 years has had a controversial...
You Can’t Take The Public Out Of Public Airports
In an Oct. 14 Kansas City Star article, Kansas City Aviation Department Director Mark Van Loh railed against government policy and...
Kansas City Next Last Giveaway
This November, Jackson County voters will decide whether to impose a half-cent sales tax to support medical research. Officials predict...
The Airport’s Self-Dealing
Imagine you have applied to the city for a building permit. The project is complicated and the city wants outside advice before giving...
Lower Costs Or Just Lowball Estimates For A New Terminal?
Recent public disclosures for Kansas City’s new airline terminal proposal have become more confusing and contradictory. The Kansas City Aviation Department...
$16 Million For Two Blocks?
Should Missouri and St. Louis taxpayers provide more than $16.5 million in tax subsidies to move Laclede Gas two blocks...
KCI’s Overly Optimistic Estimates – Part 2
At the Sept. 10 Kansas City Airport Terminal Advisory Group meeting, airport Chief Financial Officer John Green presented a financial analysis...
Is Kansas City A ‘Low Tax’ City?
The conventional wisdom seems to be that Missouri is a “low tax state,” but to come to that conclusion, you...
On Tax Policy And Iocane Powder
Last week, our friend and fellow blogger Dave Helling at the Kansas City Star wrote a critique of my post...
Steve Kraske’s Quality Of Life
In today’s Kansas City Star (last item), Steve Kraske listed our Sept. 17 Kansas City Policy Breakfast, “Is it Time To...
About Those Aviation Department Funds…
We’re told time and again that aviation funds cannot be used for a city’s own financial needs. Federal law is...
The Citadel Project Is Why Missouri Needs TIF Reform
The Wall Street Journal recently published a story about the very controversial Citadel Project in Kansas City. If anything, the...
The Blind Men And School Funding
Many people know the story of the blind men and the elephant. As the story goes, several blind men each...
What’s Up Kansas City? Video From The Urban Summit
On Aug. 3, I had the great pleasure of participating in a panel discussion about education in Kansas City. The...
Let Detroit’s Pension Problems Be An Example
People’s eyes often start to glaze over when we at the Show-Me Institute start talking about public employee pensions. Actuarial...
