Part 1: It Is Time To Close The Book On Aerotropolis
Last year, Saint Louis County officials decided to revive the moribund Aerotropolis project, a part-cargo, part-real estate tax credit boondoggle...
An Impromptu Follow-Up To ‘Responsible Bidder’ Blog Series
I recently wrote a two–part blog series about new Saint Louis County regulations that would prevent most non-union contractors from...
Part Two: ‘Responsible Bidder’ Does Not Mean ‘Union-Only’
Yesterday, I wrote about St. Louis County’s new restrictions on who could be considered a “responsible bidder” for construction contracts....
Part One: ‘Responsible Bidder’ Does Not Mean ‘Union-Only’
Just before the Christmas break, the St. Louis County Council passed a new ordinance that changed the definition of what...
Missouri Gets D- In Education Policies
“Currently, Missouri’s education policies do not prioritize great teaching, empowering parents with quality choices, or allocating resources wisely to raise...
Shrewsbury TIF Is Dead – For Now
Last night, I testified before the St. Louis County TIF (Tax Increment Financing) Commission about the proposed TIF plan for a...
2013: A TIF Odyssey
Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is marching onward in Missouri. Today’s Kansas City Star has a great editorial on a proposed...
Tax Subsidies For The Wealthy
Tax Increment Financing is one of the most common forms of local government corporate welfare. Here in Saint Louis, developers...
And Over In The House
I previously blogged about the Missouri Senate’s stated agenda for the upcoming legislative session that starts in January. Over in...
Joplin School District Right To Be Concerned About Super TIF
Officials for the Joplin School District are admirably asking some tough questions about a proposed Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district....
No Vote on Prop B, A Blessing in Disguise?
Anyone who believed the ads in favor of Proposition B might expect the “no” vote to be devastating for Missouri...
Reducing The Size Of The Saint Louis Board Of Aldermen
Most people are familiar with Einstein’s E=mc2. In government, there is another powerful theory, the “Law of 1/n,” which states...
McGraw Milhaven – David Stokes on KTRS
David Stokes has a recurring spot on McGraw Milhaven’s KTRS radio program. In this appearance, Stokes and the host discuss...
Proposition S: A Little More Nuanced
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch published an editorial in support of Proposition S, the proposed tax increase for the Special School...
Kansas Rolls Out the Red Carpet to Missouri Companies
For as long as anyone can remember, Kansas and Missouri have been rivals. It may have started in the Civil...
Saint Louis Gets Ballpark Village And You Get The Bill
The Missouri Development Finance Board has approved its “share” (according to reports, $5 million) in bond purchases to help fund...
‘Saint Louis Has High Taxes!’ Say International Accountants
KPMG, one of the world’s Big Eight, Six, Five, Four accounting firms, released a study last week that ranked Saint Louis...
PSA: School Choice For Special Needs Students
We interrupt our (ir)regularly scheduled blog post for a brief public service announcement: October is Disability History and Awareness Month....
Who is Hurt by Eminent Domain Abuse and TIF in Richmond Heights? – Part 4
The Hadley Township community in Saint Louis County is another example of the devastation that Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and...
We Need A Moratorium On Municipal Development Moratoriums
The city of Frontenac, in Saint Louis County, has enacted a moratorium on new developments within a commercial area of...
