Two Birds, One Stone: Could an Income Tax Cut Help Missouri Reverse Two Declines?
The American Legislative Exchange’s (ALEC) newest Rich States, Poor States report indicates that Missouri is currently facing an economic decline....
Jay Nordlinger: Live in St. Louis and Kansas City on May 9 and May 10
St. Louis Event Cost: Free When: Tuesday, May 9 Reception: 5:30 pm Program: 6:00 pm Where: Lindenwood University (Harmon Hall Auditorium) 209...
How to Lose a City of St. Louis Guy in 10 Days
The U.S. Census Bureau recently released new population estimates for cities around the country, and the City of St. Louis...
Open Enrollment in St. Louis Schools: 55 Years in the Making
A version of this commentary appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. When the Spainhower Commission issued its final report in 1968,...
Let’s Talk About Zoning
Zoning reform is generating a lot of interest around the nation. I think that is great. The debate is primarily...
Missouri Charter Schools Top the Academic Growth Charts
The first report from the Missouri School Improvement Program 6 (MSIP 6) was released recently, providing data on how each...
Ashland Wants to Make Its Sales Tax How High?
It may surprise you to know that cities in Missouri depend more on sales taxes and less on property taxes...
The Earnings Tax Changes We Need
Kansas City officials have repealed the changes to the earnings tax refund system they made last year. Last year’s changes...
Expanding the VIP List for Charter School Eligibility
In Missouri, only a select few are eligible for the VIP status of charter school eligibility. The “bouncer” until recently...
To the Beach!
It’s mid-March in Missouri and we all know what that means—spring break! The legislature adjourned on Thursday and won’t be...
The St. Louis Demographic Decline: One Explanation Among Many
Most St. Louisans I know are die-hard fans of the city they call home. Maybe it’s because we are blessed...
Pot Taxes Can Help Municipal Kettles Get into the Black
A version of this commentary appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. When Missouri voters approved the ballot initiative legalizing marijuana...
St. Louis’s New Classical School and the Need for School Choice
I recently finished reading Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton. The book is Chesterton’s autobiographical account of arriving at belief in the...
St. Louis: Come for the Tax Subsidies, Depart When You Can
In 2010, the very large Polsinelli Law Firm received millions in tax incentives to help it “decide” to keep its...
St. Louis Should Eliminate Its Economic Development Agencies
A version of this commentary appeared in the St. Louis Business Journal. In July 2010, Missouri politicians joined the state’s...
The Kansas City Earnings Tax Tortoise Versus the St. Louis Earnings Tax Hare
When the pandemic struck and remote work took over, two city tax policies diverged in an asphalt jungle. Kansas City...
We Need LETRS, ASAP
Governor Parson discussed in his state of the state address the importance of serving our future generations with educational policies....
Education, Health Care, and $1,000 in Bitcoin
David Stokes, Elias Tsapelas, and Patrick Ishmael join Zach Lawhorn to discuss which bills are moving in Jefferson City, a...
State of the State, School Spending and the STL Earnings Tax
Susan Pendergrass, David Stokes and Elias Tsapelas join Zach Lawhorn to discuss the newly added spending data at MoSchoolRankings.org, takeaways...
Short-term Rentals, Long-term Questions
Turning primary or secondary homes into assets by renting them out via AirBNB or VRBO has become very popular. It...
