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Actual Pay: A Survey of Missouri Public School Superintendent Salary and Benefit Packages
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July 30, 2010
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Superintendents hold a particularly important position in school districts, in charge of both fiscal and organizational management. In 2009, Missouri’s public school superintendents earned an average of $105,717, an amount that increased even during a recession, to $106,368 in 2010. These figures represent salary alone, but benefits such as health insurance, annuities, and automobile allowances can substantially increase total compensation. Once these other benefits are taken into account, a superintendent’s non-salary compensation can equal 50 percent of his or her actual salary. This study uses contracts and salary data to determine what connection there is, if any, between superintendent pay and student achievement, which factors determine compensation, and how Missourians can take action if they are unhappy with compensation practices.
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Compensation for School Superintendents Needs Greater Transparency, Accountability
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July 30, 2010
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A new study examining superintendent compensation in Missouri finds that salary figures leave out significant forms of benefits, such as insurance, car allowances, and annuities. Compensation is also not correlated with performance metrics or to academic gains by district students. Greater transparency and accountability may lead to better results.
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Assessing Legal Prospects for Lawsuit Over Federal Health Care Reform
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July 15, 2010
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A lawsuit filed by Missouri’s lieutenant governor against the recently passed federal health care reform may not proceed as intended. A court may agree to hear some of the counts asserted in this suit, but it seems likely that the court will ultimately dismiss at least half of the claims (and probably three quarters of them) as lacking either standing or ripeness.
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Missouri’s Development Tax Credits Cost Too Much, Deliver Too Little
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July 9, 2010
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In difficult economic times, it’s more important than ever to scale back tax credit programs that single out companies or industries for favored treatment. Legislators don’t have a special ability to predict which company or industry will maximize revenue or economic growth, so the cost of such credits to taxpayers will almost certainly exceed the benefits.
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Proposed HVAC Licensing Expansion Benefits Practitioners at Public’s Expense
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June 24, 2010
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Measures to impose severe licensing restrictions on HVAC work in Saint Louis–area homes would limit competition and drive up prices, benefiting current HVAC workers at the expense of future competitors and the public. The new regulations would do nothing to improve safety. Rather, they are a transparent attempt at what economists call “rent seeking.”
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Restrictions on Payday Lending Result in Worse Financial Outcomes
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June 22, 2010
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Payday loans are far from a perfect source of credit, and the desire to protect people from the high interest rates that typically accompany such loans is well-intentioned. However, studies show that banning or imposing caps on high interest rates leads former payday loan borrowers to rely on even more damaging options, like utility shutdowns and overdrafts.
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Well-Intentioned Autism Bill Also Carries Negative Consequences
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June 11, 2010
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Well-intentioned supporters of the new autism mandate hope to help Missouri families with autistic children. Health care mandates also carry unintended consequences, raising the cost of insurance premiums for other Missourians. Small businesses are particularly cost-sensitive, and some marginal number of them may end up being forced to cut coverage or reduce hiring.
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Show-Me Quarterly: Spring 2010
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May 24, 2010
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In this issue: - The Show-Me Institute hosts members of the American Legislative Exchange Council at its new office in the Central West End.
- A message from Crosby Kemper about steps that individuals can take to promote freedom.
- An article about how the commercial property tax surcharge harms businesses.
- A look at how the institute's research and educational efforts about health care freedom.
- A note from Rebecca Bruchhauser reviewing the Show-Me Institute's latest activities.
- A profile of new institute board member Louis Griesemer.
- An article about the IDEAS, a new interactive database that lets users track taxes in all 50 states.
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Brenda Talent Joins Show-Me Institute as Executive Director
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September 2, 2010
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Crosby Kemper III, chairman of the Show-Me Institute, announced today that Brenda Talent has been selected as the institute’s executive director. Talent was selected after a lengthy and comprehensive search to find the best and most qualified candidate to help lead the institute in its efforts to promote public policies that are driven by free-market principles and a desire to advance liberty.
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Seven Principles of Sound Public Policy
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September 2, 2010
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On Jan. 20, 2006, the Show-Me Institute sponsored a luncheon featuring this presentation of "Seven Principles of Sound Public Policy." In this talk, Lawrence Reed, then the president of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy and currently the president of the Foundation for Economic Education, explains a set of principles that aid in the evaluation of public policy. He includes a number of historical examples to bring life and focus to his discussion. Show-Me Institute President Rex Sinquefield introduced Reed.
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North Side Saint Louis Developer Appears to Have Inflated Expenses in Tax Credit Application
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June 25, 2010
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In late December 2009, pressed to award nearly $20 million in tax credits to a single development company, the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) managed to review the company’s formal application within the month, awarding the company, NorthSide Regeneration LLC, $19.6 million just a day before the end of the year. In its rush, it seems that the department failed to catch more than 100 discrepancies nestled within the tax credit application, which appear to have cost the state hundreds of thousands of dollars.
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Privatization of the Saint Louis Water Utility
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May 17, 2010
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The city of Saint Louis, with a population of approximately 350,000 people, provides water to its residents and firms via the common municipal water utility. The surrounding and politically separate Saint Louis County, with a population of slightly less than 1 million, has long used private utilities to provide water to almost all of its residents and businesses. Unless the city can demonstrate that private operation of the water supply would result in both lower overall water quality and higher real costs (after adjusting for the current subsidies that are common with municipal utilities), the city should strongly consider the financial opportunities of selling its water treatment and distribution systems.
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Health Care Policy and Constitutional Rights: The Health Care Freedom Amendment
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April 10, 2010
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Among the elements of the new health care reform law that was passed by Congress is a requirement that almost every adult would either have to purchase a health insurance policy or face punitive fines to be collected by the Internal Revenue Service. There has been widespread debate in legal circles about whether the courts would uphold such a requirement, but lawmakers in at least 40 states are trying to do what they can to insulate their citizens from such a requirement. In Alaska, members of this legislature are considering HJR 35, which very closely resembles the legislation known in other states as Health Care Freedom amendments.
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Which Education Reforms Are Most Likely to Succeed?
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March 29, 2010
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On Feb. 18, 2010, the Show-Me Institute proudly presented featured speaker Dr. Jay Greene in conjunction with the Kansas City Public Library. His presentation, “Which Education Reforms Are Most Likely to Succeed,” is part of our successful continuing series with the library, “What Works in Urban Education.”
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Why a Sales Tax Is Better for Missouri Than an Income Tax
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December 18, 2009
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Missouri’s economic development and growth rates are chronically below average. During the past 10 years, employment has grown 8.8 percent nationally, while Missouri has boosted jobs by only 6 percent. Economists have provided one explanation for the state’s lagging performance: Missouri’s personal income tax rates.
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Show-Me Living Tools
The Show-Me Living Tools can help answer your questions about government spending, taxes and education in Missouri. - Show-Me the Spending has information about tax credits, stimulus funds, public employee salaries and state government spending.
- Show-Me the Taxes has a tax estimator to help answer questions about your tax burden.
- Show-Me Education has data about MAP scores and school rankings.
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Show-Me Daily
Check out Show-Me Daily, the Show-Me Institute's blog, where we provide fresh news and views on Missouri public policy every day.
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Eminent Domain Amicus Brief
On Nov. 29, 2007, the Show-Me Institute filed a brief of amicus curiae in the Missouri Supreme Court eminent domain case City of Arnold v. Homer Tourkakis. Read SMI's argument in favor of strong property rights.
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From Equity to Adequacy to Choice
On Oct. 30, 2007, the Show-Me Institute sponsored a conference about issues associated with public school finance and educational adequacy lawsuits. Visit the conference website to view the agenda, read working papers, and browse bios of presenting academics.
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