The Gang that Couldn’t Plow Straight
There’s an old warning that “the plural of anecdote is not data.” But there sure are a lot of anecdotes...
It Has Been a Great Week for Economic Development Agencies in Missouri
This has been a fun week for those of us who feel that economic development agencies in Missouri are the...
Opportunities Squandered in St. Louis Affect All of Missouri
A version of this commentary appeared in the St. Louis Business Journal. Opportunity cost. The concept is so simple that a...
Even with an Updated Route, MetroLink Expansion is a Waste
Plenty of federal funds are available after President Biden signed a 1 trillion-dollar infrastructure bill into law last November, and...
How to Put Missouri on a Faster Path to Recovery
Hoping to prepare for a busy summer of reopening, several restaurants last week in St. Louis’s Central West End held...
Return of the Resource Curse: The Trouble That Comes from Too Much Money
Versions of this commentary appeared in the American Spectator and the Columbia Missourian. Imagine painting yourself into a corner—as someone...
CID Dies
I don’t know what the City of Chesterfield is thinking by rejecting the recent community improvement district (CID) proposal for...
Fixing the “Delmar Divide” with a TIF?
Developers are asking for millions in tax subsidies for a redevelopment project with the hopes of fixing St. Louis’s “Delmar...
Serious TIF Reform May Be in the Cards in 2020, With A Tweak
As we’ve often noted, tax-increment financing (TIF) in Missouri drains millions of dollars from legitimate government uses every year, often...
