“Stop,” or I’ll Yell “Stop” Again
A version of this commentary appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. When elected officials intentionally ignore the law, we often...
Soccer Mania Strikes Saint Louis County
Soccer, professional and otherwise, is big business across the country and around the globe. The MLS is even considering putting...
Shame on Saint Louis County Council for Union Cronyism
We witness one of the more unsavory examples of democracy gone wrong when elected officials abandon any pretense of fair-mindedness...
Tax Increment Financing and Columbia, Missouri
Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is Missouri’s bad idea that keeps coming back and refuses to die. Despite TIF’s documented failures,...
TIF Is A Bad Idea That Refuses To Die
Tax increment financing (TIF) is the Rasputin of Saint Louis County – the bad idea that keeps coming back and...
A Tale Of Two County Executives (More Similar Than Different)
Last month, I attended a tax increment financing (TIF) commission meeting in Saint Charles. Last Wednesday night, I planned to testify before the Saint Louis...
Public Parks Problem, Part 2
I want to keep our loyal readers informed on the latest developments regarding the Saint Louis County park budget issue. David Stokes,...
Where Will Nannies And Chimney Sweeps Sing Songs And Fly Kites If St. Louis County Closes Parks?
Saint Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley has proposed cuts to the county park system in response to budget shortfalls. Park...
Missouri’s TIF Infestation
If I got to pick it, the slogan for my beloved home state of Missouri would be: “Missouri: We’re In The...
“The County Will Help Bridgeton Find a Better Deal.”
According to an article in the St. Louis Post Dispatch from Friday, St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley encourages the...
How Is Service of Process Fees Like the School Funding Formula?
They are alike because the smaller counties in Missouri choose not to tax themselves to pay enough for their sheriff...
Rep. Mark Parkinson Is Awesome
I absolutely must direct you to this article in the Beacon, (link via Combest) about the recent e-mail spat in...
It’s Assessment Day in St. Louis County
Everybody’s favorite biannual activity is online today in St. Louis County. It’s reassessment day! Go to the county’s website and...
“Taxes Go Up Incrementally; Why Shouldn’t They Come Down Incrementally?”
That is what my former boss, now judge, Kurt Odenwald used to say when people told him the property tax...
I’m Shocked – Shocked! – to Find That Fantasy Football Is Going On in St. Louis County Government!
KSDK – Channel 5 (link via Combest) broadcast a story a few nights ago on Internet usage by government employees....
Tax Rollback Right Thing to Do
Protesters, including several elected officials, gathered outside the county council last night to demand a rollback of St. Louis County’s...
Bridge compromise?
Last week, I blogged about how I liked the Martin Luther King bridge expansion idea as a plan to improve...
