Missouri’s Fuel Taxes in Context
On March 1, Iowa increased its fuel taxes by 10 cents per gallon. Other states, including Nebraska, Minnesota, South Dakota, and...
How Much Does A Competitive Transportation System Cost?
Recently, NextSTL began reposting “A World Class Transportation System” by Chuck Marohn. While this recommendation may not hold for future...
Thank Obamacare: Buchanan County, Mo., Tops List For Insurance Rate Hikes On Men
Last year, Forbes published a story about how much insurance rates were expected to rise across the country because of Obamacare....
Why Should County Taxpayers Fund Private Medical Research?
Jackson County’s ballot proposal for a medical research tax to raise $800 million over 20 years has had a controversial...
You Can Call Them Buzzards, But That Makes Missouri The Carcass
Another day, another governor courting — or as some are saying, “trying to poach” — Missouri’s businesses. This time, it’s...
A Free Speech Win In Saint Louis
St. Louis resident Jim Roos, in front of the offending sign. Photo by the Institute for Justice. Good news for...
Blueprint for a Blunder: Why Kansas City Should Quash Its Convention Hotel Plans
Kansas City wants another hotel for its convention center. Nobody wants to pay to get the project started, except …...
I’ll Have a Cheeseburger With Fries – Hold the Lawsuit
Because most of the nation is focused on recent union issues in the Badger State, many people might overlook the...
A Lesson From the Land of 10,000 Lakes and Cheeseheads
In the short run, government has three ways to react to a budget deficit: raise taxes, borrow money, or reduce...
Growth by State
Many variables affect a state’s economic growth, including public policy, natural resources, geographic location, business centers, etc. The large number of contributing...
She Fell In Love With The Drummer
The city of Duluth, Minn., made the band Wilco and its members honorary citizens. Not to be outdone, the city...
May I Have A Taxpayer-Subsidized Land Rover, Too?
[NOTE: Since the original publication of this blog entry, additional information has been released about the filmmakers accused of purchasing...
Filling the Cavities in Missouri’s Dental Care
Missouri’s oral health is among the worst in the nation. The Centers for Disease Control ranked the state 47th...
Is a Little Open Enrollment a Dangerous Thing?
In an article about Missouri’s open enrollment proposal, the Post-Dispatch quotes the director of a Minnesota education center: “I don’t...
Thinking Rationally About Rationing
Last month, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force revised its guideline on mammograms, advising that women should wait until age...
Farm to School: Large Expenditures for a Little Lesson
School districts in Minnesota are paying more for food produced in their state — up to twice what they would...
Charters Can Earn Community Support as They Grow
An article in Time profiles Yinghua Academy, a Mandarin-immersion charter school in Minnesota. (And, yes, although equally innovative schools are...
High-Speed Rail Proponents Underestimate Environmental Impact
On Monday, eight Midwestern governors met in Chicago to sign a memorandum of understanding by which they committed to a...
The Future of Highway Funding
The Kansas City Star reports on the increasing support for a plan to scrap and replace the fuel tax. The...
Nonpartisan Elections a Bad Idea for Franklin County
When it comes to elections, everyone wants the same thing: high voter turn-out and a well-informed electorate. Unfortunately, those two...
