Once More unto the Loop Trolley Breach
Much like the Black Knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the Loop Trolley still clings to life despite...
Honey, I Shrunk the City
It’s not exactly news that the City of St. Louis and the region as a whole have been losing population...
Brain Versus Heart on Amtrak in Missouri
Rail advocates are arguing for an increase in Missouri’s Amtrak funding. They want the taxpayer subsidy for the little-used route...
Commentary: A Tsunami of Bad Policy
This commentary appeared in The St. Louis Post-Dispatch on December 7, 2021 Inflation has reared its ugly head again—hitting a...
Changes to Tax Incentives in the City of St. Louis?
The Post-Dispatch ran a story recently about changes being made to how tax incentives are being awarded by the City...
A Truly Terrible Idea for West County
The title of this article in the Post-Dispatch says everything one needs to know about the focus of far too...
St. Louis County Needs Federal Dollars to Stay Afloat
A recent article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that St. Louis County Executive Sam Page is asking the St....
What Should Washington University Do with All of That Money?
Should non-profits pay taxes? Well, as someone who works at a small non-profit and believes in low taxes, I am...
911 System Cost Savings Are No Joke
Emergency 911 call centers represent one of the clearest opportunities in Missouri to combine regional services. It is a vital...
HB 349 Creates Opportunity (For Some)
Some Missouri children will finally be able to sign up for tax credit–funded scholarships. But why not all? Much has...
A Property Tax Tale of Two Cities
A version of this commentary appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. It costs money to run cities, and that money comes...
Is the City Foundry Just Moving Vegetables Around the Plate?
When you were a kid, did you ever push your vegetables around your plate hoping that the different placement would...
Ready, Fire, Aim
A group has released a new plan to consolidate the fire departments of St. Louis County and create more independent...
TIF and the Pandemic, Part Two
In my previous post on the struggle of county health departments during the pandemic, I touched on funding levels for...
TIF and the Pandemic, Part 1
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported recently on the struggles of county health departments in Missouri during the Covid pandemic. We...
Local Government Transparency Bill Gets Resounding 149-2 Vote in the House
If local governments can take your money, they should tell you how they’re spending it. And if they can’t or...
Who’s Driving the Bus on School Openings?
Students and families are nearing the one-year mark of schooling in COVID times. For many, traversing this ever-shifting education landscape...
Unfocused St. Louis
Some of my colleagues at the Institute have already weighed in on the shortcomings of a draft report promoting regional...
Where Are the Kindergartners?
A version of this commentary appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on December 8, 2020. According to enrollment counts taken...
A Charter School for Normandy?
The Normandy School District might be getting its first charter school. That is, unless a coterie of local functionaries scupper...
