Cities May Actually Be the Culprit in Underfunding Schools
Education funding is a hot topic in several states, with lawsuits alleging that state governments are failing to meet their...
St. Louis Is Failing, and It Has Only Its Government to Blame
Last month the U.S. Census Bureau found that St. Louis had, once again, shrunk in population over the last year....
School Options and the Rise and Fall of Cities
It’s a problem that plagues many U.S. cities: How can we make sure that all families have access to a...
A Plague on Both Your Tax Credits!
Economic development tax credits that, whatever their intended purpose, enrich a few at the cost of the many are simply...
Will Springfield School District Become the Next Kansas City or St. Louis?
At around 25,000 students, the Springfield Public Schools is currently the largest district in Missouri. Just 20 years ago, the...
Who Is to Blame for Underfunded Schools?
Education funding is an ever present issue in state budgets and Missouri is no exception. My colleagues have written about...
Hoosier State Helps Home-Sharing
Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb has been sent legislation forbidding local governments from banning Airbnb and other short-term rental companies (STRs)....
Summer Internships
Summer Intern The Show-Me Institute is pleased to offer internship opportunities for Summer 2018. Internships are open to current undergraduate...
Why Can’t They All Be Like Winfield?
One question that drives our municipal checkbook project is: What is the cost of transparency? Because Missouri’s sunshine law allows...
Branson Water Park to Soak Taxpayers
Imagine someone knocking on your door with a business proposal. He and his partners want to build on the vacant...
Tell Me Something I Didn’t Know: We Don’t Need a Task Force for Facts about Charter Schools
Yesterday I wrote about the latest delaying tactic proposed by opponents of charter schools in Missouri: a bill to create...
Paralysis (of progress) by analysis (of what we already know)
Parents in Missouri who want to choose a high-quality school for their children, regardless of where they live, were dealt...
Gold Medal for Sentiment, But a Wipeout on Policy
The State of Missouri has a long history of excellence in athletic competition on both the domestic and international stages....
The Financial State of Missouri Cities
It won’t be a surprise to readers of this blog that Kansas City and St. Louis are in bad financial...
On Charter Schools, Let Families-not Politicians-Decide
This year marks 20 years since Missouri enacted the law that allowed charter schools to open in St. Louis and...
Video: Expanding Charter Schooling in Missouri
Demand for charter schools is at an all-time high. Unfortunately, student’s charter schools are functionally limited to St. Louis and...
Release the Amazon Bids!
Amazon has released a list of their top 20 contenders for their new headquarters. Neither Kansas City nor Saint Louis...
2018 Blueprint: Economic Development Subsidies
THE PROBLEM: Excessive use of economic development subsidies has diverted much-needed tax revenue to developers and away from schools and...
Brenda Talent Discusses Saint Louis County Budget on KETC’s Donnybrook
On December 21, Show-Me Institute CEO Brenda Talent appeared on Saint Louis Public Television’s Donnybrook to discuss cuts to Saint Louis County’s budget,...
Is an Audit in the Works for the City of Saint Louis?
A lack of clarity regarding how the City of Saint Louis manages taxpayers’ money has pushed some residents to demand...
