This Is Spending On Rail That I Can Support
The Kansas City Star is reporting on the opening of a new sidetrack along Missouri’s Amtrak route connecting St. Louis...
More on Missouri Film Tax Credits
When recently questioned about why he chose to film Up in the Air in St. Louis, Jason Reitman curiously didn’t...
You, Too, Can Be a McCarthyite!
I was very pleased with how this morning’s interview went with Charlie Brennan. I hope you’ll give it a listen....
Permits for Chickens
Urban chickens are legal in Minneapolis. Legal, but regulated: Those interested in keeping chickens in the city must apply for...
History Repeats Itself
By way of Edspresso, I see that Pittsburgh is dealing with the same issue that St. Louis did not long...
Live by Political Appointment, Die by Political Appointment
Kansas City’s city manager, Wayne Cauthen, is out of a job after a majority of the KC City Council surprisingly...
Fire Districts Are About as Confusing as It Gets in Local Government
I recall several years ago when the Post-Dispatch ran a great series about abuses in fire districts around St. Louis...
Large Counties Should Reduce Their Commercial Property Tax Surcharges
In 1985, Missouri changed the way that local governments tax commercial and industrial property. Voters approved eliminating the personal property...
Film Tax Credits Are Bad for States
The new George Clooney film, Up in the Air, premiered at the Tivoli in Saint Louis over the weekend. Many...
Calling Missouri Bloggers!
The Show-Me Institute will be hosting a blogosphere event on Nov. 21 for established bloggers, as well as new and...
Lessons Learned From Kelo
The Wall Street Journal reflects on Pfizer’s recent decision to leave its location in New London, Conn. I like the...
Should Missouri Reassess Property Less Often?
There is no reason Missouri could not do just fine if we went through reassessment every three years instead of...
SMI Articles on Property Taxes
Today, the Missouri Record carried my article on commercial property tax surcharges in Jackson County / Kansas City. Last week,...
Missouri Starts Taxing Yoga Classes
The Kansas City Star reports that on Sunday, the state’s Department of Revenue began enforcing a 4-percent tax on yoga...
Do Teacher Unions Matter?
A 2009 study in the October issue of the Journal of Labor Economics finds that teacher unions have no effect...
The High Cost of High-Speed Rail
During the drive home from work yesterday, I listened to a discussion of high-speed rail on NPR’s “Marketplace.” Mitchell Hartman...
Domestic Migration and Tax Policy
New York’s higher-income residents are fleeing the state, and they are taking their tax dollars with them. The New York...
Springfield Deserves a Small Amount of Praise for Its Red Light Cameras
Don’t worry, I still detest red light cameras and think they are a total violation of our rights. I think...
Chicago Thinks About Privatizing Its Water System
According to a little-known website, the Drudge Report, Chicago is considering privatizing its water utility. This would follow on the...
Do Charters Make the Grade?
Over the weekend, the Columbia Missourian ran an interesting article that questioned the effectiveness of Missouri’s charter schools. Using MAP...
