When It Comes to The Land Bank, St. Joseph Should Get Out While It Still Can
A version of this commentary appeared in the St. Joseph News-Press. You are probably familiar with various versions of the...
The Kansas City Star Lies in “Parents’ Bill of Rights” Editorial
In an editorial titled “Missouri think tank’s ‘Parents’ Bill of Rights’ wants us to subsidize private schools,” the Kansas City...
More Evidence of Failures of CIDs
The two sure things in life are said to be death and taxes. I might add a third (admittedly related...
Setting the Record Straight About Missouri’s New ESA Program
Earlier this week, Susan Pendergrass wrote a blog post addressing some of the criticisms levied by The Kansas City Star...
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Big shock—now that the Missouri legislature has finally created a program to give school choice to students from low-income families...
No, School Choice Does Not Defund Public Schools
A version of this commentary appeared in the Kansas City Star. School choice legislation is under consideration in the Missouri...
Tax Incentive Reforms Would Benefit Kansas City
A version of this commentary appeared in the Kansas City Star. Ulysses S. Grant was known to say that in...
The Star PPP-Shames Kansas City Private and Charter Schools
The government filings of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans have provided ideologically motivated journalists and advocates a treasure trove for...
About That Border War Truce . . .
Last fall, there was much rejoicing about the effort by Missouri Governor Mike Parson and Kansas Governor Laura Kelly to...
Update: St. Louis May Not Honor Earnings Tax Refund Requests
As recently as last month, it appeared that those working from home outside the city limits of St. Louis and...
10! 10. 10?
On April 29, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas announced his 10-10-10 plan for reopening the city after the stay at...
KC’s League of Women Voters Weigh in on TIF
The League of Women Voters of Kansas City/Jackson-Clay-Platte Counties recently released its study of tax-increment financing (TIF). In a radio...
Missouri Auditor Blasts Jackson County Anti-Crime Program
The Missouri State Auditor just released an audit of Jackson County’s Community Backed Anti-Crime Tax (COMBAT) Fund. It’s a doozy....
Audit the Kansas City Water Department
Water rates in Kansas City may soon go up, according to two ordinances just passed out of the city council’s...
Tax First, Provide Detail Later
Members of The Kansas City Star’s editorial board have lamented that the one-eighth-cent sales tax adopted by a citywide vote...
About That “Economic Impact Study” Conducted on Free Bus Service in Kansas City . . .
In a January 26, 2020 column for The Kansas City Star, the CEO of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority...
Fare Free Public Transit? Not so Fast
A version of this op-ed was published by the Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri, made news around the country last...
Show-Me Gets Results? PortKC to Refund Taxpayers
Back on November 4, I recommended Kansas City City Council members curtail the $6 million administrative fee that PortKC would...
Waddell & Reed and the Border War
Having been granted $62 million worth of Missouri state subsidies, Waddell & Reed is asking for an additional $40 million...
USDA Deal Is Great for Port KC, Less Great for KC Taxpayers
The announcement that the USDA has chosen a location in Kansas City, Missouri was met with satisfaction by political leaders...
