It’s a Head-Scratcher
I just don’t get it. A recent article in The 74 describes how the vibrant charter school sector and strong...
Viral Facebook Post about Missouri Teacher Pension Bill Is Filled with Falsehoods
In recent days, some Missouri teachers have been spreading a viral Facebook post that makes a number of inaccurate assertions....
How Not to Study Economic Development Incentives
Economic development incentives are all the rage. And they aren’t all multi-billion-dollar packages to attract a new Amazon headquarters. Many...
The Tax Burden in Kansas City Is High
On Ruckus the other day, panelist Woody Cozad mentioned that taxes in Kansas City are high. He’s right. My colleague...
The Government Shouldn’t Mandate a “Living Wage”
On the last Monday of the legislative session, almost 90 people were arrested in downtown Jefferson City for blocking a...
Incremental Tax Reform: Don’t Let the Perfect Be The Enemy of the Good
Last week the Show-Me Institute released a new essay that discusses the importance of tax reform. Many of the ideas...
Charter Schools 101: Why Would We Need Charters in Suburban, Rural, or “Good” Districts?
In addition to fielding questions about what a charter school is, and whether charters are private or public schools, I’m...
Charter Schools 101: What Is a Charter School?
It’s hard to believe that after nearly 30 years charter schools are still a mystery in some parts of the...
Tax Reform and Tax Hypocrisy
Conservatives have long argued that taxes matter. Sure, they matter, progressives have countered – if all you care about is...
2018 Blueprint: Earned Income Tax Credit
THE PROBLEM: State spending is on the rise in Missouri, led by a growth in public welfare dollars. Public welfare...
2018 Blueprint: Public Pension Reform
THE PROBLEM: Defined benefit (DB) pension plans promise employees annual payments for life upon retirement, but if a public plan...
On Raising the Minimum Wage in Missouri
On December 1, members of the Missouri General Assembly may begin prefiling legislation for consideration in the upcoming legislative session,...
The School Choice Segregation Myth
It’s time to put to bed a nasty myth about school choice (exemplified in this letter from American Federation of...
Almost 47th
Missouri’s economy has been in the slow lane for decades. Unfortunately, unless things change, Missourians will likely be left behind...
Reconsidering Teacher Pay
Recently in the Springfield News-Leader, I argued that school districts should reconsider how they pay teachers. Most districts use a...
The Washington Post and St. Louis Post-Dispatch: A Study in Contrasts
Both the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Washington Post editorial boards published pieces this weekend concerning the findings of a new...
A New Convention Hotel Is Not Necessarily a Success
Ronnie Burt, head of VisitKC, the convention and visitor’s bureau in Kansas City, was quoted by The Kansas City Star...
Convention Center Renovations: Picking Winners and Losers with Taxpayers’ Money
Plans to renovate the Edward Jones Dome and America’s Center, which together serve as Saint Louis’s convention center, are resurfacing...
The Indiana Carrier Deal: State Cronyism Shouldn’t Be Nationalized
This Tuesday Indiana state officials announced that a Carrier manufacturing plant located there would not shut down after all, despite...
Education Policy for Our Fractured Republic
Like most observers of American society and politics, I am trying to make sense of our current political moment. Two...
