Every so often a political fight shapes up either regionally or nationally that kinda puts things into their proper perspective. This year we in Missouri are seeing just such a fight. The proposed 3/4 cent sales tax that is being placed on the ballot which it is being claimed is to make our roads safer.
Another words it's for the children and all, don't cha know.
While I would normally be all for spending more money on infrastructure. Roads, bridges that type of thing. I certainly am not agreeable to passing a new tax to do so. I want the taxes to remain the same or shrink and a change in how those taxes are spent. Let's face it the lion's share of the taxes collected in this state or nationally certainly do not benefit me in any meaningful way so why would I agree to pay more just to get some benefit out of them?
It's easy to see who is going to benefit from this proposal. The backers of this proposition come from both political parties but seem to have a common theme among themselves. Mostly they are contractors or groups from the larger cities and/or the chamber of commerce types.
Missouri Transportation Tax fight makes for strange Bedfellows
Several of the various road connected departments are of course all for it. From MoDot to the highway patrol of course and like most tax proposals once they get their hands on the money there is no assurance it is going to go where the people want it anyway. Wouldn't surprise me if MoDot's pension fund doesn't all of a sudden appear in much better shape if this thing passes.
The funny thing about this is for once I actually agree with the Femocrat Governor of Missouri and am against this tax proposal, although I am sure for different reasons.
While the Director of MoDot keeps popping onto every local talk radio station he can find to push this proposal he made one claim that completely turned me off. In his statements he declares the normal fuel tax is not sufficient to keep up with infrastructure needs because...
"More fuel efficient vehicles are bringing in less tax dollars"
That statement alone turned me away because it is at best a partial truth. Not even a half truth, maybe a quarter truth and that's stretching it.
The other side of that statement is that people are simply not driving like they used to but pointing out that fact would hurt their cause for more of our money to spend than help it now wouldn't it?
I can remember attempting to drive on I-70 back around 1999 or 2000 and being in fear for my very life while these days the traffic reminds me more of the 1980's than anything else. Simply put there is no reason to plan on throwing more money at our infrastructure in the state. Simple economics are already dictating less miles driven and therefore less maintenance needed.
This is a prime example of the old maximum "Follow the Money" and one that makes ya wish for a "Vote em all Out" choice.
If you are a Missouri reader I urge you to vote no on this Amendment.
Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!
I already figured that this was a "build new interchanges for suburbanites to get in and out of St. Louis and KC tax"
ReplyDeleteHH and I will be voting against it.
You need to pay for someones retirement that is making more money than you to start with. That is where all the money is going.
ReplyDeleteThey just want the tax payers to be a State wide ATM. The problem is the union paid for elected officials don't want to cut any spending what so ever.
ReplyDeleteAnything that ends with dot is a giant sinkhole where they just toss your money.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness I see the voices of reason in the article as well as the comments.
ReplyDeleteMoDOT has cherry-picked the facts and skewed the truth in their push to get votes for what would be the largest tax increase in the history of Missouri.
Nothing makes more sense than a NO vote on August 5th. Make certain you vote!!