Sarah Steelman's Puzzling Posture

The GOP candidate for governor of Missouri, Sarah Steelman, opposes the KC earnings tax. She says repeal of the 1% levy would spur economic development. Apparently, she thinks jobs are not being located in KC, because of the payroll levy and that removing it would change all that. Or, is the reason for her opposition mere pandering to KC area voters, who might see one less tax as a welcome cut in the burden of meeting the costs of government in general. One class of voters she will certainly please with this proposal is the Kansas commuters who help support the municipal needs of Kansas Citians and their visitors. The loss of around $200 million a year, 43% of the city's general fund, Steelman says could be made up from new taxes generated by growth, by eliminating wasteful spending and by stimulating downtown growth. Yeah, right! Notice that she didn't propose new taxes for state revenue sharing to replace the lost earnings taxes or offer to collect it with state income taxes and remit it to the city without charge to help with the collection costs and enforcement. By the way, she also opposes increasing the state tax on gasoline, at a time when current highway funding will not cover billions of dollars in needed repairs. Such are the contradictions of being a tax-cutting Republican.

What puzzles me is why someone would advocate a tax policy that is harmful to Missouri's major cities and leaves the highways that connect them in shambles and would still expect to proudly maintain that she's the Governor of a great state. Believe me, greatness is not the default position, rather it is the result of wise investment and viable facilities and services, all of which costs money that comes from taxes.