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The Coalition For Missouri’s Future is a coalition of business, labor, education, healthcare, and civic organizations who have come together to oppose bad ideas that stop Missouri’s progress.

The Coalition for Missouri’s Future was organized in September of 2011. It is a coalition of organizations and individuals committed to sound tax policy and a strong Missouri budget able to provide for the needs of the citizens of Missouri.  The coalition’s activities are designed to educate the public regarding sound tax policy and Missouri budget decisions that could impact their quality of life in Missouri.

Please join us as we fight to protect Missouri from bad ideas, and ensure progress continues to be made in strengthening Missouri’s economy.

Nixon tax cut veto finds an unlikely ally: Civic Council of Kansas City

June 7, 2013

On Wednesday, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed a bill designed to cut corporate income tax, backed by powerful support from the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City.

The Civic Council, an exclusive group of civic and business leaders from the Kansas City area, counts Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S) CEO Dan Hesse and Hallmark Cards Inc. CEO Donald Hall Jr. among its members.

So why is a group of wealthy Kansas City employers speaking out against lower taxes? Civic Council Chairman Hall explained its opposition to House Bill 253, the Broad-Based Tax Relief Act.

“The Civic Council believes that HB 253 will result in a significant loss of state general fund revenues generating drastic cuts to funding for education, social services and infrastructure,” Hall said in a statement distributed by Nixon’s office.

In a May 21 letter written on behalf of the council, Hall said the tax reform plan will disproportionately benefit high-income earners and will “adversely impact middle income citizens.”

“Missouri already has a very competitive tax and regulatory environment. Further cuts are not advisable, particularly in light of the state’s inability to adequately fund basic operating needs and services,” Hall said in the May 21 letter.

“Unfortunately, Missouri has already drastically cut state services, increasing class sizes, raising college tuitions, and deferring maintenance to Missouri’s roads and bridges. Further tax cuts will only make matters worse, and do nothing to create jobs or make businesses more competitive.”

Betsey Solberg, an executive consultant for FleishmanHillard’s Kansas City office, spoke at Wednesday’s media event and expanded on Hall’s comments.

“A strong business climate does not just mean lower taxes and less regulation,” Solberg said at the event. “A strong business environment requires that we have excellent schools; first-rate, affordable colleges and universities; and schools … that can produce a workforce that is skilled.”

“Drastic and unproven tax cuts such as HB 253 … will make us less competitive than our neighbors and will not help us create jobs.”

Solberg said the Civic Council “looks forward” to work throughout the summer to make sure the veto is sustained.

In 2010, Missouri spent $10,747 a pupil, ranking 29 of 50 states and the District of Columbia, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics compiled by Baltimore’s The Annie E. Casey Foundation.

The 2010 national average was $11,824.

A recent report the American Road & Transportation Builders Association said that 25.5 percent of Missouri’s highways and 26.1 percent of its bridges require repair.

Another recent report gave Missouri’s infrastructure a “C-.”  The Missouri Department of Transportation also faces serious budget challenges.

Kansas, which slashed its tax rates in an effort to draw more business to the state, faces a number of budget issues because of revenue shortfalls.

On Thursday, the Kansas Board of Regents gave Topeka’s higher education budget policies an “F.”

Coalition for Missouri's Future