Term limits at work in Missouri

[acludem]

Here's why I hate term limits:

Missouri bill aims at big papers
Retaliation behind move, some say
By TIM HOOVER
The Kansas City Star

“This was a transparent attempt to retaliate against an editorial, specifically against the Post-Dispatch, which pointed out the hypocrisy of the House Republicans when it comes to health care.”

Rep. Rick Johnson, House minority leader


JEFFERSON CITY — A bill endorsed by the Missouri House seeks to eliminate a tax break for newspapers — but only for The Kansas City Star and St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Democrats and at least one Republican charge that the legislation is nothing more than retaliation aimed at the Post-Dispatch over an editorial the paper ran Sunday. The full-page editorial, headlined “House of Hypocrites,” lambasted House Republicans who voted to cut Medicaid while they receive taxpayer-subsidized health insurance as lawmakers.

The editorial ran 66 photos of Republicans who voted for the cuts as well as the amounts taxpayers paid for health insurance for some. Also included in the editorial were telephone numbers for the House and Senate switchboards.

“This was a transparent attempt to retaliate against an editorial, specifically against the Post-Dispatch, which pointed out the hypocrisy of the House Republicans when it comes to health care,” said Rep. Rick Johnson, a High Ridge Democrat and House minority leader.

“The message was, ‘Criticize us and you're going to lose some money,' ” he said.

Read the whole article at: http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/8442999.htm

 

[Avatar4321]

im confused. Arent newspapers usually complaining about the evils of corporate tax loopholes? Why on earth should they be mad when the Republicans do what they have always wanted, tax corporate entities more?

 

[MtnBiker]

Originally posted by Avatar4321
im confused. Arent newspapers usually complaining about the evils of corporate tax loopholes? Why on earth should they be mad when the Republicans do what they have always wanted, tax corporate entities more?

Ditto

 

[DKSuddeth]

well since the link goes to a subscriber service I can't read the whole article. somebody detail how it affects ONLY those two newspapers please.

 

[jimnyc]

Originally posted by DKSuddeth
well since the link goes to a subscriber service I can't read the whole article. somebody detail how it affects ONLY those two newspapers please.

The provision came Wednesday in the form of an amendment offered by Rep. Richard Byrd, a Kirkwood Republican, to a bill dealing with enterprise zones, tax credits and other economic development tools. The bill, which received initial approval in the House, includes portions of Gov. Bob Holden's “Jobs Now” proposal, which would repeal some existing tax credits to enact a new program that would provide grants and low-interest loans to cities, counties and other public entities for infrastructure improvements.

The bill also includes an amendment giving a specific tax break for the planned construction of the new headquarters of H&R Block Inc. in downtown Kansas City.

Byrd's amendment deals with a sales tax exemption that newspapers receive when they buy newsprint, ink, computers, film, printing plates and machinery to produce newspapers. In the same section of the law, there are 37 similar provisions exempting from sales tax equipment and materials purchased by industries ranging from agriculture to railroads to barge companies.

However, Byrd's amendment would only eliminate the newspaper printing supplies exemption for a “publicly traded company” with annual operating revenues of more than $250 million and a “Missouri-based” average daily newspaper circulation of 200,000 or more.

Byrd said taking away the tax break for the two newspapers would generate an estimated $6.9 million to the state and some $4 million for local governments.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Libs like taxes. They don't like tax cuts. I see this policy as actually being very flexible and accomodating to the respective ideologies of all papers involved. I consider it a tolerant, "to each his own" approach to public policy on asset seizure.

 

[DKSuddeth]

inventive. devious.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Originally posted by DKSuddeth
inventive. devious.

You know what else is inventive and devious?

:gross2:

 

[acludem]

The issue here is that right after the St. Louis Post-Dispatch runs an editorial criticizing the hypocrisy of Republicans for slashing Medicaid funding while taking full health benefits for their part time jobs. The only reason the Kansas City Star was included was to try and mask the fact that this amendment was offered as revenge.

Here's an interesting comparison between the legislatures of Kansas and Missouri:
========================================
A world of difference between two state legislatures

BARBARA SHELLY

First-term Missouri Rep. John Burnett was attempting to make a point about school funding recently when a shrill call shattered his illusions about decorum.

“Earth to the gentleman. Earth to the gentleman.” It was Rep. Jason Crowell, the House majority leader, not letting Burnett finish.

“I was really kind of stunned,” said Burnett, a Kansas City Democrat. “I just, like, froze up and got more formal.”

During the stormy budget debate, Crowell, a Republican from Cape Girardeau, responded to Democrats by imitating the sounds of sirens and flatulence. Burnett found the scene surreal. “Where am I?” he asked himself.

Not in Kansas.

Missouri and Kansas began their legislative sessions one week apart in January. Both have Republican-controlled legislatures and Democratic governors. They face many of the same challenges, like funding education, improving roads and encouraging development.

The Kansas Legislature has approved a budget, found money to continue highway projects, and passed an economic development bill promoting bioscience. Legislators increased state reimbursement rates for doctors and hospitals treating Medicaid patients. Major issues remain unresolved, especially education funding. But lawmakers acknowledge they need to get the work done.

Missouri has no budget and no plan for its highways, which rate among the nation's worst. Economic development incentives have not been finalized. The House's suggested Medicaid fix is to throw thousands of working families off the rolls.

Kansas legislators, for the most part, are collegial and focused on the state's business. Missouri lawmakers are embittered, partisan and driven by ideological agendas.

Case in point: Republican Ed Emery of Lamar, Mo., recently proposed a resolution urging Congress to impeach federal Judge Scott O. Wright of Kansas City. Wright blocked a law outlawing so-called partial-birth abortion, Emery noted. Could the legalization of gay marriages be far behind? Amazingly, House leaders allowed Emery a hearing on his meaningless resolution.

Describing government in Kansas and Missouri is a lot like evaluating the states' roads. Kansas is in pretty good shape. Missouri is a wreck. How did this happen?

The skills of the governors play a role.

Kathleen Sebelius in Topeka has managed to avoid conflict with Republicans in her Legislature. Some openly admire her.

“I think she's very sharp,” said Rep. Jim Yonally of Overland Park. “She involves a lot of people. She'll call legislators on the floor during debates and ask for help.”

Republicans in Jefferson City are blatantly contemptuous of Gov. Bob Holden. On occasion, some sport buttons with the letters OTB. That stands for “One Term Bob,” the GOP rallying cry. Even some Democrats question his ability to advance his agenda.

But the success of governors is affected by the quality of their legislatures. There Holden is at a vast disadvantage.

The biggest difference between Topeka and Jefferson City is their Republican delegations.

Kansas' legislature, for practical purposes, has three parties, nearly equal in number. They are the conservative Republicans, moderate Republicans and Democrats. The moderate Republicans lend sanity and flexibility to the lawmaking process.

Missouri's Senate has reasonable members of both parties. But its House is a shambles. With a few lonely exceptions — like Rep. Bob Johnson of Lee's Summit — its Republicans are cut from whole cloth. They are avowedly anti-tax. They want to shrink government, but haven't proposed how to do that. Many carry a strong conservative religious bent.

Seasoned legislative leaders might be able to bring sense to the process. But term limits — a bad idea if ever there was one — make that impossible.

House Speaker Catherine Hanaway was first elected in 1998 and became her party's leader two years later. Unable to serve in the House past 2006, she is campaigning to become secretary of state. Senate President pro tem Peter Kinder has been a senator since 1992, became the Senate leader in 2000 and is term-limited after this session. He is running for lieutenant governor, as is Sen. Ken Jacob, the Senate's Democratic minority leader.

With legislative leaders more invested in their political futures than the running of government, you can see why not much work is getting done in Jefferson City.

Beginning in November 2000, Missouri was socked by a perfect storm. Holden, not the most skilled leader the state has seen, was elected by a mere 21,000 votes. Republicans gained control of the Senate and House and set their sights on the governor's office. Term limits pushed out experienced legislators and cleared the way for a crop of freshmen who campaigned on “no tax” pledges before they had a notion of the state's needs. The economy tanked, and elected leaders were in no mood to work out solutions.

Kansas has a savvy governor, reasonable lawmakers and no term limits. Its Legislature makes progress. Missouri's makes a scene.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansa...73.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

acludem

 

[Avatar4321]

Originally posted by acludem
The issue here is that right after the St. Louis Post-Dispatch runs an editorial criticizing the hypocrisy of Republicans for slashing Medicaid funding while taking full health benefits for their part time jobs.

How Ironic then since the bill has exposed the Hypocrisy of the liberal media in complaining about corporations and the rich not paying enough and then complaining when they are taxes.