Missouri's new Republicans

Missouri's Republicans have become the party of higher taxes and bigger government. They control Missouri's legislative bodies, and last session they raised the gasoline tax, created a new tax on Internet sales, and created a new government program to track prescription drugs.

The increase in gasoline tax was probably needed, but it just seems funny coming from the party that says it favors lower taxes. And what about the new tax on Internet sales? It will be a windfall for local entities. According to recent reports, they are already collecting record amounts of sales tax this year.

And is bigger government really needed to keep an eye on our medicine cabinets? Certain prescription drugs are already tracked by doctor's offices, pharmacies, insurance companies and other tracking authorities. But the legislature created a new government program to track the same drugs. This might have been helpful 10 years ago. Now, not so much.

I write some of this in jest, because I know government needs to impose certain taxes and create some programs for the good of the people. It just seems odd that all of this is coming from the Republicans, especially the Internet tax and drug monitoring program.

Now, neither major party in Missouri can truthfully say they stand for lower taxes and smaller government. It has become evident that politicians from both parties favor higher taxes and bigger government. They just differ on the details.

GARY L. GAINES, Cape Girardeau