Tax cuts won't hurt education

According to reports, quite a few of our educators are lobbying legislators to prevent the override of Gov. Nixon's veto of the state tax cut (HB 253). The legislation (painfully) slowly implements a small income tax cut among other tax changes.

The only way the tax cuts go into effect is if the prior year tax revenue received by the state goes up by $100 million (over the prior three years).

Example: Simplified tax revenue received:

2009: $450 million

2010: $400 million

2012: $400 million

2013: ?

So, the only way that the tax cuts go into effect in 2014 is if the 2013 revenue is exceeds $550 million. Then, the only way tax cuts go into effect for 2015 is if the 2014 revenue is greater $650 million. Same for 2016, 2017 and so on.

If this is misunderstood, please explain.

If we only lower taxes rates if the state receives more $100 million more tax revenue, how can that be a reason for cutting education funding?

It can't.

Only the governor is reducing funding. And he is perpetrating a blatant falsehood in Jefferson City and handing it down through DESE to school boards to administrators and to teachers. Sadly, educators are parroting the talking points back to our legislators without any kind of review of the facts.

The fact that we're joining a consortium of states implementing the taxes on Internet sales may be a bigger issues with HB 253 for me.

BRIAN BOLLMANN, Jackson