Taxes a burden on the economy

The citizens of Missouri and Cape Girardeau are overtaxed and mismanaged!

A comparative analysis of Missouri and Tennessee reveals: Missourians are overtaxed by $1.339 billion. Missouri taxes are 9.38 percent higher than Tennessee's. Missouri local taxes are 16.6 percent higher than Tennessee's.

What does this mean?

It means a family of four pays nearly $1,000 more taxes in Missouri than in Tennessee.

It means that a Cape Girardeau use tax will push the tax burden on Cape Girardeau residents even higher than the 16.6 percent compared to Tennessee.

It means no jobs. Businesses look at taxes and cost of living statistics and decide Missouri and Cape Girardeau is not for them.

Tennessee does not have an income tax. This means the taxes paid by Tennesseans are not added to the cost of the product produced in Tennessee. Individual income taxes like in Missouri, add to product prices.

The cost of living in Missouri is higher than Tennessee in every category on bestplaces.net/cost_of_living/state/tennessee and bestplaces.net/cost_of_living/state/missouri.

In terms of economic development, Missouri is not even a player in any category. Tennessee is ranked fourth in business climate, first in education, second in best infrastructure, second in automotive manufacturing strength and seventh in employment recovery, according to businessfacilities.com/2014/08/2014-business-facilities-rankings-report.

Clearly taxes are a burden on the Missouri economies. Show me how a new use tax will help promote jobs, reduce the cost of living and promote the economy.

The Cape Girardeau use taxes are just one more nail in the coffin for the Missouri economy and jobs.

DAVID EPPS, Cape Girardeau