THE PUBLIC MIND: BUSINESS PAYS FAIR SHARE FOR EDUCATION

Dear Jack Stapleton:

This letter is in reference to your May 4, 1992 column in the Southeast Missourian titled, "Missouri schools are in need of financial help."

Associated Industries of Missouri played an active role in the development and solicitation of Proposition B. Our support for Proposition B was based simply on the inclusion of much needed educational reforms, as outlined in a 1990 AIM co-sponsored Business Alliance for Quality Education report. I have enclosed a copy of this report for your reference.

The report was formed out of a growing concern by the business community that the public school system was failing to prepare students with the necessary skills to succeed. Even though employers share concerns about the quality of college graduates, the majority of the work force is comprised of non-college individuals.

Therefore, it is necessary that Missouri businesses hire individuals with an elementary and secondary education base in order to thrive in a competitive economy.

To state that Missouri corporations do not pay their faire share of taxes to properly fund the Missouri school foundation formula is absurd.

In a study released by the Taxpayers Research Institute of Missouri last January, Missouri business paid 34.5 percent of all local and state taxes, or $2.9 billion of the total $8.5 billion paid in taxes. These monies not only go into the general revenue, but are distributed to fund the elementary and secondary school systems of Missouri.

However, Missouri business and industry is willing to go the extra mile in paying additional taxes for an improved education system as long as substantial and meaningful reforms are available as they were in Proposition B. After all, business is a major benefactor of Missouri's educational system.

Respectfully,

James K. Wunderlich

Research Associate

Taxpayers Research Institute of

Missouri in Jefferson City