Editorial

Incentives fiasco

For years, Missouri -- like most states -- has put together incentives to encourage the creation of more jobs around the state. As with any economic development, any competitive edge can make the difference in success. At the same time, most states are constantly upgrading what they offer businesses to invest in the state.

To that end, the Missouri Legislature has regularly approved a package of economic incentives. But this year, a bill that would have expanded some job-creation programs while limiting or eliminating others stalled in the Missouri Senate. As a result, there is no upgrade this year to be used for statewide economic development.

Part of the blame can be laid at the feet of the Republican leadership of the GOP-controlled House and Senate. Instead of smoothing the way for economic-development legislation by coordinating with Gov. Matt Blunt, the legislative leadership allowed the bill to go haywire, increasing in the process to 166 pages of incentives from the Senate version of just 13 pages.

In addition, state Sen. Jason Crowell of Cape Girardeau played a disappointing role in stopping the legislation, at one point threatening a filibuster over a sales-tax exemption for Proctor & Gamble when there were other provisions of the bill that were potentially far more important to the paper-products plant. By the time that issue was resolved, it was too late for the legislature to act on the economic-development bill.

Missouri stands to lose 8,000 new jobs as a result of this fiasco. The state deserves better than this.

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