Last week, my daughter, Susanna, said she wanted to donate her hair to “Locks of Love.” With this program, you can donate a minimum of 10 inches of hair and they will make it into a wig for someone who has lost her hair due to a medical condition. Susanna is eight years old, and she donated 12 inches and still looked beautiful. I can vouch for the fact that the satisfaction you receive from making a personal donation is far greater than the feeling you get by sending in a tax payment and asking your government to help people for you.

Great Clips in O’Fallon will give you a free haircut if you want to donate your hair to Locks of Love. We went to the salon located next to Schnucks on Veteran’s Memorial Parkway. However, you may want to check out the salons in your area to see if they offer the same program. We are so proud of businesses such as Great Clips for being part of a solution. Great Clips is making the world a better place by using their own area of expertise to make a difference for others.

Students Visit Capitol

Last week I received a visit from about 40 fourth graders from Living Word Christian School in St. Peters. The students were in Jefferson City to tour the State Capitol, the Supreme Court, and the Governor’s Mansion. I am always happy to see visitors come to the Capitol. Hopefully, it will be an experience they will always remember. If you or any group of people want to come and see the legislative process in action, please contact our office and we will be happy to facilitate your day.

Does Growth Pay Its Own Way?

It is the job of elected officials to plan for growth and create a fund for the future. All levels of government are prudent and wise to set aside some money for major projects so that, when a need arises, the money is already in the bank. In my district, the growth we are experiencing didn’t happen overnight. It has been happening incrementally one house and one business at a time. As new homes and businesses are built and improved upon, all taxing jurisdictions are taking in increases in revenue for their districts. The new construction creates additional revenue. The existing homeowners should not be punished by a higher level of taxation just because of the newcomers. Revenue increases are proportional to growth.

Tuesday was the last day any legislation could be introduced in the House, so I filed HJR79. This resolution would put a limit on the rate of increase of local real estate taxes and a spending limit on all governments that mirrors the rate of inflation. While this may seem like a restatement of the obvious, it will prove to be an important safeguard against future adversity. People can understand the rate of inflation, but they have a lot of trouble understanding why their real estate taxes are going up 20 per cent, 30 per cent and even 40 per cent in one year.

In 2004, the Urban Choice Coalition did a study in the St. Louis area on the fiscal impact of residential construction. You can view a short video that sums up the study at Fiscal Impact Study. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on either “Dialup Connection” or “Broadband Connection” to watch the video.

Your thoughts are important to me, so please let me know what you think about this proposal. You can send me your opinion by clicking here: Cynthia Davis.

MODOT Alert

If you are traveling this weekend, please be aware that the Missouri Department of Transportation has informed us:

All EASTBOUND I-64 traffic will have to exit at Chesterfield Airport Road for most of Friday April 4 through Sunday April 6.

Westbound I-70 ramp to Route 94 will be closed Saturday morning April 5 for striping.

Sample Ballots

Last week, the Capitol Report provided a sample of all of the ballots for the April 8 elections in my district. To read these ballots again, click on the following link: Sample Ballots

Clarification: Dardenne Prairie Proposition I

Shall the City of Dardenne Prairie, Missouri, impose a sales tax of one-half cent (1/2) for the purpose of funding capital improvements, including acquisition of park land, improvements to recreational facilities, stormwater systems, streets, traffic signalization, storm sewer system and municipal buildings?

Last week we indicated this was a tax increase. However, further research revealed that this proposition broadens the use of a current tax. When the City of Dardenne Prairie put the current sales tax on the ballot, it specifically stated that it could only be used for parks and storm water. Now that the city has grown much larger, the city would like to also use this money for streets, traffic signals and buildings. Because the original wording stated the tax could only be used for parks and storm water, all the additional funds coming in from this tax must be spent on that use.

The Mayor of Dardenne Prairie has assured me that if the residents approve the new sales tax, the Board of Aldermen will repeal the current ½ cent sales tax. The repeal of the current sales tax does not require a popular vote. You might say the board is “on the honor system” with repealing the current sales tax should the new one pass.

A Little Bit of Humor…

One morning a local highway department crew reached their job-site and realized they had forgotten all their shovels. The crew’s foreman radioed the office and told his supervisor of the situation.

The supervisor radioed back and said, “Don’t worry, we’ll send some shovels…just lean on each other until they arrive.”

This Capitol Report is a weekly column by Representative Cynthia Davis, from the 19^th District, covering events in the Missouri Legislature and district-wide issues.

J If you know of anyone else who would like to receive my Capitol Report, please send an e-mail to Cynthia.Davis@house.mo.gov with the person’s name and e-mail address. We’ll add them to the list.

L If you would like to stop receiving the Capitol Report, email us at Cynthia.Davis@house.mo.gov with “unsubscribe” in the subject line.