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In This
Issue
- Economic
Stimulus
- Constituent
Visit
- Need a Missouri Tax
Form?
- State Offices
Closed
- A Little Bit of
Humor…
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http://www.cynthiadavis.net/
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cynthia.davis@house.mo.gov
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Economic
Stimulus
I feel like we have a piñata hanging from the
ceiling. We know it is filled with candy, but we don’t know what
kind. I am afraid we will spend all our time going at it with
baseball bats, only to find it may be empty. Even if it has good
candy in it, you know there will be a scramble to see who can get the
most.
Over the past several weeks, we have
all heard about the economic stimulus bill that is working its way through
the U.S. Congress. In this bill,
Missouri has been promised $809 million
from the federal government to help with the state budget. This
money is to be a one-time payment to the state to help stimulate its
sagging economy.
First problem: It is downright irresponsible
to pass a budget on money we may or may not get. That would be the
same as you presuming you will get a bonus this year and then deciding how
you will spend it before you even know how much it will be or what strings
are attached. We have good reason to distrust what is happening on
the national level and ought to not be presumptuous of what we could
receive.
Second problem: Where is this money coming
from?
Answer: The taxpayers. Okay, let me
get this straight. The national government is extracting money out
of our paychecks, then giving us our own money back with strings attached
and we are supposed to be grateful? This is far less efficient than
to simply have the money remain in the wallets of taxpayers in the form of
a reduction of income taxes.
In his budget, the Governor has proposed to use
this money to grow and expand government programs and add thousands of
people to the welfare rolls. This would be a BIG mistake!
Using one-time
funding for ongoing operations is just bad budgeting and is an
irresponsible use of tax dollars. What happens in the next year’s
budget? How do we fund these expanded programs?
My colleagues in the House and I believe that
one-time money should be used for one-time expenses, not to grow the
state’s budget. House leadership has discussed with us several ideas
on how the state could use the funding, should it receive the money.
One of those ideas is to give it back to you the
taxpayers in the form of tax refunds. This money - tax dollars that
belong to you and your fellow Missourians - could help Missouri citizens
with their current bills and expenses. We understand that you know better
than anyone what your family needs most, so why not give the money back to
you?
Another option would be to use the federal money
on one-time capital improvement projects such as building roads, bridges
and other infrastructure needs. This option helps Missouri in several
ways. First and foremost, large infrastructure projects create
construction jobs that will employ hundreds of Missourians.
Investing in infrastructure may also attract new businesses to Missouri. A
company is more likely to relocate to or expand its facilities in
Missouri
if the needed infrastructure is already in place.
Both of these options use the money to help
citizens through these tough economic times, which is what Missouri needs. You
elected me to make fiscally responsible decisions. I will fight to ensure
the one-time stimulus funds are used for one-time projects. Using
the federal stimulus money to expand government programs and our state’s
budget will only put us back in the same, or even worse, place this time
next year.
For more information on the federal stimulus package, click
here:
New Stimulus Is Same as Old
Stimulus
Your
thoughts are important to me, so please let me know what you think about
how Missouri should spend its share of the
stimulus money. You can send me your opinion by clicking
here:
Cynthia Davis
Constituents
of the Week
This week, Mark
Renaud visited my office with his daughter, Moriah Renaud. Mark is
the brother of the former O’Fallon Mayor, Paul Renaud. I had the
privilege of introducing them on the House floor while we were getting
ready to debate my resolution dealing with the Freedom of Choice
Act. Doesn’t he look like his brother?
Need a
Tax Form?
If you filed a Missouri state tax form last year, you
should receive a copy of your 2008 forms in the mail. However, if
you didn’t, or if you have misplaced them, here are four ways to obtain
new copies.
- The forms
are available on-line at http://www.dor.mo.gov/tax. You can
also file your forms electronically at this website.
- You can call
1-800-877-6881, the hotline at the Department of Revenue (DOR), to have
forms mailed to you.
- You can
check with your library. Library staff can either download the
forms from the internet or copy forms that they have on hand.
Local libraries usually charge for a computer printout or
copy.
- The DOR also
has an automated Fax-On-Demand system that can be accessed by anyone who
has a fax machine. Call 573-751-4800 to obtain forms through this
service.
The old way of obtaining copies – by picking them
up at the post office or library for free – was discontinued by the state
as a cost-cutting measure. According to the DOR, they saved $65,000
by abandoning this distribution method.
We’re Honoring Abraham
Lincoln
Your
State Capitol will be open and doing business if you need to contact
me. However, all non-essential Missouri state offices will be closed
today, February 12, 2008, in honor of Abraham Lincoln. Also, the
state has a toll-free hotline, (888) 390-9927, which provides an updated
announcement of state office building closures in the event of an
emergency or safety threat. The number is informational only and
will not accept messages from callers for
follow-up.
A Little
Bit of Humor
A man owned a small
farm down in the Bootheel. The Wage and Hour Department of Missouri
claimed he was not paying proper wages to his help and sent an agent to
interview him.
“I need a list of
your employees and how much you pay them,” demanded the
agent.
“Well, there’s my
hired hand who’s been with me for 3 years. I pay him $600 a week plus free
room and board. The cook has been here for 18 months, and I pay her $500 a
month plus free room and board. Then there’s the half-wit that works
about 18 hours a day. He makes $10 a week, sleeps with my wife on occasion
and I buy him chewing tobacco,” replied the
farmer.
“That’s the guy I
want to talk to; the half-wit,” says the
agent.
The farmer says,
“That would be me.”
This Capitol Report is a weekly
column by Representative Cynthia
Davis, from the 19th
District, covering events in the Missouri Legislature and district-wide
issues.
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