Dear Editor:
In March 2017 KOMU reported, "As the Missouri State Park system celebrates its centennial in 2017, it also faces an estimated backlog of $400 million in unfunded capital improvements and infrastructure needs."
Even though there is not enough money to take care of needed capital improvements at existing parks, seven new parks were opened during Gov. Nixon's time in office.
In August 2017 St. Louis radio station KWMU-1 reported, "Four of the parks, scattered across the Ozarks, were shuttered or never opened. Republican legislators said there just isn't the money to maintain the parks and some have suggested selling the land to private developers."
An article in the Dec. 24, 2017, edition the News Tribune stated: "The proposed Rock Island Trail would add more than 144 miles of Ameren's dismantled Rock Island Line railway onto the existing 47.5-mile Rock Island Spur nature trail, under the authority of the Missouri State Parks department." "According to Surface Transportation Board records, the route includes 39 bridges, three tunnels and about 458 culverts, many of which are in need of repair."
I am not opposed to parks or trails, but I am opposed to even considering adding expenses when the state can't even fund needed capital projects at existing parks. Before adding more expenses I suggest a referendum to raise our sales tax to take care of existing necessary capital projects.
If approved by voters, a referendum to approve a 10-year, one-tenth-of-1-percent additional sales tax to be used only for capital improvements at existing state parks, should allow us to catch up on necessary work at existing parks. (No bond issues. Projects would be funded as the sales tax revenues accumulated.) After that tax increase is approved, and after the improvements are complete, we can start discussions on adding additional properties.