Dear Editor:
Another Missouri Boulevard business closed last week, Burger King. It joined Mosers, Hastings, Kmart, Radio Shack and numerous others. A drive down the boulevard will reveal them. There have been several restaurants built, but only one store, Harbor Freight. Yet the TIF Commission will vote to require run-of-the-mill citizens who live from paycheck to paycheck to pay taxes to build stores. Recipients of the taxes live in houses with assessed values of more than a million dollars. Very few of these citizens will know that they are paying to make wealthy people wealthier. None of their other Special Tax Districts properties displays signs informing customers that they are paying taxes to the developers. At least some of these are required by law, but still are not displayed. Of course they will not be placed because customers might resent it and even shop elsewhere. Honest businessmen would put an easily read sign at every register. The goal of wealthy welfare recipients is to keep their gravy train a secret. That is easy to do as few people notice sales tax.
If the TIF is denied, there will be disingenuous moaning about the hulk of a building sitting vacant on Missouri Boulevard. Another large building, the County Jail, sits half vacant due to poor planning and soaks up money like a sponge soaks up water. No one cares. St. Mary's Hospital has looked substantially the same about 100 years and will look pretty much the same if nothing is done. If it becomes a danger, the city could take it over as they are doing to several houses in JC.
Crony capitalism will continue to make Jefferson City a less desirable place to live for all but the wealthy.