FOCUS believes that proposition A, which could result in the repeal of the earnings tax in St. Louis City, is not in the best interest of our region. The following letter to the editor, published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on September 14, 2010 summarizes our view of this critical issue. I hope that all of you will make an effort to be informed about Proposition A and all of its consequences before the election in November. 

Please let us know your thoughts and leave a comment below.

Sincerely,

Christine Chadwick

FOCUS St. Louis Executive Director

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FOCUS St. Louis^® supports the “Show-me” editorial from September 8th—the St. Louis Post-Dispatch succinctly stated the careless nature of Proposition A and the danger it presents to the St. Louis region.

In March, after in-depth study of the facts, the FOCUS Board of Directors unanimously passed a resolution opposing a repeal of the earnings tax. The board concluded that to begin the process of repealing the earnings tax without a viable alternative in place would be reckless public policy.

The numbers are scary. St. Louis is mired in financial crisis, and has already made deep and severe cuts. Now the city may face losing its single largest source of funding (about one-third of its general budget) with no proposed solution to replace it. That would endanger basic services such as police and fire protection, trash service and services for lower-income children and adults. To replace the lost revenue, the city may be forced to raise property taxes to levels that are 25 percent higher than the highest tax in St. Louis County or triple the sales tax to around 15 percent—neither of which are acceptable alternatives.

FOCUS is prepared to work with other allies to ensure voters are informed as to the consequences of this critical ballot initiative for our city and region.