Last week, Tony Messenger, a member of the editorial board of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, a former State Capitol correspondent for the P-D and the Columbia Daily Tribune, wrote a piece published in the paper and on its website, disparaging TRIM and its report on the effects of House Bill 253. Read the article here. The following is Ray McCarty’s response which was published by the paper and placed on its website Thursday, August 22.
Time to set the record straight on the Taxpayers Research Institute of Missouri (TRIM).
TRIM started as the “Missouri Public Expenditure Survey” in 1940. The mission of the organization is to educate the public on tax policy and state budget efficiency and support pro-taxpayer legislation. On April 27, 1990, TRIM became a division of Associated Industries of Missouri (AIM), but TRIM’s purpose remained the same.
Three years ago, we drafted a bill to cut the tax bill of every employer in Missouri. The bill did not pass, but we continued our push over the next two years. Our proposal was included in HB 253 that was vetoed by Gov. Jay Nixon.
We would encourage readers to view the study mentioned in the editorial by visiting the “Taxpayers Research Institute of Missouri” tab at www.aimo.com. Facts in the report will allow readers to make an informed decision as to whether or not they believe government makes better choices with their money than they do. We believe taxpayers know best how to put their money to work growing the economy.
TRIM was not created to help in the current fight for tax relief. TRIM’s mission has not changed since its inception – way before the author of the editorial, and this author, were born. Read the report for yourself at www.aimo.com today, then ask your legislator to override Gov. Nixon’s veto.
Ray McCarty
President, Associated Industries of Missouri
Executive Director, Taxpayers Research Institute of Missouri
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