Childcare Sales Tax
St. Louis County is talking about putting a sales tax increase to support childcare on the ballot in November. This seems like a good idea for several reasons, it is good for kids and families, supports employment, and has been shown to correlate heavily with good outcomes in life.
The mechanics, have been messy. Many advocates complain the language of the bill which is very vague and not what they had in mind. Lisa Clancy, the councilwoman who has pushed it is accused of playing hardball politics by introducing it at the end. The State of Missouri is for some reason proposing an investigation.
The most troubling part of the legislation is that it is not clear if the funds can be used to support teacher salaries or decrease tuition. The parties involved need to fix things. The issue is too important. Written by Paul Dribin
The St Louis Contrarian 