Comptroller Green Working To Defeat Earnings Tax Repeal

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 2, 2010—In response to Proposition A, a statewide initiative on the Nov. 2 ballot seeking to eliminate the St. Louis and Kansas City earnings tax, Comptroller Darlene Green will speak out against Proposition A on Oct. 1 during her keynote address at the annual Workers Rights Board breakfast.

Comptroller Green believes Proposition A is ill-conceived and will be disastrous for St. Louis, particularly at this time when the city is facing employee furloughs, service reductions and increased service fees.  Green is urging all Missourians to vote no on Proposition A.

In addition to her verbal backing, Green wants to give the opposition financial support.  She has pledged to raise money to match WashingtonUniversity's recent $5,000 donation to defeat Proposition A in November.

In a commentary published in The St. Louis American, Comptroller Green said the following:

"Almost one-third of the city's general fund budget relies on revenue from the earnings tax.  To put that into perspective, the city's police department is roughly one-third of the city's general fund budget this year at $129.4 million.  The police department's budget can be directly tied to the city's earnings tax revenue. Without the earnings tax, it is easy to see that the city of St. Louis would be forced to make drastic cuts in public safety and virtually every other service provided to the taxpayers.

"Even during the nation's economic downturn, the city of St. Louis continues to move forward.  Private investment dollars are still finding their way into city development projects. Downtown and neighborhood development is picking up pace. Right now there is more than $900 million in development happening in downtown alone. The city recently broke ground on a $23 million recreation center in north St. Louis. Thousands of jobs are being created, getting city residents back to work and putting St. Louis on the road to recovery.  The last thing St. Louis residents and visitors need is an ill-conceived ballot measure that puts a damper on all the city's development and job creation."

Comptroller Green strongly urges all St. Louis area businesses, residents, elected officials and organizations to join the growing coalition that is working to defeat Proposition A.

For more information on the Workers Rights Board and defeating Proposition A, contact Joan Suarez at (314) 862-0911 or suarez.joan@att.net.

###