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Press Release: MASW Encouraged by Defeat of Amendment 7 – Calls for Dialogue on Better Transportation Solutions

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                         Contact:  Jeanette Mott Oxford

August 5, 2014                                                                                   314-775-3261; joxford@masw.org

MASW Encouraged by Defeat of Amendment 7 –

Calls for Dialogue on Better Transportation Solutions

 

Jefferson City, MO – The Missouri Association for Social Welfare (MASW) was encouraged by today’s solid defeat of Amendment 7 (59% No – 41% Yes with about 95% of precincts reporting). Jeanette Mott Oxford, executive director of MASW, said, “Missouri voters rejected regressive sales and use taxes that would have strained the budgets of already struggling families while allowing the trucking industry to escape paying an equitable share to support our roads and bridges.”

 

“We agree that our highways, bridges, ports, and mass transit need adequate funding, and the defeat of Amendment 7 creates an opportunity for proponents and opponents to sit down together and find a better solution,” Oxford continued. MASW cites the following as more fair and appropriate funding sources for transportation, as well as other essential state programs and services:

 

  • Modernization of Missouri’s outdated fuel tax, which has not been increased since 1996.
  • Elimination of the Missouri income tax deduction for federal taxes paid – Missouri is one of only six states with this tax feature, and 83% of its benefit goes to the wealthiest 40% of Missourians.
  • An overhaul of Missouri’s inadequate, outdated, and unfair income tax system – the tax table was last updated in 1931 and the top tax bracket starts at only $9,000 of taxable income.
  • Closing of corporate tax loopholes.

Oxford said, “A transportation funding source that is frozen while labor and construction costs rise annually is a fuel tax designed to fail.” MASW suggests that refundable tax credits for families with low incomes could reduce the regressive impact of a fuel tax adjusted for inflation. Mileage-based fees also may become a future trend to encourage fuel efficiency or renewable energy sources for travel.

 

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See also: http://www.itep.org/bettergastax/

 

Missouri Association for Social Welfare (MASW)

606 E. Capitol Avenue, Jefferson City, MO 65101

573-634-2901, x301; joxford@masw.org

www.masw.org

 

About MASW:

MASW (www.masw.org), founded in 1901, provides leadership, research, education, and advocacy to improve public policy and programs impacting the health and welfare of all Missourians. MASW played major roles in the initiation of the Missouri Commission on Human Rights, the reduction of sales tax on food by three cents, development of the Missouri Housing Trust Fund, and lawsuits leading to the creation of the Missouri Foundation for Health and provision of non-emergency transportation to Medicaid clients, plus many other social justice victories.