Bait and switch

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So much winning. It’s obvious to everyone. Missouri Libertarians are not particularly happy with the right wingnut controlled super majority in the Missouri General Assembly and Governor Mike Kehoe’s (r) scam to abolish the income tax in Missouri and shift revenue to regressive sales taxes:

Missouri Libertarian Party
[June 1, 2026]
Resolution Against Missouri Amendment 5, Elimination of the Missouri Income Tax

WHEREAS, The Libertarian Party of Missouri supports any legislative measure that results in the net reduction of taxes taken by force, as long as the reduction does not require a compromise of The Party’s other principles.

WHEREAS, Amendment 5 aims to eliminate the Missouri income tax by setting milestones of additional revenue by the State of Missouri that then trigger the reduction of the percentage of income tax collected by the State towards zero.

WHEREAS, Amendment 5 amends the Missouri Constitution to allow a five-year exemption for Missouri legislators to increase the sales tax and the use tax base, intentionally circumventing key voter protections and ballot requirements afforded by what is known as the Hancock Amendment.

WHEREAS, Amendment 5 gives Missouri politicians broad power to increase taxes beyond maximums that were put into place to protect Missouri citizens from rampant government spending, with the loose constraint that the stated goal of those increases be “to reduce or eliminate the income tax.”

WHEREAS, True tax relief comes through a reduction of wasteful government spending and allowing more Missouri families to keep more of the fruits of their labor, and not by rearranging the methods that the State extracts wealth from its citizens.

BE IT RESOLVED, That the Libertarian Party of Missouri opposes the passing of Missouri Amendment 5

Welcome to the club…on this one.

If you find yourself among grifters and you’re wondering who the mark is, it’s you.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: for billionaires and millionaires (May 30, 2026)

Campaign Finance: every little bit counts (June 2, 2026)

Campaign Finance: every little bit counts

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By one dollar.

Today at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C121477 06/02/2026 Missourians for Fair Taxation Missouri REALTORS 2801 Woodard Dr Ste 101 Columbia MO 65202 6/2/2026 $1,900,001.00

[emphasis added]

Missouri Realtors are not happy with the right wingnut controlled super majority in the Missouri General Assembly and Governor Mike Kehoe’s (r) scam to abolish the income tax in Missouri and shift revenue to regressive sales taxes.

Welcome to the club.

Missourians for Fair Taxation – Active
MECID: C121477
100 E High St
Floor 1
Jefferson City, MO 65101
[….]
Supported/Opposed Ballot Measure
Measure Election Date Subject Political Subdivision Support/Oppose
Amendment 5 8/4/2026 Oppose the elimination of the state income tax and the creation of a broad-based sales/use tax. Statewide Oppose
[….]

[emphasis added]

They say “$1,900,000.00”, Missouri Realtors say, “Oh yeah, $1,900,001.00”.

Heh. Message sent.

Missouri Realtors pour $1.9 million into campaign to defeat Amendment 5 tax plan
The donation matches the amount a nonprofit gave to the PAC supporting the August ballot measure
By: Jason Hancock
June 2, 2026 3:55 pm

The Missouri Association of Realtors donated $1.9 million to the campaign opposing Amendment 5 on Tuesday, escalating the fight over a proposed constitutional amendment that would create a pathway for lawmakers to eliminate the state income tax through expanded or increased sales taxes.
[….]

Previously:

Campaign Finance: for billionaires and millionaires (May 30, 2026)

You shouldn’t have started the war in the first place, dumbass

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Everything is all sunshine and flowers, apparently.

Early this morning:

Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump

Iran really wants to make a deal, and it will be a good one for the U.S.A. and those that are with us. But don’t the Dumocrats, and various seemingly unpatriotic Republicans, understand that it is MUCH tougher for me to properly do my job and negotiate, when political hacks keep negatively “chirping,” at levels never seen before, over and over again, that I should move faster, or move slower, or go to war, or not go to war, or whatever. Just sit back and relax, it will all work out well in the end – It always does! President DJT

3.51k ReTruths 14.2k Likes Jun 01, 2026, 12:02 AM

Moron.

Yep

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“….The people don’t want a phony Democrat. If it’s a choice between a genuine Republican, and a Republican in Democratic clothing, the people will choose the genuine article, every time; that is, they will take a Republican before they will a phony Democrat, and I don’t want any phony Democratic candidates in this campaign….”Harry S Truman (D) – May 17, 1952

“…Massachusetts deserves better than a senator who scapegoats trans kids….”Ed Markey (D) – May 30, 2026

Seth Moulton [2019 file photo].

“…I have two little girls, I don’t want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete, but as a Democrat I’m supposed to be afraid to say that…”Seth Moulton – November 2024

Yeah, no.

Daniel Kelly ‪@saffroncomic.com‬
It’s really important that Seth Moulton isn’t just eating shit, but he’s eating shit specifically because he tried to get Democrats to abandon trans kids.
[….]
9:01 PM · May 30, 2026

“Trans Liberation Now”

“Sports are for Everyone!”

“You Will Not Erase Our Kids”

At the Knob Noster Fair – May 30, 2026

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On a t-shirt worn at the Johnson County Democratic Party booth last night:

“We rejected monarchy in 1776, America has no king”

“We are not OK”

The weather was balmy, overcast, with a light breeze. People strolled by, some stopped to talk with the half dozen individuals manning the booth. In Knob Noster, Missouri.

Previously:

Johnson County Democrats – Knob Noster Fair Parade – May 28, 2026 (May 28, 2026)

Campaign Finance: for billionaires and millionaires

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Screw everyone else.

At the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C264249 05/28/2026 Missouri Promise PAC Missouri Promise Inc. 701 Market Street Suite 110 St Louis MO 63101 5/27/2026 $1,900,000.00

[emphasis added]

It’s a new PAC:

Where did all that money come from?

What they say:

“A Future Without Income Tax.”

Which will inevitably lead to a future with a regressive tax structure (the poor and middle class pay a higher rate, the wealthy get a windfall) and fewer public services.

Amendment 5 (House Joint Resolution 173 – proposed and passed by the right wingnut controlled republican super majority in the Missouri General Assembly and signed by right wingnut Governor Mike Kehoe) will be on the August ballot.

The result, if this Amendment 5 passes in August, via the Missouri Budget Project:

Amendment 5 Would Increase Taxes for Most Missourians, Damage Communities & Economy
21 May 2026

[….]

Consequences of Amendment 5’s “Everything Tax”
Increased Taxes for Most Missourians; Yet Another Tax Cut for the Wealthiest

• Missouri already has an upside-down tax structure, where Missourians earning the least contribute a higher share of their incomes than Missourians earning the most. Replacing Missouri’s income tax with a greatly expanded sales tax will make this even worse.

• To fill the gap, Missouri’s general revenue sales tax rate would need to more than triple, from the current 3% to 10.7% – resulting in a combined average state and local sales tax rate of 16%.

• Alternatively, lawmakers could expand the sales tax to apply to all of the products and services that Missourians use every day like doctor’s visits and medication, childcare and summer camps, home and car repairs – even gasoline. The measure does not include any exemptions.

• In both cases, a median income Missourian making $65,400 per year would face $535 net tax increase.

• Older adults who rely on Social Security or public pensions and active-duty military members, whose income is largely already exempt from income tax, will have a much steeper tax increase.

Massive Budget Deficits That Trigger Cuts to Education & Other Services That Build Opportunity

• Missouri’s income tax currently generates $8.5 billion/year and supports 64% of the state general revenue budget. There is simply no realistic way to make up the revenue lost from eliminating the income tax.

• Missouri already faces a $2.5 billion budget deficit resulting from a decade of tax reductions that largely benefited the wealthy and corporations; this has already triggered painful cuts to critical services with even more steep cuts likely in the coming years.

• Even if lawmakers expand the existing sales tax to ALL services, the revenue generated would fall far short of making up for the loss of income tax. There is simply no realistic way to replace the income tax without expanded the sales tax to all services AND increasing the rate of sales tax.

Fewer Investments in the Everyday Missourians Whose Contributions and Skills Drive Our Economy

• If tax cuts were the key to economic prosperity, Missouri would already be seeing the benefits. Instead, sustainable economic growth is driven by real improvements in the lives of everyday Missourians.

• Increasing Missouri’s sales tax would dramatically increase daily costs for Missourians and dampen consumer spending in communities across the state.

• Missourians may be tempted to cross state lines or travel to big box stores for many purchases, devastating small local businesses and communities.

• State investments in quality K-12 and higher education, affordable care for children and aging parents, and access to health coverage are key drivers of economic growth and critical components in attracting and retaining a skilled workforce and quality employers.

And:

Judge to decide Monday whether Missouri tax overhaul stays on August ballot
Opponents contend the measure would violate a ban on constitutional amendments including more than one subject. They also argue the ballot summary is misleading and should be changed
By: Rudi Keller
May 29, 2026 1:00 pm

[….]

Backers are using a political action committee called Missouri Promise, which so far has been entirely funded by a nonprofit established in Delaware called Missouri Promise Inc.

On Wednesday, Missouri Promise Inc. donated $1.9 million to the PAC. Spokesman Jonathon Prouty declined to disclose the donors to Missouri Promise Inc. in a statement sent via text to The Independent.

The way the money will be spent “has yet to be determined,” Prouty said, adding that all donations to Missouri Promise PAC “are reported to the Missouri Ethics Commission in accordance with state law.”

[….]

The statement was conveyed via text. It is impossible to determine if it was delivered with a straight face.

“When the people have nothing left to eat they will eat the rich”

Taxation is the price we pay for civilization.

Johnson County Democrats – Knob Noster Fair Parade – May 28, 2026

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Johnson County, Missouri Democrats gathered on a trailer for a ride in the Knob Noster Fair Parade this evening. The parade route started at the high school and ran through downtown. The parade rolled off at 7:00 p.m. There weather was warm, the sky was overcast. There was a good crowd through the entire parade route.

Appropriate attire:

“Resist”

“Vote. We’re Ruthless.”

On the trailer:

Mike Walbom, the Democratic Party candidate in the 57th Legislative District.

Ready to roll:

Campaign Finance: once again, so they get it

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Today at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C253512 05/27/2026 Stop the Ban American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, Inc 125 Broad St New York NY 10004 5/26/2026 $2,000,000.00

[emphasis added]

Abortion-rights coalition launches campaign against Missouri’s Amendment 3
The November measure would repeal the reproductive rights amendment voters approved in 2024 and add a constitutional ban on gender-affirming care for minors
By: Anna Spoerre

May 27, 2026

The campaign opposing a November ballot measure that would reinstate Missouri’s abortion ban formally launched Wednesday, arguing Republican lawmakers are trying to overturn the 2024 vote that ended the state’s near-total ban through a “bait and switch” measure.

The coalition, called Stop the Ban Missouri, has already amassed nearly $2 million. Its first ad leans heavily into the idea that voters are being asked to revisit a decision they made less than two years ago.

“In America and here in Missouri, we believe our vote is sacred. That the people are the ones who decide. And in 2024, the people of Missouri decided to stop Missouri’s abortion ban,” a voiceover in the ad says.. “But now, politicians are trying to overturn the will of the people and ban abortion again.”

The proposed amendment, drafted and approved for the ballot by lawmakers in 2025, was a direct response to a citizen-led reproductive rights amendment that narrowly passed in 2024. That vote made Missouri the first state to overturn a near-total abortion ban through a public vote.

The 2024 measure was listed as Amendment 3. The new proposal will also appear on the ballot as Amendment 3.

[….]

No on 3.

Since January:

C253512 01/23/2026 Stop the Ban American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri Foundation 906 Olive St Suite 1130 St Louis MO 63101 1/23/2026 $25,000.00

C253512 02/10/2026 Stop the Ban American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri, Inc 906 Olive St Suite 1130 St Louis MO 63101 2/9/2026 $25,000.00

C253512 02/19/2026 Stop the Ban Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes 4600 Madison Ave Ste 600 Kansas City MO 64112 2/17/2026 $100,000.00

C253512 03/06/2026 Stop the Ban Laura Cohen 410 N. Newstead #2E St Louis MO 63108 Retired 3/5/2026 $10,000.00

C253512 03/09/2026 Stop the Ban American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, Inc. 125 Broad St New York NY 10004 3/9/2026 $100,000.00

C253512 03/19/2026 Stop the Ban American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, Inc. 125 Broad St New York NY 10004 3/18/2026 $400,000.00

C253512 03/19/2026 Stop the Ban Cynthia Metcalfe 150 Carondelet Plazq Unit 1702 Clayton MO 63105 Retired 3/19/2026 $20,000.00

C253512 03/30/2026 Stop the Ban Jean Rosenthal 4926 Central Kansas City MO 64112 Retired 3/30/2026 $50,000.00

C253512 04/14/2026 Stop the Ban American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri 906 Olive St. Suite 1130 St Louis MO 63101 4/14/2026 $25,000.00

C253512 04/17/2026 Stop the Ban Sue McCollum 48 Westmoreland Pl St Louis MO 63108 Eagle Brands CEO 4/16/2026 $10,000.00

C253512 04/22/2026 Stop the Ban Wendy Jo Roemer 2350 N 64th St Seattle WA 98103 Clockwork Post bookkeeping 4/21/2026 $100,000.00

C253512 05/02/2026 Stop the Ban Mary Lamar Reilly 4451 Gibson Ave St Louis MO 63110 Retired 4/30/2026 $40,000.00

C253512 05/02/2026 Stop the Ban Wendell Gray Reilly 170 Hendrix Ave Athens GA 30601 Lamar attorney 4/30/2026 $30,000.00

C253512 05/02/2026 Stop the Ban James Reilly 1094 Colquitt Avenue Atlanta GA 30307 Self Clean tech professional 4/30/2026 $30,000.00

C253512 05/04/2026 Stop the Ban Planned Parenthood Action Fund 1110 Vermont Ave NW Washington DC 20005 5/4/2026 $350,000.00

C253512 05/15/2026 Stop the Ban Emily Rauh Pulitzer 4903 Pershing Pl St Louis MO 63108 Not employed 5/14/2026 $100,000.00

C253512 05/22/2026 Stop the Ban Laura Cohen 410 N. Newstead #2E St Louis MO 63108 Retired 5/20/2026 $50,000.00

C253512 05/25/2026 Stop the Ban Courtney Klipper 150 Charles St M2 New York NY 10014 3 Futures Fund Founder 5/25/2026 $20,000.00

[emphasis added]