Missouri Refuses To Reveal Millions in Taxpayer Union Subsidies

hand-grabbing-bundle-of-american-money-4_zjae5dogs__D31

Most American Taxpayers do not know (But, we hope to inform more people with your help.) that governments transfers hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes to state and federal employees who do not work for the state government or the federal government.  They are essentially no-show government jobs fully paid by taxpayers to work exclusively for their unions on a full-time and in some cases a part-time basis.  These taxpayer subsidies are often described as “official time” or “release time.”

Trey Kovacs of CEI reveals that Missouri is refusing to expose the number of no-show jobs or the costs that Missouri taxpayers are being forced to pay so that Missouri politicians can continue subsidizing union activities.  You can read CEI’s new report here.

From the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI):

A new report by the Competitive Enterprise Institute reveals an appalling lack of transparency in how Missouri’s government agencies account for taxpayer dollars going to labor union coffers.

Public records requests made by CEI aimed to find out how much Missouri taxpayers were paying for “union release time,” a practice that allows public employees to conduct union business during work time without loss of pay. But only a small minority of Missouri government employers could provide satisfactory responses to CEI’s public records requests.

“At a time when taxpayer dollars are stretched thin in Missouri and other states, the government should stop funding activities that only serve special interests and do not advance a public purpose,” said CEI fellow and labor policy expert Trey Kovacs.

Thankfully, taxpayers have a recourse. The Missouri state constitution’s “gift clauses” already prohibit the use of public money to benefit narrow interests, such as labor unions. “The general assembly shall have no power to grant public money,” Missouri’s constitution states, “to any private person, association or corporation.”