MO House Votes to End Newspaper Tax Breaks After Critical Editorial

[displacedtexan]

Missouri House Votes to End Newspaper Tax Breaks After Critical Editorial

By Robert Sandler Associated Press Writer
Published: Apr 15, 2004

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Missouri House has voted to raise taxes on the state's two largest newspapers after an editorial in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch branded the Republican-led chamber the "House of Hypocrites."

Democratic lawmakers decried the tax proposal as retaliation. But the Republican sponsor insisted he was simply "closing corporate tax loopholes."

St. Louis Post-Dispatch publisher Terry Egger said Thursday he also viewed the action as retaliation for Sunday's editorial. "I think there's no question given the timing and some comments we've received," he said. Egger declined to describe the comments.

"To me, in a democracy, there should never be retaliation by the government to criticism," he said. "This is not how the government is supposed to operate."

more sleazy details...
http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAGEKKH3TD.html

[Safi]

1. The repukes here in missouri

are some of the biggest brownshirts around.

[Nectopod]

2. The paper can make political statements...as long as it pays its own way

That's how I see it. What the hell kind of arrangement is it where a paper gets taxpayer money anyway? Never heard of that for a paper so large as the St. Louis Dispatch. They need to pull their weight or go under.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

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[Nectopod]

5. Isn't it all the same thing?

If you aren't paying your fair share of taxes, aren't you in effect receiving money from other taxpayers? BTW. Nice namecalling.

[SemperEadem]

8. that arguement can be made for every corporation

getting tax cuts--that's taxpayer money, too...

[Safi]

3. Lets hope the newspapers go postal on their asses

[gristy]

6. The gov't giveth...

and the gov't taketh away. Life in modern America.

[SoCalDem]

7. Ari Fleischer said it long ago..

"Be careful what you say "..