Game for Life
Golf is a game that embodies the life lessons of responsibility, integrity and perseverance. It is a lifetime sport the Columbia Golf Foundation is passionate about, and the members strive to share the game with those in the area who might not otherwise have the opportunity to play. John Weston, president and founder, formed the […]
An Economic Solution
Education is not a social issue. It is an economic one. Investing in education is, hands down, the best forward-looking solution for our state’s and our nation’s economic hardships. Consider for a moment the role the University of Missouri plays as Columbia’s economic backbone — and what we stand to lose without the resources to […]
The Bridge To Good
When I was a student at Rock Bridge High School, attending college was not optional; it was my destiny. I’m the son of college professors, and my parents taught me at a young age that higher education is the bridge to all things good in life. Indeed, the University of Missouri’s business school provided me […]
Save Missouri’s Highways
Bouncing across Missouri through Jonesburg in 1914 on the Old Trails Road would have been a ton of fun and adventure. Gas was selling for a few pennies a gallon, the trip across the state took a couple of days, and the unimproved dirt road included the thrill of negotiating Mineola Hill. Now MoDOT warns […]
Show-Me Central Habitat for Humanity
On the south side of town, right before Old Plank Road meets Route K, a small community is under construction. At first glance, this is nothing extraordinary, especially in an area where subdivisions sprout up faster than dandelions. But Old Plank Meadows is far from ordinary. In fact, these homes, all built by volunteers, are […]
The Troubles with EEZ
The Enhanced Enterprise Zone in Columbia is a bad idea. The necessary conditions for it to help the city’s economic development do not exist, leaving Columbians with higher taxes or fewer services — or both — and an economy that is no stronger than it would have been without an EEZ. More likely, 20 years […]
In Pursuit of Business
Tax abatement, historic tax credits, tax increment financing, enhanced enterprise zones, transportation development districts in the stew with subsidies of various sorts are continuing to generate a ruckus. Historically, Columbia’s first growth spurt began almost two centuries ago when area residents subscribed the funds as an incentive to locate the state university here. Eschewing the […]
Downtown’s quirks challenge housing
The cash flow potential is incredible. “Beds” in the two-, three- and four-person apartment complexes shooting up across downtown Columbia are renting for north of $500 to $600 a month. For a 150-bedroom complex, the grand total revenue per year easily crosses into the seven figure threshold. With it comes new tax revenue for the […]
Technology evolves to meet students’ needs
I still remember my excitement years ago when I purchased my first Sony Walkman. I thought how marvelous was the technology that first reduced the size of music storage to a cassette tape and then to create a device to make it mobile. I would take my tape of choice and head out the door […]
Health care reform costs don’t add up
With the recent Supreme Court hearings, the rhetoric has ramped up significantly regarding the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act. I cannot speak knowledgeably about the constitutionality of this act. I will leave that to law faculty and political scientists. There are, however, some major misunderstandings regarding how the market for health care operates. […]
Underwriters giddy over bond issuances
Successful comedians and successful bond underwriter have one thing in common: perfect timing. But they are polar opposites on everything else. Bond underwriters are serious folks who read federal data sheets, predict future trends, and seldom show much emotion during discussion of bond activity. This all seems to be changing. Columbia Public Schools’ recent bond […]
It’s time to start paying attention
To paraphrase one of the songs from Rogers and Hammerstein’s hit musical “Oklahoma”: “Everything’s up to date in Columbia. They’ve gone about as fer as they can go.” It makes me wonder what mechanisms are in place to keep our community up to date and out in front forever. We are proud of our touts […]