This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Aug. 27, 2013 - Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon is upping the ante in the Missouri/Texas debate by running a new radio spot in which he details the statistics that he says make clear that Missouri’s tax structure and economic climate are superior to that in Texas.
Nixon’s campaign committee is paying for the ad, which is running on KRTS (550 AM). It's a reward for the station’s decision last week to pull ads featuring Texas Gov. Rick Perry because those spots encourage Missouri firms to move to Texas.
The ad marks a rare action by the governor’s campaign operation, which generally has been moribund since his re-election last fall. It’s intended to counter the $200,000-plus in ads featuring Perry that TexasOne is running on TV and radio.
The ad war also comes as Perry is preparing to visit the area on Thursday to promote Texas. Perry also is headlining a public event in Chesterfield hosted by some conservative groups seeking to override Nixon’s veto of HB 253, a tax cut bill.
Controversy has erupted because, while in town, Perry also is hosting a private reception aimed at encouraging some of the region’s most prominent firms to move or expand operations to Texas. The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry is accusing Democrats of exaggerating Perry’s move-to-Texas actions, while Nixon has sent a letter to the chamber accusing it of playing into Perry’s hands.
Here’s the text of Nixon's radio ad:
“This is Gov. Jay Nixon.
“You may have heard that Gov. Rick Perry of Texas is trying to get
attention for himself by taking shots at Missouri. He's running radio ads
here to try to get businesses to go to Texas.
“I'd like to thank KTRS for refusing to air these misleading ads and
standing up for Missouri.
“Make no mistake, our businesses aren't going to Texas, and here's why:
“One, Missouri has lower property taxes than Texas. And lower sales taxes.
“Two, our students score higher on standardized tests. Graduation rates are
higher.
“Three, Missouri's unemployment rate ... below the national average for 4
years.
“And unlike Texas, Missouri has a perfect Triple-A credit rating.
“I'd like to thank the Kansas City Civic Council and the Springfield,
Columbia, and Callaway Chambers of Commerce for standing with us. By working together we're moving Missouri in the right direction.
“And as for the governor of Texas, he'll learn, you don't mess with folks
here in the Show-Me State.”
