urbanSTL

Yeah, but building off Alex's point, the US beef industry has an interest in encouraging free trade with China, so those 478 tons of beef shipped during the first half of this year, nearly all of which was sent during the last month of record keeping, is probably just a manipulated statistic.
Honestly, though, I was eagerly anticipating the next installment of "Where's the Beef?" (it was promised to us). Oh well, I'm sure there's still much more bs ahead.

Is it really that suprising that a libertarian think tank like the Show Me Institute would come out against tax subsidies? Heck, they probably don't believe in those taxes to begin with. Personally, I've found the SMI analysis mostly interesting and thoughful. Very glad to have them as part of the debate.

Still, this fixation on beef, by both China hub supporters and detractors, is bizarre. I find it highly highly unlikely that a large amount of beef will ever be transported via air, so both sides would be better served by arguing their points with different, non-beef proof points. There are plenty.

don't have time to find a more authoritative study, but perishables such as beef represent a substantial chunk of goods exported via air freight: http://www.foodethicscouncil.org/system ... slides.pdf
Additionally, regional leaders have garnered support for this bill in rural areas by pointing out that China is interested buying farm products produced in Missouri. As such, as inane as it may seem, the debate over whether China blocks the importation of beef might have significant repercussions.

fair enough. beef it is.....long-haul, fuel-sucking airplanes for beef. so strange.

order the corn-fed, China. With more marbling, it tastes better.

^Airplanes are actually very fuel efficient

I recently noticed this quote while reading the New Yorker:

“Asia has learned to price in American political dysfunction.”

It was made in the context of debt talks, but I think it applies to the China hub deal, too. This mentality perhaps supports your call for optimism in the face of recent political setbacks/posturing.

Article:
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/e ... passe.html

As a past supporter of Ed, I sent him an email detailing my displeasure with this stance. The theme: how sick and tired twenty and thirty-somethings are of the schitty status quo we endure here in this town. This bill is pro-active and pro-business, without a dollar spent until something is built.

Looks like State reps asking for the week after a labor day weekend for special session. No surprises there.

Legislative leaders present tax credit plan to Nixon.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt ... f6878.html

It's unfounded in the sense that it is not based in reality; we just exported 364 metric tons of beef to China during the month of May. The remaining 114 tons were shipped at the end of April, which was after the April 11 discussions quoted in the Show-Me piece. In light of these statistics, the statement that US beef is banned in China is simply an unfounded assertion. Someone apparently needs to update the USDA's website to account for this clear evidence.

Today I heard recent meetings between city officials and Jeff city are going very well. Keep the faith boyz.

New article in the P-D today. Finally gets the whole tax "subsidy" thing correct....sort of.

BY BRIAN THEVENOT

China boasts one of the world's fastest growing economies, energized by expanding market freedoms and a rising middle class. Yet ongoing authoritarian rule there may hold the key to economic development here, say backers of a plan to turn St. Louis into an "Aerotropolis."

http://www.stltoday.com/business/column ... 0f31a.html

Someone (Col Griggs) is obviously bitter in his old age. And rightfully so...it was under his tenure that Lambert began crumbling. Unfortunately, we won't be able to rid the city of attitudes like the 'Good ol colonel's' until they're SIX FEET UNDER!

Former Lambert Field director and retired U.S. Air Force Col. Leonard Griggs and his wife, Denise, were at La Bonne Bouchee Saturday marking his 80th birthday. We chatted about a number of issues, including his take on a future China hub: “That damned thing will never happen here,” he exclaimed.”

http://bergersbeat.com/col-leonard-grig ... 7s+Beat%29

It’s really fun seeing the contrast between StL & MO and the Federal Government recently… while the Congress and the Administration have been beating each other up for quite a while on the Federal Deficit and Budget, our local government has been rather cooperative in negotiations across party lines, and jurisdictions, in support of the China Hub legislation and seeing this through. I believe Jeff Rainford recently commented on this in a recent Post-Dispatch article referenced in this thread previously. End result is that, while politics and special interests almost led to the US Government going into default (and still possibly receiving a “AAA - Negative Outlook” from Moody’s or S&P in the near future), MO politics is emerging as being cooperative across political affiliations towards the common good of the State and its constituents: all of us. It keeps my faith in the ability of government to succeed amidst such turbulent times.

Still, there will always be outliers. To quote the hero namesake of the cinematic bloodbath Blade: “Some mofo's are always trying to ice-skate uphill.”

Focus: The opposition to the China Hub has maintained a trend: I don’t intellectually give a care what these people have to say anyways. These outliers really carry no weight.

Who exactly has been against the China Hub?
- 4 far-right GOP Senators (the ones who killed the original legislation) who are philosophically against any government intrusion into capitalism, despite the involvement being to free up regulation and allow for outside investment upon which StL and MO will best capitalize and realize positive returns. 4 Senators who don’t know Adam Smith, but they do know Sarah Palin’s kind of popular these days (side note: it’s amazing how the Tea Party came about from a CNBC rant on Treasuries on the CBOE floor, but now don’t reflect really any understanding of capital investment). Of note is how they are in disagreement to their own party, from which the China Hub bill was written and proposed.
- 2 Democrat House Reps in the City who just don’t trust it, although they’re unsure why. A while back, a gal from the North Side came out against it because she thought it would consolidate too much power behind some politicians in MO should this be a success (and she’s not one of them); her own party asked her politely to STFU and GBTW. Another Dem House Rep (only now from Benton Park West) came out just this week who doesn’t believe tax credits have ever created any jobs (truly amazing because she’s a Dem, and usually receives Union votes, the same Unions that have and continue to recognize work from jobs founded in tax credit utilization – her handler should be fired).
- A GOP House Rep from O’Fallon who I believe has come out against the China Hub legislation only after Governor Nixon put his support behind it.
- The upcoming GOP candidate for the 2nd District Federal House, who lost in 2008, and who I believe recently came out against this legislation primarily to keep his name in the press.
- A couple aerial logistics consultants, who write articles & press releases about how they don’t think the Big Idea will work for Saint Louis. We are apparently to believe their critiques are “wholly incidental” to their being employed by airports, or corporations with vested interests, in Chicago, Indianapolis, and/or Memphis. That’s like believing Steve Spagnuolo only wants the Rams to win because he’s a regular fan; that he’s Head Coach is “wholly incidental”.
- Some researchers from the Show-Me Institute, an organization whose ideas are largely beneficial to StL & MO, who are also against this philosophically, and whose argumentation has been mostly based on research bent towards this bias. I can say that I know others within this organization who are in favor of the China Hub as an economic benefit for StL & MO.
- And now … the former head of Lambert, whose legacy includes the loss of the TWA/American Airlines hub and the construction of the highly underutilized new runway (formerly: Bridgeton) whose administrative model has become obsolete. For all the incredible good he has done in administering Lambert International, the game has changed, and he’s scared of seeing all that he has built be lost to a new model of operations. But while his legacy will live on in passenger flights, the new model of air cargo will be basis for the successes of the future.

Info on many of these people can be found in a strong recent article from the Missouri Watchdog:
http://missouri.watchdog.org/18997/fiss ... olis-plan/.

Really, that’s a very small yet vocal minority clamoring to get their naysaying into the papers.

Meanwhile, let’s see who’s in favor of the China Hub legislation…
- The City of Saint Louis.
- Saint Louis County.
- Missouri’s Federal Senators, past and present (McCaskill, Blunt, and Bond).
- Eastern Missouri’s Federal House Representatives (including Clay, Carnahan, and Akin).
- Multiple MO State agencies, such as MO Agriculture, who see the China Hub as a means to strongly increase net exportation of MO goods to new markets and provide new revenues to MO businesses.
- Lt. Gov. Kinder, who’s probably going to run for MO Governor in 2012, and who has fought for years to support StL as the economic backbone of MO.
- Gov. Nixon. It must be noted that he was originally against the legislation as part of a political maneuvering against the MO GOP (and in association with a local developer of low-income housing which receives tax breaks who stands to lose out on long-term utilization of the tax break), to show them infighting about tax credits. Now, with the increased demand of the constituency of the State, he’s come out in favor of the China Hub legislation and now associates himself & his office with it.
- The RCGA, MO Chamber of Commerce, World Trade Center – Saint Louis, and about every other NGO related to the economic vitality of StL, MO, and the US.
- The almost unanimous majority of large corporations in StL, who view the China Hub as a means to further new markets for their own products while increasing their own companies’ valuations, working conditions, employment opportunities, and forward outlooks.
- Missouri’s Universities, who want an inflow of international students to their student bodies while recognizing the application of global business fundamentals that are taught within their ivy-tiered walls.
- The majority of Republicans in the Missouri House.
- The majority of Democrats in the Missouri House.
- The majority of Democrats in the Missouri Senate.
- The majority of Republicans in the Missouri Senate.

Gee… I wonder who’s side is supported more…

Most importantly, pretty much every self-aware Missouri-resident person I know or have met is strongly in favor of the China Hub. It is seen widely by the constituent base of Missouri, and especially within Saint Louis, as the best impetus for Eastern MO, specifically the Saint Louis Metro Area, to thrive economically in the future. This includes:
- Business owners who want new opportunities to enter new markets;
- Real estate developers who would have an influx of new residents, new manufacturing businesses, new warehousing businesses, and ancillary developments;
- New college graduates (for both graduate & undergraduate degrees) who want to see new businesses coming into StL that may be able to hire them, preferring to remain here rather than moving to San Francisco.
- Business professionals, especially those under 40, resident in StL Metro, who want to see an inflow of new job openings and forward-looking economic opportunities, such as new businesses opening related to the China Hub or companies with operations outside of StL moving here to capitalize on the developments.
- Old people who know what StL used to be like economically, and who want to see it return to its heydays of business strength and population.
- Multinational and Globalist people who want and rightfully expect to see StL more engaged globally.

Of real emphasis is that I have not met anyone under 40 who is against the China Hub. They’re all in favor of it. I’d say about all of them are eligible to vote in MO elections, and most regularly do. The politicians who are against this do so at their detriment.

Truly, if they vote against the China Hub, then they are not following the demands of their constituent voters, and rightfully they should be voted out of office.

To quote the King: 50 million Elvis fans can’t be wrong.


Oh, and let’s not forget… THE ENTIRE COUNTRY OF CHINA IS STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF THIS!
Fans of the StL China Hub within the world's second-largest economy include:
- The Premier.
- The Vice Premier.
- The Economic Leadership of China, which just released a new Five Year Plan stating they expect to see aerial exportation of goods to the US increase from 15% to 50%, all while increasing gross goods exported here across all transportation mediums.
- The Chinese Middle Class, which wants to experience the quality of life that we enjoy in the US, from being able to eat a steak to having increased options for medication.
- The Airlines, especially China Cargo Airlines, who have been directed by the People’s Republic to form a deal with StL & MO to establish a China Hub at Lambert International should the legislation pass. They’ve been told to do so by their bosses, and they will if the legislation allows them to. Add-in that direct passenger flights between StL and Shanghai should follow.
- China’s business communities, which are looking to increase both Chine exports & imports of US goods.
- China’s venture capital organizations seeking new opportunities to invest, such as their Biotechnology organizations that has already been to StL numerous times seeking cooperative ventures for investment. Considering that StL has for years been bereft of strong VC for developing new technology-heavy businesses, this is a no-brainer.

Also wanting Lambert International to turn into an international aerial logistics hub (starting with China):
- Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, etc.).
- Non-China East Asia (South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, etc.).
- The Asian Subcontinent (India).
- The Gulf Coast Community of Countries (UAE, Oman, Kuwait, etc.).
After all, once China can establish itself into this new market, so can they.

Is there an independent cost-benefit analysis about the SPECIFIC legislation that will be considered in special session?

All I have found are MCHC reports and Show Me Institute's work, but both are arguing for specific outcomes.

Looks like abortion opponents might try to ground the China hub: http://www.stlbeacon.org/issues-politic ... p-priority

In relevant part: "Missoui Right to life, the state's largest anti-abortion group, issued a statement warning that it will oppose MOSIRA unless any bill includes language that explicitly prohibits "abortion services, human cloning or embryonic stem cell research."
As goes MOSIRA, so goes the China hub.

I'm pro-life myself, but I don't think the China Hub bill, which is good for St. Louis and the state, should be used as a political pawn.

I think most people are pro-life and pro-choice. I'm sick of these stupid catch phrases.

Colby wrote:Looks like abortion opponents might try to ground the China hub: http://www.stlbeacon.org/issues-politic ... p-priority

In relevant part: "Missoui Right to life, the state's largest anti-abortion group, issued a statement warning that it will oppose MOSIRA unless any bill includes language that explicitly prohibits "abortion services, human cloning or embryonic stem cell research."
As goes MOSIRA, so goes the China hub.

Sounds like right-wing hostage taking. I guess they heard it works on the federal level and decided to try it locally.

Mckee really is a lightning rod around here: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt ... 0f31a.html

I don't know enough about Mckee's projects to comment intelligently about them, but I'm glad Nixon eliminated the provision that appears to blatantly serve Mckee's interests. I appreciate all that he has done in getting the ball rolling with the Chinese, but the China hub bill is apparently already controversial enough.