Recycled: It Gets Worse

This post dated June 3, 2021, is mysteriously missing from my blog.

Originally posted June 3, 2021.

On Tuesday, The Gateway Pundit reported that Missouri State Senator Dave Schatz (R-Villa Ridge) was the chief proponent of the largest gasoline tax increase in Missouri history. Schatz's private company, Schatz Underground LLC of Villa Ridge, Missouri, stands to make millions from road construction resulting from that tax hike.

(Read As Gas Prices Soar, One Missouri Senator Stands to Make Millions from the Gasoline Tax Hike He Demanded)

TGP also reported that Schatz used his power as president pro tempore of the Senate to block all legislation in the final weeks of the 2021 legislative session unless the gas tax passed.

Schatz also included a sham rebate in that gas tax hike to circumvent Missouri's Hancock Amendment. The Hancock Amendment requires tax increases to go to a vote of the people, the taxpayers. By including the rebate, which places onerous burdens on citizens like saving all gasoline receipts for a year, Schatz broke the spirit of the law. He knew the people would not support the largest gasoline tax hike in state history.

The gas tax increase will disproportionately affect the poor who will pay a higher percentage of their income for transportation. It will also increase the price of goods and services in Missouri, as businesses will pass along higher costs to consumers. Everybody loses except Dave Schatz.

In the closing days of the session, Rep. Jered Taylor took to the House Floor to expose Schatz's dictatorial plot.

Rep. Taylor courageously offered his amendment, anyway, as seen in the clip.

Schatz Strong-Armed Carve-Outs for His Private Company

Now, we've learned that Schatz also demanded "carve-outs" in three pieces of legislation for his company, Schatz Underground LLC.

Schatz forced carve-outs for Schatz Underground LLC in three bills affecting Missouri's utility laws. In other words, Schatz directly legislated business for himself, unfairly freezing out the competition and preventing bids. This is a rip-off for all Missouri taxpayers, but the crooked move specifically harms companies competitors of Schatz Underground.

Updates on Gas Tax Increase

The Gateway Pundit article said Schatz's Gas Tax increase was 40 percent, but according to one Missouri State Senator, the right way to compute the gas tax increase is to take the increase divided by the original tax which comes to a 71 percent increase in gasoline taxes. How will that affect your summer vacation?

Also, we learned that the tax increase is expected to raise $513 million by 2025, making Schatz's Gas Tax the biggest tax increase in Missouri history, period.

And a lot of that $513 million will go straight into Dave Schatz's back pocket.

Schatz, of course, will funnel some of that money back to his political cronies. Lieutenant Govern Kehoe, who's been quietly lobbying for the tax increase for years, wants to be governor someday. Schatz will likely reward him. And House Majority Leader Dean Plocher, who wants to be Speaker, will also have his hand out. Plocher quietly supported the gas tax increase in the House.

Schatz is termed out, but Mike Kehoe and Dean Plocher have big ambitions to be the next Governor and Speaker. Stop them, or they will sell everything that isn’t nailed down.