It would be a wonder if many people today remember the Blue Law in Missouri, or even care so far as that is concerned.
The law prohibited the sale of certain items on Sunday. Missouri was once one of the few states in the Union that hung onto the Blue Laws that had come out of the deep past. What they did, by actual laws of the state, was to prohibit sales of certain merchandise and items on the Sabbath.
The Democrat, at the time, took the stand that there was nothing wrong with limitations to what could be purchased or sold on the Sabbath. The common practice was to put these particular items in one place in a store where they could be covered on Sunday, or the store would simply close on that day, which their employees certainly enjoyed.
In memory is one drug store in Cassville that sold liquor on shelves at the entrance to the store. To comply with Missouri Blue Laws, that section of the shelves had a convenient cloth cover that could be lowered to cover the stock of whisky being offered for sale.
This didn’t prohibit backroom sales of liquor or any other item on the negative list, which was frequently a note of contention between the buyer and seller.
Missouri, and others discovered about this time a good revenue source was a small tax on about anything that crossed a counter, it was the sales tax.
Adopted in Missouri in 1934, a general state sales tax was collected via a small percentage of the selling price of each item, it was called the “millage” tax. Missouri first provided paper “mills” that were quickly determined unsuitable due to wear and becoming absolutely filthy after a short period of use.
Then came the metal “mills,” that, if people desired, they could carry around and use in making payment. This tax method worked awhile until those making the laws discovered the public would accept a penny just as easily as any other amount.
This was well and good for emergency needs, but had no ending date in the proposition, or was so far out in the future it was quickly forgotten by those bearing the cost.
Not all that long ago, on some TV program, a person had a rather large amount of the metal sales tax tokens from some state and was trying to sell as antiques. They were not valued sufficiently enough to carry to the program.
Wonder if that is called “deflation?”
Soon every government entity would get in the act of having an emergency and needing a sales tax to pay the bill.
There are situations and levies on the books today that are buying equipment that could bring questions from administrators or lawmakers of today. Then there are others that once a need is completed, the sales tax needs to be once again examined as to need.
The original Barry County tax is typical, passed when this level of government was broke and much needed courthouse repairs were a necessity. But now, it is being used partly so the salary commission can determine payment to office holders either directly or substituting for other sources. Not the original intent of any of the taxes accepted, some many years ago.
There are any number of services provided for people today that naturally need to have a financial support behind them. Some folks choose to label this socialism. It’s really paying for government to do for the person that which they desire.
Take fire protection as a good example. Today, population growth makes it obvious the needs of an all-volunteer fire department. One or two outdated pieces of equipment or other needs, even additional stations become a necessity. Lake communities discovered this first and did a commendable program providing this service to their widespread residents.
Schools have found an acceptable answer today. Administrators use valuation growth in their district to fund desired projects, not requiring a tax levy increase.
Always present in these situations remains the question, “What would the levy stand without the project?”
This isn’t pro or con on any pending question, simply pointing out how some taxation of the people falls upon them.
Like stated previously, the needs of people coupled with their desires will determine how the money will flow to pay for what issue might come before them. At this point, they can either accept or refuse taking on the price to be paid and over what period of time the cost will be on their shoulders.
Quite often, administrators rely on their future based on past performances and number of projects, department building or even equipment expansion, often beyond actual needs.
That is what they often use to move to greener pastures.
Bob Mitchell is the former editor and publisher of the Cassville Democrat. He is a 2017 inductee to both the Missouri Press Association Hall of Fame and Missouri Southern State University’s Regional Media Hall of Fame.
BOB MITCHELL
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