Missouri Constitutional Amendment 3

Here is an analysis from Missouri Family Network on Missouri Constitutional Amendment 3.  It is not only our duty to vote but also to be informed on the issues.  If you know what you're voting on and how you want to vote, the voting process should only take a few minutes.

This Amendment is one of those trick questions.  You must vote YES to prohibit the state, county, or city from charging sales tax on the sales of homes.  We all dread having to pay sales tax when we purchase a car.  How many of us have waited as long as we could legally to pay the tax to get our license plates?  Imagine having to pay sales tax on your home!  Yes, home sales are very slow right now.  Times are tough for everyone, including our government.  Government doesn't earn money, they have to take it from its citizens.  Don't think that they won't enact a sales tax on real estate as a way to increase their income.

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Constitutional Amendment 3   -   Vote "YES" to prohibit sales taxes on your home!

Proposed by a Citizens' Initiative Petition.  Go to http://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/2010petitions/2010-046.asp in order to read the full text of this proposed Missouri Constitutional Amendment.

Official Ballot Title:  (The summary question you will see in the voting booth)

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to prevent the state, counties, and other political subdivisions from imposing any new tax, including a sales tax, on the sale or transfer of homes or any other real estate?

It is estimated this proposal will have no costs or savings to state or local governmental entities.

Fair Ballot Language:  (Additional clarification required by law, provided by Secretary of State's office.)

A "yes" vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to prevent the state, counties, and other political subdivisions from imposing any new tax, including a sales tax, on the sale or transfer of homes or any other real estate.

A "no" vote will not change the Missouri Constitution to prevent the state, counties, and other political subdivisions from imposing a new tax on the sale or transfer of homes or any other real estate.

If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.

Analysis: Contemporary debates over tax policy continues to evolve as the economy and government continues to diversify and complicate.  A more recent proposal that is garnering supporter is that known as the "fair tax".  This idea proposes to eliminate the conglomerate tax system that has become so disjointed and over complicated as it has developed through generations of piecemeal policies.  Discussions of this idea focused on streamlining the entire tax code by creating a flat sales tax on all goods and services.  Some currently untaxed goods and services would be included in the new flat tax.

An unintended result of these debates have been new ideas for more piecemeal taxes on the part of those who oppose a "fair tax".

While real estate owners face annual tax bills based on valuation schedules, there is no current sales tax on the sale or transfer of a home or real estate property in Missouri.  Due to the concerns that such a new tax could develop either as a direct result of a future "fair tax" or implemented sooner as a standalone 'fee' from tax happy politicians, this citizen's initiative was born.

With the discussion of a new sales tax hitting the public square for debate, as unpopular as it has been, many Missouri citizens agreed that it would be better to create a protection now than later.  Seeing how many automobiles are on the road today with temporary tags is troubling enough.  (How many of those new car owners made financial plans to purchase that vehicle only to discover there was not enough left over to pay the taxes in order to get a license plate?)  What a disincentive it would create if new home owners, farmers, entrepreneurs, or manufacturers had to fork out tens of thousands of tax dollars before being able to take possession of their newly acquired properties?

Property ownership is much more than a bedrock icon of Americanism.  It is embedded in the Declaration of Independence, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."  The third principle our forefathers understood as foundational to good government comes straight from Scripture.  God's Word teaches that all men are created equal and have certain basic liberties that should never be prohibited by government.  The "pursuit of happiness" is a broad reference to property ownership as part of the complete meaning within the principle for each person being allowed to keep and enjoy the fruits of their own labor.

In defense of home and property ownership – please vote "YES" to prohibit sales taxes on your home!

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