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Blues grab last playoff spot…for now

March 29, 2009 By

Patrik Berglund had a goal and two assists and the Blues gained control of the 8th and final playoff spot in the Western Conference after a 5-2 victory over Columbus on Sunday. It was their second win over the Blue Jackets in back to back games.

The Blues are one point ahead of Anaheim, two in front of Edmonton and three ahead of Minnesota.  The Blues have just one home game remaining with six to play.  The Blues have won five in a row and earned points in seven of eight.

David Perron also had a goal and an assist, Brad Boyes and David Backes added goals, and Chris Mason made 26 saves for St. Louis.

The remaining schedule for the Blues will be tough.  They play at Chicago and Detroit on back to back nights this Wednesday and Thursday.  Then they travel to Dallas and Phoenix before hosting Columbus again on April 10th.  The Blues finish the season in Colorado on April 12th. 

 

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: ,

Senate readies for more heated debate on economic development bill

March 29, 2009 By

Tax credits were the focus of much of the discussion last week as the State Senate debated a SB 45 – huge economic development bill that includes an expansion of the Quality Jobs program. And the talk is expected to be feisty again as the bill comes back to the floor this week.

A number of Senators expressed concerns with a lack of legislative oversight once tax credits are made available. Senator Brad Lager (R-Savannah) sponsors a substitute version of the economic development bill that would bring about that oversight.

One of last week’s more heated debates involved Senator Matt Bartle (R-Lee’s Summit) and Senator Jeff Smith (D-St. Louis). Smith is a supporter of the Historic Preservation Tax Credit, which is aimed at encouraging the refurbishing of older buildings.

Bartle doesn’t like tax credits, but says having a watchdog would at least make the tax credit program more accountable. He wants tax credits to be part of the appropriations process. Bartle suggested money spent on the Historic Preservation Tax Credit could be used to send young people to college or to provide child care to women. Smith responded by saying he would like those things, too, but does not see those issues being connecdted with tax credits.

The bill is expected to return to the chamber on Tuesday.

Download/Listen: Steve Walsh report (:60 MP3)

Filed Under: Legislature

Grain elevator failures prompt legislation

March 29, 2009 By

Problems with one grain broker and one grain elevator in Missouri have revived efforts to update state regulations.

Industry officials, though, have cautioned the House Agri-Business Committee
that a proposal to increase the bond grain elevators are required to carry might
drive out small operators while failing to address the problems associated with a grain broker under suspicion. The State Department of Agriculture has seized the assets of the  T. J. Gieseker Farms and Trucking, which operates in east-central Missouri. Prosecutors are investigating potential fraud in the case involving grain broker Cathy Gieseker.

The Gieseker case, which involves hundreds of farmers and could total more than
$15 million, has renewed interest in increasing the bond grain elevators are
required to carry. Rep. Steve Hobbs (R-Mexico) sponsors HB 915 which would
increase that bond from the current $300,000 to $1 million or, for small
elevators, from 1% of grain purchases to 2%.

Linking the potential fraud case with increased bonding requirements upsets the industry.

The thing that I have heard a lot is the displeasure, Ill put it, as far as
linking the raising of the bond to the fraud, Steve Taylor, executive director
of the Missouri Agribusiness Association, told the House committee.

Taylor urged the committee to focus on prevention and to review budget cuts made to the state Department of Agriculture, which might have hampered the
departments ability to inspect grain elevators adequately.

A grain elevator operator warned committee members that an increase in the bond
requirement will increase costs, which will be passed on to farmers.

Seth Ricketts operates grain elevators in Salisbury, Shelbina and Cairo. He told
the committee that increased costs wasnt the primary concern of grain elevator
operators.

We believe this could have a tremendous impact on smaller grain merchants,
Ricketts testified before the committee. The primary impact of this legislation
is not the increased cost of the bonding, the ability of a small business to
even obtain a grain bond.

The Department of Agriculture reports there are 400 grain elevators in Missouri.
Twenty-two elevators buy in excess of $50 million worth of grain annually. One
hundred, three elevators operate on the lower end of grain sales with the others
somewhere in the middle.

Rep. Hobbs said after the hearing that he is willing to work with the industry
on compromise language. Industry officials say they would like to see bonding
requirements in the bill lowered from $1 million and 2% to $600,000 and 1  %.

The Missouri Corngrowers Association and the Missouri Soybean Association
testified in favor of the bill. Officials for both also noted that House Speaker
Ron Richard (R-Joplin) has announced he will form an agriculture task force to
consider what the state can do to prevent grain elevator failures. Farmers arent
just reeling from the Gieseker case, but also from the failure of Gallatin Grain
in Daviess County.

A second bill sponsored by Rep. Hobbs, HB 923 , seems to enjoy solid support. It would make it a misdemeanor for grain brokers to sell commodities for which they
do not have a license.

Download/listen Brent Martin reports (1:20 MP3)

Filed Under: Legislature, Politics & Government Tagged With:

Cigarette tax hike to hurt sales?

March 29, 2009 By

Smokers are feeling the pinch at the cash register and tobacco retailers are bracing for fewer sales.

The federal excise tax on cigarettes will jump from 39 cents a pack to $1.01 a pack on April 1. However, the prices have already gone up. Ron Leone with the Missouri Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association says everyone hopes that tobacco manufacturers upped their prices in anticipation of the tax increase, however, no one can say. Retailers fear the prices may jump again on April 1. The problem with manufacturers prematurely raising prices, he says, is that they’re pocketing the profits before the tax even goes into effect.

He says cigarettes are an easy target for tax hikes and future increases are likely, but he says Missouri still has the lowest state excise tax in the nation, which drives revenue as customers come into Missouri from higher-tax bordering states such as Illinois and Kansas. (The Kansas legislature is considering a bill to increase their state tax on cigarettes even more this legislative session.)

Some of the federal excise tax money will trickle down into Missouri’s healthcare programs, such as the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Jessica Machetta reports [Download/listen MP3]

Filed Under: Politics & Government

Cold second half shooting knocks out Tigers

March 28, 2009 By

The Missouri Tigers came back from down by 11 to take the lead with 13:35 to play only to struggle with outside shooting in the 2 nd half as the UCONN Huskies deny the Tigers their first trip to the NCAA Final Four winning 82-75.

The Tigers took at 50-49 lead with 13:35 to play on a Keith Ramsey layup, but missed seven three point attempts and could never carry over the momentum as UCONN held off the Tigers.  After Mizzou went up, Kemba Walker who finished with a game high 23 points, scored off a layup to put the Huskies up 52-50.  Ramsey came back with a jam on the other end to tie the game and Walker hit two free throws to put UCONN back up 54-52.  The Tigers held, but missed five shots including two three pointers.  Mizzou finally tied the game on a Leo Lyons jumper but UCONN answered right back the other way to take a 56-54 lead.  After starting the second half 1 for 13, the Huskies made clutch shots and free throws in the final 10 minutes to never let the Tigers get closer than three down the stretch.

Hasheem Thabeet turned out to be a non-factor offensively finishing with just five points after getting into foul trouble.  Thabeet did finish with 13 rebounds.  UCONN shot 26 of 32 from the free throw line.

The Tigers started slow hitting just three of their first 10 shots, but it was UCONN who worked the ball inside and out jumping out to a 13-2 lead just a little more than three minutes into the game.  UCONN had an 11 point lead a couple of times throughout the first half, but Missouri turned up the defensive pressure and started hitting from the outside.

Mizzou forced 11 first half turnovers from a team that has averaged just 12 turnovers per game.  After missing his first three point attempts, Matt Lawrence bounced back to hit a couple more.  He had eight points along with Leo Lyons and DeMarre Carroll.

The Tigers cut the lead to three twice.  Once with 6:23 to go at 28-25 on a Lawrence three pointer from the top of the key and then again with 3:23 to play at 36-33 on a Carroll layup.

Hasheem Thabeet, the big 7’3 center wasn’t much of a factor in the first half playing with two fouls.  He had just two points at the break, but I thought it was valuable for Huskies’ coach Jim Calhoun to be able to save Thabeet for the second half.  Those early fouls may have kept his stamina for the second half.

Jeff Adrien was big for UCONN.  He scored 10 points and had three blocks.  In fact the Tigers were blocked five times, but I was OK with that, because Missouri needed to attack inside to open up the outside shooting.

The problem was that Missouri couldn’t knock their shots down when they needed in the second half.  Matt Lawrence and Leo Lyons finished their careers tied with a team high 13 points.  DeMarre Carroll had 12.  The Tigers were just 5 of 18 from three point range. 

[box score]

Tigers postgame

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: ,
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