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2007 FEDERAL
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
St. Louis is fortunate to have several nationally-recognized research
institutions of higher learning—Saint Louis University, Southern
Illinois University Edwardsville, University of Missouri-St. Louis,
and Washington University. Additionally, a large number of companies
involved in research and development call the St. Louis region home.
Cutting-edge research occurs everyday at these institutions, resulting
in a number of patents waiting for approval. Very often, this research
generates new products that are ready for the marketplace; thus,
creating new businesses and new job opportunities for our region.
Support increased federal funding in research and development
at the National Institutes for Health (NIH), National Science Foundation
(NSF) and the Department of Energy. Support initiatives to improve
math and science education in the St. Louis region, necessary to
maintain a high-quality workforce for research and development activities.
COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT
The RCGA strongly believes that for the entire St. Louis region
to flourish, our economically distressed areas must be revitalized.
Strategic public policies that foster public/private partnerships
can successfully leverage private investment in these areas:
Support the following initiatives to spur redevelopment efforts
in the center city and economically distressed areas:
Federal Historic Tax Credit: Raise the value of this tax
credit to allow a 25 percent tax credit against the costs of rehabilitating
an historic building or a building within an historic district.
Extend the tax credit availability for use in the construction of
owner-occupied units.
Federal New Markets Tax Credit: Support efforts to renew
the New Markets Tax Credit program, which encourages the flow of
private capital to businesses in low-income communities. The last
round of allocations under the current program will be made in 2007.
Brownfield Redevelopment: Increase direct funding
and tax credits for brownfield cleanup. Enact meaningful liability
reform for brownfield sites to encourage their turnover to a productive
use.
CHOUTEAU LAKE DISTRICT AND TECHNOLOGY CAMPUS
While the renovation of Cupples Station and the new Ballpark Village
will revive the district immediately north of I-64/U.S. 40, there
are plans to expand downtown’s renaissance by reintroducing a major
water feature to the blighted area to the south. The Chouteau Lake
District and Technology Campus will become the anchor for a series
of redeveloped downtown “neighborhoods” and would generate more
than $15 billion in private investment activities. The Lake District,
featuring waterfront plazas, a variety of housing choices, museum
and park spaces, will connect the near Southside neighborhoods in
the City of St. Louis to downtown’s historic core and the newly
developed regional riverfront trail system.
Support the concept of Chouteau Lake and Technology Campus and
support the Army Corps of Engineers study. Support the Water Resource
Development Act to include authorization for the St. Louis Regional
Greenways plan and the Chouteau Lake District.
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
The defense industry employs over 15,000 people across the St. Louis
region, with companies ranging from large prime contractors to small
business sub-contractors. Sustaining and expanding this industry
will greatly strengthen our regional economy and support thousands
of other jobs in the retail and service industries. The yearly defense
authorization and appropriation bills will fund opportunities for
St. Louis-area companies to develop and produce military equipment
and services.
Support increased authorization and appropriations for research
in defense-related businesses. Support continued appropriations
for the C-17 transport planes and the Future Combat Systems effort.
Support increased opportunities for small and medium-sized defense
contractors.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
The ability of RCGA-member companies to increase their exports directly
benefits our region, by creating jobs and economic development activity.
The St. Louis region benefits from fewer trade barriers and more
trading partners. Trade agreements for Central America (CAFTA-DR)
and North America (NAFTA), Normal Trade Relations (NTR) with China,
and bi-lateral trade agreements have created greater access to markets
and to goods and services for St. Louis area companies.
Support and promote fair trade legislation or agreements that
enhance our member companies’ ability to compete in the global economy
by breaking down barriers and by increasing export trading.
RIVER LOCK AND DAMS
The Port of Metropolitan St. Louis is the 2nd busiest inland port
in the U.S., spanning 71 miles between Illinois and Missouri. More
than 50 percent of the U.S. grain exports reach world markets via
the upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, contributing $14 to $18
billion per year in international trade. The St. Louis port ships
and receives over 32 million tons of freight a year—worth over $5
billion. A modal transfer of this tonnage would require an additional
1,260,533 trucks through the metropolitan St. Louis area alone,
increasing road traffic, noise and air pollution. Building materials,
gasoline and road salt are just a few commodities that would cost
hundreds of millions of dollars more to consumers in the St. Louis
metropolitan area, if the river locks and dams were closed. Our
river lock and dam system must be upgraded to maintain the volume
of shipments along the Mississippi and to keep St. Louis’ prominence
in freight movement. Construction at the five proposed lock sites
along the Mississippi from St. Louis to Hannibal/Quincy would produce
an estimated 6,000 jobs annually over 10 to 15 years. In addition
to modernizing the lock and dam system, the levees and floodwalls
must be repaired and secured to protect the ports from flooding
catastrophes. A failure at the Wood River levee could cause $3 billion
in economic and environmental damage to the region.
Support passage of the Water Resources Development Act to include
upgrading seven locations with 1,200-foot lock capacity and five
locations with 1,200-foot guidewall extensions located on the upper
Mississippi and the Illinois Rivers. Support funding to the Army
Corps of Engineers to repair levees at city of St. Louis ($16 million)
and at Wood River ($24 million).
MISSOURI RIVER WATER LEVEL
The 2,341 mile Missouri River, the nation’s longest river, provides
over half the water for the Mississippi River. The river’s water
level directly impacts commerce along the Mississippi and across
the nation. Sixty percent of all U.S. grain moves through the middle
Mississippi and the Port of Metropolitan St. Louis. The U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers operating plan for the Missouri River implemented
drought conservation measures to retain more water in upstream reservoirs
and to shorten the length of the navigation. This plan significantly
shortened the summer commercial barge navigation season in order
to raise the water level in recreational reservoirs in North Dakota,
South Dakota and Montana. A shorter navigation season translates
into higher transportation costs for coal and grain and endangers
power plants that use river water for cooling. The water flow of
the Missouri must be maintained at a level suitable for commercial
transport.
Oppose changes to the river management plan that raise transportation
costs of goods and natural resources and that negatively impact
economic development.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Affordable access to higher education is the key to continued economic
prosperity for all sectors of our community. The reauthorization
of the Higher Education Funding Act will provide funding for the
federal government’s major student aid programs such as Pell Grants.
All major universities and colleges in the St. Louis region participate
in the student aid programs funded by the Higher Education Act.
In addition to providing financial aid to students, this Act helps
students to complete high school and enter postsecondary education,
and it provides aid to improve K-12 teacher training at postsecondary
institutions.
Support reauthorization of the Higher Education Act with emphasis
on meeting the financial aid needs of a diverse student population.
SMALL BUSINESS REGULATIONS
Small businesses are the fastest growing job-creating sector of
the U.S. economy, but barriers still exist for these companies to
grow and prosper. Employees of small businesses adopting the “simple”
401-K tax deferred saving plan cannot defer the same amount of savings
as a ‘large company’ plan, a difference of several thousands of
dollars per year. The simple plans were devised to avoid the cumbersome
paperwork of large employee plans, but should not penalize participants
by a lower deductible amount. Small businesses are further hampered
in offering various tax-deferred benefits opportunities because
of the costs of administering individual types of benefit plans.
A Simplified Benefits Plan would permit the IRS to establish a national
prototype plan, similar to a SEP, as an umbrella for small businesses
to offer tax deferrals for health savings accounts, long-term care
insurance, child care expenses and tuition plans.
Support legislation to permit equivalent tax deferrals for Simple
401-K savings plans. Support a Simplified Small Benefits Plan for
small businesses.
HEALTHCARE COVERAGE
Nearly two-thirds of Americans receive their health insurance coverage
from their employer. Yet employers continue to experience double-digit
increases in their healthcare costs, with small businesses hit the
hardest. More and more small businesses are opting not to offer
health insurance to their employees, a significant reason why one
in seven Americans are without insurance coverage.
Support pooled-purchasing associations to offer self-insured
coverage under ERISA to small businesses, individuals and the self-employed.
Support above the line deductions for individuals who pay their
own health insurance premiums. Reform the medical malpractice liability
system. Oppose the unreasonable expansion of liability to employers.
Oppose new mandates that undermine employers’ abilities to provide
high-quality health insurance at a reasonable cost to employees.
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