Peter Kinder and the little people
Kinder, long a champion of taxpayer handouts for pro-sports stadiums, covered parking for silk-stocking lawyers, European-style bike races, opera houses and federal lobbyists, made fun of small businesses and their chance for success as he cast his lone dissent.
"We might as well go out on High Street and start handing out $1,000 bills to passers-by," said Kinder, referring to the street that runs in front of the Capitol in downtown Jefferson City.
Ironically, that is exactly what Kinder asked the Missouri Development Finance Board to do for one of his many pet projects. When his Tour of Missouri bike race ran up a $500,000 debt, the conflict-oblivious Kinder demanded the MDFB provide a no-strings bail-out to sop up the red-ink. He voted for that hand-out.
And now, his own party is in revolt over his abuses of taxpayer funds while he chaired the MDFB.
Kinder stand against Nixon's plan is looking like a very lonely place-- but one free of the small businesses and little people he finds so unworthy.
