The Border War Is Bad Because It Hurts Us

The day after the Kansas Legislature voted to use sales tax and revenue (STAR) bonds to lure the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals across the border to the Sunflower State, Kansas City, Missouri's mayor took to the radio to threaten retaliation. He hinted that Kansas City, Missouri could lure Kansas manufacturing plants, corporate headquarters, or even the Sporting KC soccer club into Missouri.

Governor Parson said that Missouri would "do everything we can" to keep the teams in Missouri.

This is dangerous. The reason state and municipal leaders welcomed a truce in the economic Border War was not because of the damage it inflicted on others-it was because of the damage it inflicted on their own cities and states. When signing the 2019 truce, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly noted:

In the past decade, folks in Kansas and Missouri had to watch and wonder why economic development forces in each state spent huge sums - together, some $330 million - to pull businesses a few miles across the border, and only to create an illusion of success with practically no economic gain.

Parson agreed, saying, "Sometimes common sense does prevail. Because you don't have to be a scientist to figure out [the Border War] was a bad deal for both states."

Just because Governor Kelly is violating her own executive order does not mean it is in anyone else's benefit to re-arm and ride to the sounds of guns.

The only ones who benefit from such skirmishes are the corporations that pit the two states and their various municipalities against each other. A prime example was Applebee's, which crossed State Line Road repeatedly, adding no economic benefit to either side, but racking up sweet taxpayer-funded incentives for itself each time.

All that Kansas did the other day was provide the Chiefs and Royals leverage to play the states against each other-potentially increasing the costs to taxpayers in both states. Should the Missouri side present a package that is competitive, the teams will very likely go back to Kansas and ask it to increase its offer. This is how negotiations work. Will Kansas, now that it has gotten its developers, municipal leaders, and residents excited by the prospect of hosting the two teams, be able to say no? Or will it sweeten the deal, just a little bit, to meet this "once in a lifetime" opportunity?

Anyone can see how this quickly becomes a race to the bottom.

Many Kansans are happy to have Jackson County foot the bill-and the hassle-of dealing with the Hunts and the Shermans. Conversely, there are plenty of Missourians who wouldn't be bothered if Kansas decided to pick up the tab-and the bond risk-of hosting those teams and all their demands of taxpayers. But responding in kind to Governor Kelly's gambit is not good for Missouri.

The only way to grow an economy is for government at all levels to be good at the basics. Maintain your infrastructure, keep the public safe, protect property rights, and do so as effectively and efficiently as possible. Missouri leaders ought to keep that in mind.

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