BIlly Long at the Newton County Watermelon Feed in Neosho. (PoliticMo Photo/Natalie Preston)
(JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.) Billy Long’s congressional campaign released an ad, attacking his main opponents, Jack Goodman and Gary Nodler, for their votes for a $100 Million tax credit to revitalize inner-city areas in St. Louis.
“[They're] big spenders who oppose eliminating earmarks,” a female narrator says, to the tune of ominious music. She alleges Nodler and Goodman “voted to spend $100 million of your tax dollars on one St. Louis developer.”
The developer, Paul J. McKee Jr., hired four lobbyists to push the proposal that would have given tax credits to developers hoping to revitalize the area of downtown St. Louis. That list of lobbyists included James Harris.
Photo provided by The J. Harris Company.
Long’s campaign has paid Harris’ firm over $37,000 since October, 2009, for campaign consulting. The firm has also has produced Long’s campaign ads.
Senator Nodler disagrees with the ad’s depiction of the tax credit. “He’s referring to a land assemblage program for the City of St. Louis which authorizes tax credits for a redevelopment of a certain area. The assumption is it will return revenue to the state when the zone is revived.” He says there is “no appropriation to any individual developer.”
The City of St. Louis later rejected the proposal, after it was passed by the State Legislature and signed by former Governor Matt Blunt.
Long’s campaign-sponsored ad comes just days after Americans for Job Security released their ad attacking Long’s support for a grant, earmarked by Senator Kit Bond, that built a $3.5 Million bus terminal in the Springfield airport.
Royce Reding, spokesman for Long, says that doesn’t count as an earmark. “Billy voted for the lowest bid for the contactor – it wasn’t even an earmark – it wasn a grant.”
Long, in a statement to POLITICMO, said, “The airport board doesn’t vote on earmarks. This isn’t even an earmark, it was a grant. What I voted for was to award a contract to the lowest bidder.”
Eight republicans, including Long, Nodler, and Goodman, are running for the GOP nomination to replace outgoing Congressman Roy Blunt.
email: eli [at] politicmo.com | phone: 417.597.3873 | twitter: @eyokley 
