To the editor:

The state of Missouri currently taxes non-resident professional athletes and entertainers. This money was intended for the Missouri Cultural Arts Trust Fund, public libraries, humanities and public television and radio. In recent years this money has been diverted to general revenue and not to the intended funds that the original legislation specified.

SB269 creates the "Non-Resident Athlete and Entertainer Fund" to ensure that the cultural partners are funded. SB269 then allocates the money to the public facilities that contribute to the fund. Consequently, the non-resident professional athletes and entertainers are paying for the public stadiums and not Missouri taxpayers. Additionally, the money allocated to the Edward Jones Dome would offset current appropriations, thereby reducing state funding of the Dome over a shorter period of time.

While we all understand the tough financial times the state is undergoing, we cannot underestimate the economic impact that professional sports teams have in this state.

We must also keep in perspective that without the sports teams the state would be without any of this funding. We would not be able to secure funding for the cultural partners nor generate billions of dollars.

Although from first glance this bill may appear to be funding sports teams, this is simply not the case. I've had to make some very tough decisions since I was elected to this office. "What is popular is not always right, what is right is not always popular."

REP. BILL DEEKEN, Jefferson City