It was cultural anthropologist and academic Margaret Mead who once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” This is certainly true when it comes to the efforts behind the Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax and the Conservation Sales Tax. And in telling the story of the Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax, it is indeed a story of just a handful of people, working to obtain funding to address soil erosion in Missouri, though it eventually was accomplished by the coordinating efforts of thousands of people throughout our great state.
Once upon a time, there was significant soil erosion in this state. In fact, Missouri had the second highest erosion rate of any state in the Union. In order to address this plight, Representative Jerry Burch introduced a House bill in 1982, to take half of the 1/8 cent conservation tax to address soil erosion problems. Many believed the bill was doomed from the start; however, the bill passed on the floor of the house.
At that time, there was a gentleman by the name of Merle Doughty (pronounced “DOUGH-tee”) from Livingston County, who was asked to testify before the Senate on this House bill. Doughty had testified many other times in Washington D.C. and Missouri in his quest to gain funding and support to address soil erosion in Missouri. As the story goes, immediately following the failed senate vote, which drew quite a crowd, Representative LeRoy Braungardt approached Doughty and said “Merle, if you will get in and work as hard to help me as you did on this bill, I will introduce a 1/8 cent sales tax of our own to address the erosion problems in Missouri.” This was a much better plan than using half of the critical funds that Missouri citizens already had determined they wanted to go toward forest, fish and wildlife conservation efforts in Missouri.
Also, during this time, our beloved state parks system was reeling from tremendous federal budget cuts and the inability to fill the gap of the reduced funding. Building and equipment maintenance were the first to go with the reduced budget, and our beautiful parks and sites were falling into disrepair.
Soil conservation and state park operations may have seemed like the proverbial odd couple, until you examine their common but double-edged challenge. Both serve the entire population of the state of Missouri. Both encourage greater use of their respective natural resources. Yet both are required to protect those same resources from overuse, damage or potential depletion. Dividing the tax between the two efforts seemed to make the most sense.
A Citizens Committee for Soil, Water and State Parks was established in summer 1983. This group would be responsible for raising funds and gathering support for the sales tax that was placed on the August 1984 ballot as the Soils and Parks tax — Constitutional Amendment No. 2. How did the committee share information about the proposed amendment? You name it, they did it: brochures, displays, booths, fairs and festivals, billboards, yard signs, flyers, newspaper, radio and TV ads, stories and editorials, presentations to service clubs, civic groups, chambers of commerce, slide shows displayed at local movie theaters, bumper stickers, caps, t-shirts, mailings and special events. Marlin Perkins, host of the then-popular Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom television program, even agreed to be the honorary chairman of the committee and produced two public service announcements.
The Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax was approved by Missouri voters in 1984 as a constitutional amendment, Article IV, Section 47(a).
