Governor Jay Nixon had revived a state tax-credit review commission, creating another formal process for studying a problem Missouri policymakers already understood well. The first commission had produced worthwhile recommendations, yet major reforms did not follow; lawmakers subsequently came close to approving still more large incentive packages, including Aerotropolis.

That history justified skepticism about whether another commission would matter. Study groups can assemble useful evidence, but they cannot substitute for elected officials making difficult decisions. Missouri's tax-credit system needed policymakers willing to reduce or eliminate inefficient programs, not simply another round of recommendations that could be ignored.

Participation in the commission process could still be worthwhile if it moved concrete reforms forward. The real test, however, would be legislative action rather than the production of another report.