Today's Feature

Show-Me Green Sales Tax Holiday.

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, – Citizens will be able to save money, save energy and stimulate the economy by participating in Missouri’s first Show-Me Green Sales Tax Holiday.

The holiday, which runs from April 19-25, means a savings of at least 4.225 percent to people who purchase new ENERGY STAR ® qualified appliances in Missouri during the holiday. The reduced price represents the elimination of the state’s sales tax from the purchase.

"During these tough economic times, saving money is important to everyone," said Karen King Mitchell, director of the Missouri Department of Revenue. "The Show-Me Green Sales Tax Holiday represents an ideal time to buy these appliances because you can get them at a reduced price but also save money on your future utility bills."

Mitchell also noted that several local governmental entities have opted to participate in the holiday. This means that some purchases will be exempt not just from the state sales tax, but also city, county and special district sales taxes. Nine counties, 57 cities and eight special districts (all listed below) have opted to participate in the holiday.

"Anyone who buys a qualified appliance in Missouri will be exempt from paying the state sales tax," Mitchell said. "But people can obtain maximum savings in towns or cities where the local governments have decided to participate in the holiday. In some areas, the tax savings jump from 4.225 percent to nearly 8 percent."

Mark Templeton, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, stressed the importance of purchasing appliances that have earned the ENERGY STAR. ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. The program allows manufacturers of appliances to voluntarily label selected appliances if they meet certain criteria. The goal is to promote appliances that perform as well or better than similar appliances while using less energy. The program has saved businesses and consumers billions of dollars since its inception in 1992.

"Most of the energy used in our homes comes from the burning of fossil fuels, which increases greenhouse gas emissions," said Templeton. "Using energy-efficient appliances reduces the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere, which is obviously better for the environment."

"I encourage Missourians to make energy efficient choices and use energy efficient appliances," said Templeton. "Choosing ENERGY STAR-certified appliances could save many Missouri families about a third on their energy bill, without sacrificing features, style, or comfort," said Templeton.

ENERGY STAR-certified appliances that qualify for the sales tax exemption are:

*Clothes washers

*Refrigerators

*Freezers

*Dishwashers

*Water heaters

*Furnaces

*Air Conditioners

The sales tax exemption only applies to the first $1,500 on each appliance. If an appliance costs more than $1,500, the regular sales tax rate is in effect for any of the purchase price above $1,500.

Although the legislation (Senate Bill 1181) creating the Show-Me Green Sales Tax Holiday listed other appliances eligible for the sales tax savings, not all appliances have met ENERGY STAR guidelines. Examples of appliances NOT eligible for the sales tax exemption are clothes dryers, trash compactors, conven tional ovens, ranges and stoves. Lighting fixtures, office equipment, home electronics and other non-appliance ENERGY STAR labeled-products are also not eligible for the sales tax exemption.

Mornin'

My dad tells the story of when he was a kid a guy asked him and his buddy if they’d like ta work. The buddy asked how much it paid. The guy say he’ll pay a quarter. Dad took the offer, his buddy said no, he already had a quarter.

I suppose Dad looked at it as an example of bein’ a little on the stupid side. That’s prob’ly all there is to it, but it has always seemed to be some hidden meanin’ in the buddy’s logic, or lack thereof.

The really aggravatin’ part of the situation is no matter how much ya might have tried to convinced the buddy he wasn’t thinkin’ straight, he wouldn’t have listened. The cold fact was that he had a quarter and he apparently didn’t see the need to have two. I wonder what the response would have been to six bits.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Dear Tom and Ray:

Boy, do we have an embarrassing problem. My husband’s 1997 Nissan pickup’s horn honks every time the steering wheel is turned. There’s no telling how many arguments he’s started in cars in front of him. The problem started with a clunking in the steering wheel and progressed to the horn, that sometimes will not quit until you bang on the wheel. We are at our wits’ end as to what to do. - Jackie

TOM: And in all this time that you’ve been ticking off your entire community, it never occurred to you to take it somewhere and have a mechanic look at it?

RAY: Well, that’s what we’re going to recommend now. There are three likely possibilities. One is that the horn contact - the horn button itself - has come loose and is floating around in your horn pad.

TOM: We don’t recommend that you remove the horn pad yourself, since that also houses the air bag. And unless you want to end up with the word "NISSAN" embossed on your forehead, you might want to have someone else handle it.

RAY: It can be done safely if you disconnect the battery and allow the air bag to power down before disturbing it. But, like I said, we don’t recommend that civilians try this at home without full body armor.

TOM: If the problem is not right there, then someone will have to pull off the steering wheel and figure out if the problem is in the multifunction switch or the steering column wiring.

RAY: In the worst-case scenario, it could end up costing you a few hundred bucks, which isn’t cheap. But think about the benefits: You’ll be able to drive to church on Sunday without everybody making rude hand gestures at you.