Most Honorable Chinese Consulate:
After watching from afar the shenanigans of the Missouri Legislature over the past three weeks, you might be under the mistaken impression that our lawmakers don't want St. Louis to be your new U.S. air freight base.
As we write this, the fate of the jobs bill that is sometimes referred to as the "China Hub" or "Aerotropolis" is unknown. On Friday, the very day your country flew its first new flight to St. Louis, the Legislature put the jobs bill on hold for a few more days. Frankly, it doesn't look good. Lawmakers, arguing that government shouldn't pick winners and losers, already have stripped the bill of useful provisions.
In reality, like you, our lawmakers are very much invested in picking winners and losers. St. Louis leaders marvel at your central government's ability to make quick decisions that shift billions of dollars in capital. In Jefferson City, Republicans like to say the free market chooses the winners. In America, we call this "hype," or worse.
As you know, lawmakers could have passed the Aerotropolis bill way back in May. The main reason they didn't is because those same Republicans chose a different business to receive the government's largesse.
In America, but especially in Missouri, money talks. The man most responsible for delaying, and possibly killing, the bill you care about is named Steve Tilley, a Republican from Perryville who is speaker of the Missouri House.
In recent years, Mr. Tilley has taken hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the primary critics of your proposal: retired investor Rex Sinquefield, who also funds the think-tank Show-Me Institute, and developers who get rich from government programs intended to build low-income housing projects.
Our suggestion is simple: Next time, put your money on the right horse.
The law says foreign nationals can't contribute to federal campaigns (you could check with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for exceptions), but Missouri's campaign law doesn't have the same restrictions.
Missouri Republicans don't really have a problem with Chinese investment. Nor do they really believe that "free market" stuff, not after defending low-income housing credits, a program that is entirely dependent on government money.
Where they believe in the free market is in campaign donations. In that regard, they are for sale to the highest bidder.
The great thing about Missouri, from your perspective, is that unlike many other states where you could locate your foreign trade hub, there is no limit here on what you can give. You could, for instance, open up a campaign committee called "Chinese for Good Jobs, Apple Pie and Children" and donate, say, a million dollars to Mr. Tilley or other lawmakers who might have been working against you.
No matter how much you give, every lawmaker will deny your donations had anything to do with his decision. It's a little like when people in your country deny lead-paint problems in children's toys. But, as a great St. Louis hero once said, we're not here to talk about the past.
Our hope is that you'll be patient. The city of St. Louis truly does want your business. We believe it would improve our economy. We just might need you to understand the rules of our game a bit better to close the deal.
