Opinion Fake AI Ads Backing Income Tax Elimination

By the Missouri-Kansas Laborers District Council

On Thursday, the Missouri-Kansas Laborers District Council issued a formal cease and desist letter to the corporate-backed political action committee “MO Tax Relief NOW,” demanding the immediate removal of deceptive, AI-generated posts on their social media. These ads feature fraudulent images of construction workers wearing hard hats emblazoned with Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) and other union logos to falsely imply labor support for a tax proposal that would have a devastating impact on working families across Missouri. Editor — The measure would eliminate the Missouri State Income Tax and replace it with a sales tax to be determined by the Legislature.

“It is a new low, even for corporate interests, to use artificial intelligence to steal our identity and lie to the public,” said Brandon Flinn, Business Manager for the Missouri-Kansas Laborers District Council. “A computer-generated image doesn’t have a mortgage to pay or groceries to buy, but our members do. To use our symbols to promote a policy that hurts working families is a moral insult and a desperate attempt to manufacture support for a dangerous proposal.”

“The truth is this is not tax relief. It is an Everything Tax,” Flinn continued. “This plan shifts the tax burden away from the wealthy and onto working people by taxing more of the everyday goods and services families rely on to survive.”

The reality of this proposal is a massive tax shift, not a tax cut. By eliminating the state income tax and forcing a drastic expansion of the sales tax to remain revenue-neutral, this scheme would effectively raise taxes on roughly 80% of Missourians. Meanwhile, the wealthiest earners and corporate interests would receive massive tax breaks while working families would pay more for groceries, gasoline, school supplies, utilities, home repairs, tools, vehicle maintenance, and countless everyday services.

For working families already struggling with rising housing, healthcare, childcare, and fuel costs, this regressive proposal amounts to an immediate pay cut. Experts have suggested that to offset the loss of state revenue, Missouri’s sales tax rate could skyrocket to more than 18%, dramatically increasing the cost of nearly everything families buy every single day.

“This is an Everything Tax designed to benefit the rich at the expense of workers,” Flinn said. “Laborers should not be forced to subsidize tax breaks for millionaires and corporate CEOs every time they buy groceries, fill up their gas tank, or pay for basic services.”

LIUNA demands that MO Tax Relief immediately cease using our likeness and union imagery and issue a public apology to Missouri voters for intentionally misleading the public. The Missouri-Kansas Laborers District Council will continue fighting against any scheme that raises costs on working families while delivering giveaways to the wealthy.