"How did it get so late so soon?" This query from Dr. Seuss was echoed by the equally whimsical St. Louis native Yogi Berra: "It gets late early out there." Although 2007 is quickly winding down, we’ve finally released our 2006 Annual Report.

Most non-profit organizations release their annual reports much earlier in the year than this. Ours would have been out sooner, too, but we decided to commission a thorough independent audit — to make sure everything was fully on track and accounted for during our first full year of operations. We had most of the report ready to go several weeks ago, but we didn’t want to issue an incomplete profile. Some things are worth the wait.

The report details our 2006 accomplishments and finances, profiles our research areas, board of directors, staff, and scholars from that year, and provides a brief overview of what we’ve been up to in 2007 and where we’re headed next. We have an ambitious publishing schedule this fall, so be sure to keep checking our web site!

I wasn’t a Missourian in 2006 (although my best friend did take me to see Spamalot at the Fox when I visited St. Louis for my birthday last November), much less a Show-Me Institute staffer, so I don’t make an appearance in the annual report. It almost seems odd not to be included, since I’ve been here for several months now, and I spent so much time working on the annual report itself, but as Yogi Berra also (supposedly) said, "The future ain’t what it used to be."