“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus Christ
Perspective could be described as a personal evaluation of facts or circumstances. Politics produces some dramatic differences in perspective – the same facts but contrasting opinions. The governor’s State of the State address Wednesday could be a case study in perspective. It began with a prophetic declaration. In support of his extensive tax-payer-funded initiatives he declared that when we stand before our maker, we will be judged by what we did and what we neglected to do. Most students of the Bible would insist that the God of Creation will look first to my relationship to His only begotten Son and only then to my works.
The rest of the address to Missourians and the Legislature was dominated by descriptions of how well Missouri and Missourians are doing under his administration. That too seemed odd given statistics such as: Missourians’ purchasing power is down by approximately $5000 since 2000; approximately 100,000 persons added to Medicaid (not including the CHIPS program under this administration); and more Missourians are on food stamps than ever before. These are not legitimate elements of a victory lap.
Anecdotal but more immediate, is the press release issued this week by a business in Barton County. Thorco was established in 1899 and currently employs nearly 100 employees but is closing its doors. Missouri’s slow economy may not be the sole factor, but its impact cannot be ignored. I also just learned of a large manufacturer in Cass County that is moving out of the county to secure a tax advantage: The employees of these two companies may disagree with the governor’s self-aggrandizing assessment. Additionally, a significant study titled “Rich States, Poor States, 8th edition” ranks Missouri as 27th out of 50 states in terms of economic outlook.
Regarding the governor’s proposed budget which Senate leadership received approximately 15 minutes before his speech, one senator who tried to keep a running total of the bill to taxpayers estimated an increased tax bill of $700 million. The governor’s office also just requested a supplemental budget that is the largest in at least eight years and possibly the largest ever. It totals nearly one half billion dollars, 78 percent of which goes to social services (redistribution of income). That wasn’t enough for this administration, however, as the governor furthermore demanded that the legislature pass an increase in the fuel tax to fund roads rather than reprioritize the billions that we already require Missouri citizens to send to Jefferson City.
If there were winners and losers in the State of the State address, it must be conceded that the taxpayers were the losers. But I guess it depends on your perspective.
You can contact my office at (573) 751-2108 if you have any questions. Thank you and we welcome your prayers for the proper application of state government.