Missouri Governor Matt Blunt continued his "to the winner goes the spoils' philosophy this week with the appointment of a new panel to recommend ways to restructure and eliminate state government programs.
An Associated Press article Thursday indicated that committee consists mostly of people who donated to Blunt's campaign. The article cited Missouri Ethics Commission records that showed committee members' households donated 25 times as much money to Republicans as they did to Democrats.
Among the Blunt loyalists appointed to the committee were:
-Ray Wagner, husband of Missouri Republican Party Chairwoman Ann Wagner
-Jerry Hunter, president of the Missouri chapter of the Republican National Lawyers Association
-Charles Kruse, former state Agriculture Department director and current Missouri Farm Bureau president
-Warren Erdman, former chief of staff to Senator Kit Bond
-Steven Bradford, who holds a Democratic spot on the Missouri Conservation Commission, but who has contributed to both parties in the past.
As expected, Democratic Party spokesman Jack Cardetti was not thrilled with Blunt's idea of reforming government. "Taxpayers should be insulted that Governor Blunt's rewarding contributors under the guise of reforming government."
Other committee members, according to the AP article include Lt. Governor Peter Kinder, a Republican, and a number of representatives from big business and media. The only representative from this area is Joplin Chamber of Commerce President Rob O'Brian.