Dear Governor Nixon:
A federal healthcare takeover and mandate thrust upon us by President Obama, Senator Majority Leader Reid and Speaker Nancy Pelosi is on the brink of being passed into law despite the overwhelming public outcry opposing their efforts. The legislation is convoluted and full of provisions that will raise the cost of living for most everyone in our state. Up to this point you have chosen to remain silent on whether you support the efforts of your fellow Democrats in Congress.
Despite your silence Governors in other states sounded the alarm that this legislation will bankrupt their states. Even fellow Democrat Governor Bredesen of our neighbor state Tennessee called this legislation the “mother of all unfunded mandates” and opposed the legislation. Missouri’s share of the cost of an expanded Medicaid program would be as high as $450 million per year. The Medicaid program already requires more than $100 million per year in new funding for natural caseload growth.
Some argue this federal takeover is an infringement on state rights and unconstitutional. Regardless of this issue, unless you cut funding to education, Missouri simply does not have the money to afford President Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi’s social experiment. Governor, you know the legislation being forced through by your Democrat Party will bankrupt the state of Missouri and yet you say nothing. The time has come for you to take a side on this issue.
Will you stand with me and speak out against the tax increases, healthcare takeover and mandates being proposed by the federal government? Or will you abdicate your position to the powers of your fellow Democrats President Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi. Missouri deserves an answer.
Sincerely,
Peter D. Kinder
Lieutenant Governor of Missouri
Friday, January 08, 2010
Kinder: Missouri does not have the money to afford "social experiment"
Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder issued the following open letter to the governor today:
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7 comments:
Dear Mr. Kinder:
An old Chinese saying tells us "If you are planning for one year, grow rice; for 20 years, grow trees; for 100 years, grow men." For too long now, Missouri has been growing nothing but rice.
We are near the bottom of the 50 States in funding for higher education. We are near the bottom of the states in funding for a number of services that advance the capabilities and resilience of our citizens.
We have legislated that no surplus be held in reserve, so that every deficit is a crisis. A greedy electorate, devoid of the conscience of strong leadership, has legislated away its future growth. Where were you while this was going on? Only the most selfish and short-sighted would call this either just or responsible.
In the name of minimal state taxes we are rearing our children with minimal education; our poor receive minimal nutrition and shelter; our sick and lame receive minimal health care; and our elderly minimal care of any kind. This so that the most well-to-do families can retain more of their discretionary spending money for SUV’s, 70” televisions, vacations in Vegas, breast implants, cheek implants, and hair implants!
It is possible to turn this state around! We can educate our young; treat our sick and injured; feed our hungry, and provide dignified care for our elders; and we can still live a good life in Missouri. Moreover, we will have some assurance that our children and grandchildren will be able to do the same!
All we have to do is to reorder our priorities. Rather than dedicating the legislature to protecting the wealth of the wealthiest citizens, we can decide to become the best educated work force in the country; to provide the best health care, the best child care, the best elder care in the country. Missouri could be the State where businesses want to grow because it’s the place where the most capable workforce wants to live and work, and raise children.
To continue down the road of minimal taxes and minimal education will only further our slide down the path to truly becoming the Show Me state:
“You’ll have to show me, because I won’t be able to do anything for myself!”
Respectfully,
Stephen Schiavo
Associate Professor, CIS
Missouri Southern State University
here, here.
wow, now Mr. Kinder it's your turn wax away, he he....
Stephen - you need to get a real job in the real world or even better run a real business instead of sucking from the tax collection...you need to meet a payroll and worry about capital improvements, loss and prevention, paying health benefits and, getting out and grubbing for customers....
as much as I admire the teaching profession and have a great number of them in my family (myself included), I don't think you have the slightest idea of what goes on outside the school house.
You do know how to whine and point fingers at all those people who don't bow down to you and your once-proud profession...
At least Prof. Schiavo actually addressed real issues. Annon 7:32 is only attacking the person, rather than the position. I know Stephen personally and he has run his own business. However, that is not the issue. If you have a problem with the man's position address it, otherwise please don't waste bandwidth. Sad, just sad ....
so, no response?
I suppose that Missouri could be in the same mess as California...Once again fiscal responsibility is being compared to greed. I find that humorous. What better lesson to teach Missouri's youth than personal and fiscal responsibility? How sad it is when the government is the saviour. Charities, compassionate individuals, churches, and even God are being replaced by the government creating reliance by some that leaves them stuck in a ditch so to speak. Also if you are blessed to be able to afford a 70" television than you have a right to buy one with no guilt attached. I have a 32" analog but and when I become better off a new t.v.is on my list. (no desire for any implants as Mr. Schiavo stresses). Along with that abilitiy comes a moral responsibility to give to those less fortunate. That is not the government's role to enforce. I would prefer to quote founding father, Thomas Jefferson "But with respect to future debt; would it not be wise and just for that nation to declare in the constitution they are forming that neither the legislature, nor the nation itself can validly contract more debt, than they may pay within their own age, or within the term of 19 years." T.J. September 6, 1789
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