Burlison: Responsible Management of Missouri's Tax Dollars

The Missouri House of Representatives has a tough four months ahead. Our economy needs a complete revitalization, our budget must be balanced despite severe fiscal constraints, and we can't overspend and run a deficit like we have seen in Washington.

The responsible management of our tax dollars is imperative. Families all across the state are tightening their finances and cutting costs, and the state government has to follow their lead. We should not burden Missouri citizens with higher taxes due to frivolous spending.

Along with balancing Missouri's budget it is important to stimulate our economy by revitalizing Missouri businesses. Last session the House of Representatives crafted and passed a comprehensive jobs bill, which was eventually passed by the Senate and signed into law by the Governor. This year our effort to grow Missouri's business climate continues to be a top priority.

The economic downturn has left no household or business in Missouri untouched, and the unemployment rate has dropped to a staggering 9.5%. The state government needs to work towards a complete revitalization of Missouri's economy by protecting the tools already in place, which have been successful in the past at bringing jobs and businesses into our state.

Federal Healthcare

President Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are writing a healthcare bill which will force hundreds of millions in new state spending and hand Missouri taxpayers the bill. To be clear: this is money we DO NOT have.

Democrats in Washington intend to pay for their healthcare plan by shifting massive costs to each state. Their bill includes billions of dollars in job-killing new taxes on businesses and individuals.

In his State of the State Address, Governor Nixon broke his silence on the massive healthcare bill coming out of Washington, but he has not given any definitive YES or NO on whether he will oppose the federal health care bill.

This past week in the House, we passed House Concurrent Resolution 18, which will urge the Missouri Congressional delegation to vote against the federal health care reform legislation. This year I have received many emails on this issue and this is why I voted for this resolution; to send a very clear message to Congress:  Missourians do not support a federal mandate on healthcare.

As always, I will do my best to keep you updated and informed on legislation and important issues we are discussing here at the Capitol.