Joe Smith: Response to the State of the State

We are in the midst of very difficult times.  As an elected official, I know that you want honest answers about the future of our state and as your State Representative it is my job to give you those answers. Last night, Governor Nixon gave his annual "State of the State Address" to the General Assembly and to the people of Missouri.  Although much of the content of that speech was uplifting at first, it soon became obvious that the Governor's solutions to the state of our state just aren't going to cut it.  In fact, much of what he "said" was quite contradictory to what he actually "does".

Job Growth

On Governor Nixon's watch, nearly 62,000 Missourians have seen their jobs disappear.  That means, nearly 170 Missourians lose their job each day.  The unemployment rate has grown to an astonishing 9.6%, which is the highest it's been in a quarter of a century.  This muststop. Last year, when the unemployment rate was much lower, the governor made the mistake of relying on a federal bailout.  He pledged that he would use stimulus money to create jobs.  Well, he has already blown through 80% of the stimulus funding we have received and there aren't enough new jobs to back up his promise to Missourians.

The answer isn't in blowing through federal bailout dollars – which are truly your tax dollars.  Instead, we must help Missouri's small businesses create new, innovative jobs.  That is the only way our state will remain competitive in an ever evolving global market.

Here's a better answer: Right now, leaders in St. Louis are moving forward with the global trade initiative and the Midwest China Hub Commission. These projects are critical to ignite job creation, and yet to this day, Governor Nixon is dragging his feet on this project.  I am hopeful that in the coming months, he will join us in supporting this significant investment opportunity.

House Republicans are also working to bring Missouri businesses innovative programs and job training initiatives. Last week, the Speaker of the House held a two-day summit with key business leaders across the state of Missouri, searching for answers on how to grow the economy – right now, not years from now. The attendees of that meeting were tasked with further research and are planning to meet again to discuss what they can do to implement job creation and job retention in our state.

Budget & Taxes

The governor talked a lot last night about "bi-partisanship", despite his refusal to work with us on several issues, including the budget. In addition to using stimulus money to promote job growth in our state, the governor also used it to irresponsibly balance our budget with that money, despite our constant warning.  He dismissed concerns about skyrocketing debt and actually said, and I quote, "If there's debt, Missouri kids and grandkids will pay that debt off." This is a truly shocking statement.  Our burden should NOT be passed on to future generations. He borrowed money from the state's rainy day fund, shuffled money in closed door meetings and 'cooked the books' with Bernie Madoff-style accounting.

Here we are, one year later.  Because of the Governor's failure to act swiftly to address the budget crisis, we now face an even bigger shortfall.  While Governor Nixon made a promise tonight to not raise taxes, just weeks ago HIS tax commission voted to raise taxes on Missouri farmers by almost 29%.  This is a devastating blow to our agricultural producers after one of the worst farm income years since 1945. Missouri farmers are a lifeline to our state's economy – we simply can't afford to raise taxes on their land.  In effort to stop this increase, the House passed a joint resolution [HCR17] out of committee this week. You can rest assured: Republicans in Missouri will NOT raise your taxes.  We will continue to tighten our belts and find ways to stretch every dollar, just like countless Missouri families do every day. There has been no transparency in the budgetary process—the Governor has kept Missourians in the dark.  Last year, the House and Senate passed a bill to make the governor's budget accessible to you online, but the governor vetoed that bill.  I believe all of us deserve to know how our tax dollars are being spent.  You expect your government to live within its means and that is a promise you have from the House of Representatives.

Did you receive your income tax refund on time last year?  If you did, you're one of the lucky ones.  Most Missourians had to wait until late summer before seeing a penny of their own tax dollars!

Last year, Governor Nixon mismanaged Missouri's budget and literally ran our state into a deficit.  Then after depleting the state's checking account, he used your income tax refunds to fill those budgetary holes. The Governor's staff claimed it was because of delays in processing, but we later found out we were once again being misled.  Your tax returns were not delayed because of "processing issues," but rather due to Governor Nixon's huge budget shortfalls. That is your money, not the governor's and you deserve to get it back on time and in full – end of story. To put a stop to late tax refunds from the governor, lawmakers will file a joint resolution telling Governor Nixon that we expect him to return your money to you ON TIME.

Ethics

In order to overhaul government, transform budgets and reform ethics, you must be willing to take those steps on your own. It's all about being a leader, and the governor hasn't done that. Here are the facts:  the Governor has the largest and highest paid personal staff of any Missouri governor in history.

Last year, while the House rejected pay raises, the Governor actually asked for more funding.  In his State of the State Address, the governor talked about reforming the ethics of political culture here in Jefferson City.  We believe he should start in his own office.

In the past year, lawmakers have credibly charged Governor Nixon's staff with offering them jobs for their votes.  The governor has rewarded top donors with the state's most lucrative fee offices.  The governor has also withheld vital health and safety information from the public by not releasing dangerous ecoli report levels in our most popular lake, the Lake of the Ozarks.  (Right now, a Senate Committee is reviewing the actions of Governor Nixon's Department of Natural Resources.  It's a sad day when journalists have to ask the governor, "Who knew what, and when").

The House of Representatives is working on a comprehensive, bi-partisan ethics bill that will change the public perception of how business is conducted in our State Capitol.  We want Missourians to know that our legislature is made up of honorable, hard-working men and women that are here to do the job of the people.

Federal Healthcare

In a corrupt process, President Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are writing a healthcare bill that will force hundreds of millions in new state spending and hand Missouri taxpayers the bill.  To be clear: that is money we DO NOT have.  Democrats in Washington intend to pay for their healthcare experiment 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 what he said meant little. Opposing mandates is not enough, Governor – in fact the entire bill is built upon shifting hundreds of millions of dollars to Missouri taxpayers.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who supported this bill in its early form, has now come out against the legislation after calculating the true cost on the residents of his state.  He may have said it best: What began as a "noble" health reform effort has become a "trough of special bribes, deals, and loopholes." By his refusal to condemn this healthcare bill, Governor Nixon is aiding and abetting the Washington Democrats agenda—and THAT is unacceptable.  But since the governor has not taken a firm enough stand, we will. Barely 24-hours ago, the Republican-led House of Representatives passed a resolution [HCR18] demanding that Democrats in Congress stop their dangerous experiment with our health care system.  The Speaker and House Leadership sent a letter to Governor Nixon a few weeks ago and have yet to hear back, so we ask again: "Governor Nixon, Missourians deserve to know.  Will you pledge to join us in total opposition to this federal health care disaster?  Please be clear this time…YES or NO?"

Missouri Republicans take healthcare very seriously – and we can back it up:

1. We have continued to fund health clinics around the state so that children of the most low-income families in Missouri can be seen by a doctor for free.  The list of these clinics can be found online at www.MoKidsCovered.com.
   
2. Right now, we are also taking the first steps in addressing medical coverage for thousands of families across our state that have children with Autism.  This bill continues the dialogue, and recognizes the importance for lawmakers, Republicans and Democrats alike, to work together in finding a way to expand healthcare coverage for families dealing with Autism.
   
3. Governor Nixon promised to add 90,000 Missourians to the Medicaid role, just so he could get elected.  He hasn't done anything to accomplish his number one campaign pledge.  In fact, the Post-Dispatch now reports that he's given up on that idea altogether.

Putting The Taxpayers FIRST

While some elected officials believe that you are lucky to have them in office, we are humbled and honored to serve the citizens of this great state.  We take that creed seriously.  While we face challenges and uncertainty, Missourians are a determined people, and together we will rise to meet any challenge. You know the value of hard work and strong values.  For decades we have defended those values and I promise you, our commitment is renewed with sincere vigor to protect the life of the unborn and your constitutional rights to bear arms. I am proud to call Missouri home.  And together, we will work to build a future that is better place for our families, our children and grandchildren because of the tough decisions we make here today.