Mayer: Taking an In Depth Look at Missouri Government

In my opening day speech, I made several commitments and I want to discuss two of them in further detail with you this week. The first is a new Senate committee I created that is charged with investigating questionable practices in state government to ensure every dollar spent is held accountable to you, the taxpayer. The second is our continuing effort to Reboot State Government through more control, alterations or deletions. These two efforts are related in the fact that the new committee will look more in depth into areas and practices across state government, including some that were identified in our Rebooting Government recommendations.

Since we announced our 2011 Rebooting Government efforts, we have received more than 1,000 ideas submitted by Missourians on how to improve services and cut costs in state government. These ideas were considered by working groups of senators who then made recommendations. Several of those recommendations could become reality with action by the governor, while others will require the legislature to change the law. Then there are other recommendations that require more research before we can take action.

That is where the Senate Governmental Accountability Committee comes into play. This new panel will delve into some of the recommendations, such as whether or not it is practical and feasible to consider options such as opening the door to allow businesses outside of government to manage and maintain maintenance of state buildings, or even Missouri’s Lottery. These are ideas that merit further investigation.

The Senate Governmental Accountability Committee will also have the job of asking tough questions when it comes to investigating questionable practices or actions that occur in state government. One of the first events I have asked the committee to investigate involves a Cape Girardeau business’s dealings with the Department of Economic Development. Press accounts and charges filed by the local prosecutor show that the Department of Economic Development approved the application of a man, who was on probation for writing more than $90,000 in bad checks in 2007, for state aid totaling $2 million. The man represented a business that applied for the money to develop a dental and vision cooperative in downtown Cape Girardeau called “Watch Me Smile.” Fortunately, the state had not released any of the startup money, but we need to find out how his application was even approved in the first place. Safeguards must be in place and followed to protect taxpayer dollars from unfortunate events such as the one in this instance.

Every dollar spent should be held accountable to the taxpayers. Plus, by knowing how every dollar is spent, we can make sure that we eliminate waste, fraud and abuse and redirect those funds to our top priorities, namely K-12 classroom education. As we all know, every dollar counts when your budget is tight, and with the state facing a $300 to $500 million revenue shortfall the work of this committee is even more important. The committee will look into spending habits of all state departments and my hope is the panel will be able to recommend cost-saving ideas by indentifying inefficiencies and improving accountability.

This week I also had the honor of sponsoring Dorothy Rowland for reappointment to the Child Abuse and Neglect Review Board. Dorothy is a licensed practical nurse from Dexter and was first appointed to serve on the Child Abuse and Neglect Review Board in October 2010. Members of this board are responsible for providing an independent review of child abuse and neglect determinations in instances where the alleged perpetrator is not satisfied with the decision by the Children’s Division, located within the Department of Social Services. I believe Dorothy’s experience as a mother, grandmother and nurse will enable her to recognize signs and symptoms of abuse, helping ensure our children grow up in a safe and nurturing environment free from neglect and abuse.

Please feel free to contact me throughout the year with any comments, questions, or issues at the contact information listed below and on my website at www.senate.mo.gov/mayer.