Columns

Missourians deserve discussion of facts

In recent months, Missouri House Democrats have been discussing our comprehensive Moving Missouri Forward legislative vision with the people of this state. It is a fresh set of ideas that grows jobs, keeps Missourians secure and promotes responsible government.

Gov. Matt Blunt and Republican leaders in the General Assembly have embraced some of our proposals, and we are hopeful for the opportunity to work with them to truly move our state forward. However, to do this we must be open and straightforward with Missourians about the facts. A close examination of the governor's recent State of the State address, however, reveals four major inaccuracies that merit clarification.

The governor says Missouri has gained 38,000 jobs since he took office a year ago, but he conveniently overlooks details that undermine the conclusion that the state's economy is vibrant.

Fact: According to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, Missouri has actually lost 13,200 jobs since August. Coincidentally, that is the same month legislation became law making it harder for Missourians to pursue civil lawsuits or for injured employees to receive workers' compensation. The governor has repeatedly maintained these very laws have created jobs. During September, Missouri lost more jobs than every state except for hurricane-devastated Louisiana and Mississippi. Even with the slight overall growth Missouri had in 2005, our state ranks last in job growth in the Midwest region and has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation. We can and should do better.

The governor also claims that when he took office he inherited a $1.1 billion budget deficit from the previous administration.

Fact: The Missouri Constitution requires the state to maintain a balanced budget. Even if the governor's claim were accurate, the blame would rest with the General Assembly's Republican majority, which wrote and voted to enact the fiscal year 2005 budget that he inherited. In fact, Republican legislative leaders boasted at the time of spending more money that year than the Democratic governor then in office had requested.

Governor Blunt says it would cost Missouri taxpayers "an additional $935 million" to restore cuts he made last year that resulted in nearly 100,000 Missourians losing health-care access.

Fact: The Missouri Division of Medical Services says it would take less than $200 million in general revenue to restore the cuts. Because of a miscalculation in projected revenue, the governor now says the state will collect $245 million more this year than previously anticipated. It is clear he and his legislative allies inflicted needless harm on Missourians with their health-care cuts. The governor's higher figure assumed a theoretical 37 percent growth in Medicaid spending, which he then counted twice. Average Medicaid growth in recent years has been about 11 percent.

For his final inaccuracy, the governor says "$138 million of Medicaid waste and fraud has been identified and corrected."

Fact: The governor's Department of Social Services admits that $105 million of that amount came from "closing" 53,000 cases last year. Cases are "closed" when recipients are no longer eligible for services, often because of changes in personal circumstances.

This amount, which is comparable to previous years, cannot be attributed to uncovering fraud in the system.

House Democrats are committed to working with the governor to establish fiscal responsibility and a more secure economic future for all Missourians, but the citizens of this state deserve responsible stewardship that bases policy decisions on accurate information.