Thursday, January 12, 2006
BLUNT TO DEMS: BRING IT
Last night, Gov. Matt Blunt delivered his State of the State address. He painted quite the rosy picture, saying money was so much better than when he took over after that dumb ol' Democrat governor. When last year, he was talking cuts, cuts, cuts, this year he's all spend, spend, spend.
During his speech, however, he issued a challenge to Democrats and others who disagreed with his policy of cutting from Medicaid and other state services to give more to elementary education:
"For those who continue to clamor for a return to the old way I ask that you be candid. Be honest with the people of Missouri and tell them what programs you would cut or what taxes you would raise. Do not pretend that we can spend money in a vacuum with no resulting harm to schools or Missouri taxpayers."
The message: "What would YOU have cut?" And Dems would be hard-pressed to answer.
The GOP's message for the last few years (before Blunt ever got to the big chair) has been to control spending. As Blunt said several times last night, his budget and policies are all about legislators managing money the same way we balance our checkbooks. Hear hear, says the Mailbox. We have to have money to take care of the people who need it. But now that the state appears to have money, Blunt wants to spend like crazy. More for education. More for Medicaid. More for a crime lab. Tax credits for Kansas City stadiums.
Not once did he mention a SPENDING CAP. You know, a limit to ensure the state saves enough of our tax money so that we don't have to endure cuts like we have over the last four years.
And the Dems aren't catching on. Sen. Maida Coleman delivered the Democratic response—filled with as much party posturing as the Governor's speech. From the speech of doom-and-gloom:
"Missourians are tired of hearing about trickle down economics and corporate welfare and the creation of yet another task force of Matt Blunt’s campaign contributors to figure out what is wrong. We know what’s wrong. The governor’s policies don’t work."
The Mailbox would like to remind you that if you want to know the state of the state, don't listen to any speech that begins with "State of the State Address." These are not accurate representations of how things are going—they are just political opportunities to cloud people's minds with empty rhetoric and kneejerk talking points.
Last night, Gov. Matt Blunt delivered his State of the State address. He painted quite the rosy picture, saying money was so much better than when he took over after that dumb ol' Democrat governor. When last year, he was talking cuts, cuts, cuts, this year he's all spend, spend, spend.
During his speech, however, he issued a challenge to Democrats and others who disagreed with his policy of cutting from Medicaid and other state services to give more to elementary education:
"For those who continue to clamor for a return to the old way I ask that you be candid. Be honest with the people of Missouri and tell them what programs you would cut or what taxes you would raise. Do not pretend that we can spend money in a vacuum with no resulting harm to schools or Missouri taxpayers."
The message: "What would YOU have cut?" And Dems would be hard-pressed to answer.
The GOP's message for the last few years (before Blunt ever got to the big chair) has been to control spending. As Blunt said several times last night, his budget and policies are all about legislators managing money the same way we balance our checkbooks. Hear hear, says the Mailbox. We have to have money to take care of the people who need it. But now that the state appears to have money, Blunt wants to spend like crazy. More for education. More for Medicaid. More for a crime lab. Tax credits for Kansas City stadiums.
Not once did he mention a SPENDING CAP. You know, a limit to ensure the state saves enough of our tax money so that we don't have to endure cuts like we have over the last four years.
And the Dems aren't catching on. Sen. Maida Coleman delivered the Democratic response—filled with as much party posturing as the Governor's speech. From the speech of doom-and-gloom:
"Missourians are tired of hearing about trickle down economics and corporate welfare and the creation of yet another task force of Matt Blunt’s campaign contributors to figure out what is wrong. We know what’s wrong. The governor’s policies don’t work."
The Mailbox would like to remind you that if you want to know the state of the state, don't listen to any speech that begins with "State of the State Address." These are not accurate representations of how things are going—they are just political opportunities to cloud people's minds with empty rhetoric and kneejerk talking points.
// posted by MoJoe @ 13:04 
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