Governor Jay Nixon (D) addressed the University of Central Missouri Board of Governors at the end of their morning meeting in Warrensburg today.

The press release from Governor Nixon’s office:

Gov. Nixon applauds UCM Board of Governors for freezing tuition for Missouri undergraduates

February 14, 2014

As part of continued effort to make Missouri a leader in college affordability, Gov. Nixon has called on Missouri’s public universities to freeze tuition for the upcoming school year

Warrensburg, MO

Gov. Jay Nixon today visited Warrensburg to applaud the University Of Central Missouri Board Of Governors for answering his call to freeze tuition for Missouri undergraduates for the 2014-2015 school year.  As part of his continued efforts to make Missouri a leader in college affordability, the Governor has proposed a significant funding increase for Missouri’s public four-year universities in his Fiscal Year 2015 and called on those institutions to freeze tuition for Missouri undergraduates.

“The evidence is clear, good schools help create good jobs,” Gov. Nixon said. “By investing in our universities and freezing tuition, we’re going to make sure students graduate from college with the skills to compete for good jobs, not a load of debt.”

Earlier today, the University of Central Missouri Board of Governors voted to answer the Governor’s call and freeze in-state undergraduate tuition for the 2014-15 academic year.

“I appreciate the UCM Board of Governors for taking action to keep college affordable by freezing tuition for next year,” Gov. Nixon said. “I encourage our other four-year universities, who haven’t already, to take action and hold undergraduate tuition flat next year.”

“The significant investments Gov. Nixon is making in higher education will help us to hold the line on undergraduate tuition next year while continuing to prepare students to find good jobs after they graduate,” said UCM President Chuck Ambrose. “The University of Central Missouri offers a world class education at an affordable price, putting a college degree and quality career within reach for thousands of students.”

Gov. Nixon has made the quality and affordability of higher education in Missouri a top priority of his administration. Over the past five years, Missouri has led the nation in holding down tuition increases at its public universities. The College Board’s 2013 Trends in College Pricing report shows that tuition and fees at Missouri’s public four-year institutions increased just 5 percent since 2008, lower than in any other state in the nation.

Gov. Nixon’s Fiscal Year 2015 balanced budget proposal includes an additional $36.7 million in funding for Missouri’s public universities, through Missouri’s performance-based funding model for higher education, implemented for the first time last year.  The Governor’s STEM initiative would also provide an additional $22 million in core funding for Missouri’s public universities to help these institutions purchase equipment, expand lab space and produce more graduates in fast-growing STEM fields.  

To address a critical shortage of mental health professionals in many communities across the state, the Governor has proposed a strategic investment of $20 million investment to help Missouri’s community colleges and universities train 1,200 students in high-demand mental health fields.

Last year, Gov. Nixon set a goal of giving every student in the state the opportunity to earn a Missouri A+ scholarship. Under the A+ program, Missouri students can earn a scholarship to cover the cost of tuition and academic fees for two years at any public two-year community college or technical school in the state. To be eligible for the program, students must meet academic achievement standards, conduct and attendance requirements, and perform 50 hours of tutoring or mentoring service.

Since the Governor took office, 266 schools have been added to Missouri’s A+ Schools program and 99 percent of public high school students in Missouri now have the opportunity to earn an A+ scholarship and attend two years of community college tuition free.

Gov. Nixon’s Fiscal Year 2015 budget proposal increases funding for all of Missouri’s major scholarship programs including Bright Flight, A+ and Access Missouri.

Earlier in the meeting Senator David Pearce (r) and Speaker Pro Tem Denny Hoskins (r), both representing districts which include the campus of the University of Central Missouri, provided a legislative update to the Board of Governors. After their reports Senator Pearce (r) and Representative Hoskins (r) did not stay to hear Governor Nixon speak.

Speaker Pro Tem Denny Hoskins (r) providing a legislative update to the University of Central Missouri Board of Governors

at their meeting in Warrensburg early this morning.

At several points in his legislative update Representative Hoskins (r) commented on Governor Nixon’s (D) revenue projection for the state budget.

Speaker Pro Tem Denny Hoskins (r):  [….]

…Outside of the Governor’s paid staff no one believes in Missouri that our rev, general revenue will increase by five point nine percent…

[….]

…It, uh, it just makes it, uh, very disingenuous, um, the Governor makes recommendations based on a revenue projection that no one agrees with outside of he and his office. And then the House and the Senate take on the heavy task of, of being realists and saying, okay, we’re not gonna have a five point nine percent, and, uh, we have to go through and cut over three hundred million dollars from the government, Governor’s proposal…

[….]

Governor Jay Nixon (D) addressing the University of Central Missouri Board of Governors in Warrensburg this morning.

At the press availability after Governor Nixon’s address to the UCM Board we had the opportunity to ask about Representative Hoskin’s comments:

Question: …Governor, earlier today, um, Speaker Pro Tem Hoskins was here and spoke before the [University of Central Missouri] Board [of Governors] and he stated, “…it makes it very disingenuous,” this is a direct quote, “…it makes it very disingenuous when the Governor makes recommendations based on a revenue projection no one agrees to outside of he and his office.”

Governor Jay Nixon (D): Well, I mean, we feel good about, uh, the way the economy’s moving forward in the State of Missouri. Um, the revenue estimates we based this year’s on is less than last year’s gain, um, as far as, uh, revenue growth this state and, and less than has been historically over the last, uh, forty years. So we feel comfortable, uh, that as the economy is moving back, uh, both, you know, that these resources will be there. We look forward to working, uh, with folks, uh, to, uh, to, to hit the, hit these targets.

Question: What kind of reception have you gotten in the General Assembly that would suggest that they’re going to go for the revenue projections that you’ve got in terms of how they budget?

Governor Jay Nixon (D): Well, I think everybody understands that, uh, that the economy’s moving forward, it’s just at what rate it’s moving forward. Uh, we feel that with some of these significant investments, especially as I mentioned here, in the auto sector, one right here in, in Warrensburg, that we’re seeing, uh, that strong growth. Like I said before, I, I, uh, um, you know, it, uh, it’s important, um, that, that we, uh, make sure that we all understand that the, the best economic development tool, tool there is is education. And I think, uh, rather than, uh, uh, than, I think our focus should be on taking the resources we have and making the most impact with them for the future. And the best way to do that is to, is to adequately fund our education system.

[….]

Question: …The Associated Press reported on your remarks yesterday at the, uh, Governor’s mansion that, uh, you were not, uh, ruling out running for President. I, my follow up question from yesterday is how about Vice-president, uh, have you, uh, talked with, uh, Hilary Clinton about that [crosstalk], that possibility?

Governor Jay Nixon (D): I, I , it’s just, I, uh, um, I’m looking forward to, to campaigning with, with Secretary Clinton should she decide to make the, uh, the run. And, and, uh, focus, my attention is focused on, uh, serving the people of the State of Missouri now and that’s the, it’s, uh, it’s managed to keep me very, very busy serving the people of the Show Me State. And I’ll, I’ll focus my attention there…

…But, uh, no, I think that, uh, I think that the, this is the year in which we, with the economy growing we have resources to, uh, to invest in education. That’s why our, our three pronged attack here has been to say let’s, let’s expand preschool opportunities, ’cause if kids are ready to learn when they start preschool, that’s why we’re tripling the, the availability of dollars [inaudible] preschool project. At the K through twelve level we need to fully fund the foundation formula. And we’re on a path in my budget to get that done over the next two years. And then thirdly, uh, by getting, uh, keeping tuition frozen the way that this board just voted today to do, uh, we’re in a position to continue to keep Missouri as the national leader, uh, in the smallest tuition increases of anywhere in the country, while at the same time expanding both access and quality of those, uh, higher education institutions. And that’s why, uh, uh, folks can, can talk about various budgetary amounts, as long as we keep our eye on the prize, which is making sure that the best economic development tool there is, education and a great education system, is where we’re all working together. Uh, I’m confident that, that we will make a difference that’ll make, uh, a lasting difference for, uh, kids and families of our state.

[….]

Governor Jay Nixon (D) at the press availability in Warrenburg after the University of Central Missouri Board of Governors meeting.

Previously:

HR 380: impeaching Governor Jay Nixon (D) because of teh gay thing (February 6, 2014)

The latest impeachment bill aimed at Governor Jay Nixon, filed today:

SECOND REGULAR SESSION

House Resolution No. 476

97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES MOON (Sponsor), BRATTIN, MUNTZEL, WILSON, POGUE, MARSHALL, HURST, BAHR AND NEELY (Co-sponsors).

5835L.01I

           WHEREAS, when the Second Regular Session of the Ninety-seventh General Assembly convened on January 8, 2014, there were three vacancies in the House of Representatives, and one vacancy in the Senate; and

           WHEREAS, as a result of those four vacancies, approximately 285,000 Missourians are without representation in the Missouri House or Senate; and

           WHEREAS, the 120th House District seat has been vacant since June 5, 2013, with an election date to fill this vacancy recently being called for August 5, 2014. At the time of this election, the 120th House District seat will have been vacant for 430 days; and

           WHEREAS, the 67th House District seat has been vacant since December 2, 2013, with an election date to fill this vacancy recently being called for August 5, 2014. At the time of this election, the 67th House District seat will have been vacant for 246 days; and

           WHEREAS, the 151st House District seat has been vacant since December 18, 2013, with an election date to fill this vacancy recently being called for August 5, 2014. At the time of this election, the 151st House District seat will have been vacant for 230 days; and

           WHEREAS, the 22nd Senate District seat has been vacant since December 18, 2013, with no special election date having been called to fill this vacancy; and

          WHEREAS, on January 2, 2014, a lawsuit was filed in Cole County on behalf of ten people from various House and Senate Districts, stating that Governor Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon has been remiss in his duties as Governor by not setting dates for special elections to fill the four vacant seats; and

           WHEREAS, Article I, Sections 1 and 2 of the Missouri Constitution state foundational principles of Missouri’s form of government:

“Section 1. That all political power is vested in and derived from the people; that all government of right originates from the people, is founded upon their will only, and is instituted solely for the good of the whole.”

“Section 2. That all constitutional government is intended to promote the general welfare of the people; that all persons have a natural right to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness and the enjoyment of the gains of their own industry; that all persons are created equal and are entitled to equal rights and opportunity under the law; that to give security to these things is the principal office of government, and that when government does not confer this security, it fails in its chief design.”; and

           WHEREAS, Article I, Section 25 of the Missouri Constitution expressly acknowledges that Missouri citizens have the right of suffrage:

“Section 25. That all elections shall be free and open; and no power, civil or military, shall at any time interfere to prevent the free exercise of the right of suffrage.”; and

           WHEREAS, a representative voice in each house of the Missouri General Assembly is part and parcel of the constitutional right of suffrage. Any delay in securing the citizens’ right of representation in the state legislature should be subject to strict scrutiny by our courts; and

           WHEREAS, Article III, Section 14 of the Missouri Constitution requires the Governor, leaving no discretion with the Governor, to issue writs of election to fill vacancies in the Missouri General Assembly:

“Section 14. Writs of election to fill vacancies in either house of the general assembly shall be issued by the governor.”; and

           WHEREAS, Section 21.110, RSMo, also requires the Governor to issue writs of election:

“21.110. If the governor receives any resignation or notice of vacancy, or if he is satisfied of the death of any member of either house, during the recess, he shall, without delay, issue a writ of election to supply the vacancy.”; and

           WHEREAS, in addition to the April municipal general election, the August primary election, and the November general election, Section 115.123, RSMo, permits special elections to fill vacancies to be held on any Tuesday; and

           WHEREAS, since 2005, elections have been held in February, April, June, August, September, and November; and

           WHEREAS, Governor Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon has refused to set elections to coincide with the earliest possible scheduled election after each vacancy occurred, thereby infringing on the constitutional rights held by not only the 285,000 Missouri citizens who reside in the affected districts, but all Missouri citizens who rely on full representation in the state legislature for all our citizens in order to fairly engage in the people’s business; and

          WHEREAS, the relevant constitutional and statutory provisions make it clear that a governor has no authority to deny or unreasonably interfere, as Governor Nixon has, with the citizens’ right to legislative representation; and

           WHEREAS, Article IV, Section 2 of the Missouri Constitution states:

“The governor shall take care that the laws are distributed and faithfully executed, and shall be a conservator of the peace throughout the state.”; and

           WHEREAS, in knowingly failing to issue writs of election “without delay” as required under Section 21.110, RSMo, when numerous election dates were possible, Governor Nixon has not only violated state statutory law, but has also violated the Missouri Constitution by not taking “care that laws are distributed and faithfully executed” as required under Article IV, Section 2; and

           WHEREAS, most importantly, Governor Nixon’s knowing failure to issue writs of election “without delay” unlawfully prolonged the period of time in which 285,000 Missourians will be deprived of one of their most basic rights as citizens, their right to have representation in their government; and

           WHEREAS, Article VII, Section 1 of the Missouri Constitution states:

“All elective executive officials of the state, and judges of the supreme court, courts of appeals and circuit courts shall be liable to impeachment for crimes, misconduct, habitual drunkenness, willful neglect of duty, corruption in office, incompetency, or any offense involving moral turpitude or oppression in office.”; and

           WHEREAS, with blatant and knowing disregard for the basic right of the citizens of this state to be represented in their state legislature, Governor Nixon’s breach of his constitutional duties to faithfully execute the laws of this state by knowingly failing to issue writs of elections “without delay” as required by law when numerous election dates were possible is grounds for impeachment as willful neglect of duty and misconduct in office; and

           WHEREAS, Article VII, Section 2 of the Missouri Constitution vests the sole power of impeachment in the House of Representatives:

           NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Missouri House of Representatives, Ninety-seventh General Assembly, finds, charges, and presents that Governor Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon, while so acting as the Governor of the State of Missouri, failed to issue writs of election for four vacancies in the Missouri General Assembly “without delay” as required by law when numerous election dates were possible, constituting an act which is an impeachable act under Article VII, Section 1 of the Missouri Constitution, and that by doing such aforesaid act Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon was and is guilty of the commission of willful neglect of duty and misconduct in office; and

           BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Missouri House of Representatives adopts the following:

ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT

ARTICLE I

           That the Missouri House of Representatives under the authority of Article VII, Section 2 of the Missouri Constitution does find, charge, and present that Governor Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon, while so acting as the Governor of the State of Missouri, contrary to the standards of conduct prescribed for an elected executive official of the state, committed an act impeachable under Article VII, Section 1 of the Missouri Constitution, in that, Governor Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon knowingly failed to issue writs of election for four vacancies in the Missouri General Assembly “without delay” as required under Section 21.110, RSMo, when numerous election dates were possible.

           That by the doing of the aforesaid act, Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon was and is guilty of willful neglect of duty and misconduct in office, an impeachable offense under Article VII, Section 1 of the Missouri Constitution, and that such act has shaken the faith and confidence of the citizens of the State of Missouri in their ability to have faith in their elected public officials, and has breached the public trust that the laws of this state will be faithfully executed.

ARTICLE II

           That the Missouri House of Representatives under the authority of Article VII, Section 2 of the Missouri Constitution does find, charge, and present that Governor Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon, while so acting as the Governor of the State of Missouri, contrary to the standards of conduct prescribed for an elected executive official of the state, committed an act impeachable under Article VII, Section 1 of the Missouri Constitution, in that, Governor Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon, in knowingly failing to issue such writs of election, deprived approximately 285,000 Missouri citizens of their basic right to representation in their government.

           That by the doing of the aforesaid act, Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon was and is guilty of willful neglect of duty and misconduct in office, an impeachable offense under Article VII, Section 1 of the Missouri Constitution, and that such act has shaken the faith and confidence of the citizens of the State of Missouri in their ability to have faith in their elected public officials, and has breached the public trust that the laws of this state will be faithfully executed.”; and

           BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that upon impeachment by the House of Representatives, Governor Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon shall stand trial before a special commission of seven eminent jurists to be elected by the Missouri Senate in accordance with Article VII, Section 2 of the Missouri Constitution for willful neglect of duty and misconduct in office; and

           BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chief Clerk of the Missouri House of Representatives be instructed to prepare properly inscribed copies of this resolution for Governor Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon, the Missouri Supreme Court, and the Missouri Senate.

[emphasis in original]

Oh, please, do proceed.

If the special election to replace a gay member of the General Assembly who resigned and had also filed a joint state tax return was not quickly scheduled by the Governor would the two sets of articles of impeachment cancel out? Just asking.  

Last year Governor Nixon froze $400 million worth of spending allocated for education, state services and capital improvements. He took this action in order to make it clear that efforts by the legislature to override his veto of HB253 would result in long-term damage to state revenue that would have to be offset by reallocating funds:

“The choice before us is stark and clear,” Nixon told reporters.  “Members of the General Assembly can either support House Bill 253 or they can support education, but they can’t do both.”

The Governor’s dramatic action, which simply underlined the detailed evidence he had already made available to support his arguments against the tax-cut, seemed to have worked. HB253 went down in figurative flames, enabling Nixon to free up some of the frozen funds.

Given the braying about spending offsets for every piece of social services spending that we get from national Republican legislators, you’d expect our GOP homies would understand how it works and man up. But no way. Nixon’s strategy enraged plenty of Republicans who were confident that they were going to be able to deliver a juicy tax-cut for their corporate patrons. Who, after all, likes to be outplayed, especially when, to all appearances, one holds all the cards?

But elephants never forget, and state GOPers now think they’ve figured out a way to get payback and thwart future efforts to make education the topic when they want it to be nothing but tax-cuts:

The Missouri Constitution allows the governor to control the rate appropriations are spent and to reduce spending when state revenues are less than the estimate upon which the budget is based.

Republican Sen. Ryan Silvey, of Kanas City, has proposed a constitutional amendment that would exclude spending through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education from that budget-trimming authority. A constitutional amendment would require a statewide vote if it passes the Legislature.

There  you have it: Rep. Silvey’s SJR45 , a tit-for-tat move that, by putting a constitutional amendment on the state ballot, seeks to tilt the playing board for future tax policy games. It’s an interesting move since Missouri House Speaker Tim Jones claimed that the Governor was violating the constitution last year. The fact that nobody took the Governor to court and that the GOP is now hoping to ask Missourians to amend their constitution, suggests that they didn’t really think the constitutional objection had much weight. Republicans were simply playing the empty constitutional card that they always pull when they’ve not got anything else up their sleeves.

Although the true purpose of of Silvey’s gambit is clear, he also wants to pose as a stalwart supporter of education by ignoring the context the Governor’s actions, the threat posed by the Republican corporate tax-cut, tweeting “Today I filed SJR45 to amend the MO Constitution to prohibit the Governor from withholding money from schools. Education is too important. ” Damn straight education’s important. That’s why the Governor did what he did.

Silvey later added, “My SJR45 will finally remove school kids from being a piece on the Governor’s political chess board.” I don’t know about you, but I’d be glad to let the Governor use my children as pieces on his “political chess board” if it saved their schools from Republican raids on the state’s revenue stream. Good schools cost money. Heck, even mediocre schools cost money. Tax-cuts for corporations and rich people take the money we need for schools, among other things, and, to be honest,  they haven’t done much for the economy of states that have beggared themselves through  this type of tax-cutting. What we ought to be asking Silvey is, if he’s so big on eduction, why isn’t he proposing a way to secure some new revenue to pay for it?

Nobody wants to hurt education and, in general, at any rate, everybody likes the idea of tax-cuts, but the two are tightly linked in Missouri, a state that currently can’t manage to properly fund its schools. Why does it bother Republicans so much when this linkage is made explicit? Why can’t they be upfront about the consequences of their low- or no-tax philosophy? And finally, why should anyone vote for Silvey’s constitutional amendment, which is no more than a cynical effort to checkmate a Governor who’s trying against all odds to improve Missouri’s mediocre educational system.

 

A press release from the Missouri Republican Party Chair, Ed Martin, has given us the GOP response to HB1340, the ethics reform bill sponsored by state Rep. Kevin McManus (D-036) which was written in collaboration with Secretary of State Jason Kander, also a Democrat. Martin’s take, which will presumably inform his fellow partisan’s talking points, is akin to Jesus’ dictum  that only those who are without sin should cast stones (John 8:7). Sadly, Martin is confused not only about what constitutes political sin, but about the distinction between punitive action – the analogue to the Pharisees effort to stone the woman taken in adultery – and proposals for reform that will benefit every honest actor in government – with the emphasis on honest.

First, a little background: It helps to know that Missouri is a wide-open state when it comes to pay-to-play politics; regulation is so minimal it is non-existent for all practical purposes, and, as a consequence, the home of Missouri political life, Jefferson City, has begun to give off a mighty foul stench. If you’re interested in the particulars, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has detailed some of the abuses in two recent editorials (here and here). Efforts to rectify the situation have been repeatedly stymied, presumably by the gangsters politicians who don’t want to give up the good thing they’ve got going. The Post-Dispatch summed up the process recently, noting that while members of both parties in the legislature are willing  talk a good game when it comes to ethics reform, so far a majority hasn’t been willing to play it out.

The Kander-McManus  bill, however, has real teeth. Do a Google search under the terms “Kander” and “ethics reform” and you’ll see heading after heading calling it a “sweeping reform.” While it may be a descriptive cliche, the label is apt. If adopted, the bill would greatly restrict the most egregious abuses, and represents a good first step toward reform even though it falls short of public-financing. Specifically, it “establishes campaign contribution limits, restricts lawmakers from lobbying or consulting during or immediately following their term, and gives significant new muscle to the Missouri Ethics Commission.”

So what’s Martin on about? Do you think that he might worry that an attack on political corruption could be seen as targeting Republicans? Could that be the reason he’s all “Golly Gee Willikers” about the fact that even Democratic politicians receive campaign donations, sometimes big ones, from supporters:

In 2013, Governor Nixon amassed over $500,000 in contributions over the $5,000 mark. He accepted over $118,045 from trial attorneys and law firms, over $11,000 from unions, and $95,000 from the healthcare industry.

Governor Nixon and Secretary Kander are pushing for stricter limits to current campaign ethics laws, while a noble gesture; they lack the credibility to lead on such reform. Missourians are tired of elected leaders’ talking out of both sides of their mouth,” said Ed Martin, Chairman of the Missouri Republican Party.”

Secretary of State Jason Kander accepted donations 19 times over the course of 2013 above the reforms he supports.

It’s at this point that Martin doesn’t seem to understand just where sin resides when it comes to money in politics. Notice that he doesn’t accuse either the Governor or Secretary Kander of any kind of quid pro quo, and, so far as I know, there’s been no indication of such behavior on the part of either man. It isn’t accepting money that’s bad, it’s selling government in return for that money. That said, it’s clear that there’s a crying need for some pretty strict rules to govern the way the money game is played, and I personally think that rather than invalidating the call for new rules, the fact that the call for reform comes from successful players gives it even more heft.

Which is why Martin’s pièce de résistance, a call for Nixon and Kander to sign a “pledge” promising to forego donations that exceed the limit proposed in Kander’s bill, and to return such large donations that were received in 2013, is so palpably silly. Who in God’s name thinks that unilaterally disarming the reformers would further the goal of reform? At any rate, neither Martin nor anyone else really has to worry about the credibility of the reformers to embrace obvious reforms. If a really “sweeping” ethics bill like that proposed by Kander and McManus, a bill that wields a great big industrial sized broom, is actually adopted, its provisions will apply to Governor Nixon and Jason Kander as well as to every other member of Missouri government. By any measure, when Kander stepped up to lead the ethics reform movement, he was doing just what Martin adjures him to do: trying to put into practice what he preaches.

Today’s St. Louis Political Dispatch tells me that state Senator Kurt Schaefer (R-19) has labeled Governor Nixon’s proposed 2015 budget a “political fiction,” based on the Governor’s estimate of a revenue growth rate of 5.2%. One can dispute the premises of the budget in a number of ways, but maybe Senator Schaefer should be careful about calling others out for purveying political fiction. Schaefer, after all, is the same politician who defended his opposition to accepting Obamacare Medicaid expansion funding, which would have helped insure thousands of poor Missourians, by claiming that it would ultimately hurt education, declaring unequivocally that, “I am firmly convinced as the chairman of appropriations that there is no possible way to do Medicaid expansion and not have a serious negative impact on public education.”

Of course the Medicaid expansion would have been fully funded by the federal government for the first three years and the state would have had to pick up funding for only 10% of the cost thereafter. The truth of the matter, as opposed to Schaefer’s contrived political fiction, seems to be that if Missouri doesn’t get in on this, the state will have missed out on a rare bargain that would better the lot of its citizens at a very low cost. All of which leaves one wondering if Schaefer might have a serious problem when it comes to distinguishing political fiction from reality, which would, of course, render the issue of Nixon’s budget – is it fictional or not? – moot.

But it gets even worse. It’s clear, after all, that Schaefer’s wailing about the fantasy damage that Medicaid will do to education in Missouri hasn’t stopped him from refusing to endorse revenue enhancements that are necessary if the struggling educational system is not to be damaged any more than it already has been. He’s actually sponsored another of those massive tax cut bills, SB733, that seem to get GOP juices going in spite of the potential to beggar state coffers, and, in the process, decimate public education in Missouri.

The damage to Missouri education that Schaefer is willing to countenance gets even more specific. According to the Post-Dispatch article, Schaefer’s response to the Governor’s proposed infusion of public funds into the foundation formula, the means by which the state attempts to equitably allocate money to public schools, was that the amount was too high. He can say this although the formula has been underfunded for the past three years and the amount of public funds that Governor Nixon is proposing to put into the system does not come close to closing the gap. The formula was underfunded by $621 million in 2013 and the governor is proposing to supplement it with only $278 million, but Kurt Schaefer thinks that this is more than we can afford. Yet this very same man thinks that Missouri can afford to refuse the return of federal money for Medicaid expansion – money that Missouri tax-payers paid into the federal system – because he, for some trumped up reason, thinks it will hurt education funding.

Since fiction is a realm where the normal logical rules need not apply, I’d say that these interrelated snippits of Senator Schaefer’s world-view might indicate that the gentleman himself inhabits a pretty fictional political universe. The question is, as always, why do Missourians continue to opt for fiction over fact when they elect their representatives? Don’t they see what’s happening as the state hurtles toward a very real, non-fictional bottom?

*Last sentence in 2nd paragraph edited slightly for clarity.  

At times discourse on the Internets can be a rich source of solutions to our political problems. One such solution to the Medicaid impasse between the republican controlled Missouri General Assembly and sane people in our state is offered by dpm at Balloon Juice (in reference to Iowa). Take the same Federal money and relabel the program.

….as long as the program is called something like the “Non Obamacare Medical Workhouse Plan for Undeserving Moochers Who Should be Shamed”….

The republican General Assembly just might go for it with slight modification – refuse the Federal dollars and completely defund it. The shaming part could remain.

You’re welcome.

Previously:

The republican controlled General Assembly can’t and won’t do the math (December 31, 2013)

Governor Jay Nixon (D) [file photo].

Yesterday, from the office of Governor Jay Nixon (D):

December 31, 2013

Gov. Nixon says Missouri should resolve in 2014 to strengthen and reform Medicaid, the Missouri way

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Gov. Jay Nixon today addressed the media in Jefferson City on the importance of strengthening and reforming Medicaid the Missouri way. Below are his prepared remarks:

“Tomorrow, we will celebrate a New Year. And as we do every January 1, we’ll reflect on what we’ve done over the past 12 months, and contemplate what we resolve to accomplish in the year ahead.  

“But 2014 will be a little different. Tomorrow, 4.4 million Americans in states all across the nation – folks who are working, but don’t have health insurance – will wake up and be eligible to get the basic health care services they need.

“Tomorrow, roughly $37 billion – including two billion of Missourians’ tax dollars – will begin to flow to 25 states that are reforming and improving their health care systems. States like Arkansas and New Jersey, Iowa and New Mexico, Michigan and Ohio, Arizona and North Dakota.

“Tomorrow, businesses in these states will have a significant competitive advantage – because as more people get health coverage, fewer people show up in emergency rooms, putting downward pressure on private health premiums.  

“But not here in Missouri. Because of the legislature’s inaction on Medicaid, here in Missouri, 2014 will start in a different way.

“Tomorrow, nearly 300,000 working Missourians will continue to be uninsured.  They’re factory workers and house cleaners, mechanics and truck drivers, moms and dads. These folks work tough, low-paying jobs that don’t offer health benefits, and they can’t afford a doctor’s bill.

“Tomorrow, moms with breast cancer, dads with heart disease, young adults with mental illness, will go another day without the treatment they desperately need, for no other reason than they live in Branson instead of Bentonville, in Cape Girardeau instead of Cairo, Maryville instead of Muscatine.

“Tomorrow, Missouri families and businesses will continue to pay federal taxes, but instead of coming back to Missouri, those tax dollars will be spent in other states: $2 billion a year, $5 million every day.

“Tomorrow, employers in Missouri will face an uneven playing field – shouldering the burden of rising health premiums, while their competitors in other states see their costs go down.        

“Tomorrow, Missouri’s Medicaid system will operate as it has for years, without additional needed reforms, protections for taxpayers, or new measures to promote personal responsibility, many of which are being granted for the first time in states that are moving forward.

“Obviously, it doesn’t have to be this way. We’ve seen our neighbors in Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa and Kentucky move forward with common sense, market-based approaches to helping low-income working families afford the basic health care services they need to live healthy lives.

“Republicans and Democrats in these states worked together to stand up for taxpayers, for families and for their communities. They seized this opportunity to implement innovative reforms – like rewards for making healthier lifestyle choices and penalties for missing doctors’ appointments, or showing up at the emergency room with a stuffy nose.

“They’re using market-forces to modernize what had been outdated and inefficient health care systems, and improve outcomes and reduce costs for everyone. And unless we change course, they’re going to do all this with our tax dollars – while Missouri gets left behind.

“That’s wrong – and as we’ve seen in these other states, there’s a clear way to fix it.

“So as we begin the New Year, let’s resolve to work together to make Missouri a healthier place to live and work.

“Let’s resolve that Missourians who work hard day and night can afford to see a doctor when they are sick and to take medicine to help them get well.

“Let’s resolve that no Missourian should have to choose between going back to work and keeping their health insurance.

“Let’s resolve that Missourians’ tax dollars be spent here in Missouri, not in other states.

“And let’s resolve to pass a bill that brings our tax dollars home to strengthen and reform Medicaid the Missouri way.

“The stakes are high. The choice is clear. And time is running short. We can – we will – we must get this done this year.”

[emphasis added]

Anything has to go through the republican controlled Missouri General Assembly. Don’t hold your breath for anything useful. They have other priorities.

Today, via Twitter, from Governor Jay Nixon (D):

Governor Jay Nixon ‏@GovJayNixon

Tomorrow, billions of dollars will begin to flow to states to improve & reform health care, but Missouri won’t be one of them. #momedicaid 12:50 PM – 31 Dec 13

Wait until Missourians realize they’re paying for those other states to do so.

Update:

Governor Jay Nixon ‏@GovJayNixon

Tomorrow, MO taxpayers will start subsidizing health care in other states. That’s wrong and we should resolve to fix it in 2014 #momedicaid 2:23 PM – 31 Dec 13

Today:

Nixon eyeing special session for big Boeing tax breaks, sources say

CHESTERFIELD • Gov. Jay Nixon is poised to call lawmakers back to Jefferson City next week to pass special incentives to help lure Boeing Co.’s 777X assembly plant to north St. Louis County.

Official word is expected Friday, but several sources in the administration and legislature have confirmed that Nixon intends to call a special session, perhaps to start as soon as Monday….

Interesting game.

The view from Seattle, Washington:

Courageous Boeing Workers Say No to Corporate Extortion

Posted: 11/18/2013 12:42 pm

In a remarkable act of courage and solidarity with the next generation, last week Boeing workers in Seattle soundly rejected corporate extortion, by voting down a contract which traded job guarantees for concessions that would severely erode the pay and benefits of younger workers. In doing so, the members of the Machinists are risking their jobs to save an America built on the middle class….

….Early this month, Boeing tried to blackmail both its union members and Washington state. Declaring that it would consider moving assembly of a new line of 777X planes out of state, the corporation asked for mammoth tax incentives and huge concessions on wages and benefits. The governor and State Legislature caved immediately, passing the largest development tax break for a company in American history, $8.7 billion over 16 years, in a special weekend session. The leadership of Machinists Local 751 also wavered, agreeing to put the contract up for a membership vote, over the objections of most of the union’s management council.

But then a remarkable thing happened, in an age in which Americans, scared that they will lose what they have left, seem resigned to shrinking pay and disappearing benefits.  A grassroots swell of membership opposition to the contract rose up, leading to 67% of the member rejecting the contract. The members did so with their eyes wide open, understanding that Boeing might not be bluffing….

Interesting game. Just add Thelma Ritter. Same plot. And if they do the same to Missouri?

So, when they do bluff who ends up paying the bill for the Missouri General Assembly special session? Just asking.

Today, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C001135 11/24/2013 A BETTER MISSOURI WITH GOVERNOR JAY NIXON Burns & McDonnell PO Box 419173 Kansas City MO 64141 11/22/2013 $10,000.00

[emphasis added]

What’s next? We have no idea.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: …running for what? (November 14, 2013)