Time for a change in state government

Like many Missourians, I had high hopes for Gov. Parson's recent veto and special sessions of the General Assembly. These sessions presented opportunities to help working families struggling in the post-pandemic economy. Opportunities which had been ignored by our Republican-controlled government during the regular session in the spring.

Unfortunately, our hopes were dashed when it turned out that these sessions were exactly what I predicted they would be: election season grandstanding at taxpayer expense.

Did anyone notice the lopsided nature of the tax cut with the great bulk of it going to the highest income earners at the expense of working families? I cannot wait to see my $2 per week tax cut. Whoopee!

When given opportunities to fix our broken government with surplus funds in the bank, the GOP falls miserably short. Now the people must continue to suffer with an abortion ban that does not account for rape or incest; we have to live in the wild west with gun laws so lax our state ranks fourth in violent crime per 1,000 persons; we have to struggle with hundreds of unfilled state jobs, especially in health and family services, at a time of great need; school districts across the state, including the Cape Public Schools, struggle to hire enough teachers; and the climate challenge is ignored.

It seems to me that our Republican-controlled government is bereft of solutions to the challenges confronted by its citizens. It is time for a change.

ANDY LEIGHTON, Cape Girardeau

Paid for by Leighton For Democracy, Treasurer, Ron North, PO Box 763, Cape Girardeau, Missouri 63702