Blunt trumpets his first 100 days; Democrats blast them

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Ever since 1933 when Franklin Roosevelt began his presidency with a whirlwind of policy initiatives aimed at pulling the nation out of the Great Depression, new chief executives have considered accomplishments during their first 100 days in office as an unofficial benchmark of the progress of their administrations.

Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt, a Republican, passed that milestone last week and claimed success in pursuing his agenda and delivering on campaign pledges. Not surprisingly, the state Democratic Party gave the governor nothing but failing grades for his early performance in office.

Blunt highlighted signing into law business-friendly bills to limit civil lawsuits and restrict workers' compensation claims. Those issues were blocked by the previous Democratic administration and its legislative allies.

Blunt also repealed his predecessor's controversial executive order extending collective bargaining rights to many state workers and set in motion the first major restructuring of Missouri government since the early 1970s.

"I am pleased with the progress we have made so far to move Missouri in a new direction," Blunt said. "We have taken significant steps to improve the economy and help our entrepreneurs and employers create good, family-supporting jobs and to make public education the state's top priority."

While Blunt's budget proposal includes about $170 million in additional spending on public schools, Democrats say he can't take credit for it because the money comes from sources statutorily earmarked for education. They say he and the Republican-led legislature are providing no increase in discretionary spending for schools.

The opposition party also says Blunt has broken repeated campaign promises not to reduce eligibility for Medicaid, the taxpayer-funded health-care program for the poor. Blunt is backing plans to eliminate or trim Medicaid benefits for more than 100,000 low-income Missourians.

"During his first 100 days in office, Governor Blunt has failed to lead our state forward," said Democratic Party spokesman Jack Cardetti. "It is difficult to tell which he is more guilty of: breaking promises to Missouri's voters or stealing hope from our state's citizens."

No to casinos

As the legislature swiftly moves to rewrite Missouri's education funding formula, House Speaker Rod Jetton, R-Marble Hill, remains steadfastly opposed to casino-related proposals that would provide additional revenue for public schools.

The formula bill, which has cleared the Senate and should be approved by a House committee on Monday, calls for boosting education spending by $689 million over five years. Senate Majority Floor Leader Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, has identified eliminating Missouri's unique casino loss limit and raising taxes on casino operators as potential revenue sources.

Jetton, however, has blocked such bills from progressing in the House and has no intention of standing down. The only pending gambling measure Jetton said he supports is one that would restrict the Missouri Gaming Commission from licensing any more casinos.

Stripper tax

Jetton is also cool to another Senate bill awaiting House action that would impose steep taxes on sexually oriented businesses and restrict their operations.

The bill's sponsor, state Sen. Matt Bartle, R-Lee's Summit, has unabashedly pushed the measure as a way of driving adult video and book stores and strip clubs out of the state. Blunt has endorsed Bartle's effort.

While supportive of that goal, Jetton is concerned about granting the industry legitimacy through taxation and that the state might eventually rely on the revenue, as has occurred with legalized gambling.

"You almost become dependent on it, and you want these girls out there; you've got to have these strippers working to help the kids," Jetton said. "That's terrible."

mpowers@semissourian.com

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