ELECTION 1992: LT. GOVERNOR; ROGER WILSON VS. MARGARET KELLY

Ideas vs. Idle Days

In the recent past, a succession of Missouri Lieutenant Governors have toiled diligently as Missouri's official ombudsmen, directing Missouri citizens to find child support enforcement, or pointing decent people who work for a living in the right direction after they've been injured on the job.

Noble enough stuff.

But as an appropriations chair, you're always looking for more productivity. The Lieutenant Governor's $54,432 is a full-time salary, and our state's problems are not resolved yet. They deserve full attention.

The office must do more.

That's why I have proposed (in Proposition C on the November ballot) that the lieutenant governor be given more work and responsibilities for the same pay.

More work for the same pay? Missourians like the idea. A growing number of Missourians (70 percent) think the lieutenant governor should do more.

It just makes good sense.

It's good, sound government that whoever is lieutenant governor have as broad a base of knowledge and experience as possible, should that person ever need to fulfill the constitutional obligations to succeed the governor.

Specifically, Proposition C will expand the lieutenant governor's duties in three areas: education, economic development, and helping the elderly.

First, as a student, parent and teacher, I believe education is the key to unlocking our economic potential. A well-trained workforce attracts industry to the state. As one of the drafters of Missouri's Excellence in Education Ac~t and a member of the Parents as Teachers Committee, my commitment to that well-trained workforce remains steadfast.

Economic development gets a lot of talk. Action?

Our students are leaving the state, and our jobs are being exported overseas. States are at war with one another trying to win the few jobs that are created each year. We must win that war.

That doesn't mean we give away the store with outrageous tax handouts, it means improving the quality of the workforce through education and training. It also means bringing our state closer together by sharing our rural and urban strengths through high tech.

Here's one example: Health care is important to attracting and keeping residents in any town. With technology that is already available, rural clinics can consult with specialists anywhere in the world via two-way interactive video. Residents will no longer have to leave town every time they need diagnostic treatment from specialists.

Each rural clinic can be a branch of a major hospital.

The same kind of technology can be used in business, but we must have someone out front leading the charge to bring our facilities and our workforce in~to the 21st century.

This is possible now. And I will work to make it happen.

Tourism is Missouri's crown jewel. No state has more beauty and heritage than Missouri. That's why the lieutenant governor should lead an aggressive campaign to attract more tourism dollars.

Tourism is a leading industry in the state of Missouri. And the lieutenant governor can be a catalyst, an innovator. For example, Missouri's major rivers used to be the hub of life. Bring the riverbanks back to life, and create an ecologically sound reason for people to enjoy our river heritage.

Tourism means jobs. And jobs are mighty hard to come by right now.

Finally, the lieutenant governor must take an active role in helping the elderly.

Statistics in Missouri show that too many elderly Missourians cannot even afford to eat, much less get adequate health care. This is a tragedy...one I will not allow to be swept under the rug.

A serious track record is the best proof: I sponsored the Elderly Abuse Law, increasing penalties for those who would prey on our senior citizens, and the Durable Power of Attorney, which restores the right of the individual and family to make health care decisions without state interference, like the Cruzan family had to suffer.

But much more must be done. The percentage of elderly in Missouri is fifth largest among the United States. The lieutenant governor can and should be an advocate for the elderly, to ensure a quality of life that includes decent health care, and having enough money for food and housing without having to choose between the two.

Is that too much to expect in Missouri? For the last twelve years, yes. From this time forward, no!

With imagination and a little elbow grease, a $54,432 job can be productive. More work for the same pay.

My opponent does not endorse this philosophy.

One final point: accessibility. Take the time to find out which candidate has a position on a balanced budget, child care, elder care, and economic development, to mention a few. Find out which candidate will discuss that freely in public debate.

As Lieutenant Governor of Missouri, my door will always be open, and all Missourians will be included in the government process.

And in the name of good government, I encourage all Missourians to endorse the proposal on November's ballot to make the lieutenant governor's job more than just a paid vacation.