Give voters the final say

At a special session that started this week, Missouri lawmakers should quickly restore money to serve the state's neediest citizens, then place several tax increases before voters this fall.

Missourians deserve the opportunity to adequately finance critical state services such as educating children and taking care of the less fortunate.

Unfortunately, the GOP-controlled General Assembly did not take that reasonable approach during the regular session.

Legislators slashed hundreds of millions of dollars that are desperately needed to help working-poor adults who require Medicaid coverage, emotionally troubled children, people fighting drug or alcohol addiction, and people with mental illness.

For that tight-fisted effort, the legislators shouldn't take a dime of extra pay or mileage reimbursements for coming back to Jefferson City this month. Taxpayers would save about $15,000 a day. The lawmakers should not be rewarded for causing this fiasco by passing an out-of-balance budget last month.

Give Gov. Bob Holden credit for preventing legislators from getting away with that irresponsible action. He vetoed four budget bills that account for about two-thirds of the state's $19 billion budget. As Holden points out, the budget would have cut far too deeply into the ranks of the state's teachers and its social service providers.

Holden has put much of his political future on the line by calling the special session. He has shown courage -- and confidence in Missouri voters -- by proposing a few tax increases for them to decide.

Last week, Holden reiterated his call to boost gambling and tobacco taxes, to close corporate tax loopholes and to increase taxes on wealthy residents.

None of these ideas is radical. Some or all may be acceptable to voters, especially if the alternative is devastating cutbacks in crucial state services.

Because of their poor leadership on budget issues this spring, elected officials must give Missouri voters the final say in how their tax dollars will be spent. -- The Kansas City Star