LEGISLATORS, TAXPAYERS MUST FACE FISCAL REALITY

Today marks the start of the second regular session of the 86th Missouri General Assembly. Hundreds of bills will be debated over the next four-and-a-half months, but money or lack of it will remain the dominant theme.

There's little money to go around. The governor has already cut $270 million in planned spending to keep the current $8.7 billion state budget in balance. Revenue projections are not much better for 1992, so fiscal accountability will be the watchword.

The resounding defeat of Proposition B last November should have sent a strong message to legislators: Any tax increase will have a tough go with taxpayers. Ironically, a number of tax proposals are already on the table, including those for roads, tourism and health care.

Citizens and legislators must accept fiscal realities, realizing pet programs can't receive full funding while many projects are cut. With the current financial restraints, the state of Missouri simply can't be all things to all people.

The session may also be colored by politics. That's because 1992 is an election year for all 163 House districts and half of the 34 Senate seats. But the bleak economy and growing distrust of government in general may force legislators to seek more bipartisan solutions. It also marks the last session for Gov. John Ashcroft, who will present his spending proposal to lawmakers on Jan. 15.

Educational funding will remain a hot issue during the upcoming session, despite the defeat of Proposition B. The governor and many legislators still support changing the complex foundation formula, used to distribute $1 billion to local school districts. Other key issues will be health care, highway and road funding and social services.

But the major emphasis will be refocusing state priorities with little new money. And that will make the upcoming session a challenging one.

The statistics are not encouraging. State revenue growth for the current year is projected at 2.4 percent, or about $108 million. The revenue growth for the 1993 fiscal year, which begins July 1, is expected to run about 4 percent. Add to that the fact Missouri will spend about 6 percent of its total general revenue on desegregation efforts in St. Louis and Kansas City.

Those numbers mean that essential services will certainly fare better than any new proposals. The state must first take care of business in such basic areas as education, social services, prisons, health and mental health. The Missouri Constitution also requires that it all be accomplished with a balanced budget.

Legislators will have to get down to basics this session, and separate "needs" from mere "wants." Hopefully, the lawmakers and taxpayers are up to the challenge.