Let citizens of Missouri decide

This is the text of the letter Gov. Bob Holden sent to Missouri legislators informing them he was calling a special session to deal with budget issues.

I am profoundly disappointed that it was necessary for me to call a special session. However, the budget presented to me is not only out of balance, but also moves our state backward. As a result, our state faces the gravest of circumstances.

As you have discovered, it is not possible to balance Missouri's budget without either finding new revenue or making devastating cuts.

The budget presented to me makes devastating cuts to education and vital services, and it is still $367 million out of balance. Our state can do better. Missouri can do better than a budget that does the following:

Moves 13,000 working adults off health insurance -- a move that pushes low-income workers back on welfare.

Deprives 5,800 mentally retarded citizens of services and cuts psychiatric care for 3,200 mentally ill adults and 800 emotionally troubled children.

Jeopardizes higher education and prices it out of the market for many low and middle income students.

Turns back the substantial progress we have made in education and causes an estimated 3,400 teachers and staff to lose their jobs.

Not only are these cuts inconsistent with Missouri values, they are also unnecessary.

At this special session, I urge all legislators to turn their full attention to finding the revenue needed to prevent the devastating cuts to education and vital human services and to meet our constitutional obligation to balance the budget.

Our work is far from over. I think our state deserves better than the budget presented to me. I am confident that if we put this issue to a vote of the people, we will do better. I trust the people of this state. I trust their common sense, their fairness, and their values. My plan allows the people of Missouri to vote on whether they support closing corporate tax loopholes and other sensible tax reform efforts or whether they are willing to accept cuts at this level to education and other services.

The citizens of Missouri deserve an honest and factual discussion. They deserve our focused attention on the crisis at hand. And, they deserve the opportunity to vote on the direction our state will take at this important time in our history.

In closing, I want to re-affirm to each of you my desire to work with you. Together we can fashion a budget that fairly and efficiently addresses the real needs of our great state and our great people.

Gov. Bob Holden