Missouri Democrats support opportunity

As Missourians, we all have a stake in our state's success. As Democrats, we showed in the last legislative session that we stand for opportunity and responsibility -- the opportunity for Americans who work hard and play by the rules to live the American dream, and the responsible stewardship to get us there.

For Democrats, opportunity means supporting strong families, healthy communities and good jobs. Our state succeeds when we create opportunity for all Missourians, whether you're a hard-working Missourian supporting your family, a senior citizen who's ill, a disabled person working to live independently or a child who deserves a loving, supportive family.

No one should be denied the opportunity to live the American dream.

With opportunity comes responsibility. We're for a hand up, not a handout. We demand responsibility from ourselves as elected officials and from all Missourians. That's why we believe in weeding out wasteful spending instead of denying opportunity to countless Missourians.

Yet in this budget, Gov. Matt Blunt and the folks in charge failed to critically examine $10 billion in government spending of our tax dollars. By their own admission, they failed to apply the much-publicized performance-based analysis required by law to determine if $10 billion of our tax dollars are being spent effectively.

On top of that, they couldn't tell us why they spent our tax dollars on things like remodeling the governor's office, installing panic buttons in the executive mansion, purchasing unspecified equipment for bureaucrats or buying new cars for state agencies.

We suggested alternatives.

We voted -- unsuccessfully -- to cut our own health care.

We tried to restore integrity to government by putting license offices out for competitive bid instead of handing them out as political plums. That plan alone would have raised $15 to $20 million for Missouri's public schools. We identified waste in government instead of eliminating health care for 100,000 Missourians. We suggested putting low-digit specialized license plates out for competitive bid.

We made these and other proposals because responsible government means thinking creatively, beyond broken campaign promises and tax hikes.

Instead, Missourians are saddled with an agenda that preserves health care for legislators but cuts health care for seniors and working people, gives bureaucrats new furniture and computers but gives school kids the equivalent of one extra sloppy Joe at lunch, cuts Meals on Wheels but provides the governor with two new SUVs for his convenience.

We can do better. Missourians deserve a clear moral vision -- to have a government that stands for more opportunity, more responsibility and the realization of the American dream. That's what we're all about.

Jeff Harris of Columbia, Mo., represents the 23rd District in the Missouri House of Representatives and serves as the minority floor leader.