Paying for the party

In an effort to set a different tone for next month's inaugural events in Jefferson City, Mo., governor-elect Matt Blunt offered to streamline the invitation process and save money. Blunt's good intentions come four years after Gov. Bob Holden's million-dollar extravaganza that was funded mostly by union backers.

The offer from Blunt was simple: Send me the names of the people you want to invite along with $2.50 each, and we will merge all the lists so each person only gets one invitation (at a cost of about 22 cents apiece plus stuffing, addressing and postage). In the past, it has been routine for as many as half a dozen invitations to be sent to the same person by a variety of officeholders. By the way, there is no state funding for the inauguration of governors. But Democrats balked.

There are plenty of political clashes ahead as the legislative session draws near. It would mean a lot to Missouri's taxpayers if those who hold political office would find ways to cooperate and save some money in the process.