Rep Doug Ervin: Building Castles in the Sky
By: Rep. Doug Ervin
35th District
“The principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale.”
- Thomas Jefferson, letter to John Taylor - May 8, 1816
Last week Governor Jay Nixon delivered the annual State of the State address to the Missouri General Assembly, the Missouri Supreme Court, Missouri Cabinet heads, and to the people of our great state.
This annual address has become the vehicle for a governor to outline his vision for Missouri and present the executive branch’s budget recommendations for the next fiscal year. It is also the event that adds definition to the agenda boundaries of each body in the legislature and the governor’s office for the current session of the General Assembly.
This year’s State of the State address did none of that. In fact, Governor Nixon dodged revealing the actual state of the state and it is now painfully obvious why after he has revealed his proposed budget to the General Assembly.
As I mentioned in a previous column, the Governor, House, and Senate budget leaders have agreed upon the revised consensus revenue estimate for the remainder of this fiscal year which ends on June 30, 2010 predicting that revenues will be 6.4% less than expected at $6.97 billion in general revenue. The fiscal year 2010 budget was passed based upon an overly optimistic revenue estimate of $7.76 billion.
They also agreed upon the consensus revenue estimate for the next budget year which begins on July 1, 2010 suggesting a growth in state general revenue collections of 3.5% resulting in $7.223 billion of general revenue.
It was revealed this week that January revenues are 22.36% less than they were in January of last year with year to date revenue collections now falling to a negative 12.55% down from 10.5% last month year to date. As a result, Governor Nixon announced another round of withholds from the current budget of $74 million.
Unlike Congress, we must have a balanced budget. The state of Missouri can’t print money to satisfy unrestrained and politically motivated spending habits - even in an election year. To have a balanced budget, the General Assembly and the governor’s office must build a state budget at or, preferably, below that target.
Governor Nixon’s budget proposal would spend $8.317 billion of general revenue, a number that exceeds the agreed upon CRE by $1.09 billion, or 15% - this is not a balanced budget proposal. The governor would pay for these excessive increases with federal “stimulus” money, which I contend is federal “dependence” money, which Missouri is expected to receive which is about $900 million dollars plus a phantom $300 million that might come from the federal government even though the legislation has not been passed by Congress yet.
After years of fiscal discipline, a budget is now being proposed that relies on significant one-time monies that may or may not materialize. Our budget difficulties earlier this decade stemmed from uncontrolled spending that relied on one-time monies. This can’t be done, but politicians are often afraid of making the difficult decisions that require discipline, because they fear unpopularity, especially in an election year like this one.
The disciplined decisions of the past few years have put Missouri in better financial position to weather this economic downturn than most states. Missouri remains one of only seven states that still have a triple-A bond ratings from the three major bond rating agencies.
The proposed budget suggests that $900 million of one-time monies be used to pay for ongoing operating costs of government and its programs. This money will not be available next year. It may be considered good politics by some, but it is lousy fiscal policy. We can’t allow the federal “stimulus” to lead us down the path to ever more federal dependency and greater threats to the pocketbooks of Missourians.
Data released this week claim that unemployment may drop to 9.8% this year, down from the current 10% unemployment rate. The data also suggests that with 5% growth in GDP throughout the year, unemployment would only drop to 9%.
How out of touch with our existing economic situation can we be to accept a budget that requires a 15% more general revenue knowing that we are currently experiencing 9.6% unemployment in Missouri? It just won’t happen - even the 3.5% CRE is too high and is setting us up for even bigger budget problems next year and years after.
This is a time for restraint, a time to prioritize, and a time to drive efficiencies into the state bureaucracy. It is a time to shed the hindrances that hold back innovation and invention, a time to empower Missourians to build dreams, not sustain them where they are.
People are outraged with the unparalleled and unabated spending spree in Washington, DC that denies the economic realities that we live in. Missouri cannot, and must not, follow in those footsteps.
This is a time when doing what is right is far more important than doing what is popular and hiding our actual state of the state. We can’t spend time building castles in the sky and hoping for a miracle. Lest we forget, hope is not a plan.
As always, I appreciate hearing your comments, opinions and concerns. LaTonya Percival, my Legislative Assistant, and I are always available to answer questions and address your concerns. I can be reached in Jefferson City at (573)751-2238 or you can write me at doug.ervin@house.mo.gov or regular mail at 201 West Capitol Avenue, Room 412A, Jefferson City, MO 65101.
For a better Missouri,
Doug Ervin
State Representative
District 35, Missouri
Bob Nance Capitol Report for February 4th, 2010
By: Rep. Bob Nance
36th District
On the 100th Anniversary of the Boys Scouts of America
“I think the character that you learn in Scouting—working together, being honest with each other, being close knit … and depending on one another, on our camping trips and doing things—all these things build character in a young man that he takes with him into adulthood and makes him a much better citizen. And that’s why Scouting to me has always been an organization I’ve always wanted to help. I think it’s one of the best youth organizations that we … have in this country.”
- James A. Lovell Jr., Mission Astronaut, Apollo 13
Better Bridges and Roads:
MoDOT has named the bridge replacements and repairs for the District for 2010.
The westbound bridge over 69 Highway in Excelsior springs is scheduled for completion by November 30th.
The bridge over Fishing River in Ray County on Highway 10 is scheduled for November 30th completion.
The smaller bridge on Clay County “N” highway will be closed from July 29th through November 21st for replacement.
The bridge over Tryst Falls on 92 Highway will be closed April 1st until May 25th.
In 2010, 18 miles of Highway 13 will be resurfaced from the Caldwell County Line to highway 10 in Richmond .
Highway C from Highway D to Elmira will receive a “chip and seal”.
Route O will receive an overlay between May and September.
Route A will have three bridges “Design Build” this year.
A bridge at K highway and 13 Highway is also scheduled and a bridge on Route E near the Caldwell County Line.
State Budget:
Budget Chairman Allen Icet responded to questions on the budget recently.
“Many believed we had seen the worst of the economic downturn and that this year would be better— but they were wrong. Unfortunately, this year we face a grim economy and one far worse than last year during the budget crisis.” The Senate, House, and Governor must work responsibly with Missouri’s tax dollars as this year’s budget is crafted.
At the Capitol
HB 1521, which is a “Silver Alert” for seniors, was forwarded to Senior Citizen Advocacy Committee.
HB 1544 was passed out of the House on Tuesday. The bill extends the state’s eligibility to receive federal extended unemployment benefit money to provide unemployed individuals compensation beyond the current unemployment benefit period that ended December 5, 2009. The state will not incur any costs of the extension of benefits.
Marti Cowherd visited the Capitol representing the Ray County Family Practice on Tuesday. Justin Mohn of Excelsior Springs is working as an Intern for Senator Jolie Justus. He is in his junior year at the University of Missouri .
Congratulations to the Lawson and Orrick School Districts on being recognized by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Central Regional Professional Development Center as 2009 Distinction in Performance Award Recipients.
In your service,
Bob Nance
Clay County Pachyderm Meeting Thursday, 2/11, 6-8 PM. All Are Welcome!
Missouri House Budget Chair to Speak to Clay Pachyderms
The Clay County Pachyderms gather for their monthly meeting on Thursday, February 11 from 6 to 8 PM. The featured guest speaker will be Representative Allen Icet, who currently serves as the Chairman of the Budget Committee in the Missouri House of Representatives. Completing his second term in the House, Mr. Icet is running for Missouri State Auditor in 2010.
Mr. Icet, a Republican, has had a long-standing reputation of serving Missouri taxpayers with integrity. In January, he pledged that his first action as State Auditor would be to conduct a vigorous audit of federal stimulus funds received by the State of Missouri.
The Pachyderms meet at the Staley Farms Golf Club Clubhouse, 10310 North Olive Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri. The cost is $10 (members) and $12 (non-members), which includes hors d’oeuvres and a drink ticket. Parking is free.
For further information about the club, visit www.claycopachyderms.org. The Pachyderms can also be found on Facebook and Twitter. Questions can be directed to claycountypachyderms@gmail.com, or call (816) 536-9193.
February Clay County Republican Central Committee Meeting
This is a reminder that there will be a Clay County Republican Central Committee meeting on Tuesday, February 9th at the Courthouse in Liberty at 7:00 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Commissioner’s Room on the top floor. Please enter through the side entrance (handicapped entrance) where the doors will be unlocked. This meeting is open to the public, so please stop by! This month we will have Myles Perry as the guest speaker. Myles is an attorney and will be speaking about Gitmo.
Make plans to attend the 2010 Missouri Lincoln Days!
The 2010 statewide Lincoln Days celebration will take place February 26-28, 2010, in St. Charles, Missouri. This will mark the 111th year of the event, which brings together Republican activists and elected officials from across Missouri.
Given the importance of current election cycle, we are committed to making the 2010 Lincoln Days celebration the most successful ever. Mark your calendars for this historic event.
When:
February 26-28, 2010
Where:
St. Charles Convention Center
One Convention Center Plaza
St. Charles, MO
Further information can be found at the official Missouri Lincoln Days web site: http://www.molincolndays.com
Rep. Doug Ervin: Session Begins
By: Rep. Doug Ervin
35th District
“The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only legitimate object of good government.”
- Thomas Jefferson, letter to the Republican citizens of Washington County, Maryland - March 31, 1809
This week the Second Regular Session of the 95th General Assembly was convened. This will be my last year to serve in the Missouri House of Representatives due to term limits and I look forward to representing the interests of our communities and our state in the coming months.
It is also with great regret that I inform you that the U.S. Congress has also convened this week to work tirelessly on their behalf, and their elections, as well.
Missouri’s state budget will command the most attention from lawmakers and special interest groups this session. This is the second budget year in a row where general revenue collections are less than the previous year. At present, revenue collections are down considerably from last year with year to date collections off by 10.5%.
The Governor, House, and Senate budget leaders have agreed upon the revised consensus revenue estimate for the remainder of this fiscal year which ends on June 30, 2010 predicting that revenues will be 6.4% less than expected at $6.97 billion in general revenue. The fiscal year 2010 budget was passed based upon an overly optimistic revenue estimate of $7.76 billion.
They have also agreed upon the consensus revenue estimate for the next budget year which begins on July 1, 2010 suggesting a growth in state general revenue collections of 3.5% resulting in $7.223 billion of general revenue. This will be a difficult number to beat if unemployment remains high.
Speaking of unemployment, this year begins with a staggering 9.5% unemployment rate in Missouri and 10% unemployment nationwide. The shadow of the federal government continues to darken over the states and the federal overreach into the lives of Americans is frighteningly Orwellian.
A recent Wall Street Journal opinion piece suggested, “… a civilization becomes incompetent not only when it fails to learn the lessons of the past, but also when it becomes crippled by them.” The world over is strewn with the debris of failed socialist governments, despots, and the wretched human condition of those struggling for hope and liberty at the hands of those promoting “the greater good”.
Yet, in Washington, Congress continues to fritter away opportunity after opportunity to provide real leadership for America, to unleash the American mind and the entrepreneur by promoting Liberty. Instead, our elected Congress and executive branch ignore the virtue of our matchless Constitution, they ignore the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness endowed to us by our Creator as recognized by our Founders in the Declaration of Independence, and they buy each other off with our tax dollars to ingratiate themselves, buy votes for unpopular legislation, and then turn around and lecture us about who is watching out for our best interests.
This is the year where states will play defense. We will dust off the forgotten notion of federalism and we will remind Congress and the President that the U.S. Constitution begins with “We the People”.
The Republican majority in the Missouri House recognizes that the bedrock of the economy, the bedrock of every community, is you and your family.
It is time for government to quit trying pick winners and losers, to stop trying to tell us what is good for us, to stop trying to be God. Instead, government should recognize that, as Frederic Bastiat observed in 1850:
“God has given to men all that is necessary for them to accomplish their destinies… And now that the legislators and do-gooders have so futilely inflicted so many systems upon society, may they finally end where they should have begun: May they reject all systems, and try liberty; for liberty is an acknowledgement of faith in God and His works.”
Where our federal government has failed to act, the Missouri House will remain committed to seeking solutions to the problems faced by Missourians from all walks of life.
As always, I appreciate hearing your comments, opinions and concerns. LaTonya Percival, my Legislative Assistant, and I are always available to answer questions and address your concerns. I can be reached in Jefferson City at (573)751-2238 or you can write me at doug.ervin@house.mo.gov or regular mail at 201 West Capitol Avenue, Room 412A, Jefferson City, MO 65101.
For a better Missouri,
Doug Ervin
State Representative
District 35, Missouri
January Clay County Republican Central Committee Meeting
This is a reminder that there will be a Clay County Republican Central Committee meeting on Tuesday, January 12th at the Courthouse in Liberty at 7:00 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Commissioner’s Room on the top floor. Please enter through the side entrance (handicapped entrance) where the doors will be unlocked. This meeting is open to the public, so please stop by!
This month we will have two guest speakers. The first will be Joe Crockett, the Administrator for Liberty Hospital, who will speak on health care legislation. The second will be Tom Brown, the Chief of Staff for Congressman Sam Graves. He will be discussing current events in Washington D.C.
Bob Nance Capitol Report for December 22nd, 2009
By: Rep. Bob Nance
36th District
“In regard to the Senate vote on the amended healthcare bill on Sunday morning at 1 a.m. … I told my children when they were growing up, nothing good can happen if you are out after midnight.”
- Bob Nance
The year is winding down and the excitement of the next legislative session is beginning to take hold. Session begins on January 6th.
Federal Impact on State and Family Budgets:
It will certainly be a challenging year with the weak economy and the resulting loss of sales tax revenue needed to pay for critical services and federally unfunded mandates.
The potential cost of Healthcare Reform in Washington is still not known. One thing for sure is that the federal government will expect the states to spend more on Healthcare.
If passed, Cap and Trade Legislation will affect rural states like Missouri the most because of our use of coal for electricity generation. The utility companies expect the increase in cost to reach $1000-$1160 a year per household. That number does not include normal increases that take place.
I am filing several bills for consideration this year and will share those in the coming month.
I wish all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
In your service,
Bob Nance
December Clay County Republican Central Committee Meeting CANCELED
The December Meeting has been canceled due to weather. Please pass this information along to anybody you know who may be attending. Sorry for the late notice!
Clay County Pachyderm Meeting Thursday, 12/10, 6-8 PM. All Are Welcome!
Writer Jack Cashill to Speak to Clay County Pachyderms
The Clay County Pachyderms gather for their monthly meeting on Thursday, December 10 from 6 PM to 8 PM. The featured guest speaker will be Jack Cashill, an independent writer and producer and the Executive Editor of Ingram’s Magazine, Kansas City’s premier business magazine.
Cashill has also written for Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Weekly Standard, and regularly for WorldNetDaily. In addition to publishing a collection of essays and a novel, within the last five years, Cashill has written five non-fiction books—First Strike, Ron Brown’s Body, Hoodwinked: How Intellectual Hucksters Have Hijacked American Culture, Sucker Punch: The Left Hook that Dazed Ali and Killed King’s Dream, and his latest, What’s the Matter with California. Three of them have cracked Amazon’s top-ten list. Cashill has produced at least a dozen documentaries for regional PBS and national cable channels, including the Emmy Award-winning The Royal Years. And he has hosted local and national daily talk radio shows.
The Pachyderms meet at the Staley Farms Golf Club Clubhouse, 10310 North Olive Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri. The cost is $10 (members) and $12 (non-members), which includes hors d’oeuvres and a drink ticket. Parking is free.
For further information about the club, visit www.claycopachyderms.org. The Pachyderms can also be found on Facebook and Twitter. Questions can be directed to claycountypachyderms@gmail.com, or call (816) 536-9193.
The Clay County Pachyderm club is a member organization of the National Federation of the Grand Order of Pachyderm Clubs, Inc. is an officially recognized allied organization of the Republican Party. Patterned after civic clubs, Pachyderm Clubs offer programs centered on politics and government. Pachyderm Clubs can be the continuity for the Republican Party from election to election in that unlike the party structure, Pachyderm Clubs remain active all year. Come join fellow conservative and Republicans for some food, drink, and conversation.
For other information about the Clay County Pachyderm club, please phone Tom Salisbury, 816-454-8655. Or, Andrew Palmer, 816-678-6965.