Missouri legislators need a wake-up call [View all]

[proud2BlibKansan]

What will it take to send a wakeup call to our state legislature?

Policy makers want to protect universities and community colleges from cuts, which is a common sense goal if we are serious about developing a workforce that will attract jobs to Missouri. But the price of protecting higher education is dear.

For three consecutive years we have been unable to fully fund the foundation formula that distributes state money to elementary and secondary schools across the state. The formula calls for approximately an additional $100 million each year. This year the Governor,
House and Senate appear to have agreed on an increase of about $5 million.

The House proposed to cut Medicaid for some Missourians with a visual impairment to balance the budget. When this proposal generated an appropriate outcry of protest, attention turned to children. The Senate is now proposing to balance the budget by cutting funding for child care for very low income working parents, funds to support preschools, and funding for services for children who are in foster care. These proposals deserve the same outcries of protest as the Medicaid cuts for individuals with a visual impairment.


Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-to-the-editor/missouri-legislators-need-a-wake-up-call/article_de470a7a-8b37-11e1-a60e-0019bb30f31a.html#ixzz1sdux9QLH