Matt Blunt On Hook for Predecessors' Fiscal Mismanagement

In case Missouri residents forget, past Missouri governors and governments spent like fools. Matt Blunt has to deal with the aftermath, and thank goodness the papers can mention that he has to get out of the mess, as though he has gotten Missouri into it: Missouri owes U.S. $380 million:

Missouri employers could face a federal unemployment cost increase of about $21 per employee if the state doesn't satisfy federal loan repayment requirements by Nov. 10.

At issue is money owed the federal government for its bailout of the state's unemployment insurance trust fund, which fell into insolvency in March 2003.

Gov. Matt Blunt has until Friday to submit to the U.S. Department of Labor a plan to repay the state’s debt, which stands at $380 million.

The state would have been unable to continue issuing unemployment checks if it hadn't borrowed the federal money.

The state unemployment fund currently is collecting more in business assessments than it's paying out in unemployment checks to eligible jobless workers.

But the state has not begun repaying the borrowed $380 million.

One would think that the press would approve if Blunt raised taxes and spent more money than he raised, but one would be in error; Matt Blunt is a Republican and cannot please the press.