Taxspendthrifts Sue State in Federal Court to Restore Their Free Money

Lawsuit challenges state medical equipment cuts:

Seven disabled Missourians planned to file a federal lawsuit today, saying the state’s decision to stop paying for certain medical equipment through the Medicaid program is illegal.

Ten public interest law organizations are supporting the suit, announced at a news conference at the Saint Louis University Legal Clinic. None of the plaintiffs attended.

A groundswelling of support from the masses. Or at least the massively-vested in continuing to receive public funds.

We at DMB2008 hope our governor can persevere through these frivolities and fights the lawsuits to the bitter end. Because if he backs down now, it becomes exponentially harder to ever cut public funding in the future.

Matt Blunt Balances Budget on Backs of Charitable State Employees

Blunt Encourages State Employees to Participate in Charitable Campaign:

Gov. Matt Blunt announced the kick-off of the 2006 Missouri State Employees Charitable Campaign (MSECC).

"Missouri has been blessed with generous employees who understand the value of giving back to their communities," Blunt said. "It is their commitment to giving that helps enable worthy organizations to continue their causes."

MSECC gives state employees a convenient, cost effective way to contribute to participating charitable organizations through payroll deduction or a one-time donation.

Instead of simply seizing money from the employees' paychecks, Blunt encourages the employees to contribute if they want to and if they can afford to. His governing policies and spending cuts leave all employees, not just state employees, with more money at their disposal, which they can contribute if they want to and if they can afford to.

Matt Blunt Balances Budgets on Backs of 1% of Medicaid Recipients

Actually, in spite of his recent cuts, only 1% of those removed from Medicaid have officially protested:

The public outcry over Missouri's Medicaid cuts seemed significant - Capitol protests, critical editorials, frequent news conferences by advocates for the poor and disabled.

But officially, the Department of Social Services reports a mere whimper of objection.

Barely 1,000 Medicaid recipients have requested hearings to challenge their cuts, and just 424 have gone through with those hearings, according to department figures. That's fewer than 1 percent of the 142,000 people whose coverage was cut off or altered because of eligibility changes signed into law by Gov. Matt Blunt.

Perhaps the other 99% just dropped dead, but we at DMB2008 expect that they just made other arrangements, whether accepting charitable help or paying extra out of pocket. In either case, Matt Blunt certainly hasn't wasted the savings on a state office of corpse recovery and disposal.

However, we at DMB 2008 understand that certain segments the tax-spending populace fully favors the law of diminishing returns, so long as they receive the outlay with the lessened expectation of results.

Phyllis Schlafly Needs to Look Closer To Home

Phyllis Schlafly isn't happy with the Republican field in 2008:

For various reasons, Schlafly dislikes Sen. John McCain of Arizona, New York Gov. George Pataki and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. (She is particularly critical of Giuliani's personal life, and disagrees with Pataki's stance on abortion rights.)

The favorite of some conservatives -- Sen. Sam Brownbeck of Kansas -- is "completely wrong on immigration," Schlafly said.

We at DMB2008 agree that the current buzzwinners wouldn't make the best Republican choice in 2008. Perhaps Ms. Schlafly should join us in looking closer to home and help us Draft Matt Blunt in 2008!

Once Again, No Room for the Right In

Once again, Patrick Ruffini offers his GOP 2008 straw poll, and once again he overlooks Matt Blunt.

Friends and statesmen, we have work yet to do.

Matt Blunt Stifles Free Expression, At Least When Funded by State

State to transfer film office to MU:

- In a move to save the state money, the Missouri Film Office is being transferred from a state agency to the University of Missouri-Columbia.

The film office has been overseen by the Department of Economic Development, and the switch will drop the state’s costs from $200,000 for the current fiscal year to $150,000, which it is paying the university to manage the office, the department said today.

Apparently, Matt Blunt has forced state administrators to trim a program that exists only to spend money to get film makers to film in the state. Perish the thought.

Matt Blunt Appoints Businessman to Business Board

Unfortunately, Che is still dead, so Matt Blunt had to take a different route:

"The Missouri Chamber supports the Missouri Department of Economic Development's plan to restructure its operations to better support its customers n existing and potential Missouri employers," said Missouri Chamber President and CEO Daniel P. Mehan following Wednesday's announcement by DED Director Greg Steinhoff about changes to the department responsible for retaining and attracting employers to the state.

Earlier this year, Gov. Matt Blunt named a proven businessman, Greg Steinhoff, to head its operations. "Through today's announcement, it is evident Steinhoff is bringing a fresh business mind-set to the business of attracting Missouri jobs," said Mehan.

Of course, the Chamber of Commerce is in the pocket of big business, so opponents would oppose its view that government officials should know something about the things they regulate or (less frequently) don't regulate.

We at DMB2008 think that Matt Blunt's trust of businessmen as effective governors closely meshes with another former state governor: George W. Bush.

Matt Blunt: Responsible for High Energy Prices

Missourians Fired Up! would like for us to think so.

The head of the PSC, a Blunt appointee, says heating bills will rise. Some of us, including members of the Blunt administration, understand that when the costs of doing business increase, the prices of commodities, products, and services increase.

However, Missourians Fired Up would prefer for its readers to think that Matt Blunt heads, or works for, the cabal of Big Natural Gas, Big Heating Oil, and Big Propane.

Which is why we support Matt Blunt for president in 2008, and not a Missourian Fired Up!

Failure To Pay Subsidies To Middle Class "Illegal"

Or so some headline writers at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch would have us believe: Lawsuit calls adoption-subsidy limits illegal:

Child welfare advocates filed a federal class-action lawsuit Monday against Gov. Matt Blunt and Missouri's social services director to try to halt adoption subsidy cuts that take effect Aug. 28 for former foster children with special needs.

The lawsuit, announced at a news conference in St. Louis, was filed in U.S. District Court in Kansas City. It accuses Blunt and Gary Sherman, director of the Missouri Department of Social Services, of failing to protect the interests of abused and neglected children.

State subsidies currently are given to the families regardless of income. Legislation passed earlier this year limits the subsidies to certain families earning less than 200 percent of the poverty level, $38,700 annually for a family of four.

Understand the reasoning, friends: Once a subsidy is given, it must always increase, or it's a violation of the law.

We at DMB2008 laud Matt Blunt for his common-sense fiscal cuts, but silently weep that our state government must now spend tax dollars to fight money-grubbing lawsuits from the haves who would have more.

DMB2008: We Might As Well Shut Down

The battle is lost: Christopher Walken 2008.

(Link seen on Instapundit.)

Matt Blunt Balances Budget on Backs of State Employees Who Cannot Rise On Their Own Merits

Three Republican Governors Hit Unions:

Several Republican governors are trying to weaken organized labor in the one place it has remained strong: representing public employees.

First-term Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt rescinded collective-bargaining rights for state employees this year, undoing an executive order issued by a Democratic predecessor, and has eliminated a state board overseeing union elections for public employees.

Matt Blunt says:

"Missouri taxpayers ought to determine how state employees are compensated, not some arbitrary arrangement between a government bureaucrat and a labor union," Mr. Blunt told the Associated Press shortly after his decision. Public-employee union leaders are "just concerned with their own welfare," says Spence Jackson, spokesman for Gov. Blunt. "The governor believes that state employees have the best employer in the world -- the taxpayers of this state."

Opponents say that the best cure for underachieving and undermotivated hired-for-life employees are the underachieving and undermotivated hired-for-life employees themselves:

"That's bull," says Gerald McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. "We have reached out in almost every state to address [efficiency issues]. Who better knows the problems in the states besides public employees?"

Undoubtedly, the union representative who serves his union members and the union in pursuit of ever-greater offers a better, more impartial view than someone elected by a majority to act in the interest of all citizens of the state, not just citizens taking salaries from other citizens to "serve" them.

As expected, Missourians Fired Up!, where I saw this story, doesn't like it. But we hope they are right in this regard:

The Blunt administration's anti-union bias is well established, but now it is getting national attention.

Raising Matt Blunt's visibility on the national stage will only further our interests in drafting him as the Republican candidate in 2008 and the next Republican president in 2009!

Matt Blunt Stifles Personal Expression

Some Missouri state workers face stepped-up dress code:

Flip-flops and blue jeans are out, as is painting your nails at your desk.

Some agencies in Gov. Matt Blunt's administration have tightened their dress codes for state workers, aiming to project a more businesslike image.

The Department of Revenue made minor changes to its dress code policy -- and really began enforcing it -- in April, and the Office of Administration has rewritten its policy, effective Oct. 3.

Oh, my; so our state goverment employees have to dress like grown ups. Maybe they'll behave as grown ups. But we won't get our hopes up.

"It's important to have a professional image and for state citizens to view employees in a favorable light," Office of Administration Commissioner Mike Keathley said. "It is important that the public sees state employees as being professionals."

Matt Blunt on O'Reilly: Reviewed

Thanks to News.Google.Com, we get this "news" review of Matt Blunt's appearance on the O'Reilly Factor last night.

Missouri Governor Matt Blunt, son of US House Majority Whip Roy, was a guest on the O'Reilly factor tonight 8/8/05. Being all too familiar with Blunt's priorities and methods, I fully expected him to be built up on O'Reilly's show and was not disappointed.

Missouri is a microcosm of American politics, with Blunt the younger, a right-wing conservative with no empathy for constituents of lesser means or differing views, acting as mini-W. One of his first acts to endear him to constituents was to have the state install "panic buttons" throughout the Governor's Mansion, because he was concerned about his young family's safety from the mansion staff, specifically those who are on a prison work-relief program. His deep cuts to programs benefitting children, the elderly, and the disabled across the state have made him widely reviled. It is estimated that 90,000 were cut from Medicaid upon which they depended earlier this year.

The remainder of the piece believes that O'Reilly approved of Matt Blunt, which can only help our purposes here at DMB2008. Special props to the site's author, who uses our favorite turn of phrase in his summary:

Yet the budget that he signed was balanced on the backs of children who lost medical care, First Steps therapies for babies and toddlers, and on statewide child advocacy centers (where rural rape victims can receive immediate medical, legal, and psychological assistance).

Yes! Yes! Yes! On their tiny little backs!

Allen Collecting Funds for 2008

Political Wire points to a story that Senator George Allen has had success fundraising for his re-election:

This year, Allen has begun serious fundraising for re-election. Whether it's to reward him for his partisan work or support him in 2006 -- or both -- many top Republican office-holders have been writing him checks.

Political Wire speculates this might spill over into 2008 presidential election impact.

We at DMB2008 say, "Bring it." Please remember, Senator Allen, to issue an iconic, mockable Yearghish shout as you lose to Matt Blunt in the primaries should you chose to run for president in 2008.

Matt Blunt Gets National Attention

Blunt will discuss state’s maligned sex-offender laws:

Gov. Matt Blunt has been invited to be a guest Monday on Fox’s "The O'Reilly Factor" to discuss Missouri's sex-offender laws, the governor's office said Friday.

Blunt's appearance on the show follows criticism of the state’s sex-offender laws and the governor himself by host Bill O'Reilly, who has accused Blunt and other governors of being "soft on child sex offenders."

We at DMB2008 hope Blunt comports himself well before the national audience so that the momentum we're generating here carries over to the cable and broadcast media.

Matt Blunt Abets Sales Tax Evasion

Apparently, Arkansans came north over the weekend to take part in the sales tax holiday over the weekend:

The McDonald County Wal-Mart Supercenter saw an enormous amount of customers on Saturday, as thousands flocked to the store to take part in the sales tax holiday.

The state legislature in 2003 established a three day sales tax holiday, during which such items as clothing, computers and school supplies would be offered to shoppers free of state sales tax for three days. Recently, Gov. Matt Blunt signed into law a bill that establishes the holiday as an annual event.

"We are usually busy on Saturday mornings, but today (Saturday during the sales tax holiday), we are busier," said Barb Rowland, assistant manager for the McDonald County Wal-Mart.

The sales tax holiday officially started Friday and will conclude today.

"The sales tax holiday has limits on what items one can buy," Rowland said. "Clothing may be purchased tax free, but must be under $100 per item. We have also seen a lot of school supply items bought today."

Not only has Missourians taken advantage of the sales tax holiday, so has Arkansas residents.

"It is a good idea for the sales tax holiday," said Gary Jorgensen of Arkansas. "It has saved us a lot of money for our children's education. I am glad that Missouri is doing the holiday."

Not just that the sales tax holiday is going on, but also Arkansas residents travel to the Show-Me State for another purpose: Lower sales tax.

"Arkansas's sales tax is almost up to 10 percent, while Missouri's is less than 7 percent," said Amanda Clark, who drives up to the new Wal-Mart to get clothing and groceries.

Lower taxes draw purchasers? Whodathunk it?

Matt Blunt Turns St. Louis Streets Red with the Blood of Innocents

Well, almost: NRA convention coming to St. Louis:

Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt was quoted in the release as supporting the announcement.

"This major national event will bring a significant economic boon for hotels, restaurants, and other merchants," Blunt said.

We at DMB2008 think this would provide an excellent campaign stop in the early stages of the nomination process.

Matt Blunt Urges; Matt Blunt Does Not Order

ICE your cell phone, Blunt says:

After concerns about a possible hoax were put to rest, Gov. Matt Blunt on Tuesday urged Missourians to put emergency contact information into their cell phones.

The initiative, called In-Case-of-Emergency, or ICE, is aimed at giving emergency workers a better way to contact families of accident victims by searching for an “ICE” entry in the contact lists of victims’ phones. The ICE entry would show the name and phone number of a close relative or spouse.

Note the restraint; Matt Blunt thinks something is a good idea, so he issues a press release and urges residents to adhere to it.

Other executives would issue executive orders, prompt regulations to mandate, or bully legislators into making foolish, overbearing laws. But Matt Blunt understands checks on executive and even government power.

Which is the sort of executive we at DMB2008 want for the state....and the nation.

Gallup Didn't Ask Us

A new set of polling data pits potential presidential challengers against one another, and although Gallup throws McCain or Giuliani against Hillary! or Kerry?, Gallup overlooks the Republican who could be the next president of the United States: Matt Blunt.

Captain Ed notes:

Interestingly, Gallup picked two moderates and no conservatives for the GOP, while they picked two liberals and no moderates (like Gov. Phil Bredesen of Tennessee) for the Democrats. I think it highly unlikely that Republicans will settle for a choice between two centrists in the primary, and even less likely that the conservatives will settle on McCain as their standard-bearer. He has spent too much of his political capital on press performances while turning his back on Republican goals in the Senate. Giuliani generates broader respect, even if his politics gives him the tinge of Nelson Rockefeller. More likely would be Giuliani against a conservative, possibly one of the governors or George Allen, who serves in the Senate now but has held executive office before.

Hey! Matt Blunt's a governor!

Another Competitor

Spoons announces his candidacy.

We at DMB2008 appreciate Spoons's views on the issues, but we still back Matt Blunt for president in 2008. We do not rule out the thought of a Blunt/Spoons ticket, however.

Matt Blunt Endorses School Choice

Blunt, legislators support revival of tax credits for scholarships:

Gov. Matt Blunt, flanked by several legislators and civic leaders, said Tuesday he supports resurrecting last session's failed legislation allowing state tax credits for a proposed scholarship program for students in struggling school districts.

Blunt pledged his support at a news conference at the University of Missouri-St. Louis following a luncheon meeting with state Reps. Robert Behnen, R-Kirksville, Ted Hoskins, D-Berkeley, and Rodney Hubbard, D-St. Louis, St. Louis Urban League President James Buford, and others.

Supporters said the mechanism would give children in failing schools a chance to succeed, while opponents say it amounts to a school voucher. The measure failed in the House last session. Hubbard and Behnen said they are building coalitions and looking at ways to generate enough support for passage next year.

"This is not a voucher, or a tuition tax credit," Blunt said. "It's a tax credit to contributors to the scholarship fund."

Missourians Fired Up! comments:

Yesterday, in St. Louis, Gov. Matt Blunt endorsed a plan for vouchers in Missouri. His plan would take money out of the treasury that would otherwise be available for public schools and send the money to private and parochial schools.

How is this wrong?

• They are tax credits, not vouchers.
• They don't take money out of the treasury, they leave money in citizens' pockets.
• The lost revenue is not specific to public schools; perhaps MFU would be happier if it thought that the revenue was unavailable to governor mansion renovations during Republican administration.

But some people think that all property and goods come from the government and you possess them only at its leisure.

Matt Blunt's Tax Holiday Hurts Tax Spenders

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch finds some to dislike the annual sales tax holiday coming up this weekend, a back-to-school break for taxpayers. Unsurprisingly, it's tax-spenders:

But Gary Markenson, executive director of the Missouri Municipal League, said the chamber report is "malarkey." The league commissioned researchers at the University of Missouri to study last year's holiday. Markenson said they found that state and local governments lost a total of about $18.5 million in taxes.

The sales tax holiday doesn't encourage people to buy more, Markenson said. Instead, shoppers make all of their major purchases in one weekend and deprive cities of money necessary for public services such as fire and police departments, he said. The league's research found that participating cities saw a small but relatively insignificant increase in total sales for the weekend. Markenson foresees a politicized battle over the tax holiday that pits state entities, such as the chamber of commerce, and big businesses against municipal governments.

It's not about encouraging people to buy more; it's about providing a break to families to whom the end of summer represents the rat in the python of purchases as they ready their children for school with new clothes, supplies, backpacks, laptop computers, SUVs, and so on.

But fortunately, the tax-spending entities have a handy league with an unaccountable-to-the-public leader to spout off on how working families should be forced to spend that extra $18.5 million dollars on government fluff. This keeps the actual cities and their elected or hired leaders from having to clamor for more taxes or for taxing the populace unabated.

And kudos to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for its deep investigative research in uncovering this guy, which undoubtedly including reading his press release or answering the phone when he called.

Employment Shrinks Under Matt Blunt

It's not a bug, it's a feature:

The healthy hospitality sector accounted for more than 11,000 of Missouri's new jobs, indicating the tourism industry is weathering this summer's high gas prices, the report says.

Jobs also grew in the educational and health fields and professional and business services.

The biggest drop came in government jobs. Blunt can claim credit for that, too. The new governor began slashing the state payroll last spring.

Since June 2004, state government has lost 2,900 jobs while both the local and federal government work forces have grown, according to Marty Romitti, director of the state's research arm.

One Statistic Identifies Matt Blunt Is A Liar

One would expect that, given the "Yes, but" nature of the coverage circulating tonight in stories like "Blunt Touts Missouri Economy", which features the charming lead:

Gov. Matt Blunt touted an expanding Missouri economy on Monday, although at least one gauge of business conditions showed that expansion to be slowing.

Evidence supporting Blunt's claim:

Blunt cited the creation of nearly 39,700 jobs from January through June, when the state's unemployment rate dipped to its lowest level in more than two years. He also noted that Missourians' income grew faster than the national average during the first quarter of this year.

Evidence against:

But a monthly report on business conditions released Monday by a Creighton University economic forecasting group showed Missouri's business index fell for the sixth time this year in July to 51.5 -- the lowest rating in the nine-state Mid-America region. The higher the rating is above 50, the greater the indication of an expanding economy over the next three to six months. The report said the July rating was Missouri's lowest since September 2003.

We at DMB2008 laud the media for its efforts to find esoteric academic statistics to counter Matt Blunt's claims.

Unfortunately, we're discriminating thinkers who understand the difference between creating a climate for long-term growth, which won't provide the instant gratification the media shouts, with government spending increases on the poor, the downtrodden, and the middle clase, which has a handy upward trending metric of spending completely divorced from the effect of the spending or the success of the government programs.

We at DMB2008 laud Matt Blunt's long-term influence on the economy and dream of a time where friends and foes alike can assail Matt Blunt's voodoo economics....which will yield better benefits for the citizenry than the rhetoric or, heaven forfend, the policies of his opponents.