E-mail
PrintJEFFERSON CITY — The prepared text of Senate Minority Leader Maida Coleman’s Democratic address delivered Wednesday night in response to Gov. Matt Blunt’s State of the State speech:
Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law. This is the Missouri state motto — not just some fancy words inscribed in stone in the capitol building — these words contain all the truths of practical, common sense. When all is said and done — we will be judged as a state by how well we take care of our own.
Did we educate our children well?
Did we keep our citizens healthy?
Did we provide opportunity for honest, hard-working people to live decent and prosperous lives?
These are the measures of an upright and moral society.
When I look at what has happened to Missouri in just one short year, I am afraid we will look back on this time with regret.
Missouri needs leadership.
From one government failure to another under Governor Blunt’s administration, this state is on a fast-track to the bottom and is dragging each and every citizen along with it.
Last year, nearly 350,000 of you saw your health insurance cut because the Governor failed to keep his promises. Now the rest of us will pay higher insurance costs to cover the Governor’s cruel cuts.
Last year, schools across this state lost millions of dollars, because the Governor failed to fully fund the formula that pays for them. Now the rest of us will be asked to make up the financial shortfall through higher property taxes.
Last year, Missouri failed to keep pace with the rest of the country in economic growth. Only nine other states have higher unemployment than Missouri and since the Governor’s new workers compensation and tort reform laws took effect, we have lost more than 20,000 jobs.
Look how far the middle class has fallen in the past year. Heating bills and insurance costs are escalating out of control. Public schools are sorely under-funded and the courts are once again involved. Prescription costs are exploding. Corruption is rampant at our highest levels of government.
The policies of this administration are creating a state of haves and have nots — and the have nots grow by the hundreds every day.
Missourians are tired of hearing about trickle-down economics and corporate welfare and the creation of yet another task force of Matt Blunt’s campaign contributors to figure out what is wrong. We know what’s wrong. The governor’s policies don’t work.
Thomas Jefferson created what is now the Democratic Party when he saw wealthy businessmen taking control of this newly created country’s future. He realized that those wealthy businessmen were not concerned about liberty or equality. As a result, Jefferson formed a coalition to represent the common man in the new government.
The Democratic Party is now the longest lasting political party in America. Our values were created to protect the common man and have never bowed down to popular opinion, extremism, prejudice or greed.
And these things that we believe — these values that we commit ourselves to as Democrats — have worked. We believe that if going to college is good enough for the wealthy, then going to college is good enough for the poor. We believe that if tax breaks are good enough for big corporations, then they’re good enough for working families. We believe that if having health insurance is good enough for the Governor, then it is certainly good enough for every Missourian.
Thomas Jefferson knew then — as Democrats know now — that the common citizens fight this country’s wars and plow this country’s fields and pay this country’s taxes. Hard working citizens created this country, and do not deserve the burdens this Governor has placed upon their shoulders.
Under Matt Blunt’s leadership, we have endured a year of mistakes and failures. Gov. Blunt should follow the wise example of Franklin Roosevelt who said, “It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another, but above all, try something.”
Democrats have a plan. We have legislation that will provide all of the opportunities Missourians deserve. We have legislation to provide utility relief, insurance relief and affordable health care. We have legislation that will enhance our public schools and provide good paying jobs that can support entire families.
The welfare of all the people is our guiding principle. We will press forward, along with the people of Missouri, toward security, prosperity, and justice.
Source: Associated Press
Comments