Up From the Ashes

On the rather ordinary Sunday evening of February 5, 1911, the dome of the Missouri Capitol was struck by lightning a third and final time. The capitol had survived direct hits in 1901 and 1904 but it was the last strike in 1911 that proved to be more than the people’s capitol could withstand. Accounts from that evening describe in horror the frantic and chaotic actions of the citizens as they tried to contain the blaze. Even then-Governor Hadley, in one last desperate attempt, took up a hose but fought in vain as fire consumed the building.

One newspaper account described the scene as such:

“When the last bit of woodwork had fallen from the dome, leaving the barren steel framework blood-red with heat, the blaze scurried along the great roof. The flame divided, one fork worked to the north while the other ignited the top of the south wing…”

After all was over and the fire but smoldering embers, the capitol was left an ashen husk standing on the horizon. Yet out of the destruction, the citizens of Missouri rebuilt this cathedral of democracy. It was built to withstand the forces of nature and be an anchor for which all Missourians could moor their right of self-government.

So on this 102^nd anniversary of the burning of the Missouri’s state capitol, we must remember that our ideals are not found in the buildings we erect but in the hearts of the people. We can always rebuild a fallen and destroyed structure, but it is far more difficult to rebuild a free society when the ideals that have guided us through history are ravaged by forces greater than mere lightning that may erupt across the sky. Our resolve is strengthened and made anew by the fires of passion and through an embrace of the notion that the welfare of the people is the supreme law of the land.

Better Solutions

One of the hottest topics so far this session has been and will continue to be Healthcare Reform. I think the voters made their message loud and clear during the last election that they do not want any new taxes and they do not support drastically expanding the already broken program that is Medicaid. The Governor has promised not to raise any of Missouri’s taxes, yet concedes that the state will be liable for hundreds of millions in new spending through his Medicaid expansion. He has not offered a plan of how to pay for the expansion so we are left to conclude he plans to take money from places like corrections, mental health or education (his target last year). Medicaid was designed to help the neediest, such as children and those with special needs. It should not be diluted.

We will not ignore the needs of our less-fortunate citizens and will be working diligently to offer and pass the best solutions for Missouri. One such plan to assist Missouri’s most vulnerable citizens was passed in the House this week with nearly unanimous bipartisan support. House Bill 87 sponsored by Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Springfield) re-establishes or extends the sunset date on many Benevolent Tax Credits to December 31, 2019. The tax credits impacted by this legislation include the income tax credit for the surviving spouse of a public safety officer who has not remarried, the children in crisis tax credit, the disability access residential renovations tax credit, the pregnancy resource center tax credit, and the income tax credit for a donation to a food pantry.

These tax credits encourage investments, from private citizens, in programs that benefit many of our most needy citizens. HB 87 will help many of our charitable organizations gather resources to provide much needed assistance to low-income families. These benevolent tax credits are a fiscally responsible way of assisting Missourians who are in need.

Times are tough in Missouri and all across our Nation. However, encouraging private citizens to support the many charitable organizations who are providing much needed resources to pregnant women and hungry children is good public policy.  It is not just the smart thing to do; it is the right thing to do.

Governor’s Proposal Just Makes Things Worse

I glanced at the U.S. Debt Clock on Tuesday afternoon.  If each taxpayer in the country had to make a one-time payment to collectively pay off the federal debt, that amount would be $146,080.  So here is my question: “Do you have over a hundred thousand dollars you and your family do not need?”  Odds are you do not.  Democrats like to contribute our fiscal problems to a “lack” of revenue.  They tell you that they can solve so many problems if only they had more of your money with which to spend.  They then sell you the idea that Republicans are evil because we oppose mortgaging a collective generation of children’s – even grandchildren’s – futures for the sake of poorly run programs that do not even come close to solving the problems they were intended to solve.  One such program is Medicaid.
 

Old, Broken Medicaid

Have you ever heard anyone say that Medicaid is a good insurance program?  I have not and I am willing to bet you have not either.  Medicaid is such a terribly run inefficient program that one-third of doctors nationwide will not even take on new Medicaid patients.  Studies also show that Medicaid recipients have worse health outcomes than those who have private insurance.  There is even evidence that shows that on par, a Medicaid recipient is actually more likely to go visit the emergency room than someone who is uninsured.  This is the exact opposite of the intended effect the program is supposed to have!  Specialty care, which is expensive and often crucial to treating our medically underserved, is limited by Medicaid’s burdensome federal regulations and requirements.  When it comes to access and outcomes, Medicaid is failing.

This underlying truth is undeniable and uncontested.  Yet this is the program that Governor Nixon wants to saddle on to more than 250,000 additional Missourians.  According to the 2011 American Community Survey, 86.3% of Missouri’s citizens have some form of insurance.  With this expansion, we only improve the coverage to 90% - a mere 4% increase in coverage (assuming no one drops their private insurance for “free” healthcare) for a staggering cost to taxpayers of one billion dollars!  Common sense could not be more in our favor to reform this system to improve its operation, help people get well, and save taxpayer dollars. 

Unfortunately, this is not the plan Governor Nixon is endorsing.  Consider this: in the last four years as Governor, he has had the opportunity to try and change Medicaid so it actually helps people get well.  Instead, he has waited until his re-election before he jumped on the expansion bandwagon.  Thankfully, there are alternatives to the ill-conceived idea of growing this broken system.

Transformed Medicaid

Republicans and Democrats alike in places like Florida, Louisiana, Kansas, Texas, and Wisconsin have taken notice of Medicaid’s vast shortcomings.  Instead of just throwing more money at the problem, these states have offered realistic solutions.  With a pragmatic approach, they have instituted reforms that have promoted stronger patient outcomes, increased doctor participation, and reduced burdensome restrictions on care that can be given.  We can bring those solutions to Missouri and that is what we will be working towards this session.