The Source

What Kind of Guy is Jay Nixon?

Sometimes it's interesting to look at two seemingly unrelated articles and try to find some way to connect them.

This isn't exactly one of those cases. It's far too easy to require actual effort.

Here's the setup:

The governor's State of the State address, like his previous ones, is likely to highlight what he sees as major business-related successes.

And the punchline:

Missouri budget leaders are warning of a half-billion-dollar gap between projected expenses and revenues for the upcoming financial year...

"This is the year we go over the cliff, and there's nothing you can really do about it," said House Budget Committee [Chair] Ryan Silvey.

Things are a mess in Missouri right now... So you can be sure to expect an out-of-touch, "things-are-getting-better", kid-gloves kind of approach to Nixon's January 17th State of the State address.

Anything more would require Jay Nixon to be realistic. And as any Missourian can plainly see, realism isn't exactly Jay Nixon's ace in the hole.

The state - budget and all - is essentially a giant business and the governor has not run it well. It's not exactly honest to tout your business credentials when you can't even manage your own budget.

He's not so much a glass half empty or glass half full kind of guy as he is an "I'll agree that there is a container of liquid but anything else would require investigation by my lackeys" kind of guy.

In other words he's the devoid of leadership kind of guy.

Just the kind of guy you want steering a sinking ship...

- B.H.

Primarily Wasteful

With primary season officially beginning tonight with the Iowa Caucuses it’s important to have an understanding of just how badly Missouri screwed the pooch when it comes to our primary decision.

As you are likely aware, the primary in Missouri was scheduled too early. So early, in fact, that the delegates would be meaningless come time for the convention.

This is why Missouri has opted instead for a caucus, after the imposed start date, to avoid the stripping of delegates that would have occurred otherwise.

But what happens to that primary?

In true bureaucratic fashion it will go ahead exactly as planned, despite having absolutely no relevance or standing whatsoever, because the state law requires a “primary” regardless of where the delegates are decided.

So how much will the bill for this primarily non-primary primary run?

[I]t appears that voters’ choices in a primary that will cost taxpayers $8 million will have little relevance.

Couldn’t something have been done about this giant mess?

During the regular session in 2011, the General Assembly passed legislation (Senate Bill 282) that called for moving the date of the presidential primary to March to comply with the rules of the national Republican and Democratic parties.

Gov. Jay Nixon said he supported that change. But, the bill also contained provisions that would have eliminated write-in candidates in many municipal elections and would have imposed costs for taxpayers to hold special elections. Because of those additional provisions, Nixon vetoed the bill. So, the primary remains scheduled for Feb. 7.

And so Nixon flushed $8 million down the drain with the stroke of a pen.

This primary means nothing. Absolutely nothing. But because the state mandates a primary we have a primary, with no concern for the inevitable allocation of delegates at the convention.

So on February 7, 2012, you will actually be able to witness – statewide – how the government wastes your money.

It’s an $8 million exercise in red tape.

What a waste.

- B.H.