Resign.

Clean the wads of gum from under the desk and chairs left by Brat Baby Blunt.

Governor Nixon would do the future generation of our great state a tremendous service if better educational financing and interest free loans could be provided to students whose parents make less than $65,000 gross or students who are self-supported making less than $35,000 per year. Private loans are becoming increasingly expensive and adding unnecessary burdens to students as they graduate and attempt to enter a dwindling workforce.

Also, the St. Louis city schools are in terrible shape. The city has been unable to come up with a viable program to educate students in lower income neighborhoods. Since there is a smaller tax base, there is just not a lot of funding. Urban development should be a priority as well as bringing new businesses into the city.

…………He should take a lesson from Mel Brooks as the Governor in Blazing Saddles

“holy underwear!… we’ve got to protect our phony-baloney jobs gentlemen, we must do something immediately…harumph, harumph, harumph”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN99jshaQbY

Make job creation in Missouri his #1 priority.

Speed up capital expenditures like road projects, and make sure the companies that do the work are based here in Missouri, with Missouri locals doing the work. It will be no help to Missouri if we use our money to employ a Texas company that hires transients. The idea here is two fold – The first is to use our tax dollars to improve/repair our infrastructure. This makes us more attractive to companies that might want to locate here and to residents that already live here. The second reason for this (and the reason the companies should be local) is to get money flowing in the Missouri economy. If a worker lives here, his salary will be spent here, on food, housing, etc – and that will keep our economy moving.

The next thing he should do is attract new companies to Missouri. This may be as simple as pointing out our skilled workforce and attractive cost of living, or as complex as tax incentives. However it’s accomplished, Mr. Nixon should work hard to bring new companies to Missouri, and make sure existing companies have what they need to succeed – and increase hiring.

Thirdly, he should work hard to make sure that unemployed Missourians have the tools and information they need to find work. Matching willing workers with Employers who need them isn’t easy – but it’s worth it.

All of this focuses on the Jobs. If people are employed, they can spend money, pay taxes, and pay their bills. With the economic situation today, Mr. Nixon needs to do everything in his power to make sure there are jobs here in Missouri – because if there aren’t, the future here is grim indeed.

1. Eliminate Personal Property Taxes.

2. Freeze real estate taxes at the value the property was bought at. (Nothing is worth one nickle more than someone else is willing to pay for it). Otherwise make the assessors offer to buy the property at the price they assess it at. Only fair.

3. If government cannot operate at it’s current revenue value, cut programs.

Jay Nixon’s supposed to be a man for the people, prove it. Let us keep more of what we earn by our labor.

Great ideas Ananoman:

MoDOT - Exclude 98% of the expertise in roadway projects in America JUST so we can say it was built by a “Missouri” company. Since it is your idea, please share where in the state budget this money is going to come from. The last time I heard someone from MoDOT speak about road projects they had enough money for maintenance and resurfacing work only…

Attract new companies - Generally done by giving TIFs and other tax incentives, which will actually LOWER the tax revenue brought in for a specified number of years depending on the deal struck. That way maybe MoDOT won’t have the funds for resurfacing work…

Getting the Unemployed Work - Because Lord knows they don’t have any time on their hands to find work themselves.

You sound like a politician. “Make job creation the #1 priority.” Too bad you are also like a politician in that you have no fundamental plan to make such a thing happen. Everything you wrote sounds great but is totally unrealistic. Nixon isn’t going to create jobs any more than the Tooth Fairy is. Not because it is Nixon either, but because it is the greatest fallacy in all of politics that a governor/mayor/president can somehow create jobs…

My recommendation for newly elected Governor Nixon is to initiate action to prepare Missouri for the future. The first major action should be to aggressively move the state in the direction of energy independance. Missouri is already recognized as a leader in green building. Promote legislation to make Missouri a national leader in energy independance. Legislation that leverages off of the Federal Energy Act of 2006 that would offer rebates and incentives towards home builders and owners who build energy efficient residential and commercial structures. One specific action would be to pass legislation that allows the state to become a benchmark for other states. Supporting new building concepts such as Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF’s) for the other structure of both commercial and residentials building would enhance both energy and safety. This approach is a way to reduce the amount of energy formerly required to heat and cool.

Tim,

Angry much?

Your first post was a one word exercise in sarcasm, your second post was a play by play …ahem, ‘complaint’ session.

Do you have an idea that on topic, or is your goal just to carp all day?

Congratulate his predecessor on a job well done.

they need to change the laws in nursing homes and make it a requirement for those homes to HAVE to carry liability insurance. Also they need to look into closing some of the homes like the one where my 46 yr. old husband was in and he was neglected and died and a month later so was another man and they were just on the news for leaving a 95 yr old lady out in the cold and rain. Those people can’t help themself in those places!

The economy of Missouri needs to be the first priority followed by education and health care.

Best wishes to the new Governor!

Go room by room looking for deleted emails. They are soooooo important. Well worth the million dollar investigation.

Dump Personal Property Tax

Resign. Do us all a favor as quickly as possible.

Ananoman, I assure you my first post from the heart. I bet Ang’s was too.

My second post simply pointed out the folly of which you wrote about. Anyone can say we need job creation. Be different from the crowd and tell us exactly how Nixon is supposed to do that, because I gaurantee he doesn’t have the first clue.

Please share your ideas with us.

Dear Gov. Nixon,

Release your e-mails and other communications regarding shady donations from Ameren and other contributors.

No, Missouri’s ‘news’ outlets won’t request such information from you. Many newspapers, for instance, would prefer to go out of business rather than give the Show-Me state honest and fair coverage. (These media outlets will continue to lose money and fail.) However, many Missourians believe in governmental justice and transparency. For the sake of these taxpayers, please do the right thing and come clean.

If you would have asked me 6-7 months ago, I would have stated education (at all levels) and healthcare.

Now, I would say economy (jobs, development) first. Then, education and healthcare.

1. Follow the Constitution, and if he doesn’t, he is out within 1 week.
2. Disband the criminal andunlawful St. Louis Federal Reserve.
3. Do away with sales tax and state income tax (this is unlawful).
4. Take out all red-light cameras and/or speed cameras in Missouri (this is unlawful).

Work with the legislature to pass real eminent domain reform. What was done during the Blunt Administration is a cruel joke, that was written by those you want the abuse to continue. Model it after what Gov. Bush (R) did in Florida, or what Gov. Richardson (D) did in New Mexico. Missouri residents do not deserve any less protection than the residents of FL, NM and dozens of States that decided to protect the residents, instead of developers who contribute to political campaigns. Show us from the get go whose side you are on. Show us your character and honesty. SHOW ME

Tim,

I already did share my ideas – something you – still - have yet to do. It’s easy to nitpick other people’s ideas, especially if you never offer your own. Some people seem to make a hobby of it, lets call it naysayer syndrome.

As for my ideas being “unrealistic”, lets examine that for a second. I propose that Governor Nixon try to attract new companies to Missouri, and leave the options wide open. Are you seriously saying that the actions, tax policies, deals and plain ‘ol fashioned palm pressing/smoozing have NEVER – EVER - attracted a company to a state? Seriously? Or is it just a bit more likely that if Governor Nixon makes it his priority Missouri could put together serious offers to companies looking to relocate or expand?

Anyway, enough of our discussion – I never intended to debate my proposal with you, or anyone else. The topic is what do you think the new Governor should do first. I think he should focus on job creation.

Here’s a question for you Tim – What do YOU think he should do first?

PS- I won’t nitpick your proposals, no matter how tempted I may be

Mr. Nixon:

1) Do everything in your power to attract business and industry to Missouri - and to St. Louis and Kansas City in particular. Missouri doesn’t evidence very much at first take that would be that much of an attraction, but as another poster suggested, we can tout a lower cost of living than many other states. Getting rid of the statewide personal property tax would also help.
2) Do something decisive, quickly, to put your stamp on Jefferson City, thereby letting it be known - please - that smarmy Missouri politics as perfected by the likes of the Blounts will no longer be the order of the day. Haul out the mop — you’ve got a lot of house-cleaning to do.
3) Look at wide-scale possibilities for stimulating the economy, such as obtaining our share of federal funds for badly-needed infrastructure improvements and the jobs they create. Also, bring pressure to bear on St. Louis to end the one percent earnings tax, which has always served as a disincentive for people and companies to relocate downtown.
4) Follow through on the state’s assumption of control over St. Louis public schools and bring in the necessary expertise to start fixing it. No one with a serious thought toward their child’s future will move to the city as long as the school system remains the mess that it is.
5) Oppose further sports franchise boondoggles and stop any further financing of sports venues with public funds, recognizing for the lie that it is that sports venues make a significant economic difference to the cities in which they are located.
6) Appoint a commission to investigate the St. Louis Police Department and initiate an effort to clean it up.

Lots of others where this comes from, but we’ll have to be patient and give you time to undo the mess you’ve inherited. It will take a HUGE effort to drag Missouri into the 21st century. You face a situation similar to that of Barack Obama, except on a smaller scale. Both you and our next President have a lot of cleaning up to do in the wake of the disasters left by your predecessors. Here’s wishing you the best of luck.

Immediately? Fire the upper management of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, like Blunt did his first day in office. Put in people who actually care about the environment, and haven’t used the office for political gain.

Long term: we need to work with the federal government to begin a health care pool for those without health care insurance. Too many people don’t have health care coverage, and it’s hurting the state’s doctors and hospitals–not to mention the people. Plus, the companies in the state can’t afford to pay for health care, and either offshore the jobs, or close.

Also long term, we need to go back after the stem cell research jobs we threw away years ago. Not only that, but let’s start attracting new industry to this state that doesn’t pollute, and that won’t lay people off every time there’s a new quirk in the economy.

We also need to work on education, both improving our public school systems, and providing financial help for those wanting to attend college. College should be based on merit, not wealth.

Someone mentioned forward thinking. Well, for this we also need a good public transit system. Instead of cutting back on Metro, we should be adding lines. Rather than new freeways, new rails.

My idea? I already told you Anon, he should resign.

You didn’t share ideas, you shared ideals. Anyone can give a list of generic feel-good thoughts. The devil is in the details.

Sure you can attract businesses to Missouri. How do you do it without giving away the farm? You want the state to match jobs with the unemployed but you also want to get businesses to relocate here. But with the tax incentives the Gov will have to cough up the already tight budget won’t have any money for infrastructure OR your job matching idea. So how to you propose to do it? Just ask really really really nicely? Or say pretty please? This is the second time this was explained to you by the way

Boyd is drinking from the same kool-aid vat apparently. More job creation magic. Hey Boyd, how does a Democrat governor quickly put his “stamp” on Jeff City with an overwhelmingly GOP House? The only thing that mop will be good for is leaning on. Boyd’s 5 and 6 sound good to me. He is right on about “economic impact” of stadiums and the need to seriously investigate the STL Police Department.

Start thinking like a Republican. Don’t put half the state back on welfare and Medicaid. Try to keep some of the eight hundred and something million excess that Blunt left you with.

Change the “Boy George” satin sheets at the mansion.

Gov. Nixon will do nothing to stop eminent domain abuse because organizations like the Chamber of Commerce and the St. Louis Business Journal support eminent domain abuse, because they no longer represent the butcher, hairdresser, barber etc. They pretend to represent the small businessman or woman, but they only want their money from dues or subscriptions. The Chamber of Commerce and the St. Louis Business Journal really represent the developers that can do a $100 million development. There are three ways to fight back, because for some reason Missouri Politicians are not as honest as Politicians in FL or NM.

1. Support http://www.mo-cpr.org with money or time (they are putting two initiatives on the ballot in 2010 that will stop eminent domain abuse).

2. When your next bill comes from the Chamber of Commerce or the St. Louis Business Journal, return the bill, and tell them you will rejoin when meaningfull eminent domain reform is law. They cannot survive on the membership of big developers only.

3. Make Governor Nixon a one termer like Governor Blunt, if good eminent domain law is not passed during his first term.

There is nothing else we can do.

Tim,

I won’t nitpick your idea, but truthfully, there’s not much to pick on, is there? “Resign”. Nice. Now of course, if Nixon had an ( R ) after his name, I’m sure you would be all for his life time appointment.

A blog is not the place for massive details. Do you really think that a job creation plan can be reduced to blurb – yet still have enough details to satisfy every angry nitpicker in the world? Its not going to happen. What can happen is you share your goals – your objectives. Not to explain it to you again (because the first couple of times were such a success) but my Goal/Objective would be for him to focus on Job creation. I know you want details, so I will recommend you consult other job creation plans (there have been lots) choose the ones that worked, and pick the items from those that you think will have the most benefit here in Missouri. Its called work – but every job starts with a Goal. Without an objective you just end up doing what you’re doing: angrily complaining about everyone else while offering nothing useful.

Frankly, I’m disappointed in you. It’s a sad day when you miss the chance to champion the goals of social conservatism, but today the best you can come up with is: “Resign”. Then again, perhaps that’s all you have left – a blind hope that all things Democratic will just “go away”. Well, click your ruby red slippers together and try wishing harder – the Governor has work to do.

Take reporters’ questions in his first public event, as a proper elected official should.

He ought look long and hard at a proactive approach to government. Apply an incentive based broadsweeping effort to create private sector jobs. Giveaways are not going to get the job done, by making spending advantageous everyone wins… especially the state of Missouri.

Great job Missouri!! I thought Missouri had decent, moral, intellegent people living in it’s borders. Now that I see that you just elected one of the most liberal politicians in the state, I now realize that I have made a error in judgement. Good luck with your new Governor your going to need it. How much damage can one liberal do in four years??

Show Missouri to be a model for the rest of the country. Abolish income taxes, property taxes, payroll taxes and replace all with a 20% tax on all purchases. Stop all TIF and entitlement taxes to corporations and let the free market sort itself out. Cut all welfare programs and let the communities,churches and private social programs help thoses in dire immediate need. As we recently passed laws allowing the casino loss limit to be dropped, realocate this money to education. Reduce the amount of money we spend on our legal system by decriminalizing marijuana and instead build an industry to produce and sell it and tax the hell out of it. Release all prisoners of the war on drugs and hire them for the purpose of starting this industry. The 20% consumption tax, the taxes on casino revenues, and the newly formed marijuana industry, along with the savings from reducing the incarceration level would leave the state government with a budget surplus that could be used to fund health care with treatment for drug addicts, the repeal of payroll taxes would draw employers, and the economy would turn around quickly.

1) Take an hour, read the Missouri constitution, and make a solemn vow to follow it in all of his enthusiasms and decisions.

2) Get all the creationists out of the schools and political PC positions, and back to church where they belong.

3) Get the government away from micromanaging people’s lives, and back to protecting our common resources as it should.

4) Get politics out of the merit system, give people their “on paper” job descriptions back, and judge them on how well they do their job, not on cronyism.

5)Protect the small from the big, the poor from the wealthy, and the majority from all the political extremists of all flavors.

6)Enjoin all citizens to make their best effort at all times, maximizing the general good for all over the extreme good for any particular group.

7)Keep the government out of places it doesn’t belong, like reproductive rights, prescribing(or not prescribing) medications, and using my pocketbook for unworthy causes.

8)Make a pledge to do the most for the people with the smallest amount of money possible, but don’t engage in false economy which causes bigger bills down the road.

9)”Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law.”–Missouri State Motto

10) Remember, it’s just a job, smell the roses in the Governor’s Garden and invite Kenny over for basketball occasionally.

I read through all of the messages above before posting my own thoughts. But first, a little comparison… Has anyone been following the sordid state of affairs in California? My father lives there, and I hear snippets from him. Things like a $20-40B deficit, or not paying income tax refunds this year (vouchers instead), or even bigger, meaner, more invasive government… Not a happy state of affairs. Then I look to our own state

For years I have thought I am lucky to live in a state that is realtively fiscally conservative. Some State services could be better, but how do we pay for it/them? Gore one ox to fatten the other? No one wants higher taxes, and no one wants their pet/favorite program bled to fund another. All in all, I think Missouri provides a fairly balanced slate of services.

My pet programs:

1. Nixon needs to get behind an increase (a substantial one too) of the State’s gas tax. Missouri has one of the lowest gas taxes in the nation, and the lowest of any adjoining states. Use the proceeds to increase MoDOT funding, AND bolster funding for mass transit.

2. Special Education. Fully fund it.

3. Department of Conservation. Ever hear anyone in Missouri complain about the poor job the DOC does? Exactly! We have one of the BEST state conservation departments in the nation, and also have an excellent storehouse of conservation areas. Funding to the DOC is very modest. Imagine what they could do with even a slight increase.

4. Gambling: Get rid of it. Not from a moral or other similar perspective, but from that of a nuisance. Look how dependent education funding is gambling revenue now. What happened to all of the money that USED to go to education? Gamblig is a tax - a tax on the poor. Wean the state off of it, and implement other funding.

I’ve got a few more, but will leave space for others.

Ban smoking in public places.

Invite an investigation by federal authorities into the corruption of Mat Blunt and his crooked friends in Kansas City and Jeff. This is echoing all of my Republican friends save one, an exec for an insurance company that paid into Blunt’s campaign coffers.

Find ways to implement reconnecting children in the public schools, especially boys and young men,who do not have relationships with their fathers, or good relationships, with them.

Tim, I agree. Nixon should resign. I was going to give him a chance, then he irresponsibly gave all State employees the day off yesterday. Who pays for that, the State Tax Payers. He cannot wait to waste all of the surplus Blunt left him. Nixon is an idiot. Missouri didn’t have much of a choice. Hulshoff is an idiot too. It was like choosing between Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum.

Boyd, don’t just pick on sport stadium tax breaks. Let’s work on TIF’s in wealthy areas like Des Peres and Chesterfield. I know the going after the sports stadiums is “sexy” but let’s call out all gov’t waste of our tax dollars.

Be non partisan and fiscally responsible.

Let’s see if he can stay in office full term, then we’ll talk!!

Crash test you toock the words right out of my mouth……unfortunatly that great movie is to true to the way things are today.

As far as the featured commenter is concerned:

First of all congrats on being selected as the featured comment of this discussion…I’m sure you are very proud. I’m sure you have already phoned your mother & cousins in St.Joseph, MO. Seriously, did you actually use the word “boondoggle”??? I’m sure that is the ONLY reason your comment was featured. Get a life, & get educated to the facts that sports franchises are HUGE to local economies. BOONDOGGLE.

Use political clout and promises of economic transformation to consolidate St. Louis’s 93 municipalities. That will be the way that the largest metro area in the state can be competitive in luring jobs (Tim) and keeping them.

By the way, it was the governor of Indiana that did just such a consolidation on Indianapolis in 1970. It’s why the economy “doesn’t suck as bad” in Indiana as it does in the rest of the country… and indirectly why I’m here now with a good highway engineering job.

Other benefits include savings with public services like schools, police and fire, and ability to concentrate development where the city wants (you should see the cranes on the downtown skyline).

I like Tim’s idea, first page, first post. That’s total 1st page ownage! Sweet.

Kdunlap - you are right on. I didn’t mention the delaration of wealthy areas like Des Peres as “blighted” so they can give Westfield and other power conglomerates tax breaks, but it should go without saying that abuses here should take top priority in Mr. Nixon’s fiscal belt-tightening moves.

wakeupwhitepeople - (your chosen psuedonym is enough to worry the rest of us…) — I stand by what I said. There is absolutely NO evidence that sports franchises contribute an appreciable amount to any large municipal budget in comparison to what they cost the area’s taxpayers, and if you think so, you are dreaming.

Oh - and sorry you have a problem with multi-syllabic words containing over six letters. You might want to look at a dictionary on rare occasion. When you get the hang of the English language, I really think you’ll enjoy it.

Steve - Only the state employees in Cole County, Jefferson City, had the day off to accommodate for the people coming to Jeff City for the inauguration. And I’m not sure the then Governor-Elect could give them the day off since he was not the Governor at the time the decision was made.

Unfortunately, the likelihood that Nixon will do much will be determined by the Republican General Assembly. His biggest challenge will be to get them to actually address the types of problems that are recorded in this forum. They are more apt, by their previous efforts, to play politics rather than govern. They didn’t even work well with the Republican Governor.

Rein in the tax breaks communities give to businesses to come to their community. No tax breaks without hard core jobs that pay well over 30000 a year, in addition to Oppose further sports franchise boondoggles and stop any further financing of sports venues with public funds, recognizing for the lie that it is that sports venues make a significant economic difference to the cities.

I have yet to see much of this ‘government waste’ that people always talk about, except by political elected officials and appointees. I have seen a lot of expenses which would be corporate expenses otherwise picked up out of pocket by lower echelon employees– office supplies, repair parts, transportation on government business in their private vehicles and not charged back to the government and so forth. Using a state procurement card (credit card) is a major logistical hassle, especially if you need a single lightbulb to replace one that just burned out at your facility, and you can get a replacement by taking your private car to Wal-Mart and getting one at your expense, rather than wait weeks to go through channels, and get a whole case of them, which will be obsoleted before you use them up.
Do Mr & Mrs Nixon intend to live in the Governor’s Mansion? It’s a short walk from there to the Capitol building, and a whole lot closer than Springfield. As far as Cole County state employees getting the day off– all of Jefferson City stops for the inauguration, (not just the government) so there wouldn’t have been any point to attempting to do business — no one else would have been in the office, anyway.

Why don’t you live in your house on Elmerine and rent the Governors Mansion to the highest bidder? Use the money made/saved to pay your security detail to watch you Christmas shop at Barnes and Noble.

Well Anonoman, we gave you days and days to come up some kind of detail on your “ideas” that could be stolen out of any politicians speech. We asked how you were going to fund such endeavors. Instead you wrote back with inane dribble about how this is not the time or the place to discuss such details. Are you Mark McGwire in hiding? You’ve conclusively shown that you have no handle on how this state is run or what needs to happen in order to run it. You even assumed my whole political stance just beacuse I don’t like Nixon!

Thanks for adding nothing to the conversation. Apparently that is your comfort zone anyway…

timmah,

Resign.

You have spent days lurking in this blog looking for a fight, and have yet to contribute. Give it up.

Resign.

My first prayer would be that Gov, Nixon does not cut the medcade,medicare programs for the eldery, and S,S benifts.
Put more money in to the schools in Western Miourri [Kansas city and surroundindg areas ]
And the does the job he promised to do when I casted my vote for him,
If he must cut programs let huim start with the outregous salerys of some of the goverment workers,
not take out of the mouths of us that are barley getting by.

visit the state run offices in St Louis and make sure that clients are being treated well. Not everyone who goes to apply for assistance is a lazy, careless, or uneducated person. The treatment some people get at those places is disgusting and the appearance of those places is too. Clean them up, paint the walls, put in real chairs, and most of all lose those employees who have bad attitudes, display laziness, less than professional appearance and behavior and make them more efficient. Get rid of the multiple supervisors in one office, streamline the operation and most of all try to undo the damage Blunt did in the wake of his tenure.