Without seeing a detailed budget, it’s nearly impossible to know where to cut. Could someone provide a link that shows where Missouri taxpayer dollars get spent, and in what amounts?

More Info Plz, go to mapyourtaxes.mo.gov — shows the agencies & programs where taxpayer money is being spent within the state.

We should spend on education and stop spending on sports. Sports is a waste of time and money. We have people near death that need our help now not later. It is savage for the state to spend on sports while sick people need help. Educating students should come before sports. It is time to put our priorities in order. Needs or wants which is it going to be. Do we attend to needs or let money be squandered on the whims of the rich. This same question is before our nation the needs of the less affluent or the whims of the rich. As far as I am concerned the less affluent should come first.

It drives me crazy when people start saying “cut sports”. What about: band, drama, debate? These activities not only provide positive activities for students after school, they build character. I guess you would not mind seeing 1000 kids standing around a park drinking after school? The most important thing is to fund education!

I see domestic violent and health care centers as a little more important then a bike race. But thats just me… who kissed whos butt to keep the funding for the bike race anyway? Wasnt it a cancelled deal a week ago? Now its on again……. hard to think that there are people that think riding their bike is more important then an abused woman or a sick kid.

sometimes it makes sense to pay a little to make a little… the teams coming to this event require hotels, meals, etc… That means money(back) in the state and local gov’t coffers. Also, there may have been the possibility of lawsuits arising by the late notice to these teams regarding a cancellation… How much more would it cost the state to defend/ settle those types of challenges. The story is far more complex than a simple it was this(bike race) over that(social services). The tourism council in the state probably works off of a different budget than the Social services dept. as well… So maybe the real question is what percent of the operating budgets of these different state depts. is being cut. If the 1.5 million earmarked for the Tour is a large protion of the budget, then it makes sense that the program would still be allowed to operate the race.

But outrage is the better response to the story than actual fact or logical reasoning, so carry on with your outrage, and don’t forget the CAPS.

Do I think any of the items mentioned should be cut at all, YES! People with disabilities are people who truly need help. That’s IT. The majority of the rest of ‘Social ripoff services’ are not NEEDED.

The Water Patrol? All they do is write tickets to people with outdated fire extinguishers. They really just need to be monitoring high traffic/party areas for people drinking and driving boats.

Cuts for anti-smoking programs, pregnant women, low income families who can’t afford health care, domestic violence… I didn’t have anything to do with those problems. I completed school. I couldn’t afford college, so I joined the Air Force, and got an education there. I waited until I had a stable home to have kids. I pay for health care for myself and my children. I don’t feel one shred of responsibility to pay for someone else or their kids. If you can’t afford ‘em, then stop popping ‘em out.

The only people who need aid in the form of tax dollars are disabled, or have lost a job due and are dilligently looking for a new job.

edit: “Do I think any of the items mentioned should be cut at all”

should read “shouldn’t”

You could cut the state’s budget in half and abolish almost all of the bureaucracy and within a year either some other entity would jump in to fill the slack or no one would know it was gone. Department’s of Tourism are a good example. You don’t need a freakin state agency to advertise Silver Dollar City, the wineries or casinos. Just about every county in the state has a chamber of commerce. Let local businesses pay for their own marketing.

By and large, a state’s sole responsibility is public safety, infrastructure to support commerce, and a judiciary. You can argue for certain regulatory bodies to go into the mix, like a tax collector or someone to standardize weights and measures, but rest if mostly fluff. Let professional organizations manage doctors, lawyers, accountants, and the like. It works in just about every other walk of life.

B, maybe you should have went to college and got a real education, but judging by your post it wouldn’t have done any good because I can tell it is all about you.