The Globe and Southeast Missourian both have editorial today criticizing the extreme plan pushed by Senate candidate Ed Martin, Sen. Brian Nieves, Sen. Jason Crowell and Sen. Jim Lembke in which Missouri would reject $189M in federal education money to make some sort of point about federal spending at the expense of Missouri's schoolchildren. Lost on all of them, apparently, is the fact that their ideas would cause real harm in Missouri communities, and if the Show-Me State doesn't take the money, it just goes to other states.
Here's what The Globe had to say:
It’s one thing to talk about excessive federal spending as a topic of election-time rhetoric. But political talking points are shaping up to become drastic cuts that will harm Missouri’s children...
One of the worst ideas involves sending it back...
We hope Missouri’s Republican lawmakers in the General Assembly remember that they were elected to represent Missourians, not the entire country. We need them to do what’s best for the Show-Me State, not try to address national political talking points.
The Southeast Missourian also criticizes the proposal, but in the weakest language possible. (Some might call it Milk Toast).
While lawmakers debate the issue, the fact remains that Missouri schools have made the necessary budget cuts -- a step that needed to be made when considering Missouri's lagging tax revenue in recent years.
The bottom line in this issue is that the federal government has spent too much for too long on too many issues. We've seen bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., pick winners and losers, and this process must stop. Using temporary federal funding is not a long-term solution.
Nevertheless, the federal dollars have been allocated, and should Missouri reject these dollars, they will be sent to other states.
As lawmakers look to address this issue, they would be wise to examine the parameters of how the money can be used. If allowed, holding the funding in a rainy-day fund to prevent further cuts in education would be the smart move.
God forbid the take a strong stand for children and sanity that might make Crowell mad.
