The Lost

Last week I talked with Democratic lawmakers and a couple of budget wonks about Missouri’s situation. All of us agree that things are bad and will get worse.

Smaller Size Government

The bottom line? Republican legislators want smaller government at all costs. If families get whacked by opioid abuse or teachers don’t get pay raises for years, well, that’s acceptable so that state government can shrink – and taxes lowered.

To Keep Hunger At Bay

Hunger exists. It’s an irrefutable fact. Miller lays out the numbers: In Missouri, 826,000 people—14% of the state’s population—live below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL); in St. Louis County 90,000 people—nine percent of the area’s population—live below the FPL.

Parking Spaces

Changing minds, like changing the size of parking spaces, won’t happen quickly. Those of us wanting a better, more humane Missouri have to think – and act – over the long haul, over years and maybe a decade or two. The trick is to work at change every day.