On the Chinese calendar 2017 is the Year of the Rooster. 
In Jefferson City it is the Year of The Bully.
Beginning with newly-inaugurated Governor SEAL badgering senators – in the President Pro Tem’s office – to vote down a pay raise, continuing with Senator Bob Onder yelling at Senator Jill Schupp on the floor of the Senate, through daily disrespect aimed at House Democrats, and, ending on a final day of session full of forced votes and leadership treating members worse than cattle, well, the 2017 session did not reflect the gentile traditions the Missouri legislature touts.
Don’t worry. Things will get worse.
Remember, due to term limits both the House and Senate leaders are almost always members in their last sessions. Most realize they have no political future: they look to becoming well paid lobbyists. With no need to please voters, they please those with big money.
That was especially evident this year as Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard appeared to act as the personal representative of super-donor David Humphreys. The senator for TAMKO Building Products pushed right to work, targeted tort reform (TAMKO faces some messy product liability suits), help for an airport when Humphreys keeps his jets [click here] and a variety of hard-right social policy bills.
The super majority party promised the moon to voters. Massive tax cuts for rich people which will result in tremendous economic growth. Making Missouri a God [Christian God] Fearing state where government stays out of your lives (except when you bother the legislature).
Most important: no tax increases no matter how great the need, no matter how reasonable the proposal.
Next year is an election year. The pressure on the Republicans to deliver on all those 2016 (along with 2014, 2012…) promises will be tremendous. And, as extreme as this crew of GOP robots is, many of them fear primaries opponents even more, well, crazy. (Surf through Tea Party, militia and The Gateway Pundit websites to get a taste of what’s out there.)
I talked to a long-time Department of Social Service employee. She know that, as in virtually every year for the past decade, she will not get a pay raise this year. She does not have a real boss: Governor SEAL has yet to even propose a director for DSS, even though the department spends one-third of Missouri’s $28 billion budget. The disaster which is the re-organization of DSS continues, with the temp crew constantly re-assigning workers from crisis to crisis. Her workload is probably more than four workers could handle effectively. She knows to the day when she can retire – and will be out the door that afternoon.
Meanwhile, Governor SEAL calls state workers part of a “bloated bureaucracy” [click here] and wants to put many of them on the street.
Citizens depend on state government for safe roads, good schools, help in times of distress, and, protection from the unscrupulous. Our state motto is, Let The Welfare Of The People Be The Supreme Law.
The bullies don’t care. And, they are in charge.
We must resist. We must keep reminding our neighbors that what is happening hurts everyone. Most important, we must work together. We need millions of Missourians to demand better from our elected officials, our government.
Submitted by Glenn Koenen, WCD Member