Volume 11, Edition 3 • January 19, 2007
Governor Unveils Health Care Plan
As part of his ongoing commitment to ensuring that low-income Missourians have access to health care, Gov. Matt Blunt this week released a proposal to improve access to those who need it most. The groundbreaking proposal would create Health Care Homes for participating patients in places like Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and community-based health facilities which provide care to the uninsured and underserved. A Health Care Home is the most effective way for both health professionals and patients to address health concerns before they become catastrophic. Providing access to a Health Care Home, a coordinated point of entry for health care services, will improve participants’ health, reduce the need for costly specialty services, reduce non essential emergency room visits, and lower preventable hospitalizations. The program enhances care by giving health care providers access to the tools and information they need, such as patients’ medical history, prescription information, and chronic illness history. FQHCs already serve as Health Care Homes for many Missouri patients, and the Governor’s support of the centers has led to new facilities in Sedalia, Potosi, Linn and Jefferson City. The Governor also has proposed $750,000 for a new project to support collaboration between Community Mental Health Centers and FQHCs that will identify behavioral health disorders early in the primary care setting and to reduce the gap between public and behavioral health systems. The Governor is also seeking an additional $5 million for a Healthcare Information Technology Initiative to allow health centers to build an electronic health record system.
Governor Leads State During Ice Storms
Just as he did in December, Gov. Blunt again showed courage and determination when faced with the destructive forces of Mother Nature. The Governor immediately began taking crucial steps leading up to and during the ice storms that ravaged the state this past week. Prior to the storm, the Governor activated the State Emergency Management Agency and later the Missouri National Guard to help assist Missourians across the state. The Governor was also able to quickly secure disaster assistance from the federal government. Gov. Blunt visited some of the hardest hit areas of the state and met with those displaced by the storm. He also asked the National Guard go door to door to ensure that those without power were safe. This kind of leadership has been the hallmark of Gov. Blunt’s governorship, and it quite clearly shows his commitment to protecting the people of Missouri. In fact, the Governor clearly understands the plight of Missourians since his own home in Springfield was without power for several days.
Governor Chooses Missourians Over Politics
While Democrat leaders in the Legislature continue with their nasty brand of partisan politics, Gov. Blunt continues to put Missourians first. Case in point: The Governor has asked former Democrat Senate President Pro Tem Bill McKenna to stay on the State Highway and Transportation Commission until the question of how to build the Mississippi River Bridge is resolved. McKenna’s term was to end in March. At issue is Missouri’s support of making the bridge a toll bridge and Illinois’ opposition to that proposal. “We have said that we are willing to work with anyone who is as committed as we are to this important project. I appreciate the public service of the McKenna family and I look forward to working with Bill as we resolve this issue,” the Governor said.
Nixon Joins Extremists for Political Purposes
Leave it to Jay Nixon to join the extremists at the Sierra Club in order to try and score political points and campaign cash. Nixon wrote a politically motivated letter to Senate President Pro Tem Michael Gibbons mistakenly claiming that the Governor’s appointment to the Clean Water Commission violated state law. The letter came just two weeks after the radicals at the Sierra Club led by Ken Midkiff also claimed the appointment was illegal. Speaking of illegal, Midkiff this week told the Columbia Daily-Tribune that he was a “lawbreaker” because he had failed to register as a lobbyist as required by state law. The problem is that when the Holden administration approved increasing the size of the commission from six members to seven members, they never bothered to fix current state law to accommodate the change. With six members, three from each political party were allowed to serve. With seven on the board, the Governor in June appointed a fourth Republican member – Jan Tupper – whose nomination will likely be considered by the Senate later this month . Nixon’s letter threatened to take legal action if Tupper’s nomination is approved in an obvious attempt to secure contributions from the Sierra Club. The ploy by Nixon sounds eerily similar to the threats he made against board members of the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority last year. It is truly pathetic that Jay Nixon is again making decisions based on political considerations rather than what’s in the best interests of Missourians and the law. Meanwhile, the Columbia Daily Tribune took Nixon and Midkiff to task by pointing out that their “rationale only has short legs.” The editorial notes that the Democrat sponsor of the measure expanding the size of the commission in 2002 agrees that lawmakers should have changed the majority requirement. To read the editorial, go to:
http://www.columbiatribune.com/2007/Jan/20070118Comm002.asp
Newspapers Laud Blunt’s Commitment to Children
It was refreshing to see that the Springfield News-Leader and the Kansas City Star recognize our Governor’s commitment to the children of Missouri. In editorials this past week, the newspapers concluded what many Missourians already know: This Governor cares deeply about the young people of our state. Whether it is his support for stronger sentences for sexual predators, new child safety laws or increasing education funding each year he has been in office, Gov. Blunt has made a difference for Missouri children and their families, and this year will be no different. The newspapers praised the Governor’s support for additional funding for the Parents As Teachers Program, while the News-Leader also praised additional funding for residential care for children who are abused or neglected. “Children are clearly a priority to this governor,” the News-Leader said. To read the editorials, visit the links below.
http://www.news-leader.com
http://www.kansascity.com
The Kansas City Star really let the Democrats get away with some twisted revisionist history this week. The Star’s Kit Wagar reported: “Rep. Beth Low, a Kansas City Democrat, said Republicans who control both the House and Senate have failed to learn from history.” Wagar forgets to mention that Democrat policies and irresponsible fiscal management of the budget caused the economic problems faced by our state earlier this decade. Democrats did not manage the people’s money wisely in the 1990s because they failed to respect the priorities or wishes of Missourians. Instead, Democrats dumped taxpayer dollars into all the wrong places. It would be nice if members of the liberal media could remember that when writing their stories.
