JEFFERSON CITY–Claire McCaskill should explain to Missouri students why she opposes Gov. Matt Blunt’s plan to pump $450 million into higher education and instead is proposing a ludicrous plan to fund the River Campus in Cape Girardeau with surplus state funds already spoken for.

McCaskill yesterday made the suggestion that Blunt should use state surplus funds to fund the River Campus at Southeast Missouri State University. She also claimed that there is no need for the sale of MoHELA assets to fund education projects and scholarships statewide. Blunt has made it clear that he supports the River Campus project and said it could fit into plans once MoHELA assets become available.

“Not only has Claire McCaskill made it clear that she opposes the governor’s bold funding initiative but she also has shown that she has no clue that state surplus funds are already obligated for other purposes,” said Paul Sloca, communications director for the Missouri Republican Party. “Her call for money for the River Campus is disingenuous at best and has more to do with campaign politics than the needs of Missouri students.”

The current state surplus is between $100 and $150 million not the $250 million figure haphazardly used by McCaskill. Any extra money the state has this year is already pledged for the coming year including the $17 million increase Blunt has proposed for operations of state colleges and universities.

“It’s more than a little disconcerting that the state auditor hasn’t a clue about the finances of our state,” Sloca said. “Claire McCaskill needs to pay more attention to her current job instead of offering up politically motivated education plans that have no basis in reality.”