State has avoided any real budget cuts

I couldn't help but laugh Thursday when state budget director Linda Luebbering stepped to the microphone to announce the serious news that state government is being forced to cutback substantially because of Missouri's dwindling revenue. With Governor Bob Holden noticeably absent, Luebbering said the state was being forced to eliminate 870 positions and cut $67 million in planned spending. That's just a drop in the bucket of the $300 million revenue shortfall. But it marked the beginning of a certain round of additional reductions in the coming weeks and months.

So why was I laughing? Well for starters, don't let the numbers fool you. Most of those 870 positions existed on paper only. They don't represent real people in real jobs in the state government. Less than 100 actual jobs were impacted and nearly all of those state workers have found new positions within state government. So here's the bottom line. About a dozen jobs were eliminated this week to improve Missouri's dismal budget picture. Makes you laugh doesn't it?

Not to worry though. There are still 65,000 people who work for the state of Missouri so a dozen or so less surely won't have much impact.

Holden was a no-show but who would blame him. It seems the Governor has delivered only bad news since his arrival in Jefferson City so it's understandable he would send a sacrificial lamb to deliver the latest round of dismal economic news.

What would happen - just for argument's sake - if the state decided to reduce the workforce by 10 percent? How would the budget be impacted if 6,500 state workers received a pink slip? Most businessmen will tell you they could reduce their work force by that amount - if the economy dictated - and still remain in business. So why would that same rule of business not apply to state government?

Thursday's announcement was a phony attempt to convince the people of Missouri that state government is actively working to address the budget crisis. We are smart enough to know that eliminating positions that are not currently filled is much different than laying people off. It's embarrassing that state officials would go to these extremes to stage a news conference. But life in Jefferson City is a bit different than life in the rest of the state.

Missourians need to brace for some bad news in the weeks and months ahead. Short on state revenues by about a billion bucks, someone is going to have to tighten their belts in a big way. And not by any phony dozen or so jobs. I mean real cuts that impact real people.

Higher education took it on the chin last year and elementary and secondary education seem to be non-touchable to state officials. When you take out of the equation those programs that benefit children and the elderly, you don't leave much wiggle-room for state officials.

Here's a suggestion. Quit giving money to deadbeats who sit on their tails and suck from society. Put that money back into the state budget and our crisis would be much smaller. But that would be a tough decision so don't look for that to happen.

Instead, look for Gov. Holden to use future tobacco settlement funds to finance our way out of current problems. It's a dumb move but a predictable one.

You see, money is not the only thing lacking in Jefferson City. So is leadership.