Governor should OK newest budget

Gov. Bob Holden should sign the revised budget bill agreed to on Tuesday by House and Senate negotiators. The new budget restores some of the earlier cuts but does so without a tax increase that Holden had advocated. The new agreement calls for eliminating 97 state employee positions and puts those savings into mental health and social services. It also offers additional protections for the poor, elderly and the disabled.

Some of the new money used to alter the budget comes from the newly-approved federal tax cut bill. But some of those new dollars will also be set aside for next year when the budget outlook remains bleak at this point.

Holden now must either approve this new budget or file another veto and call the legislature back into another special session. But time is running short because some money expires July 1 and that could result in shutdown of some state services, though that prospect seems doubtful.

Holden will be hard-pressed to claim victory from this revised budget but he's clearly in a bind. And though I would be surprised if Holden announces another veto, I would not be shocked beyond belief. Holden has a flare for the dramatic and he knows that his political future hangs in the balance. His performance during the recent legislative session will most likely result in an announcement within a month that one of his own party will challenge him for the gubernatorial nomination next year. That is virtually a certainty.

What Holden continues to misunderstand apparently is the lack of support for a tax increase in Missouri. I'm truly surprised he didn't lobby harder for a removal of the loss limit on gaming in Missouri because that would have generated funds without a visible tax hike. But Holden's push was directed more at higher cigarette taxes even though voters just rejected that option. His memory is obviously short.

All in all, it's time for the legislature to come home. The reductions in state services will reflect a reduction in revenues. That's called reality. So it's past time to face reality and approved a revised budget.

I read an interesting column from another newspaper this morning. It suggested that one way to cut spending would be for Holden to eliminate his personal chef at the Governor's Mansion. It would be symbolic but Holden should heed that advice.

Unfortunately, Holden heeds only the advice of his close circle. And that circle clearly does not represent the majority view in Missouri.