My vision for the office of Missouri Lieutenant Governor

I believe the office of Lieutenant Governor can have a greater impact on government in Missouri.

My vision for the office is one where the Lt. Governor serves as an advocate, a liaison and, most importantly, as a leader.

The Lt. Governor should be an advocate by identifying the most pressing challenges facing Missouri and working to focus government on providing solutions to meet those challenges. While the Lt. Governor does not have the ability to write and introduce legislation, he should be actively be involved with the legislative process in his role as ex officio President of the Senate.

The Lt. Governor serves on a number of boards and commissions, including the Missouri Housing Development Commission, the Missouri Rural Economic Development Council and the Missouri Tourism Commission. Since these boards and commissions typically include representatives from Missouri’s private and business sectors, they put the Lt. Governor in a unique position to work directly with those who are affected by the laws and taxes imposed in Jefferson City. I believe the Lt. Governor’s office can – and should - use this unique opportunity to keep our government’s priorities in order.

Too often, the partisan debate in the Legislature is focused on impersonal figures: numbers and data from studies. Often, these figures are designed to sway votes and cannot represent the real problems facing Missourians today. I want to be your Lt. Governor so the office can influence the debates over legislation by focusing on people and our business community. Our state government must not be allowed to forget whom it serves.

By state law, the Lt. Governor is Missouri’s official advocate for the elderly. My vision for the office expands that role into an advocate for Missouri’s small businesses as well.

Working on the various boards and commissions would be a waste of time and money if the Lt. Governor did nothing with his effort. That is why I believe being a liaison between those who legislate and those who are impacted by the legislation is vital to improving government in Missouri.

Our state government must listen before it legislates. The solutions for the challenges we face in Missouri do not have to come from more government, more regulation and more taxes. Often, we could place solutions within our reach by getting the government and its bureaucracy out of the way if government would only listen to taxpayers and small businesses better. My vision for the office of Missouri’s Lt. Governor is one where the office is used proactively to make sure both the legislature and regulators listen and understand before making decisions that could harm taxpayers and businesses.

Missourians must be able to count on the Lt. Governor to provide a voice for those who cannot afford high-priced lobbyists and expensive public relations campaigns. Missourians in rural areas, small businesses, families and individual taxpayers need a liaison in state government to balance out the impact special interests and their lobbyists have. Missouri needs a Lt. Governor who understands that we are already over taxed and over regulated and who is willing to work directly with the legislature and stand up for those who live under the rules and taxes the legislature imposes each session.

Missouri’s Office of Lieutenant Governor has been referred to as “an office built on service”. This approach to the office is the foundation of my vision for it. Missouri needs a Lt. Governor willing to lead by example. That is why in these difficult economic times I want the Lieutenant Governor to set a precedent of cutting expenses in government. Specifically, I propose that the Lt. Governor’s salary be reduced by over 25%, from over $77,000 per year to $50,000 per year.

While $27,000 per year is virtually nothing in comparison to the multi billion-dollar budget the state works with, it is important for someone in state government to set an example of fiscal responsibility for the rest of Missouri’s government to follow.

I want to be that person. I want the opportunity to show our state government that solving financial problems should not involve placing further burdens on citizens and small businesses of Missouri. That is why I want to be your Lieutenant Governor.