There are a great many people in Washington D.C. who believe that all the wisdom in the country is located there. I don’t happen to believe that. In fact, I believe that many of the common sense solutions we need can be found far away from the Capitol.
There are some who believe that the United States government has an endless supply of money to do all things. I don’t believe that. I believe that budgets are about priorities. These are the kinds of decisions that Missourians make every day with their budget.
In Northwest Missouri, we are anxiously watching the Missouri River as the run-off in the Mountains begin. We all remember last year’s devastating flood and its remarkable duration. It’s important that we act now to prevent a repeat of this disaster.
In today’s world, we’ve become accustomed to getting things quickly. We now have 24 hour access to electronic mail. We have instant coffee machines. You can heat up a meal in a microwave in a matter of minutes. Everything today is about getting it done now.
Energy prices continue to climb, having a major impact on family budgets in Missouri. Meanwhile, our nation’s unemployment rate continues to hover around double digits. In Washington, those problems are seen as two separate issues. They shouldn’t be. We can create a win-win situation for Missourians if we find solutions that tackle both problems simultaneously.