Missouri Primary Budget May Turn Into Political Football

[wx247]

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri is getting ready for its presidential primary next February, even though right now the state has no money to pay for it.

Funds for the primary have been stripped from the state budget, now facing a $1 billion deficit.

"We've had very low voter turn-out at presidential primaries. It was less then 19 percent in 2000, and so it's not a very successful thing ... plus it's very costly," said state Rep. David Pearce, R-Warrensburg, chief sponsor of the funding cut.

"I just want to mention that Missouri is not alone in this. This is not something we did on our own," Pearce added.

A number of states are now questioning whether presidential primaries are worth having at all. Michigan and Kansas may drop their primaries. Colorado, Utah and Maine have already cancelled theirs.

The national Democratic Party may have to step in to run the South Carolina primary because the state won't be paying for it.

In Missouri, the Democratic presidential primary comes early, just a week after the New Hampshire primary and on the same day as the South Carolina primary. Democrats in the state say they detect something other than fiscal belt-tightening behind the budget cut.

"This year in Missouri, we only have a Democrat running for president, so that is involved, I'm sure," said state Rep. Jim Seigfried, D-Marshall. The candidate in question is none other than former House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, seen as a potential front-runner for the nomination.

A new poll of Missouri Democrats, not surprisingly, shows Gephardt far ahead of the rest of the field.

"We're going to win the primary in Missouri ... and we're going to win it decidedly," Gephardt has said.

Cancellation of the Missouri primary could deny Gephardt a home-state win in an early contest. So funding of the primary could become something of a bargaining chip for Missouri Republicans, who lead the state House and Senate, in their budget battle with Democratic Gov. Bob Holden.

"They expect that the governor wants the primary funded, and they want the governor to give them something in return," said Michael Barone, co-author of the Almanac of American Politics. "Certainly there's some politics involved here."

Republicans object to the charge that they are trying to deny Gephardt a home-state primary win by simply canceling the primary.

"People can make all sorts of allegations and try to determine why we did this, but politics played no role in this at all," Pearce said.

Though the money has been stripped from the state budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1, the Missouri primary is still on the books. The secretary of state's office said that even if the primary's funds are killed, the law says the election must be held.

"The way we interpret the law is that the primary will proceed," said Missouri co-director of elections Betsy Buyers.

Officials say if necessary, they will hold the primary now and figure out how to pay for it later.

[David]

Jeez!!!!! We need to make a new federal reserve somewhere in Alaska and make more money so we can pay off debts.

[streetsoldier]

One needs to inform those not living in Missouri about Governor Bob ("SpongeBob", or "One-Term Bob") Holden's idea of fiscal responsibility...this was an incoming Governor who spent $1.8 M on his own inaugural parties at taxpayer expense in January 2001 (!).

Holden cut badly needed programs from the Departments of Social Services (food, expectant mother's care) and Mental Health (only those who had insurance got counseling services; I lost my own long-time counselor due to this one, along with 250,000 others!), while retaining his funding and ties to the teacher's lobby and Department of Labor Relations (who funded and "manned the polls" for his successful election bid, BTW).

Last, but certainly not least, Holden pushed a 375% tax on cigarettes to help him get more money, and in November 2002 this was defeated by the voters. So, what was his great plan for Missouri's budget in his "State of the State" address in 2003? The very SAME tax the people voted down!

Thank God we have a Republican Senate and House in MO to hold him at bay, for the very first time since the Eisenhower Administration!

As to the Missouri Primary, this was something we didn't need to begin with...and if it dies, it will be interred without mourners.

[wx247]

Generally I agree with you Streetsoldier and for the most part I do, but I think we do need a primary.

[streetsoldier]

The Missouri Primary is a joke...no matter what the 153 out-state counties say, they are always overwhelmed by the Democratic machines in St. Louis and KC...hence, no real contest...so, why waste $$$ on it?

[wx247]

I would tend to agree with you, but I think that the primary still should be held. The reason being that I don't think they all agree in KC and St. Louis who their Pres. candidate should be.

[David]

Maybe you can call up Sebelius and ask her for some money? We did have the shortest legislative year in 10 years! We're saving money!

[streetsoldier]

Maybe Lieberman or Kerry MIGHT "play" in KC, but I think statewide Dick Gephardt has the best shot for the DNC crowd...and he KNOWS it. Besides, Gephardt needs to come out running, and an early primary victory in his home state will give him a boost...at least temporarily.

Note, also, that the Bootheel is a "knee-jerk", "sons of the New Deal" Democratic stronghold, on the local and state level...yet in the Federal arena, it has gone Republican more often than not over the last 25 years. My own Congresswoman, Jo Ann Emerson, is so "bulletproof" that the Dems won't even bother to mount a serious challenge...and Jo Ann does her job exceedingly well for us.