By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
Two weeks to go before the Missouri governor's primary and I am completely perplexed by the campaigns of both Republican candidates.
First of all, where is Kenny Hulshof? For that matter, who is Kenny Hulshof? His name recognition in the Kansas City area barely registers, and he never seems to be around. Maybe he creeps into town in the dead of night.
Sarah Steelman has been more visible, but her campaign style is baffling to me. She reminds me of a student struggling to get through an oral exam that she hasn't prepared for.
Example: Steelman thinks Kansas City should phase out its earnings tax. That's a pretty radical proposal, since the E-tax accounts for 43 percent of the revenue in Kansas City's general fund. You'd think a candidate who suggests such a thing would come to Kansas City well-armed with studies and data explaining how--in theory, anyhow--a growth boom would recoup the lost tax money.
But Steelman brings nothing. So when the question arises, she reacts with shrugs, defensive quips and a vague plan to "work with local government officials to figure out a different revenue source."
Good luck with that.
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Where is Kenny Hulshof? Where Republicans vote in larger numbers
I.e., according to a recent Steve Penn piece not, not around here. Kenny has major work to do in insuring his respected northeast Missouri brand name is introduced to heavily Republican St. Louis suburbs and Ozark counties by early August. This is by no means a snub of Kansas City, just an intelligent reading of the primary battleground terrain.
Kenny's exemplary record and reputation are more than visible and should form the sound basis for a Star endorsement and an informed voter nomination.
New State
The urban-rural gap in Missouri, as well as Kansas, has widened considerably. The, primarily rural, representatives in Jefferson City and Topeka are obsessed with social issues to the detriment of urban areas such as KC. Gubernatorial candidates emphasize their rural roots. I can't recall the last time either state elected a governor from the big cities.
I suggest that the five contiguous counties, which form Greater Kansas City, merge to form the 51st state (Mokan). This new state could then concentrate on high-tech industries, especially in bioscience. It would rank somewhere in the middle, compared to other states, in population, area, and household income.
Missouri, for instance, now has 197 House and Senate seats, the seventh largest Legislature in the nation, larger than California and Florida. These people have nothing better to do with their time except waste time and money on pet projects. The new state might have just five and they would be busy all the time.
I know, it's only a pipe dream.
What a shock!
Gosh can you believe it? Babs thinks both Republican candidates for Governor, suck.
One she has never heard of, and the other (gasp!) wants to do away with, with, with, OMG a TAX!
Sorry Steelman you obviously have spat upon the holy grail there at the Red Star..