My state Senator, Will Kraus, has a 0.0% voting record as judged by Missouri pro-vote. He opposed a bill to save the Ford Motor Plant in Missouri. He supported franchise tax cuts for less than 1/2 percent of all companies in Missouri. That bill will cost the state $85 million dollars a year once it is fully implemented. He has done many things to hurt the working class and poor in our state.
When I wrote the following letter to the Kansas City Star, I was told that it would be printed. When it was not, I asked "Why not?" I was told to ask the Editorial page editorial page editor why it was not printed. I could not get her on the phone. This woman has demonstrated her right-wing bias since she was promoted to that job from her previous position as Readers' Representative. While the Editorials in the Star are generally spot-on, the letters column demonstrates a pro-conservative bias.
When the federal economic stimulus money was offered to Missouri, my state Senator opposed accepting money that would keep school teachers on the payroll. That money would have extended unemployment insurance for the long term unemployed. Money from that stimulus money would have kept police and firefighters on the job. Even though, my Senator opposed accepting the money. He was only one of two Republicans who received a "0" grade on their legislative votes. The following is my letter that the Star refused to print:
Editor
State Senator, Will Kraus opposed taking federal dollars for education and extended unemployment for Missouri. Would he refuse them if there was a national highway funding program? Missouri has a fuel tax of 17.3 cents and no toll roads. That tax has been the same for 18 years. Only five states have a lower fuel tax, but Missouri has the 7Th most miles of roads to maintain. Now in the midst of a recession and high unemployment, the Missouri Department of Transportation will cut 1200 jobs across the state in 2012. This is what happens when tax revenues do not cover necessities. Missouri and other states benefited by the “Obama” stimulus plan. Work was accomplished and people were employed. What the state and the entire country needs are jobs; hundreds of thousands of jobs could be created by funding improvement and construction of highways and bridges, and schools, but maybe Missouri does not deserve federal assistance. After all, when Missouri voters had a chance in 2002 to vote for a small increase in fuel and sales taxes to support our roads, they overwhelmingly voted “no”, and now we will live with the consequences.
Our state Senator opposed accepting federal stimulus dollars that would have put thousands of Missourians back to work and would have kept others on the job. He is typical of the Tea Party Republicans although he denies that he one of them.
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