Governor Makes Government More Accessible for Missourians, Proclaims Sedalia the "Capital for a Day"

Governor Blunt believes it is vital for Missourians to have access to their state government and leaders, and he is working to improve the accessibility and responsiveness of state government to the people. As part of these efforts, yesterday he proclaimed Sedalia Missouri's "Capital for a Day" and offered local residents personal, one-on-one access to state government.

"We are here today to listen. We serve you and want to hear your concerns," Governor Blunt said at the Capital for a Day kickoff. "I understand that government exists to serve the people, not the other way around. We are returning power to the people of Missouri by making government less burdensome, more effective, more accountable, and more accessible."

Governor Blunt, his senior staff, and his Cabinet were on hand in Sedalia to meet with constituents to hear their thoughts, concerns, and priorities for Missouri. The Governor held office hours to visit individually with citizens, and Cabinet officials along with representatives from each department held listening posts to answer questions and provide assistance.


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Governor Blunt Praised for Bringing Transparency to Government Spending

Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, praised Governor Blunt this week for his work to bring greater transparency to government spending and increase accountability to the taxpayers. You can read the entire article here.

Transparency: The New Democracy By Grover Norquist, 10/2/2007 The nice venture capitalists in Silicon Valley are always looking for "the next big thing." While we will have to wait for another six months to learn who will make it through the Republican and Democrat "Survivor" reality show we call primaries we can already see the next big thing in politics bubbling up from the 50 states: transparency. Making state budgets, contracts and individual expenditures available to the public on the internet. Ask the expert -- Is accountable transparency the new democracy? Can the U.S. show the world the way? Gov. Matt Blunt of Missouri, a Republican, has gone the furthest the fastest. Through executive order, Mr. Blunt has put up the Missouri Accountability Portal ("Map Your Taxes") Web site, which posts a wide range of government expenditures. You can look up the actual expense records of your favorite politician and bureaucrat. A linked website provides access to the actual contracts let by the state. There are other plans, including the posting of state employee salaries. See http://www.mapyourtaxes.mo.gov Mr. Blunt explained: "One of my goals has been to transform state government by using technology to improve efficiency and enhance transparency. The old-way bureaucrats like the paper-based system, which empowers them and is less accountable to taxpayers. Few Missourians can take the time to root through mounds of paperwork in some department to find out where their taxes are going. Missourians deserve openness in state spending. These dollars belong to the people of our state." Popular response? The Map Your Taxes Web site has received more than 600,000 hits in its first few weeks. Opponents of transparency tried in other states to assume large costs to posting financial data on the web. Some proffered estimates ran into the millions. Mr. Blunt demolished this delaying tactic for other states when he put the entire state finances online without a single additional appropriation -- just using existing staff and resources.

Governor Honors Military Heroes by Reinstating Bugler Program

Those who have served in the military and made countless sacrifices for the safety and freedom of Americans deserve the appreciation of all, and one way to show that appreciation is through military funeral honors to Missouri veterans. Last week, Governor Blunt directed the Missouri National Guard to reinstate the use of buglers as part of its Military Funeral Honors Program. The Guard had announced a few days earlier that they planned to stop using live buglers, but they reversed this decision at Governor Blunt's direction.

"It is important that as a state we honor the men and women who have sacrificed so much for our freedom. I have the greatest respect for those who have worn the uniforms of our Armed Forces and their commitment to defending our values," Governor Blunt said. "I have directed the Missouri National Guard to use live buglers whenever possible as a sign of respect for our heroic Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines."

Governor Blunt is committed to honoring Missouri's service members, veterans, and their families. He signed legislation banning picketing or protests immediately before, during, or after a soldier's funeral to protect Missouri families' right to honor their loved ones. He also secured greater funding in his budgets for veterans homes to increase the number of veterans the homes are able to serve and to lower the number on waiting lists.


Governor Promotes Cooperation Between State Government and Faith- and Community-Based Groups

Governor Blunt has developed a new initiative called "Faith-Based Missouri," which will increase cooperation between state government and faith- and community-based groups in providing services to Missourians in need. The first step of the initiative was to charge a five person team with studying how to improve relationships between state government and private charities. Members of the team will work with church and charity leaders as well as state agencies to learn what the state is doing right, what the state is doing wrong, and what can be done to encourage greater cooperation.

"The most powerful sources of charity, virtue, and shared prosperity in our society are not found in government, but in families, churches, charities, and free markets," Governor Blunt said. "If we really desire effective government, we must engage these well-springs of charity, virtue, and shared prosperity. If we really want services that do more than feed a man for a day, or provide temporary shelter, we must cooperate more often with faith and community-based organizations. If we really wish to transform lives and empower Missourians to make lasting positive change for the future, we must find a way to help get more people of faith involved in our state-administered social programs."

The Faith-Based Missouri team will find ways to partner with religious charities to make our state a better place for all Missourians. Examples of existing faith-based partnerships are drug and anger management counseling, job training, the Missouri Re-Entry Process for inmates, food banks, child care, and the Alternatives to Abortion program.