Today's Feature
Migration Leads to Increase in Missouri's
Population.
From 1990 to
2000, the United States Census Bureau reports
that 258,585 more people moved into Missouri than
moved away. That shift in migration lead to a 9.3
percent increase in Missouri's population
according to Daryl Hobbs, director of the Office
of Social and Economic Data Analysis at the
University of Missouri.
"Simply put, people moved
back to Missouri because they could. They were
seeking an opportunity to start a new life and
new careers. They wanted to live in open country
with a lower cost of living and, if they were
older adults, they wanted access to
Branson," said Hobbs.
According to Hobbs, in the past
people moved because of a large factory opening.
During the 1990s, people were moving and bringing
their job or business with them.
"With this migration we
see the impact of telecommunications on people
whose jobs depend on working with a computer. It
is now more important what the computer is
connected to than where it is physically located.
So, it is possible for your computer to be
located anywhere and for you to go forth anywhere
to make a living," said Hobbs.
In the 1980s, 55 of Missouri's
114 counties decreased in population, nearly
45,000 people moved away and statewide the
population grew just four percent. However, since
1990, all but 17 counties increased in
population.
"The reasons people are
moving to Missouri have opened the doors to
rethink what we mean when we say economic
development. Jobs and wealth are moving with
people," said Hobbs.
Census data shows that one
significant impact of this migration trend on
Missouri is that population outside the limits of
any town increased by 13 percent during the
1990s. This trend contributes to urban sprawl,
the development of productive farmland and has a
significant impact on Missouri's economy.
During the 1990s, Missouri's
metropolitan population increased by 8.7 percent
and non-metro areas grew by 10 percent making
Missouri less metropolitan. However, Greene,
Christian, Boone and Jasper counties, had a
population growth of 18 percent.
"What is significant about
the migration into Missouri was that 99 of our
114 counties had more people move in than out. We
are seeing Missouri's population grow
horizontally (refereed to as urban sprawl).
People are making a choice for quality of life
and that will impact our state's policies,"
said Hobbs.
Commentary
Martin
"Bubs" Hohulin
State Representative, District 126
I hope everyone had an
enjoyable and safe 4th of July holiday. It seemed
especially meaningful after many of the events of
the past year. We need to keep this spirit alive
all year for many years to come.
You can tell we are heading
into the hot days of summer because there are
campaign signs sprouting up everywhere. We are
headed right into the heart of the primary
campaign season. Every year we hear about the
need to increase voter turnout.
While I think everyone should
vote, I honestly don’t see any need to
expend time, effort, and money to increase voter
turnout.
Voting is easier and more
meaningful in this country than anywhere else. We
have the most powerful nation in the world and it
should be considered a privilege to help select
its leaders. That should be all the incentive
that voters need to go vote.
The other thing that everyone
is scared to talk about is that if you don’t
want to go vote, then I really don’t want
you helping to decide who our leaders are going
to be. We have polls that are open twelve hours
on Election Day and we have absentee voting. We
even have a process where a ballot can be brought
to the person. Unless a person is just completely
lazy it is very easy to vote. Honestly, if a
person is that lazy, I don’t want them being
a part of the election process.
I have always said that people
get the government they deserve. With all the
candidates running and all the money being spent
on campaigns, there is a huge choice of
candidates to pick from and the information of
what they stand for is readily available. You owe
it to yourself to make an informed decision. It
is easy to pick on people in politics, but you
also owe it to the candidates to make an informed
choice. Sadly, sometimes there is an advantage to
being first on the ballot because voters will
pick the first choice they come to. What a poor
way to select leaders. If you are going to vote,
at least vote for someone that will represent
your views. What I am getting at here is that if
you don’t vote or if you make an uninformed
vote then you will get the government that you
deserve and what’s more, you really have no
right to complain about it.
I guess what I am really
getting at is personal responsibility. It seems
like all we hear about is how government should
make it easier to vote. It is already easy. The
best way to increase voter turnout is for
everyone to just go vote. It wouldn’t cost
any tax dollars and no new government programs
would be needed. I know that is an odd concept to
liberals, but it just might work.
As usual, I can be reached at
House Post Office, State Capitol, Jefferson City,
MO 65101, or 1-800-878-7126, or
mhohulin@services.state.mo.us for your questions,
comments, or advice.
CAPITOL REPORT
by Representative Steve
Hunter, District 127
Only hours after the
Legislature defeated a raid on the rainy day fund
for 2002 and adopted a balanced budget for 2003,
the Governor announced massive, draconian
withholdings from the 2002 budget in retaliation
for the defeat of his plan to spend the rainy day
fund. This rainy day money would have to be paid
back with interest. Among these withholdings were
$20 million aimed at assisting our state's senior
citizens, $83 million from higher education
institutions, and $1.7 million that would be
gained through the furlough of up to 6,000 state
employees. He also said Missouri tax refund
checks would probably not be mailed until August
and threatened deep cuts in elementary and
secondary education, funding which never came to
fruition. At about the same time, the Office of
Administration revised its general revenue
projections and indicated that the state would
end the fiscal year, which ended June 30, $14
million below the $200 million minimum balance
that executive officials indicated would be
needed to protect Missouri's AAA bond rating.
Not long after the Legislature
adjourned in May, the Governor reversed his
position on state employee furloughs and
announced they would not be necessary, casting
doubt on the projections that our state's
financial situation has been as dire as he had
once claimed. Despite calls to also reverse his
decision to withhold funds from nursing homes and
slash the last two payments to higher education
facilities by 60 percent, the Governor refused to
restore his withholdings.
However, the 2002 fiscal year
ended June 30 and the state retained a cash
balance of nearly $326 million, which was $140
million more than even the Governor's worst
estimates had projected, and all refund checks
have been mailed to taxpayers even faster than
last year. Meanwhile, the Governor continues to
refuse to release funds that the legislature had
earmarked to be used by higher education
institutions and to provide nursing home care for
senior citizens. The Governor could have restored
his cuts and still had more money left over than
he projected. Despite the fact that the Governor
had the cash reserves to restore his cuts to
higher education and nursing homes, he has chosen
to make these institutions and the people they
serve suffer.
In fact, these cuts were never
necessary, even without spending our rainy day
fund. Under the Governor's cuts, quality of care
at our nursing homes will be diminished and
nursing homes may not be able to take in
additional Medicaid patients. College students
and their families will have to pay even more in
tuition increases and surcharges or drop out of
school. Schools are spending reserves, cutting
jobs, eliminating programs, and reducing student
aid. But still the Governor refuses to show
genuine leadership and protect the future of our
state's higher education institutions and nursing
homes.
For over a year I have
supported alternative solutions to our states
financial woes including performance-based
budgeting, revisions to how our state derives
revenue estimates, and the consolidation of
duplicative government services. I have also
supported other alternatives that would have more
than covered the Governor's projected budget
shortfall, but he refused to even discuss the
options. Now that the 2002 fiscal year has ended,
we know that revenues didn't fall nearly as much
as the Governor had predicted, and the sky has
not fallen.
It is now clear to everyone
that spending the rainy day fund would have been
a big mistake. Despite the Governor's rhetoric,
the Legislature was able to balance the budget
without deficit spending or raising taxes. If we
had spent the rainy day fund, we would already be
reapaying this debt and we would have put our
state at risk in case of a natural disaster. If
the Governor had wanted to protect Missouri's
most vulnerable senior citizens and our state's
higher education institutions, he could have done
so.
As usual, I can be reached at
(573) 751-5458 or at Room 103 BB, State Capitol,
Jefferson City, MO 65101, or by email at
shunter@services.state.mo.us if you have any
questions or comments.
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