Blunt not quite truthful on state's education facts
subscribeSpringfield News-Leader
Gov. Matt Blunt has been traveling the state in the past week patting himself on the back for all he's done for education funding in the state of Missouri. Indeed, Blunt is right when he says he's increased funding for higher education in the past couple of years. He's right when he tries to earn political points by pointing out that the previous governor, Bob Holden, withheld money from schools during a recession and budget crunch. He's right when he points out that his plan to sell Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority assets pumped millions of dollars into university construction projects, including $29 million at Missouri State University. He's right that he did all of this without a tax increase.
All true.
Here's another fact that's equally true. Even with the increases, in fiscal year 2007, the state spent more money on prescription drugs -- $884.5 million -- than it did on higher education -- $883.3 million.
So pardon us if we don't quite buy into the governor's campaign rhetoric when he tells college students, as he did last week:
"Education is my highest priority, and I am committed to ensuring that our children receive a world-class education."
World class?
For those college students who understand a little bit of math, here's how world-class Missouri's funding for higher education is:
- The state ranks a pitiful 47th in the nation in higher education funding per capita, spending less per state resident than every state except for Colorado, Vermont and New Hampshire.
- Missouri ranks dead last in terms of the percentage increase in higher education funding between fiscal years 2005 and 2007, the very two years the governor is bragging about.
- Missouri only spends 1.2 percent of its total state revenues on higher education.
- Regionally, Missouri's spending on higher education fails in comparison to every border state. The race isn't even close. Missouri's 2.7 percent increase in the last two fiscal years is minuscule compared to 3.9 percent in Illinois, 8.2 percent in Iowa, 10.2 percent in Kansas, 10.6 percent in Tennessee, 11.9 percent in Kentucky, 13.4 percent in Nebraska and 14.6 percent in Arkansas.
So Blunt is right when he says his budget is inching in the right direction. But he misses the point if he really wants to make education a priority. Higher education in this state hasn't been a priority in at least a decade, not under Republican or Democratic governors, not under Republican or Democratic legislative control.