The $64 Million Question

With the economy the way it is, it is no surprise that everybody is trying to scrimp and save whatever they can to manage in this difficult environment. Needless to say, many families aren’t in a position to waste money on frivolous items like diamond-crusted watches or gold-plated yo-yos (yes, they do exist). So maybe someone can answer why the state of Missouri is spending upwards of $8 million on a presidential primary in which no delegates will be selected (that is why the March 17 caucuses are being conducted).

In other news, due to stimulus money running out (slide 15 in Budget Stabilization row), there will be at least a $64 million shortfall in the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) budget that needs to be made up from somewhere else. That is, of course, unless the state government is fine with cutting the full $64 million out of the DESE budget.

Now, canceling the presidential primary won’t automatically fix this shortfall, but it would be a significant first step.