This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Oct. 31, 2012 - I am running for governor because I am concerned that career politicians and government bureaucrats are destroying jobs and opportunity. I plan to use my 27 years of creating jobs in the private sector to help Missouri get back on track.
As a small business owner and CEO, I’ve learned how to lead, manage and get things done. Missouri needs a new direction that recognizes government can’t solve and shouldn’t be expected to solve every problem. Government needs to get out of the way and off the backs of job creators. That will lead to economic growth, more jobs and more prosperity for all Missourians.
Our current business model is broken. It’s time government lives within its means like Missouri families and businesses. Jay Nixon took in $4 billion in stimulus funds, and we’re still scraping by. We need more people receiving a paycheck and less people getting an unemployment check.
Under Jay Nixon, Missouri is falling behind. Jay Nixon is a career politician who has never created a single job. He has spent his career suing businesses and driving job creators out of our state.
Did you know Missouri had ZERO percent economic growth last year, ZERO percent! Missouri has higher unemployment and fewer jobs than nearly every one of our neighboring states. There are over 200,000 unemployed Missourians and almost 1 million of our fellow citizens are on food stamps. One in 6 Missourians lives in poverty, and this state is ranked 50th in job creation. Missouri can do better … we just need better leadership.
I am a proven job creator with a business plan to help job creators thrive. As governor my top priority will be jobs, jobs and jobs! While quality-manufacturing jobs were evaporating across the country, I found the formula to break that trend and help provide a good living for hundreds of Missourians. With my jobs plan we can repair the damage that has been done.
My first day in office, I will begin by working to create a business and regulatory environment where job creators can thrive. Litigation reform, regulatory reform and providing tax certainty are job-creating policies I will promote as governor.
I will do this by passing the most significant tort reform laws Missouri has ever seen including but not limited to: loser pays and the comparative fault rule.
I will make Missouri a Right-To-Work State so people aren’t forced to join a union to get a job.
Know that I am not anti-union. I am pro-growth and pro-worker. I will also address tax policy reforms to make Missouri more competitive and to end the taxation on productivity.
My approach to economic growth and development combined with the specific job creating policies I have outlined will be a great first step in getting Missouri’s economy growing again. Some of my reforms will be tough battles but I am ready to fight for every Missouri job we can attract or save.
Right now Missouri is one of the worst states in which to be sued. But I will take on the powerful personal injury lawyers because that means more jobs for our state. Over the past four years, we’ve heard a lot of talk by politicians but had no real progress on getting our economy growing again. We need results.
The governor is the CEO of the state and it’s time we have a proven job creator in that role. Jay Nixon and Barack Obama want four more years but their failed policies have made us worse off than we were four years ago. I’m ready to lead and enact policies that will make Missouri the most business friendly state in the country. I can’t do it alone.
On Nov. 6, I’d be honored to have your vote. Together we can chart a course to a brighter more prosperous Missouri.
Dave Spence is the Republican candidate for governor.