Nixon Promises Review of Government - David Lieb AP

Jefferson City-- Democratic Attorney General Jay Nixon pledged Friday to scour every state office and program for cost cuts and efficiencies, if he is elected governor. Nixon said he would appoint a Performance Review Commission of private-sector executives, elected officials and senior-level state employees who would examine state operations and recommend improvements. The review panel would look specifically for programs to eliminate, especially evaluating the state's health care bureaucracy, which Nixon says now consists of more than 60 state agencies, boards or commissions. "I will task them with conducting a thorough review of every agency in state government-- top to bottom, in and out," Nixon said during a speech in St. Louis. "I want to know what works, what doesn't." Republican Gov. Matt Blunt made a campaign pledge four years ago to conduct the first comprehensive review of Missouri's state government structure in 30 years with an eye toward making the state more efficient. Shortly after taking office in 2005, he appointed a 20-member Government Review Commission that came up with 84 recommendations on ways to restructure state government. Some of those suggestions were implemented. But Nixon spokesman Oren Shur suggested that Blunt's review wasn't good enough. "Unfortunately, Matt Blunt's commission was ineffective, and as a result government continued wasting taxpayer money," Shur said. Blunt spokesman Rich Chrismer countered that the governor has eliminated more than 235,000 square feet of office space, reduced the state work force below 60,000 and reduced state utility costs through energy efficiency program, among other things. "Jay Nixon was never in support and generally in opposition to all of these efforts," Chrismer said. "Nothing in his record over the past 3 1/2 years or in the past 20 would indicate that Jay Nixon has the ability or genuine desire to cut costs for taxpayers." Blunt is not seeking re-election his year. The Republican gubernatorial candidates are Treasurer Sarah Steelman and U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof. -- http://www.bransonedge.com http://www.bransonmissouri.blogspot.com