ASHCROFT: TAX INCREASES MUST BE CONNECTED WITH REFORMS

JEFFERSON CITY -- Gov. John Ashcroft emphasized Tuesday that any requests for tax increases must be accompanied by proposals for specific reforms.

Discussing his proposed budget at a briefing attended by about 10 media representatives at his home, Ashcroft said many proponents of tax increases for education are only asking for more money and are not suggesting how it would be used to better education.

Ashcroft offered a six-part plan of reforms for elementary and secondary education and a three-point plan for higher education. He said they would improve quality.

Not all of the reforms would require additional funding, he said.

Ashcroft said both in his State of the State address and at the briefing that many of his reforms were presented to lawmakers in previous years and have not been acted upon.

"These are simple reforms," said Ashcroft. "Funding for business as usual is not on my agenda."

Responding to charges from some legislators and educators that he has not taken leadership to increase funding for education, Ashcroft said, "Leadership is the ability to demand and support improved performance."

Last week Senate President Pro Tem James Mathewson and House Speaker Bob Griffin, in session-opening speeches, outlined tax proposals to increase education funding.

Ashcroft said, contrary to the belief of many people, he is not opposed to spending more money on education, but massive increases in funding the last nine years have not brought about a dramatic increase in performance. He said since 1982 funding for elementary and secondary education has more than doubled while spending for higher education has increased 97 percent.

"I think we have a right to demand some reforms," said Ashcroft.

He said he would be willing to support a tax plan for education for something like increasing the school year to 200 days.

Ashcroft said he does not believe the people of Missouri would support a tax hike for education unless they knew specifically how new money would help improve the school system and that money is being wisely spent. He expressed concern that if a tax plan were submitted to voters prematurely, and defeated, it might be several years before it could be put on the ballot again.

In elementary and secondary education Ashcroft is calling for increasing the school year; providing report cards for schools to evaluate performance and improvement in educating students; allowing students and parents to choose which school they attend to improve competition; allowing experienced professionals to become teachers without meeting certification requirements in subjects where qualified teachers cannot be found; giving teachers and schools more opportunities for flexibility in managing classroom time; and providing for promotion and graduation based only on competence.

In the area of higher education, Ashcroft said he supports giving the Missouri Coordinating Board For Higher Education broader and binding authority to manage program development, institutional missions, and settling turf wars and duplications with state universities. He also called for full assessment of student learning on every campus and a requirement that a significant amount of new funding for universities be based on performance of students.

Ashcroft conceded there are others who have ideas for improvement and he is anxious to hear them.

"I am willing to accept virtually any strategy that will improve quality, but I won't hand out another bucket of money," he said.

The governor expressed frustration over increasing federal mandates for items like desegregation in St. Louis and Kansas City, and Medicaid. The end result is, "We don't have the choice on how to mandate new income," he said.

For fiscal 1992, which begins July 1, Ashcroft said revenue growth of $170.4 million is projected, but all but $4.1 million of that is already allocated through new federal mandates.

Ashcroft also called for the elimination of almost 500 job positions, which should save the sate $12 million.

The national downturn in the economy will continue to have a big impact on Missouri, the governor said, and that requires further steps to cut costs and spend tax dollars wisely.

"We feel like we are in the middle of the recession," said Ashcroft. He said his analysts expect it to run until about mid-summer. Net revenue growth for this fiscal year is projected at minus 1 percent, and projected for a plus 1 percent in fiscal 1992.

Ashcroft said this could be a good opportunity for state government to tighten its belt and become more efficient. "Institutions tend to make tough decisions at times when they have to," said the governor.

He said: "You have to establish some habits for government that you expect from society as a whole ... you have to be able to say we are going to do better."