Governor Finalizes FY 2008 Budget

Gov. Matt Blunt has signed and finalized the FY 2008 state budget that reflects Missourians’ values, lives within the taxpayers’ means and that reflects a strong commitment to Missouri students and families.

Missourians can be proud that the Governor and the Legislature have again carefully balanced the state’s resources to honor our shared commitment to education and make important investments in our future that will keep Missouri moving forward.

The $21.5 billion state budget includes a $132.6 million increase for the funding formula to support elementary and secondary schools, bringing the total increase in funding to more than half a billion dollars over the last three years. It also includes more than $41.2 million in new state dollars for two and four year colleges and universities, significantly increases funding for needs-based scholarships, and secures nearly $950 million to transform Missouri’s health care safety net and introduce “Mo-HealthNet.”

Responsible budgeting decisions allowed the governor to sign a budget that provides a $200 million ending balance to fund key priorities including education and healthcare in future fiscal years.

Budget details included the following…

STUDENTS & EDUCATION

• $132.6 million increase to continue full funding of the “Successful Schools” funding formula, bringing total new education funding under more than a half of a billion dollars over the last three years.
• $3.6 million increase for the A+ Schools Program
• $2.9 million increase to expand eMINTS which will provide technology to 100 additional classrooms in 100 different schools
• $2 million increase for Parents as Teachers Program
• $1 million for afterschool programs expansion with emphasis on math and science, as well as health and wellness
• $250,000 increase to assist students who take Advanced Placement tests in math and science
• $41.2 million increase for Missouri’s public two and four year higher education institutions
• $20.4 million increase for state scholarship programs, which adds to the $25 million in new funding for scholarships in the Fiscal Year 07 supplemental budget, allowing additional students access to higher education and encouraging the state’s top academic achievers to attend Missouri institutions.

PUBLIC SAFETY

• $1.1 million increase to expand crime lab services in Springfield and Jasper County
• $1 million increase to provide grants to law enforcement agencies fighting child exploitation on the Internet
• $150,000 increase to support the INOBTR (I Know Better) Campaign that will provide Missourians with information about online predators with the use of innovative strategies to communicate with children and parents about the dangers that can be found on the Internet
• $150,000 increase to improve services for victims of domestic violence by expanding the statewide victim notification system to include orders of protection

HEALTH and WELLNESS

• $12.1 million increase to improve the quality of care being delivered to Missourians receiving in-home services
• $3.9 million increase for autism services to reduce waiting lists for diagnostic services, expand regional treatment services for children, and help develop an intensive day treatment pilot project
• $2.5 million increase to develop integrated home and community-based services for children and youth with serious emotional disturbances and their families through the Circle of H.O.P.E. grant
• $1.3 million increase to implement the governor’s community partnership to improve the services and safety for Bellefontaine Habilitation Center residents
• $760,000 for the Alternatives to Abortion Program
• $200,000 in new funding for the Alternatives to Abortion Program
• $500,000 increase to expand the number of breast and cervical cancer screenings through the Show Me Healthy Women Program
• $6.7 million increase to provide child care for working families who earn less than 127 percent of the federal poverty level. This funding ensures no qualified families will have to wait for child care
• $5.7 million increase to provide additional placements through the Adoption Subsidy and Subsidized Guardianship programs, which provide permanent homes for abused and neglected children
• $6.4 billion total funding for Medicaid that reflects $949.6 million in new funding, and includes: $129.4 million for Mo HealthNet that includes: $66.1 million for physician related rate increase; $20.2 million increase for medical care for employed disabled clients; $17.4 million to establish a health care home and provide an annual health risk assessment for Mo HealthNet recipients; $13.2 million increase to make health care coverage affordable to uninsured lower-income Missourians; $1.7 million increase to extend health care benefits to foster children until their 21st birthday

WORKERS, JOBS and ECONOMIC GROWTH

• $13.5 million for the Life Sciences Trust Fund for research capacity with a focus on animal health and nutrition and plant science, marking the first time since its inception the fund has received state dollars
• $403 million increase for road and bridge construction and maintenance

VETERANS

• $5 million increase to maintain services provided to veterans residing in veterans’ homes
• $2.8 million increase for additional staff to allow homes to serve more veterans
• $1 million increase for increased medical costs at veterans’ homes
• $543,721 increase to add Vietnam War veterans to those recognized by the state for their service to our country

The governor signed House Bills 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17 and 18.

Blunt vetoed $155,760 in general revenue for parking expenses that, by statute, are the responsibility of county governments.

He also vetoed the words “Personal Service” from a section of House Bill 9. The veto was to correct a typographical error and ensures that the state may continue to provide substance abuse treatment for incarcerated offenders.

The state’s Fiscal Year 2008 Budget governs state spending between July 1, 2007, and June 30, 2008.

Missouri Added 4,1000 Jobs in May; Aided Disabled Workers

by Brian L. Baker

Gov. Matt Blunt and the Legislature recently announced that Missouri employers added 4,100 jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis to the state’s economy in May bringing the total number of jobs created since January 2005 to a solid 94,300.

We commend Missouri’s working families and job creators for another successful month of strong job growth. Missouri leaders remain firmly committed to continuing the pro-job, pro-growth initiatives that have helped Missourians create nearly 100,000 new jobs over the last two and-a-half years.

Several industry groups added jobs in May. Construction employment was up by 1,000 jobs. Educational and health services, accommodation and food services, and local government each added 1,300 jobs. Information, financial activities and other private services also added jobs.

The state’s seasonally adjusted employment rate was 4.6 percent in May which is nearly identical to the U.S. seasonally adjusted employment rate of 4.5 percent.

At the same time, Missouri leaders also worked to increase working opportunities for disabled workers. Recently, Gov. Matt Blunt met with sheltered-workshop leaders where he signed legislation that will benefit more that 7,000 Missouri workers and strengthen opportunities for Missourians with disabilities to be active participants in Missouri’s workforce.

This legislation ensures that Missourians with disabilities will have opportunities to continue making vital contributions in their communities and gives access to jobs that will help them meet their full potential. Sheltered workshops employ some of Missouri’s most dedicated workers and play an important part in educating and building skills for the employees.

House Bill 352 increased funding for sheltered workshops. The workshops employ disabled Missourians and are operated by non-profit organizations. Currently, sheltered workshops receive $65 per week per worker and $13 per diem for weekend work. This legislation increases the amount of state aid workshops receive over the next four years to $95 per week per worker and $19 per diem for the weekend. There are 93 sheltered workshops in Missouri that employ about 7,400 disabled Missourians.

The legislation also increases the bonus from five to 10 points in the state bidding process for qualified nonprofit organizations for the blind and for sheltered workshops. The change will make sheltered workshops more competitive for state contracts.

Missouri success may be championed by elected leaders, but the office of the 123rd District is fully aware…the success of Missouri comes from Missouri small businesses, employers, and citizens who invest in our state. Missouri leaders are proud of our citizens and their hard work in providing jobs and services! Thank you Missouri!

More Than Half-a-Billion Dollars Increase for Missouri Students

by Brian L. Baker

President John F. Kennedy once stated, “Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our nation."

Gov. Matt Blunt recently visited Missouri schools to announce his successful effort to provide more than half a billion dollars in new funding to Missouri students and classrooms over the last three years.

The Governor and the Legislature have made education the most important investment our state makes and is our highest priority. The Legislature gave Gov. Blunt a budget that he signed, delivering to Missouri classrooms more than half a billion dollars in new funding over the last three years. This action demonstrates the resolve of the General Assembly and the Governor to ensure our children receive the world-class education they must have in order to reach their full potential.

House Bill 2 that provides a significant increase in state funding to Missouri’s public school system. House Bill 2 includes an additional $132.6 million for the school funding formula, $27.9 million for the School District Trust Fund, $3.6 million increase for the A+ Schools Program, and a $2 million increase for the Parents as Teachers Program. The legislation also includes more than $500,000 for Character Education Programs that focus on school safety issues. The significant funding increase brings total funding allocated to education in Missouri to just more than $5.2 billion.

I attribute our success to a working partnership between local public schools and state government. House Bill 2 addresses children’s needs from birth to college and we know a child’s education begins long before they walk through the door of an elementary school.

The Legislature and Governor Blunt continue to identify ways to enhance Math, Engineering, Technology and Science (METS) learning in our state. His budget includes increases to fund 100 technology classrooms in 100 schools and to expand quality after-school programs for students to participate in math and science activities. Both the legislature and Governor Blunt have also secured funding to encourage more students to take advanced placement (AP) courses by paying a portion of the test fee for all students that take AP math and science exams.

Missouri officials also made successful effort to create a higher education reform package. The package increases funding for higher education, provides tuition stabilization, and increases scholarship funding from $27.5 million to $72.5 million.

President Kennedy was right...education is a “benefit for everyone and greater strength for our nation.”

Virtual School Takes BIG Steps...Enrollment Increases; Class Begin in August

By Brian L. Baker

John F. Kennedy once said, “The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were.”

We did dream of things that never were and traveled past the horizon of limits to offer students a new opportunity in education. Legislators and education leaders looked forward to new frontiers. The result was the Missouri Virtual Instruction Program (MoVIP), an advanced method of education that uses technology to expand educational opportunities for students.

Enrollment in Missouri’s virtual school began in May and today is at 91% capacity. In fact, MoVIP is expected to serve over 14,000 semester courses serving over 2,200 students in our state. Based on current enrollment, MoVIP will serve 711 elementary students and 1,573 high-school students. Over 600 of these students will be full-time, taking 12 semester courses per year. Over 1,600 students will be enrolled part time, taking between 1 semester course and 11 semester courses per year.

Courses offered will include English, math, science, social studies, and foreign languages. Further, high school students will have access to trigonometry, physics, biology, statistics, and special courses like web design and art history.

Connections Academy, our elementary curriculum provider, is working with DESE to hire state-certified teachers and will open an office in Jefferson City. Northwest Missouri State University will provide services for our high-school courses. Both providers are moving forward and will be ready for our August class-start.

Missouri is taking a lead in our nation to provide one of the most innovative and progressive educational opportunities ever afforded to children through the MoVIP. The school introduces a virtual-technology alternative to enhance traditional classroom learning for thousands of Missouri students. The program is “state of the art” and is operated by the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education with certified teachers and meets our rigorous state standards.

This program does not entail students sitting around looking at a computer screen. Textbooks, hands-on lab work and actual paperwork are required by the curriculum that will be offered.

Imagine…being able to listen to Albert Einstein during a science lesson. Imagine, as you read about World War II being able to hear President Roosevelt give a speech. Imagine as you learn about our ever-changing environment being able to watch actual tsunami footage – ALL at the push of a button. Imagine combining text-book work, hands-on science experiments, and live-communication with other students from around the state. Imagine your student in a live on-line discussion with the Governor of Missouri.

Students will receive one-on-one attention from a certified teacher, learn at their own pace, and receive an accredited education from their home. The opportunities are nearly endless.

Many of our rural districts are struggling to hire qualified and state-certified science and math teachers. Your student can enroll in the VIP school part-time. From a community library, school library, or even at home a student in a small rural district could receive a physics class or a calculus class. The VIP technology allows our small rural school districts to offer student more opportunities to learn and grow.

Further, it is a tool for our struggling inner-city schools.

St. Louis and Kansas City have struggled for years to maintain accreditation and reach their children with a quality education. Today, St. Louis schools are being over-taken by the state. MoVIP is available to serve our inner-city students. MoVIP allows us to conquer the class-room size issues facing our big inner-city schools. It allows students to avoid violence and pressures facing our inner-city neighborhoods. Students can learn safely from home, at their own pace, and receive that special attention that will give them a true head-start to success.

Missouri is taking a lead in moving education into new frontiers. Like past generations, we are working toward conquering the cynics and sailing toward new horizons.

PRESS RELEASE: Missouri Expands Health Care Coverage for Missourians

Legislation Provides Tax Relief for Missourians to Help Reduce Health Care Costs

Gov. Matt Blunt recently signed legislation to expand health coverage for Missourians that includes a tax relief measure designed to help lower the cost of health insurance for families. House Bill 818 implements important provisions to help reduce the number of Missourians without insurance.

“This is a powerful bill that will enable more Missourians to access health insurance coverage,” Gov. Blunt said. “More than 5 million Missourians have health insurance, but 700,000 are yet to be covered. This bill is a good step towards expanding access to care for Missourians currently without insurance. I am also very pleased we provided tax relief in the legislation by allowing Missourians to deduct the cost of their health insurance premiums.”

House Bill 818, sponsored by Rep. Doug Ervin, works towards building a comprehensive program to expand access to quality health insurance and reduce the number of Missourians who lack coverage.

“I thank Governor Blunt for encouraging all stakeholders to come together and find a solution that will provide more Missourians access to affordable health insurance,” said Rep. Doug Ervin. “This bill reorients our state’s health care policy toward the objectives of the individual and away from the employer, the insurer, providers, and government through portability and equitable tax treatment among all consumers of health care goods and services putting the consumer back in the driver’s seat to make their own health care decisions."

Co-sponsor Rep. Brian Baker echoed support stating, "This legislation will provide healthcare access to our small businesses who make up the largest part of our state work-force. From farmers to Main St. HB 818 will give our small businesses options and access. Allowing our small businesses to provide a tax-free defined contribution to employees for the purpose of purchasing healthcare is a massive step forward."
Provisions in the bill:

• Expand opportunities for Missourians who are defined as, “high risk”, allowing them to more easily purchase health care coverage


• Provide a tax deduction for all Missourians for health insurance premiums included in their federally adjusted gross income


• Extend opportunities for coverage for young Missourians entering the workforce by expanding dependent coverage to the age of 26


• Self employed taxpayers may qualify for a tax credit


• Provide a tax-free option for employees to pay insurance premiums through cafeteria plans


• Allow employers to make a defined contribution towards the purchase of health insurance

The bill will make it easier for Missouri's workers and families to purchase health insurance through the opportunity for small employers to make a defined contribution to their employees to purchase insurance. The contribution would be tax deductible and could help families offset the cost of purchasing insurance.

The bill cuts taxes by allowing Missourians to deduct costs for health insurance premiums from their adjusted gross income even if they did not meet the minimum threshold to qualify for the federal deduction.

The legislation also ensures that self employed Missourians will receive a tax credit for federal taxes paid on insurance premiums.

General Assembly Ends Taxation on Social Security

by Brian L. Baker

Famous western actor and humorist Will Rogers once said, “The only difference between death and taxes is that death doesn't get worse every time Congress meets.”

Missouri is about to change the view that government just wants more and more. The Missouri Legislature has voted to eliminate a tax that has become a burden to many of our senior citizens. It is time to give our seniors and military personnel the break they deserve.

I am proud to announce that today the Missouri General Assembly gave final approval of tax relief to Missouri’s seniors. The tax cut on social security, House Bill 444, was a top priority for Governor Blunt and the Legislature.

House Bill 444, the Senior Tax Justice Act, provides tax relief to thousands of Missouri’s seniors by phasing in the state income tax exemption on Social Security benefits over six years. The legislation would also provide relief for teachers, firefighters, police officers, military personnel, and federal employees.

Created in 1935, Social Security was designed to provide financial security to Americans during their retirement years. Men and women worked diligently and paid their taxes in the hope that one day they would be able to enjoy their retirement years without the fear of having to struggle to make ends meet.

Unfortunately for retirees in our state, this dream of financial security has been impaired because of a needless and unfair tax on their benefits. Missouri has the dubious distinction of being one of only 15 in the nation that places a tax on Social Security benefits. In essence, we are taxing retirees on benefits for which they spent decades working and paying taxes to earn.

It is unfair to place this additional financial burden on our seniors. Many of them struggle to make ends meet with the meager benefits they receive. After paying for housing, food and medical services there is not much left to give back to the government. And yet, we ask them to bear this financial burden each and every month.

The good news is that our re-energized economy now gives us the opportunity to correct this injustice. The decisions we have made during the past few years have brought government spending down, eliminated a great deal of waste and fraud from our system, and helped to create nearly 50,000 new jobs in our state. The result is that, without any sort of tax increase, we have turned billion dollar shortfalls into a projected budget surplus of $300-500 million.
This money does not belong to the government. It belongs to the people of this state. And it makes perfect sense to give the money back to the Missourians who have done the most for our state – our seniors. For their decades of work and service to our state we owe them the fair and just treatment that is inherent in our plan to eliminate a tax that never should have existed.

Approximately a quarter of a million Missourians over the age of 65 are being taxed on their Social Security benefits. The resulting revenue generated by the tax is in the range of $100-105 million. With our projected surplus we can easily afford to make good on our promise to help seniors by stopping this program and giving them back their money.

Further, we have enough of a surplus to help our veterans and military personnel. Our veterans have given their blood to serve our nation and their families have given their tears. It is time that we cease taxing military pensions and aid our veterans. It is a small price to pay for that sacrifice they make.

In the end, it’s not a question of dollars and cents. It is a question of right and wrong. This week we did the right thing for senior citizens, military personnel, and retired teachers.

A VIP Solution for All Children!

By Brian L. Baker

President John F. Kennedy once said, “We stand today on the edge of a new frontier…a frontier of unknown opportunities and perils, a frontier of unfulfilled hopes…The frontier of which I speak is not a set of promises – it is a set of challenges.”

President Kennedy understood that importance of innovation and progress based on positive leadership that united our nation. This call to arms drove us forward to the moon and beyond. Today, we face a new challenge…providing our children with a 21st century education.

We must look forward to new frontiers. We must not let the seven last words of our educational-institutions and leaders be “We never did it that way before!” The time has come for us to embrace innovation and progress in education – not through brick-and-mortar, but through technology.

Missouri is taking a lead in our nation to provide one of the most innovative and progressive educational opportunities ever afforded to children through the MoVIP School (Missouri Virtual Instructional Program). The VIP school introduces a virtual-technology alternative to enhance traditional classroom learning for thousands of Missouri students. The program is “state of the art” and is operated by the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education with certified
teachers and meets our rigorous state standards.

Today, the VIP school offers on-line education to kindergarten through 5th grade AND 9th grade through 12th grade, with middle school being added next year. The program is set to serve over 4,000 full-time and part-time students. Over 700 state-certified teachers have applied to teach in the program. This is your chance to provide your child one of the most innovative and “state of the art” educational opportunities available. Space is available and enrollment is open until June 13.

How does it work?

This program does not entail students sitting around looking at a computer screen. Textbooks, hands-on lab work and actual paperwork are required by the curriculum that will be offered. What gives the program such promise is that it accents the current system by offering new technology to public education, providing another way to teach. The global world has entered our lives. We must begin true education reform that helps the classroom catch up to the rest of the world.

Imagine…being able to listen to Albert Einstein during a science lesson. Imagine, as you read about World War II being able to hear President Roosevelt give a speech. Imagine as you learn about our ever-changing environment being able to watch actual tsunami footage – ALL at the push of a button. Imagine combining text-book work, hands-on science experiments, and live-communication with other students from around the state. Imagine your student in a live on-line discussion with the Governor of Missouri.

Students will receive one-on-one attention from a certified teacher, learn at their own pace, and receive an accredited education from their home. The opportunities are nearly endless.

MoVIP offers education access that is nearly unprecedented.

Many of our rural districts are struggling to hire qualified and state-certified science and math teachers. Your student can enroll in the VIP school part-time. From a community library or school library a student in a small rural district could receive a physics class or a calculus class. The VIP technology allows our small rural school districts to offer student more opportunities to learn and grow.

Further, it is a tool for our struggling inner-city schools.

St. Louis and Kansas City have struggled for years to maintain accreditation and reach their children with a quality education. Today, St. Louis schools are being over-taken by the state. MoVIP is available to serve our inner-city students. MoVIP allows us to conquer the class-room size issues facing our big inner-city schools. It allows students to avoid violence and pressures facing our inner-city neighborhoods. Students can learn safely from home, at their own pace, and receive that special attention that will give them a true head-start to success.

MoVIP classes serve a wide range of needs including:

• Students who are home-bound because of injuries or medical conditions
• Students who are lagging in credits or need remedial help
• Students who want access to Advanced Placement and other upper-level courses that are not available in their schools
• Public schools that want to offer an upper-level class but cannot afford to hire their own teachers to serve a few students

All children should have access to a first class education. Embracing this program and the technology it utilizes will open new doors for many of Missouri’s students.

MoVIP gives our students the chance to be first in achievement and success. As Missourians we are proudly the “Show Me” state, but when it comes to education we can and should be the “Show You” state.

While there are some critics of MoVIP, I would ask them to remember one more thought of President Kennedy, “The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were.” Welcome to the Missouri VIP School!

Visit www.dese.mo.gov/divimprove/curriculum/movip and enroll your child in the VIP school today!

Increasing Healthcare Access

By Brian L. Baker

Ronald Reagan once said, “Double, no triple, our troubles and we'd still be better off than any other people on earth. It is time that we recognized that ours was, in truth, a noble cause.”

Missouri sought a noble cause this past legislative session…creating access to healthcare system for our poorest citizens, reducing fraud in that system, and using tax-dollars wisely to help our neediest citizens first.

The Legislature approved Mo-HealthNet, a program that will provide a better health-care access for low income Missourians and replace the antiquated Medicaid program. The program increases choice, improves quality, and promotes preventative care. It transforms our healthcare safety net, empowers Missourians to be participants and focuses on health, wellness and prevention.

Senate Bill 577 – Mo-HealthNet establishes a new way to provide health care for low income Missourians that was developed with advice and suggestions from many Missourians across our state. For the first time in Missouri history, the program helps guarantee every participant has access to primary and preventative care.

While critics will shout that we have not done enough, as always, I will give you the strict facts about actions taken by the Missouri Legislature. Mo-HealthNet does the following:

• Recognizes that participants should have one central point of contact and a doctor who knows them personally.
• Gives participants the option to choose their health care home (A health care home improves the quality of care by allowing participants to decide together with their provider the most effective plan of care. To keep participants healthy, a health care home will provide regular check-ups, screenings and immunizations based on individual needs and emphasize prevention.
• Expands health care coverage to employed persons with disabilities and will cover foster children until they are 21 years of age
• Allows more children to be eligible for health coverage under the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).
• Expands coverage to an estimated 6,500 children in lower-income families who earn too much to qualify for traditional Medicaid but lack private health insurance.
• Restores coverage of dental and vision subject to legislative appropriation.
• Restores coverage of hospice care and medical equipment to thousands of adult Medicaid recipients.
• Provides women’s health and family planning services to women age 18 and older who lack employer-sponsored health care and earn up to 185 percent of the federal poverty level ($18,889 a year for a single woman).
• Increases access to children with parents participating in the state’s drug court program.
  Many features of Mo-HealthNet have already been adopted in the state’s healthcare system and in the FY08 budget.

Mo-HealthNet calls for a five-year plan to increase provider reimbursement rates. Proponents of the change say this will encourage more doctors, especially those needed in specialty areas, to accept Mo-HealthNet patients. The bill expands the number of healthcare professionals who receive liability coverage when they provide free medical services and creates a state fund with the mission of expanding healthcare services in shortage areas and enacts Medicaid fraud reform.

The Ticket to Work program, a key priority of the House since 2005, was included in the Mo-HealthNet legislation. Mo-HealthNet is going to allow people who are 100% disabled...to go back to work and earn a living and not lose they’re healthcare.

A disabled Missourian will be eligible to participate in Ticket to Work so long as his income is at or below 300% of the federal poverty level and his assets are less than $1,000 if single or $2,000 if married. Money saved in medical savings accounts or independent living accounts will not be included in total assets. Overall, the Ticket to Work will help approximately 3,200 disabled employees with healthcare coverage. A related component of Mo-Healthnet and SB 577 will help 1,800 employees at sheltered workshops qualify for healthcare coverage.

As a key to promoting wellness and prevention, SB 577 requires Mo-HealthNet participants to have a healthcare home and to enroll in health improvement plans. The plans will help them remain in the least restrictive level of care possible and will encourage them to use call centers and nursing help lines when an emergency room visit would be unneeded and costly.

Mo-HealthNet also provides for the implementation of a pay-for-performance reimbursement program to reward doctors for improving patients’ health. It also provides a tax deduction to encourage the purchase of long-term care insurance.

While some will argue and shout for more…we must recognize that our reforms now target our most needy citizens and our disabled while at the same time works to prevent fraud within our system. Our work was and is a “noble cause” and as President Reagan stated, “Double, no triple, our troubles and we'd still be better off than any other people on earth.”