‘We need a complete reset’: The Star endorses the clear choice for Missouri governor
We were so relieved when Republican Mike Parson first inherited the Missouri governor’s office from his scandal-prone predecessor. So relieved that, if anything, he walked in the door with more goodwill than he deserved.
In June of 2018, we wrote, “Missouri’s new governor, Mike Parson, wants to spend a day in Kansas City to get a ground-level view of our biggest issues. That’s an uncommonly gracious offer, made during his first visit here last week since becoming governor, and we hope Mayor Sly James takes him up on it soon.” (He did, of course.)
“Parson, who also made an unexpected pledge to back state funding for a new UMKC conservatory,” we said, “is clearly interested in re-establishing ties between the state Capitol and the state’s largest city. Those bonds have withered in recent years.”
Sad, right? Yippee, the governor is willing to come here. This is called extending, and maybe overextending, the benefit of the doubt. But Parson has long since exhausted our willingness to believe he’ll ever do much of anything beyond occasionally showing up, unmasked in every sense, at a time when leadership has been so badly needed and its absence so keenly felt.
Little-known even in Jefferson City before his unexpected elevation, Parson has not learned or grown in this job or during this pandemic. He does not change course, no matter what the facts. At a news conference on Wednesday, he responded churlishly to questions about the state’s record COVID-19 hospitalizations and 21% seven-day positivity rate. He quibbled with the numbers and said, “the entire Midwest is seeing an increase,” and insisted that “overall, our health care system is still stable and meeting the demand.”
With some hospitals in Kansas City and across the state so overcrowded with COVID-19 patients that they’re turning away ambulances, the fact that he could even say such a thing means that he either doesn’t know what’s happening or doesn’t care. Either way, it’s both same-old and shocking.
That Parson has spent CARES Act funding on tourism campaigns and a DC-area consultant while personal protective equipment is still lacking is a serious disservice to every Missourian.
Parson’s failure to respond in any meaningful way to COVID-19 — and even to lead by example by wearing a mask himself — has cost lives. So has his failure to do anything about the state’s violent crime problem beyond declaring his unconditional support for police. These are reasons enough to deny him four more years in which to respond to every challenge with his favorite cliché: “One size does not fit all.”
But his challenger, CPA and Democratic state auditor Nicole Galloway, has earned our endorsement, and your vote, not just by default but by her own hard work and moxie.
She has detailed plans, a higher standard of management and with her five years of experience finding and ending waste, fraud and abuse, none of the old-boyism or insider buddy protection that defines the incumbent.
We also appreciate her willingness to answer difficult questions directly, and even concisely, instead of dancing incomprehensibly around them.
She thinks, as we do, that the best way to both save lives and get our economy back on track is to fight this pandemic instead of continuing to pretend that all is well.
“We need a complete reset on our coronavirus strategy,” Galloway told The Star Editorial Board, promising the statewide mask mandate that the White House COVID-19 has said Missouri needs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that cases in Arizona dropped 75% after mask mandates went into effect there.
“If we do not contain the spread,” Galloway said in her interview with us, “if we don’t have a mask rule, if we don’t have real contact tracing, if we can’t deploy CARES Act funds at the local level to really fight this virus and help people get through this, then we won’t be able to repair our economy.’’
All true. And as she points out, “Masks are a ticket to freedom. My plan is designed to prevent shutdowns. We are all living Governor Parson’s free-for-all plan right now.”
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWho decides the endorsements?
Members of The Kansas City Star Editorial Board interview political candidates, as well as advocates and opponents of ballot measures. The editorial board is comprised of seasoned opinion journalists and is separate from The Star’s newsroom. The board’s members are editorial writers Toriano Porter and Mara’ Rose Williams — all veteran journalists with decades of experience. Editors Derek Donovan is also a member, and editor David Tarrant, while not a member of the board, reads and often improves each editorial we publish. Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.
What does the endorsement process entail?
The Star Editorial Board invites candidates in each race to meet with the board in an on-the-record discussion, the purpose of which is more fully understand what distinguishes one candidate from another. Board members do additional reporting and research to learn as much as possible about the candidates. The editorial board then convenes to discuss the candidates in each race. Board members seek to reach a consensus on the endorsements, but not every decision is unanimous..
Is the editorial board partisan?
No. In making endorsements, members of the editorial board consider which candidates are well prepared to represent their constituents — not whether they agree with us or belong to a particular political party. We do weigh heavily their stances on issues we consider basic tests of judgment and candor, such as whether they even acknowledge climate change as real, or if they continue to deny the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election. We weigh these factors against many others, and state clearly what our conclusions are. Primarily, we evaluate candidates’ relevant experience, their readiness for office, their depth of knowledge of key issues and their understanding of public policy. We’re seeking candidates who are thoughtful and who offer more than just party-line talking points. The editorial board will endorse both Republicans and Democrats, making recommendations about who the best-qualified candidate for each job is.
Why are endorsements unsigned?
Endorsements reflect the collective views of The Star’s editorial board — not just the opinion of one writer. Board members all discuss and contribute ideas to each endorsement editorial.
In the only debate he agreed to, Galloway mentioned Parson’s well-documented, public comments that wearing a mask is a personal decision and that there is no right answer.
He responded this way: “I have never said those things in my career. I have told people to take a balanced approach. And to try to blame people for a virus that was a lot of people out there doing incredible things every day, our hospital association, our hospital, the nurses and the doctors. It is a virus. It is dangerous. We have said that from day one, to take the necessary steps. We will continue to do that.”
We think he will, if elected, continue to do what he has been doing. And that his opponent will respond with facts, and will speak and act with clarity. Which is why it is so important that we elect Nicole Galloway as our next governor.
This story was originally published October 23, 2020 at 5:00 AM.