Jefferson City, MO - State Sen. John Cauthorn, R-Mexico, responded to today's request by Gov. Bob Holden for $750 million in new taxes by urging better government management and less government waste before asking Missourians to pay more taxes.

"Waste and mismanagement must be eliminated before anyone can justify asking the hardworking people of Missouri to dig deeper into their pockets," Cauthorn said. "Missouri has lost 77,000 jobs in the last year, including three major plant shutdowns in the 18th District alone. People in this economy simply cannot pay more of what they don't have."

Cauthorn said he was especially concerned by the absence of a plan for reducing government waste in the Governor's budget address today.

"The governor today announced that he is selling three old planes, and buying one new one," Cauthorn said. "You can't look into the eyes of a third-generation farmer who is struggling to keep out of bankruptcy and tell him the Governor's new plane is how we're eliminating government waste."

The governor's plan calls for trimming $250 million in current state appropriations -- largely by eliminating positions that are already vacant -- and asking for $750 million in additional taxes, including a tobacco tax increase identical to what voters rejected in November.

"The people defeated this exact same proposal just two months ago," Cauthorn said. "Now, he is including the tax they turned down as part of his plan to balance a budget that is $1 billion short. I'm sorry, but that just doesn't make sense."

Cauthorn urged the governor to redirect revenue, eliminate waste and focus on basic citizen needs: education, health care and shoring up the state's sagging economy by helping agriculture and businesses prosper.