A transition of power will soon take place in Missouri. Gov. Mike Parson will leave office and Governor-elect Mike Kehoe will soon take the reins. Parson thinks having a business plan was his true success.
“We’re fourth United States for best taxpayer return on your investment, which is an important category, fourth in the United States for new business expansion. We are fourth in the United States, where we used to never be in these categories. Fifth in the United States for workforce training, fifth in the United States for job creations, sixth in the United States for cost of living,” Parson told Missourinet.
In his final days as governor, Parson said that he’s proud of his focus on workforce development and infrastructure.
“We have to look at, okay, are we competitive? Do we have competent state employees? You know, do you want to be at the bottom of the barrel? Because, let’s face it, we’re going to become the biggest training ground, which we were for other people,” he said. “People come to work for state government, and then they go to work for somebody else. And then there’s some that was very loyal to the state and needed the job, but yet you wouldn’t pay them what they were.”
One of his priorities has been to raise state worker pay each year while he’s been governor.
“If Dollar General down the street pays $22 an hour, and we’re paying a social worker 12 or $13 an hour, you know, and they’re making decisions on children, on parents, really that impact somebody’s life, you can go to any convenience store,” he said. “You can go to any fast-food joint, anywhere you want to go work for 12 dollars an hour.”
The governor says Missouri’s state workers have answered the call through the pandemic, late-night shifts, and in difficult environments.
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