Thursday, June 21, 2007
Contact: Jessica Robinson, 573-751-0290
Blunt Meets with Missouri’s Future Leaders; Discusses Importance of Public Service
WARRENSBURG–Gov. Matt Blunt today addressed the young men attending Missouri Boys State and encouraged Missouri’s future leaders in government and business to remember the importance of public service in making a difference in their communities.
“I believe in the importance of service to our state and to our country,” said Blunt. “I encourage Missouri’s young people to get involved in their communities, charities, schools, churches and other faith-based institutions. To help our future leaders succeed, we are making strategic investments in education to ensure that young Missourians have the knowledge and skills to be competitive in the global economy and successful public servants.”
Blunt encouraged the young men attending Boys State to take home the importance of public service. The governor urged the young men to make the most of their dreams and fight for what they believe is right. He also challenged them to not go through life a spectator but to play an active role in their communities through public service.
To ensure that Missouri future leaders, like the young men at Boys State, have the necessary skills to succeed in life, Blunt has made education his top budget and public policy priority. Since taking office the governor has secured more than half a billion dollars for Missouri’s students and classrooms.
Blunt also championed a comprehensive 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. The package also includes the governor’s landmark Lewis & Clark Discovery Initiative which is a partnership between the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA) and the state. Through this initiative Missouri is reinvesting a state asset to deliver $335 million dollars for state-of-the-art learning centers for Missouri students this year.