Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday addressed 192 guests at the Westphalia Lions Hall during the Osage County Lincoln Day Banquet about his political agenda over the last two years since becoming 57th governor of the state of Missouri.

Parson and First Lady Teresa Parson arrived at the facility around 6:10 p.m. and quietly visited with banquet attendees before going to dinner. Parson spoke after dinner on the importance of local elections, having conservatives in office, workforce development, economic and infrastructure among other political views.

“Most of you know my history — I served in the military and served as the sheriff back home, and I still think these local elections are the most important elections you could go through,” Parson said at the beginning of his speech. “Those are the people who know us the best. The people you go to church with, you go to the grocery store and your kids grow up with.”

Parson told banquet attendees that local elections are the most important because change starts at the local level.

“I had the opportunity to be around the president and the first lady, and I am going to tell you, he may be from the East Coast and a little different than most people in this room, but I guarantee ya, there is nobody that believes more in the American Dream than what President Donald Trump does, and he is willing to fight for it every day,” Parson said.

He mentioned the president’s tax cuts and Missouri’s tax cuts to go with it.

“The state did their first tax cut to go along with the federal tax cut, it hadn’t been done in 100 years under Republican leadership,” Parson said. “With those two tax cuts combined in the state of Missouri, that made an average of about $1,500 to $3,500 in the people’s pockets. The things we are talking about are the people keeping their own money and spending their own money, and when you do that things start happening — economies start picking up and people go back to work.”

Parson spoke of workforce development and additional jobs created within the state.

“Since I have taken over the governor’s office, we have added over 40,000 new jobs in the state of Missouri,” Parson said. “We are currently trying to figure out how we can build up for the workforce of tomorrow. How do we make sure our kids in school really understand what the jobs are?”

He added that not everyone needs to go get a four-year degree.

“Seventy percent of people in Missouri don’t have a four-year degree,” he said. “Those 70 percent are your workforce.”

While the state is still going to need engineers, doctors and teachers, Parson said the reality of it is, high school kids need to know that a trade school is okay, that a skill set is okay, and that a specialty in health care and IT (information technology) is okay.

“That is why we are going to invest money in our high school students this year — as a matter of fact, 12,000 of them, through Work Ready Certificates so when they get out of high school, somebody’s going to be out there to say, ‘You have these qualifications and I need these qualifications, come to work for me,’” Parson said. “Those things are important.”

Parson said during the budget time last year that he would reform the state of Missouri, which resulted in closing an entire prison.

“What do you do to rehabilitate these people, keep them on the streets so the sheriff isn’t out there having to deal with them all the time — they are being productive?” Parson asked. “We did that by combining all those efforts and by being more efficient where people went, we were able to shut down an entire prison.”

By closing the one facility, the state saved $22 million a year in taxpayer funds, according to the governor.

“We had 800 people working in economic development in the state of [Missouri],” Parson said. “If you compare it to the states around us that we compare ourselves to, the first thing you have to admit is when you do something right, wrong, or when you think you do something right and it’s not. We were almost dead last out of 15 states and had almost 800 people in economic development. The next state to us with the largest economic development? They had 200 employees there.”

Parson said as of today, the Missouri legislature has used a common-sense approach to bring the state up to second place in business importation in the United States. New businesses, including Nucor Steel in Sedalia, brought 250 new positions; Briggs & Stratton’s move to Poplar Bluff brought 120 new jobs; Bayer moved from the East Coast to Missouri and added 500 employees; and Bunge, the largest Ag company, moved its world headquarters to the St. Louis region.

“Those are the kind of things that make a difference for the future of our state,” Parson said. “Those are investments folks are making in our state which means our kids and grandkids are going to have the opportunity.”

Parson touched on the state’s budget and trying to leave more funds on the “bottom line.”

“I said to those who work for me while we were making the budget, we are going to live like everyday people and we are not going to spend all the money. Cause you know what? We might have some floods that we are going to have deal with. And lo and behold, we did have some floods, didn’t we? We left $100 million dollars on the bottom line because we could, and we didn’t have to spend it, and if we did need it, we wouldn’t have to go back to borrow money to get money,” Parson said.

He added that the state invested $3 million in bonds into rural Missouri last year in roads and bridges.

“I got criticized from people saying I was a rural guy and spending money in rural Missouri,” Parson said. “That really wasn’t the point at all. The point was we needed it in rural Missouri, and the money we used for the bridges in rural Missouri freed up money to spend in urban areas.”

He said those are things people need to concentrate on, not what some news sources would try to say about his policies in government, such as one article on the Second Amendment.

“Do not believe what the Post Dispatch says,” Parson said. “You can believe what these local reporters do — they will get it right.”

The governor said he is a lifetime member of the NRA and has never wavered on the Second Amendment, from serving in the United States Army, as a sheriff, and politician, to the becoming governor of the state of Missouri.

“Me and Kenny Jones introduced a piece of legislation called the Castle Doctrine,” Parson said. “It basically says if someone breaks into your home, threatens your family or your property, you have a right to protect it.”

Parson mentioned his six grandchildren, including the youngest recently adopted by his son, five-month-old Sophie, and what he feels it means to be pro-life.

“In 2004, when Republicans and conservatives started taking the majority in Jeff City, there were 8,000 abortions a year in the state of Missouri,” Parson said. “As of last year, with the work we have done, that 8,000 number is down to less than 1,400 in the state of Missouri.”

He said that the number is going to get better.

“There is children today driving around in a car, going to high school, playing in sports that are living a life because of all of you in this room, because you stayed focused on that issue,” Parson said. “That is the real outcome of what it means to be pro-life. This year as I stand before you there has only been seven abortions in the state of Missouri for this year.”

Parson said there is no secret to being a good politician, even though a lot of people think they are good and make good speeches, but for him, what you see is what you get.

“There is three fundamentals I firmly believe in if you are going to be a leader: a Christian faith, moral values and a love of state and country,” he said. “If you have those things, life can be very simple. But so many times we make it complicated in Jefferson City. If you have those fundamental beliefs you are going to be okay.”

He closed with a word about where he was raised in Hickory County on his family’s farm.

“We had everything we needed on 112 acres; mom and dad was married 63 years — good Christian people — and raised us four boys up the best they could with what they had,” Parson said. “To be the governor of the state of Missouri and come from that background — I guarantee ya, back home when they wrote in my yearbook, nobody said ‘will be the next governor of the state of Missouri.’ It was more ‘are you gonna graduate?’”

Parson said he will never forget the roots where he came from. He added that even his roots didn’t give him a true understanding of being patriotic until he served in the United States Army.

“You are living the American Dream today,” he added. “People protected it and gave it to us, and we have to do that for the next generation.”

Parson asked the group how they liked the “New Green Deal” in Osage County.

“C’mon, give me a break,” he said amongst the negative murmurs. “It’ll only cost you about $60,000 apiece per year for 10 years,” Parson said. “But I am an ol’ farm boy at heart, and MO cows — they make ‘New Green Deals’ every day. We are just smart enough not to step in it in Missouri! It is an honor and a privilege to be governor of the state of Missouri. God bless you, God bless Missouri, and God bless the United States of America!”

Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, who spent many years in Osage County in his youth, said he fully supports what Gov. Parson has done. “What you see is what you get,” said Kehoe. “That’s what we want; someone who is the real deal.”

Kehoe moved to Linn when he was 25, and the move from the St. Louis area to rural Missouri taught him many things.

“I learned what life was all about,” he said. “The people in this room gave me the foundation I needed, and we have had quite a ride.”

Kehoe added that the success achieved by Gov. Parson and the Republican Party is only the beginning. “I think you are going to see another several years of unbelievable things. Gov. Parson didn’t toot his own horn about this, but he’s the very first Missouri governor to go to the Midwest March for Life. Mike puts his money where his mouth is.”

Kehoe said his role is to get government out of the lives of individuals, and help where needed with infrastructure and projects that benefit the public as a whole.

Osage County Republican Committee Chairman Mark Lieneke said the first election in which he was eligible to vote was in 1980, and he voted for President Ronald Reagan.

“I always viewed Reagan as the gold standard of presidents,” he said. “I do think though if Trump keeps doing what he’s doing and getting things done, he’ll be the platinum standard, and probably a president we’ll never see the likes of again, and the country will never seek the likes of again.”

U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer agreed with the assessment of President Trump.

“He’s making waves with how he’s going about things,” said Luetkemeyer, adding that the president has accomplished a lot in his tenure.

In reference to President Trump’s State of the Union address, Luetkemeyer quoted the president as saying, “‘In just three short years, we have shattered the mentality of American Decline and we have rejected the downsizing of America’s destiny.’ Remember what we were doing in the last three years of the Obama administration? We were being told the new norm was declining GDP. He tried to tell us we were not exceptional people, that we were going to be a third-world country and we’d just have to get used to it. We’d have to do with less, and have to realize our best days are behind us, and the American people showed up and said he was wrong. Donald Trump said he was wrong. He believes that the American people are still exceptional, and this is still an exceptional country. We still have a set of values and principles upon which this country was founded, and we’ll continue to make it a great country, and an even better country tomorrow.”

Luetkemeyer said youth need to believe in that philosophy, adding that President Trump believes it to his core.

“I’ve never seen anyone who is more dedicated to the American people,” said Luetkemeyer. “He truly believes in the entrepreneurial spirit, and he wants to empower you, which is the opposite of what the other party believes. They believe in the greatness of government. They believe if you give them all the money and control, they can figure it all out, and redistribute it to make sure everyone is happy. All of you should be driving the economy, not the government. At the end of the day, this is about him giving everyone hope. The Obama administration was about taking hope away, and the worst thing you can do to somebody is take hope away. He believes in you and so do I, because I’ve seen what the people of Osage County can do.”

Luetkemeyer, who is seeking reelection to the 3rd District this fall, urged everyone to complete the U.S. Census survey, noting a Congressman was lost the last time. “It also helps state and county officials,” Luetkemeyer said.

Running for reelection in District 61, Missouri Rep. Aaron Griesheimer said the House continues to fight for what Missourians believe in, and he hopes to retain the seat he won in 2018.

“We made a stand in Missouri, and passed one of the strongest pro-life bills in the country,” said Griesheimer of the “Missouri Stands with the Unborn Act.”

This is a crucial time, Griesheimer said. “I ask you one thing,” he added. “Please continue this enthusiasm and help push us into November. Help support our Republican candidates at the local, state and federal level.”

Griesheimer presented Rep. Tom Hurst a resolution recognizing his years of service in the Missouri House. Hurst is in his final year due to term limits.

Bruce Sassman of Belle announced his intention to file for the District 62 seat, which will be vacated by Hurst.

“It would be an honor to defend conservative values, and a real honor to support Republican leadership in Jefferson City,” said Sassman.

Also seeking election in District 62 is Chris Beyer, who is a fifth-generation Missourian from Osage County. He spoke of his grandfather, who fought in the Korean War.

“Where he fought communism, we have people like Bernie Sanders who want to bring it here  to Missouri,” Bauer said, adding that Second Amendment and pro-life rights are being attacked every day across the nation. “It’s unacceptable and I intend to push back on it.”

At the county level, First District Commissioner John Glavin and Second District Commissioner Larry Kliethermes announced their intention to file for reelection.

Glavin said he wants to make sure taxpayer dollars are spent correctly. “We’ve got a lot of work to do,” he said.

Kliethermes, meanwhile, said it’s important to continue fighting about rights so they’re not taken away. “We have to continue keeping watch,” he added. “We’re headed in the right direction, and we need to keep going.”

Sheriff Mike Bonham announced his intent to file for a second term.

“It’s been an honor and privilege to serve as sheriff, and we have work to do, but we are now one of the safest counties in the state of Missouri,” Bonham said.

Also seeking reelection is Assessor Jerry Baker Jr., who said county valuation is looking better than it has in many years, thanks to State Technical College, which has grown significantly in the last few years. That in turn has led to the construction of new housing for students.

Land values are currently at about 45%. “What that means to us is that property is worth a lot more now than it was two years ago,” Baker said. “The governor talked about meeting the call, and Osage County has done it with great pride, and we’re growing in leaps and bounds.”

Associate Circuit Judge Sonya Brandt, who was recently appointed to the 20th Circuit, said she intends to file to retain the seat.

“I am honored to serve as judge,” said Brandt, who has practiced law in Osage County for 10 years. “I hadn’t really planned to be a judge, but when the opportunity came up, I decided to give it a shot, and it’s been a great experience. I appreciate the support, and I look forward to doing this for many years to come.”

Public Administrator Paul Stratman announced he will seek a sixth term. “It’s not the easiest job, but we make a difference in peoples’ lives every day,” he said.

AJ Probst, who ran for coroner four years ago against Lois Jaegers, said he plans to file for election as Jaegers has decided not to run again.

“Coroner is not a job many people aspire to, but it is a necessary one,” said Probst. “I take a humorous approach to myself, but not to the job I do.”

Cameron Gehlert, a representative of Youth For Trump, said there is a belief that Trump is a racist and bad man, but his goal and that of the group is to promote conservative values.

“A large amount of younger people push socialism and Democrat policies, and you don’t want that,” he said. “Vote for Trump and keep America great.”

This year’s dessert auction was held for the benefit of the Catholic Youth of Osage County, many of whom plan to attend next year’s March for Life in Washington, D.C.

Kim Borgmeyer said attending the most recent event was very special. “What I learned most from the experience was the numbers,” she said. “It was the number of columns at the World War II  Memorial, it was the number of names at the Vietnam Memorial, it was the number of shoes at the Holocaust Museum, and it was the number of people who are being aborted every single day. The number of people who showed up to the march was amazing. It was just great to be a part of that. The number of youth at the march was amazing too. It gives us hope for our future.”