Ashcroft wanted to enact temporary increases in the state's cigarette tax and corporate franchise tax to plug the gap. The Legislature, with his approval, opted instead to raise the state sales tax by one-fifth cent for nine months, and to raise the corporate income tax rate from 5 percent to 6 percent for two years.

In those days, the Republican governor had to work with Democratic majorities in both houses of the Legislature. Some GOP legislators groused about Ashcroft's tax increases, but the Democrats went along.

read these words from Mr. Ashcroft's speech from 1989:

"Certainly there are some, perhaps many, who say themselves that state government touches peoples' lives in no important way and that major cuts will make no difference. But you and I have no excuse for pretending that is so.

"We know that those who count on the state would be the victims of massive cuts:

"The victim would be the shy second-grader who would be lost in a substantially larger class if the grade school had to lay off teachers.

"The victim would be the high school graduate who is thinking of trying college but is looking for financial aid and a chance to be taught by real professors instead of cheaper graduate assistants.

"The victim would be the single mother who is hoping for a job with the new company that might locate in town — if it doesn't go to another state that provides training, bond guarantees, or other incentives that we'd have to cut back.

"The victims would be the prison guards who have worked for the state for ten years and still make no more than the guards hired last year. The victims would be the community health nurses whose salaries now give them $1,500 less buying power than they had three years ago.

"The victims would be the hundreds of children in whom we could prevent mental retardation and birth defects if we can fund the 'healthy children' initiative which I recommend and you appropriated funds for."

Ashcroft concluded, in words as relevant now as they were 21 years ago: "I am not asking you to increase our commitments, but I am asking you to make good on the commitments we have made. I am asking you to stand up for the future of Missouri, for the people of Missouri, instead of creating victims."