Nine Republicans are seeking Missouri’s GOP gubernatorial nomination next Tuesday. Incumbent Governor Mike Parson (R) is not running again. One of the nine is Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, who joined us live on 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri.” One of the biggest issues he emphasized on-air is properly funding Missouri’s seven state veterans homes. They are in Cameron, Cape Girardeau, Mexico, Mount Vernon, St. James, St. Louis, and Warrensburg. Secretary Ashcroft tells listeners those veterans homes are underfunded by tens of millions of dollars and that one could potentially close, without additional money. Mr. Ashcroft tells listeners that Missouri does not have a resource problem (money), it has a spending problem. Secretary of State Ashcroft says Missouri’s approximately $50-billion state operating budget has increased by more than $20-billion in the past seven years, while the veterans homes are underfunded. He says the veterans homes need anywhere from $30-million to $50-million to be property funded, saying that will be a top priority if elected. Ashcroft also blasted a GOP primary rival during the live interview, saying Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe’s budget has increased by tens of millions of dollars. Ashcroft says money should be taken by Kehoe’s office and put toward state veterans homes. Another issue Ashcroft addressed is education, saying less than 25 percent of Missouri eighth-graders are proficient in both math and reading. Secretary Ashcroft also tells listeners that state government needs a reorganization. More than 14,000 state employees work in Cole County, making state government Jefferson City’s largest employer: