By Leslie Collins
Northeast News
April 4, 2012

David Spence is ready to take over as Missouri governor. Spence, Republican candidate for governor, recently attended the monthly meeting for Northeast Industrial Association to share why he’s the right man for the job. Below are the highlights.

David Spence:

Age: 54

Current residence: St. Louis

Education: Bachelor’s of Science degree in Home Economics from the University of Missouri-Columbia

Business background: Bought Alpha Packaging, a Missouri-based plastics manufacturing company, at the age of 26. “I started building my American dream,” Spence said. When he first bought the business, there were 15 employees and annual sales were $350,000. Since then, it’s expanded to nine plants with more than 800 employees. Alpha Packaging also provides college scholarships for the children of its employees. In 2010, Spence sold the business.

Why he’s running: He thinks Missouri could work harder at providing job opportunities and thinks it’s time for career politician Gov. Jay Nixon to leave. For the last three years, Missouri has ranked 50th in job creation and 49th in higher education funding, he said. Spence added that 250,000 people are currently unemployed in Missouri, which equates to the size of Springfield. One out of six Missourians are on food stamps, he said.

“We are being romanced that that’s okay,” he said. “We need to take Missouri by the scruff and say, ‘C’mon, man, you can do it.'”

Part of that begins with common sense leadership and speaking the truth, he said.

“We need to get Missouri going again and get Missouri proud again, and the only way we can do that is to have a pro-business agenda.”

Top 3 priorities as governor: Economic development, education and restoring optimism

“Honestly, we’ve lost optimism in this state. We’ve exported optimism and I’d like to get people feeling good about where they are.”

His view on the 2nd Amendment: “I have no issue with it.” The right to bear arms is in the constitution for a reason, he said.

Why you should vote for him: “I don’t want to be a politician, I want to be a problem solver.”

The governor’s office needs “fresh eyes and fresh ideas.”

“I’m willing to jump in the line of fire and sacrifice and make it happen,” he said.

Missouri needs to quit the blame game and begin solving problems on its own, instead of waiting for someone else to take action, he said.

Spence will also search for ways to nurture Missouri businesses and improve morale.

Once Missouri business owners are satisfied, then the state can begin working on enticing out-of-state businesses to locate to Missouri.