Obama and Jindal

Since I'm being all sunshine and butterflies today, I feel the need to direct readers to Hip Suburban White Guy, who looked at Tuesday night's speeches and came away with one of those joyful insights that kind of escaped those of us who paid too much attention.

Crunch Time for Ethics Commission Selection - Day 82 of the Jackson County Ethics Blackout

The Jackson County Ethics Selection Committee has set the end of February as an informal target for applications to join the Jackson County Ethics Commission. Fortunately, they have said that they will continue to accept applications until the Commission is filled.

Either way, though, the best time to apply is now. The application form is online, so you can submit it over the weekend.

Technically, the appointments will not be made by the Selection Committee. The time for them to make such appointments according to the Charter has long since lapsed, and the appointments are now in the hands of County Executive Mike Sanders. Unlike the County Legislators, though, Mr. Sanders is smart enough to recognize a hot potato when he sees one, so he has agreed to appoint whomever the Selection Committee chooses. It's great to see an example of a Jackson County elected official working to make Ethical Home Rule a success instead of a sham.

Gone Mild Election Results - Day 81 of the Jackson County Ethics Blackout

I asked, and got 110 responses, to my completely nonscientific poll on which Jackson County legislator is least likely to be retained in 2010. Here are the results:

Henry Rizzo 27.3% 30

Scott Burnett 16.4% 18

James Tindall 15.5% 17

Dan Tarwater 14.5% 16

Theresa Garza Ruiz 11.8% 13

Dennis Waits 10.9% 12

Fred Arbanas 1.8% 2

Greg Grounds 0.9% 1

Bob Spence 0.9% 1

Interesting results, and not entirely what I expected. I should note that 12 of the 13 votes for Garza Ruiz came in during a 10 minute span - I suspect someone was stuffing the ballot box against her, but that was the only voting irregularity I noticed.

One of the flaws in my method was that it only called for a vote on who is most likely to not be retained. Henry Rizzo, with his aggressive stand against Ethical Home Rule and a district that includes the politically-active Ward Parkway corridor, was a fairly obvious choice, especially in the absence of a specific opponent.

I was a little surprised to see how high Scott Burnett ranked in the poll. As Chair of the Legislature, he will be in the hot seat if the voters do not see a return to Ethical Home Rule, so perhaps the readers have a good point. Personally, I think Mr. Burnett has done enough outreach and has enough donor friends to make him hard to beat, but time will tell how much this Ethics Blackout will damage his "good guy" image.

A low surprise was Fred Arbanas. Only two voters chose him as least likely to be retained, but I think there's a decent shot that he will decide to step aside at the last minute and try to handpick a successor to a seat that he has held since the very first County Legislature met. That's kind of like having James Madison still sitting in Congress today. Look for Mr. Arbanas to act as if he's running until the day of filing, to discourage any competition, and then for him to walk in with a "team player" to take his place. I think Arbanas' seat is one of the most likely to become a pro-ethics seat, but only if someone bright and aggressive takes on the seemingly daunting task of pushing a rock up the mountain of Fred Arbanas' county-sponsored popularity. Trust me, that mountain may suddenly become a molehill when Fred Arbanas puts a backroom hack on the ballot in his place.

Perhaps future polls ought to ask how many of the County Legislators will not be returning, and we can also test different names against some of the more vulnerable legislators. It's going to be an interesting year and a half for the Jackson County legislators - perhaps the last year and a half in public office for several of them.

Judging Beer

Rather than writing my own post about what it was like to serve as a judge in the Regional Homebrew Contest this weekend, I recommend a reading of Owen Morris' post on the topic. It's an incredible experience to taste so many well made beers of one variety in one sitting - really teaches you a lot about the style.

99 Bottles of Beer on the Blog: Double Dead Guy Ale

Rogue Brewery is one of the world's great breweries, set in the great Northwest part of the US. Somehow, I've failed to review any of their innovative and well-crafted brews until this evening. The bottle that grabbed my attention and lured me to drop $11 for a bright red 750 milliliter bottle labeled "Double Dead Guy".

First, a word about Dead Guy ale, one of my top 10 beers. It's a malty Maibock, flawlessly crafted to warm a lucky drinker with malt, malt, malt and just enough hops to make the malt waltz instead of sinking into syrupy sweetness. If you haven't tried it, go get some and prepare to fall in love.

So, when I saw "Double Dead Guy", I simply had to try it. My rationalization was that it was no more than a decent bottle of wine, and a great beer experience beats an okay wine experience any day. Feel free to use this rationalization anytime you need it. It can justify some indulgent purchases, and if you practice, you can deliver it with a straight face.

When I popped the cap off the bottle, a malt aroma reached me even before I poured it. I knew I was in for a serious bock ride. Pouring it into a glass, the light tan head bounded to the top of the glass and the aroma introduced some piney American hops to balance the malt smell. It appeared cloudy as I was pouring it, but showed up clear in the glass. Some protein rich beers can experience something called "chill haze" when they are a bit on the cold side, and that must have been what I saw, because the beer appeared perfectly clear after it had warmed for just a couple minutes.

There's no style to compare this beer against. Rogue lists it as a "strong ale", which is a category but not a style under BJCP Guidelines. Rogue often produces great beers that defy traditional styles, and this is another one of those. It remains to be seen, though, whether the qualities of Double Dead Guy get imitated often enough to create a new style.

The taste is more malt grain than sweet - with a solid backing of bittering hops to keep it from being too sweet. The malt flavor melts into a honey note as the beer warms, but the impression after swallowing is a zesty hop bitterness. It's not nearly as thick or as sweet as you expect when you first take a sip.

Tipping the scales at 9% ABV, this is a big complex brew. There's a touch of roastiness in the malt - there's a caramel chewiness as well. I won't claim that it is a bargain, but it is a heck of a great beer, and I'm glad I splurged on it.

"Someday a Real Rain will Come . . ." - Day 80 of the Jackson County Ethics Blackout

From the phone calls and emails I've received, 2010 promises to be a watershed year for the Jackson County legislature. A new generation has taken over in Washington, and the 2010 Jackson County elections are the first opportunity for fresh blood to get transfused locally. Candidates choosing to run for the Jackson County legislature will face incumbents dogged by questions about why they have refused to accept Ethical Home Rule, and why they fear local oversight.

I've not been authorized to release any names, but a majority of the districts are going to see vigorous, serious challenges - some involving big names and solid experience. So, let's take a little survey - assuming a viable, reasonably well-funded challenger, who do you think is most likely to lose in 2010? (The names are listed in alphabetical order.)If you choose to explain your vote, that's what the comment section is for.

Should Equal Rights Apply Only During Economic Good Times

One of my City Councilmembers, Beth Gottstein, has introduced a proposed ordinance to ban discriminatory dress codes in publicly subsidized redevelopment plans and projects. The ordinance is, of course, a reaction to the dress code that the people at the Cordish Companies have used to deny access to the tax-advantaged Power & Light District for people dressed in, shall we say, an "urban" style. Not surprisingly, the ban on ball caps and white t-shirts was sometimes ignored for shall we say, "suburban" looking people.

Beth Gottstein, along with Terry Riley, Mayor Funkhouser and John Sharp, has come out against having our tax dollars subsidizing discrimination. Who could possibly disagree?

Sure enough, the local blogosphere provides an example of someone willing to stand up for prejudice if it's profitable. Over at the Kansas City Post, we are instructed that "As far as the P&L, our primary concern right now should be revenue." The focus should not be on equal rights in a time of economic crisis, it should be on revenue. "I would like to see the numbers on how many potential patrons are turned away, and what the projected lost revenue is. I doubt it's even a drop in the bucket." It's not that they're too black, it's that they're not green enough?

I'm grateful that Councilmember Gottstein has found a revenue-neutral way to help our city become a better, more welcoming place. Her dedication to building bridges and reaching out to all facets of our community has been an important part of her character for years - long before we were fortunate enough to gain her leadership on the Council.

Some things remain more important than revenue, even during times of economic crisis. While some among us feel that "Hard economic times call for singular focus," leaders like Gottstein realize that good people don't turn on each other during hard economic times. Martin Luther King, Jr., pointed out that "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

Thank you, Beth, for helping Kansas City stand in a goood place at a time of challenge. That's why we voted for you.

Good Economic News for Good Beer

According to a press release I received yesterday,

From 2007 to 2008, estimated sales by craft brewers were up 5.8 percent by volume and 10.5 percent in dollars¹. Overall share of the beer category from craft brewers was 4.0 percent of production and 6.3 percent of retail sales. More than 1 million new barrels of beer were sold in 2008, and close to half of those barrels were beer from craft brewers.

"2008 was a historic year for beer with the large brewers consolidating and imports losing share, while the top ten selling beer brands dropped in sales. At the same time, small independent craft brewers continued to gain share and attention," said Paul Gatza, Director of the Brewers Association.

With two exciting new breweries on the horizon for the Kansas City metro (Dead Canary Brewing and Doodle Brewing Company) to add to our thriving local beer scene, we could be part of the economic upswing . . .

Acquiring Self Knowledge

I told myself when I submitted a couple of my beers to the Regional Homebrew Contest last weekend that I was doing so because I wanted good, informed feedback from experienced judges so that I could improve my brewing. Now, having seen the list of winners without my name on it, I realize that what I really wanted was effusive praise and gold medals.

Slapping Paint on the Wreck of JaCo Legislators' Ethics - Day 79 of the Jackson County Ethics Blackout

I've been told by those who know a lot about these things that the Jackson County Legislature is going to make changes to the Ethics Ordinance. They will refuse, however, to bring themselves under the oversight of the Jackson County Ethics Commission, as required by the Jackson County Charter. All this will happen after a new Ethics Commission is chosen, the timing being a petulant gesture of classless disrespect to the prior Commission.

Like crooked car dealers, they're going to try to slap a coat of paint on the wreck, and try to sell it as fixed.

While it's a slimy, sneaky, cynical tactic intended to fool inattentive citizens into thinking they've done the right thing, I could not be happier that they may be dumb enough to give it a try. Bogus "improvements" to the Ethics Code will backfire on the Legislature, and may save the political careers of those legislators smart enough to abandon the majority.

As an advocate of ethical government, I am thrilled that the Jackson County Legislature will bring this issue up again, for a fresh round of publicity and attention. I've talked and corresponded with several of them, and they have absolutely no defense for their refusal to accept Ethical Home Rule. "Double jeopardy" is the best argument they have, but it holds no water, and nobody is going to feel sorry when those who begged for our votes whine about the terms of their office.

Will a fresh ordinance that excludes Ethical Home Rule pass unanimously? I think the leadership might be in for a surprise. Why would anyone but the most arrogant and recalcitrant hack vote again to create a bright shining issue for the 2010 election? Why not distinguish yourself from the "Go along to get along" corruption on the County Legislature, and inoculate yourself from those who will be running on a pro-Ethics platform in 2010? A new ordinance will give the good legislators an opportunity to distance themselves from the bad ones. If certain political clubs weigh in by tying support for Ethical Home Rule to their endorsements, voting with the anti-Ethical majority will be too much obedience to expect.

Revisiting the Ethics Ordinance without accepting local oversight demonstrates an electoral death wish. Fortunately, our Jackson County Legislature may be dumb enough to blunder into the trap.

Hush, Hush, JaCo Legislators "Lawyer Up" - Day 78 of the Jackson County Ethics Blackout

At last week's County Legislature meeting, Chair Scott Burnett introduced an ordinance authorizing the legislature to go into secret session during today's meeting. Given the legislature's penchant for doing things in private and avoiding public oversight, it's tough not to speculate on what will be going on today.

Here's the description of today's secret meeting, as set forth in last week's agenda:

A RESOLUTION authorizing the Jackson County Legislature to hold a closed meeting on Monday, February 23, 2009, for the purpose of conducting privileged and confidential communications between itself and the Jackson County Counselor under section 610.021(1) of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, and closing all records prepared for discussion at said meeting.

Wow, they're talking to their lawyer!

What will the topic be? Will they be talking about their ethics ordinance, which illegally contradicts the Jackson County Home Rule Charter? Will they be talking about whether it was legal for them to name a public facility after Fred Arbanas, giving him an unfair advantage in the 2010 elections? What fresh outrage will the legislature be dreaming up today, behind closed doors?

Sunday Poetry: Ode on a Grecian Urn, by John Keats

Ode on a Grecian Urn

Thou still unravish'd bride of quietness,
Thou foster-child of silence and slow time,
Sylvan historian, who canst thou express
A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme:
What leaf-fring'd legend haunt about thy shape
Of deities or mortals, or of both,
In Tempe or the dales of Arcady?
What men or gods are these? What maidens loth?
What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape?
What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy?

Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard
Are sweeter: therefore, ye soft pipes, play on;
Not to the sensual ear, but, more endear'd,
Pipe to the spirit ditties of no tone:
Fair youth, beneath the trees, thou canst not leave
Thy song, nor ever can those trees be bare;
Bold lover, never, never canst thou kiss,
Though winning near the goal - yet, do not grieve;
She cannot fade, though thou hast not thy bliss,
For ever wilt thou love, and she be fair!

Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed
Your leaves, nor ever bid the spring adieu;
And, happy melodist, unwearied,
For ever piping songs for ever new;
More happy love! more happy, happy love!
For ever warm and still to be enjoy'd,
For ever panting, and for ever young;
All breathing human passion far above,
That leaves a heart high-sorrowful and cloy'd,
A burning forehead, and a parching tongue.

Who are these coming to the sacrifice?
To what green altar, O mysterious priest,
Lead'st thou that heifer lowing at the skies,
And all her silken flanks with garlands drest?
What little town by river or sea shore,
Or mountain-built with peaceful citadel,
Is emptied of this folk, this pious morn?
And, little town, thy streets for evermore
Will silent be; and not a soul to tell
Why thou art desolate, can e'er return.

O Attic shape! Fair attitude! with brede
Of marble men and maidens overwrought,
With forest branches and the trodden weed;
Thou, silent form, dost tease us out of thought
As doth eternity: Cold Pastoral!
When old age shall this generation waste,
Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe
Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say'st,
"Beauty is truth, truth beauty," - that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

- by John Keats
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It's all about the final two lines - lines delivered by a Grecian urn we cannot see. T. S. Eliot, my fellow St. Louisan and one of the greatest poets ever to write, hated those two lines - "a serious blemish on a beautiful poem." Do they make sense? Are they true? Are they meaningful, or do they merely sound meaningful?

Whether true or not, they present the risk of tying up a complex poem into a simple package. Personally, I think they are appropriate and a good way of summing up the inspiration Keats drew from the urn. Are they true? Well, I'm happy the body of human knowledge includes more that "Beauty is truth, truth beauty" - pharmaceuticals and toilet paper manufacturing have made important strides since Keats' urn proclaimed that we on earth didn't need to know any more. On a more poetic level, though, I read them as related to Pierre Teilhard de Chardin's oft-quoted line, "Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God."

Keats' poetry is, for this age, an acquired taste. Who talks this way? "Thou still unravished bride of quietness"?? And what a complex structure for a poem - the rhyming scheme is ABABCDE*** - the CDE come back as DCE, CED and CDE. His poetry seems gushy and contrived to modern ears.

But if you persevere, there's much to admire in Keats' poetry. He died before he was 26, but, in that time, he wrote poems that inspired future poets, while drawing furious attacks from critics. It's hard to imagine poetry gaining such attention these days - he was the Bob Dylan of his era, playing an electric guitar at the Newport Folk Festival.

PIMBY?

Yael Abouhalkah had a funny observation in his blog post about the proposal to stop siphoning money away from taxpayers to support the Costco TIF Plan.

Jan Marcason, a sharp and well-intentioned City Council member, also questioned what happened last week.

Marcason lives in the Southmoreland neighborhood in the 4th District and supports its housing repair program.

While everyone has heard the term "Not In My Back Yard", this presents an unusual case of "Please In My Back Yard". The elegant Southmoreland neighborhood has enjoyed access to free money, and nobody can really blame them for enjoying the opportunity.

But if you spend a little time driving around the old Northeast, or the East side, it's hard to understand why tax dollars should be funding housing repair in such a posh area. The Southmoreland website is a cheery, welcoming place, offering "Up to $10,000 or more matching grants to fix up your house."

Meanwhile, other neighborhoods can't get their weeds cut or their illegal tire dumps cleared.

Southmoreland is fortunate to be on the PIMBY side of the financial seesaw, while others struggle for basic services. Southmoreland doesn't want to share, and they have a brave and articulate councilmember to stand up and fight for the privileges they have enjoyed for over a decade.

Is it a fair fight?

To Whom, for What? - Dan Tarwater Resists Local Oversight but Spends a Quarter Million Dollars - Day 75 of the Jackson County Ethics Blackout

A quarter million dollars is a lot of money. In a time of tight budgets and taxpayer suffering, a Jackson County politician ought to be as open and transparent as possible when proposing to spend a quarter million dollars of tax money. Such a massive investment deserves a little fanfare, right?

Not in Jackson County world.

Here's an agenda item on the legislative calendar for Monday's meeting, quoted in its entirety:

AN ORDINANCE appropriating $255,410.00 from the fund balance of the 2009 Anti-Drug Sales Tax Fund and authorizing the County Executive to execute agreements with certain outside agencies which engage in anti-drug prevention activities for the purpose of preventing illegal drug use and drug-related offenses, at an aggregate cost to the County not to exceed $1,715,067.00.

As my father would have said, "Clear as mud, but it covers the ground."

Good citizens with adequate computer skills are able to dig a little deeper and gain access to the ordinance itself, but it's a pointless exercise. Who is the money going to? The ordinance identifies them only as "certain outside agencies engaged in anti-drug prevention activities". What will they do for the money? It's not really stated, but the most clear statement we get is that they will "engage in anti-drug prevention activities for the purpose of preventing illegal drug use and drug-related offenses." What does that even mean?

(As an aside, I hope that the money would be spend FOR drug prevention activities, not for "anti-drug prevention activities".)

Why the secrecy? Why the coded talk of "certain outside agencies", instead of saying who's getting how much for what?

More ominously, this coded quarter million dollar transaction is sponsored by none other than Dan Tarwater, one of the defenders of the exemption of Jackson County legislators from the Jackson County Ethics Code, and the only member of the Jackson County Anti-Drug Committee without a rap sheet for financial misdeeds. Who's profiting, and how are they connected?

Jackson County taxpayers have every right to be suspicious. When the same people siphoning huge contracts to secret parties are the same people who refuse to accept local ethics oversight, they haven't earned the benefit of the doubt.

How Many Dollars are Lost at Municipal Court?

A couple months ago, I met a Republican friend for lunch and conversation at a downtown restaurant. Conversation ran a little long, and, when I got back to my car, my meter had expired and I had a $28.50 parking ticket waiting for me. My mistake, no complaint.

Then, to make things worse, I neglected to pay my ticket on time, so I received notice that I owed an additional $10. Fair enough.

So, finally, I got online to pay my debt to society. Much to my surprise, I typed in all the required information and was only charged the original $28.50. Being a law-abiding citizen (and one who doesn't want to get hauled into jail for $10 after a traffic stop) I even went back and looked for a way to pay the extra $10. No way! The website insisted I was even-steven, and offered no way of questioning its satisfaction. I even tried to call the Court to make certain we were okay with each other, but gave up after racking up 23 minutes of being kept on hold.

Is this the way a city in budget crisis acts? Waiving late fees without even being asked to do so?

Frankly, I think the original parking ticket ought to be $50. If I want to play parking ticket roulette with the traffic cops, they ought to make me put a little more skin in the game. Then, I think the late charge ought to be another $25. Call it a voluntary tax for procrastination.

But, either way, how many thousands of dollars are being lost because the municipal court is not diligent in collecting fees from scofflaws like me? Whose responsibility is this, and how long has this been going on?

A Brief History of Jackson County Home Rule - Day 74 of the Jackson County Ethics Blackout

Few people in Jackson County realize what a gift our Home Rule form of government is, or how recently the gift was given. As recently as 1972, Jackson Countians existed under a crude form of government derived from 1815 territorial government. Legislative and executive power were concentrated in the hands of three judges, and the "Public Administrator", like a Roman tax collector, collected fees that made the Jackson County PA the highest paid public official in the state of Missouri.

A brief history of the process of creating a new form of government for Jackson County may be found here, in the papers of Judge John R. Gibson. It's impressive to think that so recently, such a bipartisan group of great men and women worked together to create a new form of government for Jackson County.

We do not need to speculate about the motives of this group of civic-minded leaders. Fortunately, they set forth their goals quite clearly in the introduction to the Jackson County Home Rule Charter. They wanted Jackson County government to be controlled by Jackson County, not Jefferson City.

The Constitutional Home Rule Charter presents basic home rule for Jackson County, for it is a constitution prepared by residents of Jackson County for the operation of Jackson County's government, and providing within it a method for amendment by residents of the county. The Charter places in the hands of the people of Jackson County the power to effectively operate its government without going to the State Legislature for changes.

The preamble to the Jackson County Home Rule Charter makes the point in eloquent fashion:

We, the people of Jackson County, Missouri, in order to perfect the structure and enlarge the powers of our county government, to insure that it is just, orderly, efficient, and fully responsible to the people, and to secure the benefits of home rule and self-government for Jackson County to the fullest extent possible under the Constitution of the State of Missouri, do adopt this Charter as the fundamental law for the government of this county.

Today, the Jackson County Legislature is trying to stymie this impulse toward self-government. In a recent ordinance, the Jackson County Legislature has sought to rob Jackson Countians of the right to oversee the ethics of their elected officials (as set forth in the Home Rule Charter itself), and outsource that job to Jefferson City's Missouri Ethics Commission.

Back in 1970, over 60,000 citizens of Jackson County sought "to secure the benefits of home rule and self-government for Jackson County to the fullest extent possible under the Constitution of the State of Missouri". In 2009, 9 legislators decided that Home Rule is too much supervision. They don't want open meetings of Jackson Countians to look at their ethical lapses and corruption. If they want to hire an in-law into a cushy county job, or maybe take a tiny bribe, they don't want anyone in Jackson County to call them to justice.

Instead of Home Rule, the Jackson County legislature yearns for the days of closed-door deals in hidden Jefferson City offices. A 6 member panel of people from all over the state is less likely to notice or care about Jackson County's problems than a group of 5 local citizens focused on keeping Jackson County clean. Indeed, the Jefferson City panel refuses to even enforce the local standards that the Legislature imposes on everyone else in the county.

The principles of self-governance means something to Jackson County. It's in our Charter, and it's in our political heritage. The Jackson County legislature's attempt to subvert those principles will come back to haunt them in 2010.

Starting Your Political Biography - Day 73 of the Jackson County Ethics Blackout

Has the thought of running for office ever run through your mind? Have you ever looked at the politicians on TV or at neighborhood meetings and thought, "I could do that as well or better than him (or her?), and I would do a better job of looking out for the people of this area"? Have you been thinking someday, when the time is right, you will seriously look at launching a political career?

The time is right in Jackson County. You can start your political career with a victory in 2010.

How does this sound for the start of your political biography?

_______________ started his/her political career in Jackson County, Missouri. In 2010, inspired by the election of Barack Obama, ______________ decided to take on an entrenched incumbent who had grown arrogant in office. His/her first opponent was a member of a cozy cabal of old-school politicians who existed in a dim world of prearranged, unanimous votes and a lax attitude toward ethics. In 2008, the Jackson County legislature went so far as to exempt itself from local ethical oversight, and _______________ realized that if real change was going to happen in Jackson County, it was not going to happen with the entrenched incumbents controlling the Courthouse.

______________ was swept into office as part of a group of reformers whose first priority on the campaign trail was to "Bring Ethical Home Rule to Jackson County". The Ethical Home Rule Slate of candidates turned the tide when they began winning the endorsements of reform-minded political groups, and campaign donors followed suit.

The Ethical Home Rule Campaign of 2010 succeeded in defeating a majority of the anti-ethics legislators who had controlled the Jackson County legislature. After serving two terms on the Jackson County Legislature, ______________ successfully ran for an open seat in the Missouri General Assembly . . .

If you've been thinking about jumping into politics, you will never face a better opportunity than running for Jackson County Legislature in 2010. The fundraising demands for a county office are manageable, and the incumbents have all come out against Ethical Home Rule for Jackson County. Many of the candidates have documented problems with ethics and the law, so their attempts to avoid ethical scrutiny will be impossible for them to explain on the campaign trail.

If you don't take this opportunity, who will? If you are waiting for the right time, when will the time be better?

Beer Contest This Weekend!

The 26th Annual Regional Homebrew Contest hosted by the Kansas City Biermeisters out at Holy-field Winery in beautiful Basehor, Kansas will take place on Friday and Saturday.

Around 300 homebrewed beers will be tasted, evaluated, scored and ranked. Most will be very good beers - a few will be mind-blowingly wonderful, and a few will be awful. If you've never seen a homebrew contest, you should drop by the vineyard and see the goings-on, and maybe pick up a bottle of wine or two as a thank you to the host.

Now's The Time to Apply for the Ethics Commission - Day 72 of the Jackson County Ethics Blackout

As of a week ago today, only two applications for the Jackson County Ethics Commission were under consideration by the Selection Committee. The blame for the lackluster turnout rests squarely on the shoulders of the anti-Ethical Jackson County legislature, which has done everything possible to make clear that the new members will face a fight if they dare to do their duty and follow the Charter.

Under the Jackson County Home Rule Charter, the Ethics Commission is directed to investigate allegations of ethics violations against the legislators. The legislators have attempted to excuse themselves from that Charter-directed oversight through an ordinance. The situation is a time bomb, and any informed individual who applies to the Commission knows that he or she is risking a metaphorical knife fight against an unscrupulous legislature. The legislature has made clear that any attempt by the Ethics Commission to do its duty under the Charter will be met with attacks, lies and probably litigation.

Do it anyhow.

Go to the Ethics Commission Selection Committee's website and fill out the application. For your effort, you will receive no money, no fame, and little, if any, official thanks. You will be expected to attend meetings, pay your own parking, and be scrutinized by those who want you to fail. If you do your work ethically and diligently, nobody will name a golf course after you.

Do it anyhow.

We need good, honest people to do the dirty work of policing Jackson County ethics. It's thankless but important work. If good people don't apply, the positions will be filled by insiders and stooges. We can't have that, not while millions of dollars are being spent by a committee where the majority has a rap sheet. Not while the County Legislature is usurping the naming rights to public facilities. Not while the Legislature is using an ordinance to defy the Home Rule Charter.

Public service is calling good people to take the challenge. Please do it. Fill out the application and help return ethics to Jackson County.

Rename Fred Arbanas Golf Course Because of Ethical Holes - Day 71 of the Jackson County Ethics Blackout

Should a County Legislator have a popular county park facility in his district named after himself? Should the county then go ahead and spend tens of thousands of dollars every year promoting the golf course and the name of this sitting legislator, in his district and around the County?

I call upon the Jackson County legislature to change the name of the Fred Arbanas Golf Course immediately, or to acknowledge that any funding it allocates to the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department is an illegal contribution of public funds to a sitting politician.

It's never a good idea to name a public facility after a living politician. Too often, today's golden image winds up tarnished. There are public facilities up in Alaska that now bear the stigma of the corrupt Senator Ted Stevens, including the Anchorage Airport. Too often, living politicians turn out to be deeply flawed human beings.

In the case of Fred Arbanas, he has allowed his name to be sullied by his connection to the Jackson County Ethics Crisis. It's ironic that he did so, given that he was the most forthright member of the legislature back when it was being investigated for improper handling of attorney's fees, and he even managed to dodge the voting on the Ethics Ordinance (though he was a sponsor).

Golf is a sport based on ethics. Where football and baseball players are expected to fake catches they missed, golfers are expected to take a higher road. Every season, we hear stories of golfers turning themselves in for playing the wrong ball or other transgressions.

Fred Arbanas does not meet that standard. He allowed a Jackson County golf course to be named after him in his district, by the Parks Department he supervises. He votes to promote his name and his golf course with public funds. Now, he wants to avoid any local supervision of his ethical compliance.

The Fred Arbanas Golf Course should be renamed the Longview Golf Course, and Mr. Arbanas should be directed to pay an amount equal to the fair market value of the taxpayer-funded publicity given to his name into a fund to be used to support his challengers in the 2010 election.

It's only fair.

Sunday Poetry: Where the Sidewalk Ends, by Shel Silverstein

Where the Sidewalk Ends

There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.

- by Shel Silverstein
_______________________________________________

Shel Silverstein died nearly a decade ago, but his poetry is fresh and immediate. For many, he is the first poet they fall in love with, and he serves brilliantly as a "gateway drug" to lead from giggly silly childish poems to bawdy poems to thought-provoking meditations. He even wrote novelty song hits like Johnny Cash's "Boy Named Sue" and Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show's "The Cover of the Rolling Stone".

A constant of Shel Silverstein's career was that he was always looking for an audience that extended beyond drowsy graduate programs and self-important academics. His early work appeared in Pacific Stars and Stripes where it reached countless servicemen and women. His later work appeared in Playboy magazine, and books that reigned at the top of the bestseller charts.

"The Giving Tree" and "The Missing Piece" are perfect gifts for thoughtful children in the fourth grade or so, and "Different Dances" is a shocking book to share with someone of college age who thinks Shel Silverstein is kid's stuff.

Siettmann, Roe, Cashill - Stuck in the Middle with Funk

In the comments to my posting of the Funkhouser budget letter, I've been questioned about our Mayor's recent hiring of Mark Siettmann, a man who formerly worked for Jeff Roe's company, Axiom Strategies, as well as Jack Cashill's attempts to portray himself as an influential member of Funkhouser's inner circle. One of the joys of blogging is that I always get to pick and choose what I write about, and it's easy to avoid issues I don't want to talk about. But the questions raised are fair questions with (I think) interesting answers, so here goes.

First off, I don't think Cashill has any influence on the Mayor outside of his own mind. If Mark let the guy look at some of his speeches and make suggestions that he didn't accept, well, that's just an example of Mark's kindness to a guy who not many people will give the time of day to. Cashill is loudly irrelevant and has been for years, and I admire Mark for treating him gently.

Jeff Roe is a different matter, though. It bothers me that Mark talks to the guy. (The advocate in me wants to point out some of the other Dems who have done the same thing, but that's advocacy, not logic.) While I understand that it's smart to get a diverse set of perspectives on issues, I have a problem with a lot of Jeff Roe's tactics. I've conveyed my displeasure at the idea, but I'm not the one who got elected Mayor, so that's not really my decision.

So, honestly, no, I don't like the whole consultant deal, but I'm not naive enough to be shocked. There's a limited pool of high-level talent out there, and most of them are entrenched to the same pro-developer, chattering class crowd that Mark ran against, and defeated. He kind of had to go outside the usual crowd, and he did.

Now, moving forward, here's where I stand. If Siettmann is shown to have written homophobic material, just get rid of him right away. I was wrong when I argued that Semler's appointment could be justified, and I learned from it. This case would be even easier - Mark should tell him to clean out his desk the day he gets the proof.

Assuming that doesn't happen, then I hope the guy does a super job. Remember, his job is to do communications, not policy. Those of us who know Mark know that the public persona of Mark Funkhouser is nothing like the real man. If someone can help the real man appear more clearly to Kansas Citians, that would be a fantastic thing. If someone can help show how foolish the City Council is when it makes outrageous mistakes in defiance of Mark (like when they gave Wayne "Lie on the Resume" Cauthen a fat 3 year contract), that would be a fantastic thing, too. Mark needs to shake up his public image if he is going to accomplish what is best for the city, so good luck, Mr. Seittmann.

ANOTHER New Brewery in the Metro? My Cup Runneth Over!

Last night I was at the 75th Street Brewery, doing my best to finish up their inventory of my Triple Sugar Trippel, and I chatted a bit with Nick Vaughn, the brewer. He let me in on his big new project - The Doodle Brewing Company.

This isn't going to be a brew pub - it is going to be a producer of bottled beers that you will be able to buy off the shelves of your favorite beer stores and drink at home. That makes me particularly happy, since his brewery will be up in Liberty.

Here's a description of the first beer we're going to get to taste:

The Dubbel Doodle is the first beer released by the Doodle Brewing Company. This Dubbel style draws on the old school Abbey beers brewed by the monks in Belgium to drink while they were fasting.

The Dubbel Doodle pours a dark mahogany with a slight red at the edges of the glass. The aroma reveals a malt sweetness with hints of toffee and raisin present but not dominating. The first sip fills your tounge with a caramel like sweetness with a slight plum/raisin aftertaste lingering. The last sip fills you with sorrow, until the next time you are able to enjoy another one of these hand crafted artisinal beers.

Dubbels are probably my favorite beer style in the world, so this is good news, indeed.

Mayor Funkhouser Addresses the Budget

I thought Funkhouser's letter concerning the Budget was extremely well-done, and a good example of the kind of straight talk and dedication to priorities that won him the office. Hilariously, and I kind of think she might have been joking, Jan Marcason accused the letter of "set[ting] up a tension that didn’t need to be there." Umm, yeah, Jan, that letter managed to bring tension to a peaceful, loving City Hall, right? Too funny!

Rather than trying to "spin" the letter, though, I'll just post it and let everyone read it for themselves.

DATE: February 12, 2009

TO: City Councilmembers

FROM: Mayor Mark Funkhouser

SUBJECT: Comments on Proposed FY 2009-10 Budget


The Kansas City Charter requires that I deliver to the City Council a copy of the proposed budget along with my comments. This letter fulfills that requirement.

As we approached this budget season I thought of Sir Winston Churchill who said, "We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire. Give us the tools and we will finish the job."

This budget does not give us the tools to do the job.

On January 15th I was handed the first draft of the budget. I distributed copies of that budget to the members of the City Council and to the press. Here is that budget.

On February 2nd, a second budget was delivered to my office. Here is a copy of that budget.

As you can plainly see, there is a significant difference in these two documents. As you will hear, those differences caused me to look at this budget differently.

You have heard me say before that I am committed to returning Kansas City’s focus to its residents. This budget should put Kansas City's families first. We need to protect our families and be compassionate about their circumstances. The way to do that is to be smart with their money by providing them with an accountable and transparent budget.

The budget delivered to me fails to do that and is therefore unacceptable.

In my conversations with individual members of the City Council, not one has indicated that he or she is prepared to vote for this budget as submitted. There are good reasons for this. This budget is unbalanced, unaccountable, and full of gimmicks and smokescreens. It doesn't put Kansas City families first.

Protection

This budget proposes cuts to the Police Department that will undo ten years of progress to improve services. Chief Corwin tells me it will force the layoff of more than 200 police personnel and take dozens of officers off the streets. This is unacceptable.

Kansas City's families deserve to feel safe in their homes. Marie Sims is a mother of four children, one of whom was born deaf and blind. She works two jobs. Marie Sims' eastside home has been burglarized twice in three months.

Marie Sims does not feel safe in her home. Still, Marie Sims told the Kansas City Star that police officers who helped her were "her angels."

By taking police off of the street, families like the Sims will feel even less safe.

Kansas City's families deserve to feel safe on the streets. In December, more than 150 police officers went door to door to track down dozens of people being sought by the homicide unit. That sweep solved the murder of Napoleon Malone, who was killed while on a smoke break from his job. Mr. Malone should have been safe on our streets.

Kansas City's families deserve to be safe in their neighborhoods. The Waldo Heights apartments used to be a frequent spot for calls about shots fired, drug dealing, burglary, robberies and a host of other problems. Officers responded there on a daily basis. But a concentrated effort by Officer Jeff Peacock has helped clean up the area. A reduction in police officers would jeopardize that success.

Kansas City's parents need to know their children are safe at school. Eastgate Middle School's neighborhood is one of the highest crime spots in the Northland. Parents at the school are relieved that the police department launched a program that places a Community Action Officer in their school. Cutting funding for police threatens that successful program.

The budget presented to us cuts Police Department funding by $10 million. That cut would hurt our families and does the opposite of what they have told us they want us to do.

If Kansas City is to prosper the Sims family, Waldo Heights residents and Eastgate Middle School students must be safe.

We have invested in our police department and it has paid off. Response times have been cut in half. Crime rates have dropped substantially. And citizen perception of safety has increased. If we cut funding now, we jeopardize these gains.

Simply put, cutting police is a short-term budget fix that does not match our residents' priorities, and I will not accept it.

Compassion

This budget would nearly double the city’s property tax levy to fully fund general obligation debt service. It estimates that this would generate $8 million annually. In these hard times, I will not burden working families with an 86% increase in one of their city property taxes.

I recently received a heartbreaking letter from one of my residents about this proposed tax increase. When I called him, he told me about his struggle as a senior citizen trying to make ends meet. Every dollar we add to his tax burden is one less dollar he can spend on food and heating. How could we support such a tax on our senior citizens?

We need to ask ourselves what this tax would really pay for. Should we use this tax to pay the $7.2 million shortfall on debt for the Power and Light district? Should we use it to pay for luxury condos or a convention hotel? Should we use it to continue to subsidize downtown TIF developers? It is unconscionable to almost double this tax on residents when they wouldn't even get a vote.

I must reject this proposal.


Accountability and Transparency

This budget fails Kansas City families with its lack of accountability. This is unacceptable to me.

In 2004 when they approved bonds to pay for capital improvements, the voters were promised that those bonds would not result in a tax increase. We can not break our promises to the voters.

Likewise, when the City asked its residents to approve a public safety sales tax, it promised the tax would result in 20 more policemen a year. We can not break our promise to our residents.

To do so would undermine citizen trust in their government. Any portion of this budget that fails to fulfill our word to Kansas City's families must be rejected.

Today is the 200th anniversary of the birth of one of my heroes, Abraham Lincoln. He said "I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crises. The great point is to bring them the real facts." This budget fails to bring the real facts. This is unacceptable.

The submitted budget contains $14.5 million in unspecified cuts to city departments. In reality these are cuts in basic services that will show up unannounced during the fiscal year, much like last year's weed problem. These cuts are nothing but smoke and mirrors.

Likewise, the budget transmittal letter states "A reduction in workforce anticipates the elimination of 300-400 vacant and filled positions in General Fund supported funds." However, these position reductions do not show up in the personnel schedules, because they are not really lay offs – they are financial targets that department heads are supposed to achieve. If the department head can find the money elsewhere he or she can avoid layoffs. Therefore, the number of lay offs is not clear. Worse, it is not clear what services are being cut.

All across Kansas City, families are sitting down at their kitchen tables and reworking their family budgets. If they used this budget as a guide, they would cut a little from everything, including their necessities. I would submit that most Kansas City families know enough to prioritize their expenses. They cut their luxury items, like eating out, while leaving alone the necessities, like buying formula for their babies.

This budget's gimmickry fails our duty to those responsible families. It makes no difficult choices.

A budget is a plan for action. This budget has no plan, only soft promises to make cuts. This council must reject this attempt to submit an unaccountable budget.


Additional Tools Required

Therefore, I am sending this budget back with my recommendations.

By February 26, I expect a document to be delivered that provides us with a balanced budget without cutting the Police Department, without increasing property taxes, and without making unspecified cuts.

We owe it to the Kansas City families we are charged to take care of to know exactly what cuts will be made, how many actual jobs will be lost, and what services will be curtailed.

Last year this City Council passed a budget that included eliminating 140 positions, but management cut only about 80 positions. Only about 18 people left the payroll. Using financial targets instead of position reductions means that the cuts in expenditures are not structural. There is no transparency for Kansas City families.

Once I receive a balanced, accountable budget with no gimmicks or smokescreens, I will review it and make my final recommendations on March 5th.

Albert Einstein said, "In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.”

These difficult times are an opportunity for Kansas City to reshape how the city works for our residents. We can only do that by starting our budget discussions with honesty and the desire to make hard choices. As Churchill said, we need the tools to finish the job.

Ladies and gentleman, once we have those tools it will be time to roll up our sleeves and finish this work.


cc: City Manager Wayne Cauthen

Reduce the Size of the Legislature? - Day 68 of the Jackson County Ethics Crisis

I was discussing the Jackson County Ethics Blackout with a man who really knows the County, and he came up with a thought that hadn't even crossed my mind. "One of the problems," he pointed out, "is that we don't have enough work to keep 9 legislators busy, so they have too much time on their hands, and they bump into each other. If we really want an effective legislature, we should reduce it to 7 legislators."

My friend is correct.

Take a look, for example, at the committee structure. It's a classic of make-work and overlap:

Anti-Drug
Dan Tarwater, Chairperson
James D. Tindall
Henry C. Rizzo

Budget
Henry C. Rizzo, Chairperson
Bob Spence
Dan Tarwater
James D. Tindall

Finance & Audit
Dennis Waits, Chairperson
Bob Spence
Dan Tarwater

Health & Environment
James D. Tindall,
Chairperson
Greg Grounds
Dennis Waits

Inter-Governmental Affairs
James D. Tindall, Chairperson
Henry C. Rizzo
Bob Spence

Justice & Law Enforcement
Theresa Garza Ruiz,
Chairperson
Greg Grounds
James D. Tindall

Land Use
Fred Arbanas, Chairperson
Bob Spence
Theresa Garza Ruiz

Public Works
Bob Spence, Chairperson
Greg Grounds
Theresa Garza Ruiz

Rules
Greg Grounds, Chairperson
Henry C. Rizzo
Dan Tarwater

(There's enough material in this bizarre set-up to keep me writing for another month. Notice that Tindall and Rizzo, both with criminal records for their financial misdeeds, show up on both the Anti-Drug (COMBAT funds) and Budget Committees?)

Do we really need all nine of those committees, or do they exist solely to give each legislator an opportunity to chair a committee? Really, couldn't the work of the "Anti-Drug" Committee be handled by the Budget Committee and the Justice and Law Enforcement Committee, with the added benefit that we would not have $20 million tax dollars passing through the hands of a committee where the majority has a rap sheet? Similarly, couldn't the Land Use and Public Works Committee be combined into one entity, especially since Theresa Garza Ruiz and Bob Spence are the majority on both?

Do we even need a Health and Environment Committee? Or Intergovernmental Affairs? Shouldn't everyone be paying attention to those issues?

There's an old phrase that "Idle hands are the devil's workshop", and I think it applies to the Jackson County legislature. We have too many committees doing too little work, and we have both of our big money committees including Tindall and Rizzo.

Does anybody in Jackson County think that this unwieldy and strangely staffed committee structure is a good idea?

Even more to the point, does anybody think that we should trust these people to handle our money when they are adamant about avoiding local ethics oversight?

"But I Know A Change Gonna Come" - Day 67 of the Jackson County Ethics Blackout

The title is, of course, a reference to Sam Cooke's posthumously-released masterpiece. Unfortunately, from what the insiders have told me, a more appropriate selection would have been the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again". I recently heard from someone who knows a lot about these things that, after a new Ethics Commission is chosen, the legislature will try to make a few non-substantive changes to the code, but will seek to retain their own exemption from local oversight.

No change that continues the exemption from local oversight will be good enough.

Anything else is a sideshow, intended to distract attention from the empty center stage of Jackson County Legislative ethics. Until the Jackson County legislators accept the Charter-mandated oversight of the Jackson County Ethics Commission, the fight will continue.

It's a foolish maneuver, destined to blow up in their faces. We're not stupid, and we're watching. When they try to make the cosmetic changes to the Code, all they will accomplish is to draw attention to their failure to make the real change that people expect. "Bring Ethics Home" is too easy a slogan to counter the legislative preference for hiding their ethical misdeeds behind closed doors in Jefferson City.

Here are five reasons that the Jackson County Legislature's bogus attempt to ship its dirty laundry out of town just isn't good enough:

1. The Jackson County Ethics Commission conducts its work in public, while the Missouri Ethics Commission closes its doors. Sunshine is the best governmental disinfectant, while cockroaches prefer the dark.

2. The Jackson County Ethics Commission gets appointed non-politically, while the Missouri Ethics Commission is all gubernatorial appointments divied up by parties and congressional districts.

3. Citizens and local press have the opportunity to watch our local commission, but not everyone can afford to take a field trip to Jefferson City every time one of our legislators pushes his or her luck too far.

4. The MEC has 6 people covering every elected official in the state, from the Governor's election contributors down to the tiniest municipality's copier contract. The Jackson County Ethics Commission has 5 people trying to keep up with just our local folks. I put my money on the hometeam.

5. It's in the freaking Charter!! The Jackson County Charter puts the Jackson County Ethics Commission in charge of investigating ethics allegations involving our local crew of misfits. Why does the Jackson County legislature think it gets to write itself out of the Charter, which has been duly approved by the voters of Jackson County?

There are more reasons I could list, but these 5 ought to suffice for today.

Already, County Executive Mike Sanders and County Prosecutor Jim Kanatzar have undercut the legislature by agreeing to local ethics enforcement. At least some of our elected officials agree that we ought to be able to do our laundry at home, instead of sending it to Jefferson City.

If you're talking to a Jackson County legislator, and he or she tries to assure you that they are going to make changes to the ethics ordinance in a few months, ask whether those changes will include local ethics enforcement over the Legislature. Really, the next time you see one of them in the grocery store or meeting or coffee shop, ask if they're willing to go back to local ethics enforcement.

After they finish their answer, you'll realize that I'm right. And you'll see that this fight is going to continue long after their cosmetic changes have been made. Folks, it looks like the Jackson County Ethics Blackout won't end until the majority loses their elections in 2010.

I know that the Jackson County Ethics Blackout is a tiny thing compared to the societal change that Sam Cooke was singing about, but I can't help but be inspired by his final verse -

Ohhhhhhhhh.....

There been times that I thought I couldn't last for long
But now I think I'm able to carry on
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

Get on the Ethics Commission - Day 66 of the Jackson County Ethics Blackout

At first, I was hesitant about whether people should get involved with the Jackson County Ethics Commission. Right now, the Commission is trapped between an ordinance that purports to limit the scope of that Commission's duty, and the Jackson County Charter, which directs the Commission to ignore the purported limitations. It's a difficult spot to step into.

We need great people on that Commission. If you are willing to help do the important work of bringing ethics to a County Legislature that will resist it like castor oil, then please go here to fill out the easy online application. Here are the simple criteria you must meet:

* I am a Jackson County resident and interested in serving as a member of the Jackson County Ethics Commission.
* I do not hold any other elective or full-time appointed public office.
* I do not hold any other County office or serve on another County board or commission.
* I am not an elected or appointed member of a local, state or national political party committee.
* I am not a member of any partisan or nonpartisan political club or organization that promotes candidates or issues.

While it's not an official criteria, I would add one other to the list - "I have the integrity and backbone to stand up to bullying by ethics-fearing Jackson County legislators, and I will do my duty under the Charter rather than supporting the attempts of the Legislature's leadership to shirk local oversight."

Over the next several months, the Jackson County Ethics Code is going to be getting a lot of attention. Candidates will be announcing ethics-based campaigns against several of the entrenched incumbents. Perhaps even the Star will overcome its blind spot for Jackson County politics.

We need great people who are willing to stand up for ethics in Jackson County. If you, or someone you know, has the time and inclination to serve our community, please direct them to the Jackson County Ethics Selection Committee's website.

Only Fools and Editorialists Believe "Forever" Promises from Politicians

. . . what do I get? A one-way ticket to Palooka-ville! You was my brother, Charley, you shoulda looked out for me a little bit. You shoulda taken care of me just a little bit so I wouldn't have to take them dives for the short-end money.
- On the Waterfront

Yael Abouhalkah says that property taxes are off limits as Kansas City struggles to correct a structurally imbalanced budget. His "reasoning" is that taxpayers were promised in brochures, nonbinding resolutions and advocacy "fact sheets" from years ago that property taxes would not go up.

Perhaps Abouhalkah and the Star ought to pay the shortfall. If voters honestly believed that prior politicians and printers of brochures could tie the hands of future politicians, then the fault lies with our press. When they should have been forcing clear, specific answers as to where the money would come from and how future councils could be bound by promises of politicians past, they were issuing gushy editorials endorsing every tax and bond issue that a credit crazy council could create.

If voters didn't realize that the numbers didn't add up, it's because the Star failed to do its job. If voters didn't realize that civic salesmen were selling snake oil when they claimed that we could have shiny projects without paying for them, it's because the Star failed to do its job.

As I look at the budget, I'm not yet convinced that increasing property taxes is a good direction to go. But for Yael Abouhalkah to claim that property taxes are off the table because he chose to be a cheerleader rather than a journalist is unconvincing, and a little repulsive.

It's kind of amusing that Abouhalkah dug out the old brochures and "fact sheets" - none of which ever had the force of law or claimed to be impartial - to support his bleating about old promises. I don't have a file cabinet full of old paper, so I did a quick Google search that turned up his editorial claiming that 2004 bond supporters' claims that there would be no tax increase was "true". I also found this gem of objectivity after Credit Card Kay's bond issue passed: "The entire Kansas City region will benefit from her dogged efforts to overcome tough obstacles and improve the city's future.... Even Barnes' critics have to acknowledge one fact: The mayor knows how to get things done."

The Kansas City Star in general and Yael Abouhalkah in particular have failed the voters of Kansas City. Now, serious people are trying to correct mistakes that the Star could and should have prevented. I hope Mr. Abouhalkah understands if they choose to ignore him this time around.

Looking at the Earnings Tax

I've been paying a lot of attention to the Kansas City Budget lately, and trying to see how we can pay for basic services, attract and retain good jobs, and become a better, safer city. I suspect that the budget for the coming year will focus mostly on the first goal I listed, but there simply isn't going to be a way to make significant strides on the other two without additional investment. In future years, we need to consider the revenue side of the equation.

What about graduating the Earnings Tax, coupled with a tax credit to negate the tax on our urban core and low-income workers? I've been told that 55% of the earnings tax is paid by nonresidents, that compliance is fairly high, and most is paid in through corporate withholding. (There are tweaks that need to be made to compliance and withholding which could have a good impact on revenue, but let's set that aside for the current discussion.)

Just to toss out some numbers, while acknowledging that I do not have the data to fine tune the proposal and come up with real numbers, let's say that we say that we will tax income under $40,000/year at the current 1% rate, and income over $40,000 at 1.5%. At the same time, we will establish a refundable tax credit of $400 for Kansas City residents. That would mean that if you earn $40,000, your tax bill would be $400, and your refund would be $400, so you would not pay any earnings tax. If you live outside Kansas City, you would continue to pay your $400, just like you do today.

If you earn $50,000, you would pay tax of $550 (1% on $40,000 and 1.5% on the amount over $40,000), so, if you live in Kansas City, you'd be getting a reduction of $350 when you count the tax credit, and if you live outside of Kansas City, you would only face a $50 tax increase.

Of course, all these numbers would need to be fine-tuned by someone who has access to the data on how much is paid by income levels. My gut feel is that these numbers would work out okay, but I really don't know that for certain. Perhaps the break-off point would need to be $30,000, with a $300 tax credit.

But tell me what you think of the concept. The advantages, as I see them, are that it would give employed workers a reason to choose Kansas City instead of suburbs. It would give the urban core a little more spending money, which could help generate some trickle up economics where it's needed most. On the other hand, it could cause some mobile businesses to relocate to the suburbs, to dodge the tax (to the extent that such businesses have not already left). It would also be somewhat harder to administer than it is currently, though I doubt that would be a huge hurdle.

Good News and a Good Example on Jackson County Ethics - Day 65 of the Jackson County Ethics Blackout

Go look at the Jackson County Ethics Selection Committee's website's "Process" page. Notice what's missing?

No longer is the Selection Committee promising to keep applications confidential.

I had a very pleasant conversation with someone deeply involved in the selection process yesterday, and he had a forthright explanation for the bogus promise of confidentiality - they hadn't really thought about it. As soon as they saw my objection, coupled with local attorney and sunshine law expert Jean Maneke's excellent legal analysis, they realized their mistake and fixed it.

What a remarkable example of good leadership!

Too bad the Jackson County Legislature is bereft of such leadership. I recall, back in the early days of the Jackson County Ethics Blackout, before Christmas, having a conversation with one of the legislators and discussing the crisis with him. I know and trust the guy, and it turned out that he was honestly confused. He genuinely thought that the Missouri Ethics Commission would enforce whatever the Jackson County legislature passed, and he thought that having both entities enforcing the same code was "double jeopardy".

He was completely wrong on both counts, but I am 100% willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and believe that those were simple, good faith mistakes. I don't expect perfection from my politicians, and I don't blame him for being wrong at first.

But now the Missouri Ethics Commission has stated quite clearly that they will not be enforcing the Jackson County Code, and the "Double Jeopardy" argument has been demolished. There's a big difference between being mistaken and being pigheadedly mistaken, and the Jackson County legislature has crossed over to the latter.

I've talked to a lot of insiders who promise me that "this problem will be fixed" after we get a new Ethics Commission appointed. I admire their optimism, but I think the legislators are making a terrible mistake in waiting. I'm supposed to meet a candidate for Henry Rizzo's seat soon, and one of Dan Tarwater's more well-known constituents has spoken with me about an urge to run. Once people get in the race, they aren't going to back out, and the incumbents are going to answer the voters' questions about why they allowed themselves to be wrong about ethics for 6 months, or whatever amount of time passes in the Jackson County Ethics Blackout.

Why can't the Jackson County Legislature simply admit it made a mistake and fix it? That's what the Selection Committee did. That's what grown-ups do.

Government in the Dark - Day 64 of the Jackson County Ethics Blackout

Knowledge is power, and it appears that Jackson County Government doesn't want to spread the power very widely. Unlike the City of Kansas City and the State of Missouri, Jackson County does not maintain a searchable database of its laws. Instead, Jackson County tells you to contact the County Clerk if you want to know what the law is, or download the chapters you want in pdf form.

And, in case you're looking for the famous Jackson County Ethics Code, which the Legislature imposed on everyone else but still refuses to bring itself under, don't bother looking on the Code page. Instead, you need to go back through the journals of the legislative meetings and track it down that way.

Personally, I think that's a shame, and that the citizens of Jackson County ought to have easier access to the law that the Jackson County Legislature fears. So, here is a pdf version of the law. And, if you want to see how the legislature's refusal to allow the Jackson County Ethics Commission violates the Charter, here's a pdf of the Jackson County Charter. Look at pages 25 and 26 for the provisions that the Jackson County Legislator is violating.

Why is it that a mere blogger makes these laws more available to the public than the Jackson County Government?

Who's benefiting from the secrecy? In 2010, we can have a solid slate of candidates who accept the Charter and support ethics to run against each incumbent on the Jackson County legislature.

Sunday Poetry: On Raglan Road, by Patrick Kavanagh

On Raglan Road

On Raglan Road on an autumn day I met her first and knew
That her dark hair would weave a snare that I might one day rue;
I saw the danger, yet I walked along the enchanted way,
And I said, let grief be a fallen leaf at the dawning of the day.

On Grafton Street in November we tripped lightly along the ledge
Of the deep ravine where can be seen the worth of passion's pledge,
The Queen of Hearts still making tarts and I not making hay -
O I loved too much and by such and such is happiness thrown away.

I gave her gifts of the mind I gave her the secret sign that's known
To the artists who have known the true gods of sound and stone
And word and tint. I did not stint for I gave her poems to say.
With her own name there and her own dark hair like clouds over fields of May

On a quiet street where old ghosts meet I see her walking now
Away from me so hurriedly my reason must allow
That I had wooed not as I should a creature made of clay -
When the angel woos the clay he'd lose his wings at the dawn of day.

- by Patrick Kavanagh
______________________________________________

This is not my favorite poem by Patrick Kavanagh. For that distinction, I would lean toward his lengthy consideration of choked lust, "The Great Hunger" or his (ironically) much shorter "Epic". And yet, it is probably Kavanagh's best-known poem, because it was set to music after Kavanagh met Luke Kelly, a member of The Dubliners, at a pub named The Bailey. Since then, the song has been covered by Van Morrison, Sinead O'Connor and dozens of others, and it appears in the soundtrack of Oscar-nominated "In Bruges". Here's the story and the song:



The relationship between poetry and music is a tricky one. I sometimes wonder whether the rise of recorded music has destroyed the need for spoken word poetry - clearly, the Youtube version above resonates within me more than the words above it, and Sinead O'Connor's voice brings a bittersweet nuance that my internal voice lacks entirely.

Poetry originated as a mnemonic device for recalling and retelling stories around the campfire. In Ireland, men made their living walking from town to town and reciting the poetry of their ancestors, and the legends of Cuchulain and others. Poetry helped culture and tradition survive in a semi-literate world.

Those days are over. My iPod exceeds the memory of any wandering reciter of poetry, and repeats flawlessly the guitars, drums and bass that enhance the performance of words.

If Bob Dylan was the poet of his generation, what were Lawrence Ferlinghetti or Allen Ginsburg doing? Where is the poet who can sell out the Sprint Center the way that Bruce Springsteen did? Are we talking about two entirely separate things when we discuss poetry and music, or are we talking about the same art delivered in different packages. Is it a venn diagram or a circle within a circle? And if it's a circle in a circle, are lyrics set to music a smaller (though immensely profitable and popular) circle within the greater circle of poetry, or is poetry, with its attempts at music through rhymes and rhythm, a narrower form of words set to music?

COMBAT, Crime and Ethics - Day 61 of the Jackson County Ethics Blackout

In 1989, the COMmunity Backed Anti-Drug Tax (COMBAT) was approved by Jackson County voters with a mission of "Making substance abuse history...". 2 decades have passed, and literally hundreds of millions of tax dollars have been "made history", but substance abuse appears undiminished as a problem in our community.

Who is in charge of this humongous pot of money that has failed utterly to accomplish its mission for two decades, and supports such lofty goals as paying a favored citizen a thousand dollar to put a sticker on his car (yes, I'm serious)? The Jackson County legislature, the same group of arrogant politicians who have passed an ethics code that can be enforced against everyone but themselves.

Does anyone else here think the spending of twenty million tax dollars without an ethics code is a good idea?

Oh, it gets worse. Much worse.

The COMBAT slush fund gets handled by a three person committee on the legislature. Guess who's on it? Hint: the majority has a rap sheet.

Here is the composition of sterling characters spending twenty million of your tax dollars in 2009 while insisting they should not be held to the Jackson County Ethics Code. The Chair is Dan Tarwater. As far as I know, Dan Tarwater does not have a criminal record, unlike his two friends on the committee. But, as if to assure that he has "street cred" with his two criminal friends, Dan did manage to get into a fistfight with a fellow legislator over money. Unsavory, but unconvicted.

The other two people that the Jackson County legislature has put in charge of spending twenty million tax dollars are actually, literally criminals. James Tindall was convicted of income tax evasion, though he managed to get off on the bribery charges. Henry Rizzo had to go to the Supreme Court to even get on the ballot, because he had "pled guilty to a charge of providing a false statement to a financial institution in 1991".

I think it's great that Rizzo and Tindall have returned to public life and won the voters' trust after breaking the law in matters involving the handling of money.

But does it make any sense at all to trust them to be the majority in a committee that controls twenty million tax dollars? Does it raise some concern in anyone's mind that all three members of this committee voted in favor of exempting themselves from enforcement of the Jackson County Ethics Code?

Please take a moment today and drop an email to members of the Jackson County legislators and tell them that you think that anyone in charge of spending twenty million of your dollars ought to be subject to enforcement of an ethics code, especially if they have a rap sheet. Here are their email addresses:

Scott Burnett - sburnett@jacksongov.org
Theresa Garza Ruiz - tgarza@jacksongov.org
Henry Rizzo - hrizzo@jacksongov.org
Fred Arbanas - farbanas@jacksongov.org
James Tindall - jtindall@jacksongov.org
Dennis Waits - dwaits@jacksongov.org
Dan Tarwater - dtarwater@jacksongov.org
Greg Grounds - ggrounds@jacksongov.org
Bob Spence - bspence@jacksongov.org

Remember to be polite, but firm. All we want is for them to reverse their exemption from the Jackson County Ethics Commission.

Bolivia Imperiled by Riches?

Bolivia is a beautiful country with tremendous poverty, coupled with astounding, recurring wealth. It's sad, but that wealth has brought more misery than relief to the Bolivian people throughout history. Years ago, it was silver in her mountains that drew the Spanish to enslave the people and rob the country. More recently, it was water resources and a corrupt rightwing government that drew the multi-national corporations to kill the people and rob the country.

Now, it's lithium.

Lithium is a key component in the types of batteries used in electric cars, and Bolivia may be the "Saudi Arabia of lithium." In its vast salt deserts, Bolivia holds more lithium than any other country, and powerful nations want it. Notice the lede in the New York Times article - "a country that may not be willing to surrender it so easily."

"Surrender it"?! Are they holding their own minerals hostage or something? Has Bolivia become an enemy because it has minerals we want? The subtle game of propaganda has begun.

Right now, Bolivia is blessed with a progressive leader who views himself as beholden to the people rather than the wealthy. He's no saint, and he makes mistakes, but he is a far better person and leader than W was. Is he strong enough and wise enough to survive the attempts by the truly powerful to destabilize him? Is he sophisticated enough to hold his country together while rapacious forces from within and without want to tear it apart and pluck its mineral heart out?

I fear that electric car I want may be fueled by the blood and misery of Bolivian peasants.

Consumers like me may be the modern-day equivalents of 16th Century Spanish royalty, waiting for our conquistador corporations to bring us the silver we crave.

Is "Sometime Soon" Good Enough? - Day 60 of the Jackson County Ethics Crisis

Rumors are swirling in the Jackson County Courthouse that the majority of the Legislators know they're in deep trouble with their exclusion from the Ethics Code, and that they will fix the problem in a few months after a new Ethics Commission is appointed. Then, they believe, everything will be fine and dandy, and they won't get clobbered with the ethics issue on the campaign trail. I've heard that from 4 sources with good connections to the legislators.

If I can get a handshake on that from someone in a position to make it happen, should I drop this "Day XX of the Jackson County Ethics Crisis" series?

After a good deal of reflection, the answer is not just "No", but "Hell No". I'm going to keep digging and posting until the Legislators accept enforcement of the Ethics Code, or they are driven from office. I intend to help recruit candidates and expose the misdeeds of incumbents until this thing is resolved.

Here are my reasons for refusing such a handshake deal:

1. I don't trust the legislature enough to rely on a handshake. There are 3 people I truly admire out of the group of 9, and that's not a majority. When it comes to dirty political dealing, I know I'm in way over my head, so I don't think it's safe to stop the heat until the problem is solved. Even if one of the legislators I admire promises to fix this problem, I won't believe that Henry Rizzo will allow it to happen until I see it with my own eyes.

2. Good people are already getting misled. Right now, as we speak, good, ethical people are submitting applications to the Jackson County Ethics Selection Committee under the impression that they won't be dragged into the public eye unless they are finalists. The Selection Committee's website promises "Every effort will be made to maintain the confidentiality of applications, but the applications of those selected as finalists may become public. Finalists will be notified prior to their information being made public." However, under the Sunshine Law, those applications are public, and anybody can go look at them. Promising to make "every effort" to keep something secret when you know you are legally barred from making any effort to do so is simply dishonest, and far beneath the standard of ethics we should expect from anyone connected in any way to the Ethics Commission.

3. I don't want to foster the backroom atmosphere of Jackson County Government. Simply stated, if I reach a secret agreement to accomplish what I want, I would be part of the problem, not part of the solution.

4. There's so much to write about! Every day I post something about the Jackson County Legislature, I get more information sent to me. There are a lot of people in the Jackson County Courthouse with information they want to share, and they know I can be trusted to keep them confidential. (If you're one of them, email me at dan(at symbol)gonemild.com.)

5. We need some turnover on the legislature, and this effort is going to help. The ethics crisis WILL be a millstone around the neck of each and every incumbent legislator in 2010. If the Ethics Crisis is still going on, it will be the dominant theme of the race. Even if they vote in mid-2009 to reverse themselves, I've already talked to at least one consultant who assures me that we can "rebrand" this "Jackson County Ethics Crisis" into the "Jackson County Ethics Blackout" and force the legislators to explain why they supported a 6 month blackout on their own ethical oversight. There's no good way out of this issue for them. There are three legislators I would truly hate to see lose their next race, but I'm confident that at least two of those three will survive the election.

Selection Committee Violating the Law Under a Shroud of Secrecy?! - Day 59 of the Jackson County Ethics Crisis

The Jackson County Legislature's desperate attempts to avoid ethics accountability have dragged more good people into their distasteful mess. On Monday of this week, the Jackson County Ethics Selection Committee, composed of three good and admirable people, announced their intention to violate the law and risk fines and attorneys' fees.

In their announcement soliciting candidates for the Jackson County Ethics Commission, the Selection Committee includes a surprising promise: "Every effort will be made to maintain the confidentiality of applications, but the applications of those selected as finalists may become public. Finalists will be notified prior to their information being made public." The promise is not only surprising because it seems weird for the ethics process to be conducted under cover of darkness, but also because it is a clear violation of Missouri law!

The analysis supporting this conclusion comes from no less a source than Jean Maneke, Missouri's leading expert on the Sunshine Law. She maintains the blog Sunshine in Missouri, an indispensable resource for those of us who care about transparency in government. Yesterday, she posted the following analysis:

The ethics commission is an entity created by the Jackson County Charter, and therefore it is clearly a "public governmental body" as defined by the Sunshine law. That means everything it does must be done in public. The selection committee is established by the county charter. That makes that selection committee a public governmental body, also.

The Sunshine law mandates that all meetings of public governmental bodies must be held in public and all records of public governmental bodies must be open to the public, unless there is a provision in Section 610.021 which allows closure. Case law is absolutely clear, as is the law itself, that the exclusions in Section 610.021 must be read narrowly. Therefore, unless there is a clear provision in Section 610.021 to close a record or meeting, you as a member of the public must be allowed access to that information or meeting.

The commission's website has posted a sentence at present that states "Every effort will be made to maintain the confidentiality of applications, but the applications of those selected as finalists may become public. Finalists will be notified prior to their information being made public."

That is absolutely wrong! There is nothing in the exceptions contained in Section 610.021 that would allow any of this information to be closed. None of these persons are applicants for employment with the county. Each of these appointments are political appointments and for them to claim in any fashion that this would be confidential is legally wrong and an affront to the Jackson County citizens, myself included.

Read the rest of her analysis, including her opinion of the members of the Jackson County legislature, in this scathing post.

Sadly, all this is completely predictable, and completely the fault of the Jackson County Legislature. All the shenanigans surrounding the resignations and the rewrites of the Ethics Code to exempt the legislators from its enforcement are the fault of a couple legislators who resent public accountability. The thirst for secrecy that drove the legislature to avoid accountability to the "old" Jackson County Ethics Commission is the same backroom preference that is guiding the Jackson County Ethics Selection Committee now.

Secrecy is not healthy for government. Ethical government does not crave secrecy. The Jackson County legislature craves secrecy. Why?

(MUCH more is on its way in this series, including the announcement of an Ethics opponent for Henry Rizzo, a call for the Selection Commission to include a disclaimer on its solicitation of candidates warning them of their duty to ignore the ethics ordinance's provisions that violate the Charter, a profile of each district and solicitation of a pro-ethics candidate for each, and a potential Ethics Initiative Campaign. The Ethics Crisis Series will continue until the Legislature accepts local enforcement of the Ethics Code, or each of the legislators who voted for it is driven from office.)