Thursday, April 30, 2009

Perverse Incentives

Yesterday I made a provocative accusation, got some attention, learned I was wrong, and got further attention when I announced my error. The result was the highest visitor count of the month.

See why I don't want to make money off this blog?

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Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Mea Culpa on Recall Petition

Classic boneheaded blogging here this morning. I was in full froth denouncing the Funkhouser Recall campaign, raising the specter of perjury because of their failure to attach the grounds for recall to the petition I was presented with yesterday evening. It was good work - a direct response to a personal experience I had, with big implications for the Recall Effort.

It would have been a great post, if only I knew what I was talking about.

Michael Hart from the campaign to recall Funkhouser sent me an email this morning, patiently and respectfully explaining that the information I sought was printed on the back of the petition, and that I might not have seen the information if I was presented with the petition on a clipboard.

In other words, I was wrong and off base.

No defense here, either. I didn't examine the document carefully enough, I didn't specifically ask the signature-gatherer for a written explanation of the grounds, and I didn't contact the campaign before launching my accusation. Sloppy and excuseless.

I continue to oppose the recall effort, but I don't want anyone to look askance at the effort because of what I wrote.

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Worst Argument EVER for Ruining the Missouri Plan

Professor Bill Eckhardt has a history of engaging in misleading right-wing attacks on the Missouri Plan for selection of judges. I won't rehash the factual and logical mistakes he made in that failed attempt, other than to point out that it was embarrassing enough that the Dean of the Law School felt compelled to publicize her strong support of the Missouri Plan.

He's at it again, with the same batch of false logic and factual mistakes that characterized his earlier attempt. It's unworthy of a law professor, and it's almost unworthy of response. In the end, as I've said before, the Missouri Plan works well, and every single attempt to change the Missouri Plan is designed to increase the role of politicians and political consultants.

BUT - right at the end, Professor Eckhardt tosses in a doozy of an argument that deserves to be pointed out, if only for its intellectual, political and moral bankruptcy. Professor Eckhardt asks those of us who defend the plan that has served as a model for other states:
Are they not concerned that defeating HJR 10 could lead to a ballot initiative that would completely eliminate the Missouri Plan and move Missouri to something no one has asked for yet? Though a move to contested judicial elections — opposed by many of us — has not been proposed by reformers, others may be tempted if modest reforms fail.

If that is the case, the Missouri Bar and other opponents may look at a Missouri in which judges are directly elected and dream of the days when moderate reform was possible.

In other words, Professor Eckhardt is trying to convince us to abandon a successful system of judicial selection because if we don't, his side of the argument might do something really, really stupid - something so stupid that he opposes it, and nobody has even proposed it yet!

It is a sign of the desperation of those who hate our judicial system that they are resorting to hollow threats in an attempt to further politicize our courts.

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Fraud and Perjury in Recall Effort? (See above)

(This entry remains posted only to place the entry two above it into context. The information provided in this post is erroneous and should not be relied upon.)

I stopped by my local grocery store yesterday on the way home from work, and finally had an opportunity to see the "Funkhouser Recall" petition effort under way.

I suspect the effort has resorted to paid signature gatherers, because the woman posted at Brookside Market yesterday afternoon was lurking out in a lower traffic area than is typically used by the many solicitors that frequent that location. (As an aside, the entrance to Brookside Market is one of my favorite "free speech" zones in Kansas City - it is a hot spot for petitioners, Girl Scouts, school groups, etc., and a real asset to our community.) When I noticed her clipboard, I asked her what she was gathering signatures for, and she replied, "For the Mayor."

I told her that I consider myself for the mayor, and she handed me the petition.

Of course, the petition was not "for the mayor", as she claimed, but it was for a recall of the mayor. When I saw that it was one of the recall petitions, I asked her what the legal grounds for recall were. She replied, "Uhh, he's not doing a good job."

Folks, those are not legal reasons to recall a Mayor. Telling someone that it is, in an attempt to gain his or her signature, is a form of attempted fraud.

More significantly, however, I saw no statement of the reasons to recall the Mayor attached to the Petition. The notary certification, however, promises that each submitted signature was put onto the petition paper "to which was attached at the time of signing a list of the grounds alleged for such removal". If there had been such a listing, the signature gatherer could have simply shown it to me.

If the petition circulated outside the Brookside Market on April 28, 2009, gets submitted as part of the recall effort, with a sworn signature that the signatures were gathered with a list of the grounds for recall attached, we may be looking at perjury.

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Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Beer Market Going Flat?

Over in England, beer sales are down 8%, with the largest decrease coming in sales from stores.

That's troubling news, indeed - I would love to see separate statistics for the craft brew segment, as I hope (without evidence) that the market for good beer remains strong. It appears, however, that the decline may be due to a 20% increase in beer tax rather than a slaking of the British thirst for good beer.

(In a way, it's refreshing to see a downturn in the bar scene that the pro-stink crowd can't blame on the Kansas City smoking ban.)

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Make Way for CONVICTS in Public Office!? - Day 142 of the Jackson County Ethics Blackout

From Jefferson City comes an extremely troubling rumor - a Kansas City area Democrat is rumored to be attempting to remove laws barring felons and federal criminals from serving in elective office.

Right now, laws on Missouri's books attempt to prevent convicts from holding elected office in Missouri.
115.348. No person shall qualify as a candidate for elective public office in the state of Missouri who has been found guilty of or pled guilty to a felony or misdemeanor under the federal laws of the United States of America.

115.350. No person shall qualify as a candidate for elective public office in the state of Missouri who has been convicted of or found guilty of or pled guilty to a felony under the laws of this state.

Unfortunately, the first law has been held unconstitutional because it was passed as part of a bill that violated the "single issue" rule for legislation. It was additionally found unconstitutional because, back in 2006, Missouri criminals were not prevented from serving in elective office, and it violated the equal protection clause of the Constitution. That flaw was subsequently remedied by 115.350.

The long and short of it is that we need our Missouri legislators to pass a new and clean version of 114.348. Instead, rumor has it that a Kansas City Democrat who has ties to James Tindall is working to loosen up the rules against criminals in elected office. Those rules laws need to be tightened, not loosened.

A lot of weird stuff gets passed in the late hours of a Missouri legislative session. Please, let's not use the legislative process to clear the way for more convicts in elective office for Missouri.

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Monday, April 27, 2009

Tea-Bagger Potty Line?

Like most observers of politics, I was amused by the tea-bag parties organized by anti-tax protesters in response to Obama's tax cuts. The sputtering outrage of the right wing provokes not fear, dread or even respect from those that pay attention. How dare right-wingers protest taxes when Obama is cutting them for 95% of us? How dare the Republicans complain about deficits when the Bush administration launched us on a disastrous path after Clinton had generated budget surpluses? How dare the tea-baggers denounce government spending after Bush created an economic crisis and launched an unnecessary war on the wrong country?

The tea-baggers were not to be taken seriously, so I basically ignored them.

But this morning, I happened across Platte Countian Ivan Foley's hyped-up coverage of the protest, and saw that it was less of a protest than a gathering. Here is a picture that Mr. Foley took of their "crowd":

Seriously. A few months ago, that would have qualified as the shortest of the porta-potty lines for Barack Obama's rally. But, whatever, if they want to count that cluster of like-minded folks as a rally, that's their right. Personally, I'm a little surprised they could find even that many people to stand with this guy without wearing a hood:

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Sunday, April 26, 2009

Sunday Poetry: Keeping Things Whole, by Mark Strand

Keeping Things Whole

In a field
I am the absence
of field.
This is
always the case.
Wherever I am
I am what is missing.

When I walk
I part the air
and always
the air moves in
to fill the spaces
where my body's been.

We all have reasons
for moving.
I move
to keep things whole.

- by Mark Strand

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This poem is short, but it is a considerable speck of writing. Short poems are often the sneakiest - allowing you to think you "get it" upon the first reading, but then if you read it again as a victory lap to confirm your mastery, you start to see that there's more there than you thought. This fragile, tiny poem contains a frustrating mountain of thought.

The first stanza opens with a brilliant statement of alienation. When I first read this poem in college, it summed up a feeling of not-belonging and fear of being a disruption to my corner of the world. So much fear and unworthiness seems to run through that stanza that it stuck in my mind for 30 years, and drew me back to it this morning. The fact that we displace the world simply by being disturbed me and rang with truth.

It still rings true, of course, but I see more now. The second stanza seems a bit of a repeat of the first, but it introduces movement. His disruptive influence is like writing on water - as he moves on, the void he creates is filled with the air he parted. He has moved from alienation to insignificance.

The third stanza, though, rings false to me. It's a gigantic statement of god-like ego. HE is responsible for keeping things whole. HE, having explained his sense of alienation and claimed his insignificance, now claims to be acting on some self-imposed mission to keep the world whole.

Papa was a rolling stone, indeed. As a college student, I saw the allure of life as a picaresque adventure of movement, mixed with a stoic indifference to consequence. This poem was written in 1964 - I can't help but wonder how often it showed up on the nightstands of pregnant women waking up suddenly alone. "Sorry, babe, I got to keep moving" is a convenient escape route for any man whose passage through the world necessarily causes more disruption than air can repair.

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Friday, April 24, 2009

Big Read in Parkville

I participated in the Big Read this year without giving it much thought, but it turned out to be more powerful than I ever would have anticipated.

Last night, we ventured onto the campus of Park University to watch a panel discussion of "Old School", the 2009 Big Read book for the Kansas City region. It was a great way to spend an evening participating in the great work of librarians.

The concept of the Big Read is to get as many people in a region as possible to read the same book and participate in discussion and analysis. This year, my book club joined in the reading of Old School, by Tobias Wolfe, a novel about a young man in a prep school and the impact of 3 authors' visits on him and the school. No spoilers here - go read the book.

Last night's presentation was sponsored by the Mid-Continent Public Library, the regional powerhouse library. (If you want to research your genealogy, the Midwest Genealogy Center is a fantastic resource.) For attenders of events, the fact that it was sponsored by the Mid-Continent Public Library means that attendees were not required to sit through the 20 minutes of Crosby Kemper that come with most major Kansas City Public Library events. The absence was much appreciated.

The panel discussion featured top scholars on each of the authors described in the book (Robert Frost, Ayn Rand and Ernest Hemingway), as well as 3 Park University students who read excerpts from the authors themselves. The students did a fantastic job - Micah Conkling's reading of Birches, by Robert Frost, was a vivid example of how poetry changes utterly when read aloud.

The scholars were great, too. Jonathan Barron of the Robert Frost Society discussed how the poet's themes fit into the book's. Jeff Britting of the Ayn Rand Archives argued gamely that the repulsive character in the book was not really like Ayn Rand, though he wound up admitting the truth of most of what was written. Finally, Suzanne del Gizzo of the Hemingway Foundation and Society pointed out the subtle but important parallels between "Old School" and Hemingway's life.

In a nutshell, the evening presented the best of what I loved about college days. Superbly bright people presenting fascinating ideas and information in a format designed to inspire thought and questions. The crowd there ranged from teenagers to the elderly, but, for a couple hours, all that mattered was literature - the room was united by a desire to think and learn.

The weather was beautiful last night. Exiting the theater, we had a beautiful view of Parkville's lights from the hills of Park University. I was walking with the same girl who walked with me back when I was the same age as the students who did the readings. It is tempting to describe the feeling as nostalgia, but it was more than that. It was a feeling of appreciation for the great work of others that culminate in such moments, from the authors to the architects of Park University to the committees of librarians who organized the Big Read. It was a feeling of community with scholars and students, past and present. In some ways, it was a small event, but it was kind of breathtaking in the feeling of communion it achieved.

I read the Big Read book not because I was anticipating that reaction. I read it because a good friend suggested it. Having participated, though, I will certainly be participating again. (Please, committee of librarians, pick To Kill a Mockingbird!)

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Thursday, April 23, 2009

Judicial Appointments for Grandma?

The Republican who headed up the backroom effort to treat Missouri License Offices like political plums instead of vital public services is back on the stump. This time, he's trying to make judicial appointments subject to the same kind of corrupt cronyism that marked fee offices under the Blunt administration.

Two days ago, I did a post entitled "No Idea is Too Stupid to Voice in Jefferson City - or to Win a Republican Majority", about a foolish and ill-thought-out plan to shift the tax burden of our state onto the working poor in mid-Missouri. The attempts to inject Missouri Senate politics into the selection of our judges deserves the same title, though.

Please keep these two points in mind, whenever you hear any discussion about the Missouri Plan for Selection of Judges - the Missouri Plan works well, and every single attempt to change the Missouri Plan is designed to increase the role of politicians and political consultants.

If you want a primer on the plan as it exists, please take a few minutes and read "The Complete Honest Truth about the Missouri Plan", which I wrote a year and a half ago when people were trying to inject more politics into the selection process.

This time around, the effort to corrupt our system is being led by the very same person whose cronyism caused the Missouri fee office appointment system to explode into an embarrassing scandal. He even gave one of the offices to his grandmother! (Perhaps she wants to be a judge now?)

This is one of the most important and troubling issues in Jefferson City this year, and even though it's complex and not particularly sexy, I urge you to educate yourself about the issue and encourage your Senator to preserve the Missouri Plan.

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Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Why I Don't Blindly Trust Democrats, Either

I've just posted two rather partisan pieces, and a casual reader would be justified in thinking they've wandered onto the homepage of blind Democratic partisanship.

Make no mistake about it - we have our flaws on the Democratic side, as well.

The report last week by Steve Kraske and Dave Helling about Victor Callahan ought to have Democrats talking about policing their own ranks. The Westport Community Improvement District made one political donation in 2008, and that was a $10,000 gift to a Senator who played a key role in defeating their top priority in the prior year.

Now, Callahan is working to pass their top priority. Even though he does not represent that district.

Tit is dangerously close to tat, don't you think?

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No Idea is Too Stupid to Voice in Jefferson City - or to Win a Republican Majority

Missouri State Representative Ed Emery (R-Lamar) has proposed totally eliminating the state income, franchise and corporate taxes, and shifting the cost of government disproportionately onto the backs of the mid-Missouri poor through an increased sales tax. This may be the single dumbest thought voiced out loud in Jefferson City in the past quarter century, but it still passed the House on a voice vote.

Just think for half a second, and the flaws of this approach will occur to any but the most slow thinkers. The sales tax is a regressive tax, and Emery's idea would tax the poor at a far higher rate than the wealthy. It would eliminate virtually all retail business within an hour's drive from the border, and create boomtowns in our 8 surrounding states. The only positive economic impact would exist only in far-fetched "trickle-down" fantasies, in which corporate CEOs would somehow lower prices rather than simply use their tax boon to finance a new house on the border of Johnson County.

In reality, this thing has zero chance of passing, and only a few of the truly dense people in Jefferson City really think that such a radical, economically disruptive, and anti-working poor proposal is a good idea. But irresponsible Republicans moved it forward because now they can claim on the stump that they voted to eliminate the income tax, and they will draw a hearty cheer from the ill-informed.

In a better world, with better leadership, such a proposal would never see the light of day. In a more dignified time, Emery would feel ashamed of himself for making such a poorly-thought-out proposal, and his Republican colleagues would be embarrassed for him. Instead, we see a majority of his colleagues voting in favor just so they can have a cheap throw-away line in a campaign speech.

We deserve better than crackpot ideas embraced by opportunists.

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Gingrich Finally Gets It

Back when Bush was in office, the Republicans tried to silence criticism of his disastrous foreign policy by claiming that "politics should stop at the water's edge." The claim that foreign policy should somehow be exempt from criticism was sheer idiocy, of course, and a particularly slimy form of political gamesmanship, challenging the patriotism and good judgment of anyone who disagreed with the President.

I am thrilled, however, to see that Newt Gingrich has somehow recognized the error of his ways, and, in 2009, feels free to voice his attacks on the foreign policy of a sitting President. Personally, I happily accept his implied apology for his unjustified and unjustifiable attacks on my patriotism.

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Monday, April 20, 2009

South Africans in Missouri

We had the privilege of hosting a young man from South Africa at our house over the past several days, as part of a Group Study Exchange through the my Rotary Club. We did our best to show him a great time, though we kept him from the Power & Light District the other night. If you're interested in seeing how a group of South Africans (and one from Mozambique) experience Northwestern Missouri over the next couple weeks, they have created their own blog.

It's been tremendous fun to spend time with someone who grew up with bush babies and warthogs in his house.

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Jackson County Dems Bringing in Fake Sarah Palin - Jennifer Granholm Coming to Truman Days

Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm served as a stand-in for Sarah Palin while Joe Biden was preparing for the Vice Presidential debate. Frankly, I don't see the resemblance, other than the fact that they're both women governors who happen to be relatively young. Unlike the shrill and unqualified governor of Alaska, Granholm is smart, compassionate and successful.

She will be speaking at the annual Truman Days hosted by the Jackson County Democratic Committee. She's the real deal - political insiders see her as an up-and-coming leader on the national stage. Jackson County Dems are fortunate to have brought in such a leader for their annual conference.

I've never met a president, before or after they were elected. This could be my chance. You betcha!

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Sunday, April 19, 2009

Sunday Poetry: We Are Living, by Brendan Kennelly

We Are Living

What is this room
But the moments we have lived in it?
When all due has been paid
To gods of wood and stone
And recognition has been made
Of those who'll breathe here when we are gone
Does it not takes its worth from us
Who made it because we were here?

Your words are the only furniture I can remember
Your body the book that told me most.
If this room has a ghost
It will be your laughter in the frank dark
Revealing the world as a room
Loved only for those moment when
We touched the purely human.

I could give water now to thirsty plants,
Dig up the floorboards, the foundation,
Study the worm's confidence,
Challenge his omnipotence
Because my blind eyes have seen through walls
That make safe prisons of the days.

We are living
In ceiling, floor and windows,
We are given to where we have been.
This white door will always open
On what our hands have touched,
Our eyes have seen.

- by Brendan Kennelly

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Brendan Kennelly is another Irish poet (yes, I do have my biases), and another poet who writes for normal people to read instead of for academics to study (another bias of mine). I had never heard of him until this week, when Garrison Keillor mentioned his birthday in his daily Writers Almanac - a free daily dose of literacy you should be receiving. (Here is the sign-up form.)

This poem, for me, approaches the spiritual in a familiar form. What can be more rational than a room? Wood and plaster (or drywall) and geometric space is all that a room is. It is what it is - and only that. Obvious as the off-white paint in a rented room, space is simply space.

But a part of me feels differently. We have lived in this house for more than 20 years, and it is more than simple wood and water-damaged plaster to me. And, to me, it feels like something more or at least different than the combination of smells and sounds and memories. There is a feel here, for me, that goes beyond what can be explained by the rational secular humanist - even allowing for a sentimental old man talking about his house.

I know this doesn't make any sense, and a younger me would have shook his head and said that I'm simply too weak to accept the spare truth of the world - that it is composed of atoms, logic, and fate. And maybe that's all true - I can't defeat the argument.

To me, the theologians and scientists are pretty much one and the same. I can't quite track the circular-seeming logic of the former, and the latter want me to have faith in quarks and 4th dimensions that make no more sense to me than Zeus tossing lightning bolts. Too many smart people on both sides ask too much of me, or call on me to trust that they have the Truth.

I've always been suspicious of those with answers, and I have none. I have beliefs that I freely admit I cannot fully defend, and I have grown away from the need to do so. I am a crappy evangelist - I readily accept that your answers are quite possibly better and more complete than my vague feelings, intuitions and chosen irrationalities.

But when I read lines like
your laughter in the frank dark
Revealing the world as a room
Loved only for those moment when
We touched the purely human,
I feel like the poet is on to something. I share his respect for the extra essence that goes beyond the gods of wood and stone, and I share his suspicion that there may be infinity in the white door and what our eyes have seen.

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Not As Interesting as it Sounds -

Yesterday morning, I met a friend for breakfast at the ungodly hour of 6:30 at Cascone's by the River Market. Examining the menu, I couldn't help but ask about what form of crazed fry-madness could produce a "double fried egg sandwich". The waitress looked at me like I was "special", and explained that a "double fried egg sandwich" is a sandwich with two fried eggs.

The food at Cascone's may not be breaking new culinary grounds, but a plate of ham, eggs and hash browns after 4 hours of sleep makes the day seem possible.

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Thursday, April 16, 2009

Neglecting the Blog

I try to produce at least one post six days a week, but the past week has seen three missed days, and the next couple days are looking kind of tough. I can't claim that the decrease in quantity has resulted in an increase in quality, either. Just lots of stuff going on.

Big stuff is coming soon, though. A few developments regarding the County and its Ethics Blackout are on the way. I'll get back to my more regular schedule. Thanks for those who continue to check in.

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Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Backing Away from Beer Wars

Back in March, I enthusiastically promoted the release of Beer Wars, a movie about the craft beer industry.

Never mind.

Not only does it turn out that they are bribing bloggers to post a press release by offering them free tickets to the movie, but they also had the gall not to offer me the same deal. Despite my high-minded refusal to "monetize" this blog, that's just insulting.

On top of that, early indications are that the movie isn't going to be very good, and it will be followed by a panel discussion led by a creationist.

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Sunday, April 12, 2009

Sunday Poetry: Psalm 23, King James Version

Psalm 23

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
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Given the holiday, I thought I would find a nice Easter poem to share today. Take this as a friendly warning - do not go to any of the poetry websites and search for poems about Easter. You will be assaulted with bad poetry. They will range from "humorous" poems about Easter bunnies, through trite religious sentiments all the way to ponderous theological crap. The only decent Easter poem I was able to find was "Easter, 1916" by William Butler Yeats, which is not about Easter at all.

Perhaps Easter would receive more poetical tribute if it rhymed with orange, and thus settled a recurring problem for versifiers.

So, as frustrated by my Easter search as the finder of 11 eggs, I turned to one of my favorite pieces of religious writing, though it comes from what we Christians call the Old Testament, and fails most of my rigid, orthodox tests of what a poem ought to be.

It has no rhyme. It has no articulable rhythm. I didn't learn it in an English class.

But it's as poetic a piece of writing as you'll ever find. It has lent strength to the suffering, and reassurance to those in need. Its images are some of the most famous in the world. Reading it gives me a sense that only great writing can deliver - a sense of being in the presence of something greater than all understanding.

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Thursday, April 09, 2009

Influence-Peddling and Failed Ethical Oversight - Day 123 of the Jackson County Ethics Blackout

Jackson County legislators have influence. With a few words, a handshake, or a backroom meeting, they can change the fortunes of a company, an individual, or a nonprofit organization. On a small scale, they do stuff like give a friend a thousand tax dollars to put a sticker on his car. It's an expensive form of fondness, but they're only spending our tax dollars, so who cares?

On a large scale - well, we don't know how large a scale their corruption has achieved. We hear that close friends have been hired. We have money getting siphoned into expensive arts programs that employ friends and benefit few. All of this money gets divvied up in backrooms to "certain outside agencies" with only cryptic messages offered to the public. And please don't forget that a majority of the committee that controls the COMBAT money has a criminal record, and one of the criminals on the committee is using county resources to falsely claim that he is the Chair of that committee.

Plainly stated, when you have shady dealings involving county money, legislators who are overstating their own influence and a complete absence of local ethics enforcement, the situation is ideal for influence peddling. This whole situation stinks to high heavens.

In a closely related development, press reports claim the FBI has been conducting an investigation into influence-peddling in Jefferson City. Apparently, the Missouri Ethics Commission, a "toothless" body that "takes too long to investigate complaints and announce its conclusion, and is too timid about fining lawmakers found to be in violation of ethics law", has failed to keep a close eye on the legislators down the hall.

Believe it or not, this toothless, timid and ineffective oversight is exactly what the County wants for a watchdog
. The legislators, including Dan Tarwater, Henry Rizzo, Scott Burnett and Denny Waits, have loudly claimed that they don't need Ethical Home Rule, because they are also supposedly "watched" by the MEC - a group that has allowed things to slip so badly that the FBI is stepping in.

Meanwhile, the Jackson County Legislature has exempted itself from the Jackson County Ethics Commission's oversight, and, in the face of legislative hostility and probable litigation, the Jackson County Ethics Commission remains completely vacant.

It is hard to overstate the degree of danger Jackson County government faces. It really, truly has convicted criminals (Tindall and Rizzo) on its legislature, controlling millions of dollars. The legislature has exempted itself from local ethical oversight, in violation of the County Charter, and submits only to a toothless, ineffective and timid entity that is housed miles and miles away.

If influence-peddling is happening in Jefferson City, what do you think is going on in the halls of Jackson County Courthouse?

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Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Are Electric Cars Useless in Missouri? Change the Law!

Sammy Hagar famously claimed he couldn't drive 55.

How does 25 sound?

Under Missouri law, a new breed of electric vehicles will be condemned to go no faster than 25 miles per hour, and must remain on streets with a speed limit of 35 or under, even though the cars are capable of driving at 45 miles per hour.

Personally, I would enjoy the opportunity to handle my 5 mile commute in a noiseless vehicle that doesn't produce emissions, but not if I am going to get pulled over for doing 30 on Gillham or Southwest Trafficway. Such a low speed would be dangerous and obnoxious to my fellow commuters. The laws made sense when electric vehicles were modified golf carts that were incapable of going over 25 anyhow, but Missouri needs to update its laws now so that its citizens are able to take early advantage of emerging automotive technologies.

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Conversation in a Box

Amid the rest of us worrying about day-to-day and week-to-week matters, a few foresighted citizens are already wanting to talk about 2040. On Earth Day, April 22, One KC Voice will be hosting "Imagine KC", which is intended to be a wide-ranging discussion with lots of public input on Kansas City's future and sustainability.

The earnest organizers have created "Conversation-in-a-Box" so that you can host a discussion on the topic at your own home, with your own policy wonk friends. They have commandeered KCPT for the evening, and arranged for a studio audience of 75 with satellite opportunities so that you, yes you, can participate. They have constructed 13 strategies for a sustainable future, and divided those strategies into Vibrant, Connected and Green. They have even created a blog that is addressing each of the 13 strategies.

It all seems so well-thought-out, so organized, that I can't help but wonder what in the hell they are doing by seeking public input. It's kind of like having a physicist stop in the middle of an astrophysical calculation of orbits and asking, "What do you think, Dan?". Sorry, Doc, you left me way behind, and it's probably best that you just finish it up and tell me afterward what just happened.

Of course, public policy lacks the precision of physics, and, eventually, even the most demonstrably desirable public policy needs to prove that it is, in fact, desired by the voting public and its representatives. The greatest transportation or recycling program devised means nothing if it doesn't get implemented, and implementation will require public support. Public support is easier to achieve if the public is well-informed and feels like its voice has been heard.

So, on Earth Day, the public will have an opportunity to participate in a conversation about sustainability and the future of Kansas City. In a sense, it will be a conversation in a box - a box prepared by smart people who have put in the time and energy to define the areas of discussion. Now would be a good time to join in the process and bring your own thoughts to the table.

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Blogger Appreciation: Tony's Kansas City

Like it or not, Tony's Kansas City is the 800 pound gorilla of the Kansas City blogosphere. Just as local politicians assure me that they never read my blog (even as they discuss what I've written), local bloggers often claim not to read Tony. It's a subtle attempt to deny the oversized impact Tony carries.

A list of legitimate complaints against Tony could consume a lot of pixels before exhaustion. He's sexist. He's racist, while frequently resorting to the race card. He's often wrong on the facts, and he's unapologetic about it. He's wildly unfair to some, and he has been cruel to good people. He's an abrasive braggart. And so on.

I'm not here to explain all that away. There's no big "but" that I can add on to that prior paragraph to explain how those things don't matter, or that they are overshadowed by a greater good.

Tony has, however, created a space for the rest of us, and democratized the local internet presence. Nobody is quicker to recognize and draw attention to new blogs, and direct the attention of his readers to the work of a beginner.

More importantly, he's created a freedom to be your own voice. By being as obnoxious as he is, Tony has deflated the pomposity of local bloggers before they get too full of themselves. By being rude and insulting, he inoculates us from the deadening weight of being on our best behavior at all times.

On a deeper level, Tony's work approaches performance art. What does it say about Kansas City that serious people in polite company have mentioned the alleged lack of footwear on the Mayor's wife? Similarly, can anybody deny that the Star's editorial board yearns for Tony's ability to recognize and generate interest in a story? Who knows how many journalists might still be drawing a paycheck if the Star had Tony's ability to predict what stories will capture attention?

Finally, let's not forget the incredible amount of work that goes into putting a blog out. Tony produces more links, more commentary, and more entertainment than any other local online presence. And he does it on days when he's tired. He does it on days when he just wants a break. He does it when he's down in the dumps, and on days when his mind is simply empty. His consistency is astounding - all by one guy.

I disagree with Tony on many things, but no other blogger has had as big an impact on Kansas City. More than any individual in town, he has stood up for the average Joe's right to be heard, and he has poked pretense in the eye. He has done it with mind-boggling persistence and occasional hilarity. He is an amplifier for the local blog scene, and, without him, we might still be heard, but the tone might be too mellow to notice.

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Monday, April 06, 2009

Bass Instincts - Starting a New Hobby?

He or she is usually off to the side of the stage, head down, laying down the bass line that everything else simply embellishes. Bass players rarely sing, they don't bounce around like over-caffeinated teenagers, but they have always struck me as the coolest people on the stage.

It was probably the bass line in the Grass Roots' Midnight Confessions that first grabbed me. I don't even remember what the A-side of the 45 was, but I played it constantly before I was 10. I didn't know anything about music, but that little "BUMP bah da da da da da" dominated the whole song for me, and made it a favorite.

Unfortunately, I remained a musical illiterate. My older sisters were talented guitar players, but I don't recall any of my brothers playing an instrument. In one of my most regretted moments, Sr. Margaret offered to teach me the stand-up bass when I was in 6th grade, and I turned the opportunity down. I have no idea why - perhaps street hockey and hanging out with my friends in the alley seemed more important, but that childhood decision remains a source of self-inflicted disappointment.

Later this month, I'm turning 49. Half way to 98. Two thirds of the way to 73 and a half. Almost entirely to 50. I still don't know how to play an instrument. I don't really know what chords are, or what A sounds like compared to C, or any of that stuff. I love listening to music, and I love watching musicians perform, but it's just magic to me.

I'm going to get a bass guitar for my birthday. I don't know what make or model or even whether to go acoustic or electric. I don't know about amps or frets or pickups, but I'll do some internet reading and take advice from friends. I won't get anything expensive - just a beginner setup to see if I can catch on, and whether I have the determination to put up with the frustration and sore fingers I know are waiting for me.

Perhaps it's too late for someone like me to become "musically inclined". I'm not anticipating invitations to join bands, and it's not like coffee houses seek solo bass guitarists with crappy voices to draw in customers. It will be a solitary pursuit, and that's fine.

What I'm really hoping for is to gain a better appreciation of music. When I cook, I gain an appreciation of what a great chef does. When I paint, I become more aware of colors and shapes around me. When I make beer, I learn more about the style of beer I am brewing.

Perhaps because of the opportunity to learn, I am a hobby slut. I have books full of pre-1945 used postal stationery that I hope to spend time on someday when time is more plentiful. I am teaching myself flyfishing. This blog is a hobby - a hobby that reinforces my hobbies of reading, writing, poetry and observing local politics. I brew beer, I bake, and I have dabbled in woodworking. I try to golf, and I have a novel that still kicks me in the back of my mind.

I'm really not very good at any of it. That's not false modesty - that's an honest appraisal. But excelling has never been my target in my hobbies. Sure, I would love to be the best homebrewer brewing. I am proud of my recognition in the Pitch as the Best Political Blogger, but I know there are better bloggers. I don't have the means or the time to excel at flyfishing or golf, but that's okay. Improvement is enough, even if toward mere adequacy.

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Sunday, April 05, 2009

Sunday Poetry: The Elephant is Slow to Mate, by D. H. Lawrence

The Elephant is Slow to Mate

The elephant, the huge old beast,
is slow to mate;
he finds a female, they show no haste
they wait

for the sympathy in their vast shy hearts
slowly, slowly to rouse
as they loiter along the river-beds
and drink and browse

and dash in panic through the brake
of forest with the herd,
and sleep in massive silence, and wake
together, without a word.

So slowly the great hot elephant hearts
grow full of desire,
and the great beasts mate in secret at last,
hiding their fire.

Oldest they are and the wisest of beasts
so they know at last
how to wait for the loneliest of feasts
for the full repast.

They do not snatch, they do not tear;
their massive blood
moves as the moon-tides, near, more near
till they touch in flood.

- by D. H. Lawrence
__________________________________________

We had dinner last night with a couple freshly in love, though at a more mature age. She, I would guess, is in her late thirties and he may be a couple years older. I know her better than I know him, and I've always thought of her as somehow autonomous in matters of the heart - someone who would date but not seek or find a long-term, "big" relationship. I was mistaken, and it was fun to how "love-struck" plays across the features of those who may have an extra laugh-line around their eyes.

It brought to mind this poem, which I read but didn't really think much about in high school. This is the famous D.H. Lawrence, whose "filthy" novel "Lady Chatterley's Lover" was the subject of national controversies in Britain, Australia, India and the United States. Somehow, traditional marriage and life as we know it survived the publication of that book, and I suspect will survive whatever fresh challenges it faces in every generation.

This poem refers back to pantheon of traditional love poems, with special reference to "To his Coy Mistress", by Andrew Marvell. Indeed, the poem seems almost directly addressed to the first lines of that poem:
Had we but world enough, and time,
This coyness, lady, were no crime.
We would sit down and think which way
To walk, and pass our long love's day;
Thou by the Indian Ganges' side
Shouldst rubies find; I by the tide
Of Humber would complain. I would
Love you ten years before the Flood
India is known for its elephants, and Lawrence chooses to defend the sort of love that grows more slowly, unhurried by "Time's winged chariot".

Structurally, the poem isn't a sharply wrought sonnet or other tight form. Instead, it mingles long lines and shorter lines, with kind of a halting and leisurely flow. And notice the vowels - they are almost all long sounds, except for "dash in panic". One could take 5 minutes to read this poem aloud, if one chose to linger on the long sounds of phrases like "slowly, slowly to rouse", "show no haste", and, my favorite, " their massive blood/ moves as the moon-tides". Like most great poems, this one gains strength from reading aloud, as the sounds combine with the sense.

Poetry celebrates love in all its forms and depths. Marvell was in a hurry, Paschen wanted a quickie in a taxi, Harrison saw it in an old man smoking and Lawrence waits for the fullness of time. Is love best when two fully mature beings touch in the flood of their gathered experience, as Lawrence describes?

Lawrence, wisely, makes no such claim. He merely celebrates the love that grows more slowly than the immediate love more frequently written in verse. It's a joy to witness love at any age, at any pace. We two couples talked until after they put the "Closed" signs in the windows. Earlier this week, the state due north of us, a Supreme Court unanimously endorsed the expansion of marriage to include a new form of couple, and people are worried about the impact of that on the institution of marriage. Personally, I suspect that love and marriage will endure like elephants, even if some are dashing in panic.

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Friday, April 03, 2009

Porters - 8 is Enough

Last night, in an effort to expand my own knowledge and that of a few friends, I hosted a beer tasting of porters. Since there are 3 different subcategories of Porter recognized in the Beer Judge Certification Program Style Guidelines, I wanted us to try a spectrum of beers, covering each of the subcategories. I also wanted to try as many of the "Commercial Examples" recognized by the BJCP as possible.

We started off with Brown Porter, and the example we used was Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter. It's a good beer, dark and roasty, but, for me, a little unsatisfying. Compared to the Robust Porters we get more frequently in America, it seemed a little thin and minerally. Good beer, but not as deep and wonderful as I tend to like my porters.

The second beer we tasted was Michelob Porter. I'll confess to a beer snob's cynicism that a mass market porter was going to impress me, but this beer certainly lived down to my expectations. Thin, sweet, and flavorless, I fear that lots of adventurous Bud Light drinkers will pick up a sampler pack with this in it and decide that they don't like porters. One of my fellow tasters said it was like a lager with coloring added to it, and she wasn't far off with that. Easily the worst beer of the night.

After that, we moved into the Robust Porters. Yum. Our first example was St. Bridget's Robust Porter, which I have already written about here. This is wonderful stuff, and we decided that the legend recounted on the bottle that St. Bridget turned her bathwater into beer for thirsty clerics was sound theology.

Next up was Odell's Cutthroat Porter. In a style that balances malt sweetness with bitterness from hops and roasted barleys, this one tips toward the malt sweetness side of the equation. A great "gateway" beer for neophytes, this is a sweet and wonderfully malt bomb (that's for you, Owen).

To get us back on the balance beam, we went with Boulevard's Bully! Porter next. In contrast to the Cutthroat, this brought the hops along for the ride, with a citrusy hop aroma and flavor that approached lemony. I've never been a huge fan of this beer, but it really tasted great last night - I'll be revisiting Bully more often in the future.

Rogue Mocha Porter
came up next. By this time, I was suffering from serious palate fatigue, but this was my favorite porter of the evening. It had everything - the chocolate and coffee malt flavors, with a nice dose of hop and roasted malt bitterness. Everything balanced off each other, and made for the most complete porter tasting experience of the evening.

The final Robust Porter was Sierra Nevada Porter. Given the hoppy goodness of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, I was surprised that this one wound up on the sweet side of the balance between bitterness and sweet. It was exceptionally "clean", though. Our librarian friend, who had picked up on a "dirty" flavor in some of the early beers, didn't get that flavor from this one. While it was a fine beer, I thought it lacked some of the wonderful complexity that made some of the others spectacular.

Finally, we closed with Baltika Porter, an amazing beer from Russia. The Baltic subcategory is noted for richer, stronger beers with tastes of dark fruits and warming alcohol. This one had it all, and capped off a wide range of beers that all carry the name porter, but differ widely.

For those readers concerned about drinking 8 beers in one evening, I should point out that we had six of us splitting the beers, and we didn't finish all the samples. It was a great way to experience the breadth of a relatively simple category of beers, and see how differently great brewers can interpret the porter style.

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Thursday, April 02, 2009

Goodbye, Lucky

Criminal Lessons Learned from the FBI

My FBI Citizens Academy completed its 5th week last night, and I've picked up a few tips that ought to come in handy for anybody contemplating a life in crime. In the spirit of sharing, here goes:

1. Be Nice to Support Staff. 10 years ago, Charles Cacioppo, Jr., had a pretty good thing going. He had lots of highly profitable work getting funneled to him from Rockhurst University, in exchange for a few bribes to the guy who parceled out the work. The problem was, he treated his secretary like dirt. And, when he brought his son into the business, and the son started treating the same secretary like dirt, she called an FBI agent she knew, who had treated her respectfully even as he was helping to prosecute one of her relatives. Secretaries know everything, and this secretary was fed up enough to provide all the details to the FBI. If Cacioppo's son had called her "ma'am" instead of "stupid b****" that day, who knows, Cacioppo might never have seen the inside of a prison cell.

2. Don't Talk So Much. Especially if you're in prison. Even if there isn't a guard around, and you think your cellmate is your buddy.

3. Pay Attention to Your Surroundings. If you're a jet-setting corporate executive, flying all over the world working with other companies to set up an elaborate price-fixing scheme, take a second to look around. Don't you think it's odd that the exact same lamp shows up in your hotel rooms and conference rooms all over the world?

4. But Not Always. On the other hand, sometimes looking around isn't a great idea. If you've taken hostages, and the FBI hostage negotiator wants you to come to the window for a second, it's probably not a good idea. Just sayin'.

5. Stop Trusting Criminals. This is the biggest and most important tip of all. The problem with most crime is that it involves other criminals, and, really, criminals tend not to be the most dependable of associates. Think about it. If your freedom hinges on somebody doing what you want them to do, and that somebody happens to be a criminal, there's a serious flaw in your plan. Eventually, somebody's going to get caught for something, and they might benefit from offering information about you. Or, they might get greedy, and figure out ways to cut you out of the enterprise. Or, even if they happen to be loyal and non-greedy criminals (a rare breed), they might just be colossally stupid, and expose your enterprise accidentally. Perhaps by not following the above lessons 1-3 (if they violate lesson #4, you probably won't have to worry about them ratting you out anymore).


All of these rules are supplemental to the number one rule of crime that my father taught me years ago. I can't remember what the transgression was that triggered his sage advice, but he told me, "Dan, go ahead and lie, cheat, and steal. But before you do it, make sure that you can get away with it, and that you'll wind up with enough to live in luxury for the rest of your life. Otherwise, don't do it. It's not worth losing your integrity for less than that." A whole lot of criminals would be in a much better position today if someone had offered them that lesson.

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Wednesday, April 01, 2009

A Word on Levota and the FBI

It's odd to see two spheres of my world brush up against each other, as reports are circulating that Paul LeVota is being investigated by the FBI. I see Mr. LeVota at political events from time to time and I see the FBI spokesperson every week at my FBI Citizens Academy. Because of my highly informed perspective, I am uniquely qualified to offer some incredibly confidential and amazingly insightful analysis.

Here goes: The FBI investigates a lot of things, including a lot of things that amount to nothing. Until more information is available, it's premature to engage in speculation about whether there is a problem, and even more premature to speculate about what the problem is.

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Jason Kander's "10 Lessons I Learned in March"

When I enthusiastically supported Jason Kander in last year's race for the 44th District, I did so because I knew he would be an energetic, creative and effective voice in a legislature that was likely to remain in Republican hands. My expectations are being met - he's constantly communicating with his constituents and actually achieving things in a republican-controlled atmosphere. Jefferson City is a viciously partisan city, but Jason has managed to win health care for kids with cancer, defend soldier's rights, and balance his sense of humor and moral indignation.

Keep up the great work, Mr. Kander!

Here's the March Top Ten List:

1. You have to be crafty with the budget.

The Democrats tried several strategies to restore healthcare for about 20,000 children. Because the Republicans control the House, each attempt failed on a party-line vote after Republican speeches called it "welfare." I'm told that no Democrat has successfully restored any funding to healthcare since the 2005 cuts. So I decided to come up with proposals that would be politically impossible to oppose.

First, I proposed giving healthcare to children who would have been covered by the Governor's plan and have been diagnosed with cancer. I paid for it by cutting funds for legislators' healthcare. Representatives had to choose between their own low premiums and helping kids with cancer. Thankfully, the amendment passed unamimously.

Next, I proposed a similar measure for children with autism. This time, I funded it by eliminating several perks provided to legislators (free coffee, special member lapel pins, and cuts to our personal expense accounts). At first, the Republicans were voting "no" but when they realized the political implications of choosing their own perks over children with autism, those in "swing districts" changed their votes and the measure passed. The Speaker of the House, the Majority Leader, and several other top Republicans actually voted to keep their coffee and lapel pins!

The next morning my desk was covered in half empty coffee cups under a "Save Us" sign. A pretty decent little prank from my colleagues.

2. Ideology is a nearly immovable force in Jefferson City.

A key point of contention during the budget debate revolved around a plan by Gov. Nixon and the Missouri Hospital Association to restore healthcare coverage to about 35,000 people at no cost to state taxpayers. The plan, which calls for the hospitals to voluntarily pay a higher tax to leverage more federal dollars, was roundly rejected by Republicans as "welfare."

The plan would not have increased taxes on a single Missourian, but that didn't stop Rep. Rob Schaaf (R - St. Joseph) from comparing government-subsidized healthcare to slavery.

3. Get to know the Committee Chair.

Last week, my bill to protect the parental rights of servicemembers passed out of the House. Though it would have been tough to get the bill passed as a stand-alone measure, the Chairman of the Veterans Committee, Rep. David Day (R - Waynesville), was a supporter and he included my legislation in an omnibus bill. I'm cautiously optimistic that it will find its way to the Governor's desk.

A hat tip on this one to Chris Vedder, a 44th District constituent and Army National Guard soldier who came to Jefferson City to testify on the bill. In the picture on the left, you can see Chris and me making our case to the Veterans Committee.

4. Pay attention to the testimony.

During budget hearings, the Attorney General's Office pointed out the expiration of federal funding for an important domestic violence program. By working with Republicans on the committee, I was able to move funds from the Office of Administration to keep the program going for another year.

Keeping the program is important in order to train state prosecutors about changes I hope to make in domestic violence law this year. Next week, I'm filing a bill to equip prosecutors with a new tool to gain short jail stints for abusers that violate protection orders.

5. Thank goodness for all the emails.

Advocates across the state did a great job letting us in the House know about the danger of the proposed cuts to Children's Treatment Services. Rep. Rachel Storch (D - St. Louis) successfully restored the enormous cuts to these programs made by House Republicans.

6. I really don't understand the priorities of House Republicans.

Though the federal stimulus funds are meant to help states keep budgets stable, Republicans are leaving $1.1 billion locked in a “magic box” for purposes unknown. We could easily have avoided cuts to vital services, restored important healthcare programs, and done more to stimulate the state's economy - but instead we again put ideology first.

I participated in a press conference at Operation Breakthrough to highlight the "magic box" problem. Coverage from KMBC 9 is available here (click on the video in the upper right corner).

7. We are going backward in education policy.

Republicans eliminated teacher professional development, the state gifted program, fine arts education, and Parents as Teachers. Every Democratic attempt to restore the funding was shot down.

8. We haven't learned from our mistakes.

Republicans rejected a Democratic effort to force lawmakers to keep a promise to Missouri voters and require that new casino gambling revenue generated by a recently approved statewide ballot measure results in additional funding for the state’s public school districts and doesn’t simply replace existing funding.

As Republican leaders structured the budget, the estimated $108 million in Proposition A funds is being used to free up general revenue for other purposes. State Rep. Rachel Bringer (D-Palmyra) attempted to undo the gambling money shell game, but her efforts failed on a largely party-line 70-89 vote.

Voters endorsed Proposition A in November with 56.2 percent support. The measure lifted Missouri’s casino loss limit, slightly increased taxes on casino operators and contained a provision prohibiting the new revenues from replacing general revenue set aside for education.

9. There is such a thing as political arson.

I sit on the budget committee with Rep. Denny Hoskins (R-Warrensburg). During committee Rep. Hoskins voted to eliminate the "Meals on Wheels" program. I voted to keep it, but my side lost. When the bill reached the floor of the House, Rep. Hoskins had several amendments to put funding into the program. With each amendment, he got the funding by eliminating the funding for several members of Gov. Nixon's administration.

Many of the people he attempted to cut just happened to have been supportive of the Governor's campaign. Hoskins then took credit for saving "Meals on Wheels" and portrayed people like me, who voted against this scheme, as opponents of "Meals on Wheels."

To me, this is a classic case of burning down the building so that you can rebuild it with the wrong bricks.

10. Beware of misleading titles.

Chairman of the Budget Committee, Rep. Allen Icet (R-Wildwood), proposed the "Taxpayer Bill of Rights." Every Democrat and four Republicans voted against it, but it did just barely pass. Also known as TABOR, the "Taxpayer Bill of Rights" would keep the state government from ever spending 1% more than they did the year before. Colorado adopted a similar measure a few years ago and immediately regretted it.

All that the bill does for taxpayers is rob them of representation, decrease the flexibility of state government, and de-fund valuable state services. As covered in this Associated Press story, I argued that the policy reflected a wrongheaded lack of faith in government.

That's the list. Thanks for reading!

Jason
P.S. If you just can't get enough of this stuff and you'd like to view a video about the disagreement over changes in the state budget, click here.

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