Kraus (48th) Still Accepting Excess Contributions

Everyone (ok, at least political types) in Missouri knows that the Missouri Supreme Court has knocked down the unlimited contributions. We are all back to the old caps - except Rep. Will Kraus (R - Raytown) and Ron Richard (the fella the Republicans want to be their next Speaker of the Missouri House).

The latest MEC filing shows Ron Richard made many contributions to ensure his successful election to replace Rob Jetton (who is term limited out) to the speaker's chair. Will Kraus took a nice contribution of $2,500 (well over the $350 cap), which accounted for over 50% of the money Kraus raised this quarter.

Richard, in a 16 day period between 7/2 and 7/18, wrote almost $100,000 worth of checks, almost all of which came from big PAC's. Who got this kind of money besides Will Kraus? Admitted felon Nathan Cooper got $500. Jeff Grisamore got $1,000. Ryan Silvey from Gladstone took $1,000. Bryan Pratt took $1,500 and Pratt's Republican opponent for Senator Bartle's seat also took $1,500 (wise move Ron, don't pick favorites, pay them both off!). It took $3,500 for Bob Nance in Excelsior Springs to get behind Ron Richard. Gary Dusenberg in Blue Springs was one of the last to get on board and he only got $1,000.

If this is how Republicans elect their leaders, I am proud to be a Democrat. Rep. Paul LeVota (D) was also elected to a leadership position this quarter. If the D's take back control of the house, Paul would be in the speaker's chair. How many contributions did he make to elected officials to secure his position? Zero.

Missouri House Republicans: Spend Spend Spend!

Tax & Spend & Giveaway; that's our current batch of Republicans.

First they cut the sick and the poor off Medicaid. Then they give away tax breaks to developers. Finally, it is spend, spend, spend. The Republicans have found $200,000 extra dollars and instead of returning it to taxpayers under the Hancock Amendment they spend it like kids in the candy store.

September 17, 2007

TO: All House Members


RE: House Contingent Fund Postage Credit

Dear House Members:


Effective fiscal management of the House Contingent Fund has resulted in the one-time purchase of an additional $200,000 in bulk-rate postage for use by House members. This will result in an additional $1,227 in bulk-rate postage to be available to each House member for mailings prepared by the House Publications office, separate and apart from your House Member Expense Account. This should help relieve fiscal challenges in your member expense account that have occurred due to recent increases in US Postal Service rates.

Specifically, the House Appropriations office has established a method for separately tracking a $1,227 House Contingent Fund Postage Credit in bulk-rate postage costs for each House member to be incurred from postage purchased through the House Contingent Fund. These funds will not be credited nor deducted from your member expense account, as the funds are separately appropriated. The Contingent Fund Postage Credit will be available to you until such time that you exhaust the $1,227 allotment established in your name.


Because this House Contingent Fund Postage Credit purchase occurred as a bulk-rate postage purchase, members cannot use these funds to supplement a member's need for stamps or metered mail costs nor may the credit be converted to cash. Members may only access this Postage Credit through the distribution of a constituent services mailing that is produced by the House publications office and is authorized to contain the House bulk mail permit stamp. All House Publication Procedures and Guidelines will still apply. Finally, members which currently retain an FY 2007 encumbrance for the purpose of a constituent mailing not yet distributed must first exhaust all FY 2007 funds encumbered in their House Member Expense Account before accessing the House Contingent Fund Postage Credit.

Please do not hesitate to contact Chief Clerk Adam Crumbliss at 1-3829 or Joe Roberts at 1-3972 for additional information on this credit.

Sincerely,


Kenny Jones

Chairman

House Standing Committee on Administration and Accounts

What this means is that with Republicans in the majority, this is just a mini-donation to each candidate (yes, to the D's too). This is incumbent (and majority) protection money. Expect Representatives Will Kraus, Jerry Nolte and Jeff Grisamore to pump out an additional mailing to every voter in the district reminding them of how great they are for not fixing medicare or increasing school funding.

Here's a fiscal conservative challenge to Kraus, Nolte and Grisamore - don't blow the money just because you can. Tell the leadership to use it to restore medicare funding and to increase funding to public schools.

Where's Will Kraus (48th)

Remember that old kid's book - "Where's Waldo." It's South of Brookside!! The new question is Where's Will Kraus (R), the state representative from Lee's Summit?

Rep. Kraus is a non-player in Jefferson City. He doesn't take leadership roles. He's not out in the community. He didn't sponsor a single bill on his own, rather he put his name on bills that others had filed. For example, the very first bill listed on his house website was to restrict claims made by people who were not wearing their seat belts.

Let's get this straight - you are riding along as a rear seat passenger in a car. State law does not require you to wear a seat belt in the back seat. You don't believe the government should be interfering in your decision to wear a seat belt, anyway (Republicans stand for less government interference in your life, right?). Some drunk hits the car you are riding in and you are injured. You make a claim against the drunk's insurance company. The insurance company hires an expert to say your injuries were caused by the lack of a seat belt. Your lost wages and health care bills get reduced because you didn't wear a seat belt, even though the accident was 100% the fault of the drunk. I can see why this would be the very first bill Rep. Kraus would sponsor in 2007.

Is this some big issue in Lee's Summit or just for the insurance lobby? I thought Lee's Summit was facing problems with urban sprawl, providing high quality education to kids, helping the working poor get health care for their kids. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying Will Kraus is evil. As a fellow veteran, I am proud that Will serves in our military. I am confident that Rep. Kraus loves his wife and kids.

I simply think that Lee's Summit deserves more active representation in Jefferson City. Eastern Jackson County deserves better that Kraus being on the Special Committee on Utilities and sponsoring bills that helps big utility companies.