Musings About Eastern Jack

Jeff Roe is talking trash about Eastern Jackson County races over at The Source.

A slightly more intelligent analysis can be found over at the Jackson County Democratic blog.

Where do you think Missouri Democrats should focus their resources? Matt Bartle's senate seat or the three empty Missouri house seats?

Republican Attempts to Reduce Min. Wage FAILS

The do-nothing Republicans in the Missouri House have never been impressed with our citizens' opinions, which is why they have tried repeatedly to throw out caps on political contributions. You might recall that the citizens of Missouri voted an increase in minimum wage - it was called Proposition B. The Republicans attempted to limit that successful petition drive, too. You sure can't have working people making a living wage! Here's a quick summary from Rep. John Burnett:

House vote is 69-82 with all Democrats voting No on Minimum Wage cut


This week week we debated House Bill 1851 which would have cut the minimum wage from $3.325 to $2.13 for tipped employees - the base wage for such employees prior to Proposition B almost two years ago. When voters went to the polls on this issue 76% of voters approved the minimum wage raise. Now Republicans are trying again to roll it back.

This is the third major setback for the Republican majority in the past three weeks. On April 9 House Dems defeated school vouchers. Then on April 17 House Democrats led the defeat of House Joint Resolution 49 the destruction of the Missouri Non-partisan Court Plan. This type of defeat was unheard of in the House during the past six years and now three times in three weeks. A sign of thing to come I think.

The minimum wage for all employees is still $6.65 an hour as set by Proposition B and would not have been affected by the bill.

Rep. Emery (R) Called Out

Rep. Ed Emery is one of the lead Republican representatives in the Missouri House. If you like Ed, you like the Republicans.

As reported by Dan Margolies of the Business Section of the Kansas City Star, here's a great email from Judge Charles Curless to Rep. Emery of Lamar, Missouri:

Ed, Congratulations on reaching an all-time low in your so-called "representation" of the 126th District.

I am, of course, referring to your incredibly scandalous preferential treatment of the folks at Aquila, regarding the unlawful power plant in Cass County. Aquila knowingly built a plant in that county without a permit and in violation of county zoning laws. The trial court ordered the plant dismantled, and his decision was upheld by the Western District Court of Appeals. Now, you have led the charge in approving legislation to overturn the lawful and correct decisions of the courts. I wonder if your ruminations on the situation would have brought you to the same conclusion (to adjudicate from the legislature) had the plant been in your backyard. You certainly must be aware that the vast majority of us who, unfortunately, live within your district are respectful of the rule of law, and are disdainful of activist legislation, such as that which you have ramrodded through the House Special Committee on Utilities. Although I suppose we should not be surprised at your abhorrent actions in this situation after enduring incessant, baseless attacks on the judges of this state, and after six long years of your trying to undermine the constitutional provision of checks and balances by making the judicial branch subject to the political whims of the legislative and executive branches, it is deeply disturbing to see what is happening under your watchful eye.

Perhaps the most interesting and telling evidence of your true colors is your statement regarding your actions in committee, and I quote: "You have two competing principles involved. One is the principle that they should follow the law. The other is the principle of logic."

What in God’s name are you thinking? You have railed, both in your weekly "report" and in many orations, about how judges must follow the law. Now we find that it is your opinion that your friends at this powerful corporation, Aquila, are above the law, and that when it comes to your friends, "logic" trumps the law. Who else’s pocket are you in?

It seems to me that as you go about the area selling your "Character First" program, you should include this dichotomous anecdote in the "Integrity" chapter, or maybe use it to start another chapter entitled "Shame and Dishonor". "Character First", indeed.

You have pulled many boneheaded stunts during your time in the legislature which are contrary to the interests and wishes of the citizens of this district, but this one gets the blue ribbon.

Peace,

Charles

HJR 49 FAILS!

In a victory for good government and less politics in the selection of judges, I'm pleased to report that the Missouri Non-partisan Court Plan has survived another attack and the measure failed 69 - 83. Thank you to all the state representatives - Republican and Democratic - who voted to stop this measure.

Silvey in the Corner - Reed landing Blows

Here's the blow by blow - Ryan Silvey is in the corner, he's bleeding and he can barely keep his gloves up. Challenger Josh Reed has strong legs and can take this the full distance.

KC Blue Blog does a great job of pulling together the evidence that Rep. Ryan Silvey is buckling to Billionaire Sinquefield pro-voucher efforts. Silvey took $30,000 from Sinquefield groups.

The reason he needs this huge push out of the corner is Josh Reed is attacking from the left. Josh Reed is one of the best candidates that our party has right now. He grew up north of the river, he ran the grass roots for Obama, he's busting his butt in the district. Here's a sample of Josh Reed taking Silvey and Blunt to task:

Gov. Matt Blunt, Rep. Ryan Silvey from the 38th District in Clay County and the state Republican leadership have taken Missouri in the wrong direction on health care.

In 2005, the governor cut coverage and services for more than 400,000 Missourians. There are now 127,000 kids in Missouri without health insurance. As Gov. Blunt’s poll numbers continue to slide, he and other Republicans have been unable and unwilling to fix this mistake. A new report released by Families USA details the failures of Gov. Blunt’s new plan, “Insure Missouri.” This new program does not even come close to undoing the damage done. Nor does it restore coverage and services for all of the people hurt by these cuts. More than 1,071 children have lost coverage in Clay County since Rep. Silvey voted for Gov. Blunt’s Medicaid cuts. Expanding health care should be the priority in Jefferson City. We want real health-care reform that guarantees quality affordable health coverage for every Missourian.

The basic coverage and services that were cut in 2005 should be restored.
It is time to take Missouri and health care in a new direction. All of our children deserve coverage.

Joshua L. Reed

KC Blue Blog is correct that there are lots of rumors floating around about Silvey. All I know is that Josh Reed is a powerfully strong candidate, that this district was held by a Democrat for years and that 2008 is a Democrat year. With Silvey voting for corporate tax cuts, being pro-voucher and bad on health care, this could be the #1 race in Missouri for Democrats to take a seat from a Republican.

44th Race

I have to say I was proud to see 2 candidates for the 44th out working hard in the rain yesterday. Amy Coffman was at my polling place at the Baptist church on Wornall Road. She was handing out this very nice piece.

Jason Kander had a nice woman handing out this flyer to a Mother's Day Celebration. Both candidates are obviously very serious and very motivated. No Mary Spence sighting. Clearly, there are different styles. Amy has a more professional piece that shows some impressive endorsements. Kander lists lots of folks in the 44th that have endorsed his campaign and a Mother's Day celebration is clearly showing his softer side in a race against two women.

What do you think? Is one piece more effective for the very progressive 44th?

Why We Need a Democratic Majority

We are going to elect Jay Nixon, I'm certain of it. However, he provides common sense Missourians only with a veto pin. We need a Democratic majority to allow good laws to be passed - good laws like a pay increase for teachers as sponsored by Rep. Jason Holsman.
Missouri teacher pay hike in peril

By Lee Logan

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

04/03/2008

JEFFERSON CITY - A state House committee approved a teacher pay boost Wednesday but not without including several hot-button issues that could put the plan in jeopardy.

The plan includes a cornucopia of stipends to reward teachers who increase test scores, gain certification to teach math or remain in school districts where educators are scarce. But several changes were shepherded through by Rep. Scott Muschany, the chairman of a committee that studies education matters.

The bill now includes: scholarships for autistic children who attend private schools; a provision that allows school districts to consider other factors besides experience for salary levels; and a portion that requires teachers to give yearly consent of payroll deductions for teacher associations.

The additions left some lawmakers angry.

"Scott Muschany hijacked my bill," said Rep. Jason Holsman, D-Kansas City, who authored the stipend package. Muschany, R-Frontenac, contends that Holsman had every opportunity to remove his name from the package and called those statements inflammatory. "There was no hijacking," he said. "He's been involved in every conversation on the bill."

Increasing teachers' pay is a key goal of House Speaker Rod Jetton, R-Marble Hill. Concerning the future of his pet project, he would say only, "We have a lot of work to do." Regardless of the committee's changes, the plan's $50 million cost will face pushback from budget leaders who want to trim state spending during an economic downturn.

The committee received a copy of the new plan Tuesday night and debated it for about an hour before voting 6-1 to send it to the full House. Holsman said acting so quickly on a 105-page bill wasn't good government. Muschany said that he provided a breakdown of every new provision and that each element had already been considered previously by the committee.

Besides the process, Holsman also objected to the plan's merit pay elements. About $20 million was directed toward a performance-based stipend that he said encouraged competition among teachers and "breeds an environment where it's every man for himself." Holsman had drafted a schoolwide performance bonus that he called more teacher-friendly. Those bonuses were stripped from the bill.

The proposal "will not pass in its current form," Holsman predicted. He said he would try to alter the proposal before the House voted on it. After the hearing, the state's two large teacher organizations withdrew their support of the bill. "It's no longer a salary bill," said Mike Wood, the lobbyist for the Missouri State Teachers Association, which came up with the idea of a pay boost.

The Missouri National Education Association has long been neutral on the plan, arguing instead for a boost to the state's funding formula. The group is now opposed to the plan, Otto Fajen, the group's lobbyist said.

The bill is HB 2040 - 2430.

Dueling Endorsements in the 44th

The 44th State House Seat is being vacated by Rep. Jenee Lowe (a wonderful Democrat!).

Two of the three candidates have brandished some dueling endorsements. Jason Kander has had a fundraiser headlined by City Councilwoman Jan Marcason (a CCP member). Amy Coffman has long held the endorsement of Rep. Beth Low (a CCP member). She recently picked up the endorsement of Sen. Jolie Justus (a CCP member).

So, for all you political science junkies, what effect will these endorsements have on this race?

Pratt Calls Voice Vote on Court Bill

HRJ 41 is a bill that would limit the power of the Missouri Supreme Court to hear certain types of cases. The official description is it "Proposes a constitutional amendment prohibiting state courts from levying or imposing new or increased taxes, licenses, or fees without legislative or voter approval."

The sponsor - Rep. Jane Cunningham - says it is to prevent courts from questioning the funding for schools. No one can point to a Missouri court that has attempted it, but you can never be too safe. No court has ever ordered that all trees be cut down, let's amend the constitution for that too!!

In presiding over the House, Representative and Speaker Pro Tem Bryan Pratt from Blue Springs and a lawyer at Shook Hardy & Bacon, used the highly unusual move of calling a voice vote to end amendments to the bill. According to the St. Louis Post, at least ten Democrats were standing up to add amendments, including one protecting the Second Amendment, per Rep. John Burnett. Rep. Pratt's hearing is so darn good that he could hear the very slim majority of his party crying out. Nothing like democracy in action - you think they teach strong arm tactics in civics class in Blue Springs?

Pratt is safe in his state representative seat until he is term limited out. The rub between him and some in the legal profession (including his own firm) comes when he is done and runs for Sen. Matt Bartle's seat. Pratt didn't vote for pay raises for judges (after they have been stagnant for ten years). He's helping push the amendment of the constitution to limit the power of the Supreme Court to even review tax cases. His former managing partner at Shook is in Jefferson City lobbying one way, Rep. Pratt goes the other.

Throw into the mix that Pratt's fellow Shook lawyer - Rep. Brian Yates - is much more aligned with Matt Bartle & Jeff Roe. Yates has made it clear that he wants Bartle’s seat, too. It’s going to be an interesting primary for this Senate seat and the halls of Shook Hardy & Bacon.

Bill to exempt the Economic Stimulus Refund copied & recopied

From Rep. John Burnett's e-newsletter about how the Republicans plagiarized a bill from some local Democrats -


Quite a bit of attention has been given this week to House Bill 2178 it would exempt from Missouri tax any advance refund the Feds sent out on the Economic Stimulus program. If and when the checks come from the IRS we wouldn't have to pay Missouri tax on that windfall. Seems like a great idea.

In fact it seems that it was such a good idea when introduced first by some KC area Reps Holsman, Grill, LeVota and Talboy that it was immediately copied not once but twice. Two teams of Republicans copied it word for word and introduced it as House bills 2189 and 2208. 2189 has 25 sponsors all Republicans and 2208 has ten sponsors all Republicans.

Will be interesting to see if they follow the long standing tradition of rolling similar (in this case identical) legislation into the same bill and give the first sponsor the credit. But with 35 Republicans many of whom are running for reelection or higher office?????????

Legislature is Back in Session

The Missouri Legislature is back in session. For an enjoyable look at the first week, check out the latest Youtube post by the Missourian. Whoever makes these videos is extremely clever and knows the inside baseball in Jefferson City.

Remember, the Republicans control everything in Jefferson City. All the Dems can do is vote no. If we want some progressive ideas to be turned into law, we must work to put Nixon in the Governor's mansion and give him a legislature that will send him a bill to sign.

Missouri House Democrats on Healthcare

By Paul LeVota

As a gubernatorial candidate Matt Blunt repeatedly promised not to cut Medicaid eligibility. One of his first acts as governor was to champion eligibility changes that resulted in 180,000 fewer Missourians, including 70,000 children, receiving health care coverage than when he took office. Ever since, Gov. Blunt has been trying to undo the damage to his re-election prospects through impressive sounding but superficial proposals that fail to undo the damage to those kicked off the health care system.

The governor’s first attempt was this year’s so-called MO HealthNet bill. Although trumpeted by the governor as a sweeping reform, its most significant changes simply renamed Missouri’s Medicaid program and the state agency that runs it. Rather than restoring health care to Missourians who need it, the bill actually imposed new bureaucratic barriers to coverage.

Heading into a gubernatorial election year, the governor now has announced his Insure Missouri proposal, which he claims would extend private health insurance coverage to 200,000 Missourians by 2010. Given the administration’s record on health care to date, the plan should be viewed with substantial skepticism.

The plan would pay for private insurance subsidies by using money currently paid to hospitals for providing emergency room care to the uninsured. Ironically, the governor added to the flood of uninsured Missourians seeking emergency room care by cutting Medicaid. Even if Insure Missouri’s optimistic coverage estimate is achieved, more than 500,000 Missourians would remain uninsured, with many continuing to rely on emergency rooms for their only access to care. Therefore it is questionable if Missouri hospitals can absorb the reduction in indigent care reimbursement over the long haul.

The shift in taxpayer-funded health care from Medicaid to private insurers also would result in a dramatic and wasteful increase in overhead. Whereas a mere 4 percent of the money spent on Medicaid goes for administrative costs, such costs account for a whopping 25 to 30 percent of premiums in the private market. Missouri could more efficiently use taxpayer money by restoring Medicaid eligibility to at least 100 percent of the federal poverty level.

The major deficiency is the proposal wouldn’t cover the sickest and most vulnerable Missourians -- children, the elderly and the disabled. And since the governor’s plan relies on providing coverage through health management organizations, it also ignores rural Missouri, where there is little HMO penetration.

House Democrats know that the best, most affordable to taxpayers and most efficient way to improve health care access in Missouri is to undo the governor’s damaging 2005 health care cuts. Shaky schemes built on uncontrollable factors and overly optimistic claims that fail to benefit the most vulnerable Missourians simply won’t hold up.

Last week House Democrats announced part of health care agenda for the 2008 legislative session. Key proposals include reversing the state’s Medicaid cuts and establishing a new Missouri Health Policy Authority. We made these announcements at a series of press conferences through out Missouri at medical facilities in Kirksville, St. Joseph, Springfield, and Scott City.

Although the state a $320 million general revenue surplus in the current budget, the governor says Missouri can’t afford to undo his damage. Yet restoring Medicaid eligibility would cost $155.8 million in general revenue – less than half of the surplus – and allow Missouri to leverage an additional $265.3 million in federal Medicaid funds that instead is going to pay for health care expansion in other states.

Ironically, the very reason we have a surplus is because the governor cut health care. You don’t leave money sitting in the bank when you have bills to pay, and right now Missouri isn’t paying its health care bills.

Streamlining a disconnected bureaucracy is another element of the health proposals in House Democrats’ Moving Missouri Forward legislative agenda for 2008. Based on similar efforts successfully implemented in Kansas, we propose establishing a Missouri Health Policy Authority to oversee and coordinate the state’s role in health care. By establishing this authority Missouri for the first time would have a team of health care professionals directing policy and ensuring efficient use of taxpayer resources.

While streamlining government’s role in health care is important, even the most efficient system is of little use if it isn’t accessible to the people who need it. Today, 180,000 fewer Missourians have access to health care than did nearly three years ago when Gov. Matt Blunt took office and enacted his devastating Medicaid cuts. The restoration of those cuts remains Priority No. 1 for House Democrats.

By reversing the governor’s health care cuts and streamlining government health care bureaucracy, House Democrats have a plan to put the state on the pathway to health coverage for all.

Paul LeVota, an Independence Democrat, is the Missouri House Democratic.

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.

Nolte (R) v. Stone (D) - 33rd - look for a great race

Terry Nolte (R - 33rd) is looking at a good quarterly report (as opposed to some other Republican state representatives in close races). He went out and raised $12,000 from PACs and Republican election committees.

Rep. Nolte knows he is in for a battle. He followed Gov. Blunt around Jefferson City, and we all know how unpopular Blunt is after he kicked 100,000 people off health care. Nolte barely beat Terry Stone by 76 votes in 2006.

Nolte raised $4,800 this quarter. That is the wonderful power of the incumbency. Check out Stone's report, it is filled with Clay County residents donating $25 and $30 (yes, there's a few checks for the state max of $325).

The 33rd is a battle for the control of the Missouri House. The Republicans have to keep swing suburban districts like this one. The Democrats must take this one back to regain control of the House. The battle ground is in Clay County. Let the best candidate (who talks about the issues of education, health care and immigration and works the hardest) win.

Grisamore (47th) has a Tough Quarter

According to Blue Blog, Grisamore is having a tough quarter.

Here's the link to the MEC filing. Ron Richard (who the Republicans want to be speaker in 2008) gave Grisamore $1,000 (which is $775 more than the cap allowed by the law). KC Blue Blog makes the following pointed analysis:

The Republican from Lee's Summit reported raising $3850 and spent $1524.67 on rent and lodging leaving him with a report of just over $2600 cash on hand.

Here's where it gets worse:

Over $2500 of the money raised is over the $325 contribution limit and with so few checks sent in the first place it is almost definitely not a burden. Therefore, Grisamore must return the excess money leaving him with only $100 bucks in the bank and $8500 in debt.

That has to make Rep. Yates who is relying on that district to stay Republican significantly queasy. Maybe Rep. Pratt will rub his tummy for him.

Pratt & Yates are both ramping up for a run for Matt Bartle's senate seat, so they really don't want to blow their cash on Grisamore's seat. Bob Johnson may make a run for Grisamore's seat, with the support of Rev. Tom Haley (who barely lost this seat in 2006).

The 47th is going to be a good one to watch.

Taking Back the Missouri House, one Steve Hodges at a Time

Democrats have the very real chance to take back the Missouri House in 2008. If for no other reason, Democrats come out in droves in presidential election years.

We can take it back, and put Rep. Paul LeVota in the Speaker's chair, if we have more Steve Hodges. Hodges is the State Representative in SE Missouri, East Prairie, 161st District. The Southeast Missourian and the East Prairie Eagle recently ran a story that outlined the race in 2006.

When term limits kept Lanie Black from running again for his 161st District Missouri House of Representatives seat last year, a political bout ensued that became a priority for both state party organizations.
In one corner: Gary Branum, a respected New Madrid County farmer running on Black's legacy of agriculture-based Republicanism, with Black as his trainer.

In the other: Steve Hodges, a well-known businessman, substitute teacher, high school football referee and former sports coach from East Prairie, running on a populist message of helping the disadvantaged in one of the poorest legislative districts in the state. Hodges' trainer was former governor Warren Hearnes and his wife, Betty, a statehouse veteran who held a seat for 10 years in what was then the 160th District.

Well, the Republicans are ticked. Republican Party Spokesman Paul Sloca has this to say:

"It's a very important race," Sloca said. "We feel confident about taking that back, because a Republican candidate is going to be running on a strong record of Republican accomplishments" in the areas of education, health care and illegal immigration.

Sloca calls Hodges' seat a "very, very vulnerable" Democratic seat that can be retaken in a "predominantly Republican" area, despite the Bootheel's long history of Democratic dominance.

What have the Republicans done for education, health care and illegal immigration? Higher education costs more in Missouri than it ever has, local school districts (like East Prairie) are getting less from the state funding formula, 100,000 poor folks were kicked off health insurance and the only thing that the Republicans have done on immigration is put Rep. Nathan Cooper (R) in jail for getting his rich Republican clients illegal immigrants to work for them.

Every seat counts. The difference between Republicans cutting Medicare to the poor and Andy Blunt pushing through ticket scalping for his brother to sign into law is putting a Democrat in the speaker's chair. We can't do it by electing Democrats in Brookside. We have to keep Hodges in his seat in the Bootheel. We have to pick up some seats in Clay County and Eastern Jackson County. We do that - while electing Jay Nixon to be our next Governor - and the nonsense stops.

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.

Grisamore (47th) Weak on Public Education

Rep. Jeff Grisamore (47th) is weak on public education. He can co-sponsor a resolution calling for early childhood education, but falls short after that.

Rep. Grisamore represents much of Lee's Summit. I have many friends in Eastern Jackson County and they love their public schools. The Republicans in Jefferson City sure aren't helping out Lee's Summit's schools. Grisamore told the Missouri State Teachers Association he wanted to find sustainable funding for public schools. What has he done - nothing!! The Federal Government has said Missouri Schools are failing under No Child Left Behind. The Lee's Summit Journal has written about the difficulty in Lee's Summit schools complying with MAP tests and No Child Left Behind. The Lee's Summit School District's own web site discusses the confusion regarding the district receiving a less than desirable rating under No Child Left Behind.

The funding of public schools in Missouri and Lee's Summit is so dire that a new bond issuance was sought in Lee's Summit and this Q & A appears on the Lee's Summit web site.

Q: What percentage of the R-7 budget is funded by the state? How has this declined?

A: The impact of state losses on our local schools is apparent when examining the R-7 budget’s declining percentage of state funds. The Missouri Foundation Formula goal is to fund 50 percent of local school district operating budgets, although Lee’s Summit R-7 has never received close to 50 percent of its funding from the state. During the 1998-99 school year, state funding made up 35 percent of the R-7 operating budget. By the 2004-05 school year, state funding of R-7 schools dropped to 31 percent. Other categories of state aid appropriations have also been reduced significantly, impacting total state funding included in the R-7 budget. Across the state, the average percent of public school district revenue coming from state funding is almost 35 percent.

Grisamore has done little in Jefferson City, including ignoring his important work on the Environmental Committee and ignoring the Catholic church's call to restore Medicaid cuts to the poor and the sick children of our state. What has Grisamore done to improve funding from Missouri for Lee's Summit schools - nothing. He is a member of the majority party, so there is no excuses. Maybe we need a different party in the majority. Former Representative Bob Johnson continues to flirt with running for this seat. Run, Bob, Run.

Grisamore (47th) Bucks Missouri Catholic Conference, votes against restoring Medicaid cuts

I have a great fondness for the social justice Catholics. The Missouri Catholic Conference (MCC) and I may disagree on stem cell, but we agree on many things. St. Peters in Brookside actively campaigned to get Medicaid cuts restored - you know the sheep and the goats analogy - care for the sick and the poor. If you take care of sheep, then you are in. Otherwise, you are with the goats. Matthew 25:31

This is the official position of the MCC on HB 444 - "The MCC advocates that the millions lost by providing this tax cut instead be used to restore vital state services such as Medicaid health coverage." The MCC then lists Rep. Jeff Grisamore (R) as being against HB 444. Why would Grisamore buck the Missouri Catholics when all they are wanting to do is in a strong financial year restore health care to the poor? Full disclosure - not every Democrat voted for HB 444, but not a SINGLE Republican voted for it.

"I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

Bob Johnson to Run in 47th

The rumors continue to swirl that former state representative Bob Johnson will join Senator Chris Koster in dumping the Republican Party. Bob Johnson was a Republican state representative that ran against Sen. Matt Bartle.

Now we hear that Bob Johnson is considering running against Rep. Grisamore (R) to be the state representative in Lee's Summit (47th). Rev. Tom Haley (D) has confirmed that he is not running again. Bob Johnson enjoys very, very strong support of the labor community. We all know that when labor gets on your side, they are really on your side.

Grisamore has built a strong record of ignoring the environment, not running an effective campaign, having questionable relationships with highly controversial political freaks, and being nothing more than a party hack in Jefferson City. Bob Johnson has built a strong record of being a leader, standing by his convictions and working with Democrats to help his district.

Bob Johnson - you will be welcomed to the Democratic party. Come on in, the water is just fine. You run and win, you might be in the majority!!