Vaught Just Doesn't Get It

At this past Monday's special council meeting to select a replacement for the open Ward III seat, councilmember Michelle Distler had an email from early August put on the overhead projector.
The email basically said that when Kuhn resigned from her Ward III seat, that Stephanie Meyer would be the individual selected to fill it.  The email went on to indicate which four sitting councilmembers would vote for Meyer:  Vaught, Sandifer, Neighbor and Sawyer.

Jeff Vaught labeled the email a rumor.

Well, let's see what happened:
1.  Kuhn resigned
2.  Stephanie Meyer was selected for the seat
3.  The councilmembers voting for Meyer were Vaught, Sandifer, Neighbor and Sawyer

Hmmmmmm........was the email a rumor?  Was it a coincidence?  Prophetic?  Psychic?  Clairvoyent?  Prescient? Or did word get out as to what the outcome would be?

When each of the candidates was asked if they thought the decision had been predetermined, their answers were interesting:

Sheahan emphasized the word "majority". He didn't  know if the "majority" had decided.
King said he didn't know for sure but maybe
Lauer said it was common knowledge the likelihood of which candidate it would be
Meyer said no

So they were all affirmative except Meyer.

 

Here's a thought.  Maybe it was predetermined. And maybe, just maybe, as a result of the KOMA investigation because of the prior appointment of Alan Willoughby (the mayor's uncle by marriage) that maybe certain individuals handled their collusion in a more surreptitious manner.

 

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Who Would the Applicants Have Picked?

At Monday night's special council meeting to select an individual to fill the Ward III seat, the sitting councilmembers asked questions of the applicants.

One of the questions that Councilmember Michelle Distler asked of each of the applicants was if they were sitting on the council that night, which of the applicants would they pick.  Ironically, the responses were Jeff King and Jason Sheahan.  Nobody picked Stephanie Meyer, well, except Stephanie Meyer, and then she had to be reminded that the question was if she was already sitting on the council................interesting, eh?


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Another Scripted Council Appointment?

First, before I comment on last night's council appointment of Stephanie Meyer to fill the vacancy in Ward III, I would like to wish Owen Donohoe a speedy full recovery.

Mr. Donohoe, one of the applicants for the position was taken yesterday afternoon to an ER for a pulmonary embolism and then transferred by ambulance to another facility.

OK, let's talk about Stephanie Meyer's appointment to the council.  What a farce.  A better script could not have been written by a Tony award winning Broadway playwright.

Councilmember Michelle Distler showed an email...............from early August, prior to Dawn Kuhn's resignation.  In that email it was mentioned that Kuhn was going to resign and that Stephanie Meyer was going to get the position.  The email even stated which four council members would vote for her.

Now, Jeff Vaught tried to discredit that email.. He even invoked the name of a former Shawnee resident as a possible generator of it.  Kind of like Obama blaming Bush for everything.  Anyway, the email was very accurate in describing what the outcome would be.  Coincidental?  Prophetic?

Keeping the above in mind makes me wonder about the question that Councilmember Dan Pflumm asked of each of the applicants.  He asked if they thought that the council should choose or if it should go to a special election.  Of the four applicants, three said the people should choose.  Mrs. Meyer was the only one who said that the current process was fine.  Contrary to what some have said, it could have gone to a special election.  The council would just have to fail to make an appointment for 60 days.  This would not require a change in the charter ordinance.  Just no action to appoint on the council's part.

So was Stephanie Meyer's appointment predetermined?  Do we even have to say, again, that the Oracle of Shawnee said the same thing, 16 days before she even applied for the position.

Councilmember Mike Kemmling expressed concern, and even brought up the JoCo DA's reprimand to the city concerning the previous appointment of Alan Willoughby (the mayor's uncle by marriage).  At that point Councilmember Vaught had to again show that his knowledge of the definition of basic words is very limited.  Vaught said the DA's letter was not a reprimand.  Huh?
OK......here is the link to the letter......
http://www.shawneefwiw.com/files/joco_da/2013-01-30-joco-da-shawnee-koma.pdf

Based on the definition, you decide for yourself if the letter was a reprimand or not:


n.

1. a severe rebuke, esp. a formal or official one.

v.t.

2. to reprove or rebuke severely.

[1630–40; < French réprimande, Middle French reprimend < Latin reprimenda that is to be repressed, neuter pl. ger. of reprimere to repress]

syn: reprimand, upbraid, admonish, censure mean to criticize or find fault with someone for behavior deemed reprehensible. reprimand implies a formal criticism, as by an official or person in authority: The lawyer was reprimanded by the judge. upbraid suggests relatively severe criticism, but of a less formal kind: The minister upbraided the parishioners for their poor church attendance. admonish refers to a more gentle warning or expression of disapproval, often including suggestions for improvement: I admonished the children to make less noise. censure suggests harsh, vehement criticism, often from an authoritative source: The legislators voted to censure their fellow senator

 

Vaught relies on his bombastic arrogance to make it seem like he knows what he is talking about.

 

And, the mayor had already announced that public input at this meeting would not be permitted.  Either there are some very accurate crystal balls out there or the outcome was preordained.  I have my opinion.  Do you have yours?

 

 

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Who Will Be the New Ward III Councilperson?

It's coming down to the wire.  Monday night 10/28/13, at 6:30PM the Shawnee City Council will meet in special session to review the five applicants for the open position.

Here are the five applicants (listed alphabetically):

Owen Donohoe
Jeff King
Tony Lauer
Stephanie Meyer
Jason Sheahan

Based on qualifications, these are the two individuals that I feel are the most qualified:

1.  Owen Donohoe, who has served three terms as a state representative.  Mr. Donohoe's district included Ward III and he received thousands of votes from those folks. He has had an opportunity to work on legislation with a broader scope and involving larger fiscal responsibilities than what is normally seen at the city level.  As such, coupled with his having to work with individuals with opposing view points makes him the one applicant with the most experience for the position.

2.  Jeff King is a retired US Army Lt. Col.  As an engineer officer he held various positions of responsibility involving working with large numbers of military personnel and civilians.  Many of these positions also involved working with large budgetary figures, particularly in the public works area.  His assignment at Ft. Leavenworth with the "Lessons Learned" element speaks for itself.  The position basically called for him and his team to review situations that happened and reporting as to what was learned from those activities, the good and the bad.

With all that said, one must look at a post on this blog at
http://shawneeray.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-oracle-speaks-about-ward-three.html

In that post the Oracle of Shawnee predicted that Stephanie Meyer would get the nod.  What is ironic is that the post was approximately 16 days before she actually filed for the position.  It would be really interesting if the Oracle's prediction comes true.

Keep in mind that the last two council appointments raised some significant questions as to propriety. So much so, that the most recent one which involved the appointment of Alan Willoughby (the mayor's uncle by marriage) resulted in a KOMA investigation by the JoCo DA.

Also, please keep in mind that the mayor did not allow public input at that selection meeting and he is not allowing it at this one coming up.


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Vaught Doesn't Tell it All

This was a classic "Arrogant Vaught" move. 

At the last city council session Mike Kemmling (Ward II) suggested that the council not appoint a replacement for Dawn Kuhn, but to let it go to a special election.  This is an option under certain circumstances.

Jeff Vaught (Ward III) said the voters could always confirm or refute the council's appointment when the seat comes up at the next election cycle and if the appointee runs for a full term.  To back this up he cited two cases:  the first one he mentioned was when Kevin Tubbesing was appointed but then lost in the election to Michelle Distler for a full term.  The next one he mentioned was when Jim Neighbor was appointed and then won the election for a full term.

This would make some folks think that it has been 50/50.  What he failed to mention was the most recent appointment of Alan Willoughby (the mayor's uncle by marriage), who, when he ran for election was defeated by Mike Kemmling.  That means that out of the last 3 council appointments, 2 of them (67%) were "overturned" by the people when they came up for election for a full term. 

Of course Vaught did not want to bring that one up since that was the appointment that caused the JoCo DA to investigate the mayor and certain councilmembers for a KOMA (Kansas Open Meetings Act) violation.

When Vaught makes statements with incomplete info it sounds like he is practicing for a run for mayor. 

Just thinking, does the city manager's concern about bad or misinformation pertain to folks like Vaught (or even herself)?



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Mayor Meyers Ignores His Oath of Office

Next Monday, October 28th 2013, the city council will interview the five individuals who have applied to fill the council vacancy created in Ward III by the resignation of Dawn Kuhn.  This will take place at a special council meeting, starting at 6:30PM

Mayor Meyers has already stated that he will NOT permit public comment at the special council meeting.  In August, as previously posted here, this was the mayor's response to my question as to whether or not public comment would be permitted:

Ray,

There will not be public input. I believe the Council will have the best and most information with the process to make a decision for the appointment. As you know, residents may always contact their representatives to give comment about individuals who apply.

Jeff

Look at what he says.  The "best and most information with the process"  Huh?  But this is the one that gets me:  "residents may always contact their representatives to give comment".  What is missing is that if a resident contacts their rep, that information is NOT made a part of the public record (minutes) of the meeting.  What public comment does the mayor not want to see "on the record"?

Why do I say he has ignored his oath of office?  I will restate section 3 of the Bill of Rights of the Kansas Constitution, a document the mayor has taken an oath to support.

3. Right of peaceable assembly; petition. The people have the right to assemble, in a peaceable manner, to consult for their common good, to instruct their representatives, and to petition the government, or any department thereof, for the redress of grievances.

I also sent an email to the 7 council members who would be doing the interviews as to their feelings about the mayor's decision NOT to allow public comment. 

Three of our council members support public input (Pflumm, Kemmling and Distler).  One council member does not (Sawyer).  One takes both sides (Sandifer) and two lacked the intestinal fortitude and courtesy of even replying (Neighbor and Vaught).  Guess neither one of those two wanted their thoughts to be public.

More info on the above at:
http://shawneeray.blogspot.com/2013/09/which-council-members-support-citizen.html
http://shawneeray.blogspot.com/2013/09/neal-sawyer-responds.html


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A Fifth Applicant Applies for Ward III Seat

Tony Lauer, a local entrepreneur and neighborhood activist has applied for the Ward III council seat vacancy created by the resignation of Dawn Kuhn.

The city council will meet in special session at 6:30PM on Monday 10/28/13 to interview the applicants for the seat.  If a decision is made that night, then that person will be sworn in and begin their term at the regular meeting which will follow at 7:30PM

Lawrence Journal World Sticks it to Shawnee

OK, let's identify the players:  The Lawrence Journal World owns the Shawnee Dispatch.

Ever since Rob Roberts left the Dispatch for the KC Business Journal there has been a void at the Dispatch. 

First they send us Shawn Linenberger, but require him to divide his time between Shawnee and the paper in Tonganoxie.  Then, they bring in Jason Kendall and have him spending more time in Lawrence than in Shawnee.  Now, it is my understanding that Linenberger might be back.  But, will it be full time?

This lack of coverage by the supposedly local newspaper stinks.  Example being at last night's city council meeting.  Nobody was there to cover what turned out to be two extensive discussions.  One pertained to an agenda item:  the city's capital improvement plan for 2014-2019.  The other was  a non agenda item:  whether the council should defer the choice of Kuhn's replacement rather than the council making the selection.

Now, at this point, I am NOT going to discuss the items above as to what my opinions are of them.  What I am going to say is that the Journal World has deprived the citizens of Shawnee the opportunity to read about what happened and then to make up their own minds.  This is not the first time that the local paper has been bereft of true local coverage, post-Roberts.

Here's the kicker.  The City of Shawnee has selected the Dispatch as the publication of record.  That means that all notices that are required to be published are done so in the Dispatch.  Hey, that's our money, and our citizens are not being kept informed about what is happening.

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Stopping a Cat Fight???

At the 10/8/13 council committee meetingDr. Kemmling asks for clarification (calmly) on an item. 

The chair (Jim Neighbor) recognizes Dawn Kuhn who belittles Dr Kemmling.  Before recognizing Dr Kemmling again, Neighbor says that we are not going to have a cat fight.  Typical.......Kuhn is allowed to belittle folks and then the concerns start that someone might just come back on her.  BTW, Dr. Kemmling's response was very calm.  If you don't want a cat fight, shut the cat up.  But that has been par for the course.  She has been allowed to say whatever she wants, whenever she wants.

Thank heaven her resignation is effective with the end of the council meeting on 10/14/13.  We won't have to put up with her cattiness, her attempts at belittling people, and most importantly, her long winded diatribes.  If a harridan ever sat on the Shawnee City Council, it has been Dawn Kuhn.

Oh, the city has announced that her going away party is open to the public.  Methinks some folks might want to show up just to wish her good riddance.  Info at http://www.cityofshawnee.org/WEB/ShawneeCMS.nsf/vwNews/17083007BC863D4A86257BF80051EDED?OpenDocument

Citizen Suggestion Gets Zero Response

Guess what?  A suggestion I submitted to the city has gotten absolutely no response whatsoever.  The response should have come from either the city manager or the city clerk, but primarily the city manager. 

On 9/15/13 I submitted a suggestion to the city concerning the info submitted by the applicants for the soon to be vacated Ward III council seat.  See post at http://www.shawneeray.blogspot.com/2013/09/info-on-applicants-for-ward-iii-position.html

The idea was to save time and money for the city, and to make it easier for folks to obtain the info on the applicants so they could review it and submit comments to their council persons.  This is especially important since the mayor has already said that there would be no public input at the 10/28/13 special council meeting.

What was the suggestion?  To put the applicants' info on line so folks could download them.  That would eliminate having to process KORA requests.  Well guess what?  Not only has the suggestion not been implemented, but I never got a reply saying it was a good idea, a bad idea or even a courteous "thanks for the idea".  I bet if certain other folks had submitted the idea it would have been implemented.

Anyway, I did submit KORA requests, and, as usual, our city clerk handled them in a most expeditious manner.  For that I am thankful.

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Questioning Elected Officials

Sitting here, I am reminded of Mayor Jeff Meyers' comments in the Shawnee Dispatch about some folks asking too many questions. 

I'm reminded how some members of the city council have complained about citizens asking questions.  And even get offended that the questions get asked.

I'm reminded how some local elected officials fail to respond with specific answers to specific, direct questions.

I'm reminded how the city manager dances around certain questions, or refuses to answer altogether.

And then I'm reminded about a scene from the movie "The American President".  In this scene, the Michael J Fox character who is on the President's staff, questions the President.  The Martin Sheen character, then takes the Fox character to task for questioning the President.  This is the result:

A. J. MacInerney: The President doesn't answer to you, Lewis!

Lewis Rothschild: Oh, yes he does A.J. I'm a citizen, this is my President. And in this country it is not only permissible to question our leaders it's our responsibility!

Going forward I will continue to question those items that I feel need questioning.  I will continue to point out the hypocrisy of those officials who refuse to provide specific answers to specific questions.  And, the City of Shawnee is hereby put on notice that if the person that gets the $70K per year job as PIO becomes a puppet for the city and fails to respond to direct queries, that person will be held accountable.  That is our money, and we deserve to have it spent to properly inform and respond to us and not be a propaganda generator.

So, let's reiterate "Lewis Rothschild's" comment:   And in this country it is not only permissible to question our leaders it's our responsibility!   And we better start getting real answers.

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Four Have Now Filed

Another individual has filed for the soon to be vacated Ward III council seat.

That individual is Jeff King.

Three Have Filed for Ward III Seat

As of yesterday, three individuals have filed for the Ward III seat which is soon to be vacant because of the resignation of Dawn Kuhn.

They are:  Jason Sheahan, Stephanie Meyer and Owen Donohoe.

Donohoe was a three term state representative that represented Ward III and a portion of Ward I.  He is definitely a man who knows what the folks in Ward III want from a representative.