Merry Christmas 2017

Fifty years ago I spent Christmas Day (1967) in the amphitheater at Long Binh Vietnam where one of the greatest supporters of our troops came with his friends to entertain us.

This short clip brings back some of the more pleasant memories of that time in my life.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all. 

Westbrooke Green - Shawnee Takes It In the Shorts

Well it happened Monday night.  The Westbrooke Green development is going forward.  The plan for a mixed use apartment complex, retail type of development seems like a good idea.

So, why do I say that Shawnee takes it in the shorts?  The financing plan stinks.  A 100% TIF for 20 years stinks.  The developer getting the 1% sales tax stinks.  The 1.5% CID stinks.  The odor coming off the finance plan is akin to one that emanates from a garbage dump.

The costs of city services will not stay stagnant for 20 years.  They are constantly going up.  A development like this needs to contribute to the costs of the city.  I am not in favor of TIFs, but feel that it might have been a necessary evil in this case, but not 100%.  I suggested at the council meeting that it be renegotiated to 75%.  I felt that we did not negotiate properly in this matter and just caved to whatever the developer wanted.  When councilmember Jenkins voiced the same thoughts Jeff "the Arrogant One" Vaught claimed it was negotiated.  Heck, when I see that a developer gets a 100% of this and that I question that.

My suggestion was that the plan goes back to renegotiate to bring the TIF down to 75% and not give up the 1% sales tax.  That would also allow the matter to come back to the council after Jan 8, 2018.  That is important because three of the current councilmembers will not be returning.  I felt that this matter was too important for a council with 37.5% of its members not coming back to be voted on at this time.  Every council person who voted on it would need to be able to be held accountable to the citizens of Shawnee.  This is not possible now.

Ironically at a previous meeting about this when councilmember Dr. Mike Kemmling suggested waiting for the new council he was told that that would delay the vote too many months down the road.  Too many months?  As of this past Monday the delay would have only been three weeks.  It had also been previously argued that the developer wanted to get started shortly after the first of the year.  That turned out to be BS.  The developer now plans to start in Oct 2018.  Also, what was supposed to be a three year project has now been changed to a six year plan.  Add to that what is going to be determined as "substantially completed" during the various phases appears to be overly favorable to the developer.  Those are the markers so that the developer is not penalized.

I specifically called out the five councilmembers who would be returning to do the right things.  Send the item back to renegotiate and insure that a full, accountable council would be acting on it.  The five were Eric Jenkins, Mike Kemmling, Jim Neighbor, Stephanie Meyer and Mickey Sandifer.  Of that group only Jenkins and Kemmling voted that way.  So, when a future council has to raise sales and/or property taxes to cover shortfalls because the city is not getting any part of the increased property taxes and giving up the sales tax I will cheerfully scream "I told you so".  And then I will be able to hold the feet of the three who went with it as it stood, to the fire.

Again, project idea good, finance terms bad.

Some sidebars: 

When my speaking time had expired I asked for a motion to allow for an extension (this has happened in the past, and not just for me).  Well 6 of the 8 voted to give me the extra time (in the past it was usually 8 of 8).  Who voted against the extra time?  Jim Neighbor and Jeff Vaught.  My thoughts on this will be in a future post.

Had to chuckle at the woman that got up and said that this project would bring in restaurants and shopping that would make it a destination place.........so, she thinks she is going to get class establishments in that development?  When the plans call for five (5) drive thru restaurants.  The establishments may be nice but destination?  And will there be a "major" sit down full service restaurant that will attract folks from all over JoCo?

Important for Public to Consider Citizen Interest Groups for Westbrooke Green

Westbrooke Green is a contentious project.  There are a bunch of competing viewpoints concerning this project, be it the actual type of project, the tax incentives, and a variety of other items.

In the past, when citizens spoke about projects like this at council meetings there would be many disjointed individual comments.  To make the process more easier, and to give the average citizen a chance to have their comments presented in a more fluid manner. Council Member Eric Jenkins (Ward II) championed a change to Policy Statement-7.  To read his comments about this click here for a link to his FB page

The change allows for 12 citizens to form a Citizens Interest Group and then have one person give a 30 minute presentation (with the possibility of a 30 minute extension).  This allows for a better, stronger, presentation of ideas as opposed to multiple 5 minute individual commentaries.  Also, the presenter does not have to be a member of the 12 person group.  They can be an outside individual or even a professional (lawyer, accountant, architect, engineer, etc)

Additionally, there is no limit as to how many of these groups can be formed or what side of the issue they have to be on.  They can be pro or con.  If 36 different folks want they can form 3 different groups.

For more information on this please visit the city's web site by clicking here.

The public hearing for this matter is scheduled for Monday 12/18/17.

Is Prairie Village Mayor Turning Into Jack Booted Thug?

Whoa, this article in the Shawnee Mission Post really got my dander up.  It can be viewed at this link
Apparently the mayor of Prairie Village, Laura Wassmer, wants to put restrictions on council members posting on line or speaking to the press.

Here is part of the article:

Wassmer sent the following message to members of the city council Monday after councilwoman Jori Nelson posted a message about the Village Square community input sessions on the website NextDoor, and councilwoman Sheila Myers asked the Shawnee Mission Post to publish a similar statement:

Council, please remember that you collectively represent a governing body of twelve members. While you are entitled to your own opinion, it is important that communication involving City related events, projects, etc. come from the CITY, and not from individual council members. While you are welcome to post information on your own FB pages that are obviously your own opinions, please refrain from discussing your views individually with the media or posting on neighborhood chat forums/online neighborhood websites. All media requests for information should be forwarded to either myself or [City Administrator] Wes [Jordan] in the future. Thank you for your cooperation. Laura

That message struck at least four members of the council as crossing an important line. As elected officials, one said, they should have the ability to express their opinions on any issue without fear of reprisal, and it was not appropriate for Wassmer to ask them to yield their ability to communicate with constituents.

If I lived in PV I'd be starting a recall petition for the mayor.  She took an oath of office to support and defend both the state constitution and the federal constitution.  Council members do NOT give up their right to free speech by virtue of their position.  Also, a council member's opinion of city projects is important to the citizens. They want to know what the council member thinks.

Mayor Wassmer, it is my opinion you owe your council a big apology.

New Faces to the Shawnee City Council

This past Tuesday Shawnee voters went to the polls and in January there will be three new faces on the city council.

Ward 1:  Matt Zimmerman defeated incumbent Dan Pflumm.  Not completely sure where Zimmerman stands on some items so will be waiting and watching to see what happens here.

Ward 2:  Mike Kemmling ran unopposed and as such will serve another term on the council.

Ward 3:  Candidate Justin Adrian defeated Candidate Dave Myres (the incumbent Jeff Vaught was tossed out by the voters in the primary).  This one really concerns me as I find it abhorrent to have an individual who went to the Democratic convention as a Hillary Clinton delegate sitting on our city council.  He may not represent the ward I live in, but when he takes actions he is taking them for the whole city.  I seriously question the sincerity of his comments in support of veterans after he supported the Witch (sp) of Benghazi.  My microscope is ready to look at every action/move he makes on the council.  At least I'm up front about it.

Ward 4:  Candidate Lindsey Constance defeated Candidate Tony Noble (the incumbent Brandon Kenig, like Jeff Vaught, got tossed by the voters in the primary).  Her kumbayah approach makes me really wonder about where she stands on various issues.  Since this is the ward that I live in, that microscope will be at high power to monitor her actions and moves on the council.

Since two of these folks received strong Democratic Party support maybe taking a page out of the Democrat's play book might not be a bad idea.  You know the page, the one where the day after Trump won the Presidency the Dems were already talking impeachment.  Maybe I should start talking recall election.  Why not?  According to Kansas statutes the process can begin anytime after six months of their taking office.  Something to think about.

Justin Adrian Lies to the Voters

When discussing what his opponent said, Justin Adrian told a heck of a whopper concerning the Deffenbaugh impact fee.

Here is a question that was posed to Dave Myres:

How should Shawnee be using the proceeds from the impact fee paid to the city by Deffenbaugh for use of the landfill space?

Here was Dave Myres answer:  The impact fee is intended to repair the damage to our roads caused by the Deffenbaugh trucks.  However, about half of that fee has been diverted to "economic development"  This is wrong and I will vote to stop it.

Justin Adrian then makes this statement:  The money is not being diverted.  The agreement was setup with Deffenbaugh specifically to allow 50% to go to street maintenance and 50% for economic development to compensate for the loss of development ready land due to the landfill.

Justin Adrian is flat out lying.  I was at the council meetings when that came up.    There was absolutely NO agreement with Deffenbaugh as to how the fee was to be allocated.  That decision is/was not theirs to make. The only agreement with Deffenbaugh was the amount of the fee and for how many years it would be in effect. It was at a budget meeting and some council members wanted the entire fee to go to economic development.  Others wanted the entire fee to go to street maintenance.  A compromise was reached and the fee was split 50/50.  Now here is the kicker.  The allocation was never placed in an ordinance, a policy statement or any other document.  As such it is considered an action as the "will of the council".  As such it can be changed at any time with a simple majority vote of the council.

Basically, Adrian's statement is full of horse manure and it is a total lie.  Ergo he is a liar.

If Mr. Adrian is a history teacher I really hope he gets his facts straight on what he teaches the children in his classes.  Or does he twist the facts to suit his view of history.

An Open Letter to Marlys Shulda, Failed Candidate for the Kansas House

Dear Ms. Shulda,

I read your letter to the editor of the Shawnee Dispatch that appeared on line.

Let's see you excoriated Dave Myres for calling Justin Adrian out on his (Adrian's) political party affiliation.  Tsk, tsk, tsk.  One liberal democrat trying to shore up another liberal democrat.

Let's see now, in most cases one's political affiliations are usually good indications of how that person will act if they are elected to office.  True, the city council race is non-partisan, but that doesn't mean that once elected the individual's partisanship would not show through. 

Now, let's look at Mr. Adrian's background.  The thing that really causes me the most concern  is that he himself has stated that he was very proud to go to the Democratic National Convention as a Hillary Clinton delegate.  That was on his crowd funding page to get money to go to the convention. That's horrible.  I may not live in Ward 3, but when the council conducts business they conduct it for the entire city not just their ward.  Or do you need a refresher course in civics 101?  As a Vietnam vet there is no way that I would want a person who supported the Witch of Benghazi (pardon the misspelling) to sit on the city council.  We won't even talk at this time about the Uranium One deal or her many other anti-American actions.  And you want folks to support Adrian? Well, that is your right.  But don't expect his support of Clinton to go unreported.  Especially when his opponent (Dave Myres) is a decorated former army captain.

Oh, one other thing.  You seem to think that Dave Myres only sends out mailers.  Surprise, surprise.  He has walked the ward, extensively. 

A Marine's Letter to the NFL

This needs no further comment from me....................

Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission Replies Concerning Kenig Contributions

Reference is made to my previous post about Council member Brandon Kenig receiving $1000 in campaign contributions from lawyers associated with the firm and the firm itself representing the developers of the Westbrooke Green project.

I inquired of the State Governmental Ethics Commission as to the legality of this situation.

Here is their reply:

Dear Mr. Erlichman,

In reply to your letter inquiry, dated October 16, the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission, regarding local governmental ethics laws, has no enforcement authority but may issue ethics opinions to local government officials and employees upon request to ensure that their conduct complies with the local ethics laws (K.S.A. 75-4303a).

Local government ethics laws (K.S.A. 75-4301a, et seq.) deal largely with requirements of local officials or employees to file statements of substantial interest. Pursuant to K.S.A. 75-4304, a local officer or employee may not participate in the making of a contract with the person or business in which the official or employee has a substantial interest. By omission, campaign contributions are not attributable to whether a “substantial interest” exits, as that term is defined (K.S.A 75-4301a). Technically, campaign contributions to a candidate are not a source of income, rather, campaign contributions are to the campaign, and reportable by the Kansas campaign finance act.

 For the above reasons, allegations in your letter do not suggest a violation of the local governmental ethics laws. However, the commission cannot provide a ruling (ethics opinion), which may be issued only to the local official or employee as noted.

Sincerely,

Mark Skoglund

Executive Director
Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission

So, it would appear that the contributions are technically OK.  IMHO, I still think they look real bad and will always wonder if those contributions consciously or subconsciously influences how Lame Duck Kenig conducts himself in the votes on the project.

Tony Noble's Recent Letter is Aggravating

I'm not going to beat around the bush.  Going to get right to what is bothering me, since I have, up to this point supported Tony Noble.

Tony Noble, candidate for the Ward 4 council seat out a letter recently.  I have read it and am not happy as there appear to be several misleading statements.  For brevity's sake I will not go item by item at this point in time.

But, there is one item that I will address now.  In his letter he says:  "Even the mayor decided her column in the city's taxpayer-funded newsletter was the place to make political statements."

Wow, is this political neophyte off base.  Who is he relying on for his input?  You can read the mayor's letter for yourself by following this link and then scrolling to page 2.  The mayor, like any good elected official prior to an election is:
1.  Suggesting folks do research on the candidates and not rely on just postcards
2.  She even suggests calling the candidates to discuss issues
3.  She points out how important it is to vote.

That is not political.  She made no comments as to the viability of any candidate. Basically, it was a generic "please do your civic duty and vote" column.  Something which I myself have advocated many times on this blog.

For Tony Noble to claim that that column was "making political statements" just shows that he does not understand that terminology.  Maybe his commentary would have been different if she had endorsed him.  Sour grapes?  Heck, she hasn't endorsed any candidates in this election.

Anyway, even though I have voiced a preference for Tony Noble in this election I must now change my position.  For various reasons I cannot support his opponent either.  Have never been in this position in a local race before.  I will probably end up writing in a candidate.  Heck, might even write myself in.........

Most importantly, I must apologize to those who have shown support for Noble based on my recommendations.  Even so, if you are one of those individuals, you may still find that he is your candidate of choice.  If so, that is the American way.  I just find his amateurish attempt to besmirch the mayor is reprehensible.  She has done more for this city than he can ever hope to do.

Kenig Gets Donations from Developer's Attorney/Law Firm

Brandon Kenig, the lame duck city council rep from Ward IV has been making various public comments that are favorable concerning the Westbrooke Green project at 75th and Quivira.

Well, we are not going to say whether we agree or disagree with his comments.  What we are going to say is that he has received various contributions to his campaign account from lawyers who work at the law firm that is representing the developer, to include a contribution from the firm itself.

First, let's look at this from the packet at the meeting of 10/9:

The project team for MP Westbrooke North, LLC consists of:

Principals: Joint venture of Mission Peak Capital and Extell Development Company –

primary contact is Patrick J. Ventola of Mission Peak Capital
Legal counsel: John Petersen, Polsinelli
Engineer: Brad Sonner, Olsson Associates
Architect: Clint Evans and Tim Homburg, NSPJ Architects

Now, let's look at these contributions which Kenig listed on his financial filings:

4/25/17  Polsinelli PC                                                  $250
5/1/17    Curt Peterson  Attorney at Polsinelli PC       $250
5/1/17    John Peterson  Attorney at Polsinelli PC       $250
7/20/17  John Petersen  Attorney at Polsinelli PC       $250

Considering that Kenig reported $6,225 in contributions that $1,000 is a pretty substantial amount, like about 16%.

Even though he is a lame duck council representative he will still be on the council for any actions on this project at the 11/13 and possibly 12/8 meetings.

All I can say is that I have a hard time with these donations, especially the ones from the firm itself and the attorney who is counsel for the developer.

Lindsey Constance - All Puff No Substance - Bad for Shawnee

Just received a mailer from Lindsey Constance who is running for city council in Ward 4 in Shawnee.
A copy of it is posted below.  Click on it to see a larger view.

Ms. Constance is all puff and absolutely no substance.  Read the piece for yourself.  Typical kumbayah sound bites.  Nowhere does she mention her position(s) on any recent or current actions before the council.

She just comes up with the usual liberal democratic socialist talking points.  This individual would be bad for Shawnee.  Actually, she'd be terrible for Shawnee.  We do know that she has received funding from the JoCo Democratic party machine.  Is she another Hillary Clinton disciple like Justin Adrian?

Remember the name and face below.If you like keeping your money in your wallet do not vote for her.

Aztec Theater - Social Media Run Amok

Wow, talk about a firestorm. 

At the last council session the plans for the reopening/financing of the Aztec theater came up.

Prior to that discussion Mayor Distler read a statement.  Apparently there was a video on line concerning this matter.  The video had in excess of 11,000 views.  But, there were some statements that were not factually correct.

One of the statements in the video was that the money the ownership was requesting from the city was a loan.  Simply put............not true.  It was a "give" from the economic development fund.  There were some claw back provisions (good for only five years).  One of the provisions, which were not part of the original plan involved what would happen if the new ownership sold the property within the first five years and how the city could/would recover funds.  Some of the other clawbacks were in case the entity shut down for a period of 6 months, but the city's recoupment was at a prorated basis.  The fact is, the money was not a loan.

One of the other items in the video was that the money for the theater was coming from the Nieman Now! project. Simply put, wrong.

There were other items that the mayor addressed.

One would think that folks would be happy that items that were misstatements of facts were corrected.  Instead social media has blown up to include among other things that the mayor was corrupt.  Allegations that the mayor shifted funds between accounts were really outrageous.  In our city the mayor cannot shift funds among accounts. 

Corrupt for stating the truth.  What a unique concept.

Council Candidate Matt Zimmerman - Naughty, Naughty

Having a "Meet and Greet" for a candidate is something that happens many, many times during election season.  They are great events for folks to visit and talk with a candidate.  Nothing wrong there.

Advertising for these events is important so folks can know about them.  Except when a notice about the event is taped to an NBU (Neighborhood Box Unit - that's a mail box).  If one checks with the USPS I believe they will find that it is a violation of Federal law to do this.  Now, granted, nobody was harmed, mail delivery wasn't interrupted, it's just an "in your face" type of thing.

See the image below, and click on it for a larger version.

Justin Adrian - Another Teacher Who Can't Read

Wow, what am I talking about?  It's really very easy to explain.

Let's start with  K.S.A. 75-4301a.  That is the state law that requires candidates to file a "Statement of Substantial Interest".  That's the form where a  candidate is required to list their source(s) of income, investments, etc for them and their spouse.

Well, seems like Mr. Adrian in his original filing failed to list the info for his spouse.  This information is important so as to preclude any possible conflicts of interest should a candidate get elected.

Well, apparently, after a complaint was filed, Mr. Adrian submitted an amended report where the required additional information was provided.  You can view both the original and the amended filings by starting here.  It should be noted that a candidate signs a statement at the end of the report acknowledging that intentionally filing a false report is a Class B misdemeanor.

Wait a minute.  Maybe I'm being unfair saying that he can't read.  Maybe that's not why the info was left off originally.  Maybe it was because as a former Hillary Clinton delegate to the DNC he thought he could be like her and selectively choose which laws to comply with.

With Positive Modifications Aztec Project Moves Forward

At the city council meeting tonight the Aztec Theater project moved forward, only after some modifications to the agreement.

Councilmembers Eric Jenkins and Stephanie Meyer were instrumental in getting some changes put into the agreement which would reduce the city's financial participation and protect that participation.

The city's investment is reduced by 50% and the ownership is to work to double their portion through other investors, community funding, and if needed their own resources.  There was a modification on how much the city would pay if the property was put up for sale so that the city would not be buying back its own share on a right of first refusal.  Additionally if that was not exercised, the city would receive its funding back if sold to another party (all within the first five years).  There will also be provisions placed into the agreement that would protect the city in case the ownership filed bankruptcy.

With the modifications that these two councilmembers got included the project is now, IMHO, a viable endeavor.

This now appears to be a project that all in Shawnee can be proud of.

Candidate Constance Gets Knuckles Rapped by Ethics Commission

Looks like Lindsey Constance failed to comply with state law regarding her web site and literature.

One would think that an award winning teacher would have done her research as to what was required.  Maybe she can take a remedial reading course?  Anyway, the ethics commission did just give her a slap on the wrist this time, and it appears she has corrected her web site.  What about her literature?  Is she distributing any without the appropriate notice?

Below is a copy of the Ethics Commission notice.  Click on it to see a larger image.

Lindsey Constance Borderline Hypocrisy

Wow, some of her statements on her Facebook page are amazing.  She's upset that her challenger, Tony Noble is bringing up party affiliation.  She's crying unfair because city council positions are supposed to be non-partisan. 

The positions are non-partisan (we have had Rs run against Rs and Ds run against Ds) but a person's party affiliation is usually a strong indicator of their philosophical background and how they would perform as a member of the council.  So, apparently she doesn't like the fact that her D background is being made an issue.  All she can do is come up with generic Kumbayah statements for her position.  You know, the feel good statements that D's are famous for.

Now you ask where is the hypocrisy?  It's on her election financial statements.  Is she going to return the contribution made by the JoCo Democratic Party?  I seriously doubt it.

Voters of Ward 4 in Shawnee would be, IMHO, smart to reject her candidacy.  Hey, that's me!!!!  I'm a Ward 4 voter.  Lindsey Constance..........I reject you.

Did Candidate Justin Adrian Violate State Law?

This is an interesting question. 

So, let's start with this.  In the July 5th, 2017 edition of the Shawnee Dispatch (click here) the paper states:  Adrian, a married high school history teacher, sees a lot of untapped potential in western Shawnee.

Candidates for office are required by K.S.A. 75-4301a to file a Statement of Substantial Interests.
This is basically a form so as to preclude any possible financial conflicts of interest.  There is a section on page 3 where a candidate is supposed to indicate the source of any income by a spouse for the preceding year.  There is a box to check if the candidate has nothing to report.  That box was checked.  You can click here to see alist of reports that he has filed  Then click on the "eyeballs" for the Statement of Substantial Interests dated 5/1/17.  I believe his spouse has been employed in the real estate field for the past three years or so.  Would be nice if this could be clarified and if his spouse did have an income in 2016 that he comply with state statutes.

Aztec Theater - Part 2

The more I review City Manager Gonzales' memo to the Members of the Governing Body concerning this, the angrier I get.

First, I hope you have read my post immediately preceding this one.

Now, let's look at this part of her statement:

The Aztec Theater will be owned and operated by the Aztec Group, LLC. The owners of this

company are Jeffrey Calkins, Christopher Calkins and Bruce Young. The owners are longtime
Shawnee business owners and residents with expertise in the areas of business, construction,
project management, administration, arts, marketing, and public relations. All three owners were
patrons of the original Aztec Theater.
Jeffrey and Christopher have both operated successful business ventures, including Calkins
Electric Supply Company, are members of the Shawnee Chamber of Commerce, and their family
has been part of the downtown Shawnee business area for over 60 years. Both are active members
of the Shawnee Downtown Business Association.

Bruce Young has operated a successful flooring business for 41 years and has experience in sales,

marketing, accounting, and construction projects. Bruce also has experience in music performance

and is very active in the local blues and jazz scene.

 

Now keep in mind that these three are investing a total of $100,000 are getting a loan for $150,000 and then want the city to kick in $500,000 (taxpayer money)

This is absurd.  What it breaks down to is $33,000 for each of them.  It would appear, that based on their bios as submitted by Gonzales, that that amount of money is chump change for these gentlemen.

This is what they need to do.  Invest $150,000 each, get their loan for $150,000 and then either find another investor for the remaining $150,000 or sell stock to additional investors.  There apparently isn't enough time so set up a 501(c)(3) for a "Friends of.............."

These long time, successful businessmen should be able to pull this off without hitting the taxpayers for any part of it.

When the economic development fund was created I heard some folks wonder if this was going to become a "slush fund" for the city manager.  Has that happened?  Is she attempting to ingratiate herself with the business community at the expense of the taxpayers.

Read my other post below, and then combine the thoughts.

 

Aztec Theater Plan - Not a Good Deal for Shawnee

At the 9/5/17 Council Committee a plan was presented to revitalize the Aztec Theater.  Complete information can be found by clicking here to read the agenda with the supporting documentation.

The memorandum for this was authored by the city manager, Carol Gonzales, and, IMHO is disingenuous, to say the least.

The basics of the plan are that three individuals would invest a total Of $100, 000 and then obtain a loan for $150,000 to purchase the property.  They are asking the city to kick in $500,000 from the Economic Development Fund to handle all rehab and renovation.  As pointed out by Councilmember Dan Pflumm, in theory, the investors could sell the property, make a profit and the city is out the $500K.  Councilmember Meyer was also not happy with the percentages, plus additional rehab expenses appeared not to have been included in their estimates  folks who attempted to compare this with the B&B project were reminded that the owners there kicked in $4.9 million.

I personally find this part of Ms. Gonzales' memorandum to be a bunch of bureaucratic double talk:

Much time and energy has been invested in analyzing the performance of other similar theaters currently in operations to determine the financial viability of the Aztec Theater. It is believed that the Aztec Theater can be 100% self-supporting with careful planning, programming and management, but not with the nearly $500,000 cost of building rehabilitation and renovation cost estimates.

That is almost like saying the adult child and their spouse after moving back in with their parents could be self supporting if they didn't have to pay rent, utilities etc.

Additionally, I find this part of her memorandum to be close to "bait and switch".  Something you'd expect from a used care salesman, not city staff:

This type of structure would be similar to other programs funded in the Economic Development Fund. Because of the debt load that the EDF is taking on related to Nieman Now! fund balances in the future forecast show as diminishing. As was discussed in the 2018 Budget process, staff recommends moving Nieman Now! debt payments over into the Debt Fund as it becomes feasible. That frees up more fund capacity in the Economic Development Fund to continue to take on new projects.

Yours truly spoke at the session and IMHO that the only acceptable solution(s) would be:
a.  The investors substantially increase their investment.
b.  They invite other investors to kick in so as to substantially increase the investment amount
c.  They create a "Friends of _________" just like other artsy projects have done all across the country.
d. Any combination of the above

It would be nice if that eyesore was repurposed, but not at the expense of the taxpayers. 

 

Westbrooke Village Needs Private Security

At Monday's council meeting the continuing vandalism at the virtually empty Westbrooke Village came up many times.

Apparently vandals make a habit of busting out windows, painting graffiti on the walls and other acts of destruction.

It appears that the city does notify the new ownership of these items and then they send folks out to fix or mitigate the situation.

Yesterday I sent an email to the governing body and suggested that the shopping center ownership obtain private security to conduct patrols.  They would not necessarily be needed 24/7 but maybe from about 8/9 PM until about 5/6 AM.

Bet the neighbors in the surrounding homes would appreciate that.

City of Shawnee Absolved of Wrongdoing

The City of Shawnee was sued by Qrivit LLC because the city council rejected the Vantage Apartments complex in early 2016.

The action of the court vindicates the council members who voted against the project.

For more information on this action click here

Jeff Vaught Gives Citizens of Shawnee the Middle Finger

Strong words.  True story. 

The National League of Cities has two conferences a year.  One is in November (rotated among various cities) and one is March (in Washington DC).

This year's November conference is in Charlotte, NC, Nov 15-18, 2017.

Based on information received today, from Shawnee, pursuant to an information request, Jeff Vaught is one of the council members signed up to attend this conference.  What kind of nonsense is this?  This from a man who has stated on numerous occasions that he was elected to be a steward of the city's (taxpayer's) money.  These trips usually average $1500 to $2500 per person going. 

Why is Vaught listed?  He got his fanny spanked in the primary (8/1/17) and as such will not even appear on the November ballot.  As a matter of fact he will no longer be on the council as of January 2018.

Regardless of what ward a citizen lives in (he represents Ward 3), this is an affront to ALL citizens of Shawnee.  It is imperative that the community lets the governing body know how insulting this is to the city (taxpayers). 

Maybe he liked the idea of this, found by clicking here.

The City of Charlotte will host what promises to be an epic closing celebration on Saturday night. Join your fellow delegates in the convention center ballroom for a special performance by the legendary Commodores! Dance the night away with this beloved R&B and funk group that helped define the motown era with hit after hit, including the tune we all know and love, “Brick House.”

Anybody wanna bet that the bird cage liner Shawnee Dispatch doesn't cover this?

Info from the city 12:23 PM 8/31/17:

Here is the list so far. It is subject to change.
Mickey Sandifer
Stephanie Meyer
Jeff Vaught
Jim Neighbor
Vicki Charlesworth

Ward 4 Beware - Lindsey Constance Dem/Liberal Doubletalk

Lindsey Constance, a candidate for Ward 4 city council in Shawnee is typical of the Democrat/Liberal mindset when it comes to doublespeak.

First, let's certify her democratic/liberal credentials:  Public records available at the JoCo Election Office indicate that she is a registered democrat.  Her 7/24/17nancial filing form clearly indicates a donation from the Johnson County Democrats.

So, why beware of this type of candidate.  History, and recent events show that when that say they "want to talk, to have dialogue etc" on a subject it is only good if you agree with them.  If you disagree, well, just look at what can happen.  Traditionally, they are not willing to accept ideas other than their own.  Just look at how the democratic/liberals, for all that they profess, are trying to curtail free speech around the country.

I'm a Ward 4 resident, and I don't want a candidate like this to represent me on the city council.

Brandon Kenig and His Sour Grapes

Oh by gosh by golly.  A candidate loses the primary and then goes on a rant in the Shawnee Dispatch
spewing some of the same items he did in his campaign literature. Why?  The voters did not buy it when he campaigned on it.  Why should they buy it now that he is a defeated candidate. 

I am not going to go through his rant item by item but have covered some of them before, right here.
He touts the increase in safety personnel.  How much of that has been covered by federal grants?  A bunch.  He touts other safety items.  Again, federal grants and also an increase in mill levy.

He touts road repairs.  Whoops...........what about the sales tax increase that has been paying for that?

He says there are only two active TIF districts.  How many have been approved and are in the development stage?

Get to know Brandon.  He has an attitude.  Not sure why.  He was never elected to the council.  He was appointed to finish the term of the mayor after her election.  He mentions that he is the current council president.  True.  Ask him how many ballots the council went through to finally settle on him.

His rant is like a 5 year old spoiled brat who didn't get his way.  Maybe we should nickname him Kindergarten Kenig.  Poor baby........grow up.

There was one thing that was missing from his screed.  He didn't congratulate the folks that beat him in the primary and he did not wish them well.  If, and that is a big if, he had any sense of being a mensch (look it up) he would have done that.

I just had an epiphany.  Something hit me.  His name...........Kenig is a derivation of König (also spelled Koenig) which means "King".  Maybe he thinks he has a royal entitlement to the council seat.  LOL

BTW, over the years I have read many documents, papers, etc. coming out of city hall.  His screed, to me at least, has a flavor attached to it.  The flavor of a possible ghost writer.  Did a senior member of  staff assist in the drafting of the letter?  We will never know.

New Hypocrite Emerges in Ward 3 - Justin Adrian

Looks like the JoCo Democrats are fielding, IMHO,  a Class A-1 hypocrite for the Shawnee City Council.

Why do I say this?  Heck, he said it himself................see the below screen capture from his Facebook page (click on it to view larger):

 

 

He says "Our Armed Forces have given their lives for my freedom.  Thank you."  This coming from the man who proudly proclaimed that he was going to be a Hillary Clinton (the Witch of Benghazi) delegate at the Democratic National Convention.  We all know what kind of disdain HRC has for the military.  Where I come from that's hypocritical. 

 

My question for Mr. Adrian is: Why didn't you join the service?  You could have put in3 or 4 years.  That's another way to say "thank you" to those who have gone before.  Heck, as a college graduate you probably could have gotten an officer's commission.

 

BTW your opponent served...........

Did The Shawnee Dispatch Act in an Unethical Manner?

Did the Shawnee Dispatch cross over from reporting about an election to actively shilling for a particular candidate?  In their issue just released today they have a "Letter to the Editor" from Lindsey Constance, Ward 4 council candidate.  You can read it by clicking here  Decide for yourself.

Is this really a letter to the editor or is it a campaign mailer/statement of position?  You read it and decide for yourself.  I think it is a piece of campaign literature.  Maybe the Dispatch thinks they can be promoting one candidate over another.  Kind of like the Washington Post or the NY Times. 

For the record, I called both the local reporter/editor and the Journal World general manager and did not get a call back.  As a matter of fact, I was in Lawrence today and stopped by the Journal World (Dispatch's parent company) and their general manager was "in a meeting".

One last item.  The Dispatch's headline is very telling.  "Council candidate wants to put politics aside, focus on Shawnee’s economic future"  It just goes to show her naiveté.  What she says may sound good (let's sit around the campfire and sing kumbaya) but that is not the real world.  The real world is political.  And whether she wants to admit it or not, so is her position. The future of any city will have political overtones.  At least in our society.  Not necessarily in a liberal socialist society.    And she's a teacher?  Does she attempt to indoctrinate our youth with her personal liberal philosophy?

Vote Totals From Tuesday 8/1/17

tWell, the unofficial final figures are in at jocoelection.org  After the canvas required by statute the final figures will be posted.  These figures are interesting.

WARD 3:

Dave Myres                          597            45.61%
Justin Adrian                        408            31.17%
Jeff Vaught                           304            23.22%

Wow.............Vaught really lost touch with the voters of Ward 3.  This is the second primary where he got dumped.  The last one was the mayoral primary in 2015.  To have a person that was a Hillary Clinton delegate to the DNC (Justin Adrian) beat you, in this ward, then you really have lost touch with your constituents.  Stick to real estate or used car sales. 

Going forward, Dave Myres will serve the residents of Ward 3 in a manner that they will truly appreciate.  On November 7, 2017 elect Dave Myres as the Ward 3 council member.

Ward 4:

Tony Noble                     695       41.82%
Lindsey Constance         584       35.14%
Brandon Kenig               370       22.26%
Ajay Sood                         13         0.78%     

Maybe Kenig has learned that it's not nice to over embellish your qualifications in an attempt to make it look like you are the most fantastic candidate and council person to ever serve (even after only two years....appointed not elected).

Since the general election is in November, and the winners from that election will take office in January we are still stuck with these two lame duck incumbents for 5 months.  Anything that these two do that IMHO is detrimental for the city will be noted here. 

Going forward Tony Noble is the candidate to vote for on November 7, 2017.  He will represent the folks of Ward 4 in the manner that they want.

There are two more members of the council that need to go bye-bye, but that won't come up until 2019.  Suffice it to say one of them is from Ward 4 who endorsed Brandon Kenig.

Vaught & Kenig Kicked to the Curb

Voters in Shawnee's Wards 3 & 4 chose to kick two incumbents to the curb.  Jeff "The Arrogant One" Vaught came in third in Ward 3 and Brandon "Bobblehead" Kenig also came in third in Ward 4. 

Dave Myres will go up against Justin Adrian in Ward 3 and Tony Noble will go up against Lindsey Constance in Ward 4.  Adrian and Constance who both had support from the Johnson County Democratic Party would not be my choice for city council.  Adrian was a Hillary Clinton delegate to the  DNC and Constance, by her comments shows that she is out of touch with the majority of the voters.

The two lame ducks will be around until January when the winners of the November general election will be sworn in.  But, we can still celebrate the fact that they will not be coming back to the council after January.

So let's celebrate that Vaught and Kenig will be gone.............by "Dancing in the Streets"

Vaught's Hypocrisy Rears Its Ugly Head, Again

Vaught has a history of hypocrisy............and it's all on the record.  How about the times he has tried to eliminate or reduce citizen talking times at council meetings.  Or when he did not want full transcript minutes brought back.

Try this:  Go back to when the council first discussed the remodeling of the city council chambers.  Another member of the council said that the price tag ($263,000) was the equivalent of buying a house.  Vaught said it was, if you wanted to live in a shack.  It is almost impossible to count how many times Vaught has regaled folks with what he paid for his house and why he built it there etc etc etc

Now, here is the kicker.  In July of 2016 he pushed for an increase in property taxes.  But not necessarily for him.  For a person who says folks are willing to pay more in taxes for increased services he apparently did not include himself.  Approximately six months later he appealed his property taxes, and did get a reduction.  The JoCo Appraiser's Office has the records (they are public).

Bounce this guy out of the primary on Tuesday 8/1, just like he got bounced in the mayoral primary two years ago.  Ironically, he couldn't even carry Ward 3 in that primary.  Folks must have realized what kind of a disaster he would be as mayor.  He is now a disaster as a council member.

My pick: Dave Myres

Brandon Kenig Speaks - Hip Waders Needed

If you believe the literature he has put out, he is the most fantastic person to ever serve on the city council, and all in two years, to a position he was appointed not elected to.

He touts how he has been supportive of the hiring of new police officers.  Well, it's hard not to be supportive when the federal government is paying for most of them under a grant that the city received.

Likewise, he touts how he has been supportive of the hiring of new firemen.  Well golly gee, when you plan to spend $4 million on a new fire station (with funds from a mill levy increase) it would be foolish not to support the hiring of personnel to staff it and the corresponding equipment.

Again, he is a bobble head.  He'll nod in agreement with whatever a citizen says, not giving any indication that he doesn't agree with what is being said, and then go the other way.

Tuesday, at the primary for Ward 4, vote for Tony Noble..............he will truly listen.

Voting Choices for Tuesday's Primary 8/1/17

OK, my choices:

Ward 3:  Dave Myres................at least he will show respect to other members of the council and to the public.

Ward 4:  Tony Noble................he won't be a bobble head making you think he agrees with what you say.

SMSD At Large:  Fabian Shepard..........some good old fashioned common sense and a strong conservative philosophy

100° Temps and Jeff Vaught Blows More Hot Air

To fully understand and comprehend what I am about to say it is necessary to read this portion of Jeff Vaught's recent mailer to the voters of Shawnee's Ward 3.

So, here it is, in his words, not mine.  Then I will explain why I am calling it hot air. (Click on the image to see a larger version)

 

 

Unbelievable......Jeff Vaught the master of bombastic bovine scatology does it again.  His comments about his opponents are, in a way funny and ironic.  He asks what city boards and commissions have they served on.  Well, what boards and commissions did he serve on before getting elected?  Do I hear a "nada"?  He claims that by two of them signing up to run they have created a primary for the voters of Ward 3.  Well, when he first ran he did the same thing.  Also, when he ran he said he'd bring civility to the council.  Heck he is the most abrasive member of the council towards his fellow council members and to members of the public.  Oh, and BTW Jeff, Dave has attended some council meetings.  You yourself didn't start going to them until you filed to run. 

 

He wants to know what record they have of civic involvement.  This coming from a man who shirked his responsibility to defend his country.  Civic involvement?  Dave Myres served his country first as an NCO then as a decorated army captain.  To me that is civic involvement.  One of Dave's assignments was as the OIC for the Ft. Bliss Funeral Detail where he supervised over 35 military funerals.  We know how important that is to the families.  And now he is associated with the Children's Ministry at the Westside Family Church.  Isn't that civic involvement?

 

What kind of civic involvement has Vaught been involved with, prior to his election?  Well, he did relocate his business from KCK to Shawnee after his election.  Gee, did he perhaps do that so as to maybe utilize his position to promote his business.  I mean, he is always telling us at council meetings (ad nauseum) that he is in commercial real estate (that's on the record).  Wonder, just how does he rank with other commercial real estate folks in the metro area?  Well, check out his web site http://www.vaughtgroup.com and decide for yourself just how influential he is in the commercial real estate market.  Has he ever been a principal player or participant in any major (define that as $10 million plus) project in the metro area? 

 

It's time to remove Jeff  "The Arrogant One" from the council.  Vote for Dave Myres in the primary on Tuesday, August 1, 2017.  There is also the opportunity for advance voting.  Check out the info at the county election office web site by clicking here  Also note that there has been a change in the voting location in Shawnee Ward 3 Precinct 7.

 

 

 

 



Three Reasons NOT to Vote for Brandon Kenig - Ward 4

There are IMHO, three good reasons NOT to vote for Brandon Kenig in the Ward 4 primary.

What are these reasons?

1.  State Rep Tom Cox
2.  State Rep Shelee Brim
3.  State Rep Linda Gallagher

You might ask, huh?   OK, it is easy to explain.  These three state reps have all endorsed Kenig.  They are listed as such on his mailed campaign literature. These three are apparently anti-second amendment state legislators.  Ergo, since they endorse Kenig it would be safe to say he in turn supports them (a little quid pro quo?).  As a ward 4 resident I don't want somebody to represent me on the city council who supports anti-second amendment state legislators.

If you would like a complete explanation of why I say they are anti-second amendment (and completely lacking in common sense) click here to read more.  Also, Cindy Neighbor was added to that group, read it here.

Let's elect as a council person an individual who will truly care about the people, and who, unlike Kenig, will not become a puppet for the city manager (Kenig, seems to have forgotten who works for who).  That person would be Tony Noble

Belmont Promenade Public Hearing-Another Perspective

Mike Frizzell posted the item below on his Facebook page.  He also linked to a KC Star article about this project which can be found here.  It is ironic that with two public hearings on Monday, the Belmont Project and the budget, that the Shawnee "not fit for bird cage liner" Dispatch did not have a presence.

Interesting on how those young people might have been used. 

Can't say this surprises me.
"About a dozen teenagers stood at the back of the packed chamber for the full two hours, expressing support for closer jobs, restaurant and shopping options.
One of them, Ben Snyder, said later he organized the group to help family friend, Steve Beaumont, who owns the land to be developed. “It will definitely affect us now and 20 years from now,” Snyder said."
The council didn't see the mirage and it didn't sit right with me. Now, thanks to a freelancer for the Kansas City Star, the truth comes out.
You're not getting all of these teenagers to stand around and pretend to want to attend a city council meeting for two hours without some kind of incentive or requirement. One of the teenage speakers gave a KCK address when it was her turn to speak...
I've regularly attended Shawnee City Council meetings for more than two years now. On the rare occasion that there are more than four members of the public in the audience, they're usually there because there is something specific to their neighborhood on the agenda or it's a small group of teenagers who are there because of a school requirement.
I sat through Monday's meeting with four teenagers in the row in front of me. All four ignored at least 80% of the 45 minute presentation put on by a city contractor about the proposed TIF and CID.
As soon as it was time for public comment, their eyeballs left their phones and they were all too eager to comment.
Their concerns were eerily vague. There was mention of not being able to find jobs in Shawnee. Where are you looking for a job that you can't find a better option than driving to downtown KC or the Legends?
Also interesting how the Legends kept getting mentioned, as that's one of the current shopping centers owned by this development group... #JustSaying
To name a few businesses in Shawnee who are currently hiring; Walmart, Target, Hy-Vee, and just about every fast food establishment in town. Not to mention Amazon just a short drive away in Lenexa. Amazon has seasonal work starting at $11.50/hour. Good luck finding that kind of pay at anything retail.

The Ward 3 Threesome

As we get closer to the primary election (8/1) I feel it necessary to comment some more about the three candidates for the Shawnee Ward 3 council seat.  Remember, the top two will move on to the general election in November.

Well, let's look at Justin Adrian.  In an article in the Shawnee Dispatch he stated “As a teacher, I make dozens of decisions every day,” he said. “I have a fresh, young perspective and problem solving skills.”

Which one of those decisions was the one he made to go to the Democratic National Convention as a Hillary Clinton delegate, the witch of Benghazi?  More info on that here

Then we've got the incumbent, Jeff Vaught who never served his country.  Amazing, my oldest served in Operation Desert Storm.  Jeff "The Arrogant One" is about 4 years older than my son.  So, if he went into the service at the same age as my son he would have been out (like many others) before the Gulf War.  But at least he would have served.

And then we have Dave Myres. He entered the military as an enlisted person and eventually left as a decorated Army Captain.

So, who do you want to represent you in Ward 3?  A person who supported a candidate who didn't care about American lives?  A shirker who let others serve to protect our country?  Or a patriot who did his duty for us?

I know which one that this old Vietnam Vet  would choose.  If you guessed Myres you're right.
Myres would give Ward 3 the representation it deserves.

Brandon Kenig Is Misleading Folks

Brandon Kenig, candidate for Ward 4 council rep in Shawnee was recently interviewed by the Shawnee Dispatch, click here to read

In the article he apparently told the interviewer:

While on the city council, he supported the hiring of seven new police officers and 17 new firefighters, the building of the new fire station in northwest Shawnee and the purchase of new equipment for the police department, such as body cameras for officers.

Well, a council repo can't help but to support items that are being paid for with outside grant money.  Like five of those police officers and the body cameras. Duhhhhhhhh.............

Today We Celebrated...........................

................241 years...................

Ward 3 Primary – Myres Only Candidate To Serve Our Country

The primary race for the Ward 3 council position will be in a little over 4 weeks. It is scheduled for Tuesday August 1, 2017.

 

Suffice it to say that Dave Myres is the only one of the 3 candidates who has served our country.  Justin Adrian didn’t serve.  Heck he was a Hillary Clinton delegate to the DNC and we all know what her stance was on members of the US Military, especially in Benghazi.  Gee, is Mr. Adrian proud of supporting her for that?  Jeff Vaught likes to beat his chest alot but he never stood the watch. 

 

How about Dave Myres?  He started out as an enlisted member of the Mississippi Army National Guard and rose to E5 in the Field Artillery.  Subsequent to that he was commissioned in Air Defense Artillery (Patriot Missiles) as an RA officer (that’s Regular Army for those not familiar with the term)

He served in many positions before coming off active duty as a captain, the last being as Commanding Officer HHB, 3^RD BN 43^RD ADA 11^th Brigade.  Among his various awards and decorations are an Army Commendation Medal and 2 awards of the Army Achievement Medal.

 

For those folks who say city council is not a national office and military service is not germane, I say hogwash.  A willingness to serve one’s country, with possible exposure to adverse conditions is, IMHO, an indication of a person’s commitment to his fellow man.

 

As a former Army Staff Sergeant with service in Nam there is only one candidate in Ward 3 that I would feel comfortable saluting…………….figuratively and literally…………and that is Dave Myres.

 

What Is Going On With The Shawnee Dispatch?

I very rarely read the hard copy.  I do read the on line version consistently.

It has become a local puff piece, & HS athletic rah rah paper.

This is the first year that Shawnee voters will go to the polls for a local general election in November.  As such, this is the first year that local primaries will be held in August.  As such, we have two council wards that will have a primary.  Ward 3 has three candidates and Ward 4 has four candidates.

There has been no mention at all in the Dispatch (on line) about this.  But the local reporter does give us plenty of feel good puff pieces.  Gee, is she going to cover the ruling in the Qrivit vs COS case?

We have public hearings on the budget, Bellmont Promenade and other items coming up.  Is the Dispatch going to cover those?  Where are the interim stories on these and other items affecting the city? Are the citizens of Shawnee deliberately being kept in the dark about these items.  IMHO, the Dispatch stinks.  It's not even worth its free distribution.

Anyway, the only "hard" stories have been those contributed by Mike Frizzell of Operation 100 news.

Kenig Explains Missing Newsletter

In keeping with my policy of posting rebuttals from individuals that I have mentioned here is one from Brandon Kenig.

He called last night, I was not available, but he did leave a VM.  Not being a court stenographer I will give a brief synopsis of what he said.  He said that he did not delete me from his email list for his newsletter.  He claims that the email distribution program that he uses maxes out at 100 and he has more than that on the list.  This means that he has to go back in and resend to those who did not get it the first time.  He also stated I was not the only one that told him they did not receive the newsletter.

I do know that some of these email distribution lists (especially if they are free) do have limitations on the number of contacts that they can send.  We'll just have to take his word that his list tops out at 100 and he has more than that on the list.

******************************************

How come Vaught doesn't respond to my postings.  Oh I know, he just let's a woman confront me in a grocery store parking lot.  http://shawneeray.blogspot.com/2016/10/im-bully-and-fathers-are-protected-class.html
 

Did Brandon Kenig Have a Hissy Fit? Advice for Jeff Vaught

Keep in mind, that I do live and vote in Ward 4, and Kenig is running for election in this ward.

Well, he has a newsletter that he sends to his constituents.  Usually I get a copy.  Not this time.
He probably had a hissy fit about my earlier post about him and deleted me from his email list.

Don't worry Brandon, I did get a copy forwarded to me.

*********************************************************

I have written on this blog numerous times on how Jeff Vaught can be a real windbag when he speaks at council.   He goes, on and on and on.  Worse than the Energizer Bunny.  Almost as bad as former council member Dawn "Motormouth" Kuhn.  Well, somebody passed on a Chinese fortune cookie fortune to me and said it reminded them of Vaught.................

"..................a person is not wise simply because a person talks a lot......."  Fits him to a "t".

Happy 242d Birthday - U S Army

June 14, 1775 the Continental Congress gave birth to the greatest fighting force the world has seen.

242 years later the men and women of the US Army are prepared to defend our country just as the men and women did who went before them. 

From Bunker Hill to Baghdad, with stops in between, the US Army has been there for us.  Let's be there for them.

Ward 4 Shawnee has a Four Way Primary

Looks like Ward 4 in Shawnee will have a primary election on Tuesday Aug 1, 2017.
Before I get into the candidates, let me remind folks that there are many ways to vote if you can't make it to the polls on election day.  There is advance voting in person and there is also advance voting by mail.  You do not have to be disabled to get a mail ballot.  For more info on advance voting please go here JoCoElection Office Advance Voting Info

OK, now let's look at the four candidates in Ward 4

1.  Ajay Sood----Hey, if he wants to run that's his business.  Shawnee's self proclaimed "love guru".
IMHO, really strange................

2.  Lindsey Constance----Well she may be a highly qualified teacher but IMHO her political philosophies reek of left wing Democratic Party agendas.  I know, local elections are non-partisan.  But, a candidate's overall philosophies need to be taken into account.  See the go-fundly page for Matthew Calcara, a democratic candidate for state rep.  See who he supports, both Constance in Ward 4 and Adrian in Ward 3.  Here is that page.  Sorry Lindsey you are too liberal for my liking.  Stick with your daytime job that you are good at.

3.  Brandon Kenig----The incumbent, by default.  He was not elected to the position, but was selected by the council to fill the spot left vacant by Michelle Distler's election as mayor.  At that time he was not my first choice for the position.  He was second.  Now he might even be third, with only Constance at the bottom of the list.  He has become a "bobblehead".  Talk with him, give him your ideas and he lulls you into a false sense of security by bobbing his head up and down in an affirmative motion.  Ha!  Then watch what he does.  Try getting a straight answer out of him.  It's like a NASCAR race as he goes around in circles.  IMHO, he is becoming like various former (and at least two other current) council members who forget who they work for.  Yepper, get the feeling he thinks he works for the city manager instead of the other way around. 

4.  Tony Noble----An intelligent businessman with strong conservative values.  This is a person who can help get Shawnee really moving in the right direction, especially fiscally.  More about him in future posts.  This is the person I will be voting for.  It is very important to support Tony in the primary August 1, so he can move forward to the general election in November.  Read more about Tony by clicking here.

Add Cindy Neighbor to the List of No Common Sense

Whoops, I forgot to include the other Shawnee state rep in the post below.

She is another person, who, IMHO is lacking in common sense.

Tom Cox, Shelee Brim, Linda Gallagher = No Common Sense

Correction  6/4/17 2150 (see last paragraph):

Shawnee has, IMHO three individuals that represent it in the Kansas Legislature that are totally void of common sense.  These are Tom Cox, Shelee Brim and Linda Gallagher.

What makes me say this?  Simple, these three voted for an extension of the gun free zones in university and hospital locations without the provision to have armed security and metal detectors.

When the laws regarding concealed carry were changed a few years back, certain government locations had a four year exemption.  They were required to allow concealed carry (beginning 7/1/2017) unless they provided armed security and metal detectors.  The reason for that is so simple it makes sense.  Law abiding citizens would honor "no guns" signs.  Individuals bent on creating havoc couldn't care about a sign.  Hence, a previous legislature said that in order to be protective more than signs were required.  Hence the original requirement for armed security and metal detectors.  Heinous crimes are committed in "gun free zones" since law abiding citizens cannot protect themselves. And actions like what these three malcontents took does nothing to protect anybody since their actions do not allow for security protection.  What feebleminded individuals these three are.

No common sense.

Hopefully our governor will veto this action.

Corrected info:  The bill applies to state hospitals including the Univ of Ks medical system.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Memorial Day, Monday 5/29/2017

Tomorrow is Memorial Day.  Most folks will have the day off.  Students will be home because schools will be closed.  The BBQ grills will be started, friends and relatives will visit and folks will have a good old time.

I ask that each and everyone of you take the  3 minutes and 31 seconds to view the below video.  Remember why it is that you have the day off.  Remember why you are able to visit with family and friends.  You can do all these things because of the members of our military who will not be here to have that day off.  They gave you the day off and the opportunity to visit with your family and friends, things that they will never be able to do themselves.

Remember them please, and make sure that you invite the young people with you to watch the video also.  Explain it to them.  Teach them.  Thank you.

Shawnee Officer Featured in Click it or Ticket PSA

The 2017 public service ad for the Click it or Ticket campaign in Kansas features our own Officer George Lozano as the spokesperson.

Congrats to Officer Lozano for being chosen to spread the word about this important activity across the entire state.

If you haven't seen the ad on TV, it is also on You Tube.  See below

Justin Adrian-Candidate Info Disappears From the Web

In a previous post I took exception to the fact that Justin Adrian, Ward 3 candidate for city council was a Hillary Clinton supporter.  The post even had quotes from his Go Fund Me page where he was trying to raise money to go to the Democratic Convention.  Well somebody who wanted to view the whole page went to the link then contacted me and said the link didn't work.

Hmmmm!!!!!  Did the Go fund Me page expire?  I've seen some up there for a long time.  Or, did he pull the page?  Not to worry.  I have the screen shots for those who want to read the whole thing. What other web info is going to be deleted?  Web info that I already have screen shots of.

Anyway, here are the screen shots for his Go fund Me page.

 

 

 

 

 

Cops on the Roof

On Friday May 19, 2017 officers from the Shawnee PD participated in "Cops on the Roof". This was a charity event, sponsored by Dunkin' Donuts to raise money for Kansas Special Olympics. With assistance of CPAAA volunteers over $1,100 was raised in this first time event. That was a tremendous job and one that we can all be proud of. We had 13 CPAAA members covering multiple shifts from 5AM to 2PM assisting the officers. Officer Mike Velasquez was the lead for the PD.

Third Candidate Files for Ward 3 Seat - There Will Be a Primary

There will be a primary election on August 1, 2017 for council rep in Shawnee's Ward 3.

Justin Adrian has filed to run and he will be facing Dave Myres and Jeff Vaught.

So, what does Justin Adrian bring to the table?  On his campaign web site, on the Meet Justin page he says "He has attended a major national convention and worked on national campaigns." 

I thought that was interesting, and yes, city elections are non-partisan, but I was intrigued, since he mentioned it.  So, a little digging and one comes up with a "Go Fund Me" page to raise money for his expenses to the convention.  It is here:  https://www.gofundme.com/pgx8n3sk

And what was the info on that page?  How about this?  "My name is Justin Adrian and I am one of two delegates representing Hillary Clinton for the state of Kansas at the Democratic National Convention."

Do I have an opinion on this?  You bet.  But first, for those who don't know me: four years in the army, discharged as a Staff Sergeant (E6), one year in Viet Nam and with a VA 20% disability because of the VN service. 

That info will probably help to explain my next comments.  No way would I want to see anybody who supports that lying, corrupt, Witch of Benghazi, as a local official.  No way would I want to see somebody who supports an individual who wants to destroy the 2d Amendment be elected to local office.  Now, I am really concerned about what he is teaching students since his profession is that of a social studies teacher.  Does he teach them that it is OK to lie about what happened in Benghazi?  I could go on and on and on, but I won't.

Anyway, suffice it to say that it is my opinion that the citizens of Ward 3 would be best served by not returning Jeff Vaught to office, and not replacing him with Justin Adrian.

Dave Myres would provide the folks in Ward 3 with the type of representation they deserve.