This one is easy. With the resignation of the current superintendent the board needs to find replacement.
They advertise for applicants..............restricting it to internal applicants only.
Dumb move, IMHO.
It is quite possible that there may be an individual within the district who could conceivably be the best qualified. And then again not necessarily. Why not? Because by making it internal only the board is limiting the size of the applicant pool. Is it possible that there is somebody out there who is more qualified than any of the internal applicants? Quite possibly!!! Bigger pool.
Many organizations look outside of their sphere for many reasons to include the idea that an "outsider" might bring new, fresh ideas to a position and possibly to look at operations with more of an open mind, especially to changes.
If the call had gone out for internal and external applicants and an internal individual was still deemed to be the best qualified, then so be it. But, the taxpayers will never know if they may have lost out on someone more qualified.
Question: Is it possible that the board may have already had a good idea as to who they wanted for the job from the internal pool?
By now most folks in Shawnee are aware that our mayor, Michelle Distler has been approved for a diversion program after being charged with felony perjury.
In an article published February 4, 2021 in the Kansas City Star (and a similar one in the Shawnee Mission Post), Distler's lawyer, Robin Fowler is quoted as saying:
"She looks forward to moving on with her life in a constructive way, and plans to do her part to try and make her community a better place to live." He is also quoted as saying "She also wishes to express her heartfelt apology to anyone impacted by these events."
OK, let's take the second part of the above first. A "heartfelt apology"? Coming from a paid mouthpiece (old east coast term). IMHO she needs to go on the record, at a council meeting with a three way apology. First to me, for using my name because she was "afraid of political repercussions" if she had used her own name. Secondly, to the city council itself, because as mayor she sits as the head of the governing body. And thirdly, and most importantly, to the citizens of Shawnee for actions that were a disgrace to the city and an insult to all those who voted and worked the streets for her.
Now as far as making the community a better place to live. She needs to stop trying to be friends with everybody and start to become a real leader. And that means being able to make decisions rather than excuses for not making them. I supported her for many years and actually thought that because she was such a cheerleader for the city that she would become a good leader.
Wow, was I mistaken. It really hit home with the Community Center project which fortunately got defeated 72%-28%. She was asked where she stood, even at one of her Thursday coffee sessions. She wouldn't say. All she would say is that it was on the ballot and the citizens would choose. That is not leadership. Folks wanted to know where she stood. She didn't want to alienate anybody so she took no stand. She wouldn't endorse candidates for state rep and/or state senate because they were running as "party partisans" and the mayor in Shawnee is "non-partisan". Horse nonsense. The mayor has an obligation to endorse and support folks for state office that he/she feels can best represent Shawnee at the state level. And even gubernatorial, Congressional and US Senate
Then we come to the city council president selection. The council was tied 4-4. She didn't want to break the tie because "it would make the council appear even more divisive". Horse nonsense, in a situation like this it is incumbent upon the mayor to voice their opinion as to who they think would be best qualified to assume the mayor's seat if needed.
Her unwillingness to make decisions or take sides is not leadership. It's a person who thinks by straddling a fence they can make everybody happy. Ain't gonna happen. A leader has to make decisions........."ya can make some of the people happy all the time, all of the people happy some of the time but ya can't make all of the people happy all the time" She had an opportunity to really take Shawnee forward, especially as the first female elected mayor in this city. She blew it.
Now as a side note, the Shawnee Mission Post has published the emails that Distler was complaining about. First, the chain was started by a non elected individual, who included five elected officials in the chain. The topic was not about how to proceed or vote on an item coming up but rather a discussion of something that had already happened. One of the two council members who responded was explaining what had happened. The other one asked that they be removed from that mailing list. I'm no legal eagle, but I believe that discussing something that has happened as opposed to planning on how to act on an upcoming item is not, IMHO a KOMA violation.
Side bar: In a previous article in the KC Star former city council member Stephanie Meyer was quoted as saying she thought the emails should still be investigated as possible KOMA violations. All she has to do is download them from the Shawnee Mission Post web site and then attach them to an on line complaint form (being sure to use her real name). Keep in mind though, my comments in the preceding paragraph.
On January 28, 2021 I sent the following email to the governing body.
It speaks for itself.
Short, sweet and to the point.
Even though folks are encouraged to listen to the live
stream of council meetings there are provisions for individuals to attend in
person.
It’s high time that the agenda item “Business from the
floor” be brought back.
The idea that citizens can email the council with their
thoughts is fine, except that does not replace an actual live commentary
possibly with back up documents.
IMHO there is no valid reason not to have the opportunity
for individuals to address the council on matters that are not on the rest of
the agenda.
The citizens of Shawnee deserve the opportunity to address
the council, live and in person. This continued stifling of input is
outrageous.
Well looks like council member Lindsey Constance is again showing a lack of common sense and fiscal responsibility.
Let's make it easy. The city wound up with $2.3 million that needed to be spent. Not gonna go into detail right now how that happened. Anyway, the not so illustrious Ward 4 council member was pushing to have sidewalks put in on Johnson Drive, from Barker to Lackman. See the map below, and click on it if you want to see it larger.
Yes, that monstrosity at the top left quadrant is the land fill. Johnson Drive is right above the extended yellow arrow, Barker on the left, then going east to the area of Lackman on the right. The structure right below the center of the landfill is the Shawnee Public Works complex and just to the east of I-435 is the PD, Municipal Court and Fire Station 72. If anybody is interested the structures south of the arrow and public works is that residence that belonged to the late Ron Deffenbaugh and is on the market for I believe approximately $13 million.
Anyway, what was Constance thinking? First, if you want to spend the money on sidewalks what about the areas on the east side that don't have any. You know, the areas where kids have to walk in the street to go to school. One would think that as a teacher that would be a concern of hers. Apparently not. And yes, those are areas where there are drainage ditches for runoff as opposed to storm water pipes.
Now speaking of storm water pipes, it has already been discussed numerous times that ours are in sorry shape. Multi millions of dollars in projected replacement costs that are scheduled to take many years to complete. And, we are constantly having failures that require spending funds on an emergency basis.
That $2.3 million would surely help in that regard. That is a much needed infrastructure improvement as opposed to sidewalks with little or no foot traffic. Fortunately, folks with common sense have directed staff to look at using the funds for storm water repairs.
But what would one come to expect from a council member who pushed for a $38 million dollar community center ($54 million with interest, and projected to run in the red)? Oh, and we can't forget that she was one of the council members who voted to give our city manager a 25% raise (approximately $40K) at the beginning of the pandemic economic negative situation. BTW, did anybody else get a 25% raise. Bet the city employees who do the day to day work to keep our city going would have loved that. What did they get? Should we even mention that she pushed for that five story monstrosity on the old Wonderscope property? Fortunately that didn't fly.
Question: Who got to Constance for her to push for those sidewalks? Inquiring minds want to know.
She is up for reelection this November. If she chooses to run, folks need to take a good hard look at herrecord, particularly when it comes to financial matters.
Has anyone noticed how the upcoming Presidency of Joe Biden is being referred as?
The major media is constantly referring to it as the Biden-Harris administration. Even Biden and Harris have done that. Harris even went so far at least once to reverse the names (LOL). Many other senior democrats have also double named the administration.. I cannot remember any other time when a Presidential administration was referred to by both the President and Vice-President.
Why? Is it possible that the Democrats are planning to take down their own leader? Why did Nancy Pelosi start making plans for a congressional panel concerning the matter? Was it to go after Trump?
Here's my prediction. Joe Biden will resign the Presidency (health, dementia?) sometime after January 21, 2023, or he will be forced out by the 25th Amendment (health, dementia). Why after January 21, 2023? Read the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution and then do the math.
On Monday, 12/21/20 the KC Star ran an article about the political divide in Shawnee, Kansas. Various individuals were quoted for the article.
Two that stand out for the volume of their quotes were former council members Stephanie Meyer and Jeff Vaught. Apparently these two have a problem in handling rejection.
They were quite critical about the fact that recent local elections have resulted in the increase of individuals who lean towards a conservative philosophy on the city council. Would they have been as critical if the elections had gone the other way? I doubt it. They say they are concerned because local elections are supposed to be non-partisan. Golly gee, that just means that there is no party affiliation listed on the ballot. Can candidates and elected officials really be non-partisan? These two jokers are whacky. People run for office based on what they want to accomplish (their agendas). And when elected they push those items. And that means that the only time someone having an agenda is bad is when that agenda runs counter to yours. Do I smell a little hypocrisy here?
These two pillars of pomposity apparently can't get over rejection. They both were strong advocates for the Shawnee Community Center which went down in a city wide election 72%-28%. Meyer lost in her bid to become mayor of Shawnee.
Vaught has a more colorful history of losses (and some victories). Let's start with the fact that he was elected to the city council in 2009 and reelected in 2013. Now it gets interesting. He ran in 2015 in a four way primary election for mayor. He did not make the cut, so he never got to the general election. City wide he was not in the top two. What was interesting is how the voters of Ward III (his ward) rejected him as shown by just that ward's results:
Distler 229 26.29%
Pflumm 216 24.80%
Segale 145 16.65%
Vaught 261 32.26%
Translation: 2/3 of the electors in his ward did not want him as mayor. Were they finally seeing that his concepts were not what they wanted?
Now let's move on to 2017. There was a three way primary for his council seat in Ward III. Again, he did not finish in the top two. Whoops, were the voters in Ward III, rejecting him? Again!!! Had they had enough of his philosophy and braggadocio? What were the numbers?
Adrian 415 31.16%
Myres 609 45.72%
Vaught 308 23.12%
Wow, almost 8 out of 10 voters in his ward told him to hit the road.
Is it at all possible that the voters in Shawnee do want change from the philosophies of folks like Meyer and Vaught?
Many folks are not aware of how this holiday favorite came to be.
Here is some info from Wikipedia:
"I'll Be Home for Christmas" is a Christmas song written by the lyricist Kim Gannon and composer Walter Kent and recorded in 1943 by Bing Crosby, who scored a top ten hit with the song. Originally written to honor soldiers overseas who longed to be home at Christmas time, "I'll Be Home for Christmas" has since gone on to become a Christmas standard. The song is sung from the point of view of a soldier stationed overseas during World War II, writing a letter to his family. In the message, he tells the family he will be coming home and to prepare the holiday for him, and requests snow, mistletoe, and presents on the tree. The song ends on a melancholy note, with the soldier saying, "I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams".The flip side of the original recording (Decca 18570B) was "Danny Boy"
So, this holiday season please take a minute and think about our troops, some overseas, some stateside, who will not be home for Christmas.......but "only in their dreams".
Let's talk about how a COW (council member from other ward) made a big mistake.
By now most folks are familiar with the fact that the proposed apartment building for the old Wonderscope property was turned down.
Here is what I was told. The neighbors that banded together naturally expressed their opinions with their council reps (Ward 2). And that is the way it should be. On the other hand, remember that when the council votes, regardless of which ward the council member was elected from, that council member is voting for the whole city. Yes, including the area where the building was proposed to go.
Apparently, the folks that were against the project asked for a meeting with Matt Zimmerman, from Ward 1. The neighborhood folks wanted to at least present their opinions to him, knowing that when he would vote it would affect them. Supposedly he told them to "contact your council rep" and refused a meeting. Dumb, stupid and arrogant, IMHO. Regardless of which ward the project is in, council reps need to at least hear what the citizens in that ward have to say. Why? Because how they vote on the council will affect those folks. Now, they may not agree with those citizens but they sure as heck ought to at least listen to them.
Those citizens who he ignored can't vote for or against him in the next election (should he choose to run again). But, they sure could do certain things that are legal to help an opponent of his.
I've written about this subject before, and feel that with a city council election coming up in about a year (or sooner if there are primaries) it needs to be discussed again.
What is a COW? Shawnee has four council wards. Each ward has two council members. So, each citizen has 6 COWs. Council members from other wards.
Let's switch for a second to the US Congress. We here in Kansas might have an interest in a bill that is before Congress. Naturally we would express our feelings to our rep. At the same time we might contact, oh let's say a Texas rep and express our feelings (for passage or decline). Because when the Congress meets as a whole they are voting for the whole country.
Same thing with our city council. The members may represent a particular ward, but when they are on that dais and vote, they are voting for the entire city. And that is why council members need to listen to citizens who may contact them, even if they are outside of their ward. An example: For argument's sake let's say some citizens of Ward 2 have an issue and want some support, besides from their reps, but from other council members. So, let's say they contact a council member from Ward 1. but that member doesn't want to be bothered with them because they are not in that member's ward. Big mistake.
See, all citizens from all wards have the right to support or voice non-support for candidates in any of the four wards. They can't vote outside their ward, but they can contribute to a candidate that they approve of. They can even volunteer to distribute literature, make phone calls, etc. So, when a council member from one ward turns a deaf ear to a citizen or group of citizens from another ward they are making a big mistake. They may not agree with them, but they should not turn their arrogant noses up at them. They need to at least listen. Remembering that how they vote on the dais will affect those other citizens.
Tuesday at around noon two 53' trailers were seen loading those trash containers up at Splash Cove to get them out of the city. Good, go store them somewhere else. And just as important, don't bring the used items back here to be stored at Splash Cove and/or Shawnee Town 1929.
For background see my posts below of 11/10, 11/14 & 11/15.
I would venture a guess that this change came about because some members of the governing body paid attention to what was happening. They realized that the citizens of the city had a valid complaint. And they realized that city staff works for the governing body, not the other way around.
We have two council members in particular that need to go bye bye. One is up for reelection in 2021. If she decides to run again we will have to do whatever is legal to stop her from being re-elected. The other one is up again in 2023. Can the city survive? Maybe we should consider action under K.S.A. 25-4318 et seq
Let's continue the discussion from my last post, just prior to this one. The comments made by certain planning commissioners, were, IMHO totally out of line.
Let's look at what that fine body did with the proposed apartment complex at 5700 King Street. They were willing to go along with a five (5) story unit that contained 189 apartments. Now, here's the kicker, they gave a variance for 68% of the units. Huh??? Seems that Shawnee has a requirement that a residential unit have a minimum of 800 sq ft. Well, 129 of the 189 units were well under that.............some were in the mid 600s and some were even as small as 460 sq ft. Wanna know what 460 sq ft looks like? Go outside and look at a striped parking lot. Depending on the striping you will be looking at 2, maybe 2-1/2 spots. Teeny tiny huh? Naturally those are studio apartment units, but still, when you take away kitchen areas, bath areas, washer/dryer set ups etc etc not much walking around room.
Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the commission also go along with the concept that any excess vehicles could park at city lots. Always thought that overnight parking was not permitted at city lots.
Anyway, methinks the three commissioners who did not (so far) follow Braley out the door might want to consider doing the same.
Willoughby was, IMHO the most egregious for a variety of reasons. He made the comment during the open meeting that citizens should rise up and vote out the council members who voted against the project. Let's take a trip down memory lane. Let's see if "Uncle" Alan remembers. He was appointed to fill the vacancy of a council member who had resigned. The way his nephew by marriage (former Mayor Jeff Meyers) had orchestrated the appointment process resulted in a KOMA investigation by the JoCo DA. That resulted in a scathing letter of rebuke by the DA. Subsequently, when Uncle Alan ran for an actual full term he was soundly defeated. No wonder. His performance as a member of the council was, politely speaking, lackluster.
Some folks have asked me my thoughts about what can be done at that location. Personally, I feel that an apartment set up could be beneficial and blend in, if done properly. If it was kept at 2 or a maximum of 3 stories. Actually, what about a "village" of duplexes, triplexes and even fourplexes. Or, maybe designed like that but two stories. If the designs were right, they could conceivably blend in with the rest of the neighborhood and also add to the downtown area with additional people residing there. But a five story monstrosity.............no way.
At this past Planning
Commission meeting it appears thatfourmembers of the
Shawnee Planning Commission overstepped their position.
First, let's make one thing
clear. Planning Commission members have volunteered for the position,
and that is to be commended. At the same time, they are not accountable
to anybody.
At this last meeting, four of them seem to have gone over the line. It had to do with the fact that
the City Council (who is accountable to the citizens of the city) voted
down the rezoning action for the proposed apartment unit at 5700 King Street.
At the end of the meeting,
while still in session these foursaw fit to
complain about the action of the City Council. It is NOT their position
to take sides on these issues. They cannot be champions for either the
developers or the residents. That is beyond the scope of their
function. Freedom of speech? Yes, when the individual is not
sitting in a session. Taking sides while sitting in a session is abhorrent.
So, what happened? Commissioner Les Smith (5 years) started the ball rolling
with attacks of the council. Randy
Braley who has been on the Planning Commission for six years announced his
resignation because he disagreed with the council's actions. He has been
on the Commission since 6/2014. Good riddance.
Commission chair Dennis
Busby made some scathing comments about the city council. He has been on
the Commission since 8/2007. That is 13 years. Too long. Methinks
he should follow Braley out the door and not let the door hit him in the rear.
Next up.....Alan (Former
Mayor Jeff Meyers' Uncle by Marriage) Willoughby. He was advocating, from
his position on the Commission, that residents in the wards of the council
persons who voted against the item should rise up and vote them out. That
is a personal view, and if he wants to state that away from a Commission
meeting that is fine. But to make that statement while the Commission is
in session is a breach of protocol. He too should follow Braley out the
door. His service on the commission has been split over the years, but
amounts to approximately 10 years.
Again, it is
not the Planning Commission's responsibility to advocate for either side in a matter
that has come before them. These fourhave
tarnished their positions.
In my first post about this situation I mentioned the agreement that the city entered into with the sub contractor for Waste Management. As a point of reference you can view it by clicking here.
There is something very important missing in the agreement. There is no way for the city to opt out, even in an emergency or for cause. Usually agreements like this have such a clause, especially to opt out "for cause".
Who drafted this? Was it the assistant city manager who notified a member of the council that she had authorized this action? Was it the city attorney?
Here is my problem. We all make mistakes. Nobody is perfect. But for some reason we have some folks who say that our staff (especially senior members) are world class. We have a very good city staff. And most of the time they function very well. The problem is, and it starts at the top (City Manager Nolan Sunderman), there is a culture of an unwillingness to admit to mistakes. It is for this reason that I have not asked him directly about this trash container debacle. Previous experience has shown that he tap dances around questions, seldom provides direct answers, and refuses to acknowledge mistakes.
The lack of an opt out clause in the agreement is, IMHO, one such mistake. Actually, the entire situation is one big mistake. If Sunderman does not take full responsibility for this debacle, then IMHO he needs to go. The sign of a true leader is to take responsibility, especially when things go wrong. He is not a leader.
This is getting worse each and every day. See my original post of 11/10/20 below'
Here is what we know:
1. A sub contractor for Waste Management is storing tens of thousands of trash containers on the north side of both Splash Cove and Shawnee Town 1929 adjacent to the visitor center.
2. The same sub contractor will be bringing in used, unsanitary containers to store at these locations. These can spread infections, diseases and attract various vermin and animals (and not all domesticated either-----think coyotes, raccoons and foxes)
3. This action involves swapping containers with Waste Management customers and not just Shawnee customers.
4. The agreement with the sub contractor was signed by the Assistant City Manager. Who authorized it? IMHO, whoever it was should be terminated, post haste.
5. Why? Waste Management has hundreds of acres out by their landfill.
6. How was some of this information gathered? Not from the city. Staff ignores inquiries from citizens. So, a member of the community had a nice conversation with the persons representing the sub contractor.
7. Please, just see two of many emails below:
11/12/20 Thursday
I told you earlier about seeing the TV4 truck at Splash Cove this morning and the two obvious delivery trucks.
I did not get to see 7 am news for WDAF but do intend to watch the noon edition to see if anything.
But I then decided to go back and see if anyone around and ask where they might be delivering those on the two trailers.
Wow, glad I did. There were two guys in a pickup with Rehrig name on it. (The mfgr of the containers.) The one guy got out and talked with me for about 15 minutes. He and his bro own a company who contracts with WM to do this all over U. S. Said he had no knowledge of what is involved with City and Rehrig but he filled me in on details which I can guarantee you most folks, including our city council members and perhaps even the mayor are not aware of. Not sure I can recall all he told me but will tell you enough to make your blood boil and want some damned heads to roll from our "world class city staff".
Here are some highlights.
1. He and his assistant were awaiting arrival this morning of FOUR more 53' trailers of the WM bins!!!
2. He pointed out what is now the beginning of a second area of USED WM containers.---he also expressed frustration with mgmt of WM as they have not instructed him WHERE or WHAT is to be done with these unsanitized containers!!!
3. He did say these are definitely NOT going to only Shawnee, but to several surrounding cities having contracts with WM.
4. Now here is the part you will find amazing. A few years ago you might remember WM offered smaller size containers. The largest one has always been what they refer to as a 96gallon. I think he said next is 60 and smallest is 18. According to my understanding these NEW containers are going to be delivered to all WM customers, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY CURRENTLY HAVE. Customers will have no choice!! The plan is to send by some method a notice after TG I believe, but not sure of date, explaining to customer. They will attempt to deliver the NEW ones the day after the customer's current pickup date. Can you imagine that nightmare? He SAYS he and his bro own the company contracting with Rehrig and have done several of these "switchouts" over the past 10 years. He never did explain the WHY of such action.
4. He did admit there will be many instance where the customer will end up with double qty/styles as they do not coordinate the delivery/pickup. The info letter mentioned above is supposed to explain that he stated.
I know there were other thing he covered but these are highlights I remember. This thing I guarantee you is headed to be a much bigger fiasco and quite frankly I would guess strongly that Caitlin nor her illustrous leader Nolan, neither one know the real plan that is being implemented.
And think about it---those dirty, unsanitized used containers---how long will they sit at Splash Cove? Good thing cool weather is with us. NEW ones piled all over with more to come---WHILE old used ones are brought to same storage area to be held for who knows what.
Folks, this is a true "hidden agenda" I feel and no one at City Hall truly knows the workings!!!
11/13/20 Friday
I just came by SC on my way to Cap Fed. Those two white pickups with the hauler trailers were there (7 a.m.) loading up for another day of distribution I guess. And looked like more used containers had been added to the storage also.
This is probably the saddest Veteran's Day that I can ever remember. Some miscreants found it necessary to deface the WWI Memorial in KCMO. They spray painted " No to elections" and "Yes to revolution" along with the communist hammer and sickle. Would you like to see what it looked like? Then all you have to do is click this link.
The anarchists are looking to turn this country into a communistic/socialistic nation. Just see some of the statements coming from the Democrats about black balling Trump officials and efforts to reeducate Trump supporters. Typical communistic/socialistic moves. Adhere to the party line or you are in deep trouble. Funny thing is that many Democrats that supported some of these socialists would also in the end (if a takeover were to happen) would also be swallowed up. Kinda like some animals that eat their young.
Freedom of speech is great. Vandalism, destruction of property, arson, murder, looting is not.
Something I published here from an internet source many years ago. If you don't want to read the whole thing, then at least scroll down to the last highlighted paragraph.
WHAT IS A VET?
Some veterans bear visible signs of their service: a
missing limb, a jagged scar, a certain look in the eye. Others may carry the
evidence inside them: a pin holding a bone together, a piece of shrapnel in the
leg - or perhaps another sort of inner steel: the soul's ally forged in the
refinery of adversity. Except in parades, however, the men and women who have
kept America safe wear no badge or emblem. You can't tell a vet just by
looking. What is a vet? He is the cop on the beat who spent six months in Saudi
Arabia sweating two gallons a day making sure the armored personnel carriers
didn't run out of fuel. He is the barroom loudmouth, dumber than five wooden
planks, whose overgrown frat boy behavior is outweighed a hundred times in the
cosmic scales by four hours of exquisite bravery near the 38th parallel. She -
or he - is the nurse who fought against futility and went to sleep sobbing
every night for two solid years in Da Nang. He is the POW who went away one
person and came back another - or didn't come back AT ALL. He is the Quantico
drill instructor who has never seen combat, but has saved countless lives by
turning slouchy, no-account rednecks and gang members into Marines, and
teaching them to watch each other's backs. He is the parade-riding Legionnaire
who pins on his ribbons and medals with a prosthetic hand. He is the career
quartermaster who watches the ribbons and medals pass him by. He is the three
anonymous heroes in The Tomb Of The Unknowns, whose presence at the Arlington
National Cemetery must forever preserve the memory of all the anonymous heroes
whose valor dies unrecognized with them on the battlefield or in the ocean's
sunless deep. He is the old guy bagging groceries at the supermarket - palsied
now and aggravatingly slow - who helped liberate a Nazi death camp and who
wishes all day long that his wife were still alive to hold him when the
nightmares come. He is an ordinary and yet an extraordinary human being - a
person who offered some of his life's most vital years in the service of his
country, and who sacrificed his ambitions so others would not have to sacrifice
theirs. He is a soldier and a savior and a sword against the darkness, and he
is nothing more than the finest, greatest testimony on behalf of the finest,
greatest nation ever known. So remember, each time you see someone who has
served our country, just lean over and say Thank You. That's all most people
need, and in most cases it will mean more than any medals they could have been
awarded or were awarded. Two little words that mean a lot, THANK
YOU!
It is the soldier, not the reporter, Who has given us freedom
of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, Who has given us freedom of
speech. It is the soldier, not the preacher, Who has given us freedom of religion, It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, Who has given us the
freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier, Who salutes the flag, Who serves
beneath the flag, And whose coffin is draped by the flag, Who allows the
Actually that should be Rehrig Pacific Company, a sub-contractor for Waste Management. In a nutshell, the parking lot of Splash Cove has become a storage facility for thousands of trash containers.
There has been much back and forth between city staff and various members of the community with staff NOT being totally forthcoming.
The city entered into an agreement with Rehrig for the storage of these items. It would appear that the city is not being compensated for this. Why is the city the storage facility? Info from city staff indicates that the city was asked to help store the items which were going to Shawnee citizens. But, certain questions have yet to be answered, and as is typical for certain members of city staff it is like pulling teeth to get specific answers.
Here are the questions that various citizens want answered:
1. Who approved this arrangement?
2. Why isn't Shawnee being compensated?
3. What assurance does the city have that all of the containers will be distributed to Shawnee residents?
4. Produce a copy of the distribution list for these containers.
This is an outrage. Unfortunately, previous experience has shown that senior city staff (City Manager Nolan Sunderman) will attempt to tap dance around this
Well, the Presidential election is for all practical purposes over. It would appear that Joe Biden is the President-elect and I seriously doubt that any lawsuits filed will change that. In all probability there will be some instances of irregularities proven, but not enough to change the outcome.
So, why do I say that the Democrats' hypocrisy rears its ugly head-again? Actually the answer to that is very obvious.
First, let's make one thing clear. Joe Biden did not get a mandate. The vote totals for President were not a "wipe out". Democrats apparently retained control of the US House of Representatives, but with less members. Instead of the predicted "blue wave", they have lost seats. Maybe it's time for them to wake up and not reaffirm Nancy (the wicked witch of the west) Pelosi as Speaker. The Senate results are still very much in limbo.
OK, now for the hypocrisy. Biden is calling for unity. Where was the unity when Trump won in 2016. It was non-existent. Hillary Clinton has spent the past four years spewing venom. The House of Representatives wasted years and millions of dollars trying to play "gotcha". This is all very well said by Jason Chaffetz in this opinion piece. Methinks turn around is fair play. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. First, continuing investigations need to be conducted into the financial machinations of Hunter Biden and to finally pinpoint the involvement of his father.
Some folks may not remember what happened when Stacey Abrams lost her bid for governor of Georgia in 2018. How the liberal press fawned over and supported her legal challenges to the results. That is the same liberal press that is now attempting to excoriate Trump for his legal challenges. Need a reminder? Click here.
Some predictions from yours truly:
1. Our NATO allies, who under Trump finally ponied up hundreds of billions of dollars in owed contributions will revert back to their old ways of holding back.
2. The recently negotiated accords between Israel and some of its Arab neighbors will come to a halt. Biden does not have the necessary skills to move forward to bring others into the realm of these accords.
3. Biden will resign after serving at least two years and one day of his term. The reason for that time frame is based on the terms of the 22nd Amendment to our Constitution. The reason for the resignation will be medical, probably a diagnosis of early onset of dementia. The time frame that was just mentioned would theoretically allow Kamala Harris to run and be elected to two terms of her own. Any resignation prior to the time specified would limit her to just one run.
4. When the unemployment numbers for minority citizens rise and they experience a widening of the pay gap, folks will realize that Trump was not the racist that he was portrayed to be by the Dems. Under Trump, minority unemployment was at an all time low. The pay gap was narrowing (still needed more work), and thousands of Opportunity Zones were being created to bring jobs, home ownership and positive commerce in low income neighborhoods.
5. Various groups of anarchists will continue their actions of rioting, burning buildings, looting, assassination of law enforcement, and physical attacks of those not aligned with them. Biden, aided by local Dems will continue to refer to these folks as peaceful protesters. And, they will be aided by the Communist News Network and the Most Stupid Network Broadcasting Company. Eventually they will destroy our country. That's right folks. Unlike Trump who understood a strong law and order position Biden/Harris will cave. The Republicans were not out to destroy our country. It has been the Democrats with their left leaning (and leaning even more) that will destroy our country as we know it. Their cradle to grave philosophy of government controlling its citizenry will change our country for the worst. The only way out will be for a strong Republican surge in the Congressional elections of 2022. Will we survive until then?
I recently received an email from a very dear friend here in Shawnee. Rather than attempt to explain it myself I will copy|paste his email below, complete with the Go Fund Me link.
Please consider a donation. Thank you.
Hello, Barb and I are fine. However, here sister in Galena IL, had a serious
fall in her home last Friday. The details are a on the link to a GoFundMe page
created by her family and a friend.
We are asking if you have a Facebook account, please post the link. Also,
please forward this message to anyone willing to help out a pet lover.
Barb's sister loves pets and has been earning extra money as a pet sitter for
residents in her small community of Galena. She will not be able to do this pet
sitting in the near future as she will have braces on her back and neck. She
will have these braces for at least three months.
After many years of delays, millions of dollars spent, tens of thousands of residents and visitors inconvenienced this is the signage that appears at Nieman Road and Shawnee Mission Parkway. Photos were taken today but the signage has been there for quite some time now.
Who approved it? Somebody had to sign off on it. I would have asked our overpaid neophyte city manager but he has a history of not responding with clear, specific answers. Tijuana two stepping is his modus operandi.
Anyway, here are the pics, day and night. You can click on the images below to load a larger view.
Note that in the day image, from a distance, it is difficult to read "Shawnee". Try it for yourself. Drive by and see if you can read it clearly.
The evening picture is wild. Those LEDs look like a bad string of Christmas tree lights. One member of the community told me he thought that it looked like the wording on a marquee for a gentleman's club. Check it out for yourself some evening.
I've been holding back, but something that came up today could not be ignored. Hillary Clinton has said on her podcast that the thought of Trump winning reelection made her sick to her stomach. Well Hillary, the thought of you ever being President of this country is a horror film.
Hillary Clinton, who didn't care about our guys in Benghazi.
Hillary Clinton who told State Dept employees they could not use private emails for government business and then did it herself.
Hillary Clinton who used that private email for classified documents.
Hillary Clinton whose campaign paid for a phoney dossier that resulted in a multi year and multi million dollar investigation that proved absolutely nothing (except that Trump did NOT collude with Russia)
Hillary Clinton who has spent the better part of the past four years undermining the President instead of trying to work with him and who has blamed everybody but herself for losing the election.
Below is a list of names of the individuals who lost a presidential election since 1952 (the earliest one I can remember). There is only one name on the list that has spent the time after the election belittling and denigrating the individual who won. That name is Hillary Rodham Clinton.
