Do You Know Who Your COWs Are?

A few years ago I created an acronym, COW.  It stands for "Councilmember from Other Ward".

City councils are like any other legislative body.  Certain members are elected by citizens in specific areas.  As such, they are those citizens' councilmembers.  But, when the council takes action as a legislative body the councilmembers are acting on behalf of the entire city.  As such, even a person who lives in let's say Ward II has a definite interest on how a councilmember from, let's say Ward IV votes.  Just like somebody from Kansas can be concerned about how a member of Congress from Indiana votes. 

And just like with members of congress, the state legislature and other legislative bodies, citizens can express their approval or disapproval regarding certain members of the governing body.  And like with other legislative bodies, they cannot vote for or against a member outside of their area, but they can show support for or against them in many legal ways.  The most obvious being contributions to campaign funds, for them or against them.

So, get to know who your COWs are.  If you like the way they act and vote on items, support them,  If you don't like the way they act and vote on items, hold their feet to the fire, even work towards replacing them at the next election.

Update Regarding Letter to Dispatch

Well the Shawnee Dispatch may have closed down but their web site and Facebook page are still up.

So, if you want to read the original of my letter you can do so.

On their Facebook page it is here  Scroll down to November 25, 2018  There are about 15 or so comments posted to this one.

On their web site it is located here  There are not as many comments posted here.

Anyway, it is amazing that four of the original councilmembers have the arrogant attitude that they don't have to respond to a citizen inquiry.

Who are these four councilmembers?  Jim Neighbor, Matt Zimmerman, Stephanie Meyer and Mickey Sandifer.

Think about that.  You might have an inquiry for one or all of them.  What happens if they don't respond to you.  Are they really honoring their oath to support the Constitutions of the US and the State of Kansas?

From Section 3 of the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of the State of Kansas:

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

Stephanie Meyer - Speaks Both Ways

Unfortunately I was not at the 10/22/18 city council meeting.  I was attending the Citizen’s Fire Academy. But, I do have eyes and have read the minutes of that meeting.

There was an item on the agenda which concerned spending funds for some of the preliminary work for the proposed community center.  Councilmember Stephanie Meyer went on a diatribe about how the city was spending funds for public safety, infrastructure, and other items and the city should be looking forward to spending money on and putting in this new community center.

She inferred how she was in favor of increasing PD staffing and the new Fire Station when those items originally came up.  What she didn’t tell folks was that when the question of funding came up she voted against it.  Yep, she voted against a mill levy increase for public safety to pay for the additional officers and firemen, the station, and truck but wants to push for a Taj Mahal type structure for the west side.  This gives Meyer the ability to pander to folks on both sides of the question.  Does she think that there are folks that don’t see her duplicity for what it is? That her 'support' is only political and not practical? Those items she 'voted' for could not have been in the budget to vote on without the funding.

She supports a mill levy increase for an amenity but not for public safety. So, if she mouths off about being in favor of public safety projects but doesn’t vote to support them financially, I would strongly recommend that the next time she wants to talk out of both sides of her mouth that she go to Cabela’s and purchase some hip waders for those sitting in the audience. Especially since Fire Station 74 is for Ward III and that area of town was seeing unreasonable response times for emergency calls (fire and health).

BTW, there are still many, many areas of Shawnee that need infrastructure upgrades to include streets, sidewalks, storm sewers etc. that all this community center money could be better spent on.

 

One Down.....Four To Go

If you read my previous post then you are aware that I sent a letter to the editor of the Shawnee Dispatch concerning how certain (five) council members appeared to be ignoring my question.

At that time I was not aware that the dispatch was going to go belly up.  As it turns out, the letter made it to their web site and Facebook page.  And now those are also gone.

One of the councilmembers, Lindsey Constance has subsequently responded.  I said any responses would be published here. I am waiting to see if the other four respond before publishing hers.  Not interested in the other four playing copy cat or performing plagiarism.

So what do I do about the remaining four who apparently think they are above responding to citizen inquiries?  Awful arrogant of them.  Let's see, who are they?  Jim Neighbor and Matt Zimmerman from Ward I, Stephanie Meyer from Ward III and Mickey Sandifer from Ward IV.

Do I contact the KC Star?  Nahhhh, they probably wouldn't be interested.  How about the local TV stations?  Nahhh, they would probably be like the Star.  How about the Shawnee Mission Post?  Not sure if they have made enough of an inroad into Shawnee readership yet.  So, again, how do I let the citizens of Shawnee know that they have five councilmembers who feel that they are above answering inquiries?

I know.  I've got it.  By George I think I've got it.  At each council meeting there is a subject called 'Business from the floor'.  This is for residents to bring up any item that is not on the agenda.  Lack of replies to citizen inquiries would fall into that category.  So, I can bring up a copy of my letter to the editor and put it on the overhead projector.  I can then put up Ms. Constance's reply and indicate that the other four have failed to respond.  Beautiful.  Then the matter would be a permanent part of the minutes of the meeting. Including adding copies of those documents to the minutes. Perfect for citizens to research and see.  I could also put up a copy of Section 3 of the Bill of Rights of the State of Kansas Constitution.  Sometimes arrogant councilmembers need to be reminded.

Now at which council meeting should I bring it up?  Time will tell.  There usually are two a month.

Letter to the Editor Regarding Ward III Appointment

I sent a letter to the editor of the Shawnee Dispatch concerning the unresponsiveness of 5 city council members.  Those being Neighbor, Zimmerman, Meyer, Sandifer and Constance.

It appears on their web site at this location.  There are 2 comments posted.

If you are interested in viewing a running commentary on this subject, there are more comments posted on their Facebook page and that is located by clicking here.  You'll have to scroll down a little as some other news items are above it on the page.

1,058 to 5

Reference is made to my post on Sunday concerning the appointment to the City Council of Lisa Larson-Bunnell.  Actually it was more about how the only applicant for the appointment who ran for the office was not appointed.

Now, let's get specific.  Dave Myres ran against Justin Adrian and Jeff Vaught in the most recent primary for the Ward III council seat.  Myres got 609 votes, Adrian 415 and Vaught brought up the rear with 308 (eliminating him from running in the general election).

Next up was the November general election.  Adrian came out on top with 1128 votes and Myres was 70 votes behind with 1058.

Now that is what begs some questions needing answers.  Why did 5 members of the council ignore the votes of 1,058 Ward III residents and appoint someone who did not even do anything to really show that they wanted to represent that ward?

I am emailing those 5 councilmembers and asking them that question.  Their replies should be interesting, and will be published here.

Here is what I sent this morning:

Good morning,

This email is addressed to the five members of the Shawnee City Council who voted to appoint Lisa Larson-Bunnell to fill the position of Ward III council person until a special election is held in November 2019.

What factually specific objective information concerning Ms. Larson-Bunnell’s history did you feel was superior to the fact that 1,058 Ward III residents had cast votes for Mr. Dave Myres in the most recent city election?

It’s highly probable that there are 1,058 residents of Ward III that would be interested in your replies.

Thank you

 

 

Council Appointment - Games People Play

Last week the Shawnee City Council apponted Lisa Larson-Bunnell to fill the open Ward III seat caused by the resignation of Justin Adrian as he faces criminal charges.

An unusually large number (16) of citizens applied for the position. Previous vacancies usually had about a half dozen or so apply. All of the applicants said in some manner that they wanted to serve the residents of Ward III and the city. Only one of the applicants actually walked the walk and did not just talk the talk. That was Dave Myres. Dave had filed to run last year and survived the Ward III primary. He and Justin Adrian went on to compete in the general election as the voters of Ward III clearly indicated that they did not want Jeff Vaught to be their rep on the council. Adrian won the general election, and has since resigned because of the aforementioned pending criminal charges.

Why were there so many applicants for the position? Did they want a simpler glide path as opposed to actually investing time and money into actually running for office?

Now, let's get historical. Let's look at two currently sitting council members, Jim Neighbor and Mickey Sandifer.

When Cheryl Scott resigned as a member of the council Jim Neighbor was one of those applying for the position. Part of his argument for being considered was that he had actually run for the council being defeated by the other Ward i member at the time, Dan Pflumm. Mickey Sandifer made it a point to back Neighbor based on Neighbor's having run for the office. Hmmmm, apparently they both thought that running for office was a form of walking the walk and not just talking the talk.

Some time later Councilmember Dave Morris resigned his position. Individuals again applied. One of them was Dr. Mike Kemmling who had recently run at that time against Neil Sawyer and lost by 11, yes 11 votes. Sounds like he had a bunch of support in the ward. Well, apparently those two stalwarts who considered running for office prima facie evidence that the person truly wanted to serve the residents didn't agree. This time, Neighbor and Sandifer ignored their previous line of reasong and instead voted to appoint Uncle Alan Willoughby. Ironically that appointment resulted in a KOMA investigation and the JoCo DA was not kind to certain members of the council including former mayor Jeff Meyers. Karma is wonderful. When election time came about Dr. Kemmling defeated Uncle Alan Willoughby. (For those not aware, Willoughby is the uncle by marriage of former Mayor Jeff Meyers who was the mayor at the time of that situation)

Now we have the curent situation. Of all the applicants Dave Myres was the only one to put forth the effort to serve the people of Ward III. Again Neighbor and Sandifer apparently did not consider his previous run for the office as indicative of that. Guess that reasoning only applied to Neighbor and Sandifer's support thereof. It has come to my attention that approximately 100 residents of Ward III sent emails to the council in support of Dave Myres.

Do I smell another KOMA investigation brewing in the wings? Should councilmembers Neighbor, Zimmerman, Sandifer, Constance and Stephanie Meyer be concerned? Time will tell.

Live East of I-435? Get Prepared to be Stepped On

Hmmm, that's an ominous headline.  But, it is a possibility.

Here's the deal.  The city is gathering more information so as to have exact figures and other info in order to proceed with a special election (most likely a mail in ballot) concerning a Community Center on the west side of Shawnee.  More specifically, the center would be located at 61st St and Woodland Rd.

The mail ballot would ask Shawnee voters to approve a mill levy increase to cover the costs of the new center.  The costs are currently estimated at $34-42 million (based on whether or not a lap pool is included, with a possible partnership with the school district).

Does the city need this community center?  Especially with JoCo Parks having the Mill Creek Activity Center (6518 Vista Avenue - around the corner from the proposed new center) and Okun Field House (20200 Johnson Drive- Johnson Dr and Woodland area) all within a stone's throw from the proposed site.  Aha, that seems to be the big question.  Does the city need to have its citizens saddled with a mill levy increase to build our own local Taj Mahal?  Would it really benefit the whole city or primarily those in western Shawnee, predominantly Ward III.

At a recent city council meeting it was stated that members of the council had received 79 emails in favor of the project and only three opposed.  Now that makes sense especially when the numero uno cheerleader for this project is Ward III Rep Stephanie Meyer.  This is what she had posted on FB:

In my five years on council, this has been the single most common topic of constituent correspondence - "When is the Community Center coming?" While you've shared that with me, many of my council colleagues haven't heard from as many supportive residents.
I would love to change that and let them hear from you directly prior to Monday's meeting (and it would be even better in person on Monday!). Will you take a minute to email the Governing Body, at governingbody@cityofshawnee.org. As always, the words of the residents are far more important than mine, particularly at this time when we're down a ward representative.

Now, was that a sponsored post where a payment was made to have it circulated?  Did it go to everybody in the city or just those on the west side? Notice that she basically asked for supportive emails as opposed to letting the council know your thoughts either way.  Now that is cheerleading (more on that later).

It's time for those east of I-435 to start preparing.  If it does come down to an election make sure you protect yourselves.  If you want a mill levy increase, fine, vote for it.  If you feel that this is an unnecessary luxury vote against it.  The time line for an election would be in about another 4-6 months.

My suggestion presented at a meeting was to create a special tax zone, west of I-435.  Council Member Kemmling did ask staff to research if and how that could be done. 

Sidebar:  Council member Lindsey Constance (Ward IV) has twice indicated that if this was approved that possibly something could be done about the fees for those who had reduced income levels.  Ha!!  I don't see her sitting down with a pad, paper and calculator and getting specific.  Over half of her ward is east of 435.  Maybe she doesn't really care about them and wants to cater to the west side.  Same with Mickey Sandifer (Ward IV) and the two Ward I reps Jim Neighbor and Matt Zimmerman.  The only two reps who seem to be concerned about the effects this would have on the folks east of 435 are the Ward II reps Eric Jenkins and Mike Kemmling.

Hillary Clinton - Racist Statement - Where is the Mainstream Media?

Yepper, Hillary Clinton done did it.  You can read about it by clicking here.

What did she do?  Try this.

Hillary Clinton joked about how black men like Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and former Attorney General Eric Holder "all look alike."

During an interview on Friday, Clinton made the quip while correcting Recode's Kara Swisherabout who recently goaded on Democratic voters by rhetorically encouraging them to "kick" Republicans when they "go low."

After Clinton noted how she adores Booker, Swisher asked the former secretary of state what she thought about this "kick them" remark.

"Well, that was Eric Holder," Clinton noted.

"Eric Holder, oh, Eric Holder, sorry," Swisher said.
"Yeah, I know they all look alike," Clinton quipped to a wave of laughter and applause in the room.

Wow, if Donald Trump had said that, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, The NY Times, The Washington Post et al would be blasting negative headlines for days.  Jim Acosta would be badgering the White House press team.  Where are they now?  Not a peep.

If you don't believe the printed words above, here is a You Tube clip of the event.  Typical Liberal Democratic hypocrisy.  It's about at the 1:25 mark or so.

 

 

 

Eric Jenkins for State Rep District 18

Below please see a  scanned image of his campaign literature.  Ever since he got on the city council he has been a strong voice for the people and their pocketbooks.  He will give the citizens of district 18 something they have not had recently and that is a true voice in Topeka.

Please click on the image to see full size..

Hillary Clinton - Denigrates America

This is an interesting article that appeared a couple of days ago in the NY Post.

It is getting to be routine for her to show exactly how two faced she is.  Like a petulant child Hillary "The Witch(sp) of Benghazi" Clinton keeps throwing temper tantrums.

The article does not even mention how two faced she is when she says, with regards to sexual assaults, all women must be believed, except naturally her husband.  But that will be a topic for a future blog post.

On The National Scene - Promises Made, Promises Kept

Yep, this post is going to be about President Donald Trump.  Folks laughed at me when I said he'd get the nomination.  They called me nuts when I said he'd be our President.  I think some of these overpaid political pundits, with all their fancy data need to send me part of their income.

The Kavanaugh confirmation overshadowed something else that recently happened.  Remember when President Trump had said that NAFTA was bad for our country?  And that he would renegotiate it?  Well, he initially had success with that with Mexico.  When he was in Canada over the summer and he took a tough stance with that country folks said he was attacking our allies.  They said he was destroying relationships.  Canada was not about to change.  Guess what?  Canada did renegotiate.  We now have the USMCA and it is definitely better for us than the old NAFTA.

Remember when he was blasted for the things he said about North Korea?  Hmmmm, it did lead to a sit down with Kim.  Nothing great yet......unless you count the fact that it was the first time in over 70 years that the two countries' top leaders sat down face to face.  Nothing happens unless that happens.  That was a first big step that no other president was able to accomplish

Anyway, here are my prognostications for the upcoming mid-term elections.  The Republican party will gain 4-6 seats in the Senate.  The heart of America is tired of playing patsy to the coastal liberal establishment.  (And this coming from a guy born and raised in NYC).  In the house I'm guessing up or down 5 seats.  The Republicans will maintain control but by how much is uncertain.  Right here in our own Kansas 3rd Congressional District we need to return Kevin Yoder to Congress.  Sharice Davids (and others of her ilk) and her brand of radical progressive socialism would be destructive to our country.  Her health care plan would cost tens of trillions of dollars and her pushing for the dismembering of ICE just stinks.

Sidebar 1:  Sen. Dianne Feinstein needs to be investigated by the Senate Ethics Committee.  Her holding back on Dr. Ford's letter and then it's leakage at the 11th hour smells of horse manure.  Also, after her viewing of the FBI supplemental report she and Sen. Schumer held a short presser.  Ironically she kept referring to Dr. Ford, but would not refer to Judge (his actual title) Kavanaugh.  Kept calling him by his first and last name.  A subtle attempt at degradation.

Sidebar 2:  Sen Mazie Hirono of Hawaii needs to go back to the beaches of Waikiki.  When a US Senator, who has sworn an oath to defend the Constitution says that an individual is not entitled to due process she has violated her oath.  Who is she to determine, under our laws, that someone is not entitled to due process, or in effect is guilty until proven innocent. 

Sidebar 3:  Wanna read more about President Trump's wins and promises kept ?(Yepper, unusual for an elected official to keep promises that they made as a candidate).  Just click here to read this piece by Wayne Allyn Root.

Filling the Ward III Vacancy

Discussion was held last Tuesday 10/2 at the Council Committee regarding the procedures for filling the open seat in Ward III.  The vacancy was created by the resignation of former Councilmember Justin Adrian who has since been arrested and charged with a felony.

The procedures for filling a vacancy on the council are governed by Charter Ordinance 45 and Policy Statement 71 (click on the links to read them).

This will be on the City Council Agenda for Monday 10/8.  It is listed on the agenda under section "G" as follows:

G.

ITEMS FROM THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETING OF OCTOBER 2, 2018 CHAIRED BY COUNCILMEMBER ZIMMERMAN

 

1.

Consider schedule for Filling Ward 3 Vacancy. On October 2, 2018, Council Committee voted 6-0 to move forward a schedule to fill the Ward 3 vacancy. The proposed timeline and a Resolution calling for a special election is included.   Recommendation: Consider advertising the Ward 3 vacancy beginning October 10, with consideration of applicants at a special call of the council prior to the Tuesday, November 12, 2018, regular City Council meeting following procedures set out in PS-71, City Council Vacancy Appointment Process.     Recommendation: Consider adopting Resolution No. 1844, calling for a special election on November 5, 2019 Memo and Attachments - Pdf           What this means is that somebody will be appointed to fill the position only until a special election on Nov 5, 2019.  At that time somebody will be elected to finsh the unexpired portion of Mr. Adrian's term.  The individual who is successful in the special election will be sworn in at the next council meeting following the election, whereas council members elected under the normal rotation won't be sworn in until January.     This is the first time that the new procedures for filling a council vacancy are being used.  Strongly urge all who care (even if you don't live in Ward III) to attend this meeting and learn more about how your city functions.

Is Justin Adrian Morally Deficient?

Heck of a question.  First, we will say that, according to our justice system Mr. Adrian is innocent of the charges of having sex with a student until proven guilty (or he cops a plea).

Let's look at some items that will come up if he is guilty.  He was married in October 2015.  Three years ago.  If the charges are true then he cheated on his spouse.  Committed adultery.  Will his spouse stand by him?  Or will his spouse toss him to the curb?

What about the folks who supported Mr. Adrian in his campaign to represent Shawnee's Ward III on the city council?  What about DeSoto School Board member Kevin Makalous.  Does he feel betrayed?  As a member of a school board he must have some feelings about this situation. Or how about State Rep Shelee Brim?  Does she feel betrayed?  I invite them to send me any comments they might have, and I will post them here.  The below is for info regarding these two individuals and their support of Mr. Adrian in the last election.  Click on the image to enlarge it to make it easier to read.

And what about those folks who contributed money to his campaign?  Like the JoCo Democrat Organization and their central committee.  Or what about the other two city council members who were elected at the same time, Matt Zimmerman and Lindsey Constance.  Both contributed to Adrian's campaign.  And Constance is a teacher.  And there are others.  FYI, the list of donors is public record.

And we can't forget a former failed candidate for the Kansas State House, Marlys Shulda.  JoCo records show multiple campaign contributions to Adrian, But, in addition to that, she sent a letter to the Shawnee Dispatch which got published 10/30/17 on line and in the hard copy on 11/1.  Her letter can be read here.  There was a time when my favorite bird cage liner would not publish letters endorsing or criticizing candidates the week before the election.  Why?  Because the Dispatch is a weekly bird cage liner and that would not leave time for a response. In all fairness to all candidates, when the bird cage liner was a real newspaper they would have cutoffs for those kinds of letters.  What could I do?  No choice but to publish an open letter to Ms. Shulda on this blog.  That blog post can be viewed by clicking here.

Maybe some of you who donated to his campaign can get a refund?  Nahhh, not possible.  But, I would be especially interested in hearing from those in the education profession (active or retired) who donated to him.  BTW, that does include current Ward IV Representative Lindsey
Constance. 

Justin Adrian Booked Into JoCo County Jail

Justin Adrian, former councilman in Shawnee's Ward 3 was booked this afternoon into the JoCo County Jail. 

Booking information can be found at this link.  Note:  as additional individuals are booked the info will drop down and after 8 days will drop off.  For those wanting to search court records the case number is18CR02618.

He has been charged with a felony; unlawful sexual relations.  Bail has been set at $250,000.

The KC Star has additional info at this link.  Some of the additional info is that he has resigned his teacher's position but it is not official until accepted at the next school board meeting (10/6/18).

How Will Adrian's Seat be Filled

Guess what?  There is a new, hybrid method for filling a vacant council seat.  This will all be brought out at the Council Committee meeting on Tuesday Oct 2 at city hall, 11110 Johnson Drive at 7:00PM.  If you are really interested you will attend.  Also, there is an opportunity speak.

If you can't attend you can listen to the streaming audio. by going here and clicking on "Listen Live - Audio Streaming"

The documents governing the process are:

Charter Ordinance 45

Policy Statement 71

Click on the above to read the corresponding item.

Olathe East Principal's Note Re: Justin Adrian

OK, so we know that the Olathe School District placed Justin Adrian on administrative leave and that he subsequently resigned as a Shawnee city councilman.

But, what did the principal of Olathe East HS tell the parents?  That info is contained in an article in the Kansas City Star

This is what it says: 
A note was sent home to parents of Adrian’s students by Olathe East principal Kerry Lane.
“I wanted to make you aware that Mr. Adrian, your child’s Social Studies teacher, will not be returning to Olathe East,” the message stated. “We have an outstanding substitute in place currently and will be looking to name a permanent teacher as quickly as possible.” Prior to the election I indicated that Mr. Adrian was not my choice for city council.  His political philosophy, IMHO, stunk.  He was proud to have attended the DNC as a delegate for Hillary "the witch  of Benghazi" Clinton.  I found that to be abhorrent. One can only ask at this point what did he do for the school district to take the action it has?  What did he do that has caused him to resign from the city council?

Read more here: https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article218332035.html#storylink=cpy

Justin Adrian - Smarmy & Arrogant

An interesting thing happened at a council meeting about 1-1/2 to 2 months ago.  While addressing the council, I was asked by Justin Adrian about my residential address.  He wanted to confirm that it was an apartment.  The answer was yes.

After the meeting, outside of city hall I asked him why he was interested in the fact that I lived in an apartment.  Here it comes......shades of another arrogant former council member..........he replied (in a very haughty arrogant manner) that whenever I talk about mill levies, property taxes etc. that they didn't affect me because as an apartment renter I did not pay property taxes.  Fortunately, another council member (Eric Jenkins) was outside and he helped me to educate Adrian.  Apartment renters most definitely do pay property taxes.  We just don't get a separate receipt, nor can we deduct them from our tax filings.  No owner of an apartment complex is going to let tenants skate on property taxes.  Rent is adjusted to include them.  Whenever a lease comes up for renewal, or a new tenant takes over, the rent includes ownership expenses, which includes property taxes.

For the heck of it, when I got home I actually researched it specifically for the complex I live in.  The most recent tax bill for this complex is over $300,000.  Is the ownership going to "gift" that to the tenants?  Not quite.  Since a renter only has exclusive use of their apartment, the sq. ft. charge could exceed that of some home owners, since they have exclusive use of their homes, front yards, backyards, etc.

Anyway, I laid it out in an email, sent it to him and he did apologize. Whether the apology was genuine, who knows.

Here's the part that gets me.  He is (or was) a social studies teacher.  Can't remember if he has an advanced degree (masters?) He ran and won an election for city council.  And yet, he didn't even understand the basics of property taxes. 

Justin Adrian's Letter of Resignation

Below is a copy of the letter of resignation submitted by former councilmember Justin Adrian.  According to the Shawnee Dispatch he is on administrative leave from the Olathe School District.  Is he or is he not under investigation by the Olathe PD?

The question needs to be asked again.  Why did he resign?  Did he do something that would bring disgrace to himself?  The city?  The Olathe School District?

 

Sidebar:  It doesn't mean much, but it does show that Adrian, does not understand government protocols.  And he's a history teacher.  Ha!!  The letter should have been addressed to the Mayor as the titular head of the city and the head of the governing body.  The city manager, as an employee of the city, subordinate to the governing body, should have been listed last.

Justin Adrian Lied to the Voters

Yesterday, after only serving eight months of a four year term, Justin Adrian resigned from the Shawnee City Council representing Ward 3.  It is my understanding that he gave no reason for his resignation which was effective immediately.

So, why do I say he lied to the voters.  That's easy.
He said if elected he would serve them on the council.  He lied.  He quit.
They believed him, so they elected him.  He lied.  He quit.
He broke his contract with the voters, with no explanation.
He owes the voters of Ward 3 an explanation as to why he quit on them.
He owes the folks who got out and helped with his campaign an explanation as to why he quit.
He owes the folks who contributed to his campaign to cover the costs an explanation as to why he quit.

So, let's hear it from the quitter.  Justin Adrian issue a statement as to why you let all of these folks down.  Why did you resign?

Community Center on the West Side - A White Elephant

The thought of the cost of a community center to be built on the west side of town makes me nauseous. I was going to write an in depth commentary about this but Marty Augustine beat me to it. And that's good, because he probably said it better than I would. His commentary can be found at the Shawnee Dispatch at this link by clicking here.



I would like to add that the figure he quotes of $34 million could actually become $42 million if one adds in the cost of a lap pool that some folks on the council want included. They are talking about a possible partnership with the school district for that add-on. Hmmmm.

Also there is an element on the council that wants to have this item put on a spring mail in ballot. We are looking at approximately $70-75K for that when it can go on the primary or general election ballot for free (covered in a previous post). Some will come up with bovine scatological reasons for having a mail ballot. Actually I feel they are afraid that a regular ballot item won't pass. And it shouldn't. Asking the folks on the east side of Shawnee who earn substantially less than the west siders to subsidize their play pen is outrageous. Folks on the east side are not going to be rushing to use the facility.

Mayor Distler's Release Concerning Statement Regarding Cong. Yoder

As a result of a misunderstanding of Mayor Distler's statement concerning Congressman Yoder that appeared in the Shawnee Mission Post she has issued the following release:

As a Mayor I must work cooperatively with elected representatives at the Federal, State, County, and other municipal levels. Because of this, in my position as Mayor, it is my policy that I do not endorse any candidates, in any campaign race, ever.

 I stand by my quote released in Congressman Yoder’s Press Release as a reference to the job he has done for us as a city.

“Kevin has been very approachable, responsive, and attentive to our community’s needs and has reliably helped us cut through D.C. bureaucracy to resolve issues for our residents. We are fortunate to have him working for us in Washington.”

Because a few of the mayors used the word ‘endorse’ in their statements, The Shawnee Mission Post took it upon itself to use the term ‘endorse’ in their headline stating, "Six Shawnee Mission area mayors 'endorse' Yoder for reelection."

When this was brought to my attention I contacted The Shawnee Mission Post to clarify that I do not endorse candidates and that headline is not correct. Following, I feel their readers were further confused by making them think I am against him, which is certainly not true.

Again, I stand by my statement and it’s as simple as that, a statement. I was referencing what he has done for us as a city and it is very important to me that news sources portray things accurately.

Shawnee Dispatch Gets It Wrong.........Again

In an article on line about the new community center the Shawnee Dispatch says:

“The city plans to build and maintain the facility using revenue from a proposed mill levy increase, which would be voted on during the upcoming spring election.”

What spring election?  We don't have spring elections in Shawnee anymore.  The only way to vote on it in the spring is with a mail ballot election that would cost the city approximately $75K.  See my previous post.  Better yet, doesn't the Dispatch staff do research about elections?  Or do they rely on misleading info disseminated by a few folks.

Maybe we should classify my favorite bird cage liner as "fake news".

Which Council Members Will Vote to Waste $75,000

So, which Shawnee City Council Members will vote to waste $75,000?

How did this come about?  Easy, there is a movement to build a new community center on the west side of town which will cost approximately $34 million dollars.  Dat's alotta bucks.

Anyway various aspects of the financing has to go before the voters to include a possible mill levy increase. 

Now here's the kicker.......some folks would like the vote to be on a mail ballot in the spring.  There is the waste.  Any ballot question could be piggy backed on either the summer primary election or the fall general election, at no cost to the city

A mail ballot will cost approximately $75,000.  How do I know that?  Easy.  About two years ago when the sales tax increase was being proposed for road repairs the former city manager (Carol Gonzales) went before the council and said a mail ballot would cost approximately $30,000.  That did not seem accurate.  So, yours truly contacted the county elections folks, got the information and came up with a figure in the mid $60's thousands.  More than double what the former city manager had told the council.   At a subsequent meeting, the former city manager did tell the council members that the cost would be close to $70,000.  (Guess it took a citizen of the community to teach her basic math).  It eventually went on a regular ballot.

Anyway, allowing for an increase in population and costs associated with printing, election staff time etc. it would be safe to add 5% to the previous estimate.  As such a mail ballot would push the cost close to the $75K figure.  Ridiculous when there is a way to get it done at no charge.

But why are there some folks who want a mail ballot?  Easy, for the same reason that folks wanted it back for the sales tax increase.  Based on voter returns of mail ballots, and push efforts, it would probably have a better chance of passing on a mail ballot.  Not quite rigging an election, but putting the odds in the favor of one side of an issue.

As such, it will be interesting to see which members of the council vote to blow $75K.

Jim Acosta - CNN Reporter is Garbage

Ha, this idiot has recently tried to equate reporters to our country's military as far as being heroes.
He is a sanctimonious piece of garbage.  A double standard useless individual.

The item that follows was, I believe, posted here many years ago.  If you can't or do not want to read the whole thing at least scroll down to the last paragraph highlighted in red.

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 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 protester to burn the flag
 

Lindsey Constance - Clueless in Shawnee

It appears that our not so illustrious Ward IV council rep, Lindsey Constance is clueless about Shawnee.

She sends out a newsletter at the end of every month. In it she points out events that have happened and upcoming events for the next month. In this case we are talking about her end of July newsletter.
So, what did she fail to list for August? Various items to include two major events.  

First, on August 7th at the Soetart Aquatic Center the PD and Parks and Rec will be hosting National Night Out. this includes the ability for the community to interact with members of the PD and to swim at no charge. There will be a variety of displays of different PD equipment and officers available to answer questions. Also, free food and prizes  Time is 5-8PM with more info at https://www.cityofshawnee.org/news/what_s_new/national_night_out

Another event which has been going on for almost 30 years is the Tour de Shawnee. This bike ride has three distinct courses of different mileages.  A true family event.  This ride also benefits JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). It will be on Sunday, August 26th. For more info go here https://www.cityofshawnee.org/Departments/Parks_Recreation/Special_Events/Tour_de_Shawnee Besides the St Patrick's Day parade and the OSD parade and carnival this bike ride is one of the larger resident turn out events in Shawnee

Or how about the free Concert in the Park on 8/10. https://www.cityofshawnee.org/Departments/Parks_Recreation/Special_Events/concert_in_the_park



How about the Mayor's Third Thursdays (8/16) or Quarterly Q&A (8/9)? Maybe she doesn't want folks to interact with the mayor?

Oh, and how she misleads folks. She makes it seem in her newsletter that it was the council's idea to table the public hearing for Bellmont Promenade. No mention of the fact that the developer had requested the tabling.

Bellmont Promenade-Tabled Again-Now Aug 27, 2018

At Monday's council meeting the public hearing for this item was going to be tabled until 8/13.

Apparently the developer had contacted the city earlier in the day and asked for it to be tabled until 8/27.

Hey, maybe the city will get lucky and the developer will take it off the table completely.

How Do Civil Wars Start?

 If any Republicans and/or Conservatives had acted the way the Democrats have all hell would have broken out.  I have never seen a failed presidential candidate go out of their way to undermine our country like Hillary Clinton has.

From a speech delivered by Daniel Greenfield:

How do civil wars  happen?

Two or more sides disagree on who runs the country. And they  can't settle the question through elections because they don't even agree that  elections are how you decide who's in charge.  That's the basic issue  here. Who decides who runs the country? When you hate each other but accept  the election results, you have a country. When you stop accepting election  results, you have a countdown to a civil war.

The Mueller investigation  is about removing President Trump from office and overturning the results of  an election. We all know that. But it's not the first time they've done this.  The first time a Republican president was elected this century, they said he  didn't really win. The Supreme Court gave him the election. There's a pattern  here.

What do sure odds of the Democrats rejecting the next Republican  president really mean? It means they don't accept the results of any election  that they don't win. It means they don't believe that transfers of power in  this country are determined by elections.

That's a civil  war.

There's no shooting. At least not unless you count the attempt to  kill a bunch of Republicans at a charity baseball game practice. But the  Democrats have rejected our system of government.

This isn't dissent.  It's not disagreement. You can hate the other party. You can think they're the  worst thing that ever happened to the country. But then you work harder to win  the next election. When you consistently reject the results of elections that  you don't win, what you want is a dictatorship.

Your very own  dictatorship.

The only legitimate exercise of power in this country,  according to Democrats, is its own. Whenever Republicans exercise power, it's  inherently illegitimate. The Democrats lost Congress. They lost the White  House. So what did they do? They began trying to run the country through  Federal judges and bureaucrats. Every time that a Federal judge issues an  order saying that the President of the United States can't scratch his own  back without his say so, that's the civil war.

Our system of government  is based on the constitution, but that's not the system that runs this  country. The Democrat's system is that any part of government that it runs  gets total and unlimited power over the country.

If the Democrats are  in the White House, then the president can do anything. And I mean anything.  He can have his own amnesty for illegal aliens. He can fine you for not having  health insurance. His power is unlimited. He's a dictator.

But when  Republicans get into the White House, suddenly the President can't do  anything. He isn't even allowed to undo the illegal alien amnesty that his  predecessor illegally invented. A Democrat in the White House has 'discretion'  to completely decide every aspect of immigration policy. A Republican doesn't  even have the 'discretion' to reverse him. That's how the game is played  That's how our country is run. Sad but true, although the left hasn't yet won  that particular fight.

When a Democrat is in the White House, states  aren't even allowed to enforce immigration law. But when a Republican is in  the White House, states can create their own immigration laws. Under Obama, a  state wasn't allowed to go to the bathroom without asking permission. But  under Trump, Jerry Brown can go around saying that California is an  independent republic and sign treaties with other countries.

The  Constitution has something to say about that.

Whether it's Federal or  State, Executive, Legislative or Judiciary, the left moves power around to run  the country. If it controls an institution, then that institution is suddenly  the supreme power in the land. This is what I call a moving  dictatorship.

Donald Trump has caused the Shadow Government to come out  of hiding: Professional government is a guild. Like medieval guilds. You can't  serve in if you're not a member. If you haven't been indoctrinated into its  arcane rituals. If you aren't in the club. And Trump isn't in the club. He  brought in a bunch of people who aren't in the club with him.

Now we're  seeing what the pros do when amateurs try to walk in on them. They spy on  them, they investigate them and they send them to jail. They use the tools of  power to bring them down.

That's not a free country.

It's not a  free country when FBI agents who support Hillary take out an 'insurance  policy' against Trump winning the election. It's not a free country when Obama  officials engage in massive unmasking of the opposition. It's not a free  country when the media responds to the other guy winning by trying to ban the  conservative media that supported him from social media. It's not a free  country when all of the above collude together to overturn an election because  the guy who wasn't supposed to win did.

Have no doubt, we're in a civil  war between conservative volunteer government and a leftist Democrat  professional government.

Bellmont Promenade Public Hearing Tabled Until 8/13/18

A review of the agenda published on Thursday indicates that the public hearing for the Bellmont Promenade project is to be tabled until 8/13/18.

Belmont Promenade - Not Good For Shawnee

There will be a public hearing about the Belmont Promenade project on Monday 7/23/18 at city hall during the council meeting which starrts at 7PM.

IMHO this has to be one of the worst projects to ever come before the city.

Below is some info from the agenda packet from the 6/20/18 Special Council Meeting. The first three items are outrageous. I will go into more detail at the hearing. Suffice it to say the city will not realize any substantial sums for quite some time.


FINANCIAL INFORMATION:
Tom Kaleko, from the City’s financial advisor, Springsted, will make a presentation at the Public Hearing that will review information related to the project.

Reimbursable costs not to exceed $19,500,000 to be paid from:

• TIF property tax increment at 90% capture rate

• TIF Sales tax increment from City’s 1% general sales tax

• CID sales tax at a maximum of 1.6%

• CID special assessment in an amount not to exceed $.30 per land square foot per year, excluding right-of-way

• Consideration of issuing revenue bonds to fund the reimbursable project costs.

　

Now let's look at a few other things. The project was originally schedule to be retail and food establishment. One of the key players regaled us with all sorts of chest thumping puffery about the types (destination? upscale?) of establishments we'd get. Types, but not specifics. We do know that they put a brochure on their web site which contained much misleading info about the specific establishments. If it wasn't for the Shawnee Mission Post calling them on it who knows how long that would have stayed on line.

　

Now they want mixed use? Why? Is it because they don't have any commitments or even strong indicators from any upscale destination establishments? In many cities, including some here in the metro, developers have been known to produce written confirmation of commitments or at least intentions from potential tenants of these centers. Where are those letters or memorandums of understanding? I'm sure we'll get some strange reason why they can't produce any. To paraphrase a movie line: "show us the letters".

The financials are a slap in the face to the people of Shawnee

Jenkins vs Gordon - Republican Primary Aug 7, 2018 Rep Dist 18

On Aug 7, 2018 Republican voters in State Rep District 18 will be asked to choose between Eric Jenkins and Cathy Gordon to challenge the winner of the Democratic primary.

Eric Jenkins has spent his whole adult life in service to his community and to his country.

He is a retired, decorated US Army Colonel, having served both on active duty and in the reserves.  And, after his retirement, his services and experience were needed and he was brought out of retirement to again serve his country.

As a manager for FEMA he served at many disaster sites as the Federal Coordinating Officer.  This made him the top person in charge, responsible for all aspects (including full fiscal approval and disbursement authority) of rebuilding various communities.  As such he had to become familiar with all areas of community functions, from public safety to recreation, from education to health and welfare.

Locally, he has served on the City of Shawnee's Planning Commission and currently is serving on the City Council. 

This man is very well qualified to represent the citizens of Shawnee in the state legislature. 

Republicans are urged to give him victory in the primary August 7th and then support him to win the general election in November.

For additional info about Eric you may visit his web site at http://www.ericjenkinsforkansas.com

Who Is Really Acting Like the Nazis in America?

Let's look at some of the things that the Antifa and other super left wing groups have and are doing.

If you do not agree with them do not even attempt to speak especially at a college campus on the west coast.  Only left wing whackos and Antifa can speak.  The give lip service to the First Amendment (but with a caveat that it only applies if you agree with them).  Certain of these whacky folks feel so hurt that individuals cannot walk into restaurants, coffee shops etc wearing Trump memorabilia.

Hey, I'm depressed every time I think of how Obama stuck it to us with the billions he gave the Iranians.  I'm depressed every time I think of HRC selling out our people in Benghazi.  But I won't commit violent acts and use that depression as an excuse.

They create violent situations, starting with the day that President Trump was inaugurated.  You have folks being physically attacked for wearing their MAGA hats, T-Shirts etc.  You have associates of the President being accosted while out with their families.  You have vile things being said about the members of the President's family.  Can you imagine what would have happened if somebody had said those things about Michelle Obama?  Whooops, that person would have been branded a racist.  What happened if you disagreed with #44.  You would have been branded a racist even if you legitimately disagreed with a policy on the policy's face value.

You have people who have called for the impeachment of #45 the day after the election.  He hadn't even been sworn in yet?  Don't these idiots know the law.

You have idiots who will not give Trump credit for many of the things that he has accomplished.  How about the tax credits that dummy Pelosi things are crumbs?  Let's talk about North Korea.  Sixty-five years ago a cease fire was declared, but hostilities were never terminated.  The first step to establishing an end to hostilities is to sit down and talk.  Nothing can ever happen if that doesn't take place.  So, Trump sits down, the first time in 65 years and the whacky left wingers can do nothing but complain.  Ninety US Senators signed a non-binding resolution saying that we should move our embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.  Then when Trump does it, every democrat that signed that resolution complained that he did it.  Including Feinstein of California.  Guess she and the other Dems probably thought by signing that resolution it would make them look good and they felt safe that nobody would do it.  How do you spell hypocrisy?

Now, for the history buffs out there.  Grab a good valid historical reference.  Read what the Sturmabteilung (SA- aka Brownshirts) did from the mid 1920s to the mid 1930s in Germany.  You'd almost have to be blind not to see the similarities between that organization and the  Antifa movement and the whacky left wing liberals.

Happy Birthday USA

We do NOT kneel.

Happy Birthday USA

Illegal Immigration and Family Separations

Illegal immigration and the question of separating families is really getting outrageous.

Let's say a 40 or so year old father goes into a convenience store with his 15 year old son. They both have weapons and rob the place. Later on they are both apprehended. What happens? The father goes to an adult detention center and the son goes to a juvenile detention center. We don't keep them together. So, why should folks who illegally cross our border be treated any differently?

How many of the families are really families? How many folks use somebody else's children as props? How many of the juveniles in detention came in on their own? Without adults? How many of the juveniles are not really juveniles?

What about the benefits that illegal immigrants get? Food stamps, housing, medical etc etc. Because we in the USA overall are compassionate. Hey, I have no problem with helping folks who truly need help. By the same token, if you want to come here, there is a legal way to do it.

But again, if we really want to help folks in need what about the tens of thousands of homeless vets? Many suffering with physiological and/or mental issues as a result of their service. Their service that was given to preserve our way of life, Their service given to protect the asses of those who apparently would rather provide giveaways to criminals. Yes criminals. If you enter illegally you are a criminal. And what about the felons who come in? The gang members? The mules transporting narcotics?
What about the families that have been separated from their loved ones because an illegal took the life of a loved one? Like the 27 year old who was killed by an illegal immigrant who had previously been deported and snuck back in?

Oh, yes, let's not forget how children were separated under the previous president...........hmmmm double standard hypocrisy here.

Seventy-four Years Ago Today

Please, don't ever forget

Kris Kobach's Old Shawnee Days Controversy

For those that haven't seen it, it is all over the media, including national news outlets.

Here is my letter to the city council of Shawnee regarding their apology for Mr. Kobach's entry in the parade:

Mornin’

So that there is no question of what my stance is on the issue concerning Mr. Kobach’s participation in the OSD parade, here is a copy|paste of my comment on the Shawnee Dispatch’s FB page:

“I found Mr. Kobach's vehicle to be keeping with his patriotic stance on our Constitution and specifically our 2nd Amendment rights. I am appalled that a group ,Mothers Demand Action financed by Michael Bloomberg was handing out their anti-American propaganda. Will the city apologize for that?”

Here is a comment from Ms. Breithaupt on the WDAF web site:

“What happened yesterday was clear that we probably need some set guidelines, so moving forward we have kind of a set of rules to say this is what’s okay, and this is what’s not.”

Now, let’s address my comment above first:  When will the city issue an apology to me and those who were offended by the Mothers Demand Action utilizing the parade to disseminate their anti-American propaganda?  Failure to apologize to us would be an obvious “side taking” by the staff personnel that prepared the initial apology.

Second, with regards to the “guidelines” who will establish those?  Who will be a watch dog over the rule makers?

 

Will post any replies I receive.

The NFL and The National Anthem

Most folks have probably heard that the NFL will now fine teams if they have players/coaches on the field and those folks don't stand for The National Anthem.

There are those who say that that action violates the Constitutional right to free speech.  Man, if anybody believes in free speech it is me.  Just read this blog.  What the Constitution does not do is that it does not establish venues or who has to supply the venue.

Now, let's look at the NFL football games.  They are played in these massive stadiums, with exposure to thousands of spectators.  But, what are these stadiums?  They are places of employment.  That's right, they are places where these overpaid athletes get to display their skills.  But, they are still places of employment.

Now, most businesses have rules and regulations about what is considered proper workplace activity.  Most have policies against political activities on the job.  This is the employer's right.  Do you work for a manufacturing company?  What would happen if folks started engaging in political activities on the job?  How about a hospital?  How about a car dealership?  How about a government office?  I could go on and on and on and on.

So, why should NFL players be any different?  Hey dummies, that is your work place and the owners have that right to not want political discussions at the workplace.

Now let's also look at what started this.  A well known player decided to use the "taking of a knee" to protest what he perceived to be police brutality (including killing) of black persons (especially males).  Are some officers guilty of this.  No doubt.  But, who in this country is responsible for a very high majority of the killing of black males?  Answer:  Other black males.  This past weekend 8 folks were killed and 25 injured in shootings in Chicago.  Maybe that football player needs to change his approach.  Maybe he needs to concentrate more on creating programs to instill a sense of respect by black males for other black males.  A few years ago, right after the situation in Ferguson a black father who had lost a young child (3 or 4 I believe) to a random shooting said he didn't want to hear anymore about Black Lives Matter.  He said the community didn't have to worry about police killing young black males since they were doing the job themselves. It was a TV interview in the KC area.

Now if these folks want to protest what they perceive as a problem, fine.  That is their right.  Just not at the workplace.  There are plenty of public spaces where they can gather to voice their opinions.  And, with the internet, plenty of places to disseminate their thoughts.

Why Monday 5/28/18 is a Holiday

How many parents will explain to their children why they have a holiday on Monday 5/28/18?  How many parents even know why?

It's nice to have an extra day off from work, or school.  It's nice to be able to gather with family and friends, maybe Bar-B-Q in the back yard. 

Take a minute, or two or three to realize what the true costs of these activities are. 

Look for the quote by General George Patton in the video below.  Absorb it and realize how true it is.

Thank you

A Reader Responds to my Post From Yesterday

Received the below email today.

Ray,

Hypocrites is right.

Example, --  thanks to liberals, in many states pot is now legal for anyone to SMOKE .

Roll your own unregulated drug into a homemade cigarette is perfectly OK with them, in fact they make it a law. Smoke is smoke. What makes mind altering cigarettes perfectly acceptable and a legal product terrible?

Do you see any commercials or liberals publicly condemning drug smoking? 

Tobacco 21 - - Nanny Governemnt at its Worst

On May 8, 2018 there was a presentation given to the Council Committee by a group that has been pushing to have 21 be mandated, by law, as the legal age to buy tobacco products. They have been successful in some areas, but recently the court has overturned the ordinance in Topeka. More info is at http://www.shawneedispatch.com/news/2018/may/14/shawnee-city-council-hears-tobacco-21-presentation/

Needless to say I am strongly opposed to this example of nanny government. For the record, I quit smoking 12 years ago.
We consider people to be adults at 18. They can enter into legally binding contracts, serve in the military to pr0tect the sorry rear ends of these liberal wonks, vote, get married and a myriad of other adult activities.

Let's get real, if these liberal idiots think that a person at 18 is not old enough to make the decision to smoke then maybe we should change everything to 21. Let's start with voting, no driver's license until 21, no marriage until 21, no contracts until 21, and oh yes, make 21 the legal age of consent. That's right, hanky panky with someone under 21 would be statutory rape. (Gee, should I take my tongue out of my cheek now?)

These folks are a bunch of flaming hypocrites. I sure hope we don't have anyone on  the Shawnee city council that would fall for this nonsense.

Dumb comment of the night: The young lady who tried to use the fact that she couldn't rent a car unless she was 21. Dummy, that's not a law, that's a business decision by a company (Maybe more reason to restrict driver's licenses until 21? LOL).

I'm getting tired of the liberal wonks who think they know what is best for everyone.

Eric Jenkins Files for Dist. 18 State Rep

Eric Jenkins, Shawnee City Council Rep from Ward II has filed to run for state rep in District 18,

That position is currently held by Cindy Neighbor.

Eric, who is both a retired Army Colonel and FEMA manager brings many years of organizational and supervisory experience to the table.  Additionally, his time on the city council has shown that he is open to listening to his constituents.

Eric's political philosophy would be a welcome change to that of the current office holder, Neighbor.

Let's get an individual who truly cares about representing the people of Shawnee at the State Capitol into that office.

Council Rep Constance Can't Accept Criticism, Fails to Correct Error, Insults PD

On 4/29 Council Rep Lindsey Constance sent out her monthly "Constance Correspondence". In it she mentioned that at the 4/9 council meeting the Shawnee PD received the AAA Silver Award for traffic safety. The agenda had it listed as such, and Council President Zimmerman (sitting in for the mayor) announced it as such.

The AAA representative twice mentioned that it was the Gold Award that the Shawnee PD was receiving. Constance had to have heard it. She sits closest to the podium.

Needless to say I emailed her to advise her of her mistake and even copied the AAA rep's comments from the meeting minutes.

So, what did Constance NOT do?:

1. She didn't thank me for sending her the correct info

2. She didn't send out the correct information to those who received her original newsletter (at least I never saw a corrected copy)

3. She didn't apologize to the PD in a corrected copy of her newsletter (see 2 above)

Hmmm, is she one of those educators who thinks that they can do no wrong? Or that they are beyond admitting when they are wrong?

Obstructionist Democrats And Misguided Liberals Need to Wake Up and Smell the Roses

I usually don't blog too often about national items but feel the need to do so now.

The obstructionist democrats are really getting out of hand. First, the day after the election the idiots among them were calling for Trump to be impeached (ala Rep. Waters, California's contribution to the society of idiots). Think that she and her like minded fools need to read the Constitution.

Now, what about all those marchers that went around shouting "he's not my president"? Let's reverse it. Let's say traitor-in-chief Hillary Clinton had won. What would have been the reaction from the liberal left if 500,000 veterans had staged a march shouting that she wasn't our president? Oh, the low life phoney media would have been aghast, screaming "we've got to work together" and how could we be protesting like that. That is also evident on the various college campuses where conservative speakers are met with outright hostility. Show hostility towards a liberal speaker and you will get a lecture on the First Amendment from those who only feel it applies to them.

The obstructionists are so blind and narrow minded that they cannot give Trump credit for what he has accomplished. Tax reductions, businesses (especially small ones) being able to do more because of elimination of unnecessary costly regulations. The lowest unemployment in decades. The highest employment rate among minorities in decades. And what about on the international front? Traittor Clinton said that Trump wasn't capable of international diplomacy. Well, he may not use "polite" language but he certainly is getting more done in less than two years than the darlings of the liberal left ever could.

Moving right along, what about those liberal wonks who still try to convince folks that an AR-15 is an assault rifle. OK, let's get one thing straight, it may look like one (an M-16) but that is where it ends. It DOES NOT function as one. It can't. It's against the law, since 1934 for a civilian to own an automatic weapon.  And then, these same dummies wnat to pass more laws. After the terrible incident in Connecticut that state passed some really tough laws. When asked which one of those laws would have stopped the shooter, the answer was, none of them. All these "common sense" laws make it tough on law abiding citizens. Criminals (and that is why they are criminals) couldn't care less. Damn, if gun control worked, Chicago would look like Mayberry RFD.  More on this in a separate blog post in the future.

What's next on my agenda. Ahhh, that is easy. Every day there is an item about another teacher or groups of teachers who, instead of teaching are attempting to brainwash our children. That's right, instead of teaching, they are attempting to preach their political philosophy to the young uns. If I hear of any teacher in the JoCo schools preaching a political philosophy in class I will do anything and everything within the law to get that person terminated and their license pulled. Not open for discussion.

Recall of Local Elected Officials

Kansas statutes are specific as to when a petition for recall of local elected officials can be filed.

Try this: 

25-4323. Same; petition; filing, when; limitations. (a) No petition for recall of a local officer may be filed during the first one hundred and twenty (120) days of the term of office of the local officer sought to be recalled or within less than one hundred and eighty (180) days of the termination of the term of office of the local officer sought to be recalled.

 

Translating the above.................any time after May 8 a petition for recall can be filed against any member of the governing body who was sworn in on Jan 8, 2018.

 

Interesting.................something to think about...................and it only takes 40% of the number of voters who voted in that general election to get it going.  Strictly for explanation purposes that  means that only 1042 signatures would be needed in Ward IV, if somebody in that ward wanted to start a recall petition.  Interesting....................

 

Oh well, I don't know of anybody who would want to do that.

Did Mickey Sandifer Really Say This?

Set the stage.

Last council meeting.  A group of residents were questioning what kind of mixed use development might go in where Belmont Promenade is supposed to be going.  All this because the developer asked for a change to the comprehensive plan.  Hmmmmm.............strange for other reasons that we will go into at a later date.

Anyway the residents were curious as to what kind of residential development might go in.  Duplexes?  Villa Homes?  High rise apartments?  They wanted to be informed.  They did not say that they were against development there.

So, what did genius Sandifer do?  He told those folks that if they did not want development there they should buy the land.

What a dumb thing to say..............but that's Mickey..................

Teachers Need to Teach.........Not Brainwash

Here are three examples (there are more) of teachers attempting to brainwash students with their own political views.  And, they are getting at these students at a young age.

I sincerely hope that there is none of this going on in the three local school districts, Shawnee Mission, Desoto and Blue Valley.

If I hear of anything like this happening  in our districts I make a promise to go after that teacher's license.  When I was that young teachers taught us to think, not do the thinking (brainwashing) for us.

Here's one item

And here is another one

And yet another one

And we cannot forget the teacher on the west coast who made derisive comments about our military saying they were the "lowest of the low".

Parents of school children, please monitor what the teachers are doing.  Even if you agree with their politics, the classroom is NOT the place to inculcate young minds with prejudicial thoughts.

Tobacco 21 Gets Snuffed in Topeka

Looks like The City OF Topeka will not be able to enforce their 21 age restriction on the purchase of tobacco products.

In an AP article that appeared in the Shawnee Dispatch a Shawnee County District Judge slapped a permanent injunction against the city from enforcing their age 21 restriction.

Let's hope other cities that have passed this type of local legislation gets reversed by the courts.  Or, maybe they would like to save themselves the time and money of a court battle and just revoke their misguided attempts at nanny government.

This item was mentioned at a council committee meeting earlier this month and got tabled until May 2018.  Hopefully it will die there.  Unfortunately we do have some nanny government representatives on the city council.

Mickey Sandifer (Ward IV) comes to mind.  I had a phone conversation with him about this.  Apparently he is in favor of restricting the smoking age to folks over 21.  My comment was that individuals were old enough at 18 to protect his tail end.  His response was that military folks would be exempt.  That didn't make sense.  So when I pushed, he said he had called and it would not affect military members under 21 from purchasing at the commissary.  Duhhhh.  The commissary isn't even in Shawnee.  But if passed they still couldn't buy in Shawnee.  He sure tried to Tijuana two step around this one.  Anyway if Shawnee is smart they will not pursue this item.

The nanny government liberals associated with Tobacco 21 are out of line, IMHO.