Ward IV Vacancy - Need More Applicants

So far only two folks have applied for the open position in Ward IV created when Michelle Distler was elected mayor.

The city's web site lists these two individuals as having applied and provides info on how to apply:  click here to view

Christine "Chris" Loomis-Nay
6745 Vahalla Ct.
Shawnee, KS 66217
(913) 962-9119

Brandon Kenig
13502 W 72nd St.
Shawnee, KS 66216
(913) 548-3297  66216

I have reviewed the filing documents and think we need some more applicants.  More info later.

Ward IV Vacancy - Applications Being Accepted

With the election of Michelle Distler as mayor there is now a vacancy in Ward IV for a member of the council.

Applications are being accepted up until 5/6/15.  There will be a special council meeting, prior to the regular council meeting on 5/11/15 to make the selection.  For information on what documentation is required please visit the city's web site at this location http://www.cityofshawnee.org/WEB/ShawneeCMS.nsf/vwNews/779CD50C9E2AA8CA86257BD400666DE0?OpenDocument

If a selection is not made within 60 days of the vacancy occurring then the matter goes to a special election.

Ward III - Most Apathetic in Shawnee

Well, it looks like Ward III in Shawnee is the most apathetic in the city when it comes to participating in local elections.  Now, I'm sure this statement of mine will ruffle some feathers.  Too bad.  The election results prove it.

First let us look at Shawnee overall in the most recent election:
Registered voters  40,682    Voted   5,780     14.21%      (overall this is not good)

Now we will break it down by ward.  The first figure is the number of registered voters, the second figure is the number who voted and then the percentage.

Ward I         10,718            1,821          16.99%
Ward II          9,518            1,446          15.19%
Ward III       10,499            1,241          11.82%
Ward IV         9,947            1,272          12.79%

Did you notice another interesting item?  Both Wards II & IV have fewer registered voters than Ward III. But, not only did they have higher percentage turnouts, they also had higher actual turnouts.  

Michelle Distler's Swearing In- Vid Clip

Last night Michelle Distler took the oath of office as Shawnee's first female mayor.  A new era is beginning at Shawnee's city hall.

We witnessed a subtle, but very important change last night.  In the past when an item came up before the council a motion would be made and seconded to approve.  Then discussion and input from the public and council would be asked for.  After that, the motion would either be changed or voted on.  Mayor Distler now asks for comments from the public and the council before entertaining any motions on an item.  This should give the council opportunities to hear various points on an item prior to making any motions.

The New City Council

After Monday's swearing in ceremony the Shawnee City Council will be short one person as our soon to be new mayor, Michelle Distler will be vacating her Ward IV council seat.

Look for the announcement to be made as to the procedure for filing to fill the seat and how the appointment will be handled.

One qualification that is mandatory is that the individual has to live within the boundaries of Ward IV.  A map of the city's wards and then each ward individually can be found here:  https://gis.cityofshawnee.org/GISImages/PDF_Maps/WARDS.pdf

Come See History Being Made

History will be made Monday evening 4/13/15 when Michelle Distler takes the oath of office as Mayor of Shawnee, the first female mayor in the city's long history.

The meeting starts at 7:30PM at City Hall 11110 Johnson Drive (Johnson & Nieman).  Newly elected Council Member Eric Jenkins will also be sworn in along with returning Council Members Stephanie Meyer, Jim Neighbor and Mickey Sandifer.

Come witness history being made.

Shawnee Has A New Mayor

The unofficial final results are in and it looks like Michelle Distler will be Shawnee's new mayor.  And, she will also become the first woman to be elected to that position.  

After the primary election many people commented on the high road that both Michelle Distler and her opponent Dan Pflumm took towards each other.This will prove beneficial to the city as Dan Pflumm still retains his council seat.  They both deserve to be congratulated for their hard work in getting their messages out, and in the manner that they conducted their campaigns

In Ward I Jim Neighbor was able to hold on to his seat and fend off first time challenger Ben Terrill.  Don't count Ben out.  Look for him to be involved in city happenings going forward.

In Ward II Eric Jenkins defeated the incumbent Neal Sawyer.  Eric will bring some well deserved freshness to the council.

Stephanie Meyer, running unopposed in Ward III will be serving a full term, and Mickey Sandifer, also running unopposed, in Ward IV will be returned to his seat.  But, there were 34 write-in votes in Ward IV  :-)  :-)


WARNING!!!!!! The City Manager of Shawnee has determined that local bloggers post items that may contain bad or misinformation. Please read these posts with care and determine for yourself whether the information is valid.

His Ego Won't Let Go

Like a scorned lover, it would appear that Jeff "The Arrogant One" Vaught can't seem to accept that he was bounced out of the primary election for mayor on March 3, 2015.  Today it is five weeks since the voters told him he was out of contention for mayor.

Why do I say he can't accept it?  Easy, his "Mayor" Facebook page is still up, even though he has another one as a council member.  His "Mayor" web site is still up, even though he has another one as a council member.  His monument sign on Nieman Road has not been changed out,  back to a commercial one, and I have been told (unverified) that he still has some yard signs out there, particularly in Ward III. 

It's time to let go.............you lost...........

 

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Sidebar:  A big thank you to all those who have been visiting this blog from outside of Kansas.  I hope you have found it interesting and will continue to check it out.  A particular thank you to whoever has been visiting from Mansfield, Massachusetts.  Our form of government out here is different than your Selectmen/Town Manager/Town Moderator style  :-)   :-)

 

WARNING!!!!!! The City Manager of Shawnee has determined that local bloggers post items that may contain bad or misinformation. Please read these posts with care and determine for yourself whether the information is valid.

 



DTJVSD

Two Days to Go

Two days to go before the election.

Let's keep it simple:

For Mayor:  Michelle Distler

Ward I Councilmember:  Ben Terrill

Ward II Councilmember:  Eric Jenkins

Ward IV Councilmember:  Write in my name, your name, the name of any resident of Ward IV as a statement to Mickey Sandifer

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

I have been asked why the sudden move for a write-in campaign against Mickey Sandifer.  Scroll down (posted 3/19/15) and you'll see my comments about the recent NLC conference in Washington DC.  Apparently the city manager thought the highlight was sitting seven rows back to hear Obama.  When challenged about this, by email, Mickey Sandifer replied:

"I would say a highlight was when we received some very good information about the quiet zones in western Shawnee from the Senators and it appeared that they were going to help up us try to achieve that goal.  And their were many other ideas of cost saving things that I was able to listen to from other Cities around the country."

When asked to be more specific about the cost savings ideas, he wanted to talk about it.  He was asked to put that info in writing.  He wouldn't.  Typical.  By talking he could deny that he said certain things or that the listener misunderstood.  By putting the items in writing he could be held accountable.  He was also asked to provide that info before he had time to have someone else write it for him.

I realize a write-in won't stop him from getting reelected, as he is running unopposed.  But, whatever number of people do write-in, it might make a statement.

WARNING!!!!!! The City Manager of Shawnee has determined that local bloggers post items that may contain bad or misinformation. Please read these posts with care and determine for yourself whether the information is valid.

Mayor Meyers Fails to Properly Inform

Unbelievable.  In his third rant about the proposed change in dates of city elections, even Mayor Jeff Meyers holds back on important info.

On the city's web site and in an email sent out to the city's listserv addresses the mayor fails to mention that the current proposal calls for city offices to be listed at the top of the ballot.   That would be ahead of any "biggies", like president, governor, etc. Gee, will his latest also show up in the Shawnee Dispatch?

Why is the mayor so vehemently opposed to November elections?  Spring elections for city offices usually only draw about 10% of registered voters.  Fall elections usually draw 50%-70%.  Don't we want more participation in city elections?

But I guess city officials don't disseminate bad or misleading information, only bloggers do that. Right?

WARNING!!!!!! The City Manager of Shawnee has determined that local bloggers post items that may contain bad or misinformation. Please read these posts with care and determine for yourself whether the information is valid.

A Week To Go

The two candidates running for mayor in Shawnee came out of a 4 person primary.  Both are good people.  My personal preference would be Michelle Distler.  

In Ward II,  I feel that Eric Jenkins needs to be elected.  It's time for Neal Sawyer to retire from the council.

In Ward I Ben Terrill needs to replace Jim Neighbor.

And lastly, in Ward IV Mickey Sandifer has refused to state, in writing what he learned at the recent NLC event in DC.  That's typical of him.  He always wants to talk about it, so he can't be held to his statements.  This is not the first time.  So, let's start a write-in campaign.  Write-in my name, your name or the name of anybody else who lives in Ward IV

Jim Neighbor Cites Old and Bad Info

At the candidate forum last Thursday night, council member Jim Neighbor cited some erroneous information.

The question came up about the potential changes for city elections.  Neighbor was claiming that if the city elections were moved to the fall, that city elections would suffer, because they would be listed on the bottom of a long ballot, and there would be a "voter fall off".

Well, whoever is supplying Mr. Neighbor with his information is not staying up to date on what is happening in the legislature.  I wonder who that could be? wink wink

The most current update to the bill (Mar 19, 2015, a full week before the forum) to change municipal elections, provides for two very important items:

1.  Municipal elections would remain non-partisan, unless the municipality changed that
2.  Municipal elections would be on the top of the ballot, ahead of the "biggies"  (governor, president, congress,etc)  Try this for verification.

I do wish that elected officials would get their info straight.

Another reason to get somebody new and fresh to represent Ward I in the upcoming election.

Elect Ben Terrill to the city council.  His background indicates he will stay up to date on his research


WARNING!!!!!! The City Manager of Shawnee has determined that local bloggers post items that may contain bad or misinformation. Please read these posts with care and determine for yourself whether the information is valid.

Sandifer.....Clueless

Ahhh, Mickey Sandifer never ceases ti amaze me.

At Monday's council meeting there was an item to approve a resolution that a developer had submitted an application for housing tax credits.  This was strictly to confirm that the application was filed.  Nothing more.

In his "wisdom" Sandifer commented on how he has been against construction that was based on housing tax credits since he felt those types of housing units brought high crime with them.  In this case he felt the location was ok since the police were already in that neighborhood (DDACTS enforcement??).

Here's the kicker.  If he had read and understood the application it was for senior housing.  That's right, not family housing but senior housing.  Elderly, old, most likely retired.  I didn't realize that seniors living in housing that received tax credits were considered to have a penchant to be criminals.

When Sandifer says things like this I believe he is showing how clueless he can be. And that is much of the time.  I really feel bad that he is running for reelection unopposed.

Hey, I've got an idea.  Write-in candidates.  I'm gonna write-in my name.  If you live in Ward IV do the same.  Write-in your name, my name or the name of anybody else in Ward IV.  It won't be enough to beat him, but it might make a statement.

WARNING!!!!!! The City Manager of Shawnee has determined that local bloggers post items that may contain bad or misinformation. Please read these posts with care and determine for yourself whether the information is valid.

Jim Neighbor Supports Cronyism & Nepotism, Needs To Go

Jim Neighbor who is running for reelection as Ward I city council member has shown, by his voting, that he supports cronyism and nepotism.

First, Neighbor was one of the council members that voted to appoint Alan "The Mayor's Uncle by Marriage" to the city council to fill the seat of David Morris who had resigned.  Remember, Willoughby's appointment resulted in a KOMA violation investigation by the JoCo District Attorney, who subsequently issued a strong letter of rebuke.

Now let's fast forward to December of 2012.  Keep in mind that when Willoughby ran for a full term on the council he was soundly defeated by Mike Kemmling. Then when Dawn Kuhn resigned from the council that created a vacancy on the planning commission.  Willoughby applied for the position (on the last day of the application period).

Neighbor then voted to appoint Willoughby to the planning commission.  He was one of four council members that did this, forcing the mayor to cast the tie breaker, which put Willoughby on the commission.  If Neighbor had had any intestinal fortitude he would not have voted for Willoughby. Instead he went along with the cronyism/nepotism that was so obvious.

Now, what is really wild is Neighbor's reason for casting that vote. He claimed it would bring "stability" to the planning commission.  Read more about that here.

Ward I deserves better than that.  They need Ben Terrill to represent them.

WARNING!!!!!! The City Manager of Shawnee has determined that local bloggers post items that may contain bad or misinformation. Please read these posts with care and determine for yourself whether the information is valid.

Shawnee Candidate forum - Thiursday 3/26/15

This is info from the Shawnee Dispatch

The Johnson County League of Women Voters is holding another Shawnee candidate forum on Mar. 26.

The event will feature the candidates for Shawnee Mayor, Michelle Distler and Dan Pflumm, and the candidates for the Ward I city council seat, Jim Neighbor and Ben Terrill.

The event begins at 7 p.m. at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 5325 Nieman Road. The forum is open to the public.

National League of Cities - March 2015

Any long term reader of this blog knows how I feel when it comes to the National League of Cities (NLC) and the Kansas League of Municipalities (KLM).

I feel that attendance at their conventions can be positive.  Those who go can quite possibly bring back useful information to their cities.  My complaints have been that there were many times when the city sent, IMHO, too many people to these conventions.  The suggestion was to send four people, the mayor, two council members and the city manager.  They could then report back to the governing body about what they learned at the various seminars that could be useful to our city.

At the convention of the NLC that was recently held in DC, we sent only three people.  That's good. We sent Mayor Meyers, Council Member Sandifer and City Manager Gonzales.  I do question the mayor's participation on this trip since in about 3 weeks he will no longer be mayor. Based on open records requests for similar trips a safe guess is that we spent $5K-$6K for this trip.

So, what kind of report of useful information was given to the governing body?

Below is the info as obtained via an open records request.  The info is in an email from the city manager to the governing body (council).  This is all that was mentioned in that email about the trip.

National League of Cities. We had a very good experience at the NLC Conference, with the highlight being 7th row back to hear President Obama speak in person to the membership. It was very cool. We also had good visits with Senator Roberts, Senator Moran and Representative Yoder's staff person. They provided us with some current information on efforts being made in regard to trains and quiet zones; and were intrigued with the "active handicapped access" symbol. We will follow up with them.

Golly, can you imagine the excitement that would have been expressed if they had been sitting in the third row?

WARNING!!!!!! The City Manager of Shawnee has determined that local bloggers post items that may contain bad or misinformation. Please read these posts with care and determine for yourself whether the information is valid.

Elect Eric Jenkins in Ward II - Say Sayonara to Neal Sawyer

It's time for a change Shawnee.  Eric Jenkins (website) needs to be elected as the council member in Ward II and Neal Sawyer needs to say sayonara.

On a personal basis, Neal is a nice guy and likable.  But, IMHO and that of many others, he has erred on many votes.  Some of which will be brought out on future posts here.  In his last election he only won by eleven votes.  That was real close.  What it means is that virtually half of his ward did not want him back in office.  He has also lost his election for precinct committeeman.  This has to tell you something.

Now, let's talk for a moment about Neal's actions on the council.  He has a habit of playing the teeter totter game.  If you go up to him and talk about an item (particularly spending) that may have been contentious, and that you do/did not favor he'll tell you "remember I spoke out against it".  Which is usually the truth.  But did he vote against it?  What he does is he speaks against an item in debate.  Then when it comes time to vote he makes a statement about his vote, beforehand, and will usually say something like "I am against this or don't agree with it but feel I have to vote for it because.......".  On the other hand, if you liked the item, he'll tell you he voted for it, but not that he spoke against it.  Hence, teeter totter.

Just search the minutes of council meetings (except for that period of time when we did not have full minutes which he had voted to do away with and leave only audio).  So, what is he doing?  He's playing both ends against the middle.  He is another person who, IMHO, has abrogated his responsibilities to bureaucratic control.

Eric Jenkins would bring a welcome change to the council.  Eric has a strong background and would bring some new perspectives to the council.  Visit Eric's website 

Volunteers at Shawnee St. Pat's Day Parade

Great parade. First time in years that we had decent temperature and no rain.

Guess who was spotted, but not really in the parade.  Seems that Michelle Distler, candidate for mayor was working as a PD volunteer to assist with traffic control at key intersections.  She is a graduate of the 2011 Citizens Police Academy.  As such, when the request went out for CPA graduates to volunteer to help out she gladly said she would.  This was not her first volunteer tour of duty, as over the years she has accumulated many, many hours as a volunteer.

It's Important to Support Good COWs

What's a COW?  I mentioned this a few years ago.  It's council member from other ward.

A voter can only vote for council members in their own ward.  But anybody, from any ward, can help support somebody who is running in any ward.  What kind of help?  Donations, help with delivery of literature, and various other things.

So, even if you don't live in Ward I you can help to support Ben Terrill http://www.benterrill.net/

And, even if you don't live in Ward II you can help to support Eric Jenkins   http://www.ericjenkinsforshawnee.com/

Shawnee needs these two individuals on the city council.  It's time to replace Neighbor (I) and Sawyer (II)

Ward I Needs Ben Terrill - Say Goodbye to Jim Neighbor

The general election is coming up on Tuesday, April 7, 2015.

IMHO, the voters of Ward I need to elect Ben Terrill, and not reelect Jim Neighbor.

On numerous occasions Neighbor has shown that he cannot or will not respond to some basic, simple inquiries.  He runs from answering questions.  This blog has documented various instances of that and there are more.

He has shown to be one of the council members who have forgotten that they represent the people and that the city manager works for the council.  He has abrogated his responsibilities.

Ben Terrill will give Ward I a true representative of the people and not a pawn for a bureaucrat.  Ben enters this election with his only allegiance being to the people of Ward I and ultimately the City of Shawnee.

For more info about Ben go to http://www.benterrill.net/

Money Talk Financial Foundations

A friend of mine has recently started a non-profit.  Information about this can be found at the Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/MoneytalkFinancialFoundations

and at its web site www.moneytalkff.org

 

If you shop on Amazon you can also help by using this link for your shopping

http://smile.amazon.com/ch/46-3216486   with no additional cost to you a portion of what you spend will be directed to the non-profit.

Vaught is in La La Land

Well it seems that Jeff  "The Arrogant One" Vaught still thinks he is a player in Shawnee politics.

On his campaign Facebook page he posted this little gem Saturday morning attempting to cast aspersions on the individuals who beat him, handily, in the primary:

I'm at another Legislative Breakfast this morning. Of course, neither of the two Shawnee mayoral candidates are here. What the legislature does directly impacts our city.

Well, one of the victors in the primary, Michelle Distler, had this to say and posted it as a comment on that FB page:

I apologize I cannot be everywhere at once Mr. Vaught. I was at the League of Women voters forum with Representative Rooker, Dr. Jim Hinson, and Dr. Berry listening to them discuss the local budget option and other things in regards to our schools. What the legislature does indeed directly impact us and fortunately since I can get that information from other sources the school discussion had to take priority with me yesterday



Sidebar:  What is truly ironic is that Vaught has claimed to know what the schools need. Remember, he misused an email list from the Riverview PTA to state how great he is.  So, why wasn't he at the forum on the schools?  Maybe he'd rather use the legislative breakfast for potential photo ops?

Some misguided folks have called him a leader.  A leader of what?  Well, he did lead in contributions collected for his campaign.  As a matter of fact based on current filings he collected almost as much as Pflumm and Distler combined.  He had the backing of a very prestigious campaign committee including some influential members of the Shawnee Chamber.

Maybe real people found him to be a leader of bovine scatology?

That nose just grows and grows.

WARNING!!!!!! The City Manager of Shawnee has determined that local bloggers post items that may contain bad or misinformation. Please read these posts with care and determine for yourself whether the information is valid.

Shawnee Council President

While we now concentrate on the upcoming general election (April 7, 2015), we may lose sight of what happens after that event.

Shawnee will elect a new mayor for the first time in many years, and there are two council seats that could see changes (hopefully) in Wards I & II.

But, what else happens that can have an affect on the city?  The council elects a council president. What are the functions of the council president?  The council president serves as the chairman of the council committee.  The council president also presides over the council when the mayor is absent, attends official functions in the absence of the mayor, and, if something happens where the mayor is no longer able to serve, the council president becomes mayor.

Let's consider the fact that we have two long serving council members vying for the mayor's seat. These are individuals that have both been returned to their seats by the voters in their wards, multiple times.

The results of the primary election indicate that a majority of Shawnee's voters would be willing to have either one of them serve as mayor.  Between the two of them, they garnered 58.32% of the votes cast, in a 4 way race.  In the general election, the individual that does not become mayor will retain their council seat.  As such, it only makes sense that that person becomes council president.

The choice of the council president is up to the rest of the council.  I can only hope that they see the logic of my comments above.

Jeff Vaught is Not a Mensch

What's a mensch?  It's a stand-up guy.  Click here for the explanation of the term and how it has become a loanword to the English language.

Why do I say this?  Easy.  A mensch would have called or at least emailed Distler and Pflumm directly and personally with congratulations, Tuesday night when the results were obvious.  Instead he resorted to a nondescript congratulatory statement on his campaign Facebook page, the next day.
Also he was the only candidate that did not return a call to the Dispatch in request for a comment.

Guess his feelings were hurt that the voters of Shawnee didn't agree with him about how great he thinks he is.

School Daze

On Tuesday, 3/3/15 the day of the primary election at approximately 5:00 PM the principal of Riverview Elementary School and the PTA president jointly sent an email  to the parents of the children in that school.  Here is that email:

Dear Riverview Families,

We are thankful to have the support of our Parent/Teacher Association to help make Riverview the wonderful school that it is today.  The PTA supports a number of activities throughout the year for our students and teachers.

The PTA also provides a parent directory as a convenience for our families to assist with PTA/school related activities and communication among parents. This directory is Opt-In (parent choice) and is not intended for solicitations or marketing purposes. While the PTA and the school cannot control how others may choose to use the directory, we ask for your discretion in keeping the directory solely for its intended purpose.

Please let us know if you have any questions and thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,
Beth Mildren, Principal
Paula Wharff, Riverview PTA President

Why did they send that email?  Could it be because a parent complained about receiving a political solicitation?  Now, it would appear that if that was the case, no laws were broken. But it would seem to be a lapse in ethics.  Could it be that the parent based their claim on the below email?  Note the date and time it was sent.  Late afternoon the day before the election.  Was this done so that any complaints would basically come too late? Click to see full size.

Sidebar:

1.  John Segale, the 4th candidate, sent emails congratulating both Distler & Pflumm.  Vaught did not.
2.  Vaught never responded for a comment request to Shawnee Dispatch
3.  Hmmm, who had the most signs placed in areas restricted by code?

Distler & Pflumm - Advance------Vaught & Segale are out

OK, the primary results for mayor in Shawnee are in....................

Dan Pflumm              1259
Michelle Distler         1161
Jeff Vaught                   965
John Segale                  764

The people have spoken, and the good thing is that they have kicked The Arrogant One to the curb. The ironic part about that is that he had lots of big $$$ backing him and a high powered campaign committee,  But more about that in a future post.

The general election is going to be April 7th.  My personal preference would be Distler.


I am so happy, .......................

In Any Language, It's The Same................

No matter what language is used, Jeff "The Arrogant One" Vaught is still arrogant.

The below is compliments of google translate if anybody wants to check it for themselves.

Spanish - El arrogante
Itanlian - L'arrogante
French - L'arrogant
Greek - Η έπαρση
Hebrew - היהיר אחד
German - Der arrogante ein
Russian - Высокомерный
Latin - Et cadet superbus,
Irish - An ceann sotalach
Welsh - Yr un drahaus

Tomorrow's Mayoral Primary 3/3/15

OK, tomorrow is the big day to narrow the four person field down to two.

In my opinion, one person that needs to advance is Michelle Distler.............

Why Michelle?  Because unlike a certain other individual she not only talks the talk, she walks the walk.  Her record shows that she truly does support:

+ Transparency & Open Government
+ Responsiveness To Citizens
+ Community Involvement
+ Quality Development & Responsible Growth
+ Police, Fire & Infrastructure (Streets)


Additionally she knows how to make sure her campaign signs are legally placed to meet code requirements: (click to see full size)

Unlike this opponent: (click to see full size)

Stupid Is..........as Vaught Does

Very few of Shawnee's citizens go to council meetings, read the minutes or listen to the audio (either streaming or after the fact).  Because of that very few people get to see Jeff "The Arrogant One" Vaught in action.  They miss out on his bullying tactics, insults to fellow members of the council and the public, lack of knowledge and a variety of other negatives.  He says he has proven leadership.  Of what?  Leading in being obnoxious maybe.

Anyway, there are many instances of him thinking he knows what is happening, because he says so. Here are just three incidents where he is totally clueless, but attempted to come across as if he was the "expert"

First, let's look at what happened when the new ordinance came up regarding emergency management, and specifically who in the city should declare an emergency.  Even after Eric Jenkins, a 30 year FEMA official and, in many cases, FEMA's lead on site, tried to explain it to him (mayor, governor, president), He claimed it should be the city manager, like (according to him) in other cities. The fire chief had to set his arrogance straight.  You can read more on this item in the Shawnee Dispatch, here

Another time he didn't even understand his job the one time he was council president.  A member of the council wanted an item on the agenda.  Apparently his royal egomaniac thought that council members had to go through him to do that.  Wrong!  The chain of events here are funny as the city manager needed to clarify that Vaught did not have that power.  Read the email exchanges here


We'll give you one more, but there are many, many examples of him trying to claim he knows the law, ordinances or whatever, just because he says so.  

This one is good.  It involves basically two items.  In one he tried to claim that the KSRA was trying to buy an election.  Dumb thing to say Vaught.  Does that mean that the contractors and developers that have contributed to his campaign are trying to buy the election for him? Then certain elements of the city tried passing an ordinance that was contrary to state law.  Vaught in all his wisdom said it wasn't because he read it and it was ok.  Wrong!  And yes the city attorney even had to go along with the fact that it was wrong  Want more info?  Click here 

There are so many more instances of him trying to make it sound like he knows what he is doing.  We don't have the space today.

http://shawneeray.blogspot.com/2012/03/another-response-by-ksra-to-jeff-vaught.html

Lesser of the Evils

Over the years many of us have periodically become conflicted about who to vote for in a particular election.

Many times we are not sure, for a variety of reasons.  So we wind up voting for the “lesser of the evils”

Well, in that case then the current mayoral candidate who best fits that description is Michelle Distler.  She would be the least divisive among the candidates and therefore the one who would most likely be able to build consensus on the council when it matters

.

She definitely would not use bully tactics like one individual in particular, and also, unlike that individual, would not be insulting to others on the governing body or to citizens.

So, vote for Michelle Distler, “The Lesser of the Evils”

When Your Next Door Neighbor Openly Opposes You

The house on the left belongs to Jeff "The Arrogant One" Vaught.  The house on the right is his next door neighbor.

What does it say about a candidate to have his next door neighbor openly oppose him?  He's not a good neighbor.  That right there epitomizes Jeff Vaught.

You can click on the image to see full size.

The Pinocchio Effect - Part III

Let's talk about the Pinocchio Effect Part III

We all pretty much remember how the appointment of Alan "The Mayor's Uncle by Marriage" Willoughby resulted in a KOMA investigation and the JoCo DA's ultimate decision.  We also remember the involvement of Jeff "The Arrogant One" Vaught's participation in that charade, as one of the four who voted for Willoughby.

What some folks may not remember is what happened at the appointment meeting, when Vaught explained to Mike Kemmling (who had recently lost to Neal Sawyer for a council seat by only 11 votes) why he, Vaught could not support Kemmling.  His bovine scatological reasoning is shown in the video below, which was originally posted on this blog on 7/30/2012

Wild, and Vaught continually interrupts and belittles people.

After the fact:  This is a kicker.  When Willoughby ran for an election on his own, Kemmling won.  Then Dawn Kuhn resigned from the council which created an opening.  When Stephanie Meyer was appointed to fill that spot, it created an opening on the Planning Commission.  So, what happened?  Mayor Jeff Meyers submitted his uncle's name to be a commissioner (again). 

The council split 4/4 on this one, with Vaught (who else?), Neighbor, Sawyer and Sandifer voting for Willoughby.  So what happend?  The mayor voted the tie breaker and Uncle Alan was on the Planning Commission.  I'm going to love seeing who has been financially supporting Vaught's candidacy.  Hi Pinocchio......

The Pinocchio Effect - Part II

Guess what I got in the mail?  Jeff "The Arrogant One" Vaught's campaign postcard.

It's wonderful that he sent it out.  He makes it sooooo easy to show why he is not qualified to be the mayor of Shawnee.

From the postcard:  "...we must forego the devisive politics and rhetoric that only attempt to separate us"
My comment:  Who belittles his fellow councilmen if they don't agree with him?  Who belittles members of the community when they voice opinions opposite of his?  So, who really is the divisive (note the proper spelling) one?

From the postcard:  "...Our next mayor requires the vision and proven leadership......."
My comment:  Well what proven leadership does he have?  Nada

From the postcard:  "Jeff is a Proven Leader"
My comment:  Of what?

From the postcard:  He indicates that he is a small business owner in downtown Shawnee and that he is President of the Vaught Group.
My comment: He makes it sound like as president of his company he is a corporate executive. Or, runs a substantially sized company.  Not true.  Ask him how many employees he has, other than a receptionist/admin person. Real small business, but when convenient he tries the other approach.

Ahhhh, the Pinocchio factor keeps growing.  Pretty soon a larger pic will be needed.

Noticed this at Nieman and 65th St, NW corner

My questions:
1.  Was this subliminal advertising?
2.  Was this a Freudian Slip?
3.  Was this a prophecy?
4.  How much?

The Pinocchio Effect or "As the Nose Grows"

Looking back at some of the items that have been posted here about Jeff "The Arrogant One" Vaught it just totally ticks me off that he lies, belittles members of the public and fellow council members and claims to stand for things that he really doesn't. He pulls the wool over people's eyes because they don't go to council meetings and do not see the "The Arrogant One" in action., and his speaking style, well like I've said before he can sell a junk vehicle as a custom classic.

We will have more examples of his nonsense over the next few days.

Until then:  The Nose Grows

Changes Needed in Wards I & II

IMHO, we definitely need changes in both Wards I & II in the Shawnee City Council races

In Ward II Eric Jenkins needs to be elected to replace Neal Sawyer

In Ward I Ben Terrill needs to be elected to replace Jim Neighbor

In the next few days I will be more specific as to why I am making these statements.

Words to Regurgitate By - Update

Three days ago on 2/13/15 I posted an item below about how Jeff Vaught is against open government.  I also mentioned that there was a media clip that I would provide, pertaining to why he wanted an allowance for a laptop as opposed to a city provided one.

This originally appeared on this blog on July 9, 2013

Here it is again:

One thing about Vaught. A person does not have to make up reasons not to want him to be mayor. He provides enough reasons himself.

Raffle for the benefit of Becky Bieker at She's A Pistol

There will be a four gun raffle with all proceeds to benefit Becky Bieker at She's A Pistol

Click on the image below to see all the info

Words to Regurgitate By

Every time I hear Jeff "The Arrogant One" Vaught mention how he supports more open government I have to reach for something to prevent my lunch from coming back up.

1.  When we lost the ability to have full minutes of council meetings who was the "leader" in pushing to eliminate them?

2.  When action was taken to restore full meeting minutes who was the "leader" in trying to stop that at the committee and when it came to the full council he eventually voted yest, but not willingly.

3.  When the policy statement was being reviewed who was the "leader" who wanted to eliminate public input at committee meetings?  Because those were work sessions.  What better place for public input, before it goes to council.  Fortunately his "leadership" didn't hold on this one, and neither did it when he tried to limit the number of times a citizen could speak (twice on the same subject).

Since many folks don't go to council and/or committee meetings or research the minutes they may have a tendency to believe this silver tongued snake oil peddler.

He has consistently pushed for less open government, less citizen input and then has the gall to say the opposite while running for mayor.

When the topic of providing council members with laptops or an allowance to provide their own, he openly stated he wanted to provide his own, otherwise citizens (under KORA) could request a review of the contents of a city owned device.  That media clip has played on this blog and will be resurrected to play again.

Leader or Bully

Jeff Vaught claims to have proven leadership.  My opinion, he has proven bullyship.

The below media file is from the 2/3/15 Council Committee meeting.  You will hear Vaught on one of his tirades.  You will hear Jim Neighbor, the elected council president and therefore the chairman of the committee:
1.  Count to 3 to get Vaught to stop
2.  Vaught telling Neighbor to "hold on"
3.  Neighbor gaveling Vaught down (so loud that some thought the gavel would break)

How can Vaught claim proven leadership when he insults not only another member of the council but then ignores the admonishment of a duly elected committee chair?  This is not the first time he has done something like this.  Leader? nahhhh  Bully?  Yehhhhhh

Mayoral Candidate Forum

From the League of Women Voters web site

Shawnee Mayor Candidate Forum

Shawnee Library

13811 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, KS 66216, USA SHOW ON MAP

   

 Feb 12 7:45pm to 9:00pm

LWV JoCo will hold a forum with all four candidates for Shawnee mayor. The candidates are:

Michelle Distler, Dan Pflumm, John Segale, and Jeff Vaught. Come learn about the candidates; then plan to vote in the Primary Election on March 3.

Jeff Vaught Ignores Municipal Code Part II

I have been informed that the sign involved in the post below meets size requirements because it is a "monument" sign.  Business property owners may replace business signage with poliitical signage in monument signs up to 50 square feet (70 if bordering a street with a 55 mph posted limit).

Even so, the municipal code was not initially complied with, as a permit to change the signage is required ($75 in this case).  The permit fee was not paid until after the inquiry into the sign's validity.  Specifically, it was paid I believe yesterday.

So, Vaught did not comply with code by not obtaining a permit ahead of time.  And, unless a complaint had been filed he may have gotten away without paying the fee.  Should the signage change back to business from political another permit will be required.

Sidebar:  The business signage that was removed was not advertising his business, but rather that of his tenant, Nalia School of Dance.  Nice way to show support for a downtown small business. Which comes first, Vaught's ego or a small business?

Jeff Vaught Ignores Municipal Code

You would think that an individual who has twice run for city council and is now running for mayor would both know, and comply with the sign code regarding political signs.  Well, most folks would, unless they are Jeff  "The Arrogant One" Vaught.

Here is the info from Info on Political Signs in Shawnee

What it says is:  The City of Shawnee regulates the placement and size of political signs. Political signs may not be placed in street or highway rights-of-way. On streets with a sidewalk the sign must be placed behind the sidewalk. On streets or on the side of the street without a sidewalk, signs must be placed at least ten feet behind the curb with some exceptions as noted. On K-7 Highway, I-435 and Shawnee Mission Parkway, signs shall be placed behind the Frontage Road or fence line. On Blackfish Parkway, the right-of-way on the north side of the street west of Park Street is approximately twenty feet in width.

Signs may not be placed on City-owned property (parks, Shawnee Town 1929, fire stations).

The maximum size sign placed on residentially zoned property and agriculturally zoned property with a residence shall be six (6) square feet. The maximum size on commercial, industrial, office zoned property, as well as agriculturally zoned property without a residence is twenty (20) square feet, or thirty-two (32) square feet if the property is adjacent to a street with a posted speed limit of 55 m.p.h. or greater.
The candidate must have permission from the property owner to place their sign on private property. Property owners may remove signs placed on their property without permission

Here is a picture of Vaught's sign, clearly over 20 square feet (closer to 32) and not adjacent to a street that is posted at 55 m.p.h.

Click on image to see full size.

Another touch of irony is that Vaught has repeatedly reminded folks at council and committee meetings that he is in commercial real estate.  So, couple that with his political status you'd think he'd know the rules about political signs on commercial property.  Or, was he willing to "chance it" knowing that if he got caught it could possibly take up to 30 days before he would be forced to remove it?

Proven Leadership?  Ha! Folks who want to lead a city don't violate the municipal code.

Nice going, but, ya got caught Vaught.

Terrill Challenging Neighbor in Ward I

Ben Terrill has filed to challenge Jim Neighbor in the Ward I council seat.

Neighbor, who has been shown on this blog to avoid direct answers to specific questions needs to go.

Visit Ben's web site http://www.benterrill.net/index.html

Jenkins Challenging Sawyer in Ward II

Eric Jenkins, as previously mentioned on this blog, has filed to challenge Neal Sawyer for the Ward II seat on the city council.

It's time for a change in Ward II.  Eric's election would prove to be very positive for the city.

Eric Jenkins' web site is at:
http://www.ericjenkinsforshawnee.com/index.html

Vaught, in His Own Words, Denigrates 25% of Shawnee's Population

On March 26, 2012 there was an item posted on this blog here http://www.shawneeray.blogspot.com/2012/03/interesting-evening.html 

One of the items in that post dealt with Jeff "The Arrogant One" belittling and denigrating people who rented in Shawnee by saying they don't have a stake in Shawnee.  This is 25% of the residents of Shawnee.

Now, you don't have to read what was said, you can hear Vaught, in his own words, by scrolling down to the You Tube link.

Quick additional background:  I was in the audience and Vaught decided to use his position on the dais to attack me, and by virtue of what he said, all people in Shawnee who rent.  He said even though we pay property taxes in our rent, because we don't have property tax receipts we don't have a stake in the city.  Strange logic.  Just like everybody else we pay personal property taxes on vehicles, franchise fees on utilities, sales tax on purchases etc.  And yes, landlords don't give renters a free ride on property taxes.

Oh if you are wondering where the 25% figure comes from that's easy.  The city has over 6,300 multi family units.  That does not include duplexes, fourplexes and single residences that are rentals. Multiply those numbers by the average number of folks in a residence and you come up with approximately 25%

Now  "His Arrogance" is running for mayor.  Who wants a mayor who feels that 25% of the folks in the city don't have a stake in that city?

I'm really going to enjoy seeing who provides him with endorsements.  Better yet, it will be interesting to see who provides financial support to his campaign.  By default, you have to surmise that they agree with his analysis concerning renters.

Here it is, in his own words:

DTJVSD

Two New Hotels for Shawnee

There is an item on the city council agenda for tomorrow concerning the possibility of two new hotels on Midland Road near Renner.

Now this makes sense.  These hotels would be basically a destination venue.  Something that folks from outside of the area would come to specifically.  Just browse back through this blog.  I have been saying for years that we need some destination venue on the I-435 corridor to get some of the bleed off from Village West, the speedway, sports venues, etc.  Ironically, the principal behind this project owns a hotel in Village West.  Guess he must know something about bleed off.

This sure makes more sense for economic development compared to more shopping centers, with fast food restaurants that will just split local revenues.

Now if we could add some more destination venues, especially along the I-435 corridor, to Shawnee, life would be good.

"Agendas" & "Special Interests" Revisited

At just about every election I have posted an item about the use, or rather misuse of the terms "agenda" & "special interests".

It is ridiculous for someone to say to vote or not vote for a person because they have an agenda and/or are supported by special interests.

Let's look at each one individually.

Agenda:  What is an agenda.  It is a plan or a list of items that a candidate wants to get accomplished.  Heck, I wouldn't want to vote for somebody unless they did have an agenda.  Who wants somebody in office who has no idea as to where they are going?  The only time an agenda is a "bad" agenda is if it doesn't agree with what you would like to see accomplished.

Special interests:  Heck, every candidate is supported by special interests.  And every voter has special interests.  People will support candidates who have ideas that mirror their own.  A candidate says that he/she is in favor of painting sidewalks purple.  OK, folks who agree with that will support that candidate, including with money.  Folks who disagree with that will not support that candidate.  As with agendas, the only time that a candidate being supported by special interests is wrong is when those special interests do not coincide with what a particular voter agrees with.

So come on folks, let's be real about those two terms.  Candidates, don't use them.  Be specific instead.

Vaught Speaks - Get Your Hipwaders

On Jeff Vaught's campaign web site he says "...Jeff has the proven leadership and consensus building capability..." and that he ".... refutes the political divisiveness that only separates us....."

This is a man who has insulted other members of the council and members of the public with his know it all arrogant attitude.  Don't believe me?  The below was originally posted on this blog on 3/17/13, and there are many more instances out there.

There was a very interesting exchange, 3/5/13 at the city council meeting, between councilmembers Jeff Vaught and Neal Sawyer.

During a discussion on an item, Mr Sawyer made reference to how the council had sold the idea of the CID at 10 Quivira Plaza to the public (a previous incentive package). Apparently Vaught took exception to the the expression "sold".  This is ironic, since "selling" is Vaught's business. He never misses an opportunity to publicly announce at a council meeting that "I am in commercial real estate". Heck, everything that comes before the council is an item that is being sold. People are always trying to "sell" the idea of approving or disapproving something. I guess this is just another simple word that Vaught has a problem understanding.

Anyway, view the video clip below. Listen carefully and you will hear Vaught refer to Sawyer as being juvenile And then Sawyer saying that with Vaught everything is juvenile. Vaught's belittling of Sawyer is uncalled for, yet he belittles many people from his position on the dais, including members of the public. Ironically, he used to accuse his predecessor of impolite behavior towards other members of the council. Vaught does not, IMHO, present a positive image for the city council. He presents himself as a self effacing bully, intent on belittling people. With his constant reminders to us of what he does for a living I've often wondered, does Vaught want to be on the council to serve Shawnee and its citizens, or is he in it for his own personal aggrandizement?

Great Letter in the Shawnee Dispatch Today

Nathan Carter, a Shawnee resident had a great letter published in the Shawnee Dispatch.  It can be viewed at http://www.shawneedispatch.com/news/2015/jan/20/letter-editor-vote/

In his letter Mr. Carter laments about the previous low turnouts in city elections and urges everyone to vote in the upcoming city elections (primary March 3 and general April 7).

Any long term reader of this blog knows this is a subject that I have commented on many times.  Shawnee residents are pretty good at turning out for presidential and gubernatorial elections.  When it comes to city elections, turn out sucks.

Ironically, it is city government that has the most effect on people's daily lives, from police/fire to snow plowing, to parks, street repairs, sales taxes etc.  Also, it is the level of government that is easiest for citizens to make their feelings known (which by the way in Shawnee we don't have enough of this either).

It's amazing how many people don't even know who their council members are.  They usually can't even name one of the two in their ward.

Let's get the voter turn out up on this year's elections.

Arrogance Personified - Jeff Vaught - Part One

This has been labeled as "Part One" as there will be more to follow.

I have followed the council for many years and have come to the conclusion that Jeff "the Arrogant One" Vaught has to be the most arrogant person to serve on the council.

It is my opinion that the worst thing that could happen to Shawnee would be for this individual to become the mayor of our city.  We will, over the course of the next few weeks show you why we have come to that conclusion.  We will also show you why, when he speaks, it is our opinion that persons listening to him need to wear hip waders.

But first, part one of the arrogance.  Most candidates on their web sites usually list their email as candidatename@candidatewebsite   Well, what has Mr Arrogance gone and done?  He apparently feels he has already won the election.  Ready for this?  His email address is mayor@jeffvaught.com

More to come.......................it gets better.................

Power Play Donation and Candlelight Vigil

Additional info regarding memorials for Jon Bieker.

PowerPlay Shawnee is happy to announce that we will be donating 50% of the entire day's gross receipts from playcard sales on Thursday, January 15th to the Jon Bieker Memorial Fund. From 11:00am to 10:00pm on Thursday, January 15th, 50% of any money that is put on a playcard at the PowerPlay in Shawnee will go to that fund. All funds going to the Jon Bieker Memorial Fund will go directly to the victim's family to help in funeral costs and other needed expenses. The funeral is Saturday, January 17th. Come in for a great day of fun, and help us support a very worthy cause.

On Thursday, January 15, the Shawnee Downtown Business Association and the Shawnee Downtown Partnership will host a candlelight vigil to honor the memory of Jon Bieker. The vigil will begin at 7:00 pm in the parking lot of She's A Pistol (5725 Nieman Road). Those gathered will then walk downtown where people will be able to sign a banner and share their condolences with the Bieker family.

Visitation Info for Jon Bieker

The info below is from the Amos Family Funeral Home web site
http://www.amosfamily.com/2015/01/jon-bieker/

Jon Bieker

Jon Bieker, 44, of Gardner, KS, died, Friday, January 9, 2015. Jon lost his life protecting his dream.

Jon was born August 5, 1970 in Salina, KS to Donald Joseph and Sheryl Richardson Bieker. Jon spent most of his early life in WaKeeney, KS. He worked for a number of years on large computer infrastructures specializing in system and network integration as well as network security. In 2009, he and his wife, Becky, founded She’s A Pistol, LLC, with the goal of helping customers find the right method to defend themselves. Jon continued to work in the computer field until November of 2013 when the business required his full time involvement.

He was preceded in death by his father, Donald Bieker, in 2013. He is survived by his wife, Becky Bieker; his mother, Sheryl Bieker; a sister, Andrea Smith, and many more family and friends.

Visitation

Private family services were held. A candlelight vigil will be held at 7 p.m., Thursday, beginning at She’s a Pistol. A public visitation will be held from 2 – 5 p.m., Saturday, January 17, at the Amos Family Funeral Home & Crematory.

Memorial Contributions

A memorial fund in Jon’s name has been established at US Bank.

Memorial Funds for Jon Bieker

updated 6:41AM 1/12/15

Shawnee's loss is Heaven's gain. 
http://www.shawneedispatch.com/news/2015/jan/09/3-shot-shawnee-gun-shop-one-shot-nearby/

So far, three, maybe four memorial funds have been established:

1.  Kansas State Rifle Association:
http://www.ksraweb.org/

2.  GoFundMe She's a Pistol (owner) sponsored by Tarra Stoddard "The American Woman Shooter Magazine"
Click here for the GoFundMe site

3.  Another GoFundMe has been set up by friends of the Biekers from Lenexa KS
Click here for this one

4.  Also, I haven't confirmed it but it appears that a memorial fund has also been established through any branch of US Bank....She's A Pistol/Becky Bieker



updated 6:41AM 1/12/15

We Need Michelle Distler as Mayor

Michelle Distler would be a great mayor for Shawnee.  She is probably the most prepared council member at meetings because she does her research.

She also does not believe in "backroom shenanigans" and has proven that.  Remember the District Attorney's investigation and subsequent findings related to the appointment of Alan (the current mayor's uncle by marriage)  Willoughby to what at the time was an open council seat?  Her comments were a major catalyst for the DA's investigation which resulted in a very strong letter of rebuke by the DA.  Yet, one of her opponents, Jeff Vaught, attempted to dismiss the DA's findings. Hmmmm, wasn't Vaught one of the council members who voted for Uncle Alan?  Was he part of the backroom shenanigans?

Michelle Distler would bring integrity to the position.

Anyway, if you would like to contribute to her campaign you can do so by going to her web page  http://www.michelledistler.com

If 500 people would donate just $20 each it would be very helpful to her campaign.  Even $10 would pay for two yard signs.  Now for those who can, the maximum donation allowed by law is $500 per person or business.  Also, that maximum can be "hit" twice, once during the primary cycle (prior to the primary election) and once during the general cycle(prior to the general election).

Important dates:  Primary Election is March 3, 2015 and the General Election is April 7, 2015

Information on voter registration, advance voting (in person or by mail) and other important items can  be found on the JoCo Election Office web site http://www.jocoelection.org/

Updated Candidate Filing Info

Dan Pflumm Ward 1 Council member has filed for mayor.  That now brings the field to four, with Michelle Distler, John Segale and Jeff Vaught also in the running.  The primary election will be Tuesday March 5, 2015.

Eric Jenkins has filed for council in Ward 2.  Eric will be challenging current ward 2 councilmember Neal Sawyer.Eric's victory would be a breath of fresh air for Ward 2