A Message for Reluctant Christians About Donald Trump

A friend of mine sent this to me.  It is an article that appears at townhall.com by Wayne Allyn Root one of their columnists:

Information for those that think Donald Trump is a bully. Look again and think a little deeper.

A Message For reluctant Christians 

About Donald Trump

Wayne Allyn Root

6/24/2016 12:01:00 AM -  Wayne Allyn Root

I am a Jew turned evangelical Christian. I am also a passionate supporter of Donald Trump.

I have a message for Christians who don’t like Donald Trump: “YOU’RE MISSING THE BOAT.”

Christians have Trump all wrong. God sends messages in many forms. You’re just not
listening. God is talking, but you’re eyes and ears are closed.

Here’s a famous joke about God and how he talks to us.

“A deeply faithful Christian man is stuck on roof of home with massive flooding up
to 2^nd floor. Rowboat comes. He says “No, I’m waiting for God.
I’ve prayed and I know he’s coming.”  2^ndrowboat. “No, I’m waiting for God.” 3^rdrowboat. “No, I’m waiting for
God.”

Water rises. The man drowns. Now he’s meeting God in heaven. The religious man
says “Where were you God? I prayed. I was faithful. I asked you to save
me. Why would you abandon me?”

God says,
“Hey dummy, I sent you 3 rowboats. Are you blind?”

Did  you ever consider Trump is our rowboat?

Maybe God is trying to tell us something important- that now is not the time for a
“nice Christian guy” or a “gentleman” or a typical Republican powder puff.
Maybe now is the time for a natural born killer, a ruthless fighter, a warrior.

Because right about now we need a miracle, or America is finished.

Maybe the rules of gentleman don’t apply here. Maybe a gentleman and “all-around
nice Christian” would lead us to slaughter.

Or do you want another Mitt Romney, Bob Dole, John McCain, Gerald Ford or Paul Ryan?
Did any of them win? Did they lead us to “the promised land?” Did
they change the direction of America? No, because if you don’t win, you have no say.

Paul Ryan couldn’t even deliver his own state Wisconsin!

And as leader of the House, Paul Ryan rolls over to Obama like my dog rolls over
for a scrap of food, or a steak bone. He’s a useful idiot. Nice, but
obedient. I mean Paul Ryan…not my dog. My dog is actually a pretty good defender and loyal.

Maybe God is knocking on your door so loud, but you’re not listening. Maybe God
understands we need a "war leader" at this moment in time. Maybe God
understands if we don’t win this election, America is dead. It’s over. The
greatest nation in world history will be gone. Finished. Kaput. Adios.

And with one last breath, maybe what we need to save us at the last second, is
someone different. Someone you haven’t ever experienced before-
because you weren’t raised in rough and tumble New York where nothing good
gets accomplished unless you're combative, aggressive, outrageous, on
offense at all times, and maybe just a tad arrogant too.

Someone with a personality you’ve never seen on stage at your church.

Maybe, just maybe, being a nice gentlemanly Christian would not beat Hillary, and her
billion dollars, and her best friends in the media who will unleash the
dogs of hell upon the GOP nominee.

I guess you think God is only nice and gentlemanly. Really? Then you’ve missed
the whole point of the Bible. When necessary God is a pretty tough guy.
When necessary, God strikes with pain, death and destruction. When necessary, God inflicts vengeance.

Maybe you think God couldn't possibly be associated with someone like Trump. Trump
is too vicious, rude and crude.

When we won WWII, was God "nice?" Were we gentlemanly when defeating Hitler? Were we gentlemanly when firebombing Germany? Were we gentlemanly when dropping atomic bombs on Japan? Is God ever "nice" on the battlefield? Or does he
send us vicious SOB’s like General George S. Patton, so the good guys can defeat evil?

It’s pretty clear to me God sends unique people to be "war leaders." That’s a
different role than a pastor or church leader. God understands that.

Maybe God purposely sent Trump instead of the nice Republican powder puffs like Paul
Ryan, or Mitt Romney, or John Kasich because he wants us to win.

And maybe it’s time to re-define “nice.” Maybe Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan aren’t nice
at all- because they led us to defeat. And losing again would mean the end
of America. And God can’t allow that.

Maybe Romney and Ryan mean well, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Or maybe they’re just jealous they had their chance and blew it. Maybe they’d
rather help elect Hillary than allow a Trump victory that would make them
look weak, feckless and incompetent.

I was reading the Bible this morning and I found the perfect verse that explains
the success of Donald Trump…

"Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength;They shall mount
up with wings like eagles,They shall run and not be weary,They shall walk
and not faint." (Isiah 40:30-31)

It’s almost like God created this verse for Donald Trump and this moment in history.

Trump is our energy. More energy than
any candidate EVER. He took on the 16 best candidates in GOP history...all
younger than him...all with better political credentials...and destroyed
them with his energy. You mean that kind of energy in a 70-year old isn't
inspired by God?

Trump renews our strength. Or does the all-time record turnout and all-time record votes for a GOP presidential primary candidate not define “strength?"

With Trump we mount up with wings like eagles. With Trump as our
leader there is nothing we can’t do. Any man that can build skyscrapers in
Manhattan and vanquish 16 presidential opponents, while spending almost
nothing…can lead us to the heights of eagles.

With Trump we run, we are not weary. Just when we get
tired of the fight against Obama, Hillary, big government, big business,
big media, big unions...just when it all seems impossible to overcome the
powerful forces of evil... along comes Trump to re-energize us.

Trump inspires us. Trump gives us hope. Trump gives us confidence in victory.
Trump gives us just a touch of arrogance. Maybe God understands that’s
exactly what we need right at this late stage to save America.

God is about miracles. We don’t need a “nice guy” or a “gentleman” right now. It’s the
4^th quarter and we’re losing 14-0. We need a miracle.

So let me repeat my message to Christians: “YOU’RE MISSING THE BOAT.”

I believe Trump is our miracle. I believe Trump is our rowboat.

Except he’s more like a battleship!

No one is saying Trump is perfect. No one is saying Trump is a perfect conservative.
But he is a patriot. He is a warrior. He is a capitalist. He is the right
man, at the right time.

Yes, he's a bit rude and crude and offensive. But that may make him the perfect
warrior to save America, American exceptionalism, capitalism and Judeo-Christian values.

The choice should be easy for Christians. It’s Trump…or it’s the end of the United States of America.

 

The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing. - Albert Einstein

 

 

 

CORRECTING THE CORRECTION - Qrivit vs City of Shawnee

OK, here goes................apparently there was a change made in which account the city was showing the expenditures for this item.

Are ya ready?  Three dozen CPAs, 135 auditors and 2 K9 units have certified this number as correct.

As of 6/22/16 the total amount that the city has spent in legal fees to defend the lawsuit brought by Qrivit is...........................$7,933.50

CORRECTED Legal Fees for Qrivit vs City of Shawnee

I just received an email that the figure I was given yesterday was wrong.  Apparently that figure included legal fees associated with the TIF project.

Here is the corrected information, as it pertains to legal fees for Qrivit vs City of Shawnee

4/26/16 to 6/22/16............................................$7933.50
3/3/16 to 4/5/16 (previously reported)...............3316.50

Total.........................$11,250

Legal Fees Are Skyrocketing

On April 13, 2016 I posted on this blog that the legal fees at that time were $3,316.50 in the matter of Qrivit vs City of Shawnee http://shawneeray.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-legal-fees-are-starting.html

This is as a result of the failed apartment complex project known as Vantage at Shawnee.

In that post I predicted that the legal fees would be $75,000 to $100,000 before it's all over.

I think now that might have been a low estimate.  As of today the fees have climbed to $60,806.14

I'll come up with a new guess.  I'm guessing now that the legal fees will go to $125-$150K before this matter is settled.  If we lose, will we have to pay the other side's fees?  If they lose will they have to reimburse us?

Vaught Never Disappoints Me

It's almost a guarantee that Jeff "The Arrogant One" Vaught will either say something untrue, misleading, or just plain old BS when he speaks at council or committee meetings

Last Tuesday's committee meeting was no exception.  First, and it's been mentioned before, he has obviously inherited the title of "Motormouth" from former council member Dawn Kuhn.  At times he just goes on and on and on and on and on ad nauseum.

Now let's see what he did last week at that meeting.  Seems that when another member of the council has objections about new taxes he starts making denigrating comments about conservative republicans, and how Ronald Reagan "raised taxes nine times".  First it took a member of the public, not me, to remind the committee that our meetings are non-partisan. Next, just to make the statement that Reagan raised taxes nine times, without detailed explanation is doing everyone a disservice.  But then, Vaught likes to mislead.  It's in his nature.  Now, if you would like to learn more about this, and I would strongly recommend that his royal arrogance reads it too, to become educated, go here: 

http://dailycaller.com/2012/06/06/ronald-reagan-raised-taxes-11-times-the-real-story/

 

What next?  Oh, during the budget discussions, Vaught, in his characteristic "I know it all" attitude made a comment that all senior staff were concerned about the budget since they all lived in Shawnee.  Not true, oh one who does not know everything.  The number two person in the City Manager's office, the Deputy, does not live in Shawnee.  But then, he knows everything, just ask him.

 

Last but not least.  He should learn not to challenge the voters in Ward 3.  He made a comment that if they didn't like the way he represented them, they could vote not to reelect him.  Apparently he has both a short memory and an inability to perform basic mathematical calculations.  Just one year ago, his royal egomaniac entered the primary race for mayor.  As we all know, he never got past the primary.  Voters didn't want him to lead our city.  They know what he is all about.  But here is the kicker.  In Ward 3, his ward, he only got 32.26% of the vote in the mayoral primary.  That means that 67.74% of the voters in his ward told him, "we don't want you to lead the city".  Bet that is a premonition of what will happen if runs for reelection.  Can his ego handle another election loss?

DTJVSD

West Side Residents Are A Disappointment To Me

When Mayor Distler ran for office she made a promise regarding opening dialog between city hall and the citizens of Shawnee.

She has worked very hard to keep that promise.  Since being sworn in she has probably met with more groups in one year than all previous mayors combined.  She also established two informal citizen get togethers:  Third Thursdays With The Mayor and Quarterly Q & A.

The Third Thursdays are held at the civic center at 9AM and folks are invited for coffee and conversation.  The mayor usually gives an update on what has transpired recently in the city and then she opens the floor to comments and questions from those in attendance.  Usually there is a member or two from staff available to provide additional info and on  occasion other elected members.  Usually there is a pretty good turn out and those citizens are happy with the ability to interact in an open forum without the confines of a formal council type of meeting.

The Quarterly Q&A is held at a pizza restaurant off of K7 and 55th Street.  These are held at 7PM and are designed to attract those who cannot attend a morning event and also, those on the west side of town.  Last night was, IMHO, a very disappointing situation.

Here is the breakdown:   15 total people (including the mayor)

Elected and staff:  6 - including the mayor and the Exec Director of Visit Shawnee (the old C&VB)
Members of the press:  2
Folks who usually attend the 3rd Thursdays and live on the east side:  3
City intern and her friend:  2 (lives in Lenexa and wanted to see what it was all about)
Ward 3 residents:  2

There were more people there from the east side than from the west side.  Unbelievable.  There should have been many more west siders there.  This though, is another example of the apathy shown by the west side residents, particularly in Ward 3, when it comes to local affairs.  That is, unless it directly affects them.  You can see that in the voting numbers when they vote in city elections, the worst in the city (as a percentage of registered voters). 

One of the members of the press made a suggestion that if a BNSF train had rumbled through the area with its horn blaring and a sign to come meet the mayor maybe it would have caught their attention.

When individuals have the opportunity to meet and interact with their elected representatives in an informal atmosphere they need to take advantage of that opportunity. 

BTW, I have posted numerous times in the past about the apathetic attitude of the Shawnee residents on that side of town.  It is a disgraceful situation.

New Feature on Shawnee Web Site

Recently the city has been posting "City Council Actions (date)' on the front page of the city's web site.

This is a great move, and positive with regards to transparency.  These postings, which are placed one or two days after a council meeting do NOT replace the minutes of these meetings.  By law, the minutes, which contain all info, including comments by members of the public, cannot be posted until they have been approved at a subsequent council meeting.

These "actions" give a brief synopsis of what happened and can be a quick ready reference especially for those who did not attend or listen to the streaming audio of the meeting.  Those needing to know who said what and what info was presented as back up will need to wait for the full minutes to be posted.

To see the most current item go here http://www.cityofshawnee.org/  When you get there, click on the news item about the actions.  When you get to that page you can also view previous items.

Free Residential Security Assessments - Shawnee PD

The Shawnee PD has made arrangements for residential security assessments here in Shawnee.

More detailed info can be found here:
http://www.cityofshawnee.org/WEB/PoliceCMS.nsf/vwContent/ResidentialSecurityAssessments?OpenDocument

The individual conducting these assessments is a highly skilled, trained security specialist who is doing this on a volunteer basis for the PD.  His bio is on line and it is amazing.

I urge everybody to go to the above web site and make arrangements for this assessment.

Forrest Gump Was Right - Stupid is as Stupid Does

If you get a chance, check out these two previous posts of mine concerning auto thefts and auto burglaries:

From 11/6/15 http://shawneeray.blogspot.com/2015/11/stupidity-costs-all-of-us.html

From 11/19/15 http://shawneeray.blogspot.com/2015/11/examples-of-stupidity.html

I have been able to obtain some additional information.

Here in Shawnee we experience between 75 and 80% for unlocked, or no sign of forced entry, victim vehicles (car burglaries and car thefts).  As important as the numbers are, there is something else that needs to be talked about too - something known as "capable guardianship".  So often people go for the complex security items and systems when simple security measures are all that are needed.  Situational awareness (paying attention) and securing our homes we can really cut into those crime stats.  To reduce the risks we face, it makes sense to start with the basics and then get more complex.

There is a criminology theory, first published in 1979, known as "routine activities theory".  In simple terms this theory states that three things must be present for a crime to occur: 1. a motivated offender 2. a target and 3. an opportunity.  Individually we have the most control over the target and opportunity.  Removing targets and opportunities are how we demonstrate capable guardianship.  The police are part of that equation but it's a partnership - individuals bear some responsibility for protecting themselves and their things from those motivated offenders, and it can be as simple as locking our car doors and keeping valuables out of sight.

Here's a Wikipedia article about it.  Note the graphic that shows the confluence of the three items mentioned above.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Routine_activity_theory

If people who have their vehicles stolen, or items stolen from their vehicles because they did not take simple precautionary methods, are IMHO, idiots.  I could go through the list of dumb things that people do but there is not enough space here.  Some of these things are leaving your car running while you just run into the convenience store for just a second, leaving your vehicle unlocked and your cell, purse or other valuables in plain sight.

Folks, use some common sense..............there are other things our PD can do to protect and serve us besides responding to crimes that could have been avoided.

Citizens Police Academy - 2016 - Sign Ups

The Shawnee PD is now taking sign ups for the 2016 Citizens Police Academy.

Full information can be found at http://gsh.cityofshawnee.org/WEB/PoliceCMS.nsf/vwContent/CitizenAcademy?OpenDocument

This is a great program, and many of the graduates go on to perform volunteer duties for the PD.  And, even if you don't want to do volunteer work this is a great opportunity to have a better understanding of how our PD functions. 

Even though the first class is in September, slots fill up fast.  The city just posted it today and already 3 of 30 slots are filled.

Pass it on to those who you think might also be interested.

Citizen's Police Academy - 2016

The most current issue of "A Few Good Words.....From Inside Shawnee" had this:

Citizen Police Academy
Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a police officer?  Well, now you have your chance.  

The Shawnee Police Department will begin accepting applications on June 6 for their 2016 Citizen Police Academy. Learn about law enforcement in your community from the men and women whose job it is to keep your City safe.  This 11-week program allows citizens the opportunity to meet and interact directly with police officers. 

 

The Academy meets once a week, beginning September 8.  To be eligible to participate, you must be 18 years old, live or work in Shawnee, and have no criminal record.  Don't wait.  The Academy is limited to 26 participants and fills up fast.  

An application to apply for the Academy will be available at www.cityofshawnee.org starting on June 6 along with more information.  

 

A great program and I urge folks to apply.

If you are not already on the city's email list for notifications, you can get on it by going to http://www.cityofshawnee.org/WEB/ShawneeCMS.nsf/vwContent/ESubscribe?OpenDocument

Conflict of Interest? Yes or No?

The Nieman Rd corridor project goes from 55th Street south to Shawnee Mission Parkway.

With this in mind, yours truly asked last night at the council meeting that the city attorney make a determination as to whether or not two council members who own commercial properties in the corridor had a conflict of interest.  They are Dan Pflumm (Johnson Drive and Nieman) and Jeff Vaught (5700 block of Nieman).

To his credit, Dan Pflumm indicated that he was in favor of an opinion from the city attorney.  He is to be commended for that. Vaught kept his mouth shut (strange, eh?).

My request was based on a section of Charter Ordinance 40 that makes reference to council members abstaining from actions where there is a real or perceived conflict.  Also, at the May 3, 2016 council committee meeting when the item was discussed Vaught made the following comment(as per the minutes): 

"And, you know, I’ve got a building for lease up the street. There’s a building two spaces for lease across the street from me, and there’s a few other spaces for lease up and down. I’m telling you what, guys, I don’t get the calls. I show my property and the comments I get kind of embarrassing."

It appears to me that he definitely has a stake in this project.

Anyway, in response to Mr. Pflumm's concurring in the need for a legal opinion the city attorney did indicate that as far as he could remember they would not be in violation of state statutes.  I personally feel that an off the top of the head quick response on an item of this nature is insufficient.

As a result, yours truly has requested that a written opinion be provided, since the city's charter ordinance does refer to a real or perceived conflict.

My personal opinion...............they should recuse themselves from any discussions and votes on this project.  Let's see what the city attorney comes up with.


DTJVSD

Tomorrow is Armed Forces Day

Tomorrow is the day where we can honor and show respect for those currently serving.

I remember 1968, after returning from Nam and while stationed at Ft. Hamilton, being a participant in the Armed Forces Day parade that marched down NYC's Fifth Avenue.  If I remember correctly, USMC General Leonard F Chapman Jr. (who was commandant at the time) was the reviewing officer)

If you know of someone who is currently serving, or happen to see a person in that status, say hi and thank you.

And, just in case you forgot why they serve..................................

Nieman Road Corridor Project

Is this a viable project?  Let's make it simple.  There are those who are pushing for this project as it will supposedly create better traffic flows.  Not just for vehicles, but for pedestrians and bicyclists, supposedly creating a more attractive environment to bring folks into the traditional "downtown" area of Shawnee.

That concept has merit.  Here though is my question.  What are they going to be coming to the downtown for?  The businesses located there are a jumble of architectural designs, with no symmetry.  Some of the businesses are built close to the roadway while others are set back quite a bit.  This does not make for an aesthetically pleasing downtown, regardless of what is done with the roads. trails, and sidewalks.

Besides that, now let's look at the types of businesses.  Are they unique and strong enough to bring folks into the corridor?

Would it be nice to have a strong and vibrant downtown?  You bet.  Do we have any indications or even conditional commitments from any developers about redoing the businesses, both in appearance and mix?  There has even been talk about some infill residential.  Or is this wishful thinking of "build it and they will come"?

We're talking millions of dollars here.  It would be nice to know if there will be commitments for ALL aspects of this project.

Memorial Day - 2016

In a little over two weeks our country will be celebrating Memorial Day.  Many folks will use the three day holiday to travel and visit friends and relatives, attend barbecues and a host of other events.

Unfortunately, there are some who really do not understand why we celebrate Memorial Day.  It is actually very simple.  If it wasn't for those who gave their all for our country we would not be having those barbecues, family gatherings, a day off from work or school, etc.

All I ask is that you take a few minutes to remember the meaning of this holiday.  Explain it to the young folks.  Teach them that "freedom isn't free".  When they complain that they don't have the latest and greatest cell phone, video game player, newest pair of sneakers, please explain to them what they would not have if those that have gone before them did not sacrifice for the future of this country. And teach them also, that if they should happen to see a vet or active member of our military, to just say two little words....."thank you".

Last but not least, please take the less than 8 minutes needed to view the video below from last year's Memorial Day tribute in Washington, DC.

Thank you..................

Dumb Rears its Head at Council Committee Meeting

Last night at the council committee meeting I do believe we were treated to another example of Jeff Vaught’s arrogance, and I would even go so far as to say stupidity. 

Let’s look at what the item was.  This was tabled from previous meetings and came back up last night and concerned the placement of ten electric vehicle charging stations by KCP&L on city property, including the parking lot at city hall.

Each of these charging stations will charge two vehicles, so it requires two parking spaces.  To place three at city hall would eliminate six parking spaces.  The bone thrown out by KCP&L would be that they would install them at no charge (an approximate value of $10K) and in return the city would pay for the electric services at each unit for two years.  The projected costs would be $400/year for each of the ten stations.  The stations can also be set for the users to pay, but KCP&L wants to do that after the first two years.

Anyone who has studied these things and the vehicles that use them knows that it takes a long time to charge up one of these vehicles.  Most of the council members could not see where that would be beneficial to have them  on city property since there would not be anything for people to do while the vehicles are being charged.  It is a fact that there are commercial properties that have installed them which makes sense.  First, folks can be shopping or related activities and the commercial properties could charge the costs to their advertising budgets.  Some that are doing that are Wal Mart, Hy Vee, Mill Creek Shopping Center.  Even the county owned golf course on Midland has them, but they are a self- supporting unit in that they charge greens fees and other related  fees, and folks that go there are there for quite some time.

A concept that is being used for the placement of these items is referred to as lily padding.  Well, if the Hy Vee at Pflumm  Rd and Mill Creek Shopping Center has them, the Wal Mart at SMP & Maurer and the one at Nieman and 74^th, then attempting to place them at 10 Quivira or Shawnee Village Shopping Centers makes more sense, as suggested by yours truly.  Especially with the traffic at those locations.  Much higher traffic than where city hall is located.  Most of the council agreed with yours truly about letting commercial properties take the lead on this.

Now  his royal arrogance starts in with “I just don’t get it”.  That’s his favorite phrase when somebody disagrees with him. (In this case not just me but a majority of the council) A very arrogant statement too, because it is saying that only his idea is the right one and he can’t understand why you don’t agree with him.  He feels that the city should accept the $100K worth of equipment on the chance that down the road we will have a “fleet of electric vehicles”.  Which fleet is he talking about?  He’s in a dream world.  Our police vehicles, fire trucks, public works vehicles?  We only have about a dozen or so or maybe less, of vehicles used by codes and some other city departments and those are hand me down police vehicles

My opinion:  Not only was his arrogance at its nadir last night, but he has, at least to me, confirmed that he has to be one of the dumbest people to ever serve on the council.  In two elections he may have fooled the voters in Ward III, but in the last mayoral primary he didn’t fool the rest of the city when he didn’t even make it to the general election.

I’m really worried about this man.  Maybe he needs to see a doctor to see if he suffers  from Cra-Rec Syndrome**

**Cra-Rec Syndrome aka Cranial Rectal Inversion, when one’s cranium is tightly lodged in one’s rectal area and its functionality is reduced by spasmodic pressure, lack of sun light and toxic fumes

DTJVSD

Blast From the Past - 7/30/14

Some folks might find this interesting, for various reasons. There are two points I wish to make today, and they are related.

First, back on July 30, 2014 I posted and item "Did Vaught aMake Up Numbers?"  click here  What that post had to do with, was that at a council meeting when discussing the proposed sales tax for street improvements Jeff "The Arrogant One" Vaught stated that 40% of the city's sales tax revenue came from non-residents. If true that would be great. So, I sent him an email asking him to provide verification of that statement. Naturally, his royal arrogance felt he did not have to reply. So, I submitted a Kansas Open Records Request to the city for any documents that would confirm that. The city came back and said they did not have any records that could either confirm or deny that information. Interesting, eh?

Unfortunately, Vaught's statement made it to the local media and it was taken as gospel truth.

Here is part two. Knowing that the city did not have documents that would confirm or deny Vaught's statement why didn't the city manager correct Vaught at the meeting? Now, over the years I have heard her correct other council members when they made factually incorrect statements. What was different this time? Was it a purposeful omission on her part because of a desire to get the tax approved and a little truth stretching wouldn't hurt? Where did Vaught get that figure from? Was he fed it from a source that also cannot provide verification?

Just something to think about.




DTJVSD

Still Not Resolved - Filling a City Council Vacancy

At the 4/5/16 Council Committee the discussion about how to fill a council vacancy in the future was again tabled.  There is some merit to that because right now most cities need some clarification on certain items in the new state election law, by either or both, the secretary of state and/or the county election commissioner.

The current method, which many would like to see continued, is for the council to appoint an individual to fill a vacancy.  The one positive to this, is that it is "free"..  The major problem though is what can sometimes be perceived as collusion on the part of some council members as to who the appointee should be.  All that one has to do is go back a very short time ago with the appointment of Alan Willoughby (former Mayor Jeff Meyers' uncle by marriage) and review the letter of rebuke that the JoCo DA sent to the city council.  In that letter he admonished the council very strongly for what appeared to him to be a disregard of the spirit of the Kansas Open Meetings Act.

Current Councilmember Stephanie Meyer, who is also the council president, has voiced concerns about this process, and was leaning towards an election process.  She has even stated that when she was appointed to fill a position that came open she had felt that there was a strong sentiment out among the public that her appointment was tainted.  And those same concerns reared their ugly head when Brandon Kenig was appointed to fill the open position that was created when Mayor Distler was elected to her current position.

Other folks, myself included, have indicated that they would prefer an election in the open ward to fill the position.  The advantage to this is that the people of the ward would have the say as to who would represent them.  The argument against this is strictly financial, as it would cost approximately $37K to run a special election.  Is that really too much to spend to maintain a truly democratic process?

Now there is a third process which staff has indicated in their presentation and which will probably be heard when the item finally gets to be aired out.  This third proposal is a hybrid, it is very simple, maintains a democratic environment, and it does not create any additional expenditures.  Under the hybrid proposal the council would appoint a person to fill the position, but only until the next regular election.  Currently a person is appointed to fill the position until the expiration of the original office holder's term.  With this hybrid the position would then be filled by election to finish the remainder of the term.  By having it placed on the ballot at a regular election the city would not incur the costs of a special election.  This would, IMHO, be a win-win situation.  I would strongly urge the citizens of Shawnee to support the hybrid plan when the item comes before the council.

Professionalism Prevents Tragedy

There was an incident on Saturday 4/16/16 which could have ended in tragedy.  There was a domestic violence situation which turned into a standoff between a suspect and the police.

Fortunately, we do not see many of these in Shawnee, as they are more common in other areas of the metro.

Fortunately, we do have a well trained police department and their response to this incident appears to have resulted in a resolution that avoided tragedy.  The suspect in custody and nobody in either the hospital or the morgue.  Good job.

For more info please go to the article at the Shawnee Dispatch

The Legal Fees are Starting

Here we go.  The legal fees for the city to defend itself in the Qrivit action are starting to come in.  this is regarding the Vantage at Shawnee project.

So, from Mar 3, 2016 to Apr 5, 2016 the legal fees are $3,316.50.  These are just to get the ball rolling in the city's defense of the lawsuit.  I'll take a guess and say that by the time it is over it will cost the city between $75,000 - $100,000.

And that does not include the time that city staff will have to spend researching and obtaining documents as the lawyers tell them what is needed.

Curious, do ya think the 22 folks that were responsible for this situation should chip in and help pay for this?  Especially the loud mouthed fool that threatened the mayor with bodily harm!!!!

Stay tuned.  We will be filing KORA requests periodically to get updates on the amount of money spent for the legal fees.

John Rubin Endorses Eric Jenkins for State Rep

Previously I posted comments by State Rep John Rubin explaining why he was not running for reelection.  Here are his comments as to why he is endorsing Eric Jenkins for the position.

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And now it is my pleasure and privilege to introduce to those of you who do not know him, and to enthusiastically endorse for the 18^th District seat, Shawnee City Councilman Eric Jenkins.  I am convinced he will be a truly accomplished and worthy successor who will work hard and continue the fight for the economically and socially conservative values and principles that have informed and inspired my work in the Legislature.

Eric is a 30-year veteran of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Additionally, he is a retired Colonel, US Army Reserves with over 34 years of Active and Reserve service.

During his tenure with FEMA, Eric served in all operational programs of the Agency. He made contributions as a manager and worker in the key areas of preparedness, mitigation and response.

In mitigation, Eric managed the National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA mitigation grant programs. In addition to flood plain management, he managed FEMA Region VII’s National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program and National Dam Safety Program.

In Preparedness, Eric successfully managed the Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program, Hazardous Materials Program, Fire Grant Program, FEMA State grants, and training and exercise programs. Mr. Jenkins chaired the Regional Radiological Assistance Committee.

While assigned to Disaster Response & Recovery Division, Eric served in several capacities. He was Chief of Operations, responsible for the FEMA Region’s response plans, training and regional ops center. He served as Federal Coordinating Officer for two Presidential-declared disasters and served as Deputy or Operations Officer on countless others. In this capacity, Eric delivered the Individual and Public Assistance Programs, Public Affairs, Legislative Affairs, Community Relations and other disaster response activities and programs. Leadership in the Federal response required frequent and close coordination with multiple Federal and State agencies and non-governmental agencies. During his time as Operations Officer and Executive Officer of the Division, Eric chaired the Regional Interagency Steering Committee.

In addition to his Regional Office responsibilities, Eric was an adjunct faculty to the Emergency Management Institute, instructed the Agency’s Customer Service Program and sat on the National Federal Radiological Preparedness Coordinating Committee in Washington, DC. 

Eric has had a very complementary military career. He has branch qualification in Infantry, Intelligence, Special Forces and Military Police and is a certified instructor. He commanded a Special Forces A-Team, a Military Police Battalion, served in a number of Intelligence, operations and training positions at all levels of staff and taught Command & General Staff College curricula. He is a graduate of the prestigious US Army War College. Colonel Jenkins’ FEMA background was extremely useful to 5th United States Army while he served as an Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer to the State of Missouri. In addition, Eric assisted in training the staff and wrote deployment exercises for 5th Army’s newly created civil-military response Task Force Warrior. After completing 30 years of service, COL Jenkins was brought back as a retiree recall for service in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was assigned to Multi-National Force-Iraq Headquarters and the Joint Center for Operations Analysis (JCOA) at US Joint Forces Command. Later assigned by JCOA to the Center for Army Lessons Learned (CALL) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, COL Jenkins led multiple Lessons Learned teams to various stateside locations, as well as in Germany, Iraq and Afghanistan. After four additional years of active duty, Eric Jenkins again retired in November 2009 to pursue his long-held dream of establishing his own emergency management consulting business. 

Locally, Eric has served for 21 years on the Shawnee Planning Commission and in 2011, served on the Johnson County Charter Commission.  He lost a close race for Shawnee Mayor two city election cycles ago, and last year won a Ward 2 seat on the Shawnee City Council, where he has been a diligent conservative watchdog on budgetary and spending issues in particular.

In his personal life, Eric is married with five children. He has served his community of Shawnee, Kansas since 1988 with four years on the Northwest Advisory Board to the Board of Education and since 1992 on the Planning Commission. He holds a B.A. from Missouri State University and a M.A. from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

As you can see, Eric has a most impressive resume of dedicated public service over many years, and is extremely well qualified to represent the citizens of eastern Shawnee in the Kansas House of Representatives.  I have no doubt that he will continue the fight for the fiscally and socially conservative principles and values we both cherish.  I commend him to you all, and urge you to vote for him to succeed me as your 18^th District Representative in the Kansas House.



 



State Rep John Rubin Announces He Is Not Running for Reelection

In a recent release State Rep John Rubin has announced that he is not running for reelection.

Portions of that release are shown below.

 

 

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As many of you may have heard by now, after thoughtful consideration, my wife Birdie and I arrived at the difficult decision some months ago that I would not run again this year for a fourth term as your 18^th District Representative in the Kansas House of Representatives.

The purpose of this message is two-fold:  First, to tell all of you, particularly my Shawnee constituents and those of you who have honored me with your support, of the reasons for my decision, and to thank you for the privilege of serving you in the Kansas Legislature for the past six years.  And second, to announce my wholehearted support and strong endorsement of Eric Jenkins, Shawnee Ward 2 City Councilman, who has filed for my seat, to replace me as your Representative in the Kansas Legislature.

Let me begin with a few personal remarks about the reasons why I have chosen not to be a candidate for the 18^th District seat again this year.  Clichés about why people retire from public service are nonetheless true just because they are clichés.  Birdie and I have indeed rued our inability to spend more time with our daughters and their families who reside out of state, and now eagerly anticipate the prospect of visiting them more often.  In addition, I am truly considering other career opportunities both inside and outside of government.

But most of all, I am leaving the Kansas Legislature with a strong sense of accomplishment, of achieving so much of the public policy changes, of advancement of the conservative principles and values that prompted me to run for office in the first place.  Allow me to summarize some of them.

I have represented the 18^th District (eastern Shawnee, KS) in the Kansas House of Representatives for the past six years, having been first elected in 2010, and re-elected in 2012 and 2014.  I have chaired the House Standing Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice for four years, and I have also chaired the Interim Joint Corrections and Juvenile Justice Oversight Committee for the past year.  In addition, this term I have served on the House Judiciary and Veterans and Homeland Security Committees, and in the past on the Pensions and Benefits and Federal and State Affairs Committees as well.  For the past four years, I have also served on the Kansas Sentencing Commission and the Kansas Judicial Council’s Criminal Law Committee.  And I co-chaired the Kansas Juvenile Justice Workgroup during the 2015 interim, and was central in the report of the Workgroup recommending comprehensive reforms of Kansas’ juvenile justice system.

May I say that I have been the prolific author, lead sponsor and/or carrier of a myriad of the most important legislative accomplishments in the State of Kansas over the past six years.  A short list of the most important and influential bills, resolutions and policy initiatives which I have championed and shepherded through the Legislature that have had the most significant and far-reaching effects to better the lives of all Kansans includes the following:

Promotion of open government accountability and transparency to the public:

Principled advocacy of a culture of life and protection of our unborn children:  

Enforcement of the rule of law and preservation of fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution:

Fighting to protect the health and well-being of all Kansans, particularly our disabled children: 

Promotion of Kansas businesses, free enterprise and entrepreneurship to grow the economy and create jobs: 

Recognizing my extensive record of legislative accomplishment and achievement in all of the above matters, and many others, The Kansas City Star named me a 2014 legislative “winner;” The Star and the Wichita Eagle have recently dubbed me “highly respected” in the Legislature; and the state’s political newspaper of record, The Topeka Capitol-Journal, in its lead editorial on March 22, 2016, said: “Rubin, an attorney and arbitrator, is immensely qualified to chair [the House Corrections and Juvenile Justice] committee and has done an admirable job as chairman.”

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Follow this blog to see why John endorses Eric Jenkins as his replacement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Quarterly Q & A With the Mayor

The Third Thursdays With the Mayor have been very successful.

Mayor Distler is now adding an additional opportunity for the citizens of Shawnee to meet face to face with the mayor and to exchange comments and ideas.

The first Quarterly Q & A with the Mayor is scheduled for Thursday, 3/31.

Here is the info as sent out by the city:

Join Mayor Michelle Distler this Thursday for the inaugural edition of Quarterly Q&A.

This event, which is free for all Shawnee residents to attend, is intended to get citizens engaged with their city government and learn more about what is going on in the community.

 Mayor Distler will provide a brief city update and then open it up to questions and comments from the audience.

Quarterly Q&A will be held on Thursday, March 31 from 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at Pizza West (5436 Roberts Street)

 

Mayor Distler is the first Shawnee mayor to set up so many venues where the citizens can interact with her about matters of concern to them.

Tax Lid Negative Impacts for Shawnee

It is estimated by using the last budget cycle that if the tax lid were in place then it would have resulted in between $400K-$800K of lost revenue. We have not had a mill levy increase in 10 years because we were able to capture property value growth, even during the recession. The needs in the community continue to grow as the city grows and we currently struggle to meet all of those needs in our existing budget. Additionally, by not allowing us to capture the growth once an incentivized project comes onto the tax rolls would kill us as it would be impossible to support the growth if we can’t capture the growth. Example, we like to have X # of police per capita. We build more commercial and homes out west but then are not allowed to capture the growth to grow our police,fire, and public works accordingly. If they want mill levy increases  to go to the ballot, fine, but don’t take  our valuation growth away from us.

 

Here are a few of them:

 

·         Our fire response times in Western Shawnee continue to grow (some areas are 10-12 minute response time).We NEED two new fire stations as is with national standards per capita and geographical size. At minimum, we will need to construct a new fire station in the northwest portion of the City soon.

 

·         Our residents continue to respond on the citizen satisfaction survey that they want better codes enforcement, particularly for rental properties. At this point, we have a predominantly complaint driven system. To be proactive on enforcement, we will likely need to hire additional staff.

 

·         We continue to struggle with funding the growing need for stormwater infrastructure maintenance in our community. While we have a Stormwater Utility Fee, it is also supplemented with $750,000 of General Fund Revenue. In the past few weeks we have had a storm water pipe on Holliday drive fail costing us a million dollars and one on 73rnd and Quivira costing us $250,000. These repairs have eaten up our entire budget for storm water leaving no additional funds for proactive maintenance to prevent these emergency failure repairs.

 

·         Our Police Department is looking to implement body cameras. As you know this is a best practice in the profession and something community members and even legislators are wanting cities to move towards. There are significant costs to implementing their use. This cost comes from not only on the cameras themselves, but the retention and review of data.

 

Finally, there is something to be said about the uneven playing field everyone will find themselves in when the cap goes into place. For example the current mill levy in Shawnee is 24.536 and each mill is worth about $768K. The mill levy in Lenexa is 31.807 and each mill is worth $975K. As you can see the revenue difference is quite significant. This is not to say one community has too high of a mill levy, but it just demonstrates the disparity of revenue communities will be locked into.

 

They don’t like the Feds telling them what to do but they want to tell the cities what to do who provide the most impactful daily services to the residents. Their budget is an absolute mess and we are a nationwide laughing stock on Seth Meyers and other shows. The city has a very conservative and responsible budget and bond rating, they do  not., They are so far in  debt they will never see daylight. are they wanting to put us in the same mess they are in? Not only do none of them understand local government, none of them bothered to respond to, or reach out to the local governments they claim to represent to understand the impact. Instead, they don’t allow for input and pass bull s**t under cloak and dagger in the middle of the night.

 

The ONLY reason they did it was because they raised the largest sales tax in history and had to save political face by putting a lid on us!! That way they can say yeah we raised your sales tax BUT we stopped your property tax. It was a complete political and self serving move. NOT what's BEST for the communities they represent!

 

Add to that, State Sen Mary Pilcher-Cook voted against the emergency personnel exemption to the tax lid and State Rep Brett Hildebrand voted against the mutual aid bill.

 

What is going on?

 

 

 

 

 

Shawnee Needs to Get Paid Back

This past Monday I spoke at the council meeting regarding claw backs.  Claw backs are the monies that municipal governments can get back from various tax incentives.

I am looking for these under two specific situations.  First, when a developer sells a property, makes a profit, the city should be able to get back its investment, like other investors in the project.  The other situation is when a developer fails to meet the terms of the incentive package.

Now, before I proceed further, let's clarify two things.  I am in favor of developers being able to make a profit on their investments.   I just feel that the city (our taxpayers) are entitled to their fair share.  Next, there is a place for incentives to get certain projects going.

What got me really going (and upset) was the sale of 10 Quivira Plaza.  The developer made such a high profit that even the Executive Director of our Economic Development Commission indicated that it made the property one of the highest valued ones of its kind in JoCo.  A portion of the redevelopment was covered by a CID sales tax.  This is a sales tax increase, levied for a specific amount and time to assist the developer in their project.  What happened?  The developer made their money, which they are entitled to.  But, unlike any of their other investors the City of Shawnee did not get a return on its investment.  In reality, according to information received from the City Manager the increased sales tax amount will be around for another 6-7 years.  It will end earlier than planned as the max amount appears to be on track to be attained earlier than the original period allotted.  So, the developer made their money, but our citizens are still paying a higher sales tax at that shopping center.  And many customers that shop there are some of our older, retired, on a fixed income residents.

After I spoke, Councilmember Pflumm did request that the city manager have staff look into how we can go about recouping these funds on future projects.

I think we need to look at recouping funds from the profits of these projects being sold.  Then we can work on getting back our money from projects that don't comply with the terms of the incentive packages.

And, if anybody says that an incentive is not an investment, they need to grab a Merriam-Webster's dictionary.

Which Way Will Vaught Swing?

Councilmember Jeff Vaught never ceases to amaze me.  One thing though, he keeps my research skills up.

A few weeks ago there was an item before the council.  I'll keep it simple. There was an item in the International Building and Residential codes concerning fences around swimming pools and the use of some new high tech pool covers.  These high tech covers (which run in the thousands) are mechanical and supposedly can support substantial weight.  The international codes basically said if a homeowner had one of these high tech covers that fencing was not required.  Some members of the council still wanted fencing.  Vaught, in his infinite wisdom said that since hundreds of experts had worked on these codes that we should go with their decision.

Now, let's back track to December of 2012.  There were some (5) items up for review that appeared in these international codes.  One pertained to protection from roof ice dams (ice barrier) and the other protection of wood I-joist floors (fire protection).  Now our fearless expert of all things construction thought we didn't need those.  Part of the argument was based on what it would add to the cost of constructing a new home.  But wait a minute, hundreds of experts worked on these but I guess in this case he knew better than them.

It's really nice how the arrogant one can pick and choose when he wants to use the combined knowledge of these hundreds of experts.  Guess which way he swings on these issues depends on who he wants to endear himself to.  How do we spell opportunist?


DTJVSD

Part 2 - City of Shawnee Sued - Vantage Saga Continues

In yesterday's post I discussed the recent filing of a lawsuit by QRIVIT LLC against the City of Shawnee.  If you haven't read that post yet, you might want to scroll down and read it.

Let's look at what the possible outcomes of the lawsuit could be.  Now, keep in mind, these are my personal, non-legal opinions. 

City wins the lawsuit:  OK, this ends the situation.  Primary item to consider would be what has been the cost to defend and win the suit.  Legal fees can be high.  Primary items would be number of hours put into the case, whether or not court appearances were necessary.  Research time to find out how previous cases with similar situations were handled.

City loses the lawsuit:  Whoops.............now this could be problematical.   First, the city would have the fees it cost to defend the suit.  The city might have to cover the plaintiff's legal fees.  What would be the amount of the financial reimbursements/penalties the city would be required to make to the plaintiff.  Would the project (Vantage) be court ordered to be permitted to be built?  If so, which version?  The one from the most recent council meeting (which was a little smaller, and the green areas were a little larger, and the buildings were set back a little more)  or would it be the original plan?

This will get interesting to say the least.

City of Shawnee Sued - The Vantage Saga Continues

In case you haven't heard, the City of Shawnee is being sued by QRIVIT, LLC as a result of the failed Vantage at Shawnee project.  Shawnee Dispatch article here  The case number is 16CV01076 and is filed in Johnson County.

Let me see if I can explain exactly what has transpired.  QRIVIT, LLC is the owner of the property where the developers wanted to build Vantage at Shawnee.  I believe they had what was called a conditional sale pending.  The developers would buy the property on the condition that the city approved the rezoning and accordingly the project.

The Planning Commission approved the rezoning and the project. Various property owners in the immediate area of the project were not in favor of it.  There is a provision in K.S.A. 12-757 for individuals to sign a protest petition against a project.  Basically, if individuals who own 25% or more of the property, within a 200' buffer of the project location (excluding city ROW) then there is a modified procedure for the City Council to give final approval.  The Council would have to approve the project by a super majority (7 of 9) in order for it to proceed.  As such, the required council threshold was not met and the project died.  Apparently, the plaintiff in the lawsuit is claiming losses as a result of the council turning the project down.  Some on the council voted the project down because they didn't think it was a good fit for the area, and others supported the petitioners. 

Now let's look at some interesting numbers.  There are 1,016,419 sq. ft. of land within the 200' buffer area surrounding the project.  There were 22 individuals who signed the protest petitions which accounted for 276,032 sq. ft. or 27.15% of the protest area.  That met the statutory requirements.  Now what about the 72.85% of the land or approximately 740,000 sq. ft.  Large portions of the land are owned by the city, a major utility, a church and a major retailer.  Also, portions of 28 other residential properties are included.  Now, that could include more than 28 individuals since many properties probably have multiple owners.

Now the city will have to expend funds to defend the lawsuit.  What happens if the city loses the suit?  How much in damages would it be required to pay?  Keep in mind the "city" is us, because the city's money comes from the taxpayers, all of us.  Depending on the costs, it is possible that funds might have to be diverted or reallocated from other projects and/or services.

Now, the 22 folks who signed the protest petitions had every legal right to do so.  The state law is clear on that.  But what has now happened is that the actions of those 22 folks have now possibly placed a financial burden on the rest of the city.  So I have a few questions for those 22 folks:

1.  Would you be willing to pay into a fund to reimburse your neighbors and the rest of the city for the costs associated with defending the lawsuit?

2.  If the city loses the lawsuit would you be willing to pay into a fund to reimburse your neighbors and the rest of the city for the costs associated with any loss awarded by the court?

3.  Would those individuals who as attorneys spoke against the project be willing to donate  (pro bono) their services to help the city defend against the lawsuit?

This just started, so it will be awhile before the judicial outcome is finalized.  It is going to get interesting.  Now I'm going to play devil's advocate here.  There may be some individuals that might be upset about the possibility of the city (us) having to spend substantial sums of money because of this.  Before those individuals get upset, remember, there may come a day when you might want to sign a protest petition against a proposed building project in your neighborhood. Now that could be a wild possibility............

Vantage Apartment Project Causes Dissension - Part III

Here is some interesting information for folks to consider.

Remember that because of the protest petitions it would have taken a super majority of the council to approve the project, which never happened.

Now let's talk about those protest petitions.  It is not the number of people who signed, it is the  amount of land that they own that is important for a protest petition.  To be valid the protest petition has to be signed by owners that have 20% of the land that is within a 200 foot buffer of the proposed area to be rezoned, excepting rights of way, public streets and roadways.

The area within the 200 foot of the buffer zone is 1,016,419 square feet and the petitions with signatures encompassed 276,032 square feet or 27.15% of the protest area.

Now, here is how the ownership breaks down:

22 individuals signed the petitions that met the requirements

17 of those people are registered to vote at the addresses on the petitions.....the other 5 may either not be registered or they may be registered at another location and possibly rent out those properties

9 of those folks voted in the last city election (April 2015)

4 of those folks voted in the mayoral primary election (March 2015)

Those are the numbers.  Interpret them as you wish.

An interesting side note is something that happened last Monday night at the council committee meeting.   There was an item on the agenda concerning fencing around swimming pools and a new style of pool covers.  Anyway, safety of young children was an important part of the discussion.  Guess what?  I didn't see one person from the Vantage protest group at that meeting.  Actually, how many council meetings do they attend?   Anyway, it was an apartment resident who presented the info to the committee about the high number of unattended children's deaths at swimming pools.  The info is available from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control).  I guess those folks don't really care about the safety of young children?