Justin Adrian - Another Teacher Who Can't Read

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

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

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

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

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

With Positive Modifications Aztec Project Moves Forward

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

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

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

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

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

Candidate Constance Gets Knuckles Rapped by Ethics Commission

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

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

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

Lindsey Constance Borderline Hypocrisy

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

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

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

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

Did Candidate Justin Adrian Violate State Law?

This is an interesting question. 

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

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

Aztec Theater - Part 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Aztec Theater Plan - Not a Good Deal for Shawnee

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Westbrooke Village Needs Private Security

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

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

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

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

Bet the neighbors in the surrounding homes would appreciate that.

City of Shawnee Absolved of Wrongdoing

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

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

For more information on this action click here

Jeff Vaught Gives Citizens of Shawnee the Middle Finger

Strong words.  True story. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ward 4 Beware - Lindsey Constance Dem/Liberal Doubletalk

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

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

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

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

Brandon Kenig and His Sour Grapes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New Hypocrite Emerges in Ward 3 - Justin Adrian

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

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

Did The Shawnee Dispatch Act in an Unethical Manner?

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

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

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

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

Vote Totals From Tuesday 8/1/17

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

WARD 3:

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

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

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

Ward 4:

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

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

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

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

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

Vaught & Kenig Kicked to the Curb

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

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

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

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

Vaught's Hypocrisy Rears Its Ugly Head, Again

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

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

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

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

My pick: Dave Myres

Brandon Kenig Speaks - Hip Waders Needed

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

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

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

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

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

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

OK, my choices:

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

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

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

100° Temps and Jeff Vaught Blows More Hot Air

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

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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