In my post just prior to this one it was mentioned how Stephanie Meyer was critical of those who spoke negatively about city staff.
Well apparently Meyer must have some strong muscles attached to her jawbone because she appears to be able to talk out of both sides of her mouth. Or are they ligaments or tendons?
At the Shawnee Mission Post forum for mayoral candidates prior to the August primary Meyer seemed to throw the blame on a city engineer as the reason why Menard's did not locate in Shawnee. I blogged about it at the time and you can read about that by following this linkhttps://shawneeray.blogspot.com/2019/07/why-does-stephanie-meyer-lie-about.html
But, if you don't believe me, or want additional verification you can hear it in her own words. That's right, you can see and hear her on video. The comments are at approximately the 42:05 mark of the video. You will need to go here, https://www.facebook.com/pg/shawneemissionpost/videos/?ref=page_internal and then scroll down until you get to the video for the Shawnee Mayor's forum from July 9, 2019.
This individual will say whatever she needs to, to try and get elected. Hopefully, the rest of the city will see what the folks in her own ward saw when she took a whooping in her own ward in the primary. The results of the primary in Ward 3 were:
Distler 1004 51.38%
Meyer 639 32.70%
Tubbesing 277 14.18%
Sood 34 1.74%
Citywide, Meyer only got 26% while the incumbent Mayor, Michelle Distler got 57%.
What else will Meyer lie or be two faced about? Stay tuned as the election is just a little over a week away.
Monday, October 28, 2019
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Stephanie Meyer - Enemy of Free Speech
In a recent post to the blog on her campaign web site, Stephanie Meyer had this to say:
"The incumbent has routinely allowed staff to be publicly attacked by extremists."
What Ms. Meyer fails to acknowledge is that it is not up to the mayor to allow or disallow comments, pro or con, by anyone. That would be censorship. And that would not only be in violation of the First Amendment to the US Constitution but also to Section 3 of the Bill of rights of the Kansas State Constitution. I have posted that section here before, and brought it up at various council meetings. This is what it says (the underlining is by me)
§ 3. Right of peaceable assembly; petition. The people have the right to assemble, in a peaceable manner, to consult for their common good, to instruct their representatives, and to petition the government, or any department thereof, for the redress of grievances.
So, if elected would Meyer attempt to censor free speech, or, faced with a constitutional dilemma (both federal and state) allow those comments? Thereby proving once again that she talks out of both sides of her mouth.
Stephanie Meyer would not be good for Shawnee and I would strongly urge the citizens of this city to reject her candidacy for mayor.
"The incumbent has routinely allowed staff to be publicly attacked by extremists."
What Ms. Meyer fails to acknowledge is that it is not up to the mayor to allow or disallow comments, pro or con, by anyone. That would be censorship. And that would not only be in violation of the First Amendment to the US Constitution but also to Section 3 of the Bill of rights of the Kansas State Constitution. I have posted that section here before, and brought it up at various council meetings. This is what it says (the underlining is by me)
§ 3. Right of peaceable assembly; petition. The people have the right to assemble, in a peaceable manner, to consult for their common good, to instruct their representatives, and to petition the government, or any department thereof, for the redress of grievances.
So, if elected would Meyer attempt to censor free speech, or, faced with a constitutional dilemma (both federal and state) allow those comments? Thereby proving once again that she talks out of both sides of her mouth.
Stephanie Meyer would not be good for Shawnee and I would strongly urge the citizens of this city to reject her candidacy for mayor.
Friday, October 18, 2019
I Was Wrong on 10/11/19
Whoops, you won't see that headline too often. Unlike some folks, I can admit it, even though it doesn't happen too often......LOL
OK, let's split this post into two parts:
Part 1: My comments on 10/11/19 that the proposed Charter Ordinance 46 was a virtual blank check were wrong. It was not. And with some last minute verbiage adjustments by Council Member Jenkins and City Attorney Rainey the item became very acceptable to all concerned.
Part 2: I still stand by my comments that it was abhorrent for a Charter Ordinance to be placed on an agenda for a city council meeting without first going through the committee process. The item showed up late Thursday 10/10 for inclusion at the meeting of 10/14. Let's get this straight, Shawnee and other cities in Kansas function on charter ordinances. Other cities in other states function on charters and States function on constitutions. A charter ordinance is the basic building block for other actions of the city. It is not like an ordinance for how many pets you can have, property set backs or any of that stuff. It is how the city is to be run and governed. And, if folks can't see that then they are blind. Charter ordinances, by their very nature need to go to committee first for a thorough hashing out and vetting. Not, place on an agenda for action 4 days (two of which are the weekend) later.
OK, let's split this post into two parts:
Part 1: My comments on 10/11/19 that the proposed Charter Ordinance 46 was a virtual blank check were wrong. It was not. And with some last minute verbiage adjustments by Council Member Jenkins and City Attorney Rainey the item became very acceptable to all concerned.
Part 2: I still stand by my comments that it was abhorrent for a Charter Ordinance to be placed on an agenda for a city council meeting without first going through the committee process. The item showed up late Thursday 10/10 for inclusion at the meeting of 10/14. Let's get this straight, Shawnee and other cities in Kansas function on charter ordinances. Other cities in other states function on charters and States function on constitutions. A charter ordinance is the basic building block for other actions of the city. It is not like an ordinance for how many pets you can have, property set backs or any of that stuff. It is how the city is to be run and governed. And, if folks can't see that then they are blind. Charter ordinances, by their very nature need to go to committee first for a thorough hashing out and vetting. Not, place on an agenda for action 4 days (two of which are the weekend) later.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Kris Durbin for Shawnee City Council - Ward 4
Kris Durbin would be the logical choice to represent the citizens of Ward 4 on the Shawnee City Council.
In these times when Shawnee is facing the potential of over $140 million in stormwater repairs, tens of millions of dollars in street repairs and other infrastructure work, Kris' background is sorely needed on the council.
He is employed in the design-build engineering and construction industry. The better part of his 18 year career in this industry has been as a Project Controls Manager. As such, Kris is responsible for combining the technical and commercial aspects of managing large multi-million dollar infrastructure projects, to enable project leadership and stakeholders to understand state of progress, the financial health, and the overall risks and opportunities of the initiative.
He has experience and exposure on projects valued up to $5.5 billion. His experience with contracts and projects with high amounts of risk and cost exposure will be a tremendous value to the governing body.
While his opponent appears to be a very nice and likeable individual she has avoided discussing the many financial issues affecting the city. Very candidly, since her experience has been mostly in the volunteer arena her comments tend to be fluffy feel good without getting down to the nitty gritty of what is facing Shawnee. We are also facing the potential loss of millions of dollars in property tax revenue based on current court rulings concerning big box retailers. Kris Durbin is well qualified to work towards positive solutions for these items.
On the personal side, he and his wife of 9 years Jacque are proud to call Shawnee their home where they are raising their daughter Makyla.
In these times when Shawnee is facing the potential of over $140 million in stormwater repairs, tens of millions of dollars in street repairs and other infrastructure work, Kris' background is sorely needed on the council.
He is employed in the design-build engineering and construction industry. The better part of his 18 year career in this industry has been as a Project Controls Manager. As such, Kris is responsible for combining the technical and commercial aspects of managing large multi-million dollar infrastructure projects, to enable project leadership and stakeholders to understand state of progress, the financial health, and the overall risks and opportunities of the initiative.
He has experience and exposure on projects valued up to $5.5 billion. His experience with contracts and projects with high amounts of risk and cost exposure will be a tremendous value to the governing body.
While his opponent appears to be a very nice and likeable individual she has avoided discussing the many financial issues affecting the city. Very candidly, since her experience has been mostly in the volunteer arena her comments tend to be fluffy feel good without getting down to the nitty gritty of what is facing Shawnee. We are also facing the potential loss of millions of dollars in property tax revenue based on current court rulings concerning big box retailers. Kris Durbin is well qualified to work towards positive solutions for these items.
On the personal side, he and his wife of 9 years Jacque are proud to call Shawnee their home where they are raising their daughter Makyla.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Kurt Knappen for Shawnee City Council Ward 3 (Full Term)
Kurt Knappen's business and community involvement background puts him head and shoulders, IMHO, above his opponent for the Shawnee City Council.
He has spent the past 21 years working for just two companies to get better care for individuals suffering from type 2 Diabetes. For the past 15 years he has served as a District Business Manager for his company which involves managing, leading and coaching a team of 9-11 individuals.
He has spent the past 21 years working for just two companies to get better care for individuals suffering from type 2 Diabetes. For the past 15 years he has served as a District Business Manager for his company which involves managing, leading and coaching a team of 9-11 individuals.
This
experience includes hiring, performance management, setting the tone and
vision, inspiring, coaching, budgeting and HR issues related to the team.
Including salaries and expenditures, he effectively manage a budget well over
$1.5 million annually. Importantly, he manages his team remotely, spending
approximately 2 days per month with each. This is important as it will
help him in his dealings working with City Staff in a remote manner (via phone
and email to a large extent). He successfully deals with conflict first hand,
manages out low performers, routinely gains consensus among a broad group of
individuals and leads with innovative ideas while addressing tough issues.
Additionally,
he has previously served as Treasurer of the J.C. Republican Party and as an
elected Republican Precinct Committeeman. Finally, he was appointed to the
Lenexa Parks and Rec Board and received 2 “keys to the city” for his work on
behalf of the community.
In
Shawnee, he has served as a youth boys head football coach (6 seasons), both
boys and girls soccer coach (20+ seasons) and wrestling coach (5 seasons) in
addition to serving at Westside Family Church and in various other volunteer
capacities.
Additionally Kurt makes it a point to pay his property taxes on time. His opponent, on multiple occasions, had to play catch up on 2-3 years worth at one time. Not good for someone who is going to have to make decisions on items which concern taxes in Shawnee.
Friday, October 11, 2019
Proposed Charter Ordinance 46 - A Virtual Blank Check
There is no other way to put this. There is an item on Monday's (10/14) City Council Agenda to pass a Charter Ordinance 46 to replace Charter Ordinance 43. This item if passed would give the council (and not just this one) a virtual blank check to issue general obligation bonds for just about anything they want. Yes, they could even jam a community center down the city's throat even though 72% of our citizens said no to this.
It is imperative that the citizens of Shawnee rise up against this abuse of power by certain members of the council, and show up at the meeting on 10/14 and express their displeasure concerning this proposed charter ordinance.
Link to the agenda for 10/14/19.
Copy of the memo and the proposed new Charter Ordinance 46.
Briefly, the agenda says:
The proposed Charter Ordinance broadens the types of improvements set out in Charter Ordinance No. 43 that may be debt financed by general obligation bonds to include streetlights, and any other improvement or equipment, whether owned by the City, another government entity, or a private party, when the Governing Body finds that such improvement serves a public purpose
It is imperative that the citizens of Shawnee rise up against this abuse of power by certain members of the council, and show up at the meeting on 10/14 and express their displeasure concerning this proposed charter ordinance.
Link to the agenda for 10/14/19.
Copy of the memo and the proposed new Charter Ordinance 46.
Briefly, the agenda says:
The proposed Charter Ordinance broadens the types of improvements set out in Charter Ordinance No. 43 that may be debt financed by general obligation bonds to include streetlights, and any other improvement or equipment, whether owned by the City, another government entity, or a private party, when the Governing Body finds that such improvement serves a public purpose
Tuesday, October 08, 2019
Kevin Straub for Shawnee City Council Ward 3 (Unexpired term)
Kevin Straub would be my choice for the unexpired Ward 3 Shawnee City Council position. Kevin's background and positions makes him eminently qualified for the job.
After leaving the US Navy Kevin became a Realtor for the past 28 years and a Real Estate Broker for 24 years. He has been a past president of the Clear Creek Subdivision HOA. He assisted in the development of Town & Country Villas a one level living community in Shawnee. He is respected in the business world as a member of the Agent Leadership Council at Keller Williams Key Partners.
As a former member of the Shawnee city council he brought recycling containers to all of the Shawnee parks and consistently voted against tax increases in our city.
He feels that most members of the Shawnee City Council have proven they are out of touch with the real priorities of the people they are supposed to represent. This was proven in the case of the community center, where they ignored the results of their own survey which showed that even though folks wanted a new community center a majority said they did not want to pay an increase in property taxes to do it.
Then, just last month they decided to wade into divisive social issues which split our community in two and are still working their way through the courts around the country. Yet, up until recently we couldn't get honest communication about projects like Nieman Now. He feels we still need a sensible policy regarding tax incentives that doesn't give the farm away for any developer with their hand out. We have many members of the council who say one thing (we need more commercial development) then give it all away so we don't get anything from it when it happens.
Kevin will put needs first (storm water, street improvements etc.) ahead of frills. We are facing the possibility of some heavy infrastructure problems that need to be taken care of. Kevin will stay focused on that.
After leaving the US Navy Kevin became a Realtor for the past 28 years and a Real Estate Broker for 24 years. He has been a past president of the Clear Creek Subdivision HOA. He assisted in the development of Town & Country Villas a one level living community in Shawnee. He is respected in the business world as a member of the Agent Leadership Council at Keller Williams Key Partners.
As a former member of the Shawnee city council he brought recycling containers to all of the Shawnee parks and consistently voted against tax increases in our city.
He feels that most members of the Shawnee City Council have proven they are out of touch with the real priorities of the people they are supposed to represent. This was proven in the case of the community center, where they ignored the results of their own survey which showed that even though folks wanted a new community center a majority said they did not want to pay an increase in property taxes to do it.
Then, just last month they decided to wade into divisive social issues which split our community in two and are still working their way through the courts around the country. Yet, up until recently we couldn't get honest communication about projects like Nieman Now. He feels we still need a sensible policy regarding tax incentives that doesn't give the farm away for any developer with their hand out. We have many members of the council who say one thing (we need more commercial development) then give it all away so we don't get anything from it when it happens.
Kevin will put needs first (storm water, street improvements etc.) ahead of frills. We are facing the possibility of some heavy infrastructure problems that need to be taken care of. Kevin will stay focused on that.
Sunday, October 06, 2019
Eric Jenkins for Shawnee City Council Ward 2
Eric Jenkins is, IMHO, deserving of being re-elected to the Shawnee City Council to represent Ward 2..
Eric has spent most of his adult life serving both his community and his countryj. On the community side he has been a Shawnee City Counci member and served 21 years on the Shawnee Planning Commission. He has been a member of the Shawnee Downtown Partnership Committee and the Shawnee Economic Development Council. He has served as the SMNW Advisor to the SM School Board .
He is a retired U. S. Army Colonel having served both on active duty and in the reserves. He is a veteran of the Iraq & Afghanistan War and a graduate of the very prestigious Army War College. Among his diverse military assignments. He served as commander of ODA-114 (Operational Detachment Alpha-more commonly known as Special Forces A-Team, and as Battalion Commander of the 159th Military Police Battalion. At Ft. Leavenworth he led highly skilled senior officer and civilians in lessons learned collections missions into Iraq and Afghanistan.
His history with FEMA as a senior manager provided him with the opportunity to be involved in many multi state functions to include being a Federal Coordinating Officer. That translates into being the individual responsible for making sure that entire communities were rebuilt after a major disaster hit.
As a council member he stood up for the taxpayers of the city. He was a vocal force against the splurging of $54 million for a community center. He has long advocated that the council has to look at needs not wants, like the fact that we are looking at the possibility of over $140 million in stormwater repairs. A strong proponent of citizen rights, he led the initiative to allow citizen groupds to give full presentations at council meetings, not just insiders. He has been a long time advocate of promoting small business and he is opposed to over use of corporate welfare in the form of incentives.
Eric knows how to battle for the citizens of Ward 2 and it is felt that they need to return him to office.
Eric has spent most of his adult life serving both his community and his countryj. On the community side he has been a Shawnee City Counci member and served 21 years on the Shawnee Planning Commission. He has been a member of the Shawnee Downtown Partnership Committee and the Shawnee Economic Development Council. He has served as the SMNW Advisor to the SM School Board .
He is a retired U. S. Army Colonel having served both on active duty and in the reserves. He is a veteran of the Iraq & Afghanistan War and a graduate of the very prestigious Army War College. Among his diverse military assignments. He served as commander of ODA-114 (Operational Detachment Alpha-more commonly known as Special Forces A-Team, and as Battalion Commander of the 159th Military Police Battalion. At Ft. Leavenworth he led highly skilled senior officer and civilians in lessons learned collections missions into Iraq and Afghanistan.
His history with FEMA as a senior manager provided him with the opportunity to be involved in many multi state functions to include being a Federal Coordinating Officer. That translates into being the individual responsible for making sure that entire communities were rebuilt after a major disaster hit.
As a council member he stood up for the taxpayers of the city. He was a vocal force against the splurging of $54 million for a community center. He has long advocated that the council has to look at needs not wants, like the fact that we are looking at the possibility of over $140 million in stormwater repairs. A strong proponent of citizen rights, he led the initiative to allow citizen groupds to give full presentations at council meetings, not just insiders. He has been a long time advocate of promoting small business and he is opposed to over use of corporate welfare in the form of incentives.
Eric knows how to battle for the citizens of Ward 2 and it is felt that they need to return him to office.
Friday, October 04, 2019
Citizens For A Better Shawnee
Remember the group that spearheaded the drive against the proposed community center? The group that showed the truth about the costs! The group that showed how much pertinent information was being held back! (the term for that is lying by omission). The group that helped to point out high dollar needs that the city has facing it, as opposed to wants!
Well that group has now morphed into Citizens For A Better Shawnee. It will be taking an active roll in getting more citizens involved with the process of running the city.
You can read more about it here: https://www.citizensforabettershawnee.org/
Well that group has now morphed into Citizens For A Better Shawnee. It will be taking an active roll in getting more citizens involved with the process of running the city.
You can read more about it here: https://www.citizensforabettershawnee.org/
Tuesday, October 01, 2019
Tammy Thomas for Ward 1 Shawnee City Council
Tammy Thomas would be an excellent choice for Ward 1 Shawnee City Councilmember.
IMHO ward 1 has been under represented for many years by Jim Neighbor. Neighbor's favorite comment at meetings on various subjects has been "I'd like to echo what so and so said". It's time that Ward 1 had a councilmember who would truly get engaged in items of concern for the city.
Tammy would bring a background of exceptional service and knowledge to city government. First, she has been a member of the De Soto USD 232 school board. From 2012-2019 she served as a Statewide Long Tern Care Liaison within the The Department for Children and Families. She was able to work and bring together State Agencies such as DCF, KDADS, KDHE, along with Long Term Care Facility Administrators to support elder Kansas families to work the maze of gaining needed support. The maze of elder Medicaid was very difficult and many life long Kansas citizens were struggling to navigate it. She brought the right agencies to the table to engage in open dialogue with Long Term Care providers....face to face.
She then went on to be the Kansas City Regional Director for the The Department of Children and Families. In that capacity she was responsible for five counties with full service centers (Atchison, Leavenworth, Wyandotte, Johnson and Douglas).
She currently is serving with a non-profit organization, Safe Families for Children.
She has shown to be a compassionate individual who is willing to speak for those who are unable to speak for themselves. This is a skill that is sorely needed in a Ward 1 councilmember.
It is sincerely hoped that the citizens of Ward 1 will elect Tammy Thomas to represent them on the Shawnee City Council.
IMHO ward 1 has been under represented for many years by Jim Neighbor. Neighbor's favorite comment at meetings on various subjects has been "I'd like to echo what so and so said". It's time that Ward 1 had a councilmember who would truly get engaged in items of concern for the city.
Tammy would bring a background of exceptional service and knowledge to city government. First, she has been a member of the De Soto USD 232 school board. From 2012-2019 she served as a Statewide Long Tern Care Liaison within the The Department for Children and Families. She was able to work and bring together State Agencies such as DCF, KDADS, KDHE, along with Long Term Care Facility Administrators to support elder Kansas families to work the maze of gaining needed support. The maze of elder Medicaid was very difficult and many life long Kansas citizens were struggling to navigate it. She brought the right agencies to the table to engage in open dialogue with Long Term Care providers....face to face.
She then went on to be the Kansas City Regional Director for the The Department of Children and Families. In that capacity she was responsible for five counties with full service centers (Atchison, Leavenworth, Wyandotte, Johnson and Douglas).
She currently is serving with a non-profit organization, Safe Families for Children.
She has shown to be a compassionate individual who is willing to speak for those who are unable to speak for themselves. This is a skill that is sorely needed in a Ward 1 councilmember.
It is sincerely hoped that the citizens of Ward 1 will elect Tammy Thomas to represent them on the Shawnee City Council.
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Stephanie Meyer - Hot Air Blowing in From The West
Ahh yes, Stephanie Meyer has posted some items on the blog portion of her campaign web site that IMHO generate a large quantity of hot air. Hmmmm, maybe as the temperature drops she'll go up to cars in the city hall parking lot, blow on the windshields, and get rid of any ice build up there.
Let's see, where do I start? Let's try this one:".....incumbent empowered a small group of angry naysayers who are actively working to hold our city back and constantly undermine staff." What a joke. First, what is a naysayer? That is someone who disagrees with you. And, using it as a negative means that the person doing so thinks that their opinions are the only right ones. Whooops, we now have a new "arrogant one" in Ward 3. Small group? Ha......she's just upset that she couldn't get the city to swallow the lines of BS that she was throwing out about the proposed community center. Kinda sounds like Hillary Clinton.
Or how about this?: "The incumbent has appointed, or attempted to appoint, individuals who do not support growth onto our planning commission, individuals who do not support economic development onto the economic development council, and as a council member, actively lobbied for the appointment of a council member who has been an obstructionist on many issues facing our city during his time in office" You will kindly note that she does not mention names, not does she give specifics. Just hot air. Or are we supposed to take her at her word? Stephanie Meyer is an individual who has many times played footloose and fancy free with the truth. As previously posted on this blog she couldn't even be successful in her own ward in the recent primary election. Those folks must be telling the rest of the city something. Heck, just scroll down to the post about the campaign contributions. She blew that one. Big time.
And last, but not least, (for today anyway): What about this? I think having an open and honest dialogue – one in which you’re hearing directly from me – is always the best and most productive course of action. Stephanie Meyer promoting open and honest dialogue? Now that is one for Comedy Central. Isn't that why as council president she ramrodded the NDO from committee to council in less than 2 weeks? She saw what happened to the community center when the city gets time to think Bet she didn't want those thought processes to take root on this item.
She is so full of hot air I truly expect to see her floating above the dais at a council meeting.
Let's see, where do I start? Let's try this one:".....incumbent empowered a small group of angry naysayers who are actively working to hold our city back and constantly undermine staff." What a joke. First, what is a naysayer? That is someone who disagrees with you. And, using it as a negative means that the person doing so thinks that their opinions are the only right ones. Whooops, we now have a new "arrogant one" in Ward 3. Small group? Ha......she's just upset that she couldn't get the city to swallow the lines of BS that she was throwing out about the proposed community center. Kinda sounds like Hillary Clinton.
Or how about this?: "The incumbent has appointed, or attempted to appoint, individuals who do not support growth onto our planning commission, individuals who do not support economic development onto the economic development council, and as a council member, actively lobbied for the appointment of a council member who has been an obstructionist on many issues facing our city during his time in office" You will kindly note that she does not mention names, not does she give specifics. Just hot air. Or are we supposed to take her at her word? Stephanie Meyer is an individual who has many times played footloose and fancy free with the truth. As previously posted on this blog she couldn't even be successful in her own ward in the recent primary election. Those folks must be telling the rest of the city something. Heck, just scroll down to the post about the campaign contributions. She blew that one. Big time.
And last, but not least, (for today anyway): What about this? I think having an open and honest dialogue – one in which you’re hearing directly from me – is always the best and most productive course of action. Stephanie Meyer promoting open and honest dialogue? Now that is one for Comedy Central. Isn't that why as council president she ramrodded the NDO from committee to council in less than 2 weeks? She saw what happened to the community center when the city gets time to think Bet she didn't want those thought processes to take root on this item.
She is so full of hot air I truly expect to see her floating above the dais at a council meeting.
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Shawnee City Council Races - 2019
As the 2019 election gets closer just thought I'd mention my choices. In the very near future I will be listing each race separately with specifics.
Ward 1: Tammy Thomas over Jim Neighbor
Ward 2: Eric Jenkins over Andy Rondon
Ward 3 (full term): Kurt Knappen over Dawn Rattan
Ward 3 (unexpired term): Kevin Straub over Lisa Larson-Bunnell
Ward 4: Kris Durbin over Jill Chalfie
Ward 1: Tammy Thomas over Jim Neighbor
Ward 2: Eric Jenkins over Andy Rondon
Ward 3 (full term): Kurt Knappen over Dawn Rattan
Ward 3 (unexpired term): Kevin Straub over Lisa Larson-Bunnell
Ward 4: Kris Durbin over Jill Chalfie
Friday, September 20, 2019
"Agendas" and "Special Interests" - Revisited...........Again!!!!!!
Any long term reader of this blog (or anybody who wants to use the search tool) will realize that I have addressed the use of the above two phrases numerous times.
Any individual, who claims that a political candidate is not qualified because they have an "agenda" or are backed by "special interests" is an idiot for saying that. Huh? Yepper. They are probably the two most abused comments in any political contest.
Agenda: What is an agenda? It's an action plan. It's what a candidate wants to accomplish if elected. If a candidate does not have an agenda then they are dumb. If they don't have an agenda how does a voter know what they stand for? All candidates need to have an agenda so voters can choose which ones have similar thoughts on issues that they, the voters do. The only "bad" agenda, is if it does not agree with your views.
Special interests; Another misused term. Every candidate is backed by special interests. Try this, candidate A wants to paint traffic stripes purple. Folks that agree with that will support that candidate to include donations. Candidate B wants to paint traffic stripes brown. Folks that agree with that will support that candidate to include donations. See, supporters of a candidate's position(s) then become "special interests". Again, like with an agenda, the only bad special interests are those that do not have similar thoughts that you do. Good special interests agree with your point of view. Very misused and abused terminology. Already had to take candidate Stephanie Meyer to task for using that term against the incumbent Mayor Distler. The reverse would be true if someone reviewed her financial statements. Bet I could pick out a bunch of special interests.
Any individual, who claims that a political candidate is not qualified because they have an "agenda" or are backed by "special interests" is an idiot for saying that. Huh? Yepper. They are probably the two most abused comments in any political contest.
Agenda: What is an agenda? It's an action plan. It's what a candidate wants to accomplish if elected. If a candidate does not have an agenda then they are dumb. If they don't have an agenda how does a voter know what they stand for? All candidates need to have an agenda so voters can choose which ones have similar thoughts on issues that they, the voters do. The only "bad" agenda, is if it does not agree with your views.
Special interests; Another misused term. Every candidate is backed by special interests. Try this, candidate A wants to paint traffic stripes purple. Folks that agree with that will support that candidate to include donations. Candidate B wants to paint traffic stripes brown. Folks that agree with that will support that candidate to include donations. See, supporters of a candidate's position(s) then become "special interests". Again, like with an agenda, the only bad special interests are those that do not have similar thoughts that you do. Good special interests agree with your point of view. Very misused and abused terminology. Already had to take candidate Stephanie Meyer to task for using that term against the incumbent Mayor Distler. The reverse would be true if someone reviewed her financial statements. Bet I could pick out a bunch of special interests.
Monday, September 16, 2019
Is Rattan for Real?
Dawn Rattan, candidate for City Council in Ward 3 posted the info below on social media. My guess is that it had something to do with my blog post about an in kind contribution to her campaign. That blog post can be read by clicking here.
Anyway, here is what she posted: (if you click on it, it should pop up larger)
Anyway, it's interesting that she claims that being a newbie was the reason for the mistake. Quite possible. Newbies do make mistakes. Then again, some newbies go out of their way to read the rules completely so as not to make mistakes. Of, absent that, they consult with an attorney. Oh, forgot, she's married to one.
Now, it's nice that she says the problem was corrected with the government Ethics Commission. Only problem is she didn't say how it was corrected. Did they give her a slap on the wrist and call her a naughty candidate? Did they issue a fine? Did they direct a refund of the overage amount? Usually the GEC issues a letter on things like this, with the resolution. Haven't seen it at JoCo Election web site, yet.
Is she really fit to be a member of the city council? A review of public records indicates that on 7/11/2019 property taxes for her residence were paid for 2018, 2016 & 2015. Was that a newbie mistake? Or that on 2/26/16 property taxes for 2014, 2013 and the 2d half of 2012 were paid.
Should she be sitting on a council that makes decisions regarding taxes? Guess that's for the voters of Ward 3 to decide.
Anyway, here is what she posted: (if you click on it, it should pop up larger)
Anyway, it's interesting that she claims that being a newbie was the reason for the mistake. Quite possible. Newbies do make mistakes. Then again, some newbies go out of their way to read the rules completely so as not to make mistakes. Of, absent that, they consult with an attorney. Oh, forgot, she's married to one.
Now, it's nice that she says the problem was corrected with the government Ethics Commission. Only problem is she didn't say how it was corrected. Did they give her a slap on the wrist and call her a naughty candidate? Did they issue a fine? Did they direct a refund of the overage amount? Usually the GEC issues a letter on things like this, with the resolution. Haven't seen it at JoCo Election web site, yet.
Is she really fit to be a member of the city council? A review of public records indicates that on 7/11/2019 property taxes for her residence were paid for 2018, 2016 & 2015. Was that a newbie mistake? Or that on 2/26/16 property taxes for 2014, 2013 and the 2d half of 2012 were paid.
Should she be sitting on a council that makes decisions regarding taxes? Guess that's for the voters of Ward 3 to decide.
Friday, September 13, 2019
Stephanie Meyer - Liar Extraordinaire
In a recent blog post on her candidate web site Stephanie Meyer posted this:
"Join me to say that a candidate, like me, who receives much of her funding from individual donors and residents, rather than from a small handful of large and special-interest donors........."
Well Stephanie, apparently is incapable of reading campaign finance reports. That is why the statement above is a bunch of malarkey. Nahhh, it's BS. Let's look at the donations, by amounts for the two mayoral candidates.............Michelle Distler and Stephanie Meyer:
Contribution amount Distler Meyer
$500 (maximum) 9 13
$250-$499 2 10
$100-$249 17 26
$51-$99 0 1
$1 - $50 28 19
Hmmmm, which candidate has relied on "big money donors"? Also, Meyer has used the expression "special-interest donors" as if that is bad. Heck, she has special interest donors. All candidates get donations from special interest persons. Apparently Meyer has not read my various posts about that term. Take any subject where two candidates disagree. Their donors are "special interests" if they support them. Both sides. Let's take the subject of abortion. If you are against it, you will be supported by special interests who think like you. If you are in favor of it you will be supported by special interests who think like you. To use that term as a negative is unscrupulous to say the least, and highly misleading. But then Stephanie Meyer has a habit of misleading. Is that why the voters of her ward, ward 3, rejected her in the recent primary?
And now she again regales us with her impoverished upbringing. But she forgets that there are still folks that are in that situation in Shawnee. But that didn't stop her from trying to push the proposed community center down their throats. Check this out. Or this one.
So, if you want someone who has a history of misleading folks as your mayor then maybe you should vote for Meyer. I know I don't.
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Remembering 9/11/2001
Today is Patriot Day.
There is only one thing I can say, and it has been said by many others...................never forget.
There is only one thing I can say, and it has been said by many others...................never forget.
Thursday, September 05, 2019
Ward 3 Rejected Stephanie Meyer
In my post yesterday I briefly touched on how Stephanie Meyer could not even carry her council ward in her bid to become Shawnee's mayor. OK, she got creamed in the primary. She did come in second which allows her to go into the general election. But, wow, she got her tail end kicked.
Picture this, a 4 way primary, current mayor, Michelle Distler racks up 57% of the vote citywide. Stephanie Meyer shows up with a weak second place finish at approximately 26% citywide. Over the years I have witnessed various primary elections. Usually, when it is a 4 way race, the top dog winds up with a figure in the high 30's % to low 40's %, but 57% is unheard of.
But, let's get back to the topic at hand. Stephanie Meyer is a current Ward 3 representative and president of the city council. One would think that she would persevere in Ward 3. Wrong!!!!
She literally got her butt kicked. Don't believe me? Here are the figures and you can double check them yourself at http://www.jocoelection.org.
Ward 3 Results Mayoral Primary 2019
Distler 1004 51.38%
Meyer 639 32.70%
Tubbesing 277 14.18%
Sood 34 1.74%
Why would the voters in a council rep's own ward reject them for mayor? The reasons can be numerous. Maybe they don't trust her? Maybe they don't think she is truthful? Maybe they think she hides things?
I asked it yesterday and I'll ask it again: are the citizens of Ward 3 trying to tell the rest of the city something? BTW, she (Meyer) really got hammered in the other three wards.
Shawnee does not need, not can it afford to have someone like Meyer as its Mayor.
Picture this, a 4 way primary, current mayor, Michelle Distler racks up 57% of the vote citywide. Stephanie Meyer shows up with a weak second place finish at approximately 26% citywide. Over the years I have witnessed various primary elections. Usually, when it is a 4 way race, the top dog winds up with a figure in the high 30's % to low 40's %, but 57% is unheard of.
But, let's get back to the topic at hand. Stephanie Meyer is a current Ward 3 representative and president of the city council. One would think that she would persevere in Ward 3. Wrong!!!!
She literally got her butt kicked. Don't believe me? Here are the figures and you can double check them yourself at http://www.jocoelection.org.
Ward 3 Results Mayoral Primary 2019
Distler 1004 51.38%
Meyer 639 32.70%
Tubbesing 277 14.18%
Sood 34 1.74%
Why would the voters in a council rep's own ward reject them for mayor? The reasons can be numerous. Maybe they don't trust her? Maybe they don't think she is truthful? Maybe they think she hides things?
I asked it yesterday and I'll ask it again: are the citizens of Ward 3 trying to tell the rest of the city something? BTW, she (Meyer) really got hammered in the other three wards.
Shawnee does not need, not can it afford to have someone like Meyer as its Mayor.
Wednesday, September 04, 2019
Stephanie Meyer - Bad for Shawnee
My personal belief is that if this individual is elected mayor of Shawnee it would be a terrible mistake. A train wreck waiting to happen.
She was the major driving force and cheerleader to get the council to pass the recent NDO, (Non Discrimination Ordinance). Here is the ironic thing about that. The item was on the Council Committee agenda 8/13/19 and then moved to the Council 8/26/19. In all the years that I have been following the council I cannot remember any time that an item went from committee to council in 2 weeks.
So, I got to thinking as to why that may have happened. This is strictly a theory, but in many ways it makes sense. It goes back to the proposed community center vote. You may remember that Meyer (currently Ward 3 rep and council president) was also the lead cheerleader for that one. You may also remember that the same council members who supported the NDO also marched in lockstep with her on the community center. You may also remember that there were many reasons not to vote yes for that center. Reasons which she and her acolytes failed to mention and kept hidden. (More on her acolytes on the council and what needs to be done at the upcoming election regarding them in a future post).
So what happened? A citizen group was formed and got the truth out there (contrary to Councilmember Sandifer's rant that that group lied). The measure failed at the ballot box 72%-28%. So, my thoughts are that Meyer pushed this item through quickly so that the citizens of Shawnee could not mount a well organized and justifiable opposition to the proposed NDO. She does not respect citizen input. During the community center debacle she kept mentioning how many folks wanted it. She and her acolytes failed to mention that the same survey that showed that, also showed a majority of Shawnee citizens did not want an increase in property taxes to pay for it. So, that is why I think this NDO was ramrodded through the process.
Now here are some interesting facts. In the recent mayoral primary Stephanie Meyer only got 25% of the vote. In Ward 3, her ward as a council person, she lost her own ward. Take it a step further, she lost the precinct (her neighborhood) where she lives in that ward. That has to be a message to the rest of the city. Her own ward rejected her. Her own precinct rejected her. Are the people that she represents trying to tell the rest of the city something? Are they saying don't be deceived by her dolce voce, rather that she is no good for the city. Now, for those folks who are wondering how she got to be a council rep, be advised, she never was truly elected to the position. She was appointed to fill an unexpired term and then when she ran for the office she ran unopposed. She has a problem when running against an opponent. In a previous election she lost 2-1 against Charles Macheers.
I implore you. Do not sit out this election. Vote, and reelect the current mayor, Michelle Distler.
She was the major driving force and cheerleader to get the council to pass the recent NDO, (Non Discrimination Ordinance). Here is the ironic thing about that. The item was on the Council Committee agenda 8/13/19 and then moved to the Council 8/26/19. In all the years that I have been following the council I cannot remember any time that an item went from committee to council in 2 weeks.
So, I got to thinking as to why that may have happened. This is strictly a theory, but in many ways it makes sense. It goes back to the proposed community center vote. You may remember that Meyer (currently Ward 3 rep and council president) was also the lead cheerleader for that one. You may also remember that the same council members who supported the NDO also marched in lockstep with her on the community center. You may also remember that there were many reasons not to vote yes for that center. Reasons which she and her acolytes failed to mention and kept hidden. (More on her acolytes on the council and what needs to be done at the upcoming election regarding them in a future post).
So what happened? A citizen group was formed and got the truth out there (contrary to Councilmember Sandifer's rant that that group lied). The measure failed at the ballot box 72%-28%. So, my thoughts are that Meyer pushed this item through quickly so that the citizens of Shawnee could not mount a well organized and justifiable opposition to the proposed NDO. She does not respect citizen input. During the community center debacle she kept mentioning how many folks wanted it. She and her acolytes failed to mention that the same survey that showed that, also showed a majority of Shawnee citizens did not want an increase in property taxes to pay for it. So, that is why I think this NDO was ramrodded through the process.
Now here are some interesting facts. In the recent mayoral primary Stephanie Meyer only got 25% of the vote. In Ward 3, her ward as a council person, she lost her own ward. Take it a step further, she lost the precinct (her neighborhood) where she lives in that ward. That has to be a message to the rest of the city. Her own ward rejected her. Her own precinct rejected her. Are the people that she represents trying to tell the rest of the city something? Are they saying don't be deceived by her dolce voce, rather that she is no good for the city. Now, for those folks who are wondering how she got to be a council rep, be advised, she never was truly elected to the position. She was appointed to fill an unexpired term and then when she ran for the office she ran unopposed. She has a problem when running against an opponent. In a previous election she lost 2-1 against Charles Macheers.
I implore you. Do not sit out this election. Vote, and reelect the current mayor, Michelle Distler.
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Who Is Don Cawby?
Until a few weeks ago he was the city manager in Osawatomie Kansas. It's been all over Miami County that he is moving north to become finance director here in Shawnee.
Wonder when the official announcement will be made? Oh well. Mr. Cawby has a pretty impressive resumé, which can be viewed on Linked In
He will be replacing Maureen Rogers who retired after 7 years with Shawnee. That does bring up some questions. While Ms. Rogers was with Shawnee the city received various awards and accolades for its financial reports, departmental audits etc. Her retirement seemed to come rather suddenly without much notice. Usually a department director gives a substantial amount of notice. Also, it does not appear that the usual retirement party was held at city hall. What happened here? Was Ms. Rogers forced into an early retirement? It all seems strange, again, in view of the various positive reports and items of recognition the department received while she was here. Maybe someday we'll find out.
Wonder when the official announcement will be made? Oh well. Mr. Cawby has a pretty impressive resumé, which can be viewed on Linked In
He will be replacing Maureen Rogers who retired after 7 years with Shawnee. That does bring up some questions. While Ms. Rogers was with Shawnee the city received various awards and accolades for its financial reports, departmental audits etc. Her retirement seemed to come rather suddenly without much notice. Usually a department director gives a substantial amount of notice. Also, it does not appear that the usual retirement party was held at city hall. What happened here? Was Ms. Rogers forced into an early retirement? It all seems strange, again, in view of the various positive reports and items of recognition the department received while she was here. Maybe someday we'll find out.
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Potential Property Tax Problems With Big Box Retailers
Below is an email I sent to the governing body of Shawnee today. The actions (or inactions) of the city manager are IMHO, inexcusable.
T he situation has been ongoing apparently for quite some
time. So, that now begs answers to the
following questions:
This low key approach and not keeping the citizens informed
of this item, is IMHO an act of misfeasance on the part of the city
manager. Now, before anybody on the
council starts to declare that “we have the greatest staff in the metro”,
realize that by doing so you would be condoning the withholding of this
information from the public. This is
outrageous.
Good afternoon,
Some of you may recall that I addressed the council in July
about this problem. At the time it was
learned that Wal Mart had won an appeal of their property tax based on what
they contended was an erroneous method of calculating their taxes by JoCo
It was indicated that if their appeal is upheld it could
have severe consequences on taxes received by the city and county by not just
Wal Mart but other retailers that were taxed the same way (Lowes, Home Depot,
Walgreens etc.) This could also involve
the refunding of substantial sums of money to these businesses. For those that are not aware of what this
entailed, apparently JoCo had been basing property taxes on sales as opposed to
actual property valuations.
The more I have thought about this issue, the more upset I
have become with staff, particularly the city manager. When queried, he responded that the situation
was being watched closely.
1. Why weren’t the
citizens of Shawnee told of this situation prior to the vote on the community
center? Was it because that would have
been just one more reason for the voters not to approve it?
2. Why wasn’t the
information presented in the open council budget sessions so that the public
could know about it. Presentations about
this item were made to the council in OP.
Presentation about this item was made to the BOCC in open session.
I proposed in July some actions that it was felt were
necessary to keep the citizens of Shawnee properly informed on this
matter. I will reiterate those proposals
at this time:
1. The city council
must, in open session, direct the city manager to provide in January after the
beginning of the new council session and at the beginning of the budget process
an outline of the current status of the item as what the courts have decided up
to that time.
2. Utilizing the same
time line as above the city manager needs to prepare various “what if”
scenarios. Even though specific dollar
amounts are not currently available, there should be enough raw data available to
project various possibilities. It is
done for other items all the time. Heck,
the budget is one big “what if” scenario.
3. The council needs
to admonish the city manager that keeping this info from the citizens is not
good government, nor is it transparent government.
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