A former attorney for former Gov. Matt Blunt (R) filed yesterday for a run in Missouri's 7th Congressional District -- as a Democrat.
Scott Eckersley (D), who last year settled a wrongful termination suit with the state for $500,000, claimed he was fired from Blunt's office when he warned the office was illegally destroying e-mails which violated the state's Sunshine Law.
Eckersley will face Tim Davis (D), the city attorney for Branson, in the Democratic primary. If he shows he's serious about the campaign, Eckersley will likely receive support from Democrats at a fairly high level since he already has fairly high name recognition after the hullabaloo surrounding his termination under the Blunt Administration.
And Democrats will be all too eager to offer a serious candidate in this district where Republicans are lined up on a long list -- nine as of the end of the filing period -- in hopes of succeeding Congressman Roy Blunt (R) who is vacating the seat to run for the open U.S. Senate seat.
But based on a statement issued by Eckersley Tuesday, it's not immediately clear that he is convinced he should run.
"I filed today to leave open the possibility of running in Missouri's 7th district congressional race," Eckersley said in the statement. "Whether I run in 2010 or in the future, I will be an honest, independent voice."
Whoever wins the Democratic nomination for this district will face a very challenging field of Republicans, in a district that doesn't tend to favor Democrats. The Cook Partisan Voting Index for this district is R+17, which makes it a safe Republican seat, according to the index. However, in an open election, it may not be as safe as we would think.
On the other hand, even MPNblog.com's Missouri Voting Index (MVI) identifies the 10 county region that makes up the 7th Congressional District as R+14 in 2008, a Democratic year. That was only a slight improvement from 2004 when the MVI was R+16.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Surprise -- Scott Eckersley files for run in 7th Congressional District, as a Democrat
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Skelton Weekly Column: Creating Small Business Jobs and Looking After Veterans
From Congressman Ike Skelton (D):
For the past several months, I have argued that Congress must concentrate on spurring job growth and protecting our nation from dangerous enemies abroad. Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation that would address both of these issues.
I continue to believe that tax cuts for middle class families and small businesses, coupled with infrastructural investments, are the most effective means of facilitating economic expansion, especially in Missouri’s Fourth Congressional District. H.R. 4849, a jobs bill passed last week, takes a two-pronged approach to creating American jobs. It would provide several small business tax incentives, such as exempting from taxation all small business capital gains made by an individual and increasing by four times, from $5,000 to $20,000, the tax deduction for some of the expenses associated with starting a new business.
H.R. 4849 would also extend several of the most successful infrastructural investment programs created by last year’s Recovery Act. The Build America Bonds program, which has been very popular among state and local governments, allows governments to save money on local construction projects like school renovations and road construction. Endorsed by the National Association of Counties, this bill would allow for much-needed construction to continue without endangering the financial stability of cash-strapped governments. Infrastructure investments expand the construction and supply industries and create jobs.
As the American economy continues to recover, Congress must also ensure that our veterans and service personnel are not left behind. In a March 12 report, the Department of Labor found that young male veterans (those ages 18 to 24) who served since 2003 had an unemployment rate of 21.6 percent in 2009, compared to a national unemployment rate of 9.7 percent. This is simply unacceptable.
In its efforts to rectify this unemployment gap, the House recently passed several bills that would protect the financial stability of veterans and National Guard members. One bill, H.R. 3976, would extend mortgage foreclosure protections for Armed Service members and passed the House by a vote of 416 to 4. Another measure, the National Guard Employment Protection Act of 2010, would secure the jobs of National Guard members called to full time active duty by extending protections for their employment and reemployment once they return home.
Today, we find our nation facing many daunting problems: wars in the Middle East, a fragile economy, and a growing national budget deficit. Although much work remains, I am glad to see Congress finally addressing these pressing issues.
McCaskill faces the nation on Colbert: 'one of the Democrats destroying America'
U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) was on the Colbert Report last night to talk about healthcare. Here's the full clip:
The Colbert Report Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c Claire McCaskill Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Reform
Schweich raises $100,000 in last week
State auditor candidate Tom Schweich (R) pulled in 10 large contributions of $10,000 each in the last week of the first fundraising quarter of 2010.
Those contributions include funds from Mitek Industries, Sanford McDonnell of St. Louis, Robert Hermann of St. Louis, TSI Holding Company, Jesse Bodine of St. Louis, HBE Corporation, Scott Wilson of St. Louis, Stephen Ditman from Godfrey, IL, Anheuser-Busch, and Peter Herschend, who co-owns Herschend Family Entertainment which owns Silver Dollar City in Branson (Herschend's CEO, Joel Manby, was recently featured on an excellent episode of Undercover Boss).
Schweich is challenging House Budget Chairman Allen Icet (R), who was once presumed to be the likely party nominee. But that presumption no longer exists.
Icet didn't report a single contribution over $5,000 to date in Mar., according to reports filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission.
And on top of that, in the last fundraising quarter we have data for, Schweich trounced Icet in terms of total dollars raised. Plus Schweich picked up some major endorsements from Republicans like Mitt Romney and former Missouri Sen. John Danforth. In other words, the contest seems to be leaning in Schweich's favor.
We'll know more about the how the campaign finances for Icet and Schweich compare when their full 1Q-2010 reports are released in mid-Apr.
The winner of the Republican primary this Aug. will face incumbent Susan Montee (D) in the Nov. 2010 general election.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Current state of the Missouri Budget, by budget bill
Last week the Missouri House gave final approval to the state's FY 2011 budget which runs Jul. 1, 2010 through Jun. 30, 2011.
The House included some significant cuts, reducing $323.8 million from the governor's initial request, but that still falls short of projected cuts needed to account for revenue shortfalls.
Those shortfalls led Gov. Jay Nixon (D) to earlier this month propose some major overhauls to state government, including consolidation of the state's two education agencies. While that change can't happen without a state constitutional amendment, other modifications within the state's discretionary budget must be reconciled before early May, when the state Constitution sets a deadline for the legislature to pass the state's budget.
Here's where things stand today for state agencies, broken into the 13 appropriations bills:
Introduced General Revenue Funds Introduced Total Budget* Perfected General Revenue Funds Perfected Total Funds*
HB2001 -- Debt 74,891,457 78,354,672 44,891,457 48,354,672
HB2002 -- DESE 2,806,349,128 5,432,196,511 2,757,897,626 5,394,256,483
HB2003 -- DHE 932,016,690 1,252,062,111 935,321,114 1,255,166,535
HB2004 -- DOR 74,437,839 350,363,570 76,035,978 432,084,506
HB2004 -- MoDOT
17,975,136 2,629,372,370
HB2005 -- EMPLOYEE BENEFITS 584,842,514 979,941,228 575,841,848 967,914,609
HB2005 -- OA 157,213,787 293,904,755 148,173,582 284,864,549
HB2006 -- AG 44,340,263 63,013,715 29,479,502 48,070,848
HB2006 -- DNR 9,772,970 311,014,951 9,278,672 310,474,713
HB2006 -- MDC - 145,534,841 - 145,534,841
HB2007 -- DED 61,403,533 282,736,985 60,397,572 281,696,115
HB2007 -- DOI - 37,139,041 - 36,950,969
HB2007 -- DOLIR 2,215,539 131,857,873 1,711,536 120,957,035
HB2007 -- MoDOT 13,394,880 2,624,742,114
HB2008 -- DPS 57,575,975 527,202,844 55,589,849 525,243,718
HB2009 -- DOC 508,839,803 672,438,075 608,988,584 672,586,856
HB2010 -- DMH 594,741,954 1,225,300,146 585,488,239 1,211,796,431
HB2010 -- DHSS 260,274,465 936,374,190 254,092,938 928,022,933
HB2011 -- DSS 1,627,724,418 7,898,189,178 1,328,933,463 7,771,559,880
HB2012 -- ELECTED 48,611,852 115,462,171 46,296,492 112,764,135
HB2012 -- JUDICIARY 169,227,216 189,928,345 169,227,216 189,928,345
HB2012 -- PUB_DEF 36,207,100 39,312,363 36,207,100 39,312,363
HB2012 -- MOGA 34,280,937 34,573,192 34,464,737 34,756,992
HB2013 -- LEASING 118,573,063 154,700,514 116,882,799 153,010,250
TOTAL
8,216,935,383
23,776,343,385
7,893,175,440
23,594,680,148
* Includes federal stabilization funds, federal funds, and other state funds (e.g., fee receipts, trust funds)
Blunt campaign says Carnahan's relationship with ACORN "too-close-for-comfort"
From Congressman Roy Blunt's U.S. Senate Campaign:
You may have heard the election fraud specialists ACORN, the extreme liberal interest group that has been working hand in hand with Robin Carnahan’s office, shut its doors in St. Louis and closed down its national operations under a cloud of scandal and suspicion.
ACORN might be on the run, but don’t believe for a second they will disappear. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, lamenting the demise of ACORN, is already praising its rebirth as a new liberal group calling itself “Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment.” The group’s acronym “MORE” means one thing: More ACORN. If that is the case, that means still more voter fraud and more subversion of the sanctity of one voter, one vote.
Unfortunately for Missourians our current Secretary of State and our likely Democrat opponent Robin Carnahan has a too-close-for-comfort relationship with ACORN.
As the state’s chief election official, Robin Carnahan was exposed of her secret partnership with ACORN working with these election fraud specialists on voter registration and election activities. In fact, more than 1,400 pages of previously secret e-mails between Carnahan’s office and ACORN were uncovered. In one of the e-mails, ACORN praised Carnahan’s office for their “great team effort.” Robin Carnahan’s top aides have also rotated between Carnahan’s office, her campaign and liberal special interest groups affiliated with ACORN.
Instead of addressing the damaging evidence, Carnahan has repeatedly denied her close working relationship with ACORN. But the facts don’t support Carnahan’s claims.
Missourians can’t afford a U.S. Senator who puts the interests of extreme liberal groups like ACORN ahead of Missouri jobs and families.
Robin Carnahan’s ACORN is on the run, but they are not going away. We need your help and your resources to fight back against these liberal extremists.
Carnahan says Blunt was changed by Washington
From U.S. Senate Candidate Robin Carnahan (D):
It's pretty clear that there are two types of folks in Congress...those who get changed by Washington and those who work to bring change to Washington. In this year's US Senate race in Missouri, it's not hard to figure out which course my likely opponent, Congressman Roy Blunt, has chosen during his 13 years in Washington.
I was shocked when I read in a USA Today report that Congressman Blunt took $310,534 from lobbyists last year--more money than any other member of Congress. And in return he's pushed through sweetheart deals and wasteful earmarks worth millions.
Even worse, he also took $608,482 from the insurance industry. And Congressman Blunt has now has pledged to repeal recently passed health care reforms in order to let insurance companies go back to their worst abuses like denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.
Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, I learned that he's taken $1,233,532 from the banking and investment industries. Then just the other day, the top Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, Sen. Richard Shelby, told a ballroom of bankers that if they wanted to stop Wall Street reform and consumer protections, they should each kick in $10,000 to Blunt's senate campaign. Why? Because Blunt's the guy they can count on to block any type of reform!...
Mitt Romney's PAC contributes to Schweich's state auditor campaign
When state auditor candidate Tom Schweich (R) announced former Presidential candidate Mitt Romney (R) was coming to the state in support of his campaign, we could only infer that Romney's endorsement was imminent.
It appears Romney has now officially endorsed Schweich, according to a statement from Schweich's campaign.
Romney's Free and Strong America PAC is backing Schweich, also noted on the PAC's website.
Missouri Republican candidates are among the first the PAC has announced and include endorsements for Rep. Roy Blunt's Senate campaign, Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, Rep. Sam Graves for re-election and Ed Martin in his race for Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District.
Romney's PAC has so far only backed six other candidates across the country from outside Missouri, including Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R), who isn't actually up for re-election until 2012.
Romney is expected to attend a fundraiser for Schweich in St. Louis on April 27.
Graves Update: Healthcare By the Numbers
From Congressman Sam Graves (R):
Springtime is finally starting to arrive in Missouri. We are now about a week away from the opening of a new baseball season.
Baseball is the national pastime, a tradition handed down from one generation to the next. Nowadays you can catch just about any game on television. However, before national sports networks, a lot of folks simply followed their favorite team on the radio or through the box score in the paper. Sometimes the numbers tell you everything you need to know.
Here are some of the numbers I found interesting from the healthcare reform bill that was signed into law by the President.
It increases taxes by $569.2 billion over 10 years. These taxes will fall on small businesses and middle class families. The bill also cuts $528.5 billion from Medicare, which will reduce benefits and raise premiums on seniors. These cuts are not being used to reduce the deficit, but to create a new entitlement program.
The bill uses 10 years of revenue to pay for six years of benefits. This trick allows its supporters to claim the bill saves the federal government money. When the bill is fully phased in, it will be yet another ongoing liability that taxpayers will be forced to fund.
Finally, the bill is estimated to create 15,000 new IRS agents to ensure that Americans are complying with the new mandate to buy health insurance.
It is easy to tell from those numbers that the losers in this legislation are the American taxpayers.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Pete Rahn resigns from MoDOT, to be replaced by Kevin Keith
Pete Rahn announced his resignation as director of the Missouri Dept. of Transportation last week.
Rahn, who was tapped for the post in Sept. 2004, will head to Kansas City-based HNDB as Senior Vice President.
"MoDOT is a tremendous organization filled with talented and dedicated employees," Rahn said. "I feel very fortunate I have been allowed to associate with these exceptional people."
Rahn in many ways revolutionized the ailing MoDOT reputation, carrying through on long-term plans and identifying potential problems if the state didn't support the infrastructure. With federal stimulus funds, Rahn directed funds toward the Tuscumbia bridge project over the Osage River, which CNN has frequently highlighted as the first stimulus project in the country. Rahn was even named a public official of the year for his plan to rebuild I-64 with a highly controversial closure plan.
"His innovative and highly effective leadership was exactly what was needed to handle the challenges MoDOT faced when he became director," chairman of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission Rudy Farber said in a statement. "As a result, Missouri's transportation system is now in much better shape and MoDOT has reestablished a positive reputation with the public."
The Commission named Kevin Keith as the interim director until a national search is conducted for a permanent replacement. Keith has served as MoDOT's Chief Engineer since mid-Jul. 2001. Keith will assume Rahn's position in late Apr.
Champ Village reports highest Census participation in country, to date
In 2000, the less than one square mile village reported a total population of just 12 and four households.
Regardless of its small size, topping the Census participation rate list is something this community should take pride in, especially since their participation rate is currently twice the statewide rate of 40 percent.
One other Missouri community is also included in the top 100 list provided by the Census Bureau: Clyde, which has a participation rate of 70 percent. Last week, this community was the best participating community in the state.
Last week we noted that the state's participation of 31 percent was the fifth highest among states in the country. Today it looks like Missouri's new rate of 40 percent, while still above the national rate of 34 percent, is no longer among the best in the country. That distinct honor now goes to the eight states that make up the upper Midwest.
Related Links:
Census Take 10 Map
House committee advances ethics reform bill
A special committee in the Missouri House last week advanced a major ethics overhaul.
The House Special Committee on Government Accountability and Ethics Reform voted to advance H.B. 2300 with modifications to current law regarding conflict of interest, lobbying, ethics, and campaign finance. The bill was advanced by a unanimous vote of 12-0, including both Democrats and Republicans.
The 59 page piece of legislation comes just four years after an ethics overhaul in 2006 that, among other things, attempted to remove campaign finance contributions. That 38 page bill in 2006 was not well received by Democrats, to say the least.
The new legislation would undo and significantly modify some of the provisions added in 2006, and some additional modifications from 2008.
Take, for instance, the insertion of language reinstating caps on campaign contributions in the committee bill. This has been a major sticking point for Democrats in the state legislature, and since the repeal of these caps many Republicans have also seen the influence unlimited amounts of money can play in influencing public policy.
Caps on political contributions first removed in 2006, after which the state Supreme Court threw out the legislation on procedural grounds. The Republican-led legislature approved a second repeal in 2008 with S.B. 1038. Reinstating the caps had bipartisan support from the House ethics reform committee. The limits would be slightly higher than in the past, at $5,000 for statewide offices.
Another change would prohibit committee-to-committee transfers of funds. As close followers of our campaign finance analysis series know, these transfers draw significant ire from anyone seeking to determine where a candidate's campaign cash really comes from.
In 2006 to RSMo 105.959 that limited the Ethics Commissions' ability to investigate beyond information found in candidate reports and statements. The 2010 committee bill removes that language and expands the concept from an "audit" to an "investigation."
One of the more surprising provisions of the new ethics legislation includes amendments to the candidate declaration in which candidates attest they are not "feigned" candidates, i.e. entering a race to detract voters from another candidate.
This type of candidacy is particularly common in contentious party primaries such as the 2008 Democratic Attorney General contest. In that race, three candidates were known to have campaigned vigorously while a fourth candidate -- Molly Williams -- with ties to now Attorney General Chris Koster (D), entered her name on the primary ballot in the last week of candidate filing. Williams never reported significant campaign fundraising and never engaged in campaigning beyond launching a simple website. Many believe Williams entered the contest only to siphon votes from Margaret Donnelly (D), the other female in the race. In the end, even if not intended, that's exactly what happened with Donnelly narrowly losing to Koster by less than one percentage point. Had Williams' 6.7 percent of the vote gone to Donnelly, she would have easily defeated Koster.
Altogether, moving this legislation from committee is a major achievement for the state legislature this year, especially advancing language that both political parties agree on.
Perhaps Minority Leader Paul LeVota said it best in a statement to the Columbia Missourian: "I didn't think it would get this far." Neither did we.
That said, it's unlikely a bill that includes reinstating campaign contribution limits would make it through the Senate. The Senate President Pro Tem, Charlie Shields (R), indicated such legislation would not likely pass.
"We in the Senate believe that contribution limits work against transparency because they cause contributions to move through various committees before reaching the candidate," Shields said.
The House ethics reform package is currently waiting to be scheduled in the House Rules Committee, after which it will likely head to a floor vote.
Related Links:
H.B. 1900 [2006] -- last major ethics overhaul
S.B. 1038 [2008] -- repealed campaign contribution caps
H.B. 2300 [2010] -- current ethics legislation
Saturday, March 27, 2010
LeBlanc will not seek re-election
A freshman State Representative from Kansas City announced this week that he would not seek re-election.
Rep. Roman LeBlanc (D) made the statement days after The Pitch published a lengthy article outlining a relationship with an 18-year-old college student.
“I have determined that seeking a second term as state representative for the 43rd District would not be in the best interest of my family or my community,” LeBlanc said.
LeBlanc indicated he would withdraw his name from the primary ballot next week. Currently one other Democrat is currently filed in the race -- Mark Wasserstrom, a Kansas City-based lawyer.
State voter turnout will likely reach quarter century high for mid-term elections this Fall
EXCLUSIVE MPNblog.com ANALYSIS
Electoral winners in Missouri are always at the mercy of voter turnout. That is, if one party's voters go to the polls to cast votes while the other party's members stay home because of weather, apathy, or some other factor, the election may swing unpredictably for or against a particular candidate.
So what should we expect voter turnout to look like in Missouri for 2010?
Using widely accepted statistical techniques, MPNblog.com developed a model to project statewide voter turnout in 2010, and if our results fall within a 95 percent confidence interval, Missouri will see the greatest mid-term election turnout in 30 years.
Voter Turnout Model
Our OLS (ordinary least squares regression) model accounts for just under 100 percent of the variation in voter turnout using three statistically significant variables -- senate election, presidential/gubernatorial election, and the statewide unemployment rate -- while controlling for time and the state's voting age population.
The key drivers of voter turnout, not unexpectedly, are what races are up for election in a given political cycle. A dummy variable for presidential and gubernatorial elections captures the largest impacts on voter turnout in our model and is highly statistically significant (p<0.001). In years of presidential and gubernatorial elections, voter turnout is projected to increase by 705,831 (+/- 64,000), ceteris paribus. While the impact of senate elections is less statistically significant, these years can drive turnout up by 141,151 (+/- 72,560).
The seasonally adjusted Nov. unemployment rate was incorporated to capture an element of voter dissatisfaction. Incidentally a higher unemployment rate would also reduce one of the common barriers to voting -- getting away from work on election day. This variable, while statistically significant, has only a marginal impact on turnout. For a one point increase in the state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, voter turnout can increase 69,170 (+/- 33,606). We built into the model a control for voting age population, based largely on imputations from the Census Bureau's annual data that estimates total population as of July 1. The imputation adjusted the annual population projections to estimate the total population 18 or older in Nov., assuming population growth occurs linearly over the course of a year.
Limitations of our Model
Before we reveal the projection, in the interest full disclosure we note several limitations of this aggregate model's application.
First, we note that House races were not built into this model. Since all House seats are up for re-election every year, we generally do not expect that they drive voter turnout, but rather are present in the baseline. That said, this year may present particular anomalies due to the targeting of incumbents like U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton (D) in Missouri's Fourth Congressional District. Such anomalies will create some level of variation in total participation as both anti-Skelton voters and pro-Skelton voters may be guaranteed to come to the polls, even though in past years they may have been more apathetic in mid-term election cycles.
We also note that this model has not yet incorporated county-level variation into the turnout projection. As we noted for the 2008 primary and general elections, turnout rates vary greatly across the state based on a series of socioeconomic, geographic, and even meteorological factors. For instance, it's feasible that in the absence of a high-profile African-American Presidential candidate, African-Americans in St. Louis City will be less likely to vote in the 2010 general election thus decreasing overall turnout.
Third, although the variation accounted for in this model is fairly high, the omission of House-level data may be problematic looking at historical results. In 1994, when Republicans captured the House of Representatives in a mid-term election, our model projected 41 percent turnout while actual turnout was 5 points higher, at 46 percent. This is important because there's no simple, empirical method to include the impacts of issues such as health care reform and the Tea Party movement, which may also impact turnout rates.
Fourth, we make only a rough attempt to project the state unemployment rate. Based on current trends, general economic forecasts from Creighton University, and national projections from the White House Office of Management and Budget, we assume unemployment rates will decline marginally in coming months.
Finally, our model is constructed with a relatively small subset of data which may impact the validity of the results, but we have examined the model projections and compared to the actual historical turnout rates, and find the deviations to be small enough to suggest this model is fairly good at explaining turnout (also evidenced by the r-squared of 0.96).
MPN's 2010 Statewide Voter Turnout Projection
So what do we expect voter turnout to look like in 2010? We estimate that turnout will be about 55.6 percent of the voting age population, or 2.5 million voters.
With high unemployment this year and the U.S. Senate contest driving voters to the polls, we project turnout will be a full 7 points above the best turnout in a mid-term elections since the 1980s. In fact the lowest turnout in those races -- the 1990 mid-term when unemployment was just 6.5 percent -- saw turnout of just 35 percent, so this contest could be a full 21 points higher.
Our projection would result in about 417,000 fewer votes cast than in the 2008 presidential contest in Missouri, but 380,000 more than in 2006 when Democrats nationally recaptured the House from Republicans.
The thing to keep in mind, though, is that while this turnout rate will likely be considerably high for a mid-term election, it's still low compared to a presidential contest. Our mean projection would be greater than just one presidential contest in the last 30 years, the 1996 re-election of Bill Clinton where Missouri turnout was about 54 percent.
The results could have broad implications for candidates not only engaged in national contests, but also for those involved in more localized races like the state Senate and House contests. Our earlier projections for House races and Senate races did not incorporate any analysis of likely voter turnout, but the next iteration to be released in the near future will build in some assumptions based on this analysis.
We won't get into which party benefits more from this higher turnout rate in this post, so look forward to that analysis in the future.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Missourians' participation in Census among best in country, so far at least
And Missouri is doing comparatively well with a response rate among the highest in the country.
The top five states are Montana (33%), Iowa, (32%), Wisconsin (32%), Missouri (31%) and South Dakota (31%).
Missouri's current response rate of 31 percent is well below the 74 percent rate in 2000, but there are still weeks to go.
The highest participation rate to date within Missouri is in Clyde Village where 65 percent of the survey responses were returned. In 2010, this area had a response rate of 85 percent, so there's still a ways to go.
The unfortunate listing of the lowest participation rates in the state is Risco City and Pinhook Village, both with zero participation to date.
Participation rates are actually up from 2000 in 14 of Missouri's 1,381 places. The greatest increase is in Elmira village and Weldon Spring Heights, which have both already seen 27 point increases in participation. And that's a major improvement from areas that had very low participation in 2000, 24 and 13 percent respectively.
Related Links:
Census: Track Participation Rates by Place (CSV)
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Nixon taps two for Ethics Commission appointments, balance of power shifts in favor of Republicans with term expirations
Gov. Jay Nixon (D) named two new appointees to the Missouri Ethics Commission Monday, according to a press release issued by Nixon's office. The Commission is supposed to review complaints about violations of campaign finance law and lobbyist disclosure reports. However, the appointments are often viewed as seemingly inconsequential by political candidates since the Commission has historically avoided major penalties and avoided controversies leading many to accuse the group of lacking teeth for enforcement.
The two appointments -- one a Democrat and the other a Republican -- leave the balance of power on the Ethics Commission in favor of Republicans. That's because three commissioners' terms expired Mar. 15, including Brad Mitchell (D), Michael Kilgore (D) and Ken Legan (R). With these two appointments, Republicans will have three commissioners and Democrats just two. While the Commission's representation is typically split evenly among the two major political parties, the law stipulates only that no more than three members shall be from the same political party.
That said, Nixon will likely appoint a third Democrat in the near future.
The first of the two new appointees is Vernon Dawdy (D) from High Ridge previously served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Cole County. His last reported campaign contribution was $100 in 2006 to Republican Stanley Schnaare, an associate circuit court judge candidate in Jefferson County.
The second appointee, Louis Leonatti (R) from Mexico, Missouri, was nominated in 1992 by President George H.W. Bush to serve as a member of the U.S. District Court in Eastern Missouri. Leonatti supported Kenny Hulshof (R) 2008 gubernatorial campaign with $350 in contributions and Steve Hobbs' (R) campaign with $325 in contributions.
Terms for Dawdy and Leonatti will end Mar. 15, 2014.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Emerson on health care bill
Although U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R) officially noted her opposition to the federal health care system -- that President Barack Obama (D) signed into law earlier today -- by casting a vote against the proposal last Sunday, Emerson sent out a statement today with more details and suggestions.
Here's the statement in full:U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (MO-08) cast votes against a health care overhaul and further amendments to the package late this evening, saying the legislation poses dangers and costs to an American system in which patients value their direct relationships with health care providers.
“I feel very strongly about making our system of health care stronger, improving access, lowering costs, and preserving high standards of care for future generations,” Emerson said. “Unfortunately, the legislation voted on this evening will undermine providers, increase costs, and massively expand federal government’s role in the health decisions of everyone in the country.”
Of special concern to Emerson are government-set reimbursement rates to health care providers who serve senior citizens.
“To rural health care professionals, these reimbursement rates represent the difference between staying in business and closing their doors. Without adequate reimbursement of their costs to serve Medicare participants and Medicaid beneficiaries, our providers could be forced to stop seeing these patients,” Emerson warned. “When we talk about access and reform, we must remember that this bill has untold and unintended consequences for millions of Americans.”
Emerson has proposed numerous reforms to lower costs and expand access, particularly in rural areas like Southern Missouri.
“We need to work with employers, especially small businesses, to help provide insurance. This bill, however, adds a $2,000 penalty for each employee some businesses cannot afford to insure. The expansion of Medicare taxes in this bill to non-wage income will affect Americans now and even more severely in the future. The total tax increase in the bill adds up to more than $540 billion, and the legislation places some 16 million Americans in the Medicaid program. Instead, we should focus on ways to bring competitive insurance products into new markets and help small business owners provide more and better options to their employees and their families. And we should reform the insurance market without adding giveaways to states and industries who strike special interest deals with the federal government,” Emerson said.
The Eighth District Representative saved her harshest criticism for the prescription drug portion of the bill.
“We ought to have much more competition in the prescription drug industry, the most sheltered and most purely profitable in the country. Access to low-cost prescriptions sold in other countries, negotiations for the bulk purchases made by taxpayers, and more and faster pathways for generic medications are just a start. Nothing in this bill tonight makes me believe Americans will have an easier time affording the medicines they rely on for their good health; in fact, the presence of special deals for special interests like the name-brand pharmaceutical industry indicate to me that the situation will get worse instead of better,” Emerson added.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Pitch details sexual relationship between Democratic State Rep and mentored teen
The circumstances surrounding a sexual relationship between State Rep. Roman LeBlanc (D) and a teenager he mentored through a Boy Scout program are outlined in excruciating detail by The Pitch this week:
These are the undisputed facts of what happened between Roman L. LeBlanc and a college freshman on Sunday, November 15, 2009, at a house behind Zona Rosa, based on police reports and witness testimony.
The 38-year-old LeBlanc, in his first term as a Democratic state representative in Missouri, had known the woman we'll call Anna since she was 15. Now she was 18 and attending a college, partly supported by a scholarship through the Venturing program with the Boy Scouts of America -- a program for which LeBlanc was a volunteer mentor.
Read the full Pitch story here.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
U.S. House passes Senate's health care bill
The U.S. House just approved the health care bill passed by the Senate last Dec. 24.
The House approved by a vote of 219-212. All 178 Republicans opposed the bill and were joined by 34 Democrats.
Lawmakers are currently voting on a procedural action related to the reconciliation bill, which will likely not pass.
The Missouri delegation voted along party lines, except for Democrat Ike Skelton who voted against the measure, as he indicated he would do.
Here's how the Missouri delegation voted:
Akin (R): No
Blunt (R): No
Canarhan, Russ (D): Yes
Clay (D): Yes
Cleaver (D): Yes
Emerson (R): No
Graves (R): No
Luetkemeyer (R): No
Skelton (D): No
Pelosi Speech: prompts standing ovation from House Democrats, acknowledges Ted Kennedy
As U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D) stepped to the microphone to address the chamber she received a standing ovation from House Democrats. Here's the full text of Pelosi's speech as delivered:
Thank you Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I thank all of you for bringing us to this moment. It is with great humility and with great pride that tonight we will make history for our country and progress for the American people.
Just think, we will be joining those who established social security , Medicare, and now tonight, health care for all Americans.
In doing so, we will honor the vows of our founders, who in the Declaration of Independence said that...we are all endowed by our creator certain unalienable rights and among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
This legislation will lead to healthier lives, more liberty to pursue, hopes and dreams and happiness for the American people. This is an American proposal that honors the traditions of our country.
We would not be here tonight for sure without the extraordinary leadership and vision of President Barack Obama.
We thank him for his unwaivering committement to healthcare for all Americans. ANd this began over a year ago under his leaderhsip in the AMerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act where we have very significant investments in science, technology, and innovation for healthcare reform. it continued in the President's budget a few months later, a budget which was a statement of our national values, which allocated resourceds that were part of our valiues system and in a way that stabilized our economy, created jobs, and lowered taxes for the middle class,...and reduced the deficit. And did so in a way that had pillars of investment including education and health care reform. Health care and educatin, equal opportunity for the American people.
And this legislation tonight, if I had one word to describe it would be, opportunity. With its investments in health care and education as a continuation of the President's budget.
We all know, and it's been said over and over again, that our economy needs something new -- a jolt. And I believe that this legislation will release tremendous entrepreneurial power into our economy. Imagine a society and an economy where a person could change jobs without losing health insurance. Where they could be self employed or start a small business, imagine an economy where people could follow their passions and their talent without having to worry that their children would not have health insurance. That if they had a child with diabetes, who was bipolar, or a pre-existing medical condition in their family, that they would be job locked. Under this bill, their entrepreneurial spirit will be unleashed.
We all know, we all know that the present health care system and insurance system in our country is unsustainable. We simply cannot afford it. it doesn't work for enough people in terms of delivery of service, and it is bankrupting the country with the upward spiral of increasing medical costs. The best action that we can take on behalf of Americans family budgets and on behalf of the federal budget is to pass health care reform.
The best action we can take to strengthen Medicare and improve care and benefits for our seniors is to pass this legislation tonight, to pass health care reform.
The best action we can do to create jobs and strengthen our economic security is to pass health care reform.
The best action we can take to keep America competitive, ignite innovation again unleash entrepreneurial spirit is to pass health care reform.
With this action tonight, with this health care reform, 32 million more Americans will have health care insurance. And those who have insurance now will be spared being at the mercy of the health insurance industry with their obscene increases in premiums, their rescinding of policies at the time of illness, their cutting off of policies even if you have been perpetually paying but have become sick.
The list goes on and on about the health care reforms that are in this legislation.
In short, 32 million more people, make it more affordable for the middle class, end insurance company discrimination on pre-existing conditions, improve care and benefits under Medicare, and extending Medicare solvency for almost a decade. Creating a healthier America through prevention , through wellness and innovation, create 4 million jobs in the life of the bill, and doing all of that by saving the taxpayer $1.3 trillion dollars.
Another Speaker, Tip O'Neill, once said "all politics is local." And I say to you tonight, when it comes to health care for all Americans all politics is personal.
It's personal for the family that wrote to me who had to choose between buying groceries and seeing a doctor. It's personal to the family that was refused coverage because their child had a pre-existing condition -- no coverage the child got worse, sicker. It's personal for women; after we pass this bill being a woman will no longer be a pre-existing medical condition.
It's personal for a senior gentleman I met in Michigan who told me about his wife who had been bed ridden for 16 years. he told me he didn't know how he was going to be able to pay his medical bills. I said to you before, "I saw a grown man cry." He was worried that he might lose his home -- that they might lose their home because of his medical bills and he didn't know how to pay them. And most of all he was too embarrassed to tell his children and ask them for help. How many times have you heard a story like that?
And it's personal for millions of families who have gone into bankruptcy under the weight of rising health care costs.
In fact, a high percentage of the bankruptcies in our country are caused by the medical bills that people cannot pay. And it's personal for 45,000 Americans and their families who have lost a loved on each year because they couldn't get health insurance.
That is why we are proud and also humbled today to act with the support of millions of Americans who recognize the urgency of passing health care reform.
And more than 350 organizations representing Americans of every age, every background, every part of the country, who have endorsed this legislation. Our coalition ranges from AARP...to the American Medical Association, the Catholic health Association, the United Methodist Church, and Voice of America's Children.
From A to Z they are sending a clear message to members of Congress -- say yes to health care reform.
We have also reached this historic moment because of the leadership and dedication of all the members of Congress, but I want to especially recognize our Chairs Mr. Waxman, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Levin, Mr. Miller, Mr. Spratt, Ms. Slaughter, for bringing this bill to the floor today.
I want to acknowledge the staff of the committees and the leadership, they have done a remarkable, dazzling us with their knowledge and know-how. ...
And now I want to end by saying this: it wouldn't be possible to talk about health care without acknowledging the great leadership of Sen. Edward Kennedy who made health care his life's work.
In a letter to President Obama before he passed away...Sen. Kennedy wrote that access to health care was the great unfinished business of our society. That is until today.
After more than a year of debate, and by the way the legislation that will go forth from here has over 200 Republican amendments. And while it may not get Republican votes and be bipartisan in that respect, it is bipartisan in having over 200 Republican amendments.
After a year of debate and hearing the calls of millions of Americans we have come to this historic moment. Today we have the opportunity to complete the great unfinished business of our society and pass health insurance reform for all Americans that is a right and not a privilege.
In that same letter to the President Sen. Kennedy wrote what is at stake are not just the details of policy, but the character of our country. Americans will look back on this day...which we honored the character of our country and honored a commitment to our nations founders and a commitment to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
As our colleague John Lewis has said, we may not have chosen the time, but the time has chosen us. We have been given this opportunity. ...I urge my colleagues join together in passing health insurance reform making history, making progress, and restoring the American dream.
I urge and I vote.
Boehner calls for roll call vote on health care, one at a time
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R) just requested a roll call vote so that members can vote one by one.
"If we're going to vote to defy the will of the American people, then we ought to have the courage to stand before them and announce our votes one at a time," Boehner said to cheers from the Republican caucus.
Since Boehner requested the procedural change during a floor speech, it is considered rhetorical and not recognized under parliamentary procedures and House rules.
Rep. David Obey essentially ignored the request saying "is that a rhetorical request?" to laughter in the chamber. Obey also cited clause 2A of House rule 20 which directs that House roll call votes are cast electronically unless the Speaker directs otherwise.
Members were later given 15 minutes to the vote before passing three separate measures, including the bill passed by the Senate on Dec. 24, 2009.
Cheers and jeers on health care
It's not often that members of Congress actually sit in the chamber to listen to their colleagues give floor speeches. But currently members of both parties are listening attentively to short speeches from their colleagues, and it's leading to cheers and jeers, signaling just how partisan this vote has become.
Watch the coverage live on C-SPAN here as the House prepares to vote on H.R. 3590 and H.R. 4872.
Tea Partiers spit on Cleaver and shout derogatory phrases
As some over exuberant protesters at the Capitol Saturday expressed concerns over the looming health care reforms under consideration in the House, the protest turned on U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, from Kansas City.
Cleaver, a former mayor of Kansas City, was spat on for, well, being African-American. Protesters also referred to Cleaver and other African-American Congressman as "niggers" as Congressman were on their way to cast floor votes.
"This is not the first time the congressman has been called the "n" word," Cleaver's communications director Danny Rotert, said in a statement in USA Today. "That being said, he is disappointed that in the 21st century our national discourse has devolved to the point of name calling and spitting."
Kansas City Star Columnist Yael Abouhalkah says Kansas Citians should be outraged because "as a Congressman Cleaver has been a solid supporter of Kansas City but also something more: He has been a supporter of civil dialogue in the nation's capital, someone who doesn't want to always get caught up in the Democrat-Republican fingerpointing that goes on there."
Republican lawmakers led a rally of about 1,000 anti-health care reform protesters on the Capitol steps late Saturday afternoon.
No official statement has been issued by either the national or Missouri Republican Party organizations regarding the incident involving Cleaver on Saturday. One Democratic-leaning blog in Missouri is openly calling on the state Republican Party to denounce the tea partiers' actions Saturday.
A conservative blog, on the other hand, accused Cleaver of lying about the interaction with the Tea Party protesters.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Skelton Weekly Column: Health Reforms Are Needed, But Congressional Proposal Falls Short
From Congressman Ike Skelton (D):
The American people are privileged to have access to some of the best health care in the world. We have good doctors, good hospitals, and good private and public health insurance plans, like Medicare, that work well for many Americans.
But, as good as health care is in the United States, there are aspects of the system that most experts believe ought to be altered. I agree that improvements are necessary to contain costs, to make the private insurance companies work more fairly for the American people, and to improve access to health care for the uninsured. But the question is how to best make these improvements and at what cost to the taxpayer.
Over the past year, I have met with rural doctors, hospital administrators, pharmacists, nurses, and the people of the Fourth District about health insurance reform. As a result of these meetings, I have come to see that building consensus around smaller, incremental improvements to the nation’s health system is the best way forward. Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress agree that insurance companies too frequently stand between patients and their doctors, too frequently deny coverage for necessary medical procedures, and too frequently impose unreasonable premiums on those who need coverage most. Addressing these issues one at a time with bipartisan legislation, allowing for careful consideration and review by the public and within Congress, is the best approach to achieving sustainable change that has the support of the American people.
In November 2009, I voted against H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, because it did not represent the right balance for the rural Missourians I represent. I feared the legislation would cost far more than predicted and would have serious unintended consequences, especially for rural health care.
My concerns about the bill were affirmed when the Office of the Actuary at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reported, soon after the House passed H.R. 3962, that the bill’s proposed Medicare reimbursement formulas would result in annual pay cuts to hospitals. In its report, CMS concluded that hospitals might stop accepting Medicare patients or force Congress to spend additional money not budgeted in the bill to keep Medicare afloat. This report is not good news for health care in rural Missouri.
In reviewing the bill passed out of the Senate on Christmas Eve and the President’s proposal, I have not seen anything that eases my concerns over the direction of health insurance reform legislation. At the end of the day, each of these proposals still could have serious unintended consequences for those with private insurance and could negatively impact rural health care. Therefore, I will not vote for them. It is time for Congress to focus on the true challenges facing this nation: getting Americans back to work and protecting the United States from dangerous enemies abroad.
White House issues policy statement on health care reform legislation
Not that the White House's position on impending health care reforms will come as a surprise to anyone, but late last week the White House nonetheless released a Statement of Administration Policy (SAP).
The SAP, released last Friday, addresses H.R. 3590 and H.R. 4872, slated for a vote in the U.S. House on Sunday.
From the SAP:
The Administration strongly supports House passage of health insurance reform legislation. This legislation makes significant improvements that will help to give American families and small business owners more control of their own health care. It makes important changes – ending the worst practices of insurance companies; giving uninsured individuals and small business owners the same kind of choice of private health insurance that Members of Congress have; and bringing down the cost of health care for families and businesses while also reducing Federal budget deficits.
This legislation provides the necessary health reforms that the Administration seeks – affordable, quality care within reach for the tens of millions of Americans who do not have it today by providing the largest tax cut for health care in history and prohibiting insurance companies from denying coverage to the millions of Americans with pre-existing medical conditions. It also brings new stability and security for the hundreds of millions who already have insurance by reining in the worst insurance industry abuses and putting in place reforms that increase transparency, improve the quality of care, and contain health care costs. This legislation contributes to transforming the health care system to make health care more accessible and affordable for the American people. It also includes provisions that would eliminate wasteful subsidies for student loan lenders and invest these savings to fortify the Pell Grant program and increase Pell Grants for millions of students; strengthen community colleges; strengthen Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other Minority-Serving Institutions; and allow students to cap student loan payments at affordable levels. The education provisions are estimated by the Congressional Budget Office to reduce the deficit. The Administration urges quick action on this landmark reform.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Federal stimulus payments increase slightly over last month, outlays at 90 percent
So far the state has spent 90 percent of the total receipts, leaving a total balance of $257 million left to be spent of received funds, according to the state's Map You Taxes database.
Spending of the stimulus funds is at its highest rate since we began checking in on the state stimulus spending back in Oct. 2009. One month ago, the state had outlaid 88.5 percent of total receipts.
The funds come from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, Recovery Act, or stimulus) that became law in early 2009. Missouri is slated to receive $3.4 billion total in federal stimulus funds, which means an additional $700 million should be sent to the state in the near future.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Three Democrats fined for campaign finance violations
Three Democrats were fined last week by the Missouri Ethics Commission for violations of state campaign finance law.
The cases for two of the candidates -- Samuel Coleman (D) and Bob Pund (D) -- stem from reporting violations in 2008 races.
Coleman, a former candidate for House District 58, filed two amended campaign finance reports earlier this month to "report expenditures not reported in [an] October, 2008 report."
MPN's review of the Amended Oct. 2008 report shows three separate expenditures of $2 each to National City Bank for "check image fee[s]". The original report filed by Coleman was limited activity.
MPN's review of earlier reports, including the July 2008 report, identified an additional $3,260 in expenditures not previously reported including $1,500 payments to Demetrick Allen and Cardia Johnson for campaign work, as well as three more $2 check image fees.
The Ethics Commission says in minutes from a Mar. 11, 2010 meeting that it found probably cause Coleman violated multiple provisions of state campaign finance law (§130.041.1(3)(a) , RSMo, §130.041. 1(4)(d), RSMo, §130.046. 1(3), RSMo,§130.046. 5(2),RSMo, and §130.011(9), RSMo and §130.046.7, RSMo). The Commission fined Coleman $5,000 and ordered that he file required reports, which it appears Coleman has already provided, which means the fine will likely be reduced to $500.
For Pund, a former candidate in House District 25, the Ethics Commission found that he knowingly violated a number of provisions of state law including §130.041.1(3)(a), RSMo, §130.041.1(4)(d), RSMo, §130.041.4, RSMo, §130.046.1 RSMo, §130.011(9), RSMo and §130.021.8, RSMo. Those violations include failure to report employers and occupations of contributors, full name and address of contributors, and total dollar amount of contributions, as well as failure to timely file reports.
MPN's review of Pund's finance reports shows a single instance of filing reports late. The report to be filed 30 days after the Aug. 5, 2008 primary contest was not filed until 35 days later.
The Ethics Commission fined Pund $35,689 for the violations. That amount could be reduced to just 10 percent of the total if Pund files necessary disclosures in the next 45 days.
A third Democrat, Cheryl Nelson whose last reported race with the Ethics Commission was for the 5th Ward of St. Louis City in 2005, was fined $19,000 for violations of state campaign finance law including §130.041. 1, RSMo, §130.046.1, RSMo, §130.011(9), RSMo and §130.021. 8, RSMO. Nelson's fine could be reduced to $950 if her committee comes into compliance with the issues identified in the Ethics Commission's order.
Another complaint filed by the Republican Party against Democratic Party Chairman John Temporiti was dismissed by the Commission as "unsubstantiated." The Republican Party had charged Temporiti violated state lobbying laws by not registering for discussions with St. Louis county officials regarding a hotel and economic development project in St. Louis.
Related Links:
MEC Mar. 3, 2010 Actions
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Skelton Weekly Column: Now is Not the Time to Leave Afghanistan
From Congressman Ike Skelton (D):
On March 10, 2010, I helped defeat an ill-timed resolution, submitted by U.S. Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), which would have undermined the recent gains made by U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan by mandating the withdrawal of all American military personnel by the end of this year. With the strategy, resources, and personnel to stabilize that beleaguered nation finally in place, withdrawing now would guarantee failure and ensure that Afghanistan would again become a haven for those wishing to harm our nation.
Following an extensive review of the ongoing war throughout 2009, the President announced that our military commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, would receive an additional 30,000 troops to implement a new counterinsurgency strategy. These additional combat troops, combined with those already deployed, are currently fighting to create the stable conditions needed for governance and economic development to take root within that beleaguered nation.
The new approach to the war in Afghanistan – defined by greater resources, a true counterinsurgency strategy, and close cooperation between American, Afghan, NATO, and Pakistani forces – has shown great gains in the past several months. Recently, Afghan, coalition, and U.S. forces launched an operation to push the Taliban out of Marjah, a town of about 50,000 people in central Helmand Province that had become a hub of Taliban and insurgent activity. As combat troops secured each sector of the city, civil government and aid organizations have begun establishing order—the second phase of the operation. A new Afghan administrator has been put in place, and the process of building that government has begun.
Additionally, in recent days Pakistani forces made several of the most significant Taliban captures since the war began. Two “shadow governors,” a former Taliban finance minister, and the Taliban’s second in command, Mullah Baradar, were all recently arrested within Pakistan.
Of course, hard fighting lies ahead for our forces; accomplishing our goals in Afghanistan will be neither quick nor easy. The Afghan people will have to recommit themselves to building a government that is capable of providing justice and security without rampant corruption.
But, our counterinsurgency strategy is the best chance we have to prevent Afghanistan from returning to the haven of terrorism it was before 9/11. If we pull out now and abandon those Afghans who have only recently been freed from violent extremism, I have no doubt that the Taliban would reestablish their hold on Southern Afghanistan, if not the entire country.
Let us not forget that Afghanistan is an epicenter of terrorism. After eight long years, we finally have a strategy for success, a President who has listened to his military and civilian experts, and the soldiers and resources needed to stabilize Afghanistan. While success is not guaranteed, it is Congress’ job, at such a critical juncture, to stand strong behind our men and women on the front lines. They have been sent overseas to do a job, and passing this irresponsible resolution would have undercut their efforts and guaranteed failure.
Kander's campaign finance pop quiz -- take the test
State Rep. Jason Kander (D) launched a video on YouTube this week highlighting what many believe are deficiencies in the state's campaign finance laws.
Kander, and a number of other Democrats and Republicans, signed on to a bill sponsored by State Rep. Tim Flook (R) that would prohibit committee-to-committee transfers of campaign funds, prohibit a single person from serving as treasurer of multiple committees, and creates a felony offense for bribing elected officials.
Here's the video:
Related Links:
Kander Campaign Website
Monday, March 15, 2010
Hartzler comment on federal government shutdown misleading
This commentary is perhaps a bit out of date, but a Tweet from Republican Congressional candidate Vicky Hartzler (R) last month is something that cannot be let go.
When the Washington D.C. area was struck by not one, but two blizzards last month, Hartlzer wrote that since government was shut down our tax dollars were safe.
"The federal govn. has been shut down due to the snow since Fri.," Hartzler tweeted. "I think I heard a sigh of relief across this land. Our tax $ are safe!"
What Hartzler may have not realized, however, is that even though government was shut down, federal employees still received full pay as if they had actually reported to work.
According to the federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the District of Columbia houses 159,847 federal employees, not even including the thousands of civilian civil servants employed at facilities across the Potomac in Virginia and north of D.C. in Maryland. On average, those employees, many of whom are executives running agencies that span the country, earn $98,914 per year plus fringe benefits slightly more than 30 percent of the base salary.
If we do the math, taking into account the 20 percent of federal employees on Telework or Alternative Work Schedules (which means they had to report to work on several days) and that other federal employees in D.C. basically received four and three-quarters days off due to the snow storm, taxpayers lost big.
By my estimate, taxpayers lost at least $300 million in direct work that they paid for. Take into account that productivity is generally valued at 150 percent of the wage rate, and we can safely surmise U.S. taxpayers lost $450 million in productivity because of the D.C. blizzards this year. Add in the federal employees in Virginia and Maryland that were also closed out, and that value of lost productivity heads north of half a billion dollars.
Does this sound like your tax dollars were "safe" Ms. Hartzler? To me the snowstorms sound like they were a colossal waste of money. Here in Missouri our elected officials are working to close a massive budget gap. Half a billion dollars would have gone a long way to fill those holes.
To me, the commentary about truly protecting taxpayers' money, would be to pursue a broader government-wide initiative for agencies to implement TeleWork policies. This program enables workers to use home computers and phone lines to conduct official, unclassified government business.
Think of the thousands of analysts who could have continued reading their materials and working in Excel from a home computer during the snowstorm. Think of the thousands of lawyers who could have continued writing briefs from the comfort of their couch.
If the federal government had implemented better TeleWork programs across agencies, federal employees could have continued working through the snowstorm, and continued serving the citizens of this country in a productive manner.
Instead, thousands of federal employees received nearly a week of paid vacation. And apparently Hartzler thinks that's the best way for taxpayers to play it "safe".
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Legislature returns from Spring Break this week after slow start to session
As the state legislature heads back to work this week after their week-long Spring Break, major issues will face legislators including reconciling an increasingly challenging budget situation.
Last Thursday, Gov. Jay Nixon (D) announced major cuts and a restructuring of state agencies for the legislature to consider in an effort to balance the state budget.
Aside from the budget, the legislature has made at least marginal progress in other efforts. On the Senate side, 44 bills were approved before the Spring Break and are awaiting consideration in the House.
The House sent 16 measures to the Senate prior to Spring Break, including resolutions aimed at urging Congress to oppose health care reforms and to balance the federal budget.
Just two measures have been sent to and approved by the Governor so far this session. The first was H.B. 1540 which increased penalties for some traffic and vehicle offenses. The second, H.B. 1544, extended unemployment benefits.
Once the legislature returns though, expect a flurry of activity on the budget bills and other key issues legislators hope to campaign on this fall such as autism reforms (HB 1311), drug testing of welfare recipients (HB 1377), and ethics reform.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Cash for Clunkers more successful than initially thought, new analysis suggests
A new analysis out this week says that the federal government's Cash for Clunkers program was far more successful than initial indicators suggested.
Maritz Automotive Research Group, an Ohio-based research firm, says Cash for Clunkers not only spurred consumers to buy new vehicles, there was no sacrifice in future sales as many critics claimed was the likely outcome of the program.
Martiz's findings are based on a survey of 36,000 consumers and the firm claims the results prove this program achieved its intended purpose.
“With such a large sample size, the NVCS study now offers the best and most robust data available as to the impact of CARS on automotive sales,” said Dave Fish, vice president of Maritz. “Our findings not only provide strong evidence that many more vehicles were sold as a direct result of the incentive program than were previously estimated, but they also largely debunk the myth that Cash for Clunkers mortgaged future car and truck sales. In fact, the program resulted in sales of vehicles to people who don’t normally buy them.”
According to Maritz, the Cash for Clunkers program resulted in 542,000 sales, more than earlier projections that ranged from 125,000 to 346,000.
Perhaps the most telling evidence in the survey is that just four percent of hte respondents indicated they would have still purchased a new car in the absence of the trade-in incentive and 31 percent bought new cars specially because an incentive was offered.
MPNblog.com's analysis of the Cash for Clunkers data identified 14,415 trade-ins in Missouri, most of which resulted in newer car purchases with increased fuel efficiency. Read our earlier analysis of the impacts in Missouri here.
Related Links:
Maritz Press Release
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