The Source

Is FiredUp! BlowinUp!?

What is going on at FiredUp! Missouri? This certainly hasn't been a week Roy Temple and Jean Carnahan can be proud of. It may even rival the week when Temple ripped into Claire McCaskill, saying, "Only a narcissist like Claire McCaskill could assume that everything that happens in the world is related to her."

First they launch a job board, in itself a questionable use of their blogging space. Then, their "progressive causes" job board turns out to include jobs for what should be non-progressive causes like charities and official state offices. What a disaster! But, with egg on their faces, Roy & Jean march on, hand in hand.

Then, in what has to be the most over-reaching self-congratulatory post ever, they tell their readers how great they are for being the only Missouri blog mentioned on the Washington Post's blog's list of other state's "best blogs." Of course, if anyone looks they will find out that the way to get mentioned for the Washington Post "honor" was simply to have someone submit their name. So, who submitted FiredUp! to the Post? Was it Roy or Jean? Either way, what an embarrassment it must be to have to submit your own blog for recognition. But, red-faced, Roy & Jean march on, hand in hand.

Then comes news that FiredUp! founder (and frequent contributor via nom de plume) Roy Temple is doing polling work for 9th Congressional candidate Steve Gaw. This leads us to believe that Gaw is fine with all the goings on at FiredUp!, including the bogus progressive job board. It can't be long now before Temple and his blogging partner Jean Carnahan host a fundraiser for Gaw, so someone should ask him if he agrees with Temple's and Carnahan's positions on their FiredUp! postings. We bet he peels off, leaving Roy and Jean on the side of the road, marching on, hand in hand.

Interesting Progressive Causes

Yesterday the folks at FiredUp! Missouri announced a new feature, HiredUp! Missouri. They are promoting HiredUp! as “a new resource…connecting progressive causes with progressive people.”

FiredUp! Missouri has thus finally admitted they believe official state offices like Attorney General, Secretary of State and State Auditor are “progressive causes” because six of the first listings are jobs for those official offices.

FiredUp! sees each office as a progressive (read: liberal) cause. Obviously they think the Attorney General’s office is not the people’s lawyer, only the liberal peoples’ lawyer. They must think that the Secretary of State isn’t a resource for all businesses and candidates, only liberal businesses and candidates. They must believe that the State Auditor is only a watchdog for liberal Missourians, not every Missourian. This is not a shock to The Source, but it may be a wake up call to some of you.

What may be worse is that HiredUp! then lists jobs for several charitable organizations like The ALS Association, St. Louis Regional Chapter, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America St. Louis Chapter, the Lupus Foundation of America, Missouri Chapter, Inc., and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The Source bets all of those would be surprised to know they are “progressive causes”.

Much Ado about McCaskill

Leave it to Democrats to want to have a discussion about race in America without discussing the realities of race relations past and present.

The reactions to last week’s comments by Claire McCaskill on Barack Obama were great examples of liberals, particularly the liberal media, wanting to have it both ways. McCaskill commented honestly on the difference between Obama’s perspective in being a leader from the African-American community versus the perspectives of earlier people who were leaders in the African American Community.

McCaskill’s comments did not in any way demean earlier African-American leaders. At worst she left the insinuation that they were “victims”, but in many ways they were. Yes, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and others like him worked past that status to achieve great things, and should not be remembered as victims. But many of them did start as victims of various levels of racism.

While Obama may well have experienced some racism as well, he is not coming to the table with that as his agenda. Instead, his is a uniting message, for every community. Whether one supports Obama’s campaign or not, we should all recognize that his candidacy will raise issues, hopefully for the last time, about race.

Obama himself felt so strongly that the issue needed discussion that he devoted a full speech to it. So for people to hide from that discussion seems odd, especially in a party who claims to lead in finding solutions.

Robo Call Kay

There she goes again…

Last week Kay Barnes’s campaign and her supporters launched another round of negative attacks via robo call in the sixth district. This is at least the sixth round of negative robo calls by Barnes supporters since she announced she was running last May.

These calls come on the heels of two Barnes press conferences where she spoke out against the use of robo calls in the Kansas City mayor’s race. In one press conference she solicited the help of Missouri AG Jay Nixon, who had to correct several Barnes misstatements about the legality of the calls.

In addition to the robo calls, a liberal group is doing polling on behalf of Barnes. The group is American Votes, a “progressive” coalition of groups that includes the pro-abortion groups Emily’s List, Planned Parenthood and NARAL and the liberal funding provider MoveOn.org. While these groups may fit the liberal policy stances of Barnes, they know they don’t fit the values of northwest Missouri voters, which is why they hide behind a “safe” name like America Votes.

Barnes needs to make a public comment about her supporter’s use of robo calls. She also needs to explain to the conservative voters of her district how she can represent them while taking money and resources from the most liberal of groups.

Was Cauthen Pressured?

“I think the City Manager can tell you stories about how political influence tied his hands in the negotiation of the Cordish agreements.” Councilman Russ Johnson, Finance and Audit Committee, February 20, 2008

Word for years has been that City Manager Wayne Cauthen was not always onboard with Mayor Kay Barnes’s giveaway contracts to her friends. Cauthen was not always present at news conferences announcing new developments. This was a sign, some said, that he disagreed with Barnes.

Now that Barnes has left, leaving Cauthen holding the bag of debt and dirty laundry, it may be that he is finally starting to share his frustrations. The quote from Councilman Johnson above is not the first time that The Source has heard that Cauthen is admitting, within city hall, that he was pressured; it is just the first we can document freely.

It sounds like the City Manager has quite a story to tell. The Source thinks it would go a long way to helping the city deal with its debt issues if Cauthen were to tell that story publicly.

The Return of Sager

Former Democratic State Representative Mike Sager is among the many candidates who filed for election on the first day of filing. This is the third election in a row for which Sager has filed (with a failed run at a Raytown aldermanic seat in between.) Sager lost as an incumbent in 2004 despite being in a seat that leans to Democrats.

What makes it interesting that Sager is running again is that he was charged after his 2004 election with theft/stealing, a felony, based on campaign ethics violations. According to prosecutors, Sager lied about loaning his campaign money, so that when he paid himself back he was essentially stealing from his contributors. Sager pled guilty to filing a false report and got what amounted to a slap on the wrist, including one year probation. In addition to the criminal charges, the Missouri Ethics Commission fined him $9000.

All in the past, you say? – hardly. A quick check of CaseNet records shows that the MEC is suing Sager, once again, for failure to pay his fines. What is really interesting is that Sager, a currently established candidate for state representative, was nowhere to be found when it came time for deputies to serve him. The latest attempt to serve Sager was after he filed for office.

This is nothing new for Sager, of course. He has been fined in almost every race he ran. And, before he entered politics, he ran a computer gaming company. The company failed, and Sager was sued many times for incurred debt. In fact, the gaming community was so mad at Sager they could barely hold in their rejoicing when they found out he was being fined and charged with a felony.

Based on past experience, The Source has a suggestion for the process servers. Two years ago Sager dropped out of the race in the last 48 hours. We suspect he will do the same this year to throw the filing for that seat open for another week. If we were process servers, we would be at the Secretary of State’s office waiting for him to appear over those last two days.

Wheeler for Treasurer?

Candidate filing for statewide Missouri offices is in a light period.  Most candidates file in the first few days or in the last few days.  That is when they can be assured the most press coverage, or “earned media” in political speak.  But not all candidates want the publicity.   

Enter Charles Wheeler, newly filed candidate for State Treasurer.  Wheeler, a former coroner, Kansas City Mayor and State Senator filed in a press vacuum yesterday morning.  A Google news search shows all of one article regarding the filing.  The KC Star has an online article, but no mention in the print edition that we could find.   

Wheeler can’t possibly believe he can win statewide office, so why file?  When asked his reason for running he said, “I like politics.”  That’s not exactly the smartest or most noble reason to file for an important office.   

The Source hopes Wheeler is smart enough to hire a driver to take him through the thousands of miles of campaign trips lying ahead of him.  As we have previously reported, Wheeler has a history of traffic accidents, including one during his last attempt at politics.   

The only question left unanswered is if Kay Barnes will endorse Wheeler for Treasurer like she did when he lost the Jackson County Executive race in a landslide.  We bet Wheeler hopes not.

Tea for Two Outsiders

Congressional candidates Kay Barnes and Judy Baker are holding a joint fundraiser on March 29th at a home outside either of their districts. For Barnes, taking Ward Parkway money is nothing new. It is, after all, where she lived for most of her adult life (despite her recent “rural roots” claims.) For Baker, who is running for a seat in mid-Missouri, coming to Kansas City for campaign money is a big stretch.

The event, billed as “Tea for Two,” is being headlined by the Missouri Women’s Leadership Coalition, an umbrella group that counts among its members groups like Missouri NOW, Missourians for Choice, and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Kansas & Mid-Missouri. On their website MWLC says they do not “endorse candidates or work in elections.” This fundraiser would seem to contradict that statement. Baker is listed as an advisor on the website.

The event is also being partially hosted and sponsored by the Greater Kansas City Women’s Political Caucus (another MWLC partner) and several of its members. The GKCWPC publicly claims to be non-partisan, but typically supports only Democratic candidates. Barnes has been a member of the Caucus in past years and received their support for earlier campaigns. As far as we know, Baker is not a member.

So why is a Kansas City political organization hosting a Columbia area congressional candidate? Why is Barnes associating with yet another liberal Democrat while selling herself to northwest Missouri as a rural economic conservative? Why is MWLC breaking their own rule to not be involved in specific elections? And why is Barnes already choosing up sides in what could be a nasty Democratic primary for Kenny Hulshof’s open seat?

Perhaps some enterprising reporter can ask the candidates themselves.

Negative Outlook

Moody’s Investors Service released a “negative” outlook this week for Kansas City’s bond ratings. The news reflects yet another sign that the debt Kansas City has taken on will be a drain on current and future budgets, finance options and taxpayers.

Kay Barnes and her financial and legal advisors spent future tax dollars like teenagers with their first credit card. To this date they still make the case that tax revenue will increase and make up the huge deficit, but to date that hasn’t happened. Instead, the Sprint Center has yet to bring in an anchor tenant, the Power & Light District can’t seem to open with a bang, and other TIF projects have not produced the revenue or the jobs promised.

What is worse, as one commentator pointed out, is that the city’s decreasing bond outlook may affect other area cities. Other municipalities often benefit from being near a metropolitan area with a strong rating. In the bond market, as Kansas City goes so goes, Gladstone, or Liberty or Platte City. All those, and more, could be negatively affected by yesterday’s news if they needed to borrow.

Barnes will point to the shiny new buildings and the lavish streetlights around the Sprint Center as her legacy. Smart Kansas Citians will take a closer look and see that those buildings and streetlights are strangling the area’s ability to finance real future growth.

Mayor vs. Mayor

Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser recently expressed a desire to be a superdelegate to the Democratic National Convention in August.  As Mayor of one of the largest Midwest cities and a representative of the core of America’s heartland, Funkhouser has an excellent case to be one of two delegates selected by the state party.   

However, word is that Kay Barnes and her hatchet man, Steve Glorioso, are pulling out all the stops to keep Funkhouser from being sent to Denver.  It is no secret that Barnes and Glorioso despise Funkhouser.  Each was involved in an insider campaign to keep Funkhouser from ever being elected.  Each has targeted either Funkhouser or his staff with negative comments since the election.   

As a former Kansas City Mayor, Barnes knows the importance of the position.  So why would she deny her successor the elevated platform of attending a national convention as a voting member?  One would think she would welcome that exposure for the city.  Barnes claims to have Kansas City’s best interests at heart, but it is her own best interests that once again seem to be guiding her decision making process.   

Last week, after months of silence, congressional candidate Kay Barnes finally spoke up on an issue of national importance. As you might expect, she stepped into a world of controversy.

When cornered in the state capitol by a newspaper blogger who doesn’t mind posing tough question, Barnes was asked about the FISA bill that had recently passed the Senate. Both Missouri Senators voted for the bill. Barnes said she didn’t necessarily agree with those votes and then gave a non-answer when asked about protecting telecom companies against lawsuits stemming from FISA. The lack of an answer on the latter may have more to do with her contributions from trial lawyers. However, her rebuke of Kit Bond’s and Claire McCaskill’s votes likely reflects the liberal positions she will take on national security issues.

In a district that still leans Republican, McCaskill was able to win by convincing rural residents that she was conservative where it counted, including on homeland security. Barnes is now trying to send the same crossover message, but her real views, reflected in her comment last week, depict a stance more like Nancy Pelosi’s or Barack Obama’s on national security. It should be noted that, while Barnes says she isn’t endorsing anyone for President, she was seen on stage with Obama at a Kansas City event earlier this year and we already know she is relying on Pelosi for fundraising.

Barnes also ran afoul with Kit Bond. Bond considers the FISA issue as one of his pet projects. Barnes’s comments caused Bond to write to the blogger involved explaining why his and McCaskill’s votes were so important. He said Barnes “left some questions open.’ Based on his response Bond seems to think Barnes just didn’t really understand the issue but went on to say any candidate running for office had better “take a closer look” at the legislation.

It is likely that Barnes will spend all summer avoiding hard questions from the press. It is just as likely that she will be painting a false picture for voters in the sixth district, especially rural voters. Hopefully the press and the voters of northwest Missouri will not allow her to get away with it.

Avalanche!

Yesterday the Kansas City Auditor, Gary White, announced that the city was in deep trouble financially. Of course, anyone paying attention already knew that. What was newsworthy about White’s announcement was the source of the trouble. You guessed it…Kay’s Downtown Follies.

It seems the city is paying six times more in payments to developers than they are taking in from taxes related to those developments. That is creating a significant shortfall for critically needed city services. In addition, the city’s debt load, based mainly on development projects, has grown dramatically, making it harder for the city to finance any future growth.

Kansas City’s current financial situation is like an out of control avalanche headed for a village. Some in the local media and in city government seem to want to blame the snow or the mountain. Clearly the blame should really fall on the person who build the first snowball, then send it rolling down the hill with no care at all for the people living below.

FiredUp Takes on God

Who better than FiredUp Missouri to contradict the Bible?

Last week, in a post destined for the “Absurd Blog Reactions” Hall of Fame, Roy Temple’s lackeys at FiredUp Missouri actually asked for Catholics statewide to withhold their tithe. Never mind the consequences of such an act for those Catholics who believe that tithing is a command from God. A command from Roy Temple obviously holds much more weight…at least in his own mind.

What was the reason for such a wierd, anti-Catholic tirade? It seems someone hired by a Catholic organization was also hired by someone Temple’s minions disagree with on a completely separate issue. In this deft trick of guilt by association, FiredUp leaves its readers thinking 2+2= 5, but only when they say so.

Of course, the liberal leaning FiredUp writers aren’t exactly known for their honesty. They can’t even give their readers their real names. Who would expect a group so used to lying and deception to fully understand a Biblical concept like tithing?

The Entitlement Mentaility Spreads

One by one, our citizens, businesses and institutions are becoming reliant on government support. The “entitlement mentality” did not exist in the United States prior to World War II, but since then it has spread quickly and through more channels than even Franklin D. Roosevelt could have imagined.

Roosevelt’s most famous government assistance programs for individuals were only designed to be short term solutions, but many have been turned into life-long programs that keep their recipients chained to the program. Rather than being a helping hand, the programs are now fulfilling the role of bread winner in many families. As Americans we allowed ourselves to get used to this, to the extent it became normal. And things that seem normal are easy to use again and again.

Occasionally, government has bailed out private businesses, industries or even other governments. Again, this started as a short term answer to specific problems. Again, as this became accepted as normal it became easier to use. Now, businesses almost expect government assistance in a crisis. Worse, businesses demand government largess to even just operate. In the latest example here, Union Station now wants even more money, on top of what they have already been granted.

Some people don’t like the “slippery slope” argument, assuming that politicians and voters will know when to stop, and will be able to. But these programs, designed to be a boost up, have regularly become a permanent platform instead. The cost of those platforms is bankrupting governments of all sizes. We need to consider this when designing future programs that politicians will tell you are just a temporary fix.