The Turner Report

Benefit raises more than $1,000 for new books for EMS Library

2009-11-23T05:40:00.000-08:00

Thanks to those of you who attended the benefit variety show Saturday night in the East Middle School Auditorium.

We raised more than $1,000 toward new books for the library, with a portion of the money going toward equipment for a special education classroom.

The audience heard the East Middle School Band, Show Choir, Cheerleaders, Drama Class, saw performances from teachers Clara Ervin and Randy French, the cast of the Stone's Throw Dinner Theatre production of "Godspell," Natural Disaster, and a series of student entertainers.

The evening concluded with music from the talented mother-daughter team of Tammy and Hannah Cady.

Thanks again to all of the entertainers, the people who worked behind the scenes to make the benefit a success, and all of those who came to watch the program.

Anyone who wants to help the cause, but who was unable to make the benefit, can send a check to East Middle School, 4594 E. 20th Street, Joplin, MO 64801. Donors will be acknowledged in the new books.

(Photos- The cast of Godspell, Hannah and Tammy Cady)

Mural pictures the Newtonia we remember

2009-11-23T05:33:00.001-08:00

(The following is my column for this week's Newton County News.)

Though illustrations of the Civil War are featured prominently in the newly created Newtonia mural, other scenes, more quiet scenes, are the ones that make Carthage artist Sherry Pettey’s work so appealing to me.
After the work is officially unveiled during a 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6, ceremony in the Newtonia Community Building, not only will the community’s Civil War heritage be preserved, but so will the memories of the last half-century, the Newtonia where I grew up.
Thanks to the artist and those who commissioned the mural, I can see the wizened face of Ted Arnall, standing outside his barbershop, a small wooden building that was town down three decades ago.
I can remember sitting in the wooden chairs, waiting for my turn to be sheared and listening to the adults swap stories, while reading from his stack of comic books. And when I finally climbed into the barber’s chair, I would find out that miraculously, Ted was able to find a nickel in my ear that had somehow escaped my attention when I was taking a bath.
Ted’s was also a favorite spot of mine three times a year when Billy Johnson would park the Bookmobile in front of it and I would check out my 10 books and read them within about three days.
The Bookmobile was always scheduled to arrive at 11 a.m., but Billy would generally pull in a half hour earlier, and I was always one of the first ones to look over the extensive collection of books he and his wife managed to shoehorn onto the shelves.
And next door to Ted’s Barber Shop, was Gum Mercantile with its owner Carroll Gum, the place that stood at the center of Newtonia’s social life for decades. I vividly remember sitting on the steps outside the store after school, drinking a 13-cent bottle of Dr. Pepper, while waiting for the Neosho Daily News to arrive.
Thinking of Carroll’s store (I don’t know of anyone who called it mercantile, despite the prominent sign above the door.), reminds me of that horrible day when Carroll decided to beginning charging deposit on pop bottles. The extra two cents drove the boys of Newtonia into a protesting frenzy. We grabbed some old wood out of a building behind my house and made picket signs, then rode our bicycles to the store, circled it for 10 or 15 minutes and made our opinions clear. The signs read “No Deposit, We Won’t Return,” ‘Charging Deposit is Unfair,” and my favorite, Danny Hilton’s contribution- “Bring back the days of seven-cent pop.”
Carroll knew just how to end the protest. He emerged from the post office (which was in the east side of the building) with a camera and asked us to get off our bicycles and pose for a picture so he could put it in the Neosho Daily.
We dutifully climbed off the bicycles and posed and that ended the picketing. The pictures never appeared in the Daily, but we were never charged deposit again.
The mural also features the Baptist and Methodist churches, the Ritchey Mansion and the Civil War, Newtonia’s famous gunfight, the school building and a couple of businesses from early in the 20th century.
My favorite parts of the mural are those devoted to my parents, Bill and JoAnn Turner.
Mom is featured next to a picture of the Community Building, which is fitting, since she has helped keep the building a central force in community life for years. She is also in a group picture of the Newtonia Battlefield Protection Association, which partially commissioned the mural.
The scene with my dad comes from an earlier day. He is shown working on his bicycle so he can complete the rounds on his paper route. Behind him is a loyal dog. Considering that Dad has always had dogs and has been the fix-it-man for Newtonia for the past 40 years, that depiction is fitting.
The upper right-hand corner of the mural features an important modern event in Newtonia history- the May 2008 tornado that destroyed City Hall and many houses and severely damaged others. The house shown being smashed by the tornado is the one across the street from where I grew up- a house that I remember as the home of Doc and Bernice Hailey.
The mural, which is on display in the Community Building, shows that Newtonia is a town where the citizens have faced many challenges, a war, a Depression, and a tornado among them, but they have always come through those challenges stronger. The proof is in Sherry Pettey’s art.

Smith disagrees with prison sentence: I'm no threat to society

2009-11-23T05:21:00.000-08:00

In an interview with the Washington University newspaper, former Sen. Jeff Smith, D-St. Louis, who was sentenced last week to one year and one day in federal prison for his part in a coverup of violations of election laws, says things are going to be tough, but he has overcome obstacles before:

“Surely it won’t be a picnic,” Smith said. “But I’m a strong person, and I’ve overcome things before…so I’ll get through it, with the help of friends and family and a great support system.”

For those asking for the reason for the one day on Smith's sentence, it is explained in the article- all federal sentences of one year or less have to be served completely. The extra day increases the possibility that Smith could be released early. While Smith says he appreciates that move by the judge, he still does not think he should be serving any time in prison, according to the article:

“I’m obviously not a threat to society, and I was no threat to re-offend, given that I will not be running for office in the future,” Smith said. “So I think the community would have been best served by having me remain here and continuing the community service-type things I’ve done for 20 years.”

Smith's prison sentence will begin in approximately six weeks.

Judge unseals letters supporting Jeff Smith

2009-11-23T05:15:00.000-08:00

A federal judge unsealed letters asking for leniency for former Sen. Jeff Smith, D-St. Louis Friday.

The letters, which might have had some sway over the judge since Smith did not receive the maximum sentence for obstruction, included appeals from colleagues on both sides of the aisle and from three statewide elected officials- Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, Attorney General Chris Koster, and State Auditor Susan Montee.

Smith was sentenced to one year and one day in prison.

The government filed the request to unseal the letters Thursday, noting that neither federal officials nor Smith objected to the move.

Chart editorial decries Speck efforts to eliminate MSSU's international mission

2009-11-23T03:32:00.001-08:00

Any doubt that Missouri Southern State University President Bruce Speck has targeted the international mission for elimination are erased each time Speck opens his mouth.

In an editorial in its latest edition, The Chart, MSSU's newspaper, tackles the issue
directly.

The editorial notes Speck's misleading use of the terms "data" and "benchmarking" to apply to the international mission turning it into a drinking game in which a drink is taken each time one of those two words is mentioned:

And what about benchmarks? (Drink.)

Speck said when he came to Southern he asked what about the international mission was benchmarked (drink), and that the concept was foreign to the University.

Well, we checked with the University's Institute of International Studies and learned that Southern sends more students abroad each year than the University of Central Missouri, Pittsburg State University and West Texas A&M (despite Dr. Brian Chapman's claims). Southern offers more foreign languages than most Universities our size. Southern is the only institution in the nation to have a themed semester program.

Students who attend this University have a great opportunity to learn about and be exposed to other cultures and people. How do you back that up with data (drink)? The problem is the numbers show the international mission is worthwhile, and is working, and it seems Speck doesn't want to hear that.

And, like asking a person to quantify love, will we now ask how much "football"or "basketball" or "cross country" is every student receiving? Are you getting enough Greek life? It can't be measured. And it shouldn't be

.

The editorial ends with the comment that Speck is determined to drive the students to drink.

The attacks on the international mission are at the core of the reason why former Board of Governors Chairman Dwight Douglas brought Speck to MSSU. Speck, at the behest of President Sherry Hoppe, also targeted international programs at Austin Peay. That alone was probably the reason why the decision was made to interview only one person for a position as important as the presidency of Missouri Southern State University.

Read Marilyn Ruestman's lips- no new taxes

2009-11-23T03:24:00.000-08:00

In her latest column, Rep. Marilyn Ruestman, R-Joplin, promises not to vote for any tax increase during her final year in the state legislature:

Looking back, I’m proud to say that I’ve been able to keep campaign promises. One of the most important was NO NEW TAXES! My colleagues and I in the Majority have kept our word to you.

I am opposed to increasing taxes of any kind. I will not vote for a tax increase, nor will I encourage my constituents or colleagues to vote for one. I believe there are far more taxes than are necessary. The problem isn’t that government doesn’t have enough money. The problem is that it squanders the money it has on bureaucratic waste and massive social programs. In Missouri, we were able to balance our budget and offer tax decreases and tax credits with NO NEW TAXES!

I am disheartened and angry that, after fighting for the Missouri taxpayer for seven years, the “misleadership” in Washington wants to pass federal taxes for the citizens of my district and this state!

Here is a list of the tax increases and new taxes in the recently released Senate Health Bill being offered by Senator Harry Reid of Nevada:

Individual Mandate Tax – Starting in 2014, if you do not buy a “qualifying” health insurance plan, you will be taxed.
Health Savings Account Withdrawal Tax Increase – If you must withdraw money from your HSA for any reason other than healthcare, the tax will be raised from 10 to 20 percent. This discourages people from investing in HSAs rather than an IRA.
Medicine Cabinet Tax – You will no longer be able to buy over-the-counter medicine tax free by using your HSA, flexible spending account or health reimbursement account.
Excise Tax on Comprehensive Insurance Plans – A 40% tax will be created for the “Cadillac” insurance plans which annually cost in excess of $8500 for an individual or $23,000 for a family. Note that in the seventeen most expensive states, health insurance already exceeds this cost.
Employer Mandate Taxes – For each employer who does not offer coverage, if just one employee qualifies for a health tax credit, that employer is taxed $750 for each full-time employee (applies to employers with more than 50 employees). There is also a tax for requiring a waiting period to join employer-based insurance plans.
Employers will have to report insurance premiums (even though you don’t actually receive that money) on your W-2 for the IRS. There is only one reason to report health premiums on individual tax returns: taxes. With this new reporting requirement, you can bet a tax will later be added.

Who ultimately pays these taxes? The employers? The rich? NO. You do! Companies are not just going to absorb these costs; they’re going to pass them along to you. It seems like common sense, but the progressives who are running Washington simply do not care.

I want to renew my promise to you. I will not vote for any new taxes in my final session. I will continue to fight for tax decreases. We should all remind our Senators of where we stand on taxes. I urge everyone to contact U.S. Senators Bond and McCaskill this week at http://bond.senate.gov and http://mccaskill.senate.gov .

Reports: Dorman to solo on KODE News

2009-11-23T03:21:00.000-08:00

KODE anchor Brian Dorman, who has been performing solo since co-anchor Lauren Hieger left, apparently will continue to do so.

Reports are that as a cost-cutting measure KODE will not replace Miss Hieger.

Skelton: Patriot Act important to war on terrorism

2009-11-22T07:45:00.000-08:00

In a column issued last week, Fourth District Congressman Ike Skelton emphasized his support of the Patriot Act:

The PATRIOT Act passed in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It was intended to enable law enforcement officials to track down and punish those responsible for the terrorist attacks and to protect against any similar strikes against our nation.

In the years following 9/11, the PATRIOT Act has proven to be an important law enforcement tool and has enhanced our national security. The U.S. and our allies are fighting a war like no other. It is an unconventional war that must be met with unconventional tools used by law enforcement professionals to protect the American people from those who would do us harm.

The Act provides federal officers greater powers to trace and intercept terrorists’ communications for law enforcement and foreign intelligence purposes. It reinforces federal anti-money laundering laws and regulations in an effort to deny terrorists the resources necessary for future attacks. It tightens laws pertaining to seaport security. And, it creates several federal crimes, such as laws outlawing terrorists’ attacks on mass transit and increases penalties for many other violations of the law.

Currently, Congress is reviewing legislation to amend and extend the PATRIOT Act. Provisions within the Act are set to expire on December 31, 2009. As is true of any law that empowers the government to collect security-related information domestically, evaluating the PATRIOT Act requires Congress to weigh a wide range of competing interests, like the ability of our government to detect and thwart terrorist attacks and the constitutional rights of the American people. Of course, proper oversight of the PATRIOT Act by our courts and Congress is essential to guaranteeing our constitutional rights are not trampled.

As the debate in Congress moves forward, we must ensure law enforcement officials have the tools at their disposal to protect the American people against any future terrorist strikes against our nation. That is why I supported the PATRIOT Act in 2001 and its reauthorization in 2005. In the days ahead, I will work with my colleagues to ensure we provide real security to the American people. We owe it to those who lost their lives on 9/11 and we owe it to those who are currently serving at home and abroad to reauthorize the PATRIOT Act before it expires at the end of the year.

Skelton breaks with Obama on trying terrorist suspects in U. S.

2009-11-22T06:58:00.000-08:00

Fourth District Congressman Ike Skelton is highly skeptical of the Obama Administration's plan to try terrorist suspects in the United States:

Mr. Skelton, Missouri Democrat, said the decision "raises many serious questions" and said Congress set up military commissions specifically to handle the judicial cases of detainees from the war on terror.

"As a former prosecutor, I am not yet convinced that the right decision was made in these cases, nor that the presumption in favor of federal criminal trials over military tribunals for these detainees should continue," Mr. Skelton said in a letter to Mr. Holder and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates. He asked for a full briefing on the decision.

Benefit for EMS Library a success

2009-11-21T19:41:00.000-08:00

A big thank you to those who attended our benefit to buy new books for the East Middle School Library tonight. We were able to raise more than $1,000 with more money coming in.

We are planning to turn the variety show into an annual event.

Branson Tri-Lakes News runs second story on Pete Newman

2009-11-21T19:39:00.000-08:00

It took a while, but the Branson Tri-Lakes News, after running only one story about the arrest of former Kanakuk Kamp director Pete Newman on felony sex charges involving underage body, has another story posted today.

Blunt sells Georgetown home for $1.53 million

2009-11-21T19:31:00.000-08:00

The D. C. Block Shopper reports Seventh District Congressman Roy Blunt and his wife Abigail sold their Georgetown home for $1.53 million on Nov. 4.

News-Leader: Judge in Pete Newman case ignored law with decision to close hearing

2009-11-20T03:42:00.001-08:00

When he was using a new law to close a preliminary hearing for former Kanakuk Kamp director Pete Newman, Taney County Circuit Court Judge Tony Williams did not even check to see what the law said.

Williams told the Springfield News-Leader:

"They agreed to do it, so I never did actually get the book out" to review the new law, Williams said.

Told of the controversy generated by the attempt to close the hearing, he said: "My concern is children. If that is no one else's concern, then that's their problem."

It is sad that it is so easy for Williams to make decisions that close the workings of the judicial system to the public and open the door to all kinds of possible mischief. What he should have considered are ways in which the children could have been protected without closing the courtroom doors to the public and to the press. These types of procedures are used on a regular basis in cases in which people are testifying who might be in danger if their identities are revealed, such as confidential informants. Why couldn't the same methods be put to use in this case?

It turned out to be a moot point since Newman waived his preliminary hearing at the last moment.

The News-Leader story indicates the Taney County prosecutor never asked for the closed courtroom and offered other options. It was the judge who immediately suggested the public and press be removed. That kind of hair-trigger reaction should concern people.

No one wants children to suffer when testifying about evils that have been committed against them, but at the same time, when you start closing public court hearings you are starting a dangerous precedent. Once it has been done for a case like this, soon it will be done for all cases involving children, and then it will spread to other cases where people have been victimized and soon we will have no way of knowing what is going on in our courts.

MSSU Board of Governors chairman blows off Chart

2009-11-20T03:28:00.000-08:00

The Ringling Brothers/Barnum and Bailey production being provided by the Missouri Southern State University Board of Governors and President Bruce Speck shows no signs of subsiding.

In the latest edition of the campus newspaper, The Chart, Speck says he does not know what to do now that the search for a vice president for academic affairs has been scrapped following the decision of two candidates to drop out of the process:

When asked afterwards what the next step would be, Speck said he didn't know. He also declined to offer a timetable for any decision.

"I don't know," he said. "I've got to think about it. I don't really have a time."

In his "Notes from the Prez" for today's Board of Governor's meeting, Speck said he was contemplating the next step.

"There's been a huge amount of effort put in by the search committee," Speck told The Chart. "They spent many hours and were very dedicated to it. We spent institutional money to bring these people on, so it's a costly process and I think when you invest those types of resources, especially the resources of those people on the committee, it's discouraging when you have a failed search."

If you follow Speck's reasoning, and in this case it is hard not to, that would indicate that you would have a failed search if you have three finalists and only one does not drop out. In other words, the same scenario pretty much that occurred when Speck was hired. In this case, Speck broke with precedent by not offering just one candidate to the board.

Board of Governors Chairman Rod Anderson continued to show the kind of arrogance the board showed when it thumbed its nose at the university's immediate future by extending Speck's contract for two years when the president was the cause of turmoil on the campus. In this case, he showed disdain for the university's students by refusing to talk to the Chart:

Rod Anderson, president of the Board of Governors, refused to comment on the failed search when reached Wednesday afternoon, calling it a personnel matter.

"I'm through talking," Anderson said.

When questioned further about his reaction to the failed search, Anderson responded: "I run a business here. I don't work for you," and hung up.

Yes, Mr. Anderson, you do work for them, as well as for every other student on the campus and for every student who might consider taking classes at the university.

Anderson later called back, apologized, and offered a comment.

And the merry-go-round continues.

Stevenson among those writing letters of support for Steve Brown

2009-11-20T03:22:00.000-08:00

The St. Louis Riverfront Times prorides a list of those who wrote letters urging leniency for former Rep. Steve Brown, D-St. Louis, prior to his sentencing Tuesday. Among those is Rep. Bryan Stevenson, R-Webb City.

The publication provided a sampling of those letters, as well as letters supporting Brown's co-defendant, former Sen. Jeff Smith, D-St. Louis, at this link.

Brown was placed on probation for two years, while Smith was sentenced to one year and one day in prison.

Government asks court to unseal letters of support for Jeff Smith

2009-11-19T21:15:00.000-08:00

Acting U. S. Attorney Michael Reap filed a motion in U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri today asking that letters of support for former Sen Jeff Smith, D-St. Louis, who was sentenced to one year and one day in prison Tuesday, be made public:

1. Attached as Exhibit A to defendant Smith’s Sentencing Memorandum were a number of letters for the Court’s consideration relative to defendant’s sentencing.

Additionally, defendant Smith filed a number of additional letters in a separate pleading entitled Supplement to Defendant Jeff Smith’s Sentencing Memorandum. Both Exhibit A to defendant’s Sentencing Memorandum, and the Supplement to defendant’s Sentencing Memorandum were filed under seal, and these letters remain under seal.

2. The United States has received numerous inquiries from various news and media
organizations requesting access to the above-referenced letters. Ordinarily, while sentencing memoranda are filed under seal as they may reference matters contained within the Presentence Investigation Report, letters in support of a defendant are not under seal, just as the courtroom would be open to the public if the letter writers appeared in person before the Court at sentencing and addressed the Court.

3. Defendant Jeff Smith, through counsel Richard Greenberg, has advised that defendant
has no objection to unsealing the above-referenced letters in order to make them public.

Smith resigned from the Senate Aug. 25, the same day he pleaded guilty to obstruction charges involving a coverup of illegal activiity during his unsuccessful 2006 Congressional campaign against Russ Carnahan.

Leggett & Platt contributes $10,000 to Speaker of the House Richard

2009-11-19T18:55:00.000-08:00

Carthage-based Leggett & Platt dropped $10,000 into the campaign account of Speaker of the House Ron Richard, R-Joplin, according to a 48-hour report filed today with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

Richard has received at least $22,750 from Leggett this year, according to Ethics Commission documents.

Stouffer: Skelton losing touch with needs of rural Missouri

2009-11-19T15:42:00.000-08:00

In response to a report that discovered numerous problems with dispersal of stimulus funds, Fourth District Republican Congressional candidate Bill Stouffer issued the following statement today:

“Missourians need real jobs, not made up numbers on a website,” said Stouffer. “Ike Skelton is losing touch with the needs of rural Missouri. Ike and his liberal House Leadership friends like Nancy Pelosi promised the American people millions of jobs from this stimulus plan. We all know now that the only thing Ike and Pelosi have stimulated is more wasteful spending and irresponsibility in Washington. What Ike Skelton and Nancy Pelosi fail to understand is that the only way to really stimulate the economy is to reduce taxes, cut spending and encourage growth in private businesses – not growth in government.”

Palin media stance reminiscent of Ashcroft's gutless deal with MSU

2009-11-19T13:53:00.000-08:00

My prediction was right about the groundswell of protest when I dared criticize mavericky conservatiive icon Sarah Palin this morning.

Along with those who think the media is evil, and think that it actually took courage for Sarah Palin to go on Oprah (oh, that took courage) I had one persistent commenter who had to point out every time Al Gore made a speech and did not allow the media to cover it.

And there was another one who thought that a news blog shouldn't indulge in opinion.

In the first place, I quite clearly note that this blog is news and commentary. My readers are normally intelligent enough to know one from the other.

As for Al Gore, I will be happy to write about him banning the media...the first time he does so in southwest Missouri. While I have written about a few national stories, and the blog features news and commentary about Missouri state politics, the primary focus of this blog is southwest Missouri.

And the record clearly indicates I have written about such an occasion when a national leader barred the media from a speaking appearance. The following comes from the Sept. 12, 2007, Turner Report:

As I have noted in two earlier posts, former Attorney General John Ashcroft is speaking tonight at Missouri State University and the gutless wonder who formerly served as our state's governor, has it in his contract that no videocameras or recording devices can be used.
He has graciously deigned to allow the university to make an official recording, which as Professor Andrew Cline points out on his Rhetorica website, doesn't help the hard working folks in Springfield's broadcast media much, or for that matter, any print reporters who would like to back up their notes with the recorded version of the speech:

Restricting and avoiding the press are popular tactics of message control. What we too often forget is that any tactic that restricts the press also restricts citizens who may wish to gather information for themselves.

So Ashcroft will speak tonight on the MSU campus, but the press may not use electronics to capture the speech. The (incredibly silly and condescending) reason given: He and the promoters don't want a "media circus" to mar the event.

(BTW, how will this restriction be enforced? The N-L story says part of the money raised for this event pays for security. Are we talking campus police? On duty? Off duty? City police? State police? Local goons? What?)

I claim this restriction has nothing to do with any circus and a lot to do with the need for plausible deniability as part of effective message control. Want to avoid a circus? Don't take questions from the press. And Ashcroft says he won't. I have no problem with that. But why deny print reporters the use of digital recorders? What is it about this small, hand-held device that would cause a media circus?

Perhaps Ashcroft is attempting to avoid any of the YouTube type problems so many politicians are faced with these days. After all, at this point he has been plagued with several, including the many appearances of the Singing Senators since one of Ashcroft's fellow performers, Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, had his bathroom incident in Minneapolis.

Quite frankly, the type of "wide stance" taken by Ashcroft during his MSU visit has the capacity to do more damage to our open way of government than anything Senator Craig did and the hypocrisy is just as great.

Hartzler: Federal government can't run health care

2009-11-19T13:34:00.000-08:00

In her latest campaign news release, Fourth District Republican Congressional candidate Vicky Hartzler said the Obama Administration is incapable of running U. S. health care:

Republican congressional candidate Vicky Hartzler said today that false job claims and gross errors by the Obama Administration demonstrate what most people already know, that the federal government is incompetent to run U.S. health care or control energy production and use.

Hartzler is challenging 17-term incumbent Democrat Congressman Ike Skelton for the Fourth
U.S. House district in western Missouri.

Hartzler stated: "The revelations of shocking incompetence in handling the failed 'stimulus' spending supported by Ike Skelton are a preview of the mess we will have if the President and Congress succeed in their plans to take over health care and energy production and pricing. Report after report is finding grossly inflated employment claims from the failed stimulus bill, and absurd reports of spending in congressional districts that don't exist. This is our hard-earned money being trashed, with the help and support of Congressman Skelton.

"When Rep. Skelton and the other Pelosi supporters voted a $787 billion spending spree with our money, they said the so-called economic 'stimulus' would keep the jobless rate from exceeding 8 percent. Joblessness now has surpassed 10%, with tremendous suffering for millions of workers and families in Missouri and the nation. Now we learn from news reports that the big-spenders don't even know where billions went, and that job claims have been grossly inflated time after time.

"What this tells us above all is that it's time to change from the failed policies of big spending, borrowing and debt favored by Rep. Skelton. To get new jobs, we need to cut taxes for small businesses, where real jobs are created. We need to put the government on a diet. We need to send a very clear message to Rep. Skelton, Speaker Pelosi and President Obama that the government is grabbing for power it shouldn't have, doesn't rightly have, and can't be trusted to exercise competently. Most people in our district know how to fix this runaway liberal Congress. It starts with voting for proven, common sense policies and conservative principles."

Hartzler strongly favors market-oriented policies for U.S. energy production in place of the huge tax hikes and vast government economic controls supported by Skelton and others who passed the so-called "cap and tax" bill for global warming. This huge bill would impose major price hikes on all carbon-based energy, including electricity and transportation fuel.

On the health care issue, Hartzler began her campaign with open-door town meetings on health care throughout the district. In line with comments from citizens and health care providers, she supports numerous steps to make care more affordable and accessible, including reforms in coverage and greater competition for insurance providers, and lawsuit reform to improve access and reduce costs to patients.

Cynthia Davis: I'm immune to swine flu

2009-11-19T13:28:00.001-08:00

In her latest column, Rep. Cynthia Davis, R-O'Fallon shares her thoughts on the H1N1 virus:

I like my school district. Here I am standing in front of their sign that announces the anticipated vaccination event was cancelled. The school district was going to host a flu shot clinic, but could not get the vaccines. Some of my constituents are asking me questions about the process. Beyond this being an interesting study of supply and demand, here are my thoughts:

I think I’m one of those who are immune to the virus. That’s good because I shake a lot of hands. I never really worried about getting either the flu or the vaccine, although I realize many of my constituents are very concerned. People have been getting sick since sin entered the world. Germs spread far and fast. This one was remarkable because of media attention received. Usually we don’t know from where a virus originated, and complications are simply treated with antibiotics.

Here are some facts to consider:

1.) Don’t worry about what you call it. We all know that it is referred to as both “The Swine Flu” and “H1N1”. I am not at all concerned that the readers of my report go out and shoot their hogs or will think they can get the swine flu from eating pork.

2.) While it is true that this flu is highly contagious, it is not virulent. Experts are saying it is actually milder than the regular seasonal flu. You can scare a lot of people with statistics, but the reality is that people die in our country every day from many different causes, so those numbers are deceiving. It would be more helpful if the statistics were broken down by the complications from which they die rather than just calling it the flu. The majority of those who have died had underlying high-risk medical conditions before they got the flu.

3.) It is not the job of the government or the schools to provide vaccines. Schools are educational institutions, not health institutions. The ones that have offered vaccinations were trying to be helpful, but ultimately this decision should be worked out between you and your doctor. The Fort Zumwalt, Francis Howell and Wentzville School Districts have been helpful in offering their facilities as vaccination clinics. Link here to read what our school districts are doing to secure H1N1 vaccines.

4.) A lesson in reverse psychology: Since they acted like there would not be enough vaccines, there was more demand than usual. If the government had implemented a mandatory vaccination program where everybody would be forced to get it, fewer may have wanted one. I will not join those who are bashing our government or calling them inept because of the availability impediments. The drug companies are doing all they can to make these vaccines.

5.) If you get the flu, it will most likely give you more immunity when a similar virus comes around again. The reason I didn’t get the flu while everyone around me was getting it probably was because I had the version that went around in the 70’s. I am going to pass on my vaccination so that someone elderly or with a weaker immune system can have mine.

6.) Plenty of the vaccine is on its way, although many states are reporting to be past the peak of people coming down with this flu. The State of Missouri has set up a toll free phone line to answer your questions: 1-877-FLU-4141.

Gutless Palin bars media from College of the Ozarks appearance

2009-11-19T04:28:00.000-08:00

I am sure this post will bring out the legions of Sarah Palin acolytes who believe the Alaska governor can do no wrong, but the agreement between Mrs. Palin and College of the Ozarks to bar the media from her Dec. 2 speech is indefensible and shows that for all of her legendary "mavericky" tendencies, she is simply a politician who plays too fast and loose with the truth (when she has any idea what that truth is).

College of the Ozarks is a private institution and has every right to bar whomever it wishes from its premises, but For Mrs. Palin to set such guidelines is a clear sign that she is still unable to cope with the media, so she takes the next best approach- demonizing it to try to cover all of her shortcomings.

It would be nice if Mrs. Palin relented and agreed to let reporters cover the event, but that would require Mrs. Palin to admit she was wrong about something and that day will probably never come.

Deposition set for former DOR director in class action lawsuit

2009-11-19T04:17:00.000-08:00

Lawyers for the plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit against former Department of Revenue officials will take the deposition of former DOR Direcdtor Trish Vincent, according to documents filed Wednesday in U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

The deposition is scheduled to take place in the Broadway State Office Building.

In the lawsuit, filed by Emily Roberts, Jefferson City, and Sarah Smith, El Dorado Springs, the issue is whether the Department of Revenue's decision to sell drivers' personal information to Source for Public Data and Shadowsoft violates the Drivers' Privacy Protection Act.

The lawsuit was certified as a class action earlier this week.

More information about the case can be found at this link.

No mention of Pete Newman story in Branson Tri-Lakes News

2009-11-18T20:05:00.000-08:00

The Branson Tri-Lakes News website (formerly Branson Daily News) updated today, and despite the major developments in the Pete Newman sex case, not one word was mentioned.

A school principal who eats fried worms made the homepage, and on the inside local news page, residents were urged to be prepared for winter weather.

Since Newman's arrest only one story made the newspaper's pages and that was a week after the arrest.

Accused killer of Carthage couple admits to probation violation

2009-11-18T19:57:00.001-08:00

Darren Winans, one of two men accused of the October 2008 murder of Bob and Ellen Sheldon, owners of the Old Cabin Shop in Carthage, admitted that he violated the terms of his probation on a 2006 Barton County conviction.

Winans was not in court during the probation violation hearing, according to online court records, but admitted the violation through his lawyer, public defender Brandi McInroy. Winans' conviction was for stealing a vehicle.

The final disposition of the case is set for 9 a.m. Feb. 16.

The next hearing in the murder case against Winans and his co-defendant, Matthew Laurin, is set for 8:30 a.m. Dec. 7.