So how can Missourians celebrate Earth Day tomorrow in a way that will have real impact? The answer is easy if you live in or near St. Louis or Kansas City: join Repower America and other “clean energy patriots” at a rally outside Claire McCaskill’s offices in those two cities (find information about St. Louis rally here; Kansas City information is here). Alternatively, Repower America will also host call-in events in Kansas City and St. Louis  (click on the cities to volunteer or get information).

At the call-in events, you can volunteer to do outreach to other Missourians and enlist them to, in turn, contact Senators McCaskill and Bond, and tell them how much they want them to support strong clean energy legislation. If you just want to contact one of our senators to deliver the message yourself, you can phone this Repower America number and ask to be patched through to either senator: 1-877-9-REPOWER (9-737-6937).

Why are these events important? We can take it as a given that Senator Bond is unlikely to change his stripes and support meaningful clean energy legislation any time soon, but it is still important for him to hear that many of his constituents do want congress to limit carbon emissions and invest in clean-energy jobs for Missouri.

As for Senator McCaskill, we have recently seen that she may be beginning to get the message that clean energy can mean growth and jobs for Missouri, as well as being essential to continued American competitiveness since other countries are rapidly jumping on the band-wagon. Nevertheless, she needs to know that we support her shifting position, and that we will have her back if she follows through and does what’s right – which includes measures to restrict carbon emissions.

In case you yourself want more reasons about why clean energy is important to Missourians specifically – apart from the general “save the world” issues involved with climate change – just take a look at any of these three fact sheet prepared by Repower America, “Clean Energy Potential in Missouri,” “Clean Energy Jobs in Missouri,” and “How Clean Energy Will Help Missouri’s Farmers.” And then, if you are able, make it on over to one of the Repower America rallies tomorrow or volunteer for one of the phone-in events right away.  Happy Earth Day!

There are three candidates (one Democrat and two republicans) in the open seat race in the 113th Legislative District. The district includes part of Jefferson City.

State Representative – District 113

Democrat

CYRUS (CY) DASHTAKI JEFFERSON CITY MO 3/30/2010

Republican

DAN KLINDT JEFFERSON CITY MO 139 2/23/2010

MIKE BERNSKOETTER JEFFERSON CITY MO 954 2/23/2010

Cy Dashtaki, the Democratic Party candidate, filed his first quarter campaign finance report with the Missouri Ethics Commission on April 15th:

Detailed Summary of Committee Disclosure Report

Committe: MISSOURIANS FOR DASHTAKI

ReportDate:

1. TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR THIS ELECTION PREVIOUSLY REPORTED $21,445.00

2. ALL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED THIS PERIOD $10,155.00

9. TOTAL ALL RECEIPTS THIS ELECTION(SUM 1B + 7A – 8A) $32,347.12

15. TOTAL EXPENDITURES THIS ELECTION (SUM 10B + 14A) $2,814.97

28. MONEY ON HAND AT THE CLOSE OF THIS REPORTING PERIOD (SUM 25 + 26 – 27) $28,315.03

35. TOTAL INDEBTEDNESS AT THE CLOSE OF THIS REPORTING PERIOD (SUM 29 + 30 + 31 – 32 – 33 – 34) $0.00

[emphasis added]

My, oh, my, those are good numbers. And that’s a very low burn rate. There’s an advantage to not having a primary.

Let’s look at where the money came from:

Detailed Summary of Contributions And Loans Received

Committee: MISSOURIANS FOR DASHTAKI

Report Date: 4/13/2010

Carpenters Local Union NO 945 PAC Jefferson City MO 03/30/2010 $300.00

Jefferson City Central Labor Union Jefferson City MO 03/04/2010 $150.00

Teamsters Joint Council 13 St. Louis MO 01/04/2010 $325.00

A lot of small dollar contributions from individuals, a few attorneys, and a bit from organized labor (working people!).

The expenditures:

Detailed Summary of Expenditures And Contributions Made

Committe: MISSOURIANS FOR DASHTAKI

ReportDate: 4/13/2010

A. EXPENDITURES OF $100 OR LESS BY CATEGORY

Postage $155.20

Act Blue Processing Fees $59.88

Office Supplies $10.77

Web Communications $60.00

Cabinet Meeting Food $79.84

State Representative Filing Fee $50.00

JC Chamber Gala Tickets $50.00

B. ITEMIZED EXPENDITURES ALL OVER $100 AND ALL PAYMENTS TO CAMPAIGN WORKERS

Patrick Pollock Jefferson City, MO 3/27/2010 Mailing Reimbursement $126.00

15. TOTAL: MONETARY EXPENDITURES THIS PERIOD (SUM 7 + 14) $591.69

[emphasis added]

Yep, there’s definitely an advantage to not having a primary opponent.

The first of the two republican candidates (in alphabetical order), Mike Bernskoetter, filed his first quarter campaign finance report with the Missouri Ethics Commission on April 14th. He organized [pdf] his committee on February 11th. back to the campaign finance report:

Detailed Summary of Committee Disclosure Report

Committe: FRIENDS OF MICHAEL BERNSKOETTER

ReportDate: 4/14/2010

1. TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR THIS ELECTION PREVIOUSLY REPORTED $0.00

2. ALL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED THIS PERIOD $18,520.00

9. TOTAL ALL RECEIPTS THIS ELECTION(SUM 1B + 7A – 8A) $19,161.70

15. TOTAL EXPENDITURES THIS ELECTION (SUM 10B + 14A) $6,170.86

28. MONEY ON HAND AT THE CLOSE OF THIS REPORTING PERIOD (SUM 25 + 26 – 27) $12,349.14

35. TOTAL INDEBTEDNESS AT THE CLOSE OF THIS REPORTING PERIOD (SUM 29 + 30 + 31 – 32 – 33 – 34) $0.00

[emphasis added]

That’s a very nice fundraising quarter. High burn rate. Primary! Pass the popcorn.

let’s take a look at where the money came from:

Detailed Summary of Contributions And Loans Received

Committee: FRIENDS OF MICHAEL BERNSKOETTER

Report Date: 4/6/2010

Patty Skain Jefferson City, MO MO Right to Life 03/04/2010 $100.00

Jeannette Bernskoetter Jefferson City, MO Art’s Pest Control 02/09/2010 $5,000.00

12. TOTAL ANONYMOUS CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS GIVING $25 OR LESS $1,620.00

[emphasis added]

There are a lot of small dollar contributions and one really big one.

Say what? $1,620.00 in anonymous contributions under $25.00. We haven’t seen anything quite like that before.

Detailed Summary of Fund-Raising Statement

Committe: [FRIENDS OF MICHAEL BERNSKOETTER]

ReportDate: 03/22/2010

STATEMENT OF FUND-RAISING ACTIVITY OR EVENT

11. EXPLAIN WHY NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF PERSONS CONTRIBUTING $25 OR LESS COULD NOT BE OBTAINED

We maintained a list of those invited. Due to the short time frame of the event and the amount of the people that entered at one time, we were unable to verify what contributions came from who.

Let’s check out the expenditures:

Detailed Summary of Expenditures And Contributions Made

Committe: FRIENDS OF MICHAEL BERNSKOETTER

ReportDate: 4/6/2010

A. EXPENDITURES OF $100 OR LESS BY CATEGORY

Missouri Republican Party $40.00

Missouri Republican Party $50.00

Capital Rubber Stamp $21.35

Victory Enterprises $69.55

News Tribune $95.00

House of Bargains $6.83

Brown Printing $60.86

Custom Screen Printing $21.30

B. ITEMIZED EXPENDITURES ALL OVER $100 AND ALL PAYMENTS TO CAMPAIGN WORKERS

inNetovations Jefferson City, MO 03/03/2010 Website $535.00

U.S. Postmaster Jefferson City, MO 03/05/2010 Postage $132.00

U. S. Postmaster Jefferson City, MO 02/24/2010 Postage $616.00

Staples Jefferson City, MO 03/12/2010 printing supplies $168.51

Johnny Macs Sporting Good St. Louis, MO 03/16/2010 T-shirts $956.39

Victory Enterprises Davenport, IA 03/16/2010 signs $3,044.80

U.S. Postmaster Jefferson City, MO 03/16/2010 Postage $224.00

Signs By Tomorrow Jefferson City, MO 03/24/2010 Banner $129.27

[emphasis added]

Definitely old school, spending over 20% of your funds on t-shirts and signs. I can’t wait to see the nail files…

The second republican candidate, Dan Klindt, filed his first quarter campaign finance report with the Missouri Ethics Commission on April 15th:

Detailed Summary of Committee Disclosure Report

Committe: DAN KLINDT FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE

ReportDate: 4/14/2010

1. TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR THIS ELECTION PREVIOUSLY REPORTED $19,356.46

2. ALL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED THIS PERIOD $10,569.97

9. TOTAL ALL RECEIPTS THIS ELECTION(SUM 1B + 7A – 8A) $30,076.43

15. TOTAL EXPENDITURES THIS ELECTION (SUM 10B + 14A) $9,505.52

28. MONEY ON HAND AT THE CLOSE OF THIS REPORTING PERIOD (SUM 25 + 26 – 27) $20,095.91

35. TOTAL INDEBTEDNESS AT THE CLOSE OF THIS REPORTING PERIOD (SUM 29 + 30 + 31 – 32 – 33 – 34) $0.00

[emphasis added]

Ah, parity. And check out that burn rate.

And where did the money come from?:

Detailed Summary of Contributions And Loans Received

Committee: DAN KLINDT FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE

Report Date: 4/10/2010

Central Bancompany PAC Jefferson City, MO 02/11/2010 $350.00

MWBHRA Political FUnd Marshfield, MO 03/05/2010 $300.00

Ford (I kid you not), a bunch of small dollar contributions, and no $5,000.00 bell ringers.

Let’s take a look at the expenditures:

Detailed Summary of Expenditures And Contributions Made

Committe: DAN KLINDT FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE

ReportDate: 4/10/2010

A. EXPENDITURES OF $100 OR LESS BY CATEGORY

office supplies $360.97

postage $88.00

phone $15.00

B. ITEMIZED EXPENDITURES ALL OVER $100 AND ALL PAYMENTS TO CAMPAIGN WORKERS

Central MO Newspaper Jefferson City Mo 01/14/2010 advertising $231.20

Central MO Newspaper Jefferson City Mo 02/16/2010 advertising $30.00

Bee Seen Signs Jefferson City MO 03/16/2010 Truck signs and Banner $169.00

Victory Store Davenport IA 03/10/2010 Stickers $253.00

Fraternal Order of Eagles Jefferson City MO 03/16/2010 Food and Prep for 400 $2,194.50

Creative Concepts Jefferson City MO 03/16/2010 Tshirts $236.82

Cole County Rep Central Committee Jefferson City MO 02/16/2010 table and advertising $450.00

Mollie Landers Columbia Mo 03/19/2010 campaign Help $500.00

[emphasis added]

Stickers! Food! T-shirts! Old school!

This is gonna be one hell of an interesting race.

…Now we could do it with conventional weapons that could take years and cost millions of lives. No, I think we have to go all out. I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody’s part…

Pass the popcorn.

I’ve been keeping a mental checklist of the pluses and minuses that Claire McCaskill has racked up, per my druthers,  since she was elected. Sad as it makes me feel, I have to admit that for a long stretch her pluses have been few and far between, and not quite as big and bold as her minuses. Well, today she gets a great big, bold-print, double plus for taking on the Republican obstruction machine all by herself – and I am grinning as broadly as Carroll’s Cheshire cat

One of the ways Republicans have tried to hinder the Obama administration has been to stall the President’s nominations, and the secret hold, applied to about 80 nominations so far, has been one of the weapons of choice  Today, Senator McCaskill took a step that could force those who placed the holds to reveal themselves and justify their actions.

McCaskill has requested unanimous consent to vote on 18 stalled nominations – and she has indicated that she will do the same for 60 more nominations. According to Senate rules passed in 2007, this means that:

… once the unanimous consent motion is made on a nominee, the member who is holding that nominee has to file a letter explaining their hold and that has to be published in the Congressional record …

Needless to say, many if not all of those placing holds might be seriously embarrassed if they had to identify themselves and come up with plausible reasons for holding up the nomination process. McCaskill twittered earlier today that she is “trying to put an end to ‘secret’ hold nonsense,” and forcing the the guilty parties out into the light could be just the ticket. Of course, since she is nothing if not cautious, she followed up with this qualification lest anyone accuse her of acting rashly:

Only making motion so disclosure of the “secret”hold required on nominations that had NO opposition in committee.

Makes you want to reassure her that we would never suspect that she hadn’t dotted all the i’s and crossed all the t’s – but, of course, there are those who would. No matter – way to go, Senator McCaskill! I’m proud that a Missouri Senator took this overdue step to try to beat back Republican thuggery, and insure that our government has the people in place to do what needs to be done.

Missouri’s Adam Smith Foundation contributed $498,000 toward the effort to repeal California’s greenhouse gas law.

Obviously, they must believe their work in Missouri is done.

Assembly Bill 32, directed at reducing greenhouse gases in California, was passed and signed into law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006.

Missouri group gives $500,000 to AB 32 repeal effort

By Anthony York | 04/19/10 12:00 AM PST

Adam Smith’s invisible hand has found its way into California politics.

Last week, a nonprofit group called the Adam Smith Foundation, based in Jefferson City, Missouri, gave $498,000 to the campaign to repeal California’s greenhouse gas law. That’s quite a contribution, considering the group’s entire revenues for the last two years were just $30,000 per year.

What’s more curious is how the donation fits in with the group’s stated mission. According to documents filed with the Internal Revenue Service,  the Adam Smith Foundation describes itself as “an advocacy organization committed to promoting conservative principles and individual liberties in Missouri. The Adam Smith Foundation was created to defend judicial reform, government accountability, education reform, tax and spending reform and protecting private property.”

So how did the fight to repeal AB 32 get on the foundation’s radar? And who gave money to the foundation to give to the campaign in California? Unfortunately, federal records don’t show us that. The phone number on their federal forms has been disconnected, and an e-mail sent through the group’s Web site Monday was not returned….

The Adam Smith Foundation filed its annual report with the Missouri Secretary of State on July 17, 2009. Its officers and board:

Pres: John Elliott, Smithville, MO

Asst Sec’y: Thomas J. Shupe, Jr., St. Louis, MO

Board of Directors:

Kurt Killen, Platte Woods, MO

William Clark Hardin, IV, St. Charles, MO

John Elliott, Smithville, MO

The Adam Smith Foundation’s registered agent is Registered Agent, Ltd. at the address of Lathrop & Gage in Kansas City, Missouri.

Oh what a tangled web we weave when it comes to right wingnut causes and contributions:

Detailed Summary of Contributions And Loans Received

Committee: SHOWME BETTER COURTS

Report Date: 4/13/2010

A. ITEMIZED CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM COMMITTEES REGARDLESS OF THE AMOUNT, OR FROM PERSONS GIVING MORE THAN $100 TO A COMMITTEE.

James Harris Jefferson City MO01/01/2010 $100.00

David Humphreys Joplin MO 03/09/2010 $75,000.00

American Democracy Alliance Kansas City MO 03/17/2010 $100,000.00

Gordon Kinne Springfield MO 03/22/2010 $5,000.00

J Michael Conoyer St Peters MO 03/24/2010 $5,000.00

David Humphreys Joplin MO 03/29/2010 $75,000.00

Lt. Col. John Robert Harris II Washington MO 03/29/2010 $30.00

Lois Linton Ballwin MO 03/31/2010 $20.00

Missouri Federation of Animal Owners Eldon MO 03/31/2010 $10.00

Lewis and Karen Strange Eldon MO 65026 03/31/2010 $10.00

Thomas and Beverly Shupe St. Louis MO 03/31/2010 $10.00

( 8. TOTAL: ITEMIZED CONTRIBUTIONS THIS PERIOD : $260,180.00 )

9. AMOUNT OF ITEM 8 THAT WAS RECEIVED AS MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS $260,180.00

10. AMOUNT OF ITEM 8 THAT WAS RECEIVED AS IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS $0.00

B. NON-ITEMIZED CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED

11. TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED AT FUND-RAISERS AS REPORTED IN LINE 8 ON FORM CD 1A $0.00

12. TOTAL ANONYMOUS CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS GIVING $25 OR LESS $0.00

13. TOTAL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS GIVING $100 OR LESS $0.00

14. TOTAL IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS (NOT COMMITTEES) GIVING $100 OR LESS $0.00

C. LOANS RECEIVED

NO LOANS RECEIVED

21. TOTAL:  ALL IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS (SUM 10 + 14) $0.00

22. TOTAL:  ALL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS (SUM 9, 11, 12 & 13) $260,180.00

23. MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOANS RECEIVED REQUIRING A RECORD OF NAME AND ADDRESS (SUM 9, 13 & 20) $260,180.00

[emphasis added]

That’s it for contributions this quarter. Uh, you think that handful of small dollar contributions are there for a reason?

But, wait, there’s more. The same PAC filed a required 48 hour report for contributions over $5000 on April 16th [pdf]:

SHOWME BETTER COURTS 4/16/2010

Herzog Contracting Corporation St. Joseph, MO 4/16/2010 150,000.00

That’s serious cash for people like the rest of us who aren’t in the top 1%.

There’s even more (we did a little digging):

Detailed Summary of Contributions And Loans Received

Committee: CITIZENS AGAINST FOREVER TAX – DEBT SERVICE

Report Date: 9/3/2009

John Elliott Smithville MO Self Employed Data Base Specialist 07/29/2009 $600.00

American Democracy Alliance Kansas City MO 08/03/2009 $12,000.00

Adam Smith Foundation Jefferson City MO 8/12/2009 $2,500.00

[emphasis added]

And what did they oppose?:

Detailed Summary Of Direct Expenditure Report

Committe: CITIZENS AGAINST FOREVER TAX – DEBT SERVICE

ReportDate: 9/29/2009

B. BALLOT MEASURES

Shall Platte County impose a 1/2 Cent Sales Tax for parks and storm water drainage? 08/04/2009 Oppose $25,628.87

How do you get from opposing a public works project on a county-wide ballot to advocating the repeal of the greenhouse gas reduction law in California? Just asking.

The board members of the Adam Smith Foundation don’t appear to be big buck contributors:

C031160 FRIENDS OF TILLEY KURT KILLEN PLATTE WOODS MO COLLEGIATE PRINT TECHNOLOGIES 03/16/2009 $20.00 APRIL – COMMITTEE QUARTERLY REPORT

C010795 JASON BROWN FOR SENATE Kurt Killen Kansas City, MO 64151 self-employed 10/13/2009 $100.00 OCTOBER – COMMITTEE QUARTERLY REPORT

C091196 CITIZENS FOR RON SCHIEBER Kurt Killen Platte Woods, MO 12/31/2009 $100.00 JANUARY – COMMITTEE QUARTERLY REPORT

C091196 CITIZENS FOR RON SCHIEBER Kurt Killen Platte Woods, 3/12/2010 $200.00 APRIL – COMMITTEE QUARTERLY REPORT

Where did that $498,000 that the Adam Smith Foundation contributed come from? Just asking.

I don’t know strontium this from thorium that from polonium the other. But people who do, tell me that the nuclear waste that Mallinckrodt Chemical Works illegally dumped at the West Lake Landfill in Bridgeton in 1973 is the kind you don’t want to put on a floodplain. Eight miles upstream from the water treatment plant for all of North St. Louis County. With no liner or cap. And a levee that’s no higher than the one that the flood of ’93 breached in Chesterfield.

A group of us stood on that five foot high levee last week as Robert Criss (pictured at right), a professor of earth and planetary sciences at Washington University, explained that most floods don’t come from overtopping but from the water finding a weak spot and pushing a passage through the lower part of the levee. He said also that “100 year floods” and “500 year floods” are practically meaningless terms, when you consider that we don’t have records going back much more than 100 years and that, anyway, we’ve built so many levees and wing dikes on the Missouri that in most spots it is half as wide as Lewis and Clark measured it–and a whole lot faster and more powerful. So a levee supposedly strong enough for a “500 year flood” is not good enough when you’re trying to keep the waters from sweeping uranium 235 into the water supply for a couple of hundred thousand people.

The other Mallinckrodt waste dump sites in St. Louis have been cleaned up or are in the process of being cleaned up, with the waste trucked out of here. But by far the worst site, the one everyone assumed would have to be dealt with first, sits there: almost 150,000 cubic yards of potential death and suffering.

The waste comes from the most powerful uranium on the planet, ore mined in the Belgian Congo, so it produces some of the most radiotoxic material there is. And Criss pointed out that it will continue to get hotter. Uranium 235 and its daughters will get ten times hotter than they started out before they begin to weaken. Criss said further that today, no one would even be allowed to dump his garbage in that landfill unless it was in a plastic bag (got to keep contaminants away from the ground water that sometimes rises high enough to touch the landfill and that finds its way to the Missouri River, don’t you know).

So why, if the powers that be wouldn’t allow unbagged trash in that landfill are they shrugging off the catastrophic potential of the hottest radioactive waste in the St. Louis area in the most precarious possible location? The answer is like something out of Catch-22. In that book, Doc Daneeka was listed on the passenger manifest of a plane that crashed. But he wasn’t actually on the plane. Rather than face a lot of inconvenient paperwork, the powers that be simply pretended that he was dead–told him he was dead, in fact, when he protested. And that’s sort of what happened to West Lake. It didn’t officially exist when it needed to.

Remember that Mallinckrodt dumped that waste illegally. The site was unlicensed. So now, all the licensed sites have been cleaned up or are in the process. They were part of a package that was transferred from the Department of Energy, which was doing a crappy job of cleanup, to the Army Corps of Engineers, which is–I kid you not–doing a better job. If West Lake is going to be cleaned up–and it MUST be–it will have to be transferred from the EPA to the Corps.

Because the EPA is doing nothing.

With a finger in each ear and its eyes tight shut, it shouts la la la la la when anybody complains about the site. And Senator McCaskill trusts what the EPA tells her. Her form letter on the issue says:

As you know, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decided to build a multi-layered cover over the radioactive waste in the West Lake landfill rather than remove it. This was not an easy decision, but it was considered to be the safest option at this time. The EPA has assured me that the Department will use the best available technology to ensure area water sources are protected. Additionally, the EPA will place monitors in and around the contained area so that any changes in the site can be quickly identified.

Mmmm. And the waste will be rushed off to Utah if a 500 year flood gives us five years worth of warning that it’s coming? Not good enough, thinks Robert Lowery, mayor of Florissant, the largest municipality in the County. (Lowery is pictured at left with activist Kay Drey and Councilman Keith English.) His city is downstream from West Lake, and the highest priority of his administration is to get authority over West Lake transferred from the EPA to the Army Corps of Engineers. He stresses that there is no evidence that the landfill is adversely affecting the water supply, but he sweats bullets over the possibility of a flood breaching that levee. Smart man.

With that concern always before him, he has already been in touch with both our senators and all of the St. Louis area Representatives in Congress. He plans to travel to D.C. to lobby for transferring authority over West Lake from the EPA to the Corps of Engineers.

Wish him luck. Better yet, call McCaskill and Bond. Bond might well listen to reason on this one. And then, if you live in St. Louis, call your representative.

There was a wonderful article in Saturday’s Post Dispatch about progressive religious leaders meeting to discuss state budget cuts.

Some of my favorite people, like Amy Smoucha of Jobs with Justice, are mentioned in the article.  She came right out and warned attendees to watch out for Rex Sinquefeld, but that’s not a surprise to those of us who read SMP.  She also mentioned the American Legislative Exchange Council.  We learned about ALEC a few yrs ago because of Jane Cunningham’s involvement with it, particularly in regards to defunding public education.

While I was thinking about looking ALEC up again just for old times sake, I came across another article that mentions it.  This one has to do with a lawsuit brought against Massey Energy because of the horrible working conditions in the mine where 29 Americans died two weeks ago. AND how cold-hearted millionaires think widows are just looking for  

“free money.”

I’ve been having a running discussion with an acquaintance out here in Franklin County who is a leader of the local tea party group.  I’m trying to tell him, in the gentlest way possible, that the essential difference between those of us who side with the miners and those who side with the coal company is that we care about other human beings and they don’t.  I could go on about that difference, but that can wait until later.  Just think of it as a mighty oak that has been split by lightning.  The roots are still there.  Some self-surviving new limbs are growing out of the two halves.  But the tree will never be intact again.   If you can’t share another’s pain, you’ll probably never grow up.

There is no trope so worn out, dishonest, or silly that some right-wing hack won’t revive it when subjected to the appropriate Pavlovian stimulus – such as, for instance, taxes. Which brings me to Cynthia Davis who, in her latest Capitol Report, has resorted to pushing the Tax Foundation’s old Tax Freedom Day chestnut:

Tax Freedom Day answers the basic question, “What price is the nation paying for government?” An official government figure for total tax collections is divided by the nation’s total income. The answer this year is that taxes will amount to 26.89 percent of our income, and the stretch of 99 days from January 1 to April 9 is 26.89 percent of the year. Overall, Americans will pay more taxes in 2010 than they will spend on food, clothing and shelter combined.

I’ll  refrain from overmuch commiseration since I strongly suspect that most of those Americans who made enough money to pay taxes are still getting plenty of food, clothing and shelter – while enjoying the physical, educational and social infrastructure their taxes purchased. Additionally, except for a very few, “tax freedom day” came and went long before the April 1 date cited above. The Center on Budget and Policy Policies publishes an annual analysis of the ways that the Tax Freedom Day percentage misleads:

* The Tax Foundation employs averages in a misleading fashion that overstates the tax burdens of the vast majority of families. Analysis by authoritative institutions such as the Congressional Budget Office shows most Americans pay significantly less in taxes than the Tax Foundation reports.

* In figuring the percentage of income that U.S. families as a whole pay in taxes, the Tax Foundation counts taxes paid on capital gains but ignores the capital gains income on which these taxes are paid. This approach, which Alan Greenspan has said is invalid, artificially inflates the percentage of income consumed by taxes.

* The Tax Foundation analysis also counts as taxes certain non-tax items, like the premiums that older American can elect to pay for Medicare Part B, intra-governmental transfers, and rents that individuals or businesses pay to rent property that state or local governments own. This further inflates tax burdens.

Although the Tax Foundation’s calculation of the tax burden is flawed, and does not provide a reliable measure of the middle class American tax burden, it is still instructive to compare the Tax Freedom Day calculations over a period of years. Doing so shows Davis’ worries about excessive taxation to be no more than a case of hysterical vapors:  

The percentage of income that we pay in taxes has been going down for half a century. This year, Americans paid 26.89 percent of their income for all taxes, according to the Tax Foundation. In 2000 we paid 32.98 percent, in 1990 we paid 30.4 percent, in 1980 we paid 30.4 percent, in 1970 we paid 29.6 percent, and in 1960 we paid 27.7 percent. You have to go back to 1950 to find a time when the tax burden was lower (24.6 percent).

…

If people are complaining about socialism with today’s 35 percent top income bracket, what must they have thought about the 91 percent bracket under Dwight Eisenhower?

If memory serves me right, Eishenhower’s high taxes failed to harm the steady economic growth that characterized the period – nothing like the harm hat George W. Bush’s tax cuts did fifty-odd years later. None of which, however, gives good old, reliably dim Cynthia pause as she breathlessly proclaims:

Congress has taken us to a point where our finances are so out of control; it is as though they made it their goal to destroy the economy of the greatest nation ever and as quickly as possible!

State Auditor Susan Montee (D) filed her first quarter campaign finance report with the Missouri Ethics Commission on April 15th:

Detailed Summary of Committee Disclosure Report

Committe: MONTEE FOR AUDITOR

ReportDate:

1. TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR THIS ELECTION PREVIOUSLY REPORTED $395,562.49

2. ALL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED THIS PERIOD $103,221.10

9. TOTAL ALL RECEIPTS THIS ELECTION(SUM 1B + 7A – 8A) $500,000.12

15. TOTAL EXPENDITURES THIS ELECTION (SUM 10B + 14A) $142,913.07

28. MONEY ON HAND AT THE CLOSE OF THIS REPORTING PERIOD (SUM 25 + 26 – 27) $352,107.21

[blockquote]

Let’s take a look at the contributions:

Detailed Summary of Contributions And Loans Received

Committee: MONTEE FOR AUDITOR

Report Date: 04/15/2010

Building Trades Politial Education Fund St. Louis, MO 03/30/2010 $250.00

Electrical Workers Voluntary PAC St. Louis, MO 03/02/201 $1,000.00

Ollie Gates Investments Kansas City, MO 03/04/2010 $1,000.00

Missouri State Council Of Machinists Bridgeton, MO 03/31/2010 $1,500.00

IBEW 753 Edu Comm Fund Springfield, MO 02/04/2010 $60.00

IBEW Local #53 Voluntary Pol Fund Kansas City, MO 02/20/2010 $500.00

Int’l Assoc. Of Fire Fighters Local #73 PAC St. Louis Fire Fighters PAC Co St. Louis, MO 03/25/2010 100.00

IUPAT Washington, DC 03/11/2010 $2,500.00

Claire C. McCaskill St. Louis, MO U.S. Senate/Senator 03/31/2010 $1,000.00

Missouri National Education Association Jefferson City, MO 02/10/2010 $1,325.00

Teamsters Local #600 Maryland Heights, MO 03/24/2010 $1,000.00

Barbecue!

Claire!

Attorneys, organized labor (working people), a lot of small dollar contributions from individuals, and none of those $5000.00 plus contributions from special interests.

And where did some of that money go?:

Detailed Summary of Expenditures And Contributions Made

Committe: MONTEE FOR AUDITOR

ReportDate: 04/15/2010

Jim Kainber Olympia WA 02/12/2010 Mailing Services $8,100.00

Majority Strategies LLC St. Louis MO 01/30/2010 Fundraising Support $4,000.00

Majority Strategies LLC St. Louis MO 02/02/2010 Fundraising Support $4,000.00

Majority Strategies LLC St. Louis MO 03/14/2010 Fundraising Support $4,500.00

U.S. Post Master Jefferson City MO 02/17/2010 Postage $880.00

Xpedx Kansas City MO 02/24/2010 Mailing Supplies $842.20

Mail, postage, fundraising, and campaign staff.

Allen Icet (r), the first of the two republican challengers (in alphabetical order), filed his first quarter campaign finance report with the Missouri Ethics Commission on April 15th:

Detailed Summary of Committee Disclosure Report

Committe: ICET FOR AUDITOR

ReportDate:

1. TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR THIS ELECTION PREVIOUSLY REPORTED $266,740.63

2. ALL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED THIS PERIOD $49,370.00

9. TOTAL ALL RECEIPTS THIS ELECTION(SUM 1B + 7A – 8A) $316,804.09

15. TOTAL EXPENDITURES THIS ELECTION (SUM 10B + 14A) $185,515.80

20. TOTAL ALL CONTRIBUTIONS MADE THIS ELECTION (SUM 16B + 19A) $19,075.00

28. MONEY ON HAND AT THE CLOSE OF THIS REPORTING PERIOD (SUM 25 + 26 – 27) $157,021.43

[emphasis added]

Yep, that’s some burn rate. But then, he does have a primary opponent.

Let’s take a look at where the money came from:

Detailed Summary of Contributions And Loans Received

Committee: ICET FOR AUDITOR

Report Date: 4/14/2010

Eli Lilly and Company Indianapolis IN 01/01/2010 $1,000.00

Comprehensive Health Systems Hannibal MO 01/11/2010 $2,000.00

James Nash King City MO 02/03/2010 $5,000.00

Long Term Care Leadership PAC Jefferson City MO 02/23/2010 $2,200.00

Missouri Pharmacy Political Action Committee Jefferson City MO 02/23/2010 $500.00

Libla Industries Inc Poplar Bluff MO 03/04/2010 $1,000.00

Missouri Soybean Association State PAC Jefferson City MO 03/09/2010 $4,850.00

Producers Choice Soy Energy LLC Moberly MO 03/09/2010 $300.00

Westwood Hills Health and Rehabilitation Center Poplar Bluff MO 03/12/2010 $1,000.00

Missourians for Mayer Dexter MO 03/21/2010 $1,000.00

What, no contributions from organized labor (representing working people)?

I want to say one word to you. Just one word. Soybeans.

All snark aside, there appears to be a pattern here, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.

Some of the expenditures:

Detailed Summary of Expenditures And Contributions Made

Committe: ICET FOR AUDITOR

ReportDate: 4/15/2010

A. EXPENDITURES OF $100 OR LESS BY CATEGORY

Online Fundraising Fees $22.80

Advertising $175.00

Auto $50.00

Bank Fees $19.68

Filing Fees $100.00

Fuel $367.31

Meals $118.91

Exp. Reim. $90.00

B. ITEMIZED EXPENDITURES ALL OVER $100 AND ALL PAYMENTS TO CAMPAIGN WORKERS

Victory Enterprises Davenport IA 01/14/2010 grassroots consulting $3,000.00

Ross Branson Jeffeson City MO 01/19/2010 grassroots and administration $760.08

Ross Branson Jefferson City MO 01/19/2010 exp reim $152.26

Keller Capitol Group St Louis MO 01/31/2010 fundraising expense $6,055.39

Ross Branson Jefferson City MO 02/01/2010 grassroots and administration $760.08

Keller Capitol Group St Louis MO 02/07/2010 fundraising expense $6,500.00

Ross Branson Jefferson City MO 02/07/2010 grassroots and administration $760.08

Ross Branson Jefferson City MO 02/07/2010 exp reim $170.00

Victory Enterprises Davenport IA 02/16/2010 grassroots consulting $3,741.83

Victory Enterprises Davenport IA 02/16/2010 grassroots consulting $3,000.00

Rosss Branson Jefferson City MO 02/16/2010 grassroots and administration $760.08

Ross Branson Jefferson City MO 02/16/2010 exp reim $111.50

Victory Enterprises Davenport IA 03/05/2010 grassroots consulting $3,000.00

Keller Capitol Group Louis MO 03/11/2010 FR and exp reim $9,221.29

Ross Branson Jefferson City MO 03/12/2010 exp reim $543.76

Ross Branson Jefferson City MO 03/15/2010 grassroots and administration $760.08

Ross Branson Jefferson City MO 03/23/2010 exp reim $582.56

Margaret Walker St Louis MO 03/26/2010 fundraising expense $409.20

Ross Branson Jefferson City MO 03/31/2010 grassroots and administration $760.08

That “grassroots” stuff costs a lot.

The second of the republican challengers, Tom Schweich (r – rock star), filed his first quarter campaign finance report with the Missouri Ethics Commission on April 14th:

Detailed Summary of Committee Disclosure Report

Committe: SCHWEICH FOR AUDITOR

ReportDate:

1. TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR THIS ELECTION PREVIOUSLY REPORTED $570,489.64

2. ALL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED THIS PERIOD $220,901.00

9. TOTAL ALL RECEIPTS THIS ELECTION(SUM 1B + 7A – 8A) $795,890.64

5. TOTAL EXPENDITURES THIS ELECTION (SUM 10B + 14A) $156,420.71

28. MONEY ON HAND AT THE CLOSE OF THIS REPORTING PERIOD (SUM 25 + 26 – 27) $615,325.79

[emphasis added]

In addition to the $160,000 in big bucks contributions that had to be reported within 48 hours, let’s take a look at other receipts:

Detailed Summary of Contributions And Loans Received

Committee: SCHWEICH FOR AUDITOR

Report Date: 04/14/2010

Henry Schweich St. Louis, MO Retired 03/01/2010 $2,000.00

Julius Schweich Chesterfield, MO Retired 03/10/2010 $1,000.00

Kathleen Schweich St. Louis, MO Homemaker 03/20/2010 $2,000.00

Robert Schweich New York, NY Retired  03/30/2010 $1,000.00

Scott Schweich Center Harbor, NH Moreland Partners 03/30/2010 $500.00

There’s a pattern here, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.

Again, no contributions from organized labor (representing working people)?

Whudaya know? Another big bucks contribution over $5000.00 which has to be reported within 48 hours of receipt. This one on April 15th [pdf]:

John B. Mahaffey Springfield, MO 65809 Mahaffey Enterprises, Inc. 4/15/2010 10,000.00

Access Health Solutions Sunrise, FL 4/15/2010 10,000.00

Not one, but two! These two will also appear on the next quarterly campaign finance report.

Some of the expenditures:

Detailed Summary of Expenditures And Contributions Made

Committe: SCHWEICH FOR AUDITOR

ReportDate: 04/14/2010

A. EXPENDITURES OF $100 OR LESS BY CATEGORY

Account Fee $127.38

Lincoln Days $1,091.00

Postage $44.00

Supplies $173.80

B. ITEMIZED EXPENDITURES ALL OVER $100 AND ALL PAYMENTS TO CAMPAIGN WORKERS

The Rocket Group Jefferson City, MO 03/02/2010 Media $1,000.00

The Rocket Group Jefferson City, MO 01/29/2010 Media $2,000.00

The Rocket Group Jefferson City, MO 02/05/2010 Media $1,000.00

The Rocket Group Jefferson City, MO 01/04/2010 Web Design $2,099.85

Laurus, LLC Saint Louis, MO 03/01/2010 Consulting $6,000.00

Laurus, LLC Saint Louis, MO 02/15/2010 Consulting $6,000.00

Laurus, LLC Saint Louis, MO 01/04/2010 Consulting $2,000.00

That must be some web site.

And last, there is a Democratic challenger. Abdul Akram filed his first quarter campaign finance report with the Missouri Ethics Commission on April 12th:

Committe: DR ABDUL AKRAM FOR JACKSON COUNTY

ReportDate:

RECEIPTS

1. TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR THIS ELECTION PREVIOUSLY REPORTED $0.00

2. ALL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED THIS PERIOD $0.00

9. TOTAL ALL RECEIPTS THIS ELECTION(SUM 1B + 7A – 8A) $0.00

14. TOTAL ALL EXPENDITURES MADE THIS PERIOD (SUM 11A + 12A + 13A) $0.00

15. TOTAL EXPENDITURES THIS ELECTION (SUM 10B + 14A) $0.00

25. MONEY ON HAND AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS REPORTING PERIOD (INCLUDING FUNDS IN DEPOSITORY, CASH, SAVINGS ACCOUNTS AND ALL OTHER INVESTMENTS) $0.00

28. MONEY ON HAND AT THE CLOSE OF THIS REPORTING PERIOD (SUM 25 + 26 – 27) $0.00

35. TOTAL INDEBTEDNESS AT THE CLOSE OF THIS REPORTING PERIOD (SUM 29 + 30 + 31 – 32 – 33 – 34) $0.00

I do believe this is a first for us here at Show Me Progress.

Without that string of $10,000.00 contributions Tom Schweich (r) would be in the same neighborhood as State Auditor Susan Montee (D). Instead, he’s in the high rent district. I wonder if we’ll be seeing some more rock videos?

The PACE legislation not only made it into a committee, it passed on the House floor. It was perfected–that is to say that the House passed its version–but it didn’t pass as a stand alone bill. PACE was part of an Omnibus bill, HB 1871. Sadly. The sad part is that the bill also contained a dirty little secret. The Sierra Club says that the final provision of the bill is:

a policy to allow companies to divulge illegal emissions or spills to the Dept of Natural Resources and thereby keep the emission or spill secret from the public unless it poses a danger to human health or the environment (“Audit Privilege”).

Jill Schupp, who sponsored the PACE legislation in the House was torn when her idea came up for a vote in that Omnibus bill, but she voted for it. Tough call.

So what happens now? The Senate passed its PACE bill, as a stand alone, out of committee, but it hasn’t put that on the calendar. Several possibilities emerge then–leaving the future of this idea looking like a ball balanced on someone’s nose: he leans left then frantically backpedals so that you never know when the ball may topple off. The Senate might put its own PACE bill on the calendar and vote on that, ignoring the House Omnibus bill. Then it could send the PACE bill to the House. Or it might take up the Omnibus bill, possibly even eliminating (but don’t count on it!) the dirty little secret provision. If the Senate were to pass the House bill without changes, then it’s law. If it amends the House bill, then a conference committee takes it up.

But with less than a month to go, PACE’s fate this year is very iffy. The guy with the upturned nose? He might just walk away and leave PACE bouncing on the pavement until it settles in one spot, waiting to be picked up again next year.