Yesterday evening we took a road trip to Butler, Missouri to attend the monthly meeting of the Bates County Democratic Club. The club gathered in an office conference room on the square in Butler for a lengthy meeting (and good food) which included several guest speakers. We were tapped to speak about Show Me Progress and blogging. An educator spoke about the necessity to still turn out and vote “No” on Amendment 3 which is on the November ballot. An advocate for the Bates County Senior Center spoke on a local ballot issue which would help support the center. And finally, Sam Foursha, the Democratic candidate in the 126th Legislative District, spoke to the group.

Sam Foursha, the Democratic Party candidate in the 126th Legislative District,

speaking at the Bates County Democratic Club meeting in Butler last night.

Sam Foursha spoke about the importance of education to the district and the state, on health care issues, and on economic development in the area (especially the benefits of encouraging entrepreneurial agribusiness).

The race in the 126th legislative District has become complicated. The incumbent, Representative Randy Pike, passed away recently (and suddenly). Patricia Pike, his widow, was selected as his replacement on the ballot by their party legislative district committee.

At the White House petition site:

We petition the Obama Administration to:

Stop Common Core in Mississippi.

Let’s stand together and stop the common core standards that are being used in the state of Mississippi. This practice is an ignorant and more difficult way to teach things that are simple. It causes more stress than our children deserve. This was put in place without asking what we the parents feel is best for our children.

Created: Sep 10, 2014

Issues: Education

Signatures needed by October 10, 2014 to reach goal of 100,000 99,759

Total signatures on this petition 241

[emphasis added]

Apparently, what has been best for the children of Mississippi:

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

Mathematics

8th grade 2013

Mississippi 271 (0.9) National 284 (0.2) % at or above Basic 61 (1.3) % at or above Proficient 21 (1.2) % at or above Advanced 3 (0.4)

Reading

8th Grade 2013

Mississippi 253 (1.0) National 266 (0.2) % at or above Basic 64 (1.3) % at or above Proficient 20 (1.3) % at or above Advanced 1 (0.3)

In Missouri:

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

Mathematics

8th grade 2013

Missouri 283 (1.0) National 284 (0.2) % at or above Basic 74 (1.3) % at or above Proficient 33 (1.3) % at or above Advanced 7 (0.7)

Reading

8th grade 2013

Missouri 267 (1.1) National 266 (0.2) % at or above Basic 78 (1.3) % at or above Proficient 36 (1.4) % at or above Advanced 4 (0.5)

Thank goodness for Mississippi.

This evening, via phone:

[….]

Interviewer: [reading name of incumbent, after asking for recognition, and for a positive or negative rating.]

Me: Yeah, I know who he is. He’s a moron.

Interviewer: Heh.

[….]

Hoover: Kent is a legacy, Otter. His brother was a ’59, Fred Dorfman.

Flounder: He said legacies usually get asked to pledge automatically.

Otter: Oh, well, usually. Unless the pledge in question turns out to be a real closet-case.

Otter, Boon: Like Fred.

Today, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION

CONTRIBUTION OF MORE THAN $5,000.00 RECEIVED BY ANY COMMITTEE FROM ANY

SINGLE DONOR – TO BE FILED WITHIN 48 HOURS OF RECEIVING THE CONTRIBUTION

MEC ID: C141179 [pdf]

ASHCROFT FOR MISSOURI 9/24/2014

Missouri Senate Campaign Committee

PO Box 754

Jefferson City, MO 65102 8/23/2014

$15,250.00

[emphasis added]

Well, probably.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: all in on the legacy (September 23, 2014)

Campaign Finance: supporting the legacy in $10,000.00 increments (September 5, 2014)

Campaign Finance: legacies (August 27, 2014)

“He said legacies usually get asked to pledge automatically.” (August 7, 2014)

Campaign Finance: all that money in the 24th Senate District republican primary (August 3, 2014)

Campaign Finance: 24th Senate District – July quarterly campaign finance reports (July 18, 2014)

Campaign Finance: end of quarter confidence in the 24th Senate District (July 3, 2014)

Campaign Finance: 24th Senate District – April quarterly campaign finance reports (April 19, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Friends of the family?  (April 11, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Make room for daddy? (April 7, 2014)

Campaign Finance: trying to catch up in the 24th Senate District (March 31, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Schupp (D) and Lamping (r) in the 24th Senate District – 4th quarter 2013 (January 15, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Schupp (D) and Lamping (r) in the 24th Senate District – 3rd quarter 2013 (October 21, 2013)

It’s been a “generous” month, since money is no object. Via the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C101236 08/26/2014 WIELAND NOW Committee to Elect Ron Richard PO Box 2523 Joplin MO 64803 8/25/2014 $10,000.00

C071094 09/04/2014 MISSOURI SENATE CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE Committee To Elect Ron Richard PO Box 2523 Joplin MO 64803 9/2/2014 $25,000.00

C071094 09/18/2014 MISSOURI SENATE CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE Committee to Elect Ron Richard PO Box 2523 Joplin MO 64803 9/17/2014 $30,000.00

C071094 09/23/2014 MISSOURI SENATE CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE Committee to Elect Ron Richard PO Box 2523 Joplin MO 64803 9/22/2014 $25,000.00

C101236 09/23/2014 WIELAND NOW Committee to Elect Ron Richard PO Box 2523 Joplin MO 64803 9/22/2014 $15,000.00

[emphasis added]

That is what happens when a candidate has no opposition in the General Election:

State Senator – District 32

Republican

Name Mailing Address Random Number Date Filed

Ron Richard 3611 W NOTTING HILL CIR JOPLIN MO 64804 291 2/25/2014

Representative Vicky Hartzler (r), today via Twitter, on the sad, sad lot of a few large American corporations:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler ‏@RepHartzler

The Admin. wants to punish U.S. companies who move abroad. Why don’t they just stop their onerous policies which are pushing them away?! 1:37 PM – 23 Sep 2014

Does that mean “punishment” as in no longer allowing them to claim tax breaks if they move overseas? Just asking.

Maybe if we all gave them a hug?

There were replies:

Cody Welton ‏@acoupstick

.@RepHartzler “onerous policies” like paying taxes? If companies want speech protections of individuals, can shoulder tax burden as well 1:40 PM – 23 Sep 2014

Bob Yates ‏@OldDrum

@RepHartzler I thought corporations are people. Real people pay taxes why shouldn’t corporations?

2:17 PM – 23 Sep 2014

Uh, yep.

Hoover: Kent is a legacy, Otter. His brother was a ’59, Fred Dorfman.

Flounder: He said legacies usually get asked to pledge automatically.

Otter: Oh, well, usually. Unless the pledge in question turns out to be a real closet-case.

Otter, Boon: Like Fred.

Yesterday, for the republican candidate in the 24th Senate District, via the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C141179 09/22/2014 ASHCROFT FOR MISSOURI Missouri Senate Campaign Committee PO Box 754 Jefferson City MO 65102 9/22/2014 $150,000.00

[emphasis added]

That didn’t come from elderly retirees’ cookie jar stashes.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: supporting the legacy in $10,000.00 increments (September 5, 2014)

Campaign Finance: legacies (August 27, 2014)

“He said legacies usually get asked to pledge automatically.” (August 7, 2014)

Campaign Finance: all that money in the 24th Senate District republican primary (August 3, 2014)

Campaign Finance: 24th Senate District – July quarterly campaign finance reports (July 18, 2014)

Campaign Finance: end of quarter confidence in the 24th Senate District (July 3, 2014)

Campaign Finance: 24th Senate District – April quarterly campaign finance reports (April 19, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Friends of the family?  (April 11, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Make room for daddy? (April 7, 2014)

Campaign Finance: trying to catch up in the 24th Senate District (March 31, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Schupp (D) and Lamping (r) in the 24th Senate District – 4th quarter 2013 (January 15, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Schupp (D) and Lamping (r) in the 24th Senate District – 3rd quarter 2013 (October 21, 2013)

Right…

Via Twitter from Speaker Pro Tem Denny Hoskins (R):

Denny Hoskins, CPA ‏@DLHoskins

Discussed #moleg education funding priorities w/ @UCentralMO board of governors today. I wish @GovJayNixon wouldn’t have vetoed $101k 4 UCM! 12:17 PM – 19 Sep 2014

And a succinct reply:

John L. Davidson ‏@jdavidsonlawyer

@DLHoskins @UCentralMO maybe you shouldn’t have voted for all those irresponsible tax cuts. 2:41 PM – 19 Sep 2014

It’s called chutzpah.

Gee, show up to a University of Central Missouri Board of Governors meeting and commiserate with them over those terrible cuts which you facilitated?

Except, they didn’t buy it the last time:

Rep. Denny Hoskins (r) to UCM on HB 253: I don’t care, I’d rather be the new Speaker Pro Tem (August 24, 2013)

[….]

Marvin “Bunky” Wright, President, University of Central Missouri Board of Governors:  ….Uh, the board has discussed at great length this whole situation. You can refer to it as a difference in philosophy, frankly, I don’t care what you refer to it as. Uh, this board has got responsibility of this University. And I’ve seen President Ambrose, the faculty, the staff, everybody cut to the core budgetwise in the last three years. Uh, the last thing we need is a further crunch because of political differences. There isn’t any political difference when it comes to higher education when we’ve got responsibility. And we would ask that the two of you [Rep. Hoskins and Senator Pearce], uh, do not support the position of overriding this veto. I mean, we can’t sit back and wonder who’s right or wrong, because some money’s gonna go by the wayside. And whatever it is is gonna hurt us. So, you know, we would ask you to support this University which is in your district and the people. We think we’re one of the best universities in the state. I happen to think it is the best. A lot of it is due to the help of people like you. And we’re asking you again, and I’d like to go on record for this board as requesting that you support us, uh, in this override session. We appreciate you coming in very much. If you ever have any questions, why, give us a call. We’ll try to answer them.

Representative Denny Hoskins (r): Thank you.

[….]

Fool them once, shame on you. Fool them twice, can’t get fooled again.

A new PAC:

C141518: Moderates For Missouri

323 Emanuel Cleaver Ii Blvd #7E Committee Type: Political Action

Kansas City Mo 64112

[….] Established Date: 09/08/2014

[….]

No one is a moderate. Everyone says they are.

Yesterday, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C141518 09/21/2014 MODERATES FOR MISSOURI Missouri’s Future 1000 E. U.S. Hwy. 24 Independence MO 64050 9/19/2014 $6,000.00

[emphasis added]

And the Missouri’s Future PAC hasn’t been particularly active in the past year. In 2013:

MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION

CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOANS RECEIVED

MISSOURI’S FUTURE [pdf] 10/7/2013

The James M. Dowd Law Firm

15 N. Gore Ave., Suite 210

St Louis MO 63119

7/30/2013

$25,000.00

[emphasis added]

That was it.

They were more active in the 2012 election cycle.