On the ballot: fundamental human rights
02 Wednesday Nov 2022
Posted Uncategorized
in02 Wednesday Nov 2022
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in20 Saturday Aug 2022
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We took a short road trip to the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia this morning.
At a vendor’s tent on the grounds of the fair:
Apparently there’s a market for this.
Trump/Pence 2024 doesn’t appear to be a a big seller nor an option.
That’s not how gas works…
Typos, eh?
Keep America Great. Think about that for just a second.
The only Confederate flag that ever mattered was a white rag on a stick.
Previously:
“Our state fair is a great state fair…” (August 15, 2022)
Governor’s Ham Breakfast – Missouri State Fair – August 18, 2022 (August 18, 2022)
A blue gingham shirt (August 18, 2022)
“…Don’t miss it, don’t even be late…” (August 20, 2022)
20 Saturday Aug 2022
Posted Uncategorized
inTags
We took a short road trip to the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia this morning. The fair closes on Sunday.
Eastbound to the fair on 50 Highway:
Publicity photos at the fair entrance:
Judging, we think:
In the Home Economics Building:
Pie!:
Rabbits! There’s a building filled with rabbits during the second week of the fair:
Fast food, sometimes on a stick:
The republican tent:
We didn’t look to closely, but there didn’t appear to be a shrine to the former guy.
The Libertarians. I always expect their tent to be located in the middle of field somewhere since they’re usually not too keen on spending money on public infrastructure:
Go figure.
Westbound from the fair on Highway 50:
Previously:
“Our state fair is a great state fair…” (August 15, 2022)
Governor’s Ham Breakfast – Missouri State Fair – August 18, 2022 (August 18, 2022)
A blue gingham shirt (August 18, 2022)
18 Thursday Aug 2022
Posted Missouri General Assembly, Missouri Governor, US Senate
inTags
The Governor’s Ham Breakfast at the Missouri State Fair took place this morning in Sedalia. This annual event is usually a “must attend” function for Missouri legislators, statewide office holders, members of Congress, and candidates. Usually.
Whatever your view of corporate agriculture, the event does have a reputation of sorts for the ideological political tendencies of those attending. It would be unfair to describe it as monolithic.
There are always displays of yard signs and a gauntlet of t-shirt bedecked volunteers passing out campaign stickers at the entrance to the morning’s festivities.
It’s an opportunity for us to replenish our “b roll” of file photos of Missouri politicians with newer images. The problem is that the members of the General Assembly come by so thick and fast we can’t keep up. But we do get a few photos.
That’s a big hat.
Members of the Genral Assembly do show up.
In all our years of coverage this is, perhaps, my fovorite photo of Denny Hoskins (r):
Still, we’ll get the image. A 400 mm lens does help:
Evidently the bus is gone:
What MAGA has wrought:
Democrats do show up, too. U.S. Senate nominee Trudy Busch Valentine waded into the crowd:
Retail politics.
One of the Erics (r) showed up:
The now annual shrine to Donald Trump, situated near the entrance to the breakfast. One of the shrine denizens tried to hand my a flyer inside the event. I brushed him off.
Seriously.
Update:
Ironically, we inadvertently left out Governor Mike Parson (r).
It is the Governor’s Ham Breakfast.
30 Thursday Jun 2022
Posted Resist
inTags
#resist, abortion rights, missouri, pro-choice, protest, Roe v Wade, Sedalia
Early this afternoon approximately fifty individuals gathered in 90 degree heat along Broadway (Highway 50) in Sedalia, Missouri to demonstrate in support of reproductive rights.
They were greeted with supportive car horn honking, hostile stares, and at least one extended middle finger.
There are a number of such demonstrations scheduled across Missouri over the next few days.
09 Friday Jul 2021
Posted Uncategorized
inTags
Corona virus, COVID-19, hospital, missouri, pandemic, Pettis County, Sedalia
“…We will be increasing security staff at the hospital’s front entrance to help manage what we see as an unfortunate increase in people who don’t want to follow the rules…”
This is why we can’t have nice things.
Today, in Sedalia, Missouri:
Bothwell Regional Health Center
This is an urgent plea from our hospital medical staff to our community. If you don’t have time to read it, please at least read the bulleted TLDR (Too Long, Didn’t Read) version:
• Visitors are not allowed for hospitalized patients who are Covid positive or who are awaiting test results.
• Don’t visit patients in the hospital if you don’t have to and definitely stay home if you are ill.
• When you’re in the hospital or any Bothwell clinic, masks are required to be worn.
• Consider vaccination. Seriously.Real talk? Covid is not gone as we all wish it was. The number of people in our hospital is increasing daily; today there are 10 with several on ventilators. And because the current virus variant symptoms are different (runny nose, sore throat, diarrhea and brain fog) from the original, many people don’t believe they are ill with it and are subsequently spreading illness in our community. Yesterday, the Pettis County Health Center reported there has been a 175% increase in cases in the past seven days.
As we are again testing all admitted patients, no Covid positive patient or a patient waiting for test results may have any visitors. We do make exceptions for end-of-life, special circumstances and patients who are children. It’s not safe for anyone but medical personnel wearing gowns, masks and goggles to be in these patients’ rooms. The good news is that we have an efficient testing system and the wait for results is relatively short.
If possible, decrease the number of visits to patients in the hospital and do not visit if you have any of the above symptoms no matter how mild or insignificant you think they might be. If you must visit, masks are still required. We will be increasing security staff at the hospital’s front entrance to help manage what we see as an unfortunate increase in people who don’t want to follow the rules.Also on the good news front, we have seen an uptick in demand for the Covid vaccine. As a result, we have added clinic dates to the schedule. Find all vaccine information at http://www.brhc.org/vaccine. If you can’t get to our daytime events, Katy Trail Community Health offers vaccines from 3-6 pm each Tuesday and Friday at the Sedalia Area Farmers’ Market on the Missouri State Fairgrounds as well as on Saturdays at 821 Westwood in Sedalia. You may also visit http://www.vaccines.gov, text your zip code to 438829 or call 800.232.0233 to find your nearest vaccine location if these opportunities don’t work with your schedule.
Thanks for reading this far. We simply must protect our patients and our employees so they can be here to protect them, and you should you need hospital care.
Sedalia, Missouri in August 2020:
‘Resist the Mandatory Mask.’ Missouri town’s fight over COVID mandate lands in court (August 19, 2020)
And here we are.
Get vaccinated if you haven’t already done so.
Wear a damn mask.
13 Thursday Aug 2020
Posted Missouri Governor, social media
inTags
code, governor, Mike Parson, missouri, Missouri State Fair, Pettis County, Sedalia, social media, Twitter, urban
Today:
Scott Faughn @scottfaughn
The difference between social media and real life was the cheering @mikeparson received today from the crowd in Sedalia when answering some urban reporters question about masks.
6:00 PM · Aug 13, 2020
Urban?
Michael Bersin @MBersin
Missouri DHSS – Pettis County, Missouri 8/13/20 1,370.41 COVID-19 cases per 100,000.People won’t be able to cheer the unelected Governor in Sedalia when some “urban” reporters ask him about wearing masks while they’re face down in a hospital bed breathing through a ventilator.
6:39 PM · Aug 13, 2020
The problem remains that it is the same planet.
27 Monday Jan 2020
“…We are in this for the people that live next door to us…”
Yvonne Reeves-Chong (D), candidate in the 122nd Legislative District – Sedalia, Missouri – January 25, 2020.
Lindsey Simmons, a Democratic Party candidate in the 4th Congressional District, held a campaign meet and greet event, including area and statewide candidates, in Sedalia yesterday evening.
Yvonne Reeves-Chong‘s (D) remarks (audio file edited):
Yvonne Reeves-Chong (D): … The 122nd, we, it’s actually open, but, we aven’t had a Democrat run for that seat since 2006. We ceded the territory. And, I’m going to make a difference, as she mentioned.
I’m running this thing, and I’m running this race, and I’m making them chase me. [applause] Guys, I went up with four by eights [signs] last week. And I’m talking to every single person. I woke up at six thirty, well, I woke up at five thirty. Six thirty this morning I was at the Great Chili Cookoff. [laughter] Because there were four hundred people at the Great Chili Cookoff. Now, I’m strictly a microwave kind of girl. [laughter] So I found some good Democrats that could cook. And we made some dang good chili, came in third. [applause]
But one of the things that happened today that I thought was really interesting, I was in the kitchen because they allowed me to stir, no more. And I was doing stirring duty and one of the other contestants walked over and said, you know, I just took a picture of you and sent it, sent it to my cousin, who is my opponent, because you’re here and he isn’t. [applause]
Everybody’s going to tell you that we can’t win. They’re gonna tell you that this is red territory. And on the surface I think they might be right. It looks kind of red. Until we start talking to people.
What makes the difference? My district is a red district. And every district that we don’t compete in is a red district. [applause]
Last week I held a town hall meeting. I decided we were gonna talk about guns. And I’m a Democrat. And I got a hundred people together in a red district. And I had Moms Demand Justice up here in the front row. And I had the guy over in the back corner, ’cause you know those guys are gonna sit in the back corner. [laughter] Going, your gonna take my gun. And we spent an hour talking. And at the end of that hour we came up with a background check law that every single person in that room agreed to. [applause] We are not going to win on Facebook. We are not going to win by talking to each other in groups like this. And I love doing this. It’s necessary, but it will not win our race. I’m lucky. I have a pretty contained district. And I’m going to talk to every single person. [applause] When we left the gun town hall the guy in the back walked up to me and said, I really hate that you’re a damn Democrat. [laughter] I looked at him and said, gonna break a trend, aren’t I? He said, yep, gimme a big old hug ’cause I gotta vote for you. [applause]…
Yvonne Reeves-Chong (D): …So, I’m gonna be that damn Democrat. And I’m going to talk to people who don’t like me. We are in this for the people that live next door to us. And the people that work at the companies, not just the people that own the companies. [applause]
If I can give you any hint, and we’ve got a lot of candidates here, we’re getting ready to do some really great things this year. We’re aiming for greatness.
And, I, I’m a single parent. Raised my son. And I think he’s great. He’s a pretty successful kid. He’s got his head on straight, um, he’s a pastor, been a pastor for fifteen years. And so I talk to him. You know, ’cause I gotta get my mom strokes in. ‘Cause, obviously, I did a great job. [laughter] And, and I asked him, I said, what could I have done better? Expecting him to say, Mom, you’re the best. And he said, Mom, you did a lot of really terrific things, you gave me voice lessons, and piano lessons, we went to museums, we discussed cultural things, you got me a terrific education. But, you know what, Mom? It would have been easier to be great if you had done one thing. Well, what’s that? He said, Mom, you should have taught me how to make my bed every morning. I said, what? He said, Mom, you see, it’s the little daily things we do tat ease the path to greatness.
It’s not the big things. We’re not gonna win this race on Election Day. We’re gonna win our races by making our beds every morning and talking to the woman at the drive through, or going to talk to the hotel maid, if you’re staying in a hotel overnight. You’re gonna talk to the person at WalMart. We’re gonna door knock, but we’re gonna have real conversations with real, with real people. You’re gonna talk to that neighbor with the Trump sign in his yard. Talk to him. He voted for Trump ’cause he’s mad. And he should be. And if you look at what’s going on in Jeff City right now, furious. So, you strut right past that Trump sign, knock on the door with the Confederate flag. [laughter] Oh, I do. Those are my people. [laughter][applause] Talk to them. That’s really all they’ve asked for, for years. They asked us to please talk to ’em.
So, let’s go make our beds. Let’s do those small things. Every one of us. In every one of these districts…
[….]
Previously:
Lindsey Simmons (D) – in the 4th Congressional District – Sedalia, Missouri – January 25, 2020 (January 26, 2020)
Elad Gross (D) – Sedalia, Missouri – January 26, 2020 (January 26, 2020)
Judy Baker (D) – Sedalia, Missouri – January 25, 2020 (January 27, 2020)
27 Monday Jan 2020
Posted Missouri General Assembly, Missouri Senate, Uncategorized
inJudy Baker (D), candidate for 19th Senate District, speaking in Sedalia, Missouri on January 25, 2020.
Lindsey Simmons, a Democratic Party candidate in the 4th Congressional District, held a campaign meet and greet event, including area and statewide candidates, in Sedalia yesterday evening.
Judy Baker‘s (D) remarks (audio file edited):
Judy Baker (D): [….] …So I want to talk tonight about three chronic conditions that Missouri has.
The first one is, we have chronic health system failure. But what that is, is, we’ve talked about Medicaid expansion, it’s largely that. U. Medicaid expansion has two things, two big things going on with it. First of all, this, uh, administration in Missouri has kicked off over a hundred thousand children off of health care. That’s children, people. And then last week they bragged about that because they did that there is more money in the budget. And my opponent [Caleb Rowden (r)] has even said, well, because we have, we were able to do that then, you know, we might be able to give more money to education. Pitting children against their own education. How egregious is that?
Uh, and then secondarily in health care we have the money people have talked about. And I’m gonna give you a number. When we say that we’ve sent our taxpayer dollars to Washington, D.C. and we have not, we have not seen it come back because it’s been going to Illinois, and Kansas, Iowa, uh, because they all took, uh, Medicaid expansion. Even Kansas has worked a deal to do that.
It’s a big number. And it’s with a B. It’s one point eight billion dollars a year that we don’t bring back to Missouri. Every, every, every single report and study that’s been done on Medicaid expansion has shown that state revenues go up, average wage goes up. Who would like a raise? Yeah, all of us would like a raise. Uh, they way to do that is to actually do Medicaid expansion. Chronic health system failure at the hands of the current Republican leadership.
The second is chronic unfairness. Chronic unfairness, both in the country and in our state. Rising inequality, we have the highest inequality in the last fifty years. That means people are working harder and getting less. And people at the top are doing quite well, thank you very much. Less than fifty percent of Americans can even have enough at the end of the month to put anything away in saving accounts. So when they say, oh, well, you know, our 401K is doing okay, most people don’t have a 401K, thank you very much. So, chronic unfairness…
Judy Baker (D): …My opponent has worked against the, uh, Proposition Four minimum wage. So, we have, we have got to do something about that chronic problem.
And then lastly, number three, chronic political disempowerment. You all know what I mean by that, I’m having a lot of shaking heads. It means gerrymandering, it means too much money in politics, it means that one person, one vote has been diluted, particularly in Missouri.
My opponent just reported his numbers for fundraising in the fourth quarter. And it was practically all PAC money. I have real people in my report giving ten and fifty and hundred and fifty and two hundred dollars at a time. And I’m very, very proud of that. We’re not gonna win on having the most money, but we’re gonna win on having the best money. [applause]
Chronic political disempowerment. We are now governing by ballot. Do you all know what I mean by that? Missourians, whatever they want and the legislature won’t give us, which is a lot of things, we have to go to the ballot for. Like minimum wage, raising the minimum wage. Like, right to work, defeating right to work. And having fair labor practices in this state. And Clean Missouri. To get money out of politics, we had to take it to the ballot. And now to have adequate health care for our children and our citizen and our working families, we have to take it to the ballot. Why do we have to do that? Because our representatives don’t represent us anymore. They represent large interests and whoever gives them the most money…
Judy Baker (D): …So, the most important thing that you all want to hear from me tonight is how are we gonna win. Senate 19. What’s my name again? [voices:] “Judy Baker.” Judy Baker. And what’s my district? [voices:] “Senate 19.” Senate 19. It’s Columbia, Booneville, and all those areas around there.
How do we win? We barely lost this seat in 2016. We should have won this one. Tis is our seat and we’re gonna take it back. I have already [applause], yes. How are we gonna win? I already won this seat once. I told you I ran for State Treasurer in that year 2016, when I ran, if you take out just Senate 19 I actually won the district in 2016. And then Claire McCaskill won it in 2018. So, 2020, Judy Baker’s taking it back. [applause]
Clean Missouri, Clean Missouri, where we take money out of politics and we get rid of gerrymandering. Clean Missouri passed in my district, Senate District 19, with seventy-one percent of the vote. I’m telling you, right now, Caleb Rowden (r) has a problem. And that problem’s name is: [voices:] “Judy Baker.” That is right. Judy Baker is coming to get him. The train is coming through and we’re gonna take him down.
And we’re gonna show them what real representation looks like.
I can’t thank you all enough for being here tonight and supporting Democrats.
We have a webite, uh, we could use some funds. Uh, but mostly, I want you to support the host of the party tonight and thank her very much for allowing us to come and be here. [applause]
Last thing. When we win this in November, believe it or not, for Columbia and Booneville in Missouri this will be the first female state senator in those counties. [applause]
Previously:
Lindsey Simmons (D) – in the 4th Congressional District – Sedalia, Missouri – January 25, 2020 (January 26, 2020)
Elad Gross (D) – Sedalia, Missouri – January 26, 2020 (January 26, 2020)
26 Sunday Jan 2020
Posted Uncategorized
inLindsey Simmons, a Democratic Party candidate in the 4th Congressional District, held a campaign meet and greet event, including area and statewide candidates, in Sedalia yesterday evening. Elad Gross (D), a candidate for Attorney General addressed the crowd of a little over a hundred individuals:
Elad Gross (D): (audio edit) …Today Missouri is the, one of the most dangerous states in the country because of the level of violence that we’re seeing in so many communities. It’s not limited to St. Louis, it’s not limited to Kansas City, it’s in Springfield, it’s in St. Joe, it’s in Columbia, it’s just about anywhere that you’d go.
That’s what’s at stake in this election. That’s what we’re voting on. We have to decide if we’re gonna be putting our kids before all these other issue that we squabble about all the time. It’s way beyond party, it’s way beyond all this stuff that we see on TV, all this manufactured debates. It’s about the character of us as Missourians.
We need to change the people that we have representing us and the way that we are being represented. And that’s why we need to send Lindsey [Simmons] to Congress. [applause] That’s why we need to do that. Because, you see that there’s almost no event where you’re going to see Lindsey by herself. You’ve always got your kid with you. And that means so much, right? You all know him. But that’s, that’s the representation that we need. And so I’m so happy you’re running. Thank you for doing it. [applause] Thank you. Yeah.
(audio edit)
…Because the way that we get this done is by building community with each other. It’s by looking at each other and finding out how can we help one another. It’s by saying that when, when you’re kid is hurt, that’s my kid, too. It’s by saying that we have each others’ backs. And that’s why it is so important for us to be in this room tonight. And we all understand it. But we also know that there are lots of people who are not in tis room tonight. There are lots of folks who should be in this room tonight, who have the same interests that we do, who know what the stakes are, but so many of them have given up. So many of them have said, what’s the point? I get all these promises and nothing ever changes for me. Right? We know those people.
That’s why this has to be so much more than just getting one or two or three people in this room elected to office. Even all of us.
We have got to change the way that we run Missouri. We have got to change it. We have got to take back our state.
That’s what’s at stake in this election. And that’s why we need to get people in this room elected. We need to get people in this room. We need to go door-to-door and make sure that they understand that they have hope in this election, too. That we are going to take back our state and make sure that folks like Lindsey [Simmon] and everybody else in this room represent us. [applause] That’s what we ought to do. Thank you all.
Previously:
Lindsey Simmons (D) – in the 4th Congressional District – Sedalia, Missouri – January 25, 2020 (January 26, 2020)