Retired/resigned #MO #House #Speakers w/hefty campaign warchests: 2015 John Diehl $230k, 2014 Tim Jones $860k, 2012 Steve Tilley $675k. 11:54 PM – 18 May 2015
….For there is nothing mysterious about the foundations of a healthy and strong democracy. The basic things expected by our people of their political and economic systems are simple. They are: Equality of opportunity for youth and for others. Jobs for those who can work. Security for those who need it. The ending of special privilege for the few. The preservation of civil liberties for all.
The enjoyment of the fruits of scientific progress in a wider and constantly rising standard of living.
These are the simple, basic things that must never be lost sight of in the turmoil and unbelievable complexity of our modern world. The inner and abiding strength of our economic and political systems is dependent upon the degree to which they fulfill these expectations.
Many subjects connected with our social economy call for immediate improvement. As examples:
We should bring more citizens under the coverage of old-age pensions and unemployment insurance.
We should widen the opportunities for adequate medical care.
We should plan a better system by which persons deserving or needing gainful employment may obtain it.
I have called for personal sacrifice. I am assured of the willingness of almost all Americans to respond to that call.
A part of the sacrifice means the payment of more money in taxes. In my Budget Message I shall recommend that a greater portion of this great defense program be paid for from taxation than we are paying today. No person should try, or be allowed, to get rich out of this program; and the principle of tax payments in accordance with ability to pay should be constantly before our eyes to guide our legislation.
If the Congress maintains these principles, the voters, putting patriotism ahead of pocketbooks, will give you their applause….
Meanwhile, Kansas:
Tim W. Jones @SpeakerTimJones
There’s the KC Red Star…then there’s facts: Gov. Sam Brownback: Tax policy growing Kansas [….] #moleg #ksleg @KCStar 4:02 PM – 1 May 2015
@ssnich I measure success by how limited gov’t is, how much freedom people have & how low taxes are. Kansas rules. #ksleg 4:57 PM – 1 May 2015
Kansas ain’t all that.
Heh. The “Red” Star:
Jason Hancock @J_Hancock
In the derogatory newspaper nickname contest, “Kansas City Red Star” will never be as funny as “St. Louis Post-Disgrace.” Sad but true. 5:02 PM – 1 May 2015
Today the outgoing (due to term limits) Speaker of the Missouri House, Tim Jones (r), took to Twitter with a retweet:
Tim W. Jones retweeted
UnhyphenatedAmerica @UnhyphenAmerica
“The black elite are more dangerous than the The Klu Klux Klan, to Black Americans.” ~ Arthur BigBully Savage…. [….]
He received a media response:
Eli Yokley @eyokley
My other question, @SpeakerTimJones, is what do you mean by this tweet? That’s quite an assertion. #Ferguson 12:15 PM – 24 Nov 2014
And that’s just part of a longer exchange.
A few other reactions about Speaker Tim Jones’ (r) Twitter feed today:
Tony Messenger @tonymess
A city is on edge, and #MO’s Speaker of the House is trolling editorial writers about black-on-black crime. Think about that. #Ferguson 11:35 AM – 24 Nov 2014
Eli Yokley @eyokley
I’m candidly more interested in what @SpeakerTimJones means that Black ldrs have been “more dangerous” than the KKK [….] 12:24 PM – 24 Nov 2014
SharkFu @SharkFu
Re: that last tweet. That’s the Speaker of the Missouri House. [*]sets down iPhone…backs away slowly[*] 2:37 PM – 24 Nov 2014
SharkFu @SharkFu
Sorry, my mind is still blown by that. I had to check it twice, y’all!! Just when you think you’ve seen it all… 3:03 PM – 24 Nov 2014
Reynolds American is the parent company of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, American Snuff Co., Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, RAI Services Company and Niconovum AB. [….]
RAI Services Company
RAI Services Company provides human resources, information management, financial, legal and other services to RAI and its operating companies.
[….]
[emphasis added]
Running for something, maybe?:
C051087: Missourians For Tim Jones
Po Box 434 Committee Type: Candidate
Eureka Mo 63025 Party Affiliation: Republican
[….] Established Date: 04/01/2005
Information Reported On: 2014 – April Quarterly Report
[*]pops popcorn[*] MT @eyokley: New: Sen. @briannieves withdrawn from Senate reelection race, clearing way for @SpeakerTimJones to enter. #MOLeg 1:26 PM – 13 Mar 2014
Speaker Tim Jones (r) is term limited out of the House after this year. Senator Brian Nieves (r) has sort of endorsed Representative Jones as his replacement if need be, not that Representative Jones has tipped his hand. Representative David Schatz (r) has other ideas.
This is what I want people to know about my decision, our friendship, and what I hope for your future! Please feel free to make copies of this and hand them out….
Dear Friends of the 26th,
First of all let me thank you for always supporting “The Right Side of the Republican Party” in Franklin and Western St. Louis Counties! Secondly I’d like to thank you for having always offered such heart felt support and grass roots effort to move our objectives forward and position my campaigns to win.
For some time now I’ve been contemplating whether or not to seek reelection to the Missouri Senate. As you can imagine, I’ve invested many hours praying, talking to Julie, and discussing it with my kids. This decision has proven to be the most difficult one I’ve ever had to make and I pray each of you will support me moving forward in much the same way you have in the past.
Some of you were with us twelve years ago when we formed a coalition of Conservatives who believed, against all odds, that we could get a guy like me, a relatively unknown Navy Veteran and business owner, elected to the Missouri House. We were the laughing stock of the political scene and NONE of the political establishment thought we had a chance! How exhilarating it was, and continues to be, to be a part of something so exciting! As you know, we WON! We not only won, we won BIG! Our Team of Conservatives helped usher in a real change to the political atmosphere. When we decided to tackle a senate run, the “establishment” once again said we’d never win but WE did! These have been, by far, the most exciting twelve years of my life and I thank you for allowing me to be a part of this conservative ground swell. It is people like YOU who inspire me to Fight Fiercely and never give up. Because of people like you, and the way you inspire me, I assure you I’ll never leave the fight! I may fight from a different place or in a different way but I’ll never leave the fight.
While these twelve years have been a Blessing as well as exciting, rewarding, and fulfilling, they’ve also been very taxing on my family. My three children are Champions and have figured out how to make it without Dad being around for the majority of their last twelve school years. They’ve endured me missing recitals, ball games, concerts, and teacher conferences. My family is 100% behind me in whatever decision I make and I love them for that. We, as a family, feel it may very well be time for me to find a way to fight the battle in a way that doesn’t require my wife to be sort of like a “single Mom” for five months out of the year, and doesn’t require my kids to automatically know that Dad just isn’t gonna be able to make that special event that occurs between January and June of each year. Maybe it’s time for me to serve in a different capacity. I’m proud to have dedicated twenty two years of my life to serving – Ten years active duty Navy and twelve years in our legislature! I can’t see myself ever terminating my service and dedication to our Constitutions but it may be time for me to do it in a different way. Perhaps in the private sector through my Leadership Development Business and/or in some local public office, but one thing is sure… I will remain “In Service!” Just closer to home!
History… Twelve years ago I began a personal friendship with Tim Jones. We instantly hit it off in terms of political opinion, comedy, talk radio and many other things that two guys base a friendship on. We have enjoyed a friendship that, unlike most relationships connected by politics, has gotten stronger and more principally meaningful over the years. I typically become LESS interested in friendships involving people in politics as I get to know them. Tim is an exception because time has caused me to have an even higher regard for him! Tim, like anybody else who knows me well, has heard me say a million times that I don’t want to be in Jeff City forever and was one of the first people to have heard me say “I’m thinking about getting out.” I don’t remember how long ago or how many times he heard me say that but it was long ago and many! He was, of course, a natural choice, as a friend, for me to reach out to when I started to realize the timing may not be good for me to seek reelection and he was, as he is today, gentleman enough to assure me he would NEVER run against me and would support which ever decision I would ultimately make.
Some time ago there began to be whisper campaigns and rumors started by political operatives and perhaps the same old “establishment” that has always fought me. They noticed I wasn’t raising money or campaigning and started rumors that would suggest I was about to be given a lucrative political appointment by our democrat governor! They whispered that I would run for reelection, win, and then drop out allowing the central committee to pick my replacement. They told people I was going to become a lobbyist and on and on and on, just like they always have! These rumors and whisper campaigns were all FALSE! They tried to find someone to run against me and unfortunately we now see that someone has! We may never know what role, if any, these political hacks played in the decision made by a local representative to run against me and I pray it was not that same old “committee of they” who caused this challenge to my incumbency. What I do know is this… Tim Jones, a True Blue Conservative, a man with whom I have been friends for twelve years, has been a complete and total gentleman and has shown extreme deference to whatever decision I make while also showing my family the kind of respect we can admire! Tim Jones has made it perfectly clear, both personally and publicly that he will NOT run if I seek reelection and I appreciate that more than I can explain. Tim knows, as do others, that I’ve been at a huge fork in the road and that my desire to be closer to home and fight the fight for liberty in a new way may very well cause me to leave the senate. His understanding and willingness to support my decision and patiently await that decision is appreciated.
I will announce my final decision before our scheduled Franklin County Lincoln Days. When I was asked by my current primary opponent about when I would decide, I promised it would be well in advance of the close of filing so that he or anybody else would have the opportunity to file in the 26th. Unfortunately we now know that allowing me to decide was not in the cards and he filed to run against me! We now find ourselves answering questions like “why would somebody file AGAINST our well known, conservative senator?” So, I now have to watch my wife and kids get the kind of controversial, unwanted attention they did NOT sign up for and would have easily been avoided if everyone in politics simply would have offered my family the kind of respect shown by my friend Tim Jones.
Prior to Lincoln Days I will make my announcement but please know this…. If I take my name off the ballot I will give my FULL, Un-throttled support to the man that has treated me and my family with honor and respect – a man who is a True Blue Conservative and Activist, a man who has been a great friend, a man who did NOT support an 8 Billion Dollar Road Tax Hike, the largest tax increase in our state’s history, like my current opponent did, a man who has not been the chief sponsor of legislation requiring you to be treated like a criminal when buying Sudafed as my current opponent has, a man who’s voting record is extremely reflective of my own. A man who joined me regularly on my ultra conservative radio show, The Patriot Enclave, during the years I hosted it. A man who demonstrated to the world, back in 1994, long before starting in politics, where he stands on State Sovereignty by submitting a thesis on Printz v. United States. A man who served at the tip of the spear in the fight against Obama Care when he became, with me, a member of the legislative foursome who became affectionately known as “The Healthcare Freedom Act Quartet” and championed the first anti Obama care legislation enacted in the country! A man who’s long time, well established, conservative credentials make him the obvious choice, and a man who I hope to one day call governor but for now will just call him Tim Jones!
Please pray for me and especially my family as we finalize a difficult and weighty announcement. After twenty two years of service and the corresponding sacrifices made by my family, it’s time for me to put family at the top of the pecking order. I’m less than a week from announcing my FINAL decision and when I do…. Well, I just hope you’ll allow Tim Jones to become your next senator!
Sincerely,
-Brian
Isn’t this the plot of a Wagnerian opera cycle? Just asking.
“…So, I think the policies out of Washington, D.C. have been an absolute failure. Poverty is on the rise, more people are, are, uh, in the entitlement state, the welfare state than ever before, we’re extending unemployment benefits…”
Entitlement juxtaposed with welfare. We saw what you did there.
….The number of poor people in the United States held steady at nearly 50 million last year, but government programs appear to have lessened the impact, especially on children and the elderly, federal data released on Wednesday showed.
The Census Bureau, using an alternative measure to the government’s main poverty gauge, said the figure was virtually unchanged from a year earlier with the overall poverty rate stuck at 16 percent.
But without tax credits, Social Security payments and other benefits, it would have been higher for the very poor, the young and the old, the data showed.
The report supplements the nation’s official poverty data released in September, also by the Census Bureau, that found more than 47 million people living in poverty in 2012, or 15 percent – about the same as in 2011.
[….]
“Millions more people would have been poor in 2012 in the absence of our safety net programs,” said public policy and poverty expert Sheldon Danziger, who heads the Russell Sage Foundation social science research center.
[….]
And republicans complain about extending unemployment benefits. It’s telling that it makes sense to them to cut them off.
“…Well you just said that there are businesses in Missouri who told you that they would benefit from right to work. So, can you name any unionized businesses that, that brought this issue to you so that we can under, talk to them and understand what their issue is?…”
….Once we control for our comprehensive set of both individual and state-level observable characteristics, we find that the mean effect of working in a right-to-work state is a 3.2% reduction in wages for workers in these states. We also find a 2.6 and 4.8 percentage-point reduction in employer-sponsored health insurance and employer-sponsored pensions, respectively. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the wage penalty for nonunionized workers is 3.0%, and the benefit penalty is 2.8 percentage points and 5.3 percentage points for health and pension benefits, respectively….
….The fact is, while RTW legislation misleadingly sounds like a positive change in this weak economy, in reality the opportunity it gives workers is only that to work for lower wages and fewer benefits. For legislators dedicated to making policy on the basis of economic fact rather than ideological passion, our findings indicate that, contrary to the rhetoric of RTW proponents, the data show that workers in “right-to-work” states have lower compensation – both union and nonunion workers alike.
Their issue? Uh, just a wild guess, but “paying workers less” appears to fit.
On Wednesday afternoon the House Republican Caucus held a press conference in the House Lounge after the opening of the legislative session in Jefferson City. Speaker Timothy Jones (r) took questions from the media after his prepared remarks.
This is the second half of the question and answer session.
The video:
The transcript:
Question: The casual observer of this building a month ago would have thought that maybe some corner has been turned, that there is some sort of bipartisan, uh, spirit here that hadn’t existed previously. This morning, listening to your remarks on the floor and even in, in here that same observer might think nothing’s changed, same agenda here, same agenda on the second floor, same tone between the two. Has anything changed since a year ago?
Speaker Timothy Jones (r): You know, I think what you’ve seen in the last two years is a Missouri House and Senate working together like never before. Uh, a super majority of Missourians last November elected a super majority of the current governing caucus to lead this state. They also elected a governor who ran basically on, on our principles. And I think what the casual observer notes is that when we actually have leadership from the second floor, when the Governor actually comes to us, works with us, explains what he wants, answers our questions, provides information we pass bills efficiently and quickly like we did in special session. The reason we passed that bill in special session in the space of one week with a huge overwhelming bipartisan vote was ’cause the Governor for nearly the only time and first time in five years actually worked cooperatively with the legislature as a piece of legislation was moving through the process. If our Governor wants to cooperate and work with us we can get great things done for the state.
Question: You and your thoughts on the school transfer issue and that Senator Dempsey says it is a top priority, what does that mean for your relationship with the Senate?
Speaker Timothy Jones (r): Uh, you know, I haven’t, I haven’t looked at his remarks exactly, but I know Senator Dempsey wants to provide a great education for all children as well. That’s where our priorities line up.
Question: In your speech you hadn’t mentioned, you didn’t mention the Second Amendment. Obviously, this chamber last year passed a significant gun bill. Do you see us trying to move a similar bill?
Speaker Timothy Jones (r): Uh, at the end, at the end I actually, I actually mention that we’ll continue to protect our devotion to life and rights guaranteed by all our amendments. So, I think that includes the Second Amendment.
Question: Is it a priority for you to try and move something on guns?
Speaker Timothy Jones (r): You know, protecting, protecting the rights that Missourians hold dear, the Second Amendment being one of them, is something, uh, that I will, uh, that I will be happy to continue working with my caucus on.
Question: Are there any bills that you intend to move quickly to the floor in January?
Speaker Timothy Jones (r): I think our number one priority is jobs and the economy. Uh, we, we’ve seen in this nation, uh, over the last five years that many of the things that the government has tried in DC has failed us. In fact, uh, President Obama in, in, and unfortunately had to, is pushing to extend unemployment benefits. Well, we are six years into his presidency, I, I suppose that’s an admission the economy is not improving if more people need to continue to be on unemployment compensation benefits. So, I think the policies out of Washington, D.C. have been an absolute failure. Poverty is on the rise, more people are, are, uh, in the entitlement state, the welfare state than ever before, we’re extending unemployment benefits. This has been the, the, the most, this has been the slowest recovery from a major recession in our lifetimes. So we need to do things differently. And so fostering, creating, facilitating, uh, an environment where current businesses want to expand and stop sitting on the sidelines and new businesses want to come to our state, um, those are gonna be the priorities. And if you look at what our neighboring states have done, uh, they promote tax relief, they promote litigation reform, they promote worker freedom. So those will probably be the topics you’ll see first.
Question: The Governor put out a news release today that pointed out Missouri’s unemployment rate is a full percentage point below the national average, that, um, we were in the top ten in job creation in the last year, we had fifteen thousand jobs in November. Um, and so, but you didn’t mention anything specific when I ask you about what the legislation you all might be, um, pursuing in January. You’re gonna take the next two days off. Um, so I guess there isn’t any particular bill that you wanted to put on in January?
Speaker Timothy Jones (r): I’m actually not taking the next two days off. Uh, I’m gonna be here the rest of today, I’ll be here all day tomorrow, I’ll be here on Monday, we’ll be referring bills immediately tomorrow which is the first time we can do that. Uh, I believe our committees will be meeting. Uh, the Missouri House members will be working very hard the next two weeks. There’s, there’s, there’s no bill that can be put on the floor because it has to go through the process first, Rudy. And I know you know the legislative process. So, as soon as, as soon as we can move bills on to the calendar, uh, they will be. And so the Missouri House is, is fully operational and, uh, and working full time.
Question: [inaudible]
Speaker Timothy Jones (r): Uh, because six of our bordering states have moved in that regard and you’re seeing, you’re seeing job decline, uh, end for the first time in decades in the State of Michigan. You’re finally seeing the bleeding stop there. You’re seeing economic development begin to grow. Uh, this is an issue that we should not fear. Uh, the business community needs not fear it. They know in their hearts that allowing workers the freedom and choice to chose for their own whether to join an organization, where their dues go, uh, that is something that significantly, uh, will result in economic growth, uh, for the state, So, you know, I , I, I, I put, I put the politics aside, I look at the policy, I look at the changes, I look at the economic growth. Why wouldn’t we want to implement one of the policies that will create the strongest economic growth for the state?
Question: There are some [inaudible] that say, this will disrupt, well, labor agreements with a lot of history, a lot of sweat and blood in getting them developed. That this [inaudible] can disrupt labor negotiate, labor relations [inaudible] with some businesses in the St. Louis area.
Speaker Timothy Jones (r): I focus on what Missourians want. And Missourians have told me, the last seven plus years that I’ve been in this legislature, that that would be the single greatest change we can make in our state to foster the most economic growth. These are Missourians who run their businesses, these are Missourians who have seen manufacturing leave, uh, from their districts. You know, if, if it was so, uh, wonderful to be a closed union shop state, without worker freedom, then we wouldn’t have lost all the manufacturing jobs we have over the last few decades, Chrysler would still be here in Fenton, Ford would still be here in Hazelwood, and numerous other manufacturers would not have left this state for the south and the west.
Staffer: Final question [crosstalk]:
Question: If, if right to work is, is so important, uh, I mean, with, uh, fewer than ten percent of Missouri workers unionized, uh, what businesses are you talking about that are telling you that they would benefit from right to work that are already unionized now? Could you name a few?
Speaker Timothy Jones (r): Yeah, I, I, I, I’ve talked to governors in, in other states that have high economic growth and they tell me the checklist is your tax policy, your labor policy, your litigation policy. And, and if you’re not a state that has worker freedom you’re generally passed over.
Question: Well you just said that there are businesses in Missouri who told you that they would benefit from right to work. So, can you name any unionized businesses that, that brought this issue to you so that we can under, talk to them and understand what their issue is?
Speaker Timothy Jones (r): The, these businesses would rather I not disclose them for fear of retribution, so.
Staffer: Thank you. [crosstalk]
Speaker Timothy Jones (r): Thank you all very much. Have a great day.
