Astroturf. You know, fake grassroots.

They sent this to a union household:

“Union bosses” are elected by their members. Are billionaires? Just asking. Yeah, right, billionaires and multi-millionaires are going to choose to pay working people higher wages.

Previously:

Astroturf propaganda (August 3, 2017)

Since when is an astroturf right wingnut organization truly concerned about the economic welfare of working people? (August 30, 2017)

Just asking.

So, who funded this? Who wrote the check(s) to Americans for Prosperity Foundation – Missouri?

Their concept of diversity appears to begin and end with hardhat colors.

Who benefits from “right to get paid less”? It ain’t working people.

Their mail vendor managed to send this piece to a dues paying union household. They apparently have plenty of money to waste on propaganda.

Previously:

Astroturf propaganda (August 3, 2017)

In today’s mail, from the right wingnut Americans for Prosperity Foundation:

Yeah, right, working folks are going to “celebrate” their right to get paid less.

The really do think peeple in misooree our stoopit.

Previously:

Americans for Prosperity: peeple in misooree our stoopit (September 12, 2016)

Previously:

Campaign Finance: a league of one’s own (March 16, 2014)

Campaign Finance: “…Outstanding. Now all we need is a deck of cards…” (April 28, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Well, there are two… (July 2, 2014)

Understatement (July 20, 2014)

Robert Onder, one of three candidates in the republican primary for the 2nd Senate District, had a good campaign fundraising day today as reported to the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C131072 07/22/2014 ONDER FOR MISSOURI Missourians for Excellence in Government 6175 Westminster St Louis MO 63112 7/22/2014 $10,000.00

C131072 07/22/2014 ONDER FOR MISSOURI Grow Missouri 308 E. HIgh Street Suite 301 Jefferson City MO 65101 7/22/2014 $12,000.00

A curious individual might ask, “Who funds Grow Missouri?” This being a progressive political blog, we have the answers to your campaign finance questions right here:

C131097: Grow Missouri

308 E High St Ste 301 Committee Type: Political Action

Jefferson City Mo 65101

([….] Established Date: 07/08/2013

Information Reported On: 2014 – July Quarterly Report

Beginning Money on Hand $31,830.98

Monetary Receipts + $1,500,000.00

Monetary Expenditures – $179,203.42

Contributions Made – $86,500.00

Other Disbursements – $0.00

Subtotal     $1,234,296.58

Ending Money On Hand   $1,266,127.56

[emphasis added]

That’s an impressive grassroots fundraising effort. Or is it?:

MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION

CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOANS RECEIVED

GROW MISSOURI [pdf] 7/15/2014

Rex Sinquefield 344 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 5/13/2014 $1,500,000.0[0]

[emphasis added]

Okay.

Think about that for a moment. A single contribution so large that the Missouri Ethics Commission system can’t handle the extra zero.

Okay. You might also ask, “Who funds Missourians for Excellence in Government?”

Remember this?:

Campaign Finance: Well, there are two… (July 2, 2014)

[….]

C121488 07/02/2014 MISSOURIANS FOR EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT Rex and Jeanne Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 retired 6/30/2014 $100,000.00

[emphasis added]

In the past:

C121488 12/24/2013 MISSOURIANS FOR EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT Rex and Jeanne Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 none retired 12/23/2013 $25,000.00

2013 must have been an off year.

C121488 12/21/2012 MISSOURIANS FOR EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 12/20/2012 $275,000.00

[emphasis added]

[….]

….No contributions yet for 2014. We’ll see. Astroturf in politics is always interesting.

Wouldn’t it be easier just to write the checks directly to the candidate’s campaigns? Just asking….

Well then.

And then there’s this contribution last month to Robert Onder’s (r) campaign:

C131072 06/30/2014 ONDER FOR MISSOURI Missouri Club for Growth P.O. Box 2068 St Louis MO 63158 6/30/2014 $15,000.00

[emphasis added]

Remember this?:

Understatement (July 20, 2014)

[….]

The term “largely” doesn’t do the reality any justice.

On Missouri taxes and education policies, Rex Sinquefield’s clout is growing

By JASON HANCOCK

[….]07/19/2014 6:11 PM

“….We are not a puppet of Mr. Sinquefield,” Abrajano said. “His contributions are truly his only involvement….”

Oh, but the rest of us are.

[….]

To recap, three entities each made large dollar contributions to Robert Onder’s (r) 2nd Senate District primary campaign. All three entities have at least one other person in common.

Our question remains, since there are no campaign contribution limits in Missouri, wouldn’t it have been easier to write just one check?

… and they’re both from Missouri.

Astroturfing – A professional political campaign disguised as a ‘grassroots’ uprising (astroturf is artificial grass)….

Today, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C121488 07/02/2014 MISSOURIANS FOR EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT Rex and Jeanne Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 retired 6/30/2014 $100,000.00

[emphasis added]

In the past:

C121488 12/24/2013 MISSOURIANS FOR EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT Rex and Jeanne Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 none retired 12/23/2013 $25,000.00

2013 must have been an off year.

C121488 12/21/2012 MISSOURIANS FOR EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 12/20/2012 $275,000.00

[emphasis added]

And who have been recipients of this largesse?

In 2012:

C121488 MISSOURIANS FOR EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT January Quarterly Report Schmitt for Missouri

Po Box 220722 Kirkwood MO 63122 12/29/2012 $25,000.00 Monetary Yes

C121488 MISSOURIANS FOR EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT January Quarterly Report Citizens To Elect Jamilah Nasheed

4710 Lee Apt 1 St Louis MO 63115 12/29/2012 $25,000.00 Monetary Yes

C121488 MISSOURIANS FOR EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT January Quarterly Report Slay For Mayor

6559 Itaska St Louis MO 63109 12/31/2012 $50,000.00 Monetary Yes

[emphasis added]

In 2013:

C121488 MISSOURIANS FOR EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT 8 Day Before Special Charter Election-3/5/2013 Joe Keaveny for Senate 6219 Westminster St Louis MO 63130 01/02/2013 $2,500.00 Monetary Yes

C121488 MISSOURIANS FOR EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT 8 Day Before Special Charter Election-3/5/2013 Slay For Mayor

6559 Itaska St Louis MO 63109 01/19/2013 $50,000.00 Monetary Yes

C121488 MISSOURIANS FOR EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT 8 Day Before Special Charter Election-3/5/2013 Slay For Mayor

6559 Itaska St Louis MO 63109 02/02/2013 $50,000.00 Monetary Yes

C121488 MISSOURIANS FOR EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT April Quarterly Report Slay for Mayor

6559 Itaska St Louis MO 63109 03/02/2013 $50,000.00 Monetary Yes

C121488 MISSOURIANS FOR EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT AMENDED October Quarterly Report Friends of Steve Webb

3829 Kentucky Derby Drive Florissant MO 63034 09/12/2013 $1,500.00 Monetary Yes

C121488 MISSOURIANS FOR EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT January Quarterly Report Missouri Senate Campaign Committee

PO Box 754 Jefferson City MO 65102 12/31/2013 $5,000.00 Monetary Yes

C121488 MISSOURIANS FOR EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT January Quarterly Report House Republican Campaign Committee

PO Box 1313 Jefferson City MO 65102 12/31/2013 $5,000.00 Monetary Yes

C121488 MISSOURIANS FOR EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT January Quarterly Report Dempsey for Missouri

2 Westbury Drive St Charles MO 63301 12/31/2013 $5,000.00 Monetary Yes

C121488 MISSOURIANS FOR EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT January Quarterly Report Citizens for Torpey

821 East Manor Rd Independence MO 64055 12/31/2013 $2,000.00 Monetary Yes

C121488 MISSOURIANS FOR EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT January Quarterly Report Committee to Elect Rebecca Roeber

603 NE Clubhouse Drive Lees Summit MO 64086 12/31/2013 $2,000.00 Monetary Yes

C121488 MISSOURIANS FOR EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT January Quarterly Report Friends of Robert Cornejo

PO Box 346 St Peters MO 63376 12/31/2013 $1,000.00 Monetary Yes

C121488 MISSOURIANS FOR EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT January Quarterly Report Redmon for State Representative

PO Box 43 Monticello MO 63457 12/31/2013 $1,000.00 Monetary Yes

C121488 MISSOURIANS FOR EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT January Quarterly Report Kevin Austin for State Representative

2648 Corona Circle Springfield MO 65804 12/31/2013 $500.00 Monetary Yes

[emphasis added]

No contributions yet for 2014. We’ll see. Astroturf in politics is always interesting.

Wouldn’t it be easier just to write the checks directly to the candidate’s campaigns? Just asking.

Today, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C131097 05/15/2014 GROW MISSOURI Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 5/13/2014 $1,500,000.00

[emphasis added]

Come to think of it, for some people one point five million dollars is the equivalent of eleven cents.

There’s a history here (from 2013):

C131097 07/11/2013 GROW MISSOURI Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 7/9/2013 $1,300,000.00

C131097 12/20/2013 GROW MISSOURI Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 12/19/2013 $245,000.00

C131097 12/31/2013 GROW MISSOURI Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 12/30/2013 $250,000.00

[emphasis added]

Missouri’s astroturf supported plutocratic future will be stunning in its magnificence.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: how astroturf (the fake grassroots) works (August 1, 2013)

HB 1955: a modest proposal (February 21, 2014)

[….]

The Red Lily, Anatole France

…For the poor it consists in sustaining and preserving the wealthy in their power and their laziness. The poor must work for this, in presence of the majestic quality of the law which prohibits the wealthy as well as the poor from sleeping under the bridges, from begging in the streets, and from stealing bread…

Here’s a modest proposal: limit campaign monetary contributions to eight times the hourly minimum wage. That is, a day’s wage for honest work – a “reasonable” amount available to every working adult in the state, no matter their economic status.

After that if you want to contribute more to a campaign using your individual sweat equity by going door to door, doing literature drops, walking in parades, stuffing envelopes, whatever, then go ahead and knock yourself out.

The law, in all it’s majesty, allows each and every one of us to contribute one point five million dollars or eleven cents to support our choice of political causes. It’s your choice…