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Tag Archives: Joplin

Not much has changed in four years

10 Saturday Nov 2012

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

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2008, 2012, Barack Obama, election, Jay Nixon, Joplin, missouri

Joplin, Missouri (in red) in Jasper and Newton Counties. Image via Creative Commons License.

The presidential vote in Jasper and Newton Counties (including the City of Joplin) in 2012, via the Missouri Secretary of State:

JASPER [County]

President, Vice President (49 of 49 Precincts Reported)

Barack Obama, Joe Biden Democrat 12,808 28.3%

Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan Republican 31,345 69.3%

Gary Johnson, James P. Gray Libertarian 919 2.0%

Virgil Goode, Jim Clymer Constitution 141 0.3%

Total Votes 45,213

NEWTON [County]

President, Vice President (25 of 25 Precincts Reported)

Barack Obama, Joe Biden Democrat 6,425 25.6%

Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan Republican 18,179 72.5%

Gary Johnson, James P. Gray Libertarian 397 1.6%

Virgil Goode, Jim Clymer Constitution 79 0.3%

Total Votes 25,080

[emphasis added]

The gubernatorial vote in 2012:

JASPER [County]

Governor (49 of 49 Precincts Reported)

Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon Democrat 19,455 43.2%

David (Dave) Spence Republican 24,215 53.8%

Jim Higgins Libertarian 1,356 3.0%

Leonard Steinman Write-in 0 0.0%

Ronald E. Levy Write-in 0 0.0%

Total Votes 45,026

NEWTON [County]

Governor (25 of 25 Precincts Reported)

Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon Democrat 9,879 39.5%

David (Dave) Spence Republican 14,481 57.9%

Jim Higgins Libertarian 661 2.6%

Leonard Steinman Write-in 0 0.0%

Ronald E. Levy Write-in 0 0.0%

Total Votes 25,021

And in 2008?:

JASPER [County]

U.S. President And Vice President Precincts Reporting 46 of 46

John McCain, Sarah Palin REP 31,667 65.9%

Barack Obama, Joe Biden DEM 15,730 32.8%

Bob Barr, Wayne A. Root LIB 194 .4%

Chuck Baldwin, Darrell Castle CST 123 .3%

Ralph Nader, Matt Gonzalez IND 311 .6%

Cynthia McKinney, Rosa Clemente WI 0 .0%

Total Votes   48,025

NEWTON [County]

U.S. President And Vice President Precincts Reporting 25 of 25

John McCain, Sarah Palin REP 17,637 69.4%

Barack Obama, Joe Biden DEM 7,450 29.3%

Bob Barr, Wayne A. Root LIB 87 .3%

Chuck Baldwin, Darrell Castle CST 74 .3%

Ralph Nader, Matt Gonzalez IND 158 .6%

Cynthia McKinney, Rosa Clemente WI 0 .0%

Total Votes   25,406

[emphasis added]

The vote for Governor in 2008:

JASPER [County]

Governor Precincts Reporting 46 of 46

Hulshof, Kenny REP 27,764 58.6%

Nixon, Jeremiah W. (Jay) DEM 18,676 39.4%

Finkenstadt, Andrew W. LIB 507 1.1%

Thompson, Gregory E. CST 425 .9%

Brown, Sr., Theodis (Ted) WI 0 .0%

Serati, Mark WI2 0 .0%

Total Votes   47,372

NEWTON [County]

Governor Precincts Reporting 25 of 25

Hulshof, Kenny REP 15,570 61.9% % Yes Votes Graph

Nixon, Jeremiah W. (Jay) DEM 9,134 36.3%

Finkenstadt, Andrew W. LIB 246 1.0%

Thompson, Gregory E. CST 222 .9%

Brown, Sr., Theodis (Ted) WI 0 .0%

Serati, Mark WI2 0 .0%

Total Votes   25,172

President Obama in Joplin, Missouri on May 29, 2011.

Evidently, if you’re President of the United States visiting an area twice within the last year and a half will lose you votes. The numbers for Governor Jay Nixon did go up, but the overall percentages weren’t that great, either.

Previously:

President Obama in Joplin – May 21, 2012 – commencement speech (May 22, 2012)

Some thoughts on Joplin (June 2, 2011)

FEMA declares Eric Cantor a Disaster Area (May 31, 2011)

President Obama in Joplin – photos and remarks (May 29, 2011)

The GOP and Joplin: No compassion, only gamesmanship (May 25, 2011)

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) on the floor of the Senate: calling out Rep. Eric Cantor (r) (May 25, 2011)

Government is not the enemy (May 23, 2011)

Governor Jay Nixon (D) in Joplin – May 21, 2012 – commencement speech

23 Wednesday May 2012

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

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commencemnt, Jay Nixon, Joplin, Joplin High school, missouri

Yesterday Governor Jay Nixon (D) delivered an address to the 2012 graduates of Joplin High School at their commencement held on the campus of Missouri Southern State University in Joplin.

….[applause, cheers] Governor Jay Nixon (D): Thank you and good evening. Over the past year the Joplin Schools have faced and overcome mandy, many daunting challenges. That was possible because of the vision, leadership and dedication of your superintendent. With unwavering courage and unshakable resolve, C.J. Huff has led the Joplin Schools forward. [cheers, applause] He has been an inspiration to us all. I’m proud to have worked closely in partnership with him, I’m even more proud to call him my friend. Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, please join me in thanking one of Missouri’s, one of America’s, finest leaders and educators, C.J. Huff. [applause, cheers]…

…Exactly one year ago to the day I stood on this same stage to address the college graduates of Missouri Southern State University. It was a time of optimism, a time to mark a major milestone, atime to look ahead toward the bright horizon, and with full hearts and soaring hopes. The next day changed everything. The next day changed us all. But what a difference a year makes.

And tonight, we gather together, as we have so many times in the past year, to celebrate another Joplin milestone. Joplin High School, class of two thousand and twelve, congratulations. We are so proud of you. [applause, cheers] All that you have achieved reflects your strength of character, hard work, and high aspirations. It also reflects the character of this community. This is a community of optimists, this is a community of believers, this is a community of fighters. This is a community that never gave up, never gave in, and with hope in its heart and steel in its spine has come back stronger and better than ever. [cheer, applause] From day one your faith and your fight have shown the world that the spirit of Joplin is unbreakable.

Joplin lost many things in the storm but never lost its heart or soul. Because the schools are the heart and soul of Joplin, as they are across our great state and great nation. Our schools are a unifying force, a source of identity and pride. They are citadels of shared values, cherished hopes, and common dreams. Public education is a bond not only between students and teachers, it is a bond between generations, between a community’s leaders and to children who will one day carry on their unfinished work. Joplin schools became the rallying point for this community.

With classes set to resume on August seventeenth there wasn’t much time, but with each passing day, as the storms of spring gave way to the heat of summer Joplin’s army gained ground. And Joplin became a rallying point for a much larger community, a community of people so inspired by your remarkable story that they needed to be part of it. They came by the thousands, from all faiths and all walks of life, from Alaska to Florida, from Sweden to Japan.

Brick by brick and board by board Joplin rose from the rubble. In Joplin the sun rises every morning on a different place and sets every evening on a better place. And so, just eighty-seven days after the most devastating tornado in our history Joplin schools opened, just as Dr. Huff promised on August seventeenth. [applause]

That is the spirit of Joplin and each one of you is part of it. This class, this school, and this community will forever stand as a symbol of the best in our nation and the best in us. Tonight we look towards the bright horizon stretched before the class of two thousand and twelve. With full hearts and soaring hopes we celebrate the parents and grandparents, the aunts and uncles, the brothers and sisters, the friends and neighbors who have loved and supported the class of two thousand and twelve since they were in kindergarten. The faith and values you have instilled in these young adults are the bedrock they will build their lives on. That foundation cannot be moved.

We celebrate the faculty, staff and administration of Joplin High School. In a year like no other you put your personal needs aside and always put your students first. For your abiding compassion and devotion, we will be forever in your debt. We celebrate each and every member of the Joplin community who gave so selflessly, worked so tirelessly to ensure a bright future for your children. And you know, they will carry on your unfinished work. Most of all we celebrate you, the Joplin High School Class of two thousand and twelve. The world will never forget what you achieved here. You have been tried and tested, and are stronger for it, smarter, too. You are now ready to take all that you’ve learned at Joplin High, and use it to pursue your dreams, to become a doctor or a dancer, a soldier or a scientist, an engineer or an entrepreneur. You have learned, perhaps too soon, that life is a fragile thread that binds us all together. Never take a single moment for granted.

You know because you lived it, that from great adversity great blessings flow. And with teamwork, tenacity, and the grace of God all things are possible. Class of two thousand and twelve…[applause][cheers]

Previously:

President Obama in Joplin – May 21, 2012 – commencement speech (May 22, 2012)

Joplin One Year Later (May 22, 2012)

President Obama in Joplin – May 21, 2012 – commencement speech

22 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

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commencement, Joplin, Joplin High school, missouri, Obama

Yesterday President Obama delivered an address to the 2012 graduates of Joplin High School at their commencement held on the campus of Missouri Southern State University in Joplin.

….[applause, cheers] President Obama (D): Thank you. [applause] Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you everybody, please have a seat. A few people I want to acknowledge, first of all, you have an outstanding governor in Jay Nixon [applause], and we are proud of all the work that he’s done.  I want to acknowledge Senator Claire McCaskill who is here. [applause] Representative Billy Long.  [applause] Your mayor, Melodee Colbert Kean. [applause, cheers] Somebody who doesn’t get a lot of attention but does amazing work all across the country, including here in Joplin, the head of FEMA, the administrator, Craig Fugate, who spent an awful lot of time here helping to rebuild. [applause] Superintendent Huff. [applause, cheers] Principal Sachetta. [applause] To the faculty, the parents, the family, friends, the people of Joplin, and most of all the class of two thousand and twelve. [applause, cheers] Congratulations on your graduation and thank you for allowing me the honor of playing a small part in this special day…

…Now, the job of a commencement speaker primarily is to keep it short. [laughter] Chloe, they’ve given me more than two minutes. [laughter] But the other job is to inspire. But as I look out at this class and across this city what’s clear is that you’re the source of inspiration today, to me, to this state, to this country, and to people all over the world.  Last year, the road that led you here took a turn that no one could’ve imagined. Just hours after the class of two thousand eleven walked across this stage the most powerful tornado in six decades tore a path of devastation through Joplin that was nearly a mile wide and thirteen long. In just thirty-two minutes it took thousands of homes and hundreds of businesses and a hundred and sixty-one of your neighbors, friends and family. It took a classmate Will Norton who had just left this auditorium with a diploma in his hand. It took Lantz Hare who should’ve received his diploma next year.

By now I expect that most of you have probably relived those thirty-two minutes again and again. Where you were, what you saw, when you knew for sure that it was over. The first contact, the first phone call you had with somebody you loved, the first day that you woke up in a world that would never be the same.  And yet, the story of Joplin isn’t just what happened that day. It’s the story of what happened the next day, and the day after that, and all the days and weeks and months that followed. As your city manager, Mark Rohr, has said, the people here chose to define the tragedy not by what happened to us, but by how we responded.

Class of two thousand twelve that story is yours. It’s part of you now. As others have mentioned you’ve had to grow up quickly over the last year. You’ve learned at a younger age than most of us that we can’t always predict what life has in store. No matter how we might try to avoid it life surely can bring some heartache, and life involves struggles. And at some point life will bring loss.

But here in Joplin you’ve also learned that we have the power to grow from these experiences. We can define our lives not by what happens to us, but by how we respond. We can choose to carry on. We can choose to make a difference in the world. And in doing so, we can make true what’s written in scripture that tribulation produces perseverance, and perseverance and character, and character, hope. Of all that’s come from this tragedy let this be the central lesson that guides us, let it be the lesson that sustains you through whatever challenges lie ahead.  As you begin the next stage in your journey, wherever you’re going, whatever you’re doing, it’s safe to say you will encounter greed and selfishness, and ignorance and cruelty, and sometimes just bad luck. You’ll meet people who try to build themselves up by tearing others down. You’ll meet people who believe that looking after others is only for suckers. But you’re from Joplin so you will remember, you will know just how many people there are who see life differently, those who are guided by kindness and generosity and quiet service. You’ll remember that in a town of fifty thousand people, nearly fifty thousand more came in to help the weeks after the tornado, perfect strangers who’ve never met you and didn’t ask for anything in return.

One of them was Mark Carr, who drove six hundred miles from Rocky Ford, Colorado with a couple of chainsaws and his three little children. One man traveled all the way from Japan and he, because he remembered that Americans were there for his country after last year’s tsunami and he wanted the chance, he said, t, to pay it forward. There were AmeriCorps volunteers who have chosen to leave their homes and stay here in Joplin till the work is done. And then there was the day Mizzou’s football team rolled into town with an eighteen wheeler full of donated supplies, and of all the places, they were assigned to help out on Kansas Avenue. [laughter, applause] I don’t, I, I don’t know who set that up. [laughter] And while they hauled away washing machines and refrigerators from the debris they met a woman named Carol Mann who had just lost the house she lived in for eighteen years. And Carol didn’t have a lot. She works part time at McDonald’s, she struggles with seizures, and she told the players that she had even lost the change purse that held her lunch money. So one of them, one of the players, went back to the house, dug through the rubble, and returned with the purse with five dollars inside. And Carol’s sister said, so much of the news that you hear is so negative, but these boys renewed my faith that there are so many good people in the world.

That’s what you’ll remember because you’re from Joplin. You will remember the half million dollar donation that came from Angelina Jolie and some up and coming, uh, actor named Brad Pitt. [laughter] But you’ll also remember the three hundred and sixty dollars that was delivered by a nine year old boy who organized his own car wash. You’ll remember the school supplies donated by your neighboring towns, but maybe you’ll also remember the brand new laptops that were sent from the United Arab Emirates, a tiny country on the other side of the world. When it came time for your prom makeup artist Melissa Blayton organized an effort that collected over a thouand donated prom dresses, FedEx kicked in for the corsages, and Joplin’s own Liz Easton, who had lost her home and her bakery in the tornado, made a hundred, uh, fifteen hundred cupcakes for the occasion. That, they were good cupcakes. [laughter]

There are so many good people in the world there’s such a decency, a bigness of spirit, in this country of ours. And so, class of two thousand twelve, you’ve got to remember that. Remember what people did here. And like that man who came all the way from Japan to Joplin make sure in your own life that you pay it forward. Now, just as you’ve learned the goodness of people, you’ve also learned the power of community. And you’ve heard from some of the other speakers how powerful that is. And as you take on the roles of coworker and business owner, neighbor, citizen, you’ll encounter all kinds of divisions between groups, divisions of race and religion, ideology. You’ll meet people who like to disagree just for the sake of being disagreeable. [laughter, scattered applause] You’ll meet people who prefer to play up their differences instead of focusing on what they have in common, where they can cooperate. But you’re from Joplin. So you’ll always know that it’s always possible for a community to come together when it matters most. After all a lot of you could’ve spent your senior year scattered throughout different schools, far from home. But Dr. Huff asked everybody to pitch in so that school started on time right here in Joplin. He understood the power
of this community, and he understood the power of place. So these teachers worked extra hours, coaches put in extra time, that mall was turned into a classroom, the food court became a cafeteria, which maybe some of you thought was an improvement. [laughter] And yeah, the arrangements might have been a little noisy and a little improvised, but you hunkered down and you made it work together. You made it work together.

That’s the power of community. Together, you decided that this city wasn’t about to spend the next year arguing over every detail of the recovery effort. At the very first meeting, the first town meeting, every citizen was handed a post it note and asked to write down their goals and their hopes for Joplin’s future. And more than a thousand notes covered an entire wall and became the blueprint that architects are following to this day. I’m thinking about trying this with Congress [laughter], give them some post it notes. [laughter, applause, cheers] Together the businesses that were destroyed in the tornado decided that they weren’t about to walk away from the community that made their success possible, even if it would’ve been easier, even if it would’ve been more profitable to go someplace else. And so today more than half the stores that were damaged on the Range Line are up and running again. Eleven more are planning to join them. And every time a company reopens its doors people cheer the cutting of a ribbon that bears the town’s new slogan, remember, rejoice, and rebuild. That’s community.

I’ve been told, class of two thousand twelve, that before the tornado many of you couldn’t wait to leave here once high school was finally over. So Student Council President, uh, Julia Lewis, where’s Julia? She’s out here somewhere. [laughter] She, she’s too embarrassed to raise her hand. [applause] I’m quoting you, Julia. She said, we never thought Joplin was anything special. Now that’s typical with teenagers, they don’t think their parents are all that special either [laughter], but seeing how we responded to something that tore our community apart has brought us together. Everyone has a lot more pride in our town. So it’s no surprise then that many of you have decided to stick around and go to Missouri Southern or go to colleges, community colleges that aren’t too far away from home. That’s the power of community, that’s the power of shared effort and shared memory. Some of life’s strongest bonds are the ones we forge when everything around us seems broken. And even though I expect that some of you will ultimately end up leaving Joplin I’m pretty confident that Joplin will never leave you. The people who went through this with you, the people who you once thought of as simply neighbors or acquaintances, classmates, the people in this auditorium tonight, you’re family now. They’re your family.

And so my deepest hope for all of you is that as you begin this new chapter in your life you’ll bring that spirit of Joplin to every place you travel, to everything you do. You can serve as a reminder that we’re not meant to walk this road alone, we’re not expected to face down adversity by ourselves. We need God, we need each other, we are important to each other and we’re stronger together than we are on our own. And that’s the spirit that has allowed all of you to rebuild this city, and that’s the same spirit we need right now to help rebuild America. And you, class of two thousand twelve, you’re gonna help lead this effort. You’re the ones who will help build an economy where every child can count on a good education. [applause, cheers] You’re the one that’s going to make sure this country is a place where everybody who is willing to put in the effort can find a job that supports a family. [cheer, applause] You’re the ones that will make sure we’re a country that controls our own energy future [applause], where we lead the world in science and technology and innovation. [scattered applause] America only succeeds when we all pitch in and pull together [voice: inaudible], and I’m counting on you to be leaders in that effort because you’re from Joplin and you’ve already defied the odds.

There are a lot of stories here in Joplin of unthinkable courage and resilience over the last year, but still there are some that stand out, especially on this day. And by now most of you know Joplin High’s senior, uh, Quinton Anderson, I, you know, he, look, he’s already looking embarrassed. [laughter] Somebody’s talking about him again. But Quinton, I’m gonna talk about you anyway, because in a lot of ways Quinton’s journey has been Joplin’s journey. When the tornado struck Quinton was thrown across the street from his house. The young man who found Quinton couldn’t imagine that Quinton would survive his injuries. Quinton woke up in a hospital bed three days later and it was then that his sister Grace told him that both their parents had been lost in the storm. So Quinton went on to face over five weeks of treatment including emergency surgery. But he left that hospital determined to carry on, to live his life, and to be there for his sister. Over the past year he’s been a football captain who cheered from the sidelines when he couldn’t play. He worked that much harder so he could be ready for baseball in the spring. He won a national scholarship as a finalist for the High School Football Rudy Awards. [applause] He plans to study molecular biology at Harding University this fall. [applause, cheers] Quinton has said that his motto in life is always take that extra step. And today after a long and improbable journey for Quinton, and for Joplin and for the entire class of two thousand twelve, that extra step is about to take you towards whatever future you hope for and whatever dreams you hold in your hearts.

Yes, you will encounter obstacles along the way. I guarantee you will face setbacks and you will face disappointments. But you’re from Joplin and you’re from America. And no matter how tough times get you’ll always be tougher. And no matter what life throws at you, you will be ready. You will not be defined by the difficulties you face, but by how you respond, with grace and strength and a commitment to others.

Langston Hughes, poet, civil rights activist who knew some tough times, he was born here in Joplin. In a poem called Youth, he wrote: We have tomorrow, bright before us, like a flame. Yesterday, a night gone thing, a sun down name. And dawn ’til day, broad arc above the road we came, we march.

To the people of Joplin and the class of two thousand twelve the road has been hard and the day has been long. But we have tomorrow, so we march. We march together and you’re leading the way because you’re from Joplin. Congratulations. May God bless you. [applause, cheers] May God bless the class of two thousand twelve. May God bless the United States of America. [applause, cheers]

Joplin – May 21, 2012 – media

21 Monday May 2012

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

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Joplin, missouri, Obama

After a four and a half hour drive we’ve arrived on the campus of Missouri Southern State University for President Obama’s commencement address for the students of Joplin High School. There’s a signficant media presence.

A temporary city of broadcast satellite trucks has been set up in a parking lot near the venue.

A forest of tripods.

We’ll be adding more as we can.

Prevail, or not

17 Saturday Dec 2011

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

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governor, HB 1053, Jay Nixon, Joplin, missouri, Peter Kiinder, prevailing wage

Via Twitter:

What is it with republicans that the concept of paying working people a living wage is anathema to them?

@ssnich Sean Nicholson

At #MHDC mtg, @PeterKinder’s proposal to junk #prevailingwage for Joplin projects loses big. Cynical move fails to even get a second. #pdk 16 Dec

A statement from Governor Jay Nixon (D):

December 16, 2011

Gov. Nixon issues statement on MHDC vote to invest $94 million in Joplin housing

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Gov. Jay Nixon issued the following statement regarding today’s vote by the Missouri Housing Development Commission to invest $94 million in rebuilding temporary and long-term housing in Joplin:

“I applaud the Missouri Housing Development Commission for committing these significant resources to support the rebuilding of homes in Joplin. This vote was another important step forward for our Jumpstart Joplin initiative to provide both temporary and long-term housing for people affected by the tornado, and this investment of more than $90 million will make a tremendous and lasting difference for this community. The commission’s action also ensures that quality contractors and builders will be involved with these projects, and that the workers who build these homes will earn a fair wage for doing so. As I’ve said from Day One, the state of Missouri will continue to stand with the people of Joplin at every stage of this recovery and rebuilding process.”

[emphasis added]

Meanwhile, in the General Assembly, a prefiled bill by Representative Bill Lant (r):

SECOND REGULAR SESSION

HOUSE BILL NO. 1053

96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES LANT (Sponsor), FLANIGAN AND REIBOLDT (Co-sponsors).

4215L.01I                                                                                             D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk

AN ACT

To amend chapter 290, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to prevailing wages.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:

           Section A. Chapter 290, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be known as section 290.235, to read as follows:

           290.235. 1. This section shall be known and may be cited as the “Disaster Area Construction Act”. The provisions of this section apply to construction projects that are dedicated to rebuilding or repairing any school facility or any county, city, town, or village structure or infrastructure damaged by a disaster.

           2. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, for work done on behalf of a school district, county, city, town, or village located in an area declared to be a disaster area by the governor of the state, a school district or a county, city, town, or village may exempt itself from the provisions of sections 290.210 to 290.340 upon majority vote of the governing body of such school district or county, city, town, or village. If the school district or county, city, town, or village exempts itself from sections 290.210 to 290.340, the school district or county, city, town, or village shall notify the division of labor standards within the department of such exemption.

           3. This section shall not apply to a city not within a county or a home rule city with more than four hundred thousand inhabitants and located in more than one county.

Priorities. Because corporate profits in the aftermath of a disaster can never be too high.

You don't pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel or electrons by the terabyte

30 Tuesday Aug 2011

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

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Jay Nixon, Joplin, lawsuit, missouri, Tom Schweich, Tony Messenger

Oh, boy. Pass the popcorn. It looks like Missouri State Auditor Tom Schweich (r) probably won’t assimilate this lesson.

@tonymess Tony Messenger

Post-Dispatch: Editorial: Auditor’s lawsuit values his budget over victims of Joplin tornado bit.ly/pVskRn 7 hours ago

Evidently the State Auditor doesn’t understand the optics. In today’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Editorial: Auditor’s lawsuit values his budget over victims of Joplin tornado

Say this for Missouri Auditor Thomas Schweich: His audacity knows no bounds.

On Friday, Mr. Schweich, a Republican, sued Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, over how Mr. Nixon has chosen to balance the state’s budget.

On its surface, the action might seem like just another example of a politician who equates governance with campaigning, a typical attempt at blatant partisanship wrapped up in legal arguments weaker than a first-year law student’s paper written after an all-night bender….

…Missourians should be grateful that our constitution and our Legislature gave the governor the flexibility to respond to disasters. That same constitution gave Mr. Schweich a legitimate avenue to protest Mr. Nixon’s decisions: He could run for governor.

Good luck getting votes in Joplin.

[emphasis added]

@tonymess Tony Messenger

Did Schweich really hold presser to demand retraction on editorial about lawsuit he refused to talk about? Really? Good luck with that. 3 hours ago

Yep, there you have it, the best State Auditor money could buy.

@tonymess Tony Messenger

Schweich is right about the need for an apology on the editorial. I apologize to post-bender first-year law students. bit.ly/ocK2iq 3 hours ago

Okay, that left a mark.

Otto West: Don’t call me stupid.

Wanda: Oh, right! To call you stupid would be an insult to stupid people! I’ve known sheep that could outwit you. I’ve worn dresses with higher IQs. But you think you’re an intellectual, don’t you, ape?

Otto West: Apes don’t read philosophy.

Wanda: Yes they do, Otto. They just don’t understand it. Now let me correct you on a couple of things, OK? Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not “Every man for himself.” And the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked them up.

Romney just gave a big FU to Joplin

14 Tuesday Jun 2011

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

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FEMA, Joplin, Romney

OK, so there is not much to do tonight and my brother has picture-in-picture to follow the Cub game.

Romney just said that states should take care of disasters like Joplin.

That response would be a great commercial to run if he gets the nomination.

Some thoughts on Joplin

02 Thursday Jun 2011

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

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Jay Nixon, Joplin, President Obama

On Sunday, Michael Bersin and I got up at the crack of dawn and gathered up all of our paraphernalia and hit the road for Joplin. We had requested media credentials from the White House and we made the cut, so we got to cover the event right alongside the old media that hates our guts.

Now — I’m not just a blogger for a couple of decidedly liberal news sites — I am also a party hack, and I admit that freely. At least two days a week I am over in Independence in the Jackson County Democratic Committee office. My raison d’etre is to get Democrats elected because before we can accomplish anything we want to see brought about, we have to win elections and control majorities and chairmanships of committees.

Over the last few days, I have found myself thinking back on the service and the words of both President Obama and Governor Nixon, and of course about the politics of what I saw on Sunday.

I’m not going to point fingers at Eric Cantor for politicizing it first by demanding relief for Joplin be offset with spending cuts or it was a non-starter. I’m absolutely not mad at him for making it about politics.

I’m grateful he made it about politics. Because you know what? It’s always about politics. Everything. Is. Always. About. Politics, because all politics is, is the distribution and application of power, and that means everything we do has a political element, from two people deciding on where to go for lunch or what toppings to put on the pizza to the decision by the House Majority Leader to withhold relief from the devastation of a natural disaster unless corresponding spending cuts are made.

In 2008, President Obama lost Missouri by a mere one-tenth of one percent. Less than 4000 votes out of approximately three million cast, and the race in Missouri wasn’t called for two weeks. If the election had been close, we could have woke up one morning a few weeks later asking how the hell we turned into Florida and reset the clock to 2000.

Now let’s leave aside the fact that in reality, Obama probably won it. A lot of provisional ballots were cast in inner city precincts that were never counted, and I am pretty comfortable asserting that those young black people I personally saw filling out provisional ballots in MY precinct while I was voting weren’t filling them out for John McCain and Sister Sarah. Obama didn’t need our eleven electoral votes to win, so he didn’t sue to have those ballots counted.

I talk to campaign people all the time, and after the election they all said that I shouldn’t plan on seeing much of an Obama presence in Missouri, he would concentrate on the states he won in 08. That conventional wisdom seems to have shifted, though.

It started when the republicans ginned up their voter suppression schemes all across the land, and since the tornado that devastated Joplin, talk of Obama skipping Missouri has all but been abandoned.  

Then Eric Cantor opened his mouth and opened the door for Democrats to hammer the hell out of republicans with their venality and callous disregard for the suffering of a community that was devastated by the worst tornado in decades. And their crass disregard is directed at “their own.”  The Missouri seventh congressional district is the most solidly republican of any in the state. In 2008, McCain carried it with more than 60% and so did Kenny Hulshoff — and Nixon won his election in a double digit landslide.

The response to the tragedy in Joplin was immediate and competent and it stood in stark contrast against the Bush administration and their response — or lack thereof — to Hurricane Katrina. Nixon sent the National Guard and Obama sent FEMA, and they both stayed out of the way for a few days and let the professionals work.

And then the President came to town to grieve with them and promise that they would not be forgotten, that Joplin would be rebuilt and that wasn’t just a promise from him, that was a promise from America. And I saw a crowd of people who were overcome with gratitude that he came to mourn their dead and celebrate the strength and resolve of the living with them.

I’m a pretty good judge of this political stuff, and I have the archives to prove it. President Obama lost the Missouri Seventh by 2:1 — so did Jay Nixon —  and neither one of them is going to win down there next year. But they don’t have to. That is the reddest, most solidly republican part of the state, and all they have to do is pick up a few votes from people who may have been sobered up just a little bit by the events of the past week and a half. If they narrow the gap and the ratio is 3:2 next year, Obama carries Missouri and the nation and we get our bellwether status back.

I’m pretty confident that Obama is going to go after our ten electoral votes with a vengance and a fury, and I think it’s going to be worth his while. Because if a conservative really is a liberal who has been mugged, a liberal is a conservative who has had his house blown away by a tornado.

Governor Jay Nixon in Joplin – remarks

30 Monday May 2011

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

governor, Jay Nixon, Joplin, missouri, tornado

The First United Methodist Church Chancel Choir enters the stage of the Taylor Performing Arts Center on the campus of

Missouri Southern State University prior to the start of the Joplin Community Memorial Service on May 29, 2011.

Previously:

President Obama in Joplin (May 29, 2011)

President Obama in Joplin – photos and remarks (May 29, 2011)

The “Joplin Community Memorial Service” took place on Sunday afternoon at the Taylor Performing Arts Center on the campus of Missouri Southern State University. Members of the clergy from Joplin spoke, as did Missouri Governor Jay Nixon and President Barack Obama.

The view from a television camera in the balcony – Tulsa, Oklahoma ABC affiliate.

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon is welcomed by the audience.

The transcript of Governor Jay Nixon’s remarks:

….[applause] Governor Jay Nixon: Thank you, Pastor Gariss. To the families of those who were killed and injured, to the families of those who are still unaccounted for, to the people of Joplin who have endured this terrible tragedy, to the thousands of Missourians and citizens across the nation who have opened their hearts to help us heal, to the hundreds of firefighters and emergency responders who came without hesitation to climb over piles of rubble in search of survivors, to Pastor Garris, Pastor Brown, Father Monaghan, Lieutenant Colonel Kilmer, and the wonderful choir from First United Methodist Church of Joplin, and to President Obama who is with us today, thank you all for coming.

It is an honor to be here, joining the thousands of Missourians observing this special day of prayer. We stand on hallowed ground, to bear witness to the destructive nature, power of Nature and the invincible power of faith. We have come to mourn what the storm has taken from us, to seek comfort in community, and to draw strength from God to build anew.  It seems, it seems inconceivable that just one week ago the people of Joplin were going about their daily lives doing the ordinary things people do on a Sunday evening. Cooking supper, watching TV, walking the dog, attending their sons’ and daughters’ graduation. And then came the whirlwind. Nearly a mile wide and six miles long, with its two hundred mile an hour winds, churning and roaring, tossing cars and toppling trees, pounding homes, businesses, schools and churches to rubble. But that storm, the likes of which we have never seen, has brought forward a spirit of resilience the likes of which we’ve also never seen. [applause]…

…What our nation and our world have witnessed this week is the spirit of Joplin, Missouri. [voice: “Amen.”][cheers, applause] And we are humbled by it. You have given “love thy neighbor” new meaning. The parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke, chapter  ten, verses twenty-five through thirty-seven begins with a conversation between Jesus and a student of religious law. It starts with a legal question and ends with a moral imperative.  The student asks Jesus, What shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus turns the question around and asks, what is written in the law?  And the student, who is well-versed in the Talmud and the Torah, replied, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy strength and with all thy, thy mind. And thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. And Jesus replies, thou hast answered right. This do, and thou shalt live. But then the student, wanting greater clarity than the law provided, asks Jesus, and who is my neighbor? And Jesus tells him the story of the Good Samaritan. From that parable our charge is crystal clear, Good Samaritans do not pass by those who are suffering and in need. They show their compassion with action.  In Joplin, you see Good Samaritans everywhere you turn. You see them over in the gym at this university where hundreds of volunteers make sandwiches each and every day. You seem them passing out blankets, pillows, sunscreen and flashlights to our neighbors made homeless by the whirlwind.

You need a flashlight. Because it gets pretty dark here at night, especially when you’re standing in the street staring at the lonely pile of matchsticks that was once your home.  If you had been in the ER at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center last Sunday evening, mere moments after the tornado struck, you would have seen Good Samaritans rushing frantically to reach the wounded and the dying.  Shattered glass and bleeding patients everywhere, water and gas spewing from burst pipes, one doctor stumbled through the darkness with a flashlight in his teeth following the wail of a wounded child.

You say, you see Good Samaritans at every checkpoint in the destruction zone where police officers and citizen soldiers of our Missouri National Guard keep watch over wet socks, teddy bears, cherished wedding photos and crumpled wheelchairs, all that is left of our neighbors’ worldly goods. You see them in the churchyard, men sleeping on cots under the stars, after driving all night to get here from Tuscaloosa. [applause] These men were so touched, so moved by the kindness of strangers in their hour of need, they just had to come to Joplin. Good Samaritans on a mission from God. God has chosen us for a mission, too, to grieve together, to comfort one another, to be patient with one another, to strengthen one another, and to build Joplin anew.  [applause, cheers] Not just to build it back the way it was, but to make it an even better place.  We know that all those who perished here are already in [inaudible] place. [applause]

But for us, the living, there is work to do. God says, show me. [laughter] Show me. [applause, cheers]  The people of Missouri were born for this mission. [laughter, applause] We are famously stubborn and self-reliant. [laughter] Practical. Impatient. But whatever may divide us, we always come together in crisis. And once we set our resolve no storm, no fire, no flood can turn us from our task. [applause, cheers]

In the pale hushed stillness before dawn, when the chainsaws have fallen silent, if you listen very closely you can hear the sound of that resolve, like a tiny silver hammer tapping, tapping, tapping inside each of our heads.  In the days to come the satellite trucks will pack up, leave town and move on. Joplin’s story will disappear from the front pages but the tragedy will not disappear from our lives.  We will still be here in Joplin, together, preparing for the long journey out of darkness into light. And we will need more hands, more tools, more Good Samaritans every step of the way. [applause] This tragedy has changed us forever. This community will never be the same. We will never be the same.  The grief we share at this moment is overwhelming. That sorrow will always be part of us, a stone upon our hearts. But those we love, those we lost are safe with God and safe in our hearts. And in our hearts, the joy they gave us lives on and on. Nothing can take that from us. We can, and we will, heal. We’ve already begun. Together, we can and we will
rebuild upon a granite foundation of faith. What we build on this hallowed ground will be a living monument to those we lost, mothers, fathers, our precious children.  It will be a monument to the will and determination of the hundreds of men, women and yes, even children, who helped their neighbors dig out of the ruins, a monument to the search and rescue cue, crews who came swiftly to aid the quick and [inaudible]. By God’s grace we will restore this community. And by God’s grace we will renew our souls.

One year from today, Joplin will look different, and more different still in two years, in three, and five. And as the years pass the moral of our story will be the same, love thy neighbor. God bless. [applause]

Before he takes the podium I’d like to thank President Obama [cheers] for his [inaudible] [cheers, applause] for this, for his tireless efforts [inaudible] resources to communities from Joplin to St. Louis, Sedalia to the bootheel, all across our country, and to communities across the nation who are struggling to recover in the aftermath of deadly storms and floods. The weight on your shoulders is heavy.  We will continue to need that help in the months and years to come.

On behalf of all of the people of my great state, Mr. President, we thank you for your service. [cheers, applause] And now [inaudible] present the forty-fourth President of the United States, Barack Obama. [cheers, applause]

President Obama greets a member of the clergy after his introduction by Governor Jay Nixon.

President Obama in Joplin – photos and remarks

30 Monday May 2011

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Joplin, memorial service, missouri, Obama, tornado

Previously: President Obama in Joplin

A vehicle parked in the field northeast of the Missouri Southern State University campus

which was a designated parking area for those attending the memorial service.

Blue Girl and I made the round trip drive to Joplin (about four hours each way for a total of over 400 miles) to cover the “Joplin Community Memorial Service” on Sunday afternoon at the Taylor Performing Arts Center on the campus of Missouri Southern State University. Members of the clergy from Joplin spoke, as did Missouri Governor Jay Nixon and President Barack Obama. Statewide officeholders in attendance included Senator Claire McCaskill, State Treasurer Clint Zweifel, and Attorney General Chris Koster.

The Missouri National Guard controlled the perimeter of the campus and directed those attending to parking.

The audience in the balcony.

A few minutes before the memorial service began these individuals on the first row of the balcony unfurled an American flag.

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon spoke and then introduced President Obama.

President Obama on the stage.

The transcript of President Obama’s remarks, compiled from the White House transcript and our audio recording:

[cheers, applause] ….President Obama: Thank you. Thank you so much. Please, please be seated.

[voices from audience: “I love you, Obama!” “We love you!”][cheers]

President Obama: I love Joplin!  [applause] I love Joplin.

[voice from audience: “We love Joplin!”][cheers, applause]

President Obama: We love Joplin. [applause]

Thank you, Governor, for that powerful message, but more importantly, for being here with and for your people every step of the way. We are grateful to you, to Reverend Gariss, Father Monaghan. I’m so glad you got in that tub. [laughter, applause][voice: “Yeah!] [cheers, applause] To Reverend Brown for that incredibly powerful message. [cheers, applause] To Senator Claire McCaskill, who’s been here, and Congressman Billy Long, Mayor Woolston. To Craig Fugate. It doesn’t get a lot of attention, but he heads up FEMA, our emergency response at the federal level. Uh, he’s been going from Tuscaloosa to Joplin and everywhere in between, uh, tirelessly doing out, outstanding work. We’re grateful for him. Gail McGovern, uh, the President of the National Red Cross, which has contributed mightily to the rebuilding efforts here. Most of all, to the family and friends of all those who’ve been lost and all those who’ve been affected…

…Today we gather to celebrate the lives of those we’ve lost to the storms here in Joplin and across the Midwest, to keep in our prayers those still missing, to mourn with their families, to stand together during this time of pain and trial.

And as Reverend Brown alluded to, the question that weighs on us at a time like this is, Why? Why our town? Why our home? Why my son, or husband, or wife, or sister, or friend? Why?

We do not have the capacity to answer. We can’t know when a terrible storm will strike, or where, or the severity of the devastation that it may cause. We can’t know why we’re tested with the loss of a loved one, or the loss of a home where we’ve lived a lifetime.

These things are beyond our power to control. But that does not mean we are powerless in the face of adversity. How we respond when the storm strikes is up to us. How we live in the aftermath of tragedy and heartache, that’s within our control. And it’s in these moments, to our actions, that we often see the glimpse of what makes life worth living in the first place. In the last week, that’s what Joplin has not just taught Missouri, not just taught America, but has taught the world. I was overseas in the aftermath of the storm and had world leaders coming up to me saying, let the people of Joplin know we are with them [cheers, applause] we’re thinking [inaudible][applause]

Because the world saw how Joplin responded.  A university turned itself into a makeshift hospital. [applause, cheers] Some of you used your pickup trucks as ambulances, carrying the injured[applause],on doors that served as stretchers. Your restaurants have rushed food to people in need. Businesses have filled trucks with donations. You’ve waited in line for hours to donate blood to people you know, but also to people you’ve never met. And in all this, you have lived the words of Scripture: “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed. We are perplexed, but not in despair. Persecuted, but not forsaken. Cast down, but not destroyed.”

As the governor said, you have shown the world what it means to love thy neighbor. You’ve banded together. You’ve come to each other’s aid. You’ve demonstrated a simple truth, that heartbreak and tragedy, no one is a stranger.  Everybody is a brother. Everybody is a sister. [applause] We can all love one another.

As you move forward in the days ahead, I know that rebuilding what you’ve lost won’t be easy. I just walked through some of the neighborhoods that have been affected, and you look out at the landscape, and there have to be moments where you just say, where to begin? How to start? There are going to be moments where after the shock has worn off, you feel alone. But there’s no doubt in my mind what the people of this community can do.  There’s no doubt in my mind that Joplin will rebuild. And as President, I can promise you your country will be there with you every single step of the way. [applause, cheers] We will be with you every step of the way. We’re not going anywhere. [applause] The cameras may leave. The spotlight may shift. But we will be with you every step of the way until Joplin is restored and this community is back on its feet. We’re not going anywhere.  [applause, cheers] That is not just my promise, that’s America’s promise. It’s a promise I make here in Joplin, it’s a promise I made down in Tuscaloosa, or in any of the communities that have been hit by these devastating storms over the last few weeks.

Now, there have been countless acts of kindness and selflessness in recent days. We’ve already heard the record of some of that. But perhaps none are as inspiring as what took place when the storm was bearing down on Joplin, threatening an entire community with utter destruction. And in the face of winds that showed no mercy, no regard for human life, that did not discriminate by race or faith or background, it was ordinary people, swiftly tested, who said, “I’m willing to die right now so that someone else might live.” It was the husband who threw himself over his wife as their house came apart around them.  It was the mother who shielded her young son. It was Dean Wells, a husband and father who lov
ed to sing and whistle in his church choir. Dean was working a shift at the Home Depot, managing the electrical department, when the siren rang out. He sprang into action, moving people to safety. Over and over again, he went back for others, until a wall came down on top of him. In the end, most of the building was destroyed, but not where Dean had directed his coworkers and his customers. There was a young man named Christopher Lucas who was twenty-six years old.  Father of two daughters, third daughter on the way.  Just like any other night, Christopher was doing his job as manager on duty at Pizza Hut. And then he heard the storm coming. It was then when this former sailor quickly ushered everybody into the walk-in freezer. The only problem was, the freezer door wouldn’t stay closed from the inside. So as the tornado bore down on this small storefront on Range Line Road, Christopher left the freezer to find a rope or a cord or anything to hold the door shut. He made it back just in time, tying a piece of bungee cord to the handle outside, wrapping the other end around his arm, holding the door closed with all his might. And Christopher held it as long as he could, until he was pulled away by the incredible force of the storm. He died saving more than a dozen people in that freezer. [applause]

You see, there are heroes all around us, all the time. They walk by us on the sidewalk, and they sit next to us in class. They pass us in the aisle wearing an orange apron. They come to our table at a restaurant and ask us what we’d like to order. Just as we can’t know why tragedy strikes in the first place, we may never fully understand where these men and women find the courage and strength to do what they did. What we do know is that in a split-second moment where there’s little time for internal reflection or debate, the actions of these individuals were driven by love, love for a family member, love for a friend, or just love for a fellow human being.

That’s good to know. In a world that can be cruel and selfish, it’s this knowledge, the knowledge that we are inclined to love one another, that we’re inclined to do good, to be good, that causes us to take heart. We see with fresh eyes what’s precious and so fragile and so important to us. We put aside our petty grievances and our minor disagreements. We see ourselves in the hopes and hardships of others. And in the stories of people like Dean and people like Christopher, we remember that each us contains reserves of resolve and compassion. There are heroes all around us, all the time.  

And so, in the wake of this tragedy, let us live up to their example [applause], to make each day count, to live with the sense of mutual regard, to live with that same compassion that they demonstrated in their final hours. We are called by them to do everything we can to be worthy of the chance that we’ve been given to carry on.  

I understand that at a memorial yesterday for Dean, his wife decided to play a recording of Dean whistling a song he loved, Amazing Grace.  The lyrics are a fitting tribute to what Joplin has been through. “Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come. ‘Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far and Grace will lead me home.[applause] Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail, And mortal life shall cease, I shall possess within the veil, A life of joy and peace.”

May those we’ve lost know peace, and may grace guide the people of Joplin home. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America. Thank you. [applause, cheers]

After President Obama’s remarks, a closing hymn, and a benediction by Father Justin Monaghan the President and Governor Jay Nixon greeted tornado survivors in the front rows of the auditorium.

Missouri State Treasurer Clint Zweifel speaks with a radio reporter about the memorial service after the service.

IMG_1772c

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster speaking with individuals outside after the service.

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