State Auditor Nicole Galloway (D) to Governor Eric Greitens (r): veto SB 43

17 Wednesday May 2017

Posted by Michael Bersin in Missouri General Assembly

Tags

Eric Greitens, General Assembly, governor, missouri, Nicole Galloway, SB 43, State Auditor, veto, whistleblowers

State Auditor Nicole Galloway (D) has concerns about the impact of new legislation on whistleblower protections.

State Auditor Nicole Galloway (D) [2016 file photo].

Auditor Galloway statement on legislation to weaken whistleblower protections for state employees
State Auditor urges Governor to veto bill
May 17, 2017

Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway issued the following statement on Senate Bill 43, which jeopardizes whistleblower protections for state employees.

“This legislation makes it easier for government to operate in the shadows. Employees must be able to raise concerns without fear of losing their jobs. If enacted, the measure would almost certainly create a chilling effect that would undermine the state’s ability to uncover wasteful, improper or illegal uses of taxpayer dollars. Compromising long-standing whistleblower protections increases the threat of retaliation and fosters an environment of intimidation for those who report wrongdoing.”

Auditor Galloway urged the Governor to veto the bill, which the legislature passed during the 2017 legislation session. [….]

The text of the letter [pdf]:

Nicole R. Galloway, CPA
Missouri State Auditor
May 17, 2017

The Honorable Eric R. Greitens
Office of the Missouri Governor
State Capitol, Room 216
Jefferson City, Missouri 65102

Dear Governor Greitens,

While numerous issues were raised about SB 43 in the General Assembly, I am specifically concerned the bill weakens protections for government whistleblowers. I ask you to veto this legislation.

As Auditor, it is my duty to hold government accountable by exposing wasteful spending. That is why my office operates a whistleblower hotline to allow Missourians to report waste, fraud, abuse, mismanagement, and potential illegal activity.

Audit staff investigate allegations made through this hotline. We take very seriously our need to protect whistleblower identities because the threat of retaliation is real. I fear SB 43 makes it much less likely whistleblowers will come forward to report public misconduct or corruption.

The so-called Whistleblower Protection Act specifically excludes employees of state and local government and higher education from protections against retaliation for reporting unlawful activity. This exclusion could allow state employees to be fired for reporting government activities that threaten public health or disclosing other malfeasance to the legislature, state auditor, attorney general, or any state entity charged with investigating alleged misconduct.

Additionally, employees who are requested by a public entity to come forward and provide evidence of government misconduct could be subject to firing. Conceivably, the Missouri department of Corrections employees who were invited to testify before a House committee this past session about issues within the department could be fired for providing that testimony.

Government must operate with transparency, and that transparency necessarily must include a guarantee of protection for government employees reporting mismanagement of taxpayer dollars. Compromising protections for state employees who come forward with allegations of improper activity will allow government to increasingly operate in the shadows.

SB 43 means Missourians are less likely to see elimination of wasteful practices that whistleblowers culd expose. This will cost taxpayers money. In the interest of uncovering wasteful spending and deterring retaliation against those that expose government wrongdoing, I urge you to veto SB 43.

Sincerely,
/s
Nicole R. Galloway, CPA
State Auditor

We’ll see.

Campaign Finance: that’s a fine mess he’s gotten into

29 Saturday Apr 2017

Posted by Michael Bersin in campaign finance

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Tags

campaign finance, Eric Greitens, fine, governor, missouri, Missouri Ethics Commission, violation

Eric Greitens (r) [2016 file photo].

(Everybody else seems to like this photo.)

Yesterday the Missouri Ethics Commission fined Governor Eric Greitens (r) and his campaign $1,000.00 for a campaign reporting violation. According to the Missouri Ethics Commission at some point [pdf] in early 2015 the Greitens campaign received a donor list which it did not initially report and which was used by someone in the campaign to contact potential donors.

If the respondents pay 10% of the fine ($100.00) within forty-five days and there are no further violations within two years that will end the matter.

Gov. Eric Greitens (r) – April 2017 Quarterly Campaign Finance Report

18 Tuesday Apr 2017

Posted by Michael Bersin in campaign finance

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Eric Greitens, governor, missouri, Missouri Ethics Commission

The April quarterly campaign finance reports are in.

Eric Greitens (r) [2016 file photo].

At the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C151053: Greitens For Missouri
Committee Type: Candidate
Party Affiliation: Republican
[….]
Established Date: 02/24/2015
[….]
Information Reported On: 2017 – April Quarterly Report
Beginning Money on Hand $2,946,164.04
Monetary Receipts + $24,726.21
Monetary Expenditures – $511,248.95
Contributions Made – $0.00
Other Disbursements – $39,701.86
Subtotal ($526,224.60)
Ending Money On Hand $2,419,939.44

[emphasis added]

$24,726.21? It’s rough when you can’t raise the money one $1,975,000.00 contribution at a time.

$511,248.95 in expenditures? Whoa, Nelly.

Let’s look at the contributions:

13. TOTAL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS GIVING $100 OR LESS $3,713.99

[emphasis added]

Nope, that’s not $1,975,000.00.

MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED – SUPPLEMENTAL
4/17/2017 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI
MO Ambulatory Surgery Center Assoc PAC 1034 S Brentwood Blvd Suite 1700 Saint Louis MO 63117 1/5/2017 $1,000.00
Missouri Archietects PAC PO Box 105938 Jefferson City MO 65110 1/5/2017 $2,000.00
Steven Privette 1179 Co Rd 1050 Willow Springs MO 65793 Self-employed — Attorney 1/11/2017 $500.00
Michael Hoffmann 950 Francis Pl Clayton MO 63105 Self-employed — Dentist 2/21/2017 $1,000.00
People to Elect Curtis Faulkner 2556 Burchard Drive Saint Louis MO 63136 3/8/2017$200.00
Kristi Fulnecky 2872 S Forrest Heights Ave Springfield MO 65809 Fulnecky Enterprises LLC — President/Attorney 3/8/2017 $500.00
Bradley Selle 432 S Hazels Run Rd Nixa MO 65714 Requested — Requested 3/8/2017 $2,500.00
Debra Hart 2955 S Ridge Dr Springfield MO 65809 Requested — Requested 3/8/2017 $2,500.00
William Gipson 299 Oak Tree Point Lane Shell Knob MO 65747 Retired — Retired 3/12/2017 $1,000.00
Edwin Rice PO Box 11250 Springfield MO 65808 Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper — CEO 3/20/2017 $2,600.00
William Scharf 155 Carondelet Plaza Clayton MO 63105 MO Office of the Governor — Policy Director 3/29/2017 $2,600.00
Arthur Caleb 9177 Haney Drive Houston MO 65483 Sun Solar — CEO 3/27/2017 $1,500.00
Diana Ijames PO Box 487 Sullivan MO 63080 Ace Manufacturing — Public Relations 3/27/2017 $500.00
Mary Krause 1702 Pheasant Run Drive Maryland Heights MO 63043 Allergan — Sr Sales Executive 3/27/2017 $250.00
Timothy Hunt 4088 Pr 3336 Greenville TX 75402 Self-employed — Insurance 3/31/2017 $250.00
James Henderson 1532 Hollow Brook Saint Charles MO 63303 Dynamic Sales Co Inc. — President 3/28/2017 $200.00

Meh. Well, okay.

Some of the expenditures:

MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION
ITEMIZED EXPENDITURES OVER $100 SUPPLEMENTAL FORM
4/17/2017 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI

The Liaison Capitol Hill 415 New Jersey Ave NW Washington DC 20001 1/18/2017 Travel $1,257.20
The Liaison Capitol Hill 415 New Jersey Ave NW Washington DC 20001 1/18/2017 Travel $1,257.20
The Liaison Capitol Hill 415 New Jersey Ave NW Washington DC 20001 1/18/2017 Travel $1,257.20
The Liaison Capitol Hill 415 New Jersey Ave NW Washington DC 20001 1/18/2017 Travel $1,257.20

Illinois State Society of Washington DC PO Box 320776 Alexandria VA 22320 1/20/2017 Event Expense $1,236.00
Southwest Airlines PO Box 36647 1CR Dallas TX 75235 1/20/2017 Travel $645.88
The Liaison Capitol Hill 415 New Jersey Ave NW Washington DC 20001 1/23/2017 Travel $166.15
The Liaison Capitol Hill 415 New Jersey Ave NW Washington DC 20001 1/23/2017 Travel $308.20

The Westin Washington DC 1400 M St NW Washington DC 20005 1/30/2017 Travel $286.26
Delta Airlines 800 Connecticut Ave Newark CT 6854 1/30/2017 Travel $760.40
Southwest Airlines PO Box 36647 1CR Dallas TX 75235 1/30/2017 Travel $785.88
The Westin Washington DC 1400 M St NW Washington DC 20005 1/31/2017 Travel $112.24

Marriott 1331 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington DC 20004 3/1/2017 Travel $416.78

Something Else Strategies 212 Golden Willow Court Easley SC 29642 3/22/2017 Media Production $173,483.89
c5 Creative Consulting PO Box 11987 Atlanta GA 30355 3/22/2017 Media Services $180,000.00

American Airlines 11300 S Airport Dr Columbia MO 65201 3/24/2017 Travel $486.20
American Airlines 11300 S Airport Dr Columbia MO 65201 3/24/2017 Travel $486.20
American Airlines 11300 S Airport Dr Columbia MO 65201 3/24/2017 Travel $486.20

Southwest Airlines PO Box 36647 1CR Dallas TX 75235 3/24/2017 Travel $1,178.82

W HOTELS WASHINGTON 515 15th St NW F St Washington DC 20004 3/27/2017 Travel $346.36
W HOTELS WASHINGTON 515 15th St NW F St Washington DC 20004 3/27/2017 Travel $346.36
W HOTELS WASHINGTON 515 15th St NW F St Washington DC 20004 3/27/2017 Travel $346.36

Contempoary Producations Inc 190 Carondelet Plaza Suite 1111 St Louis MO 63105 3/28/2017 Inauguration expenses $14,667.38
Capitol Plaza 415 West McCarty Street Jefferson City MO 65101 3/28/2017 Inauguration expenses $14,161.39

W HOTELS WASHINGTON 515 15th St NW F St Washington DC 20004 3/29/2017 Travel $346.36

Washington, D.C. calls!

$353,483.89 in media production and media services at the end of March. Fancy that.

Previously:

Gov. Eric Greitens (r) – January 2017 Quarterly Campaign Finance Report (January 18, 2017)

Oh, sure, it’s all laughs and giggles…until the bill comes due. (March 8, 2017)

Oh, sure, it’s all laughs and giggles…until the bill comes due.

08 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by Michael Bersin in campaign finance, Missouri Governor

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

campaign finance, Eric Greitens., Ethics, governor, missouri

Erics Greitens (r) [2016 file photo].

A brand spanking new nonprofit corporation in Missouri:

Name: A New Missouri, Inc.
Address: 105 E High Street
Suite 100
Jefferson City, MO 65101
Type: Nonprofit Corporation
Charter No.: N000704138
Domesticity: Domestic
Registered Agent: Stuerman, Jeff
Status: Good Standing
Date Formed: 2/5/2017

In the filing:

The Corporation shall be organized for the purpose of conducting activities allowed pursuant to the Act, including, but not limited to, the advancement of social welfare by promoting ideas, policies and/or legislation to create more jobs, higher pay, safer streets, better schools, and more, for all Missourians.

You mean like Kansas? Just asking.

You think the “and more” includes better streets and safer schools? Just asking.

They left out mom, apple pie, truth, justice, and the American way. Could be an oversight. Nah.

Well, isn’t this special?:

March 8, 2017 7:00 AM
Nonprofit linked to Greitens raises new questions about ‘dark money,’ ethics
By Jason Hancock
[….]
In the shadow of the Missouri Capitol, just a block from the governor’s mansion, sits the headquarters of a just-started nonprofit called A New Missouri Inc.
[….]
…its focus will be advocating for the governor and his agenda, a Greitens adviser said this week. And because it’s a nonprofit, A New Missouri can accept unlimited contributions and won’t be required to disclose who is giving it money.
[….]

The reviews are coming in:

Tony Messenger‏ @tonymess
Astounding level of secrecy and obfuscation of ethics laws here by @EricGreitens. This is the very definition of what he campaigned against.
[….]
2:37 PM – 8 Mar 2017

“…This is the very definition of what he campaigned against.” The mistake was in believing him then.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: Oh, like they couldn’t come up with another $25,000.00? (July 18, 2016)

Campaign Finance: attempting to follow the money… (October 15, 2016)

Well, you asked

15 Wednesday Feb 2017

Posted by Michael Bersin in Missouri Governor, social media

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Constituents, Eric Greitens, facebook, governor, missouri, social media

Eric Greitens (r) [2016 file photo].

This afternoon Governor Eric Greitens (r) solicited constituent questions on Facebook. There were a lot.

Eric Greitens
We’re here in Jeff City to fight for you. That means listening to the people and answering your questions about what’s going on in your government.
This afternoon at 3:30, we’re going to take a few minutes and do a Facebook Live Q&A. If you have any questions about what we’re doing to take Missouri in a new direction, I’d love to answer them. Let us know in the comments section what you want to talk about, and join us at 3:30.

A few of the questions:

How will you fully fund education?

Who funded your inauguration parties?

Who donated the $1,900,000 to your campaign that you have not disclosed and why have you refused to say so far?

Missourians don’t want right to work. Why did you listen to your millionaire and billionaire backers and force it on us? Why don’t you listen to Missourians who don’t want it?

What is being done about the fact that our driver’s licenses will not be acceptable ID at airports & federal buildings in 2018? Missouri has had quite a while to fix this & has done nothing.

I would like to know why you’re trying to repeal prevailing wage which will put Missouri contractors and small businesses out of business? It allows out of town outfits to come in with illegal and unskilled labor which allows them to low ball work. Thus it then takes much needed revenue away from Missourians. Please explain real points besides it helps your billionaires who bought your way and use you as a puppet. Thanks

What is your idea of a decent working wage Eric Greitens? How do you figure people are forced to join unions? Who told you there is “union bosses”? I noticed you didn’t say anything about health care benefits or guaranteed pensions for retires, do you think or feel that companies will give those benefits to their employees?

I would like to know how you are going to protect and expand higher education in the state. Missouri used to be a leader in higher education and now lags badly behind. Not just short changing students, but we can no longer attract the best of the best in staff, faculty and research because of low pay scales and tiny to non-existent pay raises. Continuing to butcher funding to higher education hurts the entire state. Tuition hikes mean that fewer students can attend Missouri schools, locating elsewhere for their education then staying there. Critical infrastructure needs at MU have been ignored for decades due to poor funding.[….]

How about you discuss the large donations by David Humphreys to your “campaign” after you were elected…what is he buying?

I would like to know why you are talking about closing the Group Homes for the disabled kids? I have a son that has lived in one for 30 years, his dream when he graduated was to be able to live on his own just like everyone else. This would destroy him if he had to leave. I believe there are other area’s that can be cut besides taking the funds away from our disabled. They try to work and pay taxes in as well. There has to be a better solution.

If your goal is to protect k-12 classroom funding, then why did you cut transportation funding? This puts school districts in the position of having to cannabilize money from their budgets to cover that reduction. What good is a funded classroom if you can’t get the kids to the classroom?

Please discuss the intimidation tactics you used on members of the Senate regarding the salary vote and why after the vote you continued cyber-bullying the legislators via Twitter. You really don’t want to be like the Trumpster Fire in DC do you?

I’d like to hear why you won’t disclose the source of your inaugural donations? Don’t we have a right to know whom you’re really working for? Is it more Goguen money? Because we all know how much you like his dirty million(s)!

We know that thousands of low-income Missourians rely on Planned Parenthood health centers for vital preventive care like pelvic exams, & STI testing & treatment, along with contraceptive and safe abortion services. Will you work to ensure that low-income Missourians can continue to receive high-quality care at the provider of their choice, including Planned Parenthood?

What are you going to do to ensure that low-income Missourians can continue to access vital preventive health care like birth control, STI testing and treatment, and well woman exams at the provider of their choice, including Planned Parenthood?

How much money did Anheuser-Busch, Boeing, Centene, Enterprise, Express Scripts, Kansas City Power & Light, Kansas City Southern, Monsanto, Pfizer and Wal-Mart donate to your inauguration celebration? With that in mind, can you reassure us that you are representing and serving “our government,” for the people; as opposed to a corporate government, for the highest bidder?

“Our Government”? You mean “Your Government”, where you let the state corporations and big businesses run the state, collect their money, and you do as they say? A true puppet, this is what you get by voting in an “outsider” morons.

When was the last time you made under 50k a year and have to provide heath insurance for your family? Have you ever had to pay for your or your family’s health care? Have you ever worked a blue collar job? Have you ever worked for a minimum wage? Who paid for your collage education?

Gov. Greitens, this is Will Schmitt, state government and politics reporter with the Springfield News-Leader. Can you say why your inaugural committee, which planned the installation of public officials, is acting like a private organization? Also, can you please say whether you plan to meet with Rod Chapel of the Missouri NAACP? Thank you!

This is Summer Ballentine, a reporter from The Associated Press. Gov. Greitens, you proposed a number of cuts in next year’s budget. Why did you propose cutting $52 million from a Missouri Medicaid program providing in-home care to elderly and disabled people too poor to pay for it themselves? Also, do you support legislative proposals to restrict discrimination lawsuits? Thank you.

Mo has the highest rate of toddler shootings in the country. Why do you not support requiring all gun owners to take a gun safety course? Plus, a three day waiting period and background check? There could be exemptions for active duty military and police. Common sense gun laws are helpful not harmful.

If these budget cuts are put in place…..how will we deal with the rising costs of ER visits and hospital stays for the disabled and elderly that lose their in-home services and how will that be effective at balancing our budget if one expense is replaced by another which costs Missouri twice as much?

Many Missouri women rely on Planned Parenthood for basic health services. Access to contraceptives and sex ed reduce abortion rates and poverty. What will you do to help ensure women have access to these services?

Why aren’t you allowing questions from the press? Why are you limiting access to portions of the capital building by the press and Missouri voters? I thought you were the transparent choice?

Hi Gov. Greitens, this is Celeste Bott, I’m a statehouse reporter with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Curious, as others have asked, about your decision to make deep cuts for disabled and senior citizens in the Missouri Medicaid program? Also, do you think your cuts to higher education institutions will make tuition increases inevitable? Have you begun any efforts to tackle violence in cities like St. Louis, a priority you mentioned in your state of the state speech? How about for reducing recidivism? Thanks!

Why don’t you you come to St. Louis and answer questions, town hall style, to all the hard working union families. Explain to them how taking food off their tables and lowering the tax base effectively helps Missouri?

Mexico is the state’s 2nd largest trading partner. What impact do you think President Trump’s call for a 20 percent tariff on imports from Mexico will have on Missouri’s economy?

Why do you need a COO? What is your reason? Will you avoid daily governing and be a figure head? Who makes governor decisions, where is the divisions of responsibility defined?

How do I introduce a bill that forces Missouri to let Missouri residents have the option of paying their taxes? Missouri is part of the Union that is the United States therefore if we’re going to bust the Union I would like to be able to turn the same playing cards back on you and opt out of paying my taxes and still receive all the benefits of those who choose to pay their taxes.

When will you be in Kansas City to meet with voters, not just closed meetings with your supporters? I want you to have a town hall style meeting so we can ask you questions directly, please.

You say you’re prolife, but you have no plans to expand Medicaid in Missouri, saving 300,000 lives. Last year the state also redirected over $4million in federal TANF to so-called “crisis pregnancy centers,” instead of feeding hungry kids. Missouri is the 2nd hungriest state in the country. What are you going to do to help our most vulnerable, with a $456million budget hole?

What are we going to do to fully fund education? How can we expect Missouri’s economy to grow long term without allowing adequate access to education for our people?

Governor Greitens, I would like to know what more you plan to do about millionaires and billionaires buying our politicians and elections? [….]

Last night during the HJR18 debate, Rep. Mike Moon compared sperm to tadpoles. Do you believe sperm and tadpoles are the same thing? Would you outlaw abortion, most forms of birth control, IVF, and stem cell research?

In regards to education also, discussing why you chose to send a letter of support for Betsy DeVos along with 19 other governors, and since you so strongly support her initiative for providing vouchers and school choice, how do you see that affecting rural districts in Missouri that have no school choice?

And so on.

It was sad, maybe a little pathetic, and illustrative of their limited access reading the occasional questions from media/reporters interspersed with those from constituents. Welcome to Eric Greitens’ (r) Missouri.

Gov. Eric Greitens (r) – January 2017 Quarterly Campaign Finance Report

18 Wednesday Jan 2017

Posted by Michael Bersin in campaign finance

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

campaign finance, Eric Greitens, governor, missouri, Missouri Ethics Commission

Eric Greitens (r) [2016 file photo].

Governor Eric Greitens’ (r) campaign filed its January 2017 quarterly campaign finance report with the Missouri Ethics Commission on January 17th:

C151053: Greitens For Missouri
Committee Type: Candidate
Party Affiliation: Republican
Established Date: 02/24/2015
[….]
Information Reported On: 2017 – January Quarterly Report
Beginning Money on Hand $399,324.76
Monetary Receipts + $2,670,289.19
Monetary Expenditures – $123,449.91
Contributions Made – $0.00
Other Disbursements – $0.00
Subtotal $2,546,839.28
Ending Money On Hand $2,946,164.04

That’s $2,670,289.19 raised between December 4, 2016 and December 31, 2016 – in four weeks.

Contributions reported on Eric Greitens’ (r) quarterly campaign finance report filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission on January 17, 2017.

$1,600,000.00 of the total came from six individuals or entities. Over ninety of the approximately 130 contributions were in amounts of $5,000.00 or higher.

The campaign contributions:

David Humphreys, MO, $500,000.00
Sarah Atkins, MO, $500,000.00
Herzog Railroad Services, MO, $300,000.00
Ameren Missouri, MO, $100,000.00
Jeffrey Fox, MO, $100,000.00
Lodging Hospitality Management, MO, $100,000.00
Smithfield Foods Inc, VA, $50,000.00
Supporters of Health Research & Treatments, MO, $50,000.00
Comprehensive Health Management Inc, FL, $35,000.00
Health Systems Inc, MO, $35,000.00
Anheuser Busch Companies, MO, $25,000.00
Boeing Company PAC, VA, $25,000.00
Cape Aerospace Jets LLC, MO, $25,000.00
Con-Agg of MO LLC, MO, $25,000.00
Continental Cement Co. LLC, MO, $25,000.00
Emerson’s Missouri Responsible Government Fund, MO, $25,000.00
Express Scripts, MO, $25,000.00
Richard Destefane, MO, $25,000.00
Steven Craig, CA, $25,000.00
KCS Rail PAC, MO, $20,000.00
Missouri Health Care Association PAC, MO, $20,000.00
Missouri Soybean Association, MO, $20,000.00
Ryan LLC, TX, $20,000.00
Pro Air LLC, MO, $15,357.75
Missouri Hospital Association PAC, MO, $15,000.00
Polsinelli, MO, $15,000.00
SPIRE PAC, MO, $15,000.00
MADA Services Corporation, MO, $12,500.00
Northpark Partners LLC, MO, $12,500.00
Archer Daniels Midland Company, IL, $10,000.00
Atoske, MT, $10,000.00
Blue Cross& Blue Shield of KC PAC, MO, $10,000.00
Brad Bedell, MO, $10,000.00
Drury Development Corporation, MO, $10,000.00
Enhancing Community PAC, MO, $10,000.00
Enterprise Holdings PAC, MO, $10,000.00
HNTB Holdings Ltd PAC, MO, $10,000.00
Hunter Engineering Company, MO, $10,000.00
International Game Technology PAC, RI, $10,000.00
Major Brands Inc PAC, MO, $10,000.00
Mallinckrodt LLC, DC, $10,000.00
Missouri American Water Employees PAC, MO, $10,000.00
Missouri Energy Development Association PAC, MO, $10,000.00
Missouri Pork PAC, MO, $10,000.00
Missouri Society of Anesthesiologists, MO, $10,000.00
Northpoint, MO, $10,000.00
Penn Enterprises Inc, MO, $10,000.00
Susan McCollum, MO, $10,000.00
Thompson Coburn LLP, MO, $10,000.00
Veterans United Home Loans, MO, $10,000.00
Western Anesthesiology Associates, MO, $10,000.00
Jerry Sumners, MO, $7,501.00
Coca-Cola North America, GA, $7,500.00
Edwin Rice, MO, $5,001.00
Sara Hargis, MO, $5,001.00
Advance America, SC, $5,000.00
Alkermes Inc, MA, $5,000.00
AMECPAC, MO, $5,000.00
American Web Loan Inc, OK, $5,000.00
Apex Oil Company Inc, MO, $5,000.00
AT&T Missouri PAC, MO, $5,000.00
BB Industries Inc, MO, $5,000.00
CenturyTel Inc, LA, $5,000.00
CGI Technologies and Solutions Inc PAC, VA, $5,000.00
Chapman Ventures LLC, MO, $5,000.00
Comcast, PA, $5,000.00
Dynamic Fitness Management Ltd, IL, $5,000.00
FEAPAC of Missouri, MO, $5,000.00
General Motors PAC, DC, $5,000.00
Gregory Spence, MO, $5,000.00
Hallmark Cards, MO, $5,000.00
HRB Management Inc, GA, $5,000.00
Hy-Vee Inc Employees PAC, IA, $5,000.00
James Koman, MO, $5,000.00
Kum & Go, IA, $5,000.00
Larus Corporation, MO, $5,000.00
Microspft Corporation PAC, WA, $5,000.00
Missouri Beer Wholesalers Association, MO, $5,000.00
Missouri Insurance Coalition PAC, MO, $5,000.00
MO Growth Association PAC, MO, $5,000.00
MOFSA PAC, MO, $5,000.00
O’Reilly Development Company LLC, MO, $5,000.00
Ozark Anesthesia Associates Inc, MO, $5,000.00
Pat O’Reilly, MO, $5,000.00
Patek & Associates, MO, $5,000.00
Phil Melugin, MO, $5,000.00
PHLV LLC, IL, $5,000.00
Selling Source LLC, NV, $5,000.00
Signature Medical Group, MO, $5,000.00
Stonebridge Senior Living, MO, $5,000.00
Tesla Motors Inc, CA, $5,000.00
Tutera Group Inc, MO, $5,000.00
UP Railroad Company, OH, $5,000.00
Walgreens, IL, $5,000.00
Empire District Electric Co, MO, $3,000.00
Steve Roberts, MO, $2,600.00
Phillips 66 Company, TX, $2,500.66
American Family Insurance Missouri PAC, MO, $2,500.00
Ash Grove Cement Company, KS, $2,500.00
Caroline Saunders, MO, $2,500.00
Catalyst Consulting Group Inc, MO, $2,500.00
DraftKings Inc, MA, $2,500.00
Enova, IL, $2,500.00
FanDuel Inc, NY, $2,500.00
Festus Manor LLC, IL, $2,500.00
Lyft Inc, CA, $2,500.00
Maxine Clark, MO, $2,500.00
Missouri Corn Growers Assn PAC, MO, $2,500.00
Pegasus Funding LLC, NY, $2,500.00
PHAR LLC, IL, $2,500.00
Shelter Insurance State PAC, MO, $2,500.00
The Koman Group LLC, MO, $2,500.00
Titlemax, TX, $2,500.00
Deron Cherry, MO, $2,000.00
Sprint, AZ, $2,000.00
Terrence Dunn, KS, $2,000.00
Gary Crossley Ford, MO, $1,280.44
Golden Pear Funding LLC, NJ, $1,000.00
Gregory Kratofil, MO, $1,000.00
Hal Higdon, MO, $1,000.00
Harvey Tettlebaum, MO, $1,000.00
Presettlement Solutions, AZ, $1,000.00
Stephen Dunn, KS, $1,000.00
The Rhoads Company LLC, MO, $1,000.00
Thomas Whittaker, MO, $750.00
Lawstreet Capital, NY, $500.00
Richard Martin, MO, $500.00
Steve Rasche, MO, $500.00
Marc Hahn, MO, $250.00
Sekhar Prabhakar, MO, $250.00
Individuals Giving $100 or less, MO, $200.00

[emphasis added]

A good chunk came from PACs and corporate entities.

Welcome to Missouri.

Previously:

Eric Greitens (r) – quarterly campaign finance report – April 15, 2015 (April 19, 2015)

Eric Greitens (r) – July 2015 Quarterly Campaign Finance Report (July 15, 2015)

Eric Greitens (r) – October 2015 Quarterly Campaign Finance Report (October 17, 2015)

Eric Greitens (r) – January 2016 Quarterly Campaign Finance Report – “Running for governor in which state?” (January 17, 2016)

Campaign Finance: Eric Greitens (r) – 8 Day Before General Election (October 31, 2016)

Crocodile Tears

17 Tuesday Jan 2017

Posted by Michael Bersin in Missouri General Assembly, Missouri Governor

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Tags

budget, Caleb Rowden, cuts, Eric Greitens., governor, higher education, Kansasfication, Misouri, SB 509

Caleb Rowden (r) [2016 file photo].

Governor Eric Greitens (r) has ordered significant budget cuts, with higher education taking a significant hit. Over the years the republican controlled General Assembly has cut back the possibilities of revenue, creating a death spiral of diminishing revenue and continuous cuts in public investment.

Via Twitter from Tony Messenger at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Tony Messenger ‏@tonymess
‘Nobody was more disappointed about what happened yesterday than I was,’ says Sen. @calebrowden on @EricGreitens higher ed cuts. #moleg
2:37 PM – 17 Jan 2017

On May 6, 2014 the republican controlled General Assembly overrode then Governor Jay Nixon’s (D) veto of SB 509, an ill conceived bill which further exacerbates these same budgetary shackles and insures the Kansasfication of Missouri.

Then Representative (now Senator) Caleb Rowden’s (r) disappointment over the hits the University of Missouri (in his district) would take wasn’t evident (r) on May 6, 2014 when he voted [pdf] (Journal of the House, 1578) to override Governor Nixon’s veto.

Spare us the tears.

Previously:

SB 509: the moment when all hope for the future of Missouri died (May 6, 2014)

Rep. Stacey Newman (D): about those guns…

12 Monday Dec 2016

Posted by Michael Bersin in Missouri General Assembly, Missouri House

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

87th Legislative District, Eric Greitens., governor, guns, missouri, Stacey Newman

Representative Stacey Newman (D) [2016 file photo].

Representative Stacey Newman (D) sent an open letter to Governor-Elect Eric Greitens (r):

AN OPEN LETTER TO MISSOURI GOVERNOR-ELECT GREITENS

December 11, 2016

Dear Gov-Elect Greitens,

I sincerely regret that your wife experienced a frightening robbery at gunpoint in St. Louis City last week not far from your home. It is not an experience that anyone should face and I’m relieved that she and the other nearby robbery victim were not physically harmed.

As you are well aware, robbery or carjacking attempts which involve a firearm, often result in tragic consequences. Alderwoman Lyda Krewson, a gun violence survivor, knows this well. Years ago her husband was shot and killed in a carjacking in front of their Central West End home with their two young children in the back seat and she miraculously escaped harm.

I urge you to talk with St. Louis City Police Chief Sam Dotson and check out his website, http://www.slmpd.org for weekly statistics on city crime, particularly those involving firearms. You will notice homicides and robberies are at a pace rivaling those of major city populations throughout the country. Talk with the nearby Clayton police chief who will tell you that stolen guns are the number one crime issue in his major suburban business center, as well as the city of St. Louis. The easy availability of firearms in a metropolitan area is a dire issue to those who have the professional responsibility to keep populations safe and alive.

Chief Dotson, along with the Missouri Police Chiefs Association, Missouri Fraternal Order of Police, county prosecutors, medical professionals and more urged your party in the legislature this past year to defeat SB656 — which abolished sheriff-issued permits in order to carry concealed weapons and included the “stand your ground” defense which has been shown to greatly increase gun deaths, particularly of African Americans. However, legislators ignored the pleas of those who deal with gun violence every day and night in our cities and overturned Governor Nixon’s veto.

Gun violence is not just robbery attempts or homicides in those “bad neighborhoods” many choose to avoid. It includes suicides, domestic violence incidents often killing an entire family and even little kids who have ready access to an adult’s gun and shoot themselves or someone else. In fact, Missouri was #1 in 2015 toddler shootings across the country — little ones barely able to walk who pulled the trigger of a gun. Check out http://childrensfirearmsafetyalliance.com which documents unintentional shootings of children by children every single day, many which have occurred in Missouri.

Last year Washington University in St. Louis, in your own backyard, became incensed at our alarming rate of gun violence and launched their ongoing Gun Violence Initiative, now parked at the university’s Institute for Public Health. Physicians, researchers and students study and work with community organizations, including regional hospitals, to find ways to lower injury and death rates due to gun violence. Leading national medical experts and scientists throughout the nation collaborate with those at Washington University and St. Louis University’s Schools of Medicine because as medical professionals, they are sick and tired of treating gun violence patients every single day, many they often cannot save.

St. Louis is not the only city in Missouri suffering from a gun violence epidemic. Kansas City is suffering as are smaller communities throughout the state. Mayor Sly James and Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker have been working diligently with innovative Kansas City community programs to decrease gun crimes, working around the clock to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous citizens. They ask the legislature for help over and over but are ignored.

No zip code is immune from death and injury through careless use of firearms. I urge you to look at Missouri incidents catalogued just for 2016 at http://www.gunviolencearchive.org.

But as a current resident of the city of St. Louis, you must know much of this already. I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of photos of grieving families in the media, particularly of those trying to make sense of burying innocent kids far too soon, kids who were simply doing homework in their living rooms or happened to find their parent’s gun laying on a nearby table.

Once inaugurated next month, you soon will have the power, ability and the responsibility to address gun violence. There are concrete solutions to lowering our death rates, simply by keeping firearms from those who should not have access to them. Over 80% of Missourians believe that every gun purchase should undergo a federal background check and that domestic abusers and those on the no-fly list should not be allowed to purchase firearms. Those are simple ideas that have widespread support which you can champion immediately once in office, with solid approval from law enforcement, prosecutors, medical professionals and many more.

You, as Missouri’s next governor, can be a hero (like you were as a Navy Seal) in standing up to corporate lobbies and be proactive in saving people’s lives, including children the same ages as your own.

Please don’t allow someone else to become a firearm fatality after your wife’s frightening robbery.

We desperately need a hero right now.

Most sincerely,
State Representative Stacey Newman, St. Louis, Missouri

Previously:

Will Eric Greitens learn that we reap what we sow? (December 7, 2016)

Campaign Finance: the letter, but certainly not the spirit

08 Thursday Dec 2016

Posted by Michael Bersin in campaign finance

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

campaign finance, Eric Greitens, governor, missouri, Missouri Ethics Commission

At the ostensible end of an era of breathtaking arrogance leave it to the campaign of a self-identified crusader against the “culture of corruption” in Jefferson City to treat us, yesterday, with enough breathtaking arrogance to beat all.

They don’t particularly care what you may think about it now because they know you’re most probably not paying attention. If you are paying attention they’re counting on your forgetfulness. They’re probably right on both counts.

At the Missouri Ethics Commission:

[….]
On November 8, 2016, Missouri voters approved Constitutional Amendment 2 which, among its provisions, imposes campaign contribution limits on certain candidates for state office including statewide offices, legislative offices and judicial offices.
[….]
… the effective date is December 8, 2016…
[….]
Section 23, subsection 3(1), provides a contribution limit of $2,600 from any person, other than the candidate, to elect individuals to state office for “one” election.
[….]

Eric Greitens (r) [2016 file photo].

Late yesterday at the Missouri Ethics Commission for Eric Greitens’ (r) 2020 gubernatorial (or whatever) campaign:

C151053 12/07/2016 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI David Humphreys PO Box 4050 Joplin MO 64803 Tamko Building Products Executive 12/7/2016 $500,000.00

C151053 12/07/2016 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI Sarah Humphreys Atkins 220 W. 4th St Joplin MO 64802 Tamko Building Products Consultant 12/7/2016 $500,000.00

[emphasis added]

$1,000,000.00 from Tamko! Wait, Sarah Atkins moved back to Joplin?

C151053 12/07/2016 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI Susan McCollum 48 Westmoreland Pl. St Louis MO 63108 Major Brands CEO 12/7/2016 $10,000.00

C151053 12/07/2016 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI Major Brands Inc. PAC 6701 Southwest Ave. St Louis MO 63143 12/7/2016 $10,000.00

C151053 12/07/2016 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI Enhancing Community PAC 77 West Port Plz Suite 250 St Louis MO 63146 12/7/2016 $10,000.00

C151053 12/07/2016 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI Northpark Partners, LLC 2199 Innerbelt Business Center Dr. St Louis MO 63114 12/7/2016 $12,500.00

C151053 12/07/2016 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI Spire Political Action Committee 700 Market Street St Louis MO 63101 12/7/2016 $15,000.00

C151053 12/07/2016 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI Missouri Soybean Association PO Box 104778 Jefferson City MO 65110 12/7/2016 $20,000.00

C151053 12/07/2016 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI Missouri Energy Development Association PAC 326 E. Capitol Ave. Jefferson City MO 65101 12/7/2016 $10,000.00

C151053 12/07/2016 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI Supporters of Health Research & Treatments PO Box 11591 St Louis MO 63105 12/7/2016 $50,000.00

C151053 12/07/2016 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI Polsinelli 900 W. 48th Place Suite 900 Kansas City MO 64112 12/7/2016 $15,000.00

[emphasis added]

Missourians and Missouri entities present their contribution checks.

C151053 12/07/2016 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI Smithfield PO Box 9004 Smithfield VA 23431
12/7/2016 $50,000.00

[emphasis added]

Yes, Santa Claus, there is a Virginia.

C151053 12/07/2016 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI Missouri Society of Anesthesiologists 4579 Laclede Ave. Box 472 St Louis MO 63108 12/7/2016 $10,000.00

C151053 12/07/2016 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI Western Anesthesiology Associates, Inc. 339 Consort Dr. Ballwin MO 63011
12/7/2016 $10,000.00

Are you sleeping?

C151053 12/07/2016 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI Veterans United Home Loans 1400 Veterans United Dr. Columbia MO 65203 12/5/2016 $10,000.00

[emphasis added]

Definitely not alone.

C151053 12/07/2016 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI Ameren PO Box 66892 St Louis MO 63166 12/5/2016 $100,000.00

[emphasis added]

What a friend he has in energy companies.

C151053 12/07/2016 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI Enterprise Holdings, INC. PAC 600 Corporate Park Dr. St Louis MO 63105 12/6/2016 $10,000.00

[emphasis added]

Definitely doesn’t come with a complimentary rental car.

C151053 12/07/2016 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI Jeffrey Fox 7701 Forsyth Blvd. Suite 600 St Louis MO 63105 Harbour Group Industries CEO 12/7/2016 $90,000.00

C151053 12/07/2016 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI Lodging Hospitality Management 111 Westport Plaza St Louis MO 63146 12/7/2016 $100,000.00

[emphasis added]

Campaign Finance: and so it ends or begins before it begins – part 8

06 Tuesday Dec 2016

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

campaign finance, Eric Greitens, governor, missouri, Missouri Ethics Commission

Yep, they’re still lining up to get those big contributions in before limits kick in on December 8th.

Eric Greitens (r) [2016 file photo].

Yesterday at the Missouri Ethics Commission for Eric Greitens’ (r) 2016 or 2020 [?] gubernatorial or whatever campaign:

C151053 12/05/2016 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI Burns & McDonnell 9400 Ward Pkwy Kansas City MO 64114 12/2/2016 $15,000.00

C151053 12/05/2016 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI BNSF 2500 Lou Menk Dr. AOB-3 Fort Worth TX 76131 12/2/2016 $10,000.00

C151053 12/05/2016 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI JE Dunn 1001 Locust St. Kansas City MO 64106 12/2/2016 $12,000.00

[emphasis added]

Texas? Really?

Previously:

Campaign Finance: and so it ends or begins before it begins (November 20, 2016)

Campaign Finance: and so it ends or begins before it begins – part 2 (November 21, 2016)

Campaign Finance: and so it ends or begins before it begins – part 3 (November 23, 2016)

Campaign Finance: and so it ends or begins before it begins – part 4 (November 28, 2016)

Campaign Finance: and so it ends or begins before it begins – part 5 (November 29, 2016)

Campaign Finance: and so it ends or begins before it begins – part 6 (December 1, 2016)

Campaign Finance: and so it ends or begins before it begins – part 7 (December 3, 2016)

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~ covering government and politics in Missouri – since 2007

Tag Archives: governor

State Auditor Nicole Galloway (D) to Governor Eric Greitens (r): veto SB 43

Campaign Finance: that’s a fine mess he’s gotten into

Gov. Eric Greitens (r) – April 2017 Quarterly Campaign Finance Report

Oh, sure, it’s all laughs and giggles…until the bill comes due.

Gov. Eric Greitens (r) – January 2017 Quarterly Campaign Finance Report

Crocodile Tears

Rep. Stacey Newman (D): about those guns…

Campaign Finance: the letter, but certainly not the spirit

Campaign Finance: and so it ends or begins before it begins – part 8