Free advertising.

The Rex Sinquefield funded PAC Grow Missouri’s moving billboard at

the University of Central Missouri’s Skyhaven Airport near Warrensburg [file photo].

On starting the initiative petition process for the legalization of marijuana in Missouri (via Facebook):

John W. Payne

13 hrs · St. Louis, MO

In the last 36 hours, I have done interviews with KMOX, the International Business Times, KMOV, Columbia Missourian, KCOU, Saint Louis Public Radio, KTRS, KMBZ, KFVS-12, Kansas City Business Journal, Kansas City Public Radio, and a little newspaper outlet called the Washington Post.

Probably my favorite exchange throughout the whole process was when Jonathan Weir at KMBZ called this morning and right before we went live, he said, “So you guys turned in the petition and now you have some sort of blimp over here. Is that right?”

The libertarians are probably really happy about all that free advertising.

It would be Karma for a St. Louis billionaire’s legacy to consist solely of the state of Missouri populated in the near and distant future by undereducated stoners working minimum wage jobs.

That’s a feature, not a bug, right?

Previously:

Not so fast on grounding that blimp… (November 6, 2014)

“…We smiled and waved, sittin’ there on that sack of seeds.” (September 20, 2014)

It looks like I took to Twitter too soon:

Michael Bersin ‏@MBersin

To make the astroturf PAC mailings and TV ads stop. Plus, I want to ground the blimp. #WhyImVoting

5:22 AM – 4 Nov 2014

The first proposed initiative petition for the 2016 election cycle is:

2016-001

Submitted by:

Dan Viets

Show-Me Cannabis Regulation

15 N. 10th Street

Columbia, MO 65201

[….]

Be it resolved by the people of the state of Missouri that the Constitution be amended:

One new section is adopted to be known as Article I, section 36 and to read as follows:

35(a) 1. Citizens over the age of twenty-one years shall have the right to engage in the production, sale, distribution, and consumption of marijuana and the manufacture of goods from hemp….

[….]

The Rex Sinquefield funded PAC Grow Missouri’s moving billboard at

the University of Central Missouri’s Skyhaven Airport near Warrensburg [file photo].

Bring back the blimp!  

Hoover: Kent is a legacy, Otter. His brother was a ’59, Fred Dorfman.

Flounder: He said legacies usually get asked to pledge automatically.

Otter: Oh, well, usually. Unless the pledge in question turns out to be a real closet-case.

Otter, Boon: Like Fred.

A Rex Sinquefield funded PAC dropped even more money on the legacy in the 24th Senate District race (yesterday, via the Missouri Ethics Commission::

C141179 10/31/2014 ASHCROFT FOR MISSOURI Grow Missouri 308 E High Street Jefferson City MO 65101 10/31/2014 $112,013.00

[emphasis added]

It was an in-kind [pdf] contribution. Maybe it was a Halloween ride on the blimp.

The Rex Sinquefield funded PAC Grow Missouri’s moving billboard at

the University of Central Missouri’s Skyhaven Airport near Warrensburg this morning.

Heh.

Previously:

Jill Schupp (D) versus the legacy (r) in the 24th Senate District (October 25, 2014)

Campaign Finance: paving the legacy’s path to the Senate in gold (October 19, 2014)

Campaign Finance: polling, polling, polling… (September 24, 2014)

Campaign Finance: all in on the legacy (September 23, 2014)

Campaign Finance: supporting the legacy in $10,000.00 increments (September 5, 2014)

Campaign Finance: legacies (August 27, 2014)

“He said legacies usually get asked to pledge automatically.” (August 7, 2014)

Campaign Finance: all that money in the 24th Senate District republican primary (August 3, 2014)

Campaign Finance: 24th Senate District – July quarterly campaign finance reports (July 18, 2014)

Campaign Finance: end of quarter confidence in the 24th Senate District (July 3, 2014)

Campaign Finance: 24th Senate District – April quarterly campaign finance reports (April 19, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Friends of the family?  (April 11, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Make room for daddy? (April 7, 2014)

Campaign Finance: trying to catch up in the 24th Senate District (March 31, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Schupp (D) and Lamping (r) in the 24th Senate District – 4th quarter 2013 (January 15, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Schupp (D) and Lamping (r) in the 24th Senate District – 3rd quarter 2013 (October 21, 2013)

Our household received this campaign piece in yesterday’s mail:

As if Newsmax is credible for anything?

Yes, yes, let’s talk about Kansas.

Any bets on quotes taken out of context?

Improve Missouri education and healthcare? If you define that as gutting public education and keeping hundreds of thousands of people from affordable access to healthcare.

The twenty-something campaign consultants who spend Rex Sinquefield’s money think your stoopit (October 22, 2014)

Is there anyone left on the planet who seriously believes that right wingnut republicans want people to have greater access to healthcare? Any twenty-something campaign consultant who shovels this mail is either delusional or a sociopath.

Yes, it’s the PAC with the blimp that confuses supporters of legalization:

The Rex Sinquefield funded PAC Grow Missouri’s moving billboard at

the University of Central Missouri’s Skyhaven Airport near Warrensburg [file photo].

And the money comes from:

How “a broad based coalition” is now defined in Missouri and America (September 12, 2014)

[….]

The Grow Missouri PAC’s “broad based coalition” consists of $6,045,000.00 from Rex Sinquefield (in blue)

and $22,000.00 (in-kind) from Pelopidas LLC over the fourteen month existence of the PAC.

[….]

Welcome to Missouri and America in the 21st century.

But we repeat ourselves. So do they.

Previously:

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

Campaign Finance: teachers are evil, except when they save kids from a tornado or a crazed gunman (May 24, 2013)

Campaign Finance: using a lot of money to beat up on teachers (May 28, 2012)

Campaign Finance: Bah, humbug! (December 25, 2013)

Campaign Finance: here’s $31,000.00, go beat up on public school teachers (February 26, 2014)

Campaign Finance: a contribution of only $20.00 is a stronger statement (April 25, 2014)

“…We smiled and waved, sittin’ there on that sack of seeds.” (September 20, 2014)

The only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys (October 1, 2014)

Follow the blimp, then check the area for concentrations of hot air… (October 11, 2014)

The twenty-something campaign consultants who spend Rex Sinquefield’s money think your stoopit (October 22, 2014)

Campaign Finance: maybe the blimp is running out of gas (October 24, 2014)

The Rex Sinquefield funded PAC Grow Missouri’s moving billboard at

the University of Central Missouri’s Skyhaven Airport near Warrensburg [file photo].

Today, at the Missouri Ethics Commission, from one right wingnut astroturf PAC to another:

C131097 10/24/2014 GROW MISSOURI TeachGreat.Org 308 E High St Suite 301 Jefferson City MO 65101 10/23/2014 $225,000.00

[emphasis added]

Our household received this piece in the mail today:

Another mailing from the Grow Missouri PAC funded by Rex Sinquefield.

Tell it to Kansas.

Heh. They wrote “flick”. That probably makes the legalization folks smile.

Previously:

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

Campaign Finance: teachers are evil, except when they save kids from a tornado or a crazed gunman (May 24, 2013)

Campaign Finance: using a lot of money to beat up on teachers (May 28, 2012)

Campaign Finance: Bah, humbug! (December 25, 2013)

Campaign Finance: here’s $31,000.00, go beat up on public school teachers (February 26, 2014)

Campaign Finance: a contribution of only $20.00 is a stronger statement (April 25, 2014)

“…We smiled and waved, sittin’ there on that sack of seeds.” (September 20, 2014)

The only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys (October 1, 2014)

Follow the blimp, then check the area for concentrations of hot air… (October 11, 2014)

The twenty-something campaign consultants who spend Rex Sinquefield’s money think your stoopit (October 22, 2014)

Today, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C091068 10/13/2014 HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE, INC Grow Missouri 308 E High Street Suite 301 Jefferson City MO 65101 10/11/2014 $45,000.00

[emphasis added]

republicans in the Missouri General Assembly have a very wealthy friend with an air force.

Previously:

“…We smiled and waved, sittin’ there on that sack of seeds.” (September 20, 2014)

The only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys (October 1, 2014)

Follow the blimp, then check the area for concentrations of hot air… (October 11, 2014)

This morning, near Warrensburg, Missouri:

The Rex Sinquefield funded PAC Grow Missouri’s moving billboard at

the University of Central Missouri’s Skyhaven Airport near Warrensburg this morning.

We’re not sure if anyone else noticed the irony of utilizing the facility of an institution as a stopover for a propaganda mechanism of the PAC that advocates for defunding that institution (and others across the state).

Who’s paying for this? Show them the money:

How “a broad based coalition” is now defined in Missouri and America (September 12, 2014)

[….]

That’s all of the contributions – $6,045,000.00 from one person and $22,000.00 in-kind from a group associated with lobbyists who also lobby for the person who wrote the big checks.

Let’s put that all in perspective:

The Grow Missouri PAC’s “broad based coalition” consists of $6,045,000.00 from Rex Sinquefield (in blue)

and $22,000.00 (in-kind) from Pelopidas LLC over the fourteen month existence of the PAC.

That’s your “broad based coalition”.

[….]

That can buy a lot of toys, among other things.

Last week:

Michael Bersin ‏@MBersin

@saratastic Overpaid twenty something in the right wingnut campaign consultant industrial complex: “Hey, let’s fly a blimp. It’ll be dope.” 8:08 AM – 24 Sep 2014

Heh.

Previously:

“…We smiled and waved, sittin’ there on that sack of seeds.” (September 20, 2014)

Campaign Finance: that’s not enough to rent a blimp (September 27, 2014)

Today, at the Pitch:

Rex Sinquefield-backed PAC Grow Missouri trying to pay local reporters to blog for them

Posted by Steve Vockrodt on Fri, Sep 26, 2014 at 4:07 PM

….Alex Stuckey, the statehouse reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, received an e-mail from some functionary who starts the message by fawning over Stuckey’s work for the newspaper, followed with an offer to have her pen entries for Grow Missouri’s website, with or without a byline. The going rate was $250 per dispatch.

Other reporters, including St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum, received similar offers, which were posted on their Twitter feeds and roundly lampooned….

People get paid serious money (well, at least to us) to write for blogs? That’s actually possible?

If there are any billionaires reading this – we can be bought. For the right price…  

The Red Lily, Anatole France

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

There’s this gem of a press release from the astroturf PAC, Grow Missouri:

Grow Missouri Will Report $2.5 Million Contribution

Funds Will Support Speaker-Elect John Diehl’s “100 Great Ideas” Tour

Sept. 12, 2014 (ST. LOUIS) Grow Missouri – a broad based coalition formed to advocate policies that will make Missouri a more competitive, more attractive place to live and work – is announcing it will be reporting a new contribution of $2.5 million.  The money will be used in large part to help support Missouri House Speaker-elect, John Diehl’s “100 Great Ideas Tour,” as well as other efforts that promote pro-growth, smaller government policy initiatives….

[emphasis in original]

Let’s take a look at exactly how “broad based” Grow Missouri actually is. Via the Missouri Ethics Commission

C131097: Grow Missouri

308 E High St Ste 301 Committee Type: Political Action

Jefferson City Mo 65101

[….] Established Date: 07/08/2013

[….]

[emphasis added]

The “broad based coalition” is a little over a year old. Let’s look at their “broad based coalition” history of contributions:

MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION

CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOANS RECEIVED

GROW MISSOURI [pdf] 10/15/2013

Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 7/9/2013 $1,300,000.0[0]

Pelopidas LLC 1034 South Brentwood Blvd. St Louis MO 63117 7/15/2013 $22,000.00 [in-kind]

11. TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED AT FUND-RAISERS AS REPORTED INLINE 8 ON FORM CD1A $0.00

12. TOTAL ANONYMOUS CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSON GIVING $25 OR LESS $0.00

13. TOTAL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS GIVING $100 OR LESS $0.00

14. TOTAL IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS (NOT COMMITTEES) GIVING $100 OR LESS $0.00

[emphasis added]

Heh. The Missouri Ethics Commission reporting system has difficult handling contribution amounts in seven figures.

Gee, that in-kind contribution from Pelopidas LLC? What’s the connection there? (via the Missouri Ethics Commission):

Principal     Lobbyist

PELOPIDAS LLC     Dave Berry

PELOPIDAS, LLC     Katherine Casas

PELOPIDAS, LLC     David Michael Jackson

PELOPIDAS, LLC     Travis Brown

[….]

Principal Lobbyist

REX AND JEANNE SINQUEFIELD     David Michael Jackson

REX AND JEANNE SINQUEFIELD     Travis Brown

REX AND JEANNE SINQUEFIELD     Dave Berry

[….]

REX AND JEANNE SINQUEFIELD     Katherine Casas

The next PAC campaign finance report:

MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION

CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOANS RECEIVED

GROW MISSOURI [pdf] 1/15/2014

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

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

11. TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED AT FUND-RAISERS AS REPORTED INLINE 8 ON FORM CD1A $0.00

12. TOTAL ANONYMOUS CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSON GIVING $25 OR LESS $0.00

13. TOTAL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS GIVING $100 OR LESS $0.00

14. TOTAL IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS (NOT COMMITTEES) GIVING $100 OR LESS $0.00

[emphasis added]

And the next:

MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION

CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOANS RECEIVED

GROW MISSOURI [pdf] 4/15/2014

11. TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED AT FUND-RAISERS AS REPORTED INLINE 8 ON FORM CD1A $0.00

12. TOTAL ANONYMOUS CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSON GIVING $25 OR LESS $0.00

13. TOTAL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS GIVING $100 OR LESS $0.00

14. TOTAL IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS (NOT COMMITTEES) GIVING $100 OR LESS $0.00

[emphasis added]

And the next:

MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION

CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOANS RECEIVED

GROW MISSOURI [pdf] 5/9/2014

11. TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED AT FUND-RAISERS AS REPORTED INLINE 8 ON FORM CD1A $0.00

12. TOTAL ANONYMOUS CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSON GIVING $25 OR LESS $0.00

13. TOTAL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS GIVING $100 OR LESS $0.00

14. TOTAL IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS (NOT COMMITTEES) GIVING $100 OR LESS $0.00

[emphasis added]

And the next:

MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION

CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOANS RECEIVED

GROW MISSOURI [pdf] 7/15/2014

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

11. TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED AT FUND-RAISERS AS REPORTED INLINE 8 ON FORM CD1A $0.00

12. TOTAL ANONYMOUS CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSON GIVING $25 OR LESS $0.00

13. TOTAL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS GIVING $100 OR LESS $0.00

14. TOTAL IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS (NOT COMMITTEES) GIVING $100 OR LESS $0.00

[emphasis added]

And the next:

MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION

CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOANS RECEIVED

GROW MISSOURI [pdf] 8/4/2014

Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 7/18/2014 $250,000.00

11. TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED AT FUND-RAISERS AS REPORTED INLINE 8 ON FORM CD1A $0.00

12. TOTAL ANONYMOUS CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSON GIVING $25 OR LESS $0.00

13. TOTAL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS GIVING $100 OR LESS $0.00

14. TOTAL IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS (NOT COMMITTEES) GIVING $100 OR LESS $0.00

[emphasis added]

And the last:

MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION

CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOANS RECEIVED

GROW MISSOURI [pdf] 9/4/2014

11. TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED AT FUND-RAISERS AS REPORTED INLINE 8 ON FORM CD1A $0.00

12. TOTAL ANONYMOUS CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSON GIVING $25 OR LESS $0.00

13. TOTAL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS GIVING $100 OR LESS $0.00

14. TOTAL IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS (NOT COMMITTEES) GIVING $100 OR LESS $0.00

[emphasis added]

And, of course, just today:

C131097 09/12/2014 GROW MISSOURI Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 9/11/2014 $2,500,000.00

[emphasis added]

That’s all of the contributions – $6,045,000.00 from one person and $22,000.00 in-kind from a group associated with lobbyists who also lobby for the person who wrote the big checks.

Let’s put that all in perspective:

The Grow Missouri PAC’s “broad based coalition” consists of $6,045,000.00 from Rex Sinquefield (in blue)

and $22,000.00 (in-kind) from Pelopidas LLC over the fourteen month existence of the PAC.

That’s your “broad based coalition”.

Whoever wrote that press release is showing their absolute contempt for the media and the public. They think we’re all too stupid to notice or too lazy to care. They may be right on both counts.

Previously:

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

Campaign Finance: Why give 11 cents when you can write a check for $1.5 million? (May 15, 2014)

Campaign Finance: “Never give up. Never surrender.” (September 12, 2014)

The Red Lily, Anatole France

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

Missouri campaign finance law is majestic in the sense that it allows each and every one of us to contribute $2,500,0000.00 to the candidate or political action committee of our choice.

Today, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C131097 09/12/2014 GROW MISSOURI Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 9/11/2014 $2,500,000.00

It’ll never end until he runs out of money. And that’ll never happen.

Previously:

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

Campaign Finance: Why give 11 cents when you can write a check for $1.5 million? (May 15, 2014)