Area417

Local Landlord Held at Gunpoint

I haven't seen any news reports on this yet. I only know of the situation because we used to rent from the same woman and my husband is a friend of the apartment manager.

A man entered a local landlord's home this morning demanding money.

It gets strange in a hurry. 

The reason the man wanted the check was to pay for legal fees incurred by the father of the last guy that broke in. 

Several months ago, the first robber, who was an evicted tenant, broke into the woman s residence on the 1200 block of East Elm, knocked her out cold and stole all her cash, along with some blank checks. He was caught in Cabool, Missouri, trying cash a $75,000 check he had made out to himself.  Robber #1 is now serving time.

Robber #2  a buddy of robber #1  was angry about the legal fees that #1 s family had incurred in his defense and felt that it was only right that the victim cough up some money to repay the family. He gained entrance into the woman s home at approximately 9 a.m. this morning and held her at gunpoint, demanding that she write out a $250,000 check to donate to his cause. A tenant called the woman as she was in the process of writing out the check.

Concerned that she didn t sound quite right, he called the woman s son, who in turned called his mother to see what was going on. She somehow conveyed that she was not alone and that all was not right with the world. The police were called.

The son called the tenant back, he caused a commotion trying to break into the house, frightening Robber #2 off. Sometime later, the police finally arrive.

#2 is still on the loose at this time.

Local News

Kudos to two young Springfield boys for saving a toddler from certain injuries. Standley Murphey and  Zahmar Young caught the 2-year old as he fell from a second story window.

Except he didn't fall. His 18 year-old babysitter, Rebecca Woods, dropped the boy out of the apartment window where she was taking care of 5 children. Word is that Ms. Woods succumbed to pressure from the toddler's eight year-old sister to drop the little boy from the window.

The crazy-ass babysitter is now in jail on $25,000 bond--not nearly enough, in my opinion. (Links: KY3 and KOLR)

Local blogger/teacher/journalist, Randy Turner, is publishing his third book, The Turner Report. You can check out (and order) the book from IUniverse. I read the first chapter, "Terror on the Nightshift," about past corruption in the Webb City Police Department. Good stuff. Go forth and order! (Hat Tip: Missouri Political News Service)

Audit Completed on Springfield Municipal Court

What led to the theft of at least $1,356,072 from the City of Springfield Municipal Court? According to State Auditor Susan Montee, a "total breakdown in supervision and oversight."

Ms. Montee presented the findings of the audit tonight in City Council chambers. From her summary:

• Little or no supervisory review and poorly implemented internal controls allowed the misappropriation to occur and avoid detection
• Neither the city nor the municipal court compared revenues reported  to actual court receipt records
• Investigations by the city's finance department were inadequate
• No recon was done on method of payments received against the composition of total deposits (the thief was swapping out credit card transactions with cash)
• Finance department personnel were, at one point,  nine months behind in preparing bond account bank reconciliations

When Montee was questioned about the handling of receipts, she said "it was a disaster." The court's Accounting Services Representative was responsible for both depositing and reporting court receipts. No checks and balances.

It is estimated that 13% of the missing funds should have gone into different departments, such as law enforcement training and victim's compensation.

The audit report isn't on the web yet, but when it is, you can go here and look for audit number 2007-30.

The audit of the City of Springfield and City Utilities are still in progress.

Libertarian Doug Burlison Wins City Council Seat

POST ELECTION UPDATE: HE WINS! CONGRATULATIONS DOUG!

In addition, Cynthia Rushefsky Pounds Sheila Wright at the polls, winning the Zone 2 seat:

WRIGHT .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .       468   19.58
RUSHEFSKY  .  .  .  .  .  .  .    1,922   80.42

Update: Burlison was recently interviewed by Vince Jericho on KSGF Newstalk Radio. You can listen to podcasts here.

***

Reposted by permission. Original article here.

By Keith Rodgers

 

Being an off-year election season, we turn our focus towards local issues and, since all politics is local in the end, what better place to start than a change at City Council?

That change starts with electing a candidate who believes in the ideals of limited government, being a good steward of the public treasury and public trust, and the importance of community involvement in solving issues.

Doug Burlison (upper left picture) garnered almost half the vote in his previous City Council bid in 2004, against an incumbent with more resources. Two of his Council platform issues have turned into reality -- an "Adopt-A-Stream" program, similar to the street cleanup model and, more importantly, his drive to have the city of Springfield audited by the State Auditors Office is currently underway, a task that has never been done in the entire history of the city.

As a candidate for the 7th Congressional seat, Doug challenged business-as-usual Republicans and Democrats by offering the public a no-nonsense, liberty-oriented choice. Now Doug brings with him, to this non-partisan, non-paid Council seat, the core beliefs of the Libertarian Party -- limited government, fiscal responsibility, and the accountability and responsiveness to the public that ALL public servants should have.

You can visit Doug's website at http://www.voteburlison.org/ for more information. Help put a true champion of liberty in local politics.

For the Tree-Hugger in You

March 21^st, is the day locals can get their druid on by gathering together at Phelps Grove Park to "honor the trees that fell" during the recent ice storm, and "give gratitude" to those still standing. Would I kid you?

If you want to go, show up at 7:30 p.m., around the pavilion. Dress is casual. Maybe it's optional. I'm not really clear on that.

Here's a shot of what our own dearly departed tree looked like after the storm. Alas, poor Hawthorn, we knew him well.

 

Metro Republicans Host Candidate Forum

Hosts: Springfield Metro Republicans

What: Meet the candidates for City Council

When: Thursday, March 1^st at 7 p.m.

Where: The Library Center, 4653 South Campbell

Voters will be able to size up the following candidates:

Zone 1	Zone 2	General Council Seat
Dan Chiles	Cynthia Rushefsky	Doug Burlison
Jack Steck	Sheila Wright	Conrad Griggs

Personally, I've already made up my mind on Doug Burlison for the General Council Seat, and Rushefsky for Zone 2. 

This is an informational gathering for voters, not a strictly Republican affair. Thanks to the Spfd. Metro Republicans for hosting this forum.

Who Let The Dogs Out?

Councilwoman Sheila Wright's dog has once again attacked a neighbor's pet. This is the seventh reported incident involving Wright's dog.

The dog is wears an electric collar which should, in theory, keep it within the confines of it's yard.
"I don't know how it happened," she said. "Maybe someone took the collar off and put it back on him."

I have a question, Ms. Wright. Are you sure, really, REALLY sure you want to float that theory? You want us to believe that someone entered your yard, removed the collar, waited for the dog to leave your yard (he couldn't lead him, no collar) and then put the collar BACK on the dog?! Either you are a stupid woman, or you believe the people of Springfield are stupid.

Thank God for those "miles" of sidewalks that Wright's so proud of--at least you won't get hit by a car while running from her damn dog.

Springfield, you won't have long to wait before you can DUMP Sheila Wright as your representative on City Council. I suggest you embrace the opportunity.

Springfield City Council Primaries

Zone 2 residents, it is time to retire Sheila Wright. After listening to her recent interview with Vince Jericho (linked to broadcast on KSGF Newstalk Radio), these items struck me:

• Ms. Wright says she wants to work with the police and fire departments to "upgrade" those departments (whatever that means). Ms. Wright was pretty calloused about stiffing those departments on their pension plan, which leads into...
• The missing money from city coffers. About 1.5 million. Funny thing, that's about equal to the shortfall in the police and firefighters' pension plan. Ms. Wright says that City Council didn't enable the thief through their lack of oversight. One must question why she feels that way. Two previous audits indicated a lack of checks and balances in the accounting system, and those problems were not addressed.

Somehow, I don't think the miles and miles of sidewalks that Ms. Wright is so proud of (except in my neighborhood) quite makes up for the rancor City Council has created with our first responders, nor the indifference to how the taxpayers' money is handled. Twelve years of Ms. Wright is enough. Time for new blood.

The second candidate, Steven Lloyd Reed (link to interview here, would like to see Amtrak service in this area. I would too if it weren't for the fact that Amtrak is a black, sucking hole that can't make a profit, in spite of continuous infusions of tax dollars. Mr. Reed is also in favor of funding a technology park (check it out on his website.) I don't want to spend my tax dollars on it, but decide for yourself.

My choice for the Zone 2 seat is Cynthia Rushefski. You can listen to her interview here.

Rushefski seems to understand some of the problems the city is facing, such as:

• Our understaffed police department.
• Lack of oversight in the accounting departments.
• The rising crime rate.

I'm confident that Ms. Rushefski can improve those major problems and still have time for sidewalks.

Also on the ballot is a 1/4 cent tax hike. Yes, I know that they tell you that it doesn't raise taxes, but it does. While I won't vote for it, I fully expect that it will pass.

The polls are open from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. You can check out what is on the ballots here.

City Council And Sunshine Laws

Background: Springfield City Council opposes a Court of Appeals' decision which declares police internal affairs records to be in the public domain under Missouri's Sunshine Laws.

I strongly support Mr. Burlison, who is currently gathering signatures in a bid for a City Council seat. The citizens of Springfield owe their thanks to Doug for his perseverance in making the city audit a reality.

By Doug Burlison

Several principles come into play with this internal affairs vs. sunshine law issue:

• Open and honest government

• An individual's right to privacy

• A police officer's right not to incriminate his- or herself

• A victim's right to justice

It will be the state legislature's job to address this issue in a way that achieves a balance between opposing rights.  To cut off public access to any internal affairs records could open the door to abusive police practices, without any means of informed recourse to prosecute the bad cops.  To make a city employee's entire work history public record could create problems in trying to retain the good cops.  Would you want anyone to have access to your private information to use against you?

A few ideas come to mind in attempting to strike a proper balance:

• Apply the sunshine law without restraint where there is just cause (i.e. charges or a lawsuit have been filed).

• Require serious penalties for false allegations or frivolous lawsuits.

• Give the civilian police review board more authority, to offset any limiting of the sunshine law (this is a body that is appointed by elected officials, so there is limited accountability to the citizen).

• Ensure that individual officers can enact an adequate defense in civilian police review board hearings (this is not assured under the current system).

This is just off the top of my head, but I do wonder why this issue is considered a legislative priority for Springfield in 2007?  I hope that this is not a smokescreen for the damage done to police and fire pensions over the years.  I would suggest if we are worried about the retention of quality personnel, we should focus on repairing their financial futures.  As far as the internal affairs vs. the sunshine law issue, it is a priority, but mainly for the state of Missouri.  I think Springfield should concentrate on matters that are critical for this municipality when we are assessing our city's priorities.

Voter Turnout

Just returned from voting. I've never seen the polls as crowded as today. I'd be interested in hearing how the turnout was in your area.

Are the constitutional amendments driving people to the polls today?

Election Night Live-Blogging

The Springfield Bloggers will be live-blogging tomorrow night at Patton Alley Pub starting around 7 p.m.
Rhetoria Network has more details.

Lorien Johnson For Greene County Clerk

It was great to see the News-Leader give some notice to Lorien Johnson, the Libertarian candidate for Greene County Clerk.

From the article:

Johnson is a senior at Missouri State University, majoring in political science and history. She also is minoring in Latin American studies. She is president of MSU's College Libertarians.

Johnson said she wanted to seize the "opportunity to contribute to our growing desire to achieve an efficient system and accountable leadership" by running for the office. In addition, she said running on the Libertarian ticket simply ensures voters an alternative.

I've had the chance to observe Ms. Johnson. She's sharp, very sharp. Greene County voters need to seriously consider replacing Struckhoff with Johnson.

REMEMBER--our current Greene County Clerk, Richard Struckoff, was in no hurry to finalize the approval of signatures on the Springfield audit petition.

And What Will The Monkey Be Having?

The local health department and the Southwest Center for Independent Living had a pow-wow today over whether to allow Debby Rose's monkey to dine at local eateries with her.

Debby Rose says Richard, her bonnet macaque monkey, is a service animal that assists her with an anxiety disorder, which should be allowed according to the Americans With Disabilities Act, a federal law.

Service animals (defined here) are just that; trained to perform various tasks for their owners such as picking up dropped objects, turning lights off and on, opening the refrigerator , etc.

Richard, however, is not trained to perform any useful function.

Family members dispute that, saying Rose's anxiety is disabling. Without her monkey, she's less able to manage normal tasks, such as grocery shopping and dining out because of severe anxiety.

"I have seen the difference he makes," said Rose's grown daughter Tonya Brady. "She used to get to the point where she couldn't come to my kids' birthday parties. ... There were some days she couldn't even get herself dressed and out the door. He's aware of her emotions at all times."

(Does anyone else find it a little disturbing that a monkey is apparently a better companion than her family members?)

The catch is that all the lady has to say is that it's a service animal and she has to be allowed in with the damn thing, no questions asked.

Now if the monkey were a smoker, that'd be a different story...

Link: News-Leader.com | Local News.

Speak Out Springfield! Public Forum On Springfield City Audit

The Greene County Libertarian Party has scheduled a public forum for interested citizens to provide their concerns to be submitted to the State Auditor's office.  On Saturday, August 26th, our first forum will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Frisco room at the Library Station.  Audit suggestions can also be phoned in to the G.C.L.P. at (417) 300-9148 or by e-mail at auditinfo@intergate.com

(The Library Station is located at 2535 N Kansas Expressway, Springfield, Missouri)

Show up and let your voice be heard!

----------------------------------------------------------------
Press Release
 
For immediate release – August 16, 2006

Springfield Libertarians Move Forward on City Audit

The official certification of petition signatures for the Springfield
city audit brings about the next phase: Getting some clear answers as
to the true financial health of the third-largest city in Missouri.
 
"We're glad this part is done, and that we had more than enough
signatures to make the cut", said Keith L. Rodgers, Chairman of the
Greene County Libertarian Party. "The accountability and fiscal
responsibility of Springfield's financial health need to be addressed,
especially in light of the ongoing investigation of missing City
funds. This is the culmination of a long-visualized effort, and now
the job should be left to the State Auditor's office and the local
police investigators."

The originator of the audit effort, former Congressional and City
Council candidate, Doug Burlison, said,"To date, the largest municipal audit in
Missouri's history, will commence in September due to the hard work of a
diverse coaliton of area citizens. The Libertarian principle that the
government should be held accountable is well on it's way to becoming a reality
in Springfield.  Those who have opposed this at every step of the way, now seem
to be trying to hijack the effort by spending additional taxpayer dollars and
hiring their own examiners to investigate themselves.  Our challenge is to
remain steadfast in our quest for an open and honest city administration."
 
Rodgers said that the city should stand back and let the State Auditor
and the local police do their jobs, and not do internal auditing as
suggested by the City Manager, Bob Cumley. "Those who complained that
Springfield could not justify the spending on the State audit, are now falling
all over themselves to cooperate. Those who claimed this was a waste of funds,
will now have to admit it will more than pay for itself. We're all about
accountability, and this city sorely needs to be held accountable when it comes
to how its citizens' tax money is handled and spent." 

Audit? We Don't Need No Stinking Audit!

At least, that was the opinion of the Springfield News-Leader back on June 12th, when the editorial took police and firefighters to task for pushing for an audit (because the city has screwed them by underfunding their pension plan.)

News-Leader then:

Step one should be to reach out to firefighters and police officers and forge an agreement that they will stop with their plans to force an audit of city finances by State Auditor Claire McCaskill.Such an audit is likely to cost more than $100,000, and by state law, the city will have to come up with that money somewhere. Find a way to stop the audit and spend that amount of money — even if it comes from reserves — on raises.

Do you suppose they regret having written that, since we now find that over $1 MILLION DOLLARS seems to be "missing" from Springfield's Municipal Court funds?

From today's (July 27th) News-Leader:

Funds missing from Springfield’s Municipal Court are now estimated at $1 million or more.

The new figure — more than double previous estimates — was announced this afternoon in a report released by the city manager’s office.

The report summarizes the city’s monthlong administrative investigation of the suspected embezzlement, which was discovered in mid-June.

Six years, SIX YEARS AGO, our city "leaders" were told that the city's accounting procedures needed to be revamped. Perhaps the problem is that they couldn't find an outside consultant to tell them how to proceed, since they need one to tell them what to do with major issues like what to do with storage containers.

TIME TO CLEAN HOUSE, SPRINGFIELD. Voters can get rid of our Mayor, Tom Carlson, along with four council members next year. Terms expire in 2007 for Sheila Wright, Ralph Manley, Conrad Griggs, and Bob Jones.

Springfield City Audit

You can find out about the petition to audit the city of Springfield here and here.

Contacts for petition:

Keith Rodgers, email: libertarian@intergate.com or greene@.lpmo.org

Green County Libertarian Party website:  http://greene.lpmo.org

Area417: hit the email link on this page

Email & phone listed: Springfield Police Officer's Association 

Petition Signing Locations:

Residence of Mark Jones
1515 N Grant Ave
Springfield, MO 65803

The Radish
417 N Boonville Ave
Springfield, MO 65806

If anyone has some additions/corrections, please let me knoq

 

Springfield City Audit Petition

KSGF listeners:
The petition to get the city of Springfield audited is alive and well!

I'll post all the pertinent information a little later today, but hit my email button and I'll make sure you get that information!

Phys Ed Teacher Charged With Sexual Misconduct

Rountree Elementary School phys ed teacher, Mark Washam, has been charged with nine counts of sexual misconduct.

Washam was arrested and removed from the classroom in mid-March. At the time he was splitting his time between Rountree and Hickory Hills, a K-8 school. He was also an assistant basketball coach at Hillcrest High School.

Washam is accused of groping children through their clothing.

Charges have also been filed against the principle of the school, Carolyn Harralson, who has been placed on leave.

Principal Carolyn Harralson was placed on leave April 20 after a Children's Division investigation concluded there was evidence she failed to make a call to the child abuse hotline when she learned of allegations against Washam.

Links: Springfield News-Leader; KSFX

Dinner With Neal Boortz

Hot off the press!

As lots of folks here in Springfield know, Neal Boortz will be here on June 3rd, for a Fair Tax rally sponsored by KSGF. (see earlier posts here & here or check the KSGF link for more information.)

What you may not know, is that you can have dinner with Boortz the night before!

From Kris Addison, KSGF/KTTS Promotions Director:

The night before, on Friday June 2^nd , we will be hosting “An Evening With Neal Boortz”. This will be an intimate dinner for just 100 guests that will be held at Hickok’s Steakhouse in downtown Springfield. Social hour begins at 6:30PM, and dinner will be served at 7:30. Tickets for this event are $125.

We haven’t gone on-the-air with information regarding this event, as so few tickets are available….

If you or anyone you know are interested in finding out more information or purchasing tickets, please have them contact me at 417-447-1839.

Now, there's very few people I'd spend $125 to have dinner with; certainly not Hannity, Laura Ingraham, nor O'Reilly. But Boortz? I'm in:)

Missouri-Owned Horse To Run In Kentucky Derby

Update: Steppenwolfer came from the back of the pack to win a respectable third place. NOTHING was going to catch the winning horse, Barbaro.

If you're watching the Kentucky Derby this weekend, look for Steppenwolfer, owned by Robert Low (who also owns Prime Trucking.)

Steppenwolfer drew the No. 2 post (2nd from the inside rail.) Don't expect to see him set the pace. This colt can be expected to make his move late in the race.

Links: Just ignore Steppenwolfer's first lap; Steppenwolfer trainer is a good guy; Road to the triple crown; Steppenwolfer jockey full of enthusiasm

Springfield Audit Signature Drive

You can help gather signatures for the audit of the city of Springfield.

When: Today! April 22nd
When: Sam's Club parking lot, 3660 E. Sunshine Street
When: Meet up at 12 noon

Fallen Soldiers

Update: Sgt. Lamberson's family shares their memories. (Spfd. News Leader article)

Thanks to former Springfieldian, David Harper of Echo9er, for passing this on: 

US Army Sgt. 1st Class Randall L. Lamberson, 36, of Springfield, Mo., and Spc. David S. Collins, 24, of Jasper Ga., died of injuries sustained in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, on April 9, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV during combat operations. The soldiers were assigned to the Army’s 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort   Campbell, Ky.

Lamberson died in Balad, Iraq on April 10th.

Collins died in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, on April 9th.

Mr. Harper (Sgt.Major,US Army (retired) would like to convey his condolences to the families of these soldiers, as would I.

Springfield Audit

Springfield City Manager misleads public on audit Springfield Deputy City Manager, Bob Cumley, stated in a radio interview that the proposed audit of the city by the State of Missouri would be a waste of money.

Figures from the 2003-2004 Springfield city budget shows a total expenditure of $211,575,000, which means the city spent approximately $24,152 dollars per hour to operate the city in that year.

“The ‘cost’ of the State audit would be, in today’s figures, less than four hours’ worth of a 365-day city budget”, said Keith L. Rodgers, chairman of the Greene County Libertarian Party and a supporter of the State audit. “The City Council has other reasons for opposing this; the cost is a smoke screen. The City of Battlefield is going to be audited by the State, and they welcome it.

So should Springfield.”

The city spokesmen are also being misleading with their terminology, Rodgers said. “What KPMG, the ‘audit’ firm, does, is actually a ‘balancing of statements’; an audit is what the IRS does. KPMG basically just balances the city’s checkbook. What we want is an investigation by McCaskill’s office,
beyond just numbers – not just how much the city spends, but what it spends it on. For instance, how much did it cost to pave Patton Alley with brick? It looks nice, but how much did it cost?”

The reasons given for the genesis of the investigation are also misleading: “Doug Burlison ran for City Council with the State investigation as part of his platform,” Rodgers said. “It wasn’t simply because he was ‘unhappy with rising City Utilities bills’; it was because he wants accountability from the city. McCaskill’s investigation would help bring that accountability to the public eye.”

Contact information:

Greene County Libertarian Party – 300-9148
Pager 841-6353
Website: http://greene.lpmo.org

Greene County Voting Reminder

Update: Voters passed the hike on property taxes:( Thanks a bunch.

The polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. tomorrow.

Acceptable forms of identification are found here.

And remember,vote NO on the property tax hike!

Deal Fairly With Our First Responders

While I'm on the subject of Springfield, it's time to deal fairly with our police and firemen concerning their pensions.

The Springfield Police Officers Association has this flyer up on their web site.

As fellow Springfield blogger Duane Keys put it, "How would you feel if the company (you work for) said "oh yeah, we didn't really put any money in your 401(K)?"

The Greene County Missouri Democrats put it in stronger terms:

There is a problem with ethics when an institution attempts to justify the theft of a persons life's work, especially in the area of emergency services. One of the primary reasons for having a government in the first place is to "provide for the common defense and promote commerce". Any government must do this whether it is a dictatorship, a republic or a democracy. Where the City of Springfield is concerned, city council appears to sacrifice the common defense on the altar of promoting commerce. There is no balance between them. Police and Firefighters are people who place themselves at risk for the benefit of the community for the length of their careers. They deserve better treatment than this. So do we. Link: Pension Chiseling

Ouch!

Springfield, It's Time For An Audit

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release - April 4, 2006

Have you ever asked yourself how your tax dollars are being spent?

Why does it seem that certain areas of Springfield seem to receive more
money for improvement while other areas do not? Citizens just like you
and employees of the City of Springfield are asking these same
questions. If you are concerned how your tax dollars are being spent in your city,
please come to the Springfield/Greene County Library Centers at 4653 S. Campbell
or 2335 N. Kearney on April 8th between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. to
sign a petition asking the State of Missouri for an audit of the City of Springfield.
Let's get some of these questions answered.

Doug Burlison, former City Council candidate, took the audit idea from
his campaign. He, along with the Greene County Libertarian Party and
concerned citizens and city employees, urges residents to bring
accountability to the City of Springfield by signing the audit petition.
"If you're tired of constant tax-increase proposals, this audit would
send a message to Springfield city leaders," said Burlison.

Contact:

Greene County Libertarian Party
Phone: (417) 300-9148
Page: (417) 841-6353
E-mail: libertarian@intergate.com
Website: http://greene.lpmo.org

Red Light Cameras

Springfield recently approved the use of red light cameras--whether in the hope of reducing accidents or to generate more revenue is debatable.

Reason has this to say on their blog:

Red light cameras in Anne Arundel County, Maryland failed to reduce accidents in five years of use.

...Upon installation, the cameras caused an immediate 40 percent increase in rear-end collisions from 53 in 1999 to 74 in 2000. Overall accidents were up between 25 percent and 41 percent from 107 in 1999 to 134 in 2001 and 151 in 2002.

Following a link provided in Reason's post, one finds some pretty convincing reasons not to install the cameras:

• Winnipeg, Canada: ...an increase of 58% in the number of collisions.
• Virginia DOT study: ...an increase of 8 to 17%
• Washington Post: crashes doubled in locations with cameras

There's more, but you get the point.

One has to question just how carefully Springfield City Council studied this.

Link: Red Light Cameras--Good At Raising  Revenue, Not So Good At Reducing Accidents

Springfield News-Leader Gets New Editor

Tony Messenger, a columnist for the Columbia Daily Tribune, will become the editorial page editor on April 24th. (Messenger's blog is here.)

In addition to his writing, Messenger is host of a radio program on KRFU, 6:00 TO 7:00 P.M.

Radio program? Is the News-Loser (along with some of the powers-that-be) looking for a counterbalance to KSGF's Vince Jericho?

Actually, scanning his blog, Mr. Messenger appears to be liberty-friendly:)

Greene County Libertarian Meeting Tonight

The Greene County Libertarian Party's monthly meeting is tonight at 7:00 p.m. at   Panera Bread on the corner of National and Elm.

Anyone interested is welcome to come.

Neal Boortz Coming To Springfield

According to an email I received today, Neal Boortz, High Priest of the Church of the Painful Truth, is coming to Springfield in June!

Boortz's update of the Fair Tax book will be out in May, so perhaps he'll be signing books.

The visit by the TalkMaster is sponsored by KSGF.

If you know of a business or organization that would like to cosponsor the event, you can email kaddison@ksgf.com   

Sunday Bike Ride Photos

I took a ride downtown on my new bike this past Sunday and thought I'd share a few pictures.

 

This is "K Man," a giant, stainless steel, er, sculpture in Jordan Valley Park.

Hammons Field

                                                                                                                                                                                             Downtown Springfield

The Rickshaw, downtown

The weather was nice and I practically had downtown to myself.

If anyone has any tips on how to get the old knees in shape for extended bike rides, I'd appreciate a shout;)

Racist Wants To Run on Libertarian Ballot

I just love the way the Springfield News-Loser framed this--"Libertarians consider racist filer."

If you never got past the headline, it sounds as if the local Libertarian party is seriously considering Glenn Miller, white supremacist.

Here, in part, is what Keith Rodgers, chairman of the Greene County Libertarian Party, has to say:

This "man" has been turned down by the Democrats and Republicans, and he is now attempting to avoid having to run as an independent or a write-in, by going down the shopping list to the next party on the Missouri ballot: ours. In my opinion, he's just looking for shelter. The man has options other than using us as his platform of hatred and bigotry.

...A vile excuse for a human being is attempting to run for the 7th Congressional seat in our fair state of Missouri... a twisted man who believes "Jews" and "niggers" are the root of all our problems... a flake who hangs out with people who mourn the passing of former Yugoslav dictator, Slobodan Milosevic... et cetera. Read the rest here.

Hardly sounds like a ringing endorsement, does it.

FYI, Libertarians already have a candidate running for the 7th Congressional District--Kevin Craig.

Knappster has more on this issue.

If you really want to know what Glenn Miller is all about, check out the VNN Forum.

You Can Help: Buy Scrap Booking Supplies

The Rasmussen family could use your help. Husband Rick was in a serious car accident here in Springfield and is currently being treated at a hospital in (I believe) Colorado. (A link to a newspaper blurb concerning the accident can be found about midway down the page here.

The family's only income at present is from his wife's scrap booking website, which can be seen at MyCTMH.com Personal Site. Looks like she has some very nice things.

Please, go forth and shop!

Man Checks Out Children, Not Books, At The Library

Apparently, 26-year-old Tyler Golden would rather expose himself to young girls than expose his brain to some learning...

Link: KY3 - News.

Springfield: Nine Shot At Hotel 7 Party

A party at the Hotel 7 here in Springfield abruptly ended when a man entered the banquet room and began shooting.

Springfield police said none of the victims — four men and five women — had life-threatening injuries. They were treated at local hospitals, and eight were released Sunday.

...Police spokesman Officer Matt Brown said there seemed to be an argument inside the room, which led to the shooting. He did not know what caused the argument or if the shooter knew the victims.

...Police were looking Sunday for a "person of interest" who is described as a black male weighing 162 pounds, 6 feet 2 inches tall, with cornrows, gold teeth and a goatee.

The shooting occured at about 3 a.m. on Sunday.

Link: News-Leader.com | Local News.

New Life Evangelistic Center Forced To Back Down On Offering Shelter To Homeless

For once, the Springfield News-Leader and I agree on something.

I'm talking about Larry Rice's efforts to offer respite from the cold to area homeless.

Rice had intended to let the homeless sleep in his New Life Evangelistic Center during the cold winter nights. City officials, in all their wisdom, would not allow it--seems that the building didn't meet the codes  protecting the health and safety of those looking for a safe haven.

As the News-Leader put it "That's always struck us as odd: a bureaucrat arguing that a homeless person is better off in bitter cold than in a heated building."

One homeless man did in fact freeze to death this winter, right before Christmas. Do you suppose he might have preferred to take his chances at Rice's center?

Area churches should be allowed to throw open their doors and offer a little warmth. The question is, how many would do it?

Link: News-Leader.com | Our View.

Springfield Woman Indicted For Ripping Off United Way

Gerri Ripka, a former employee of Horace Mann Insurance Co., is accused of stealing donations collected by that company for the United Way.

Ripka had been the assistant of a Horace Mann executive since 1990.

She also coordinated the company's United Way campaign during the time of the thefts - from 1999 until she resigned on Nov. 15, 2004, the indictment said.

In a written statement, Horace Mann officials said they believed she acted alone.

Link: PJStar.com - Journal Star News.

Gov. Blunt Pledges Help For Springfield Crime Lab

This morning Gov. Matt Blunt pledged 21 employees (a cost of $1.75M) to staff the proposed crime lab in Springfield.

Presently, all evidence that needs to be analyzed (DNA, fingerprints, etc.) is sent to the lab in Jefferson City, where their have a backlog of work piling up.

If approved by state legislators, state funds will join money already pledged locally and nationally. The federal government, through earmarks by U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Indian Point, will provide at least $1.5 million in funding for equipment, while the city of Springfield will pay for rehabilitation of the city-owned building.

At the press conference, City Manager Tom Finnie said that about $1 million to $3 million is still needed to complete the building's renovation. He said he doesn't anticipate a tax proposal specifically for raising such funds.

It doesn't sound as if the City is ruling out another catchall tax proposal like the Community Safety Initiative, where funding for a crime lab was shoehorned in with funding for an Early Childhood Development Center--a tactic that assured its defeat. Voters told the City that we want them to get specific. Were they listening?

Link:  Governor pledges $1.75 million to start Springfield crime lab

Owner of 360 Degree Tanning Salon Charged With Taking Nude Pictures of Clients

Brett Patrick Kent, owner of 360 Degree Tan (formerly Paradise Sun Tanning Salon,) is being held on $25,000 bond after an employee discovered nude pictures of clients on a company computer.

...police found packaging and shipping documents at Kent's home that showed he had recently purchased a "pin hole camera" identical to the one uncovered at the tanning salon, court documents said. Several victims interviewed by police have confirmed that they were depicted in some of the videos.

The employee told police that Kent had recently rearranged the mirrors and tanning beds and that he often worked alone at the salon.

Kent is charged with two counts of second-degree invasion of privacy--more charges may be forthcoming, as some of his clientele were underage.

Link: News-Leader.com | Local News.

Springfield Police Officer Stages Rape, Burglaries

Officer Valerie Kemp  sounds like a very disturbed individual.

She has been placed on administrative leave after filing a false report.

According to the probable cause statement filed in the case, Kemp called 911 the evening of Nov. 15 and again Sunday night to report burglaries at her home in a mobile home park north of Springfield. In the second incident she claimed to have been raped, as well, after an intruder knocked her unconscious with a sauce pan.

Kemp told deputies responding Sunday that she woke up sprawled between her bed and the floor to find part of her clothing had been removed or torn off, the statement said. Kemp also said a phone cord had been wrapped around her neck, both her breasts had been lacerated and she had bruising between her thighs.

During a second interview with a detective, Kemp admitted to having staged the whole thing.

Link: News-Leader.com | Local News.

Local Pit Bull Dispatched To Doggie Hell

A local homeowner shot and killed a neighbor's Pit Bull that had entered his home in hot pursuit of his pets.

Two dogs, including the pit bull, had allegedly jumped the fence of the man's home and killed a dachshund in the yard. Then, according to police, the pit bull went into the residence and killed a dog there and injured two others.

A policeman, Cpl. David Cash, said he heard a shot fired as he arrived on the scene.

Based on reports, Cash said a pit bull and collie had jumped the fence from a neighboring yard and attacked four dachsunds [sic]  there. It is not known which dog killed the dachshund outside the house. The collie fled after the first attack. (ed. note: yes, I know there are more errors in the quotes, but to put [sic] after each one was very distracting, so I am letting them stand. Tell it to the News-Loser.)

The remaining three Dachshunds ran for the safety of the house, but the Pit Bull  followed them inside, where the homeowner shot the dog "multiple times."

Loretta Deckard, who lives on the same street, said her three children saw the Pit Bull killing the dogs. They also saw the owner of the little Doxies with his gun. Her reaction? She took one of her son's toy guns away from him. "I don't want him to pretend to do what he saw." 

I suppose she felt it more damaging for her children to see a man defending his pets than to see the Pit Bull ripping their throats out.

Cash said that although the investigation was preliminary, he didn't expect charges would be filed against the homeowner, whose name was not immediately made available.

I say give the man a medal.

Link: Man shoots pit bull to halt attack

Greene County Libertarians Back Petition to Audit City of Springfield

I'll be signing that petition myself...

...Illustrating concerns for fiscal responsibility by city leaders, Burlison questions how contracts have been awarded and how public funds have been spent. In addition, Burlison says that during his recent city council campaign, "all incumbents refused to sign the petition... The opposition by the powers that be has been unexpected, and some city employees that have anonymously expressed interest have also alleged that the job security of any potential supporters has been threatened by their superiors, and had their identities been known, they probably would have been looking for a job the next day." (Emphasis added)

Personally, I'm not at all surprised that they oppose the audit. You can find where to sign the petition at the Greene County Libertarian Party.

Community Safety Initiative

Poor News-Loser. They're having a hard time letting the Community Safety Initiative go.

They asked "current and former members" of their Editorial Advisory Board why the initiative failed. Even though the News-Loser doesn't get it, some of these people do.

Some of the reasons they gave:

Rich Fisher, computer software salesman: If you want a child development tax, sell that and don't try to disguise it in with a law enforcement tax. If you want 911 additions, then sell it without the other distractions. (Snipped)

Glen Momsen, retired 3M plant manager: The "social experiment" was the main reason the total package failed. Most voters know how to raise their children, so they do not relate to the need. (Snipped)

Kate Baldi, founder and director of Families for Children: I, too, feel that the children's portion played a big part in the defeat of the proposition. I wish I had some solutions. I really don't see churches as much of an option. (The only solution to problems as far as this woman is concerned is Big Brother.)

Kevin Elmer, lawyer: The main topic of discussion I heard time and time again was concerning the "social experiment," as Glen labeled it. Society cannot spend years building a wall between the church and state, only to have the state then try to take over the teaching of moral values. (This man nailed it!)

And the most ignorant comment came from a professor:

Brett Miller: Many people were not focused on defeating the ineffectual elements of the initiative; they were focused on laying claim to a conservative victory during a time of growing discontent with Republican arrogance. Well, yippee, you win. Now what? (No Brett, it was about taxes and smaller government.)

DK Powdercoating

For all you motorcylce fans, here is a link to some fellow Missourians who do some beautiful work with powdercoating. They're also super nice people, so stop by and have a look.

Link: DK Powdercoating

Greene County Safety Initiative

As of 8:42 p.m., the Community Safety Initiative (which I oppose) looks beaten. I'm not sure all the precincts are in and the results have yet to be certified.

COMMUNITY SAFETY INITIATIVE
 YES  .  .  .  .   262    44.71
 NO.  .  .  .  .   324    55.29

A big thumbs up to Vince Jericho. He has done a yeoman's work in defeating this bill.

Link: Greene County Election Results.

Earlier posts on this subject: Proposed Tax: Greene County Community Safety Initiative;  Pork in a Poke; New Greene County Tax Proposal

Update: Voter turnout was a pathetic 15.42%
Update #2: According to the Springfield News-Leader (which I shall generously refer to as a newspaper because I am in good humor after defeating the nanny-state initiative) the final results were:

YES  .  .  .  .   262    41.2%
NO.  .  .  .  .   324    58.8%

Proposed Tax: Greene County Community Safety Initiative

One of the much lauded points of the the proposed tax is the prevention of crime through "early childhood development."

From the council's brochure (bolding added by ed. in both quotes):

…One study is from the U. S. Federal Reserve of St. Paul/Minneapolis. That study found that for every dollar invested in early childhood development, the return to society exceeded 17 dollars.

Link:  Community Safety Initiative, Questions and Answers

They don't quite have it right. What the Federal Reserve Bank's study actually said is this:

One of the most productive investments that is rarely viewed as economic development is early childhood development (ECD). Several longitudinal ECD studies that are based on a relatively small number of at-risk children from low-income families, demonstrate that the potential return is extraordinary. In a previous essay we found that, based on these studies, the potential annual return from focused, high-quality ECD programs might be as high as 16 percent (inflation adjusted), of which the annual public return is 12 percent (inflation adjusted).
Link: A Proposal for Achieving High Returns on Early Childhood Development

Nor does Greene county's proposed program bear any resemblance to the program described by the Federal Reserve study, which I will detail later.