Jenny Vinyard will play at Harlow's Friday evening, August 1st. The popular Springfield songstress will begin playing between 5:30 and 6:00 pm.
Local "guitar god" Dave Painter is expected to sit in on selections from Jenny's CD "Flower Tattoo" along with Stu Solomon on keyboard and Mark Pearl on percussion.
The Bluesberries will be the featured band of the evening, beginning around 9:00 pm.
Be sure to come out and enjoy the tunes with great food, drink and atmosphere at Harlow's. Located at 637 S. Kimbrough this Friday night.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Opus/BKD "Industrial Development" Needs Review by Attorney General's Office
The recent emergency bill passed by the Springfield City Council permitting 910 Springfield LLC (Opus) to develop an office building and determine the parking rights in the facility JQ Hammons agreed to purchase is an affront to the citizens of Springfield and should not be tolerated. Furthermore, the subsequent determination to issue tax abatement revenue bonds under the auspices of RSMo Chapter 100 statutes should be reviewed by the state Attorney General's Office for possible violation of the intent of the statutes.
The first point I'd like to make is I am not against development. What I am against is the manner in which our City Council deems something so important as to declare it an "emergency", and (for all intents and purposes) deny any public dialogue to take place. This is exactly what the council did in the matter of a proposed Opus development.
What a sham! Give me a break, will ya? Ok, fine.
Tell me this: How the heck does an accounting firm's (BKD's) future office building warrant "emergency" status on the council's agenda and preclude any public discussion, whatsoever?
Is this for real?
On top of that, the council determines this whole mess should be given yet another tax break! So what does the council do? It decides to classify this project as an "industrial development" which, in turn, qualifies it for tax abatement revenue bonds issued by the city under the RSMo Chapter 100 statute.
The statute provides the tax abatement revenue bonds may be issued for the purpose of industrial development, but there are some loosely interpretted guidelines for their issuance. The council may have crossed the line on this one and I think they did. Their line of reasoning is the office building is an industrial development by virtue of their (also questionable) belief regarding BKD being an "office industry".
Even if the deal is legal, (which I'm not certain it is and I advocate an independent review by the state Attorney General's office) I'm 100 percent opposed to this development being given a tax abatement. This city is experiencing financial problems, in part, due to their misguided belief in tax abatements as incentives for businesses to stay in, or relocate to, Springfield.
If businesses don't want to make their base of operations in Springfield without these tax incentives, so be it. Sayonara! Cya later, bub! Our city needs the tax revenue! If we provide these business with tax abatements do you know what they become? They become a tax burden and a liability.
I'm not talking about liability for the revenue bonds, either. I'm talking about the future revenue it's going to require to maintain the city's infrastructure in order to keep these businesses happy and keep them here. (Not to mention the blackmail tactic of hitting the city up for future abatements; using the threat of leaving as coercion.) If council members don't see this proposed development as a future expenditure for the city, then they are fiscal fools and every stinking one of them should be voted out of office next April.
Please write to the state Attorney General's office if you agree with this opinion and request a review of the legality of our city council's actions regarding the issuance of these tax abatement revenue bonds.
The first point I'd like to make is I am not against development. What I am against is the manner in which our City Council deems something so important as to declare it an "emergency", and (for all intents and purposes) deny any public dialogue to take place. This is exactly what the council did in the matter of a proposed Opus development.
What a sham! Give me a break, will ya? Ok, fine.
Tell me this: How the heck does an accounting firm's (BKD's) future office building warrant "emergency" status on the council's agenda and preclude any public discussion, whatsoever?
Is this for real?
On top of that, the council determines this whole mess should be given yet another tax break! So what does the council do? It decides to classify this project as an "industrial development" which, in turn, qualifies it for tax abatement revenue bonds issued by the city under the RSMo Chapter 100 statute.
The statute provides the tax abatement revenue bonds may be issued for the purpose of industrial development, but there are some loosely interpretted guidelines for their issuance. The council may have crossed the line on this one and I think they did. Their line of reasoning is the office building is an industrial development by virtue of their (also questionable) belief regarding BKD being an "office industry".
Even if the deal is legal, (which I'm not certain it is and I advocate an independent review by the state Attorney General's office) I'm 100 percent opposed to this development being given a tax abatement. This city is experiencing financial problems, in part, due to their misguided belief in tax abatements as incentives for businesses to stay in, or relocate to, Springfield.
If businesses don't want to make their base of operations in Springfield without these tax incentives, so be it. Sayonara! Cya later, bub! Our city needs the tax revenue! If we provide these business with tax abatements do you know what they become? They become a tax burden and a liability.
I'm not talking about liability for the revenue bonds, either. I'm talking about the future revenue it's going to require to maintain the city's infrastructure in order to keep these businesses happy and keep them here. (Not to mention the blackmail tactic of hitting the city up for future abatements; using the threat of leaving as coercion.) If council members don't see this proposed development as a future expenditure for the city, then they are fiscal fools and every stinking one of them should be voted out of office next April.
Please write to the state Attorney General's office if you agree with this opinion and request a review of the legality of our city council's actions regarding the issuance of these tax abatement revenue bonds.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Suspect Shot and Killed by Springfield Police Officer
Springfield Police Officer Jeff Ferneau is on administrative leave with pay (standard department procedure)after shooting and killing an armed suspect.
Donald Gaches fled from officers responding to a reported assault on a woman at 701 E. Elm Street.
Gaches had apparently fled to his apartment and Ferneau negotiated with him for a few minutes through the door, before Gaches opened the door and lunged at the officer with a large knife.
Donald Gaches fled from officers responding to a reported assault on a woman at 701 E. Elm Street.
Gaches had apparently fled to his apartment and Ferneau negotiated with him for a few minutes through the door, before Gaches opened the door and lunged at the officer with a large knife.
Readership Poll Affirms Call for Public Disclosure by Park Board
100 percent of this blog's readership believes the Park Board should publicly disclose the changes it sought to make to the original and supplemental agreements it made with the Springfield Skatepark Association.
This is my personal contention:
I think the voting public has the right to this information if it is to be expected to support the Park Board, which is its representative for the management of public parks.
If a government agency brings a lawsuit against private citizens or non-profit groups providing services to the public, it is the duty of the agency and its directors to disclose the facts supporting the case to the public's attention.
The Park Board and City Council are OUR representatives and they owe us a reasonable and complete explanation for taking such drastic action against a non-profit organization in good standing.
Unless the Park Board can prove the SSA violated the terms of either the original agreement or the supplemental agreement to the public's satisfaction (and by this I mean a full and OPEN hearing on the City Council Agenda), such a lawsuit should not be approved and authorized by the City or its legal department.
This is my personal contention:
I think the voting public has the right to this information if it is to be expected to support the Park Board, which is its representative for the management of public parks.
If a government agency brings a lawsuit against private citizens or non-profit groups providing services to the public, it is the duty of the agency and its directors to disclose the facts supporting the case to the public's attention.
The Park Board and City Council are OUR representatives and they owe us a reasonable and complete explanation for taking such drastic action against a non-profit organization in good standing.
Unless the Park Board can prove the SSA violated the terms of either the original agreement or the supplemental agreement to the public's satisfaction (and by this I mean a full and OPEN hearing on the City Council Agenda), such a lawsuit should not be approved and authorized by the City or its legal department.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
McCain Campaign Blasts NY Times
Presumptive presidential nominee John McCain's campaign is levelling complaints against the NY Times for rejecting a draft he submitted for an Op/Ed piece. The Times reportedly rejected it. Big whup.
McCain's been published in the liberal East Coast daily seven times over the last decade, while Obama saw his first piece published recently.
McCain isn't saying anything new. I know it may not be fair and it's certainly not giving McCain an equal voice, but the paper is not obligated to do so. Obama has been saying the same things, too. Why print his opinion and not McCain's?
The reason is this: Obama's opinions are, for the most part, "newsworthy" due to their propensity to change the status quo. Proposing change is going to get more attention than saying "Let's just keep doing what we've been doing until we know exactly what we need to be doing based on what we know now, and when things change we'll decide if we need to do something different."
I don't want to get into the debate over whether or not withdrawal timetables are appropriate or not. I don't believe either candidate wants to endanger the lives of service men and women on the ground in either Iraq or Afghanistan.
The point is McCain's campaign is not putting him in the news. The campaign process is going to be contentious: it always is. People are going to get tired of hearing both candidates saying the same thing over and over, but all McCain is really saying is "Obama is wrong and a flip-flopper".
Okay. I can hang with that. Name me a politician who doesn't change their mind about certain issues? (Particularly if their original stance is liable to impede their progress toward election/re-election.)
McCain is never going to be the darling of the media. He doesn't have it in him and it isn't what he should be hoping for. His attempts at being more "humanized" and humorous have mostly failed and (like it or not) he is the candidate running on the idea of times being hard for everyone, but if we stick to our guns, we'll make it through. The other problem he's got is people seeing him almost as an incumbent running for re-election.
This is, of course, preposterous. He has substantive differences from the current president, but those differences are not disparate enough for him to be seen as "fresh".
Obama is riding high with the media. There are plenty of people telling us that this is a "media conspiracy" to push Obama down the public's throat. I don't subscribe to theories like this, in general.
The conservatives always hold the trump card in such a situation: if Obama is getting too much press and the media are in love with him, they'll take it to the pulpit. James Dobson is already hinting he may endorse McCain. Conservative spiritual leaders and social groups will rally behind McCain, even if he's not their ideal candidate. So far, their response is luke warm, but when push comes to shove, you can bet they'll be all about McCain and not about Obama.
It's going to be an interesting campaign you can bet on it. If you think McCain is going to attract the amount of attention from the media Obama is garnering, however, you're going to be disappointed.
McCain's been published in the liberal East Coast daily seven times over the last decade, while Obama saw his first piece published recently.
McCain isn't saying anything new. I know it may not be fair and it's certainly not giving McCain an equal voice, but the paper is not obligated to do so. Obama has been saying the same things, too. Why print his opinion and not McCain's?
The reason is this: Obama's opinions are, for the most part, "newsworthy" due to their propensity to change the status quo. Proposing change is going to get more attention than saying "Let's just keep doing what we've been doing until we know exactly what we need to be doing based on what we know now, and when things change we'll decide if we need to do something different."
I don't want to get into the debate over whether or not withdrawal timetables are appropriate or not. I don't believe either candidate wants to endanger the lives of service men and women on the ground in either Iraq or Afghanistan.
The point is McCain's campaign is not putting him in the news. The campaign process is going to be contentious: it always is. People are going to get tired of hearing both candidates saying the same thing over and over, but all McCain is really saying is "Obama is wrong and a flip-flopper".
Okay. I can hang with that. Name me a politician who doesn't change their mind about certain issues? (Particularly if their original stance is liable to impede their progress toward election/re-election.)
McCain is never going to be the darling of the media. He doesn't have it in him and it isn't what he should be hoping for. His attempts at being more "humanized" and humorous have mostly failed and (like it or not) he is the candidate running on the idea of times being hard for everyone, but if we stick to our guns, we'll make it through. The other problem he's got is people seeing him almost as an incumbent running for re-election.
This is, of course, preposterous. He has substantive differences from the current president, but those differences are not disparate enough for him to be seen as "fresh".
Obama is riding high with the media. There are plenty of people telling us that this is a "media conspiracy" to push Obama down the public's throat. I don't subscribe to theories like this, in general.
The conservatives always hold the trump card in such a situation: if Obama is getting too much press and the media are in love with him, they'll take it to the pulpit. James Dobson is already hinting he may endorse McCain. Conservative spiritual leaders and social groups will rally behind McCain, even if he's not their ideal candidate. So far, their response is luke warm, but when push comes to shove, you can bet they'll be all about McCain and not about Obama.
It's going to be an interesting campaign you can bet on it. If you think McCain is going to attract the amount of attention from the media Obama is garnering, however, you're going to be disappointed.
Pickens Plan Provides a Bridge To Future of Energy in U.S.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Rooting for the "Shark"
Go "Shark"!
Australian Greg Norman begins the final round of The Open Championship with a 2 stroke lead over Padraig Harrington of Ireland. I'm rooting for the "Shark" all the way.
I remember as a younger man I would jokingly put the "dig" to my dad and root for whoever was closest to Norman when he was in the thick of things, but always liking the striking figure he cut on the links. The "Shark" is an indomitable competitor. He has endured heartbreaking failures and the stigma of not really accomplishing what many people assumed he should have.
He's won 18 tournaments on the PGA Tour and 2 Open Championships (otherwise known as The British Open). He was the # 1 player on the tour for a long time, but the game has not been particularly benevolent to the Aussie when playing in the 4 major tournaments.
He's recently married tennis legend Chris Evert and teed off on the first hole of the final round of the 137th Open Championship at 8:22 CST.
My dad and I played a lot of golf together and watched even more together and I miss those times. I'd give a lot to be on the course with him and a golf cart and a cooler of beer, right now.
My dad had a lot of respect for the game and the men who made it look like the most natural pasttime ever invented by man. It may be because most of our family blood lines originated in northern England and Scotland, but I have to say I love the game and miss playing. Knee surgery and back surgery have dwindled my enthusiasm for playing because a 3 or 4 hour round of golf can potentially put me in pain for weeks. I'm thinking it'll be worth it, though. Maybe this fall, when the temperatures are cooler and the ground is not so hard and unforgiving, I'll pick up the sticks and chase the ball around the countryside.
For now, however, I'm content with watching Greg and I'm really pulling for him. He's only lead a major going into the final round 8 times and has lost all but one of those competitions. I'm hoping he's shed that mantle and wins in fine fashion today and celebrates with pint of England's finest ale.
The Open Championship is being played at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club outside Liverpool on the coast of the Irish Sea.
Australian Greg Norman begins the final round of The Open Championship with a 2 stroke lead over Padraig Harrington of Ireland. I'm rooting for the "Shark" all the way.
I remember as a younger man I would jokingly put the "dig" to my dad and root for whoever was closest to Norman when he was in the thick of things, but always liking the striking figure he cut on the links. The "Shark" is an indomitable competitor. He has endured heartbreaking failures and the stigma of not really accomplishing what many people assumed he should have.
He's won 18 tournaments on the PGA Tour and 2 Open Championships (otherwise known as The British Open). He was the # 1 player on the tour for a long time, but the game has not been particularly benevolent to the Aussie when playing in the 4 major tournaments.
He's recently married tennis legend Chris Evert and teed off on the first hole of the final round of the 137th Open Championship at 8:22 CST.
My dad and I played a lot of golf together and watched even more together and I miss those times. I'd give a lot to be on the course with him and a golf cart and a cooler of beer, right now.
My dad had a lot of respect for the game and the men who made it look like the most natural pasttime ever invented by man. It may be because most of our family blood lines originated in northern England and Scotland, but I have to say I love the game and miss playing. Knee surgery and back surgery have dwindled my enthusiasm for playing because a 3 or 4 hour round of golf can potentially put me in pain for weeks. I'm thinking it'll be worth it, though. Maybe this fall, when the temperatures are cooler and the ground is not so hard and unforgiving, I'll pick up the sticks and chase the ball around the countryside.
For now, however, I'm content with watching Greg and I'm really pulling for him. He's only lead a major going into the final round 8 times and has lost all but one of those competitions. I'm hoping he's shed that mantle and wins in fine fashion today and celebrates with pint of England's finest ale.
The Open Championship is being played at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club outside Liverpool on the coast of the Irish Sea.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Autism a fraud?
Hello Springfield!
It's Friday, July 18 and I am joining Jason in calling for anyone who reads this blog to email Rex Hansen rhansen@journalbroadcastgroup.com and Vincent Jericho vjericho@journalbroadcastgroup.com to admonish their station's broadcast of Michael Savage's preposterous claim of autism being a "fake" and "fraud" condition.
Please read today's entry at www.lifeofjason.com for details of Savage's ludicrous assertions concerning a condition undeserving of aspersions such as the popular conservative talk show host made in his recent broadcast.
If you are a regular listener of the radio station KSGF I urge you to write to Hansen and Jericho and express your concern over this issue in the strongest terms possible.
Have a nice day
It's Friday, July 18 and I am joining Jason in calling for anyone who reads this blog to email Rex Hansen rhansen@journalbroadcastgroup.com and Vincent Jericho vjericho@journalbroadcastgroup.com to admonish their station's broadcast of Michael Savage's preposterous claim of autism being a "fake" and "fraud" condition.
Please read today's entry at www.lifeofjason.com for details of Savage's ludicrous assertions concerning a condition undeserving of aspersions such as the popular conservative talk show host made in his recent broadcast.
If you are a regular listener of the radio station KSGF I urge you to write to Hansen and Jericho and express your concern over this issue in the strongest terms possible.
Have a nice day
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Hello all.
I've been very busy at the paper this past 10 days. Our managing editor Mert Seaton and his wife brought a brand spanking new baby girl on July 2. Lucy Ann weighed 8 pounds and 10 ounces at birth. Already has daddy wrapped around her finger I hear from a reliable source.
Anyway, Mert took a couple weeks off to take care of mother and child, so I made a feeble attempt to fill in for him at the paper. If there are things left out or are done incorrectly, it's pretty much my fault, but I gave it my best shot and that's what counts.
Jackie Melton wrote a very good piece about the Springfield Skatepark Association being filed against by the city in circuit court.
This lawsuit is frivolous, but not trivial. The city is paying our money to sue a non-profit that does a world of good for a lot of good kids. I know because I've met the kids and they deserve the facility.
The situation legally is somewhat convoluted, but the bottom line is the Park Board is making a land grab: pure and simple.
The SSA has put a lot of time, effort and money into the improvements made to the property and turned it into a great place for kids to go and skateboard, inline skate and freestyle on their bikes. It's safe and the park rangers watch the kids closely and they are well-supervised by the staff, as well.
Kids love to hotdog for a reporter with a camera and they did it when I showed up, but Eric Henderson gave them stern warnings to be safe and not do anything daredevilish. The kids respect and like Eric and they listened to his warnings and they had a great time showing off for me and Darrell while we snapped away with our cameras.
This flap over the lease and supplemental agreement is all the result of big kids not taking a cue from the little kids about how to get along and play well with each other.
You know, I'm sure there are kids who don't care for each other at the Skatepark, but they stay out of each other's way and have fun skating. That's what they're there to do and it goes pretty well, most of the time.
I just wish Jodie Adams could do this.
It seems to me she just wants to control how everybody has fun, and if they don't want to change the game in mid-stream, she's gonna make them pay. I don't see any other reason for these law suits.
Why does she want the Park Board want to take control of the skatepark? Haven't they been doing ok for 10 or so years? Why won't they just renew the lease?
Somebody isn't being entirely forthcoming about this.
I honestly don't know who it is, but I have my suspicions.
Usually, I will look at who stands to gain the most.
In this case, I have to say there must be some reason the park board wants to control the land and the skatepark itself. Otherwise, the park board would have simply renewed the land lease and supplemental agreements and let the SSA control the operations.
I think any complaints about behavior and stuff going on in the general vicinity have been exaggerated by a lot of folks.
According the the CFP article and what I've read in the daily paper, the Park Board hasn't publicly provided any proof of the SSA violating the terms of the lease or agreement.
Jackie is a great reporter and I know she allowed the city attorney's office and the Park Board more than ample time to provide her with any documents demonstrating the SSA was in violation of any signed agreements.
It's really beginning to sound to me like the park board simply refused to renew the original agreement without making some drastic changes.
So, here we are. With the city filing two lawsuits against the SSA in what amounts to a good old-fashioned landgrab like the old days of the land barons and the railroad and countless other entities who just want what they want and they don't care who gets hurt.
In this case, I think the kids might suffer for it.
Usually, governments tend to screw up the day-to-day operations of projects they really aren't in the business of running in the first place. I don't think the Park Board is out there looking for people well-suited to supervising skateboarders.
A person who knows the activity should be supervising the facility. Period.
I haven't heard any allegations of malfeasance or inappropriate use of funds.
I've heard a lot of accusations levelled against the park system for the way it has handled golf in Springfield, but again, I can't get an entirely accurate read on the situation, because some people aren't saying anything about it.
I haven't lived here my whole life, but that doesn't mean I don't have the right to question the motives and methods of people running the community I live in.
I wholeheartedly believe this legal action by the city against the SSA is nothing more than a landgrab. I don't see any evidence that the facility is mismanaged and, so far, the Park Board hasn't been able or willing to provide documented evidence of violations of the agreements by the SSA.
I'm sure legal counsel for the SSA is competent, but I would make this suggestion: since the park board and the city attorney's office have not provided any evidence of violations in a public forum, I would subpoena any park board computer hard drives to assure the validity of any documents which may surface in the course of the trial.
I am not so sure some of our public officials are above attempting to create documents after the fact, in an effort to posthumously create a paper trail for the legal system to follow. Any violations would have to be documented in order for the court to rule in favor of the Park Board in these suits. Phone calls won't cut it. Maybe recorded phone messages, but I strongly suspect those don't exist either.
If documents turn up during litigation, subpoena and search park board and city attorney hard drives to validate those documents. Don't just accept a piece of paper with names and dates and signatures. At this point I don't really believe we should be taking anybody's word for anything.
Above all, I would encourage all citizens to make it a priority that the kids don't end up on the short end of the stick in this situation.
My ultimate hope would be for Jodie to grow up and learn to play well with others.
Well, friends and foes: that's what's in the kettle this time.
Hopefully, I'll be able to post more frequently in the future.
Happy Trails and enjoy what Life's Potluck serves up to you or....
SEND IT BACK TO THE KITCHEN!
I've been very busy at the paper this past 10 days. Our managing editor Mert Seaton and his wife brought a brand spanking new baby girl on July 2. Lucy Ann weighed 8 pounds and 10 ounces at birth. Already has daddy wrapped around her finger I hear from a reliable source.
Anyway, Mert took a couple weeks off to take care of mother and child, so I made a feeble attempt to fill in for him at the paper. If there are things left out or are done incorrectly, it's pretty much my fault, but I gave it my best shot and that's what counts.
Jackie Melton wrote a very good piece about the Springfield Skatepark Association being filed against by the city in circuit court.
This lawsuit is frivolous, but not trivial. The city is paying our money to sue a non-profit that does a world of good for a lot of good kids. I know because I've met the kids and they deserve the facility.
The situation legally is somewhat convoluted, but the bottom line is the Park Board is making a land grab: pure and simple.
The SSA has put a lot of time, effort and money into the improvements made to the property and turned it into a great place for kids to go and skateboard, inline skate and freestyle on their bikes. It's safe and the park rangers watch the kids closely and they are well-supervised by the staff, as well.
Kids love to hotdog for a reporter with a camera and they did it when I showed up, but Eric Henderson gave them stern warnings to be safe and not do anything daredevilish. The kids respect and like Eric and they listened to his warnings and they had a great time showing off for me and Darrell while we snapped away with our cameras.
This flap over the lease and supplemental agreement is all the result of big kids not taking a cue from the little kids about how to get along and play well with each other.
You know, I'm sure there are kids who don't care for each other at the Skatepark, but they stay out of each other's way and have fun skating. That's what they're there to do and it goes pretty well, most of the time.
I just wish Jodie Adams could do this.
It seems to me she just wants to control how everybody has fun, and if they don't want to change the game in mid-stream, she's gonna make them pay. I don't see any other reason for these law suits.
Why does she want the Park Board want to take control of the skatepark? Haven't they been doing ok for 10 or so years? Why won't they just renew the lease?
Somebody isn't being entirely forthcoming about this.
I honestly don't know who it is, but I have my suspicions.
Usually, I will look at who stands to gain the most.
In this case, I have to say there must be some reason the park board wants to control the land and the skatepark itself. Otherwise, the park board would have simply renewed the land lease and supplemental agreements and let the SSA control the operations.
I think any complaints about behavior and stuff going on in the general vicinity have been exaggerated by a lot of folks.
According the the CFP article and what I've read in the daily paper, the Park Board hasn't publicly provided any proof of the SSA violating the terms of the lease or agreement.
Jackie is a great reporter and I know she allowed the city attorney's office and the Park Board more than ample time to provide her with any documents demonstrating the SSA was in violation of any signed agreements.
It's really beginning to sound to me like the park board simply refused to renew the original agreement without making some drastic changes.
So, here we are. With the city filing two lawsuits against the SSA in what amounts to a good old-fashioned landgrab like the old days of the land barons and the railroad and countless other entities who just want what they want and they don't care who gets hurt.
In this case, I think the kids might suffer for it.
Usually, governments tend to screw up the day-to-day operations of projects they really aren't in the business of running in the first place. I don't think the Park Board is out there looking for people well-suited to supervising skateboarders.
A person who knows the activity should be supervising the facility. Period.
I haven't heard any allegations of malfeasance or inappropriate use of funds.
I've heard a lot of accusations levelled against the park system for the way it has handled golf in Springfield, but again, I can't get an entirely accurate read on the situation, because some people aren't saying anything about it.
I haven't lived here my whole life, but that doesn't mean I don't have the right to question the motives and methods of people running the community I live in.
I wholeheartedly believe this legal action by the city against the SSA is nothing more than a landgrab. I don't see any evidence that the facility is mismanaged and, so far, the Park Board hasn't been able or willing to provide documented evidence of violations of the agreements by the SSA.
I'm sure legal counsel for the SSA is competent, but I would make this suggestion: since the park board and the city attorney's office have not provided any evidence of violations in a public forum, I would subpoena any park board computer hard drives to assure the validity of any documents which may surface in the course of the trial.
I am not so sure some of our public officials are above attempting to create documents after the fact, in an effort to posthumously create a paper trail for the legal system to follow. Any violations would have to be documented in order for the court to rule in favor of the Park Board in these suits. Phone calls won't cut it. Maybe recorded phone messages, but I strongly suspect those don't exist either.
If documents turn up during litigation, subpoena and search park board and city attorney hard drives to validate those documents. Don't just accept a piece of paper with names and dates and signatures. At this point I don't really believe we should be taking anybody's word for anything.
Above all, I would encourage all citizens to make it a priority that the kids don't end up on the short end of the stick in this situation.
My ultimate hope would be for Jodie to grow up and learn to play well with others.
Well, friends and foes: that's what's in the kettle this time.
Hopefully, I'll be able to post more frequently in the future.
Happy Trails and enjoy what Life's Potluck serves up to you or....
SEND IT BACK TO THE KITCHEN!
Friday, July 4, 2008
Fourth of July Early Morning Muse
Happy Fourth!
In my opinion, this is the one day that every single private sector employee should have off and limited shifts for public sector and emergency medical employees should be instated. Probably too much red tape and bureacracy and just plain interference for most folks, but I really wish more people could take the day off and just celebrate the fact this country exists at all.
It was not necessarily inevitable. There was a real voice in jolly old England for repeal of the Stamp Act. That relatively insignificant legislative act may have averted the War for Independence. At the very least, it would have delayed the eventual demise of the British colonial system.
In fact, it would have changed world history.
I have no doubt the French Revolution would have happened. If the French Revolution had preceded our own, however, I doubt that ours would have been successful.
It's pure speculation, but I wonder how many people even appreciate the precise conditions that had to exist for this country to have evolved out of the Western tradition of monarchy, despotism and colonial imperialism. Granted, the great Western nations had already developed parliamentary representation to temper the "tyranical" nature of monarchs.
Everything had to be just right to foment the birth of our nation.
The people who started this nation were not saints. Most of them were in it for the money. They were not altruistic men who believed that all men were equal in achievement nor potential, necessarily. They did however espouse the idea of all men (not women) being created equal.
Most of the "founding fathers" were, in fact, men of privilege: whether by birth or industry. Many were slave holders. Nearly all were successful businessmen. All of these men believed the taxes being exacted upon them by the British government were unfair because they specifically targeted the American colonies (an easily disputed claim, by the way, because the taxes also pertained to British holdings in the East, particularly India).
The tax burden placed on the American colonies was severe and the British government offered little in the way of "services".
There are some who believe that we are currently being overtaxed and not getting a good return on those tax dollars in the form of core services, especially at the city level. We have an entire fiscal year to debate those issues.
For right now, I would like to wish you all a good July 4th and hope most of you can spend it with your families and do some good outdoor cooking and activities. I know I am.
Stu
PS
I know that I am at odds with most of you all in this local blogosphere, but I assure you that I am not "entrenched" in a particular political dogma or blindly committed to the ever-changing ideas espoused by a particular political party. My blog is not intended to be a form of proselytization. I welcome informed responses and will publish virtually all comments, so long as they are for the most part civil. I realize tempers flare and things can get seemingly personal, but I don't think it has to be hateful.
I would also like to provide links to other blogs, but don't really know "all the tools in the box" as my colleague "the hammer" pointed out.
In my opinion, this is the one day that every single private sector employee should have off and limited shifts for public sector and emergency medical employees should be instated. Probably too much red tape and bureacracy and just plain interference for most folks, but I really wish more people could take the day off and just celebrate the fact this country exists at all.
It was not necessarily inevitable. There was a real voice in jolly old England for repeal of the Stamp Act. That relatively insignificant legislative act may have averted the War for Independence. At the very least, it would have delayed the eventual demise of the British colonial system.
In fact, it would have changed world history.
I have no doubt the French Revolution would have happened. If the French Revolution had preceded our own, however, I doubt that ours would have been successful.
It's pure speculation, but I wonder how many people even appreciate the precise conditions that had to exist for this country to have evolved out of the Western tradition of monarchy, despotism and colonial imperialism. Granted, the great Western nations had already developed parliamentary representation to temper the "tyranical" nature of monarchs.
Everything had to be just right to foment the birth of our nation.
The people who started this nation were not saints. Most of them were in it for the money. They were not altruistic men who believed that all men were equal in achievement nor potential, necessarily. They did however espouse the idea of all men (not women) being created equal.
Most of the "founding fathers" were, in fact, men of privilege: whether by birth or industry. Many were slave holders. Nearly all were successful businessmen. All of these men believed the taxes being exacted upon them by the British government were unfair because they specifically targeted the American colonies (an easily disputed claim, by the way, because the taxes also pertained to British holdings in the East, particularly India).
The tax burden placed on the American colonies was severe and the British government offered little in the way of "services".
There are some who believe that we are currently being overtaxed and not getting a good return on those tax dollars in the form of core services, especially at the city level. We have an entire fiscal year to debate those issues.
For right now, I would like to wish you all a good July 4th and hope most of you can spend it with your families and do some good outdoor cooking and activities. I know I am.
Stu
PS
I know that I am at odds with most of you all in this local blogosphere, but I assure you that I am not "entrenched" in a particular political dogma or blindly committed to the ever-changing ideas espoused by a particular political party. My blog is not intended to be a form of proselytization. I welcome informed responses and will publish virtually all comments, so long as they are for the most part civil. I realize tempers flare and things can get seemingly personal, but I don't think it has to be hateful.
I would also like to provide links to other blogs, but don't really know "all the tools in the box" as my colleague "the hammer" pointed out.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Where to read my published work and some thoughts on various civic leaders
Hi folks.
As I mentioned in my note of welcome, I'm a columnist and copy editor for the Community Free Press. You can read my published columns by picking up a copy of CFP at over 120 locations throughout Springfield, Nixa, Ozark and Republic or go to www.cfpmidweek.com. There you will find archived editions of the paper. CFP has the most complete events calendar and listings of happenings in the Springfield Metro Area bar none. So, if you're looking for something to do, or need details of a particular event, www.cfpmidweek.com is the place to go.
I have a lot of things "stewing" in the kettle which will eventually manifest itself in Stu's Potluck.
First thing that comes to mind is this situation of Springfield City Councilman Gary Deaver attempting to place a gag order on the folks over at the daily paper. Ok, ok. So he asked nicely. It doesn't matter how much sugar you put on it, though. The fact that the City actually had three different pay scales for different levels of candidates for the City Manager position is the real point.
The way that translates to me is that the city council is prepared to settle for a "lesser" candidate for the position, if they can "get a deal." You get what you pay for, in most circumstances. Maybe it would be better to entice a highly qualified field of candidates with one good pay scale.
There are lots of different euphamisms for sycophant in Springfield. Unfortunately, Councilman Deaver has gained more than one for himself. "Carlson Junior" is the first that I heard within just a few months of moving here. "Little Tom" and "Carlson's Lapdog" are others that I've heard. The one that I truly loathe (and fear to some degree) is "Springfield's Next Mayor".
I know, it's not really a big deal. It's just an honorary title, to a large extent, but the Mayor does preside over all City Council meetings and functions. The mayor is a figurehead. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is: it's the principle of the thing.
Anyone familiar with my work may think that I'm a Dan Chiles champion. I think the man is a breath of fresh air, but his stance on the new restaurant fees has left me cold. So, I'm not endorsing him for the mayoral position, either.
I'd definitely like to applaud Doug Burlison for at least motioning to hold off on the new fees, although I'd have preferred him to oppose them altogether.
Basically, I'd like you all to know I think City Council is not doing a particularly good job. In his "State of the City" address, Tom Carlson spoke for over 30 minutes and enumerated his "To Do" list or priorities for his final term of office. I don't think anything on his list is completely accomplished, and several of them are bound to be handed down to the next city council.
Carlson painted a pretty grim picture of the future in his speech. Springfield won't have a City Manager with 25 years of experience. City Council will consist of members without the benefit of Carlson's 25 years of experience. Blah, blah, blah. He gives himself too much credit. His grade card is full of "incompletes".
I found it interesting that his inspiration for the speech was a preacher from his past who introduced himself to his parishoners through his failures, or something like that.
Carlson apparently believes he has accomplished most of his goals. I see it quite differently. He has side-stepped the whole fire/police pension debacle and actually made the assertion it was Pension Board actuary Michael Zwiener's fault for giving an accurate portrayal of the whole mess, in the first place.
The state of Missouri legislature actually had to create a law to make Springfield, the third largest city in the state, comply with the suggested guidelines of the fire/police pension contribution schedule. Only the threat of losing 25% of sales tax remittances got City Council to do the right thing by firefighters and police.
I believe all public employees should be compensated fairly and receive pensions and benefits for public service. I wish people viewed educators with the same reverence as they view police and firefighters, since 9/11. I wonder how many more Columbines, WVUs and other tragedies it will take to convince people their public schools are no longer the safe havens they once were and there are risks in all paths of life.
I'm sighing, now. I don't think there's any such thing as a perfect world, anymore. I've become jaded, cynical and skeptical too early in life, perhaps.
Through my cynicism, however, I believe I've been granted the gift of knowing when somebody isn't telling the whole truth.
This is my query:
If Councilman Deaver actually had the gall to request the News-Leader to withhold the gradient pay scales of City Manager candidates from its readers, what information has he seen fit to withhold from the public in the past?
I'm not calling anyone a crook or a liar or anything so sensational as that. All I'm saying is: the next mayor of Springfield should be a person with a committment to candor and honesty. The people of Springfield can handle the bad along with the good.
Stu
As I mentioned in my note of welcome, I'm a columnist and copy editor for the Community Free Press. You can read my published columns by picking up a copy of CFP at over 120 locations throughout Springfield, Nixa, Ozark and Republic or go to www.cfpmidweek.com. There you will find archived editions of the paper. CFP has the most complete events calendar and listings of happenings in the Springfield Metro Area bar none. So, if you're looking for something to do, or need details of a particular event, www.cfpmidweek.com is the place to go.
I have a lot of things "stewing" in the kettle which will eventually manifest itself in Stu's Potluck.
First thing that comes to mind is this situation of Springfield City Councilman Gary Deaver attempting to place a gag order on the folks over at the daily paper. Ok, ok. So he asked nicely. It doesn't matter how much sugar you put on it, though. The fact that the City actually had three different pay scales for different levels of candidates for the City Manager position is the real point.
The way that translates to me is that the city council is prepared to settle for a "lesser" candidate for the position, if they can "get a deal." You get what you pay for, in most circumstances. Maybe it would be better to entice a highly qualified field of candidates with one good pay scale.
There are lots of different euphamisms for sycophant in Springfield. Unfortunately, Councilman Deaver has gained more than one for himself. "Carlson Junior" is the first that I heard within just a few months of moving here. "Little Tom" and "Carlson's Lapdog" are others that I've heard. The one that I truly loathe (and fear to some degree) is "Springfield's Next Mayor".
I know, it's not really a big deal. It's just an honorary title, to a large extent, but the Mayor does preside over all City Council meetings and functions. The mayor is a figurehead. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is: it's the principle of the thing.
Anyone familiar with my work may think that I'm a Dan Chiles champion. I think the man is a breath of fresh air, but his stance on the new restaurant fees has left me cold. So, I'm not endorsing him for the mayoral position, either.
I'd definitely like to applaud Doug Burlison for at least motioning to hold off on the new fees, although I'd have preferred him to oppose them altogether.
Basically, I'd like you all to know I think City Council is not doing a particularly good job. In his "State of the City" address, Tom Carlson spoke for over 30 minutes and enumerated his "To Do" list or priorities for his final term of office. I don't think anything on his list is completely accomplished, and several of them are bound to be handed down to the next city council.
Carlson painted a pretty grim picture of the future in his speech. Springfield won't have a City Manager with 25 years of experience. City Council will consist of members without the benefit of Carlson's 25 years of experience. Blah, blah, blah. He gives himself too much credit. His grade card is full of "incompletes".
I found it interesting that his inspiration for the speech was a preacher from his past who introduced himself to his parishoners through his failures, or something like that.
Carlson apparently believes he has accomplished most of his goals. I see it quite differently. He has side-stepped the whole fire/police pension debacle and actually made the assertion it was Pension Board actuary Michael Zwiener's fault for giving an accurate portrayal of the whole mess, in the first place.
The state of Missouri legislature actually had to create a law to make Springfield, the third largest city in the state, comply with the suggested guidelines of the fire/police pension contribution schedule. Only the threat of losing 25% of sales tax remittances got City Council to do the right thing by firefighters and police.
I believe all public employees should be compensated fairly and receive pensions and benefits for public service. I wish people viewed educators with the same reverence as they view police and firefighters, since 9/11. I wonder how many more Columbines, WVUs and other tragedies it will take to convince people their public schools are no longer the safe havens they once were and there are risks in all paths of life.
I'm sighing, now. I don't think there's any such thing as a perfect world, anymore. I've become jaded, cynical and skeptical too early in life, perhaps.
Through my cynicism, however, I believe I've been granted the gift of knowing when somebody isn't telling the whole truth.
This is my query:
If Councilman Deaver actually had the gall to request the News-Leader to withhold the gradient pay scales of City Manager candidates from its readers, what information has he seen fit to withhold from the public in the past?
I'm not calling anyone a crook or a liar or anything so sensational as that. All I'm saying is: the next mayor of Springfield should be a person with a committment to candor and honesty. The people of Springfield can handle the bad along with the good.
Stu
Welcome
Welcome to Stu's Potluck.
With any luck, I can get a bit more of my take on life in Springfield, MO to anybody who cares to read about it.
I have a broad range of interests, but my current professional activity is copy editing for Community Free Press and writing a column which appears in each issue.
As this is my first stab at blogging, there will be some obvious "bare spots" in the appearance of the blog. As I grow more familiar with the tools available, the site will hopefully become more aesthetically pleasing. Until then, I will focus on content, rather than "frills".
Stay tuned.
Stu
With any luck, I can get a bit more of my take on life in Springfield, MO to anybody who cares to read about it.
I have a broad range of interests, but my current professional activity is copy editing for Community Free Press and writing a column which appears in each issue.
As this is my first stab at blogging, there will be some obvious "bare spots" in the appearance of the blog. As I grow more familiar with the tools available, the site will hopefully become more aesthetically pleasing. Until then, I will focus on content, rather than "frills".
Stay tuned.
Stu
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