Volume 19, Edition 4   •  September 28, 2007

New Faith-Based Initiative Unveiled by Governor

Gov. Matt Blunt has unveiled Faith-Based Missouri, his new initiative to increase cooperation between state government and faith and community-based groups in providing services to Missourians in need. Blunt announced the first step of Faith-Based Missouri, a five person team he charged with studying how we can improve relations between state government and religious and secular charities. The team will include three Missourians with life-long ties to faith-based communities and state employees who share the governor’s commitment to building Faith-Based Missouri. The community team members will travel the state to meet with leaders in Missouri churches and charities to learn what is working, what is not and what can be done to encourage greater cooperation. Remaining members will work closely with state agencies to find answers to the same questions. The team’s charge and Faith-Based Missouri’s goal is to find ways to partner with religious charities to make Missouri a better place for all Missourians. The governor and agency directors will rely on the Faith-Based Missouri team for guidance and suggestions as to how the state can better transform lives and empower Missourians. Several state agencies already have successful partnerships with faith-based organizations. Earlier this year, Governor Blunt signed the Faith-Based Organization Liaison Act that will strengthen existing partnerships. The law calls on the Department of Social Services to designate regional liaisons to faith-based organizations. The liaisons will work to promote department and faith-based groups working together to provide private community services to Missourians in need of assistance. The legislation also prohibits discrimination against any faith-based groups in carrying out the provisions of the law. “The most powerful sources of charity, virtue, and shared prosperity in our society are not found in government, but in families, churches, charities, and free markets,” the governor said. “If we really desire effective government, we must engage these well-springs of charity, virtue, and shared prosperity. If we really want services that do more than feed a man for a day, or provide temporary shelter, we must cooperate more often with faith and community-based organizations. If we really wish to transform lives and empower Missourians to make lasting positive change for the future, we must find a way to help get more people of faith involved in our state-administered social programs.”

More Funding Secured for Fighting Sexual Predators

Missouri has received a $50,000 grant to enhance professional training for state law enforcement personnel working to protect Missourians from sex offenders. The federal grant was awarded to the Department of Corrections to develop an advanced curriculum focused on enforcing tough new legislation Governor Blunt signed into law. New training will be offered statewide and will include the latest information about Global Positioning Satellite or GPS tracking, personal computer searches and residency and registration requirements. The federal Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded the grant. The funding will allow the department to develop and deliver high caliber training to corrections and probation and parole officers across the state. The department plans to hire a consultant to review the current sex offender management system and to develop an advanced training curriculum that incorporates recent legislative changes. Grant funding will pay for curriculum development, delivery and related expenses. In addition, the grant will support a ten member-team that will attend a Bureau of Justice Assistance technical assistance workshop. Governor Blunt’s strong leadership ensured Missouri has one of the toughest versions of Jessica’s Law in the nation. The legislation mandates a lifetime sentence with a minimum of 30 years for serious sexual crimes committed against young children and calls for certain sex offenders to be monitored their entire lives. The governor led the successful effort to expand the state’s sexual offender registry and add new tools to make it a more powerful resource for parents and law enforcement officials. He also created a state program to support Multi-jurisdictional Internet Cyber Crimes Task Forces and a related grant program to help protect children from online predators. The budget Governor Blunt signed this year provides a total of $1.25 million for the cyber grant program to help further law enforcement efforts to protect Missouri children from cyber sexual predators. The governor also supported legislation requiring convicted sex offenders to submit their e-mail addresses, Instant Messaging names and any other electronic identifiers to the sex offender registry. The information would then be available to help parents and law enforcement to keep our children safe from sexual predators. Registered sex offenders would only be allowed to use email addresses or other Internet based identifiers that they provide to the sex offender registry.

Grants Approved to Expand Early Childhood Care

Governor Blunt announced that 13 early childhood facilities have been awarded new grants to begin or expand early childhood care during fiscal year 2008. The Department of Social Services’ Children’s Division has awarded new grants to 13 facilities in the amount of $948,999, a $299,820 increase from last year. This brings the total amount the Children’s Division is providing to facilities to expand early childhood programs to $3,789,400 for this year. The grants are awarded to facilities that serve children from birth to age two. The Early Childhood Development, Education and Care Fund has been the source of nearly $35 million in investments in early care and education through the department since 1999. The money has allowed facilities across the state to increase access to quality early childhood care for more than 6,000 children. This year’s grants will provide the awardees with the funding necessary to serve an additional 204 children from birth to age two. Riverboat gaming fees provide a portion of the revenues for the grants.
The 13 additional facilities awarded grants during 2007-08 are:

  • Boone Hospital Foundation, Columbia
  • Top Notch Learning Center, Eureka
  • Sunshine Center, Independence
  • Children’s Village, Kansas City
  • Emmanuel Family & Child Development Center, Kansas City
  • Whatsoever Community Center, Kansas City
  • Playhouse Child and Preschool, Malden
  • Jennie L. Robinson, Ozark
  • Shining Stars Preschool, Perryville
  • Reeds Spring Early Education Center, Reeds Spring
  • Cornerstone Center for Early Childhood, St. Louis
  • University City Children’s Center, St. Louis
  • Giggles and Wiggles Family Childcare, Springfield

DSS Early Childhood Start Up and Expansion Grants are awarded to providers for a three-year time period. To qualify for the grants, facilities must agree to earmark 10 percent of their capacity for low income children. The facility also must be licensed and begin the accreditation process.

Governor’s Request for Disaster Assistance Approved

Governor Blunt this week announced that President Bush approved his request for a disaster declaration to help seven southwest Missouri counties rebuild destroyed public infrastructure from severe weather and flash flooding in August. A Disaster Declaration for Public Assistance has been approved for Dade, Dallas, Greene, Laclede, Lawrence, Polk and Webster Counties. The State Emergency Management Agency is working with local officials to set up public official’s briefings for the seven counties beginning on October 2. These meetings are designed to explain the public assistance process and help officials begin repairing flood damaged infrastructure. Public officials and certain non-profit organizations in the seven counties will have 30 days to submit applications for the public assistance program. These applications will be explained the day of the public official’s briefings. As dates and locations of the meetings are established, the information will be posted on SEMA’s homepage at www.sema.dps.mo.gov.

Governor Reinstates Honor for Veterans

Governor Blunt issued a directive this week which allows the Missouri National Guard to again use live buglers when they are available, reversing a decision by the Guard to stop using live buglers. Under the governor’s directive, live buglers will continue to perform whenever available, which in the past has represented an average of more than one in three funerals. When a live bugler is not available, the funeral honors team will continue to use the digital ceremonial bugle. The Missouri National Guard began using the ceremonial bugle in October 2002, due to a shortage of available live buglers. The ceremonial bugle is an actual bugle with a small device that can be inserted deep into the bell of a bugle that plays a very high-quality rendition of “Taps.” The Missouri National Guard provides military funeral honors within the state of Missouri for honorably discharged veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States of America. The Missouri National Guard Funeral Honors Program provides military funeral honors free of charge to thousands of veterans’ families each year, with more than 9,000 last year. These honors include “Taps” and demonstrate the state and nation’s deep gratitude to those who, in time of war and peace, have defended their country. “It is important that as a state we honor the men and women who have sacrificed so much for our freedom. I have the greatest respect for those who have worn the uniforms of our Armed Forces and their commitment to defending our values,” Governor Blunt said. “I have directed the Missouri National Guard to use live buglers whenever possible as a sign of respect for our heroic Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines.”

Smith, Aull, Lobbyist Charged in Casinogate Scandal

Democrats Sen. Jeff Smith and Rep. Joe Aull along with former casino lobbyist Lynne Schlosser have all been charged with crimes of presenting a false identification at a Boonville casino. The charges stem from a July 31 junket consisting of several Democrat lawmakers to the Isle of Capri casino. The three were charged this week in Cooper County and have a November 6 scheduled court date. Smith has refused to comment on the charges and is being represented by Mel Carnahan’s former chief counsel, Joe Bednar, while Aull says he “feels” innocent. It is clearly a disgrace that lawmakers have been exposed as lawbreakers, and Smith’s illegal activity raises even more serious questions because he serves on the Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee which votes on legislation related to crime and punishment. All three face up to 1 year in jail and a $500 fine. As head of the Democrat Party and the attorney general, Jay Nixon should denounce Smith and Aull’s activity while Smith should be asked to resign from the committee. It seems unsavory that lawmakers would act in collusion with a lobbyist to break the law. There definitely is more to the story and the Missouri Republican Party has made a Sunshine Law request with the Missouri Gaming Commission seeking casino videotape that may provide some even more revealing illicit activity.

Videos: Nixon Illegally Using State Car for Fundraising

In stunning video posted at YouTube.com, Jay Nixon is shown illegally using his taxpayer-financed state car to attend political fundraisers in Ladue and Kirksville in violation of Sections 37.450 and 301.260 RSMo. Section 37.450 states “State vehicles shall be used for official business only, in accordance with Section 301.260 RSMo.” The two videos show Nixon’s state vehicle pulling into the political fundraisers with one of the videos actually showing Nixon getting out of the car and casually putting on his jacket. The Ladue fundraiser was on September 18 and the Kirksville fundraiser was on September 21. Nixon must explain to Missourians why he was illegally using a taxpayer financed vehicle to attend political fundraisers. These are very disturbing images, and Jay Nixon obviously has a lot of explaining to do with the taxpayers of this state. As the self-described chief law enforcement officer of the state, Jay Nixon’s blatant disregard for the law is appalling, and he should immediately stop illegally using taxpayer resources to benefit his fledgling campaign. Governor Blunt does not have an official car like that provided to Nixon, which now stands exposed on YouTube as yet another tool of illicit taxpayer abuse. As secretary of state, the governor parked his official car during the campaign to assure that no political use could occur or be alleged. On videotape, Nixon takes his official car to closed, private-home political gatherings, complete with Nixon political signs in front. By the Highway Patrol's decision and under the Patrol's long-set security policy, the governor as the state’s chief executive travels with a security detail and in Patrol vehicles. The Patrol does not provide security details for other statewide officials. The videos can be found at www.youtube.com, keyword “Jay Nixon”.

Nixon’s Secret Police Force Shrouded in Mystery

In a desperate attempt to avoid explaining why he used his taxpayer-financed state vehicle to attend political fundraisers, Jay Nixon dropped a bombshell on Missourians this week by claiming that he is using tax dollars for a secret police force that most in the public, including the Legislature, had never heard of before. Nixon’s lawyer Ted Ardini told The Kansas City Star this week that his boss employs “security personnel” from within the attorney general’s office because of unidentified threats, yet Ardini “declined to elaborate” on important questions such as: Were these threats reported to the Missouri State Highway Patrol and if not, why not? From what division within Nixon’s office did he get his secret police force? Who are they? What are their qualifications? What part of Nixon’s budget is paying for the secret police force? What safety upgrades have been made to his state car that make it safer than any other car? Do these “security personnel” carry guns? Did the Legislature appropriate money for this purpose? It also is disturbingly convenient that Missourians were only made aware of the existence of this secret police force after Nixon was caught on tape using his state car to attend political fundraisers in Ladue and Kirksville in violation of a state law that states: "State agencies shall be responsible for ensuring that state vehicles are used only for state business and not for private purposes." Nixon has produced no records showing that he reimbursed the state for the political use of the state’s vehicle. The fact of the matter is that Jay Nixon illegally used his taxpayer-financed state vehicle for political purposes then tried to create a smokescreen by manufacturing ridiculous X-Files-type conspiracy theories that include a taxpayer-financed secret police force that few, if any, people knew about until he got caught doing something wrong. Nixon’s desperate attempt to explain his illegal activity has raised very serious questions about the secrecy under which his office is operating and spending taxpayer dollars. Nixon’s Democrat Party, meanwhile, tried to help their boss out of his legal mess by trying to contradict a state law which states: "The director of the governor's security division shall provide transportation, security, and protection for the governor and the governor's immediate family." And as Maj. Bret Johnson of the Missouri Highway Patrol told The Star: "It doesn't matter to us if [the governor is] attending a political event."

Request Exposes Nixon’s Deception on Office Emails

The Missouri Republican Party’s Sunshine Law requests for a complete record of office emails for Nixon’s No. 2 man over the last three years has been stifled by legal interpretations of Missouri’s Sunshine Law by the same attorney general who claims to be a champion of open records. When asked to provide all emails sent by Nixon Chief of Staff John Watson dating back to 2004, Nixon’s office supplied about 200 mostly innocuous Watson missives and the following excuse for why more information was not forthcoming: “There are documents that may be responsive to your current request but are not being produced because they fall under Section 610.021.” In fact, Nixon’s office handed over just 19 pieces of paper with Watson emails from 2004. The Missouri Republican Party also received no emails from Watson to Nixon and only a handful of emails from Watson to Nixon spokesman Scott Holste, who The Associated Press reported on September 24 “deletes many of the e-mails he receives.” Despite the fact that many of the documents were suspiciously sanitized by Nixon’s legal eagles, there are some eye-opening interactions that call Nixon’s credibility into question including:

  • In an attempt to cook the books, Nixon’s office reported that $598,832.97 it had charged the former Division of Professional Registration was rounded down to $500,000.
  • In a blatant case of political chicanery, a Watson email containing a link to a January 19 Missouri Republican Party press release criticizing Nixon for comments insulting law enforcement was sent to Greene County Sheriff Jack Merritt, who later publicly supported Nixon on the issue.
  • In an example of influence peddling, Nixon political guru and courtroom conspirator Chuck Hatfield took issue with question 86 submitted by the governor’s office to candidates for the Missouri Supreme Court: “What the hell is this and what does it have to do with whether someone is qualified to be a judge,” he wrote to Watson, who responded: “I’m assuming this is a fishing expedition but I’m not sure they have their hook baited.”
  • In a case raising questions about partisanship within the Supreme Court, the communications counsel for the high court sent an advance copy of the Appellate Judicial Commission’s public statement about the court system to Nixon’s office.

The documents are available at: http://www.mogop.org/media/agemails.pdf

Another Nixon Conflict: Attacks Plan He’s “Defending”

Jay Nixon’s practice of putting politics before his duty as the state’s attorney was exposed recently when in a serious conflict of interest he attacked the same state funding formula for Missouri schools that he’s helping “defend” in court. Nixon’s attack against Missouri students in Sedalia comes as the plaintiffs in the case consider appealing a lower court decision to the Missouri Supreme Court. Nixon’s conflict of interest in the school funding case is eerily similar to his conflict in which he first sabotaged a state law reforming campaign finance by not properly defending the law, and then abandoning it altogether by rolling over in front of the Missouri Supreme Court. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch also recently called on Nixon to recuse himself from the Planned Parenthood case because he is pro-abortion. Nixon’s ludicrous statement on school funding that, “It’s a lot easier to say you voted to fully fund education if you reduce the amount going in,” is belied by the fact that the governor and the Republicans in the General Assembly have increased education funding by more than half a billion dollars since 2005. Nixon’s total disregard for the children of Missouri and willingness to jeopardize the funding formula lawsuit he’s directing once again shows that he doesn’t care about anything but his political ambitions and lust to be governor. Nixon’s attack on students can be found at www.sedaliademocrat.com.

Media Praises Governor’s Insure Missouri Plan

Governor Blunt’s bold Insure Missouri program to help working Missourians purchase their own health insurance, thereby reducing by one third the number of Missourians who are uninsured, is receiving top reviews from the media. While Republicans are sure that the program is a tough pill for the left-leaning media to swallow, here are a few examples of what editorial boards across the state have had to say about Insure Missouri:

St. Joseph News-Press: “The governor's plan sets a credible path toward moving more Missourians toward insurance while acknowledging the danger of government trying to become all things for all people.”

Kansas City Star: “It’s great news that the governor finally has acknowledged the need for low-income, working parents and others to have better health care. His proposal deserves serious legislative consideration.”

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “Mr. Blunt deserves credit for a plan that makes a much-needed, and much delayed, change of course.”

MissouriPulse.com Post of the Week

Urban Fringe Group Infighting Could Impact Missouri Dems

Last night, PubDef provided the scoop on a growing and downright nasty rift between the formerly seemless Democratic front groups Pro-Vote and the SEIU. According to PubDef’s coverage, the SEIU is accusing Pro-Vote of an unpardonable sin in labor circles—union busting. The SEIU has even gone as far as to file an NLRB complaint against Pro-Vote. Pro-Vote denies the charges.

Excluding the present rift, Pro-Vote’s legacy has been one of virtual inseparability from the SEIU. Aside from sharing office space and staff, Pro-Vote ringleader John Hickey is the brother-in-law of former SEIU boss Grant Williams, whose method of raucous political protesting would put Cindy Sheehan to shame. Considering the current rift, you gotta wonder if Hickey yearns for the good ol’ days when Williams held the SEIU in check, and his biggest problem was springing bail money for Williams following a particularly rowdy protest. Ah yes, the good ‘ol days …

Excerpt from a 2003 Riverfront Times profile of the SEIU:

“The union [SEIU] and Hickey's group [Pro-Vote] were allies before Williams came back to town, but the working relationship has intensified. ProVote leases office space from SEIU, and ProVote's office manager, Marshall Rowland, runs the SEIU call center as part of a contract between the two groups.

ProVote and SEIU joined forces in March 2002 to protest President George W. Bush's campaign appearance for Talent, who was then running for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Jean Carnahan. About 200 people, including Williams' wife and kids, gathered outside America's Center. Williams was identified as the leader of the vocal group that was too large for the protest area. Williams says that the Secret Service was worried about the protest and told the local police to cuff him -- perhaps if their leader was gone, the group would dissolve.

But they didn't. Even Williams' wife and kids stayed at the protest while Williams was going to jail, charged with disturbing the peace. During the bus ride on the way home, they gathered bail money to spring Williams.”

From a political perspective, the SEIU/Pro-Vote rfit has got to have Missouri Democrats concerned. In recent election cycles, Pro-Vote has made a name for itself as the leading foot soldier of Democratic voter registration efforts in Missouri, while the SEIU consistently ranks among the largest campaign donors to the MDP and top-tier Democratic candidates. Factor in 2008 gubernatorial aspirant Jay Nixon’s longstanding image problem in urban areas and it becomes quite clear that Democrats could suffer should the rift persist.

The Cornerstone

One of the most read parts of any newspaper is the Letters to the Editor section, which allows citizens to have a voice. As Republicans, we have many successes to tout and concerns to raise within our communities, and letters to newspapers are another good way of doing that. We encourage Republicans to raise their voices and reach out with letters when they feel strongly about an issue. As Republicans know, the main news pages of many newspapers are tainted with a liberal hue, so letters can provide us with an outlet to set the record straight or just offer a differing opinion. We encourage Missouri Republicans to keep an eye on the media and use Letters to the Editors as ways to combat bias. Here are some websites and web addresses for Letters to the Editor for some of Missouri’s larger newspapers.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: letters@post-dispatch.com

Kansas City Star: letters@kcstar.com

Springfield News-Leader: letters@news-leader.com

Columbia Daily Tribune: editor@tribmail.com

Jefferson City News-Tribune: editor@newstribune.com

Hannibal Courier Post: newsroom@courierpost.com

Southeast Missourian: http://semissourian.com/opinion/letters/submit

Joplin Globe: letters@joplinglobe.com

St. Joseph News-Press: letters@npgco.com

For more information on other newspaper websites with addresses, emails and telephone numbers, please visit: http://www.usnpl.com/monews.php

Thoughts and Prayers

The Missouri Republican Party encourages Republicans across the state to keep these individuals in your thoughts and prayers:

Paul Busiek, husband of Mavis Busiek. Paul’s health concerns continue.

Mike Keathley, Commissioner of Administration, who has cancer.

Rosemary Kochner, 13th District State Committeewoman, who has continued health concerns.

State Rep. Scott Lipke, 157th House District, whose unborn daughter has been diagnosed with a heart condition.

Mary Mallien, 14th District State Committeewoman, who has continued health concerns.

Dawn Sprick, daughter of 21st District State Committeeman Gary Harris, who has cancer.

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