Volume 20, Edition 1   •  October 5, 2007

Newspaper: Nixon Breaking the Law

The headline from the October 5 Springfield News-Leader says it all: “Nixon breaking state law: Attorney general misusing resources of his office.” In a stunning piece of editorial writing, the newspaper attacks Nixon’s use of his taxpayer-financed car for political purposes and makes it clear that the attorney general of the state is engaging in illegal activity: “The attorney general, who is also a Democratic candidate for governor, has been using his taxpayer-provided vehicle for campaign purposes. That's against the law. Using public property for campaign purposes, ironically, sent Nixon's predecessor, Bill Webster, to federal prison.” The one problem with the editorial is that it incorrectly compares Nixon’s lawbreaking to something his staff already does: deleting email. There is really no comparison between the attorney general breaking the law on a daily basis and ignoring email retention requirements. To read the entire editorial, go to: http://www.news-leader.com.

Governor Blunt Discusses Insure Missouri

Gov. Matt Blunt this week wrote an op-ed piece to state media discussing his bold plan to provide insurance to hundreds of thousands of uninsured Missourians through his Insure Missouri initiative. Following is a copy of the op-ed piece that ran in The Kansas City Star:

To address the rising cost of health insurance and reduce the number of uninsured, some want to raise taxes to pay for government-sponsored health care or expand government programs.

There is a better way. We can help solve this problem without raising taxes by using free-market solutions that rely almost entirely on funding that already exists in the health-care system.

This year I have proposed a new initiative for health care, Insure Missouri, to help low-income working families buy health insurance. We developed the plan understanding that consumer choice and competition in the marketplace will outperform government-controlled systems every time.

Insure Missouri will help more Missourians purchase their own personal health coverage. When fully in place, Insure Missouri will cover an estimated 200,000 people, or nearly 30 percent of Missouri’s uninsured. It will do so by leveraging contributions from participants, employers, the federal government, and the state, to help low-income working Missourians buy health insurance.

People who choose Insure Missouri must exercise personal responsibility for their insurance through affordable co-payments or reasonable premiums based on a sliding scale. For example, a family of four making $35,000 a year would be expected to pay about $145 per month, or about $2.40 per adult per day, for coverage.

Insure Missouri will not be funded with a job-killing tax increase. Instead, the resources are already in the health-care system. Instead of “on demand” emergency room visits, newly affordable insurance will pay for the right care at the right time. This alone will encourage lower costs through prevention and early care. Taxpayers are already paying for this care on the back end in the most expensive setting possible. It is better for taxpayers and better for those we want to help if we shift those resources to the front end and help people buy their own insurance.

When I became governor, Missouri was in no position to solve health-care problems. Years of tax-and-spend fiscal irresponsibility had ruined the budget, which was stunningly insolvent — a $1.1 billion deficit. Education funding was under constant threat, and aid for public colleges and universities had been slashed. Missouri’s public health-care system for the poor was on life support. The old, failed Medicaid system did not deliver even the basics of wellness services, preventive care and primary care.

In my campaign for governor I promised to root out fraud and waste, and to protect our safety-net system. We kept our promise. We saved public health care from destruction by the weak, spendthrift management of the past. Now we have a new system for the poor, MO HealthNet, where wellness and prevention are key principles, and waste and fraud are being reduced.

Soon we will have a second health-care initiative to help Missourians with lower incomes buy insurance without a huge, costly expansion of our government-sponsored health-care program for the poor. With Insure Missouri, people can have the option to own a health-care package that they can afford and that meets their families’ needs.

For more information on Insure Missouri, go to www.insuremissouri.org.

Light Shines on Tax Credit Information

Governor Blunt has announced that the Missouri Accountability Portal will be expanded to not only shine the light on state spending but also to provide Missourians with information about state tax credits. The MAP tax credit site contains information on tax credits administered by the Missouri Department of Economic Development since tax credit application year 2000. Tax credit information is available by tax credit category, legislative district and customer in accordance with privacy and tax confidentiality laws. Missourians can review information about state tax credits by visiting www.mapyourtaxes.mo.gov. The Missouri Accountability Portal is one of the first comprehensive databases of financial records based on real-time data in the nation. The MAP site is updated at the close of each business day to provide up-to-date access to information about state spending. Users can search the MAP site by budget category, vendor or contract. Links to other public information maintained by the state also are available on the MAP site. Since launching the new Internet site on July 10, 2007, there have been over 1.3 million visits to the MAP site. “We are using existing technology to provide Missourians with valuable information on how their state government spends their hard earned money,” Gov. Blunt said. “I am committed to making it easier for all Missourians to learn more about how their tax dollars are being spent. Providing a map to information on state tax credits is another step we are taking to make state government even more accountable to Missouri taxpayers.” The governor’s MAP site is receiving national attention. Click here to read a piece in the Hawaii Reporter praising Governor Blunt for his efforts to make state government more transparent and accountable to taxpayers.

Governor’s Lawsuit Reform Initiatives Prove Successful

Governor Blunt’s efforts at meaningful lawsuit reform - including helping ensure that doctors and medical professionals have access to the insurance they need to care for Missouri patients - are working. The 2006 Medical Malpractice Report released by the Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions & Professional Registration includes information about malpractice occurrences, allegations and health outcomes. New legislation requires self-insured and certain other claims to be reported in the same manner as other malpractice insurers to make sure a complete picture with accurate data is available. The entire report is available at http://www.insurance.mo.gov. Highlights of the 2006 Medical Malpractice Report include:

  • Newly reported claims declined by 61 percent, from 2,822 claims in 2005 to 1,113 in 2006, reaching the lowest recorded in the department’s database;
  • Total closed claims increased from 1,799 to 2,292 between 2005 and 2006, a 27 percent increase;
  • Average tort claim settlements declined for a second consecutive year. Between 2005 and 2006, average awards declined by 13.8 percent, from $246,775 to $212,658.

Before the passage of comprehensive lawsuit reform, health care providers in Missouri were being hit hard by frivolous lawsuits and outrageous awards. Governor Blunt and lawmakers enacted meaningful lawsuit reform to address the health care crisis that was driving doctors out of the state at the expense of patients in need of care. The 2005 reform has resulted in improved medical malpractice operations for the third consecutive year. Following escalating medical malpractice costs that caused a downturn in the market from 1999-2003, medical malpractice operations have finally stabilized. “Legislation I signed in 2005 brought sweeping reforms to address a very serious medical crisis in our state by instituting needed lawsuit and medical malpractice reforms,” the governor said. “The reforms brought common sense and balance back to our state’s laws and improved access to health care for all Missourians.”

Rep. Hunter Calls Nixon Out on Sunshine Request

Republican state Rep. Steve Hunter recently began sending letters to Missouri newspapers about Jay Nixon’s failure to honor one of his Sunshine Law requests. In light of Nixon’s rhetoric on open records, Hunter’s letter exposes the blatant hypocrisy:

Dear Editor,

I am writing this in response to the many articles that have been appearing nearly on a daily basis regarding whether e-mails are public record and should be released pursuant to a sunshine request.

Missouri’s Attorney General has been quoted as saying “There should be no debate — e-mail communications are public records.” I find this statement profoundly confusing.

On June 28, 2007, I submitted a sunshine request to Attorney General Jay Nixon requesting documents, including e-mails, relating to the troubled Second Injury Fund program in the Department of Labor and the Fund’s pending insolvency.

To provide a frame of reference, sometime in 2001 a decision was made to increase the maximum amount for which a Second Injury Fund case could be settled from $40,000 to $60,000. Since that time, payments from the Second Injury Fund have skyrocketed.

In an attempt to determine whether this decision made by the Attorney General’s office was a financially sound decision, I had asked a representative of Attorney General Nixon to appear during the legislative session at a committee hearing. In an effort to explain the rationale behind that decision, this attorney on behalf of the Attorney General stated that the decision was made in a meeting which included business groups and two current state senators.

I have spoken to many business groups and to both state senators, and everyone I have spoken to about this meeting denies any knowledge of the issue. As a result of the conflicting information, I submitted my sunshine request for e-mails relating to the Second Injury Fund.

The Attorney General responded on July 31, 2007 by saying they, “have been attempting to devise a systematic way to retrieve and review, to the extent possible, the many e-mail communications.”

To date, I have not received any e-mail communications from the Attorney General pursuant to my sunshine request. And I have not received information about whether or not the e-mails will be released as was promised in his letter.

My question – If e-mails are public record, why is the Attorney General having such difficulty devising a system to retrieve their own e-mails?

The Attorney General’s letter continues by saying, ”It has become clear that fulfilling your request as it is currently drafted would be a massive undertaking involving a substantial redirection of this office’s resources.” The letter then comes to a close by saying, “many of these e-mails may be closed records constituting attorney-client communications…”

These e-mail communications are essential to determining why our Second Injury Fund is facing a billion dollars or more in liabilities.

As the lead law enforcement agent for the state of Missouri, and given his recent statements about e-mails being public records, I am completely dismayed by his lack of response to my request.

Is the Attorney General suggesting he is not subject to the sunshine law? Or is he simply suggesting the sunshine law only applies when it doesn’t mean too much extra work (i.e. substantial redirection of office resources)?

I am deeply troubled by the inconsistency between the Attorney General’s public statements which have been directed at Governor Blunt, and his official response to my sunshine request. Please feel free to contact my office if you need any additional information.

Nixon’s Illegal Use of Car Continued after Being Busted

A new video shows that Jay Nixon continued to illegally use a taxpayer-financed vehicle to attend political fundraisers one day after the media first exposed his previous use of public property for political gain at two other political events. The website YouTube.com shows Nixon using his official state vehicle while attending a fundraiser at the Club at Old Hawthorne golf course in Columbia on September 28, one day after The Kansas City Star first exposed Nixon’s illegal use of the state’s vehicle for political purposes on September 18 and September 21. To view the video, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUBvmQGS7C0. In a supreme act of hypocrisy, Nixon attended all three fundraisers on a weekday, even though he told the Dexter Daily Statesman on November 22, 2005: "I'll do all my political work on the weekends and I'll be your attorney general during the week." Meanwhile, Nixon inconsistently claims that he doesn’t have to reimburse taxpayers for his illegal use of state resources at fundraisers because he’s attorney general “24/7,” although he supposedly reimburses the state for his questionable use of the state car to travel back and forth to his home in Jefferson City. It is obvious that Jay Nixon cannot be trusted with taxpayer dollars because even after being exposed for illegally using his public car and public staff for politics, he continues on with no regard for the law or for Missouri taxpayers. Nixon is doing political work on weekdays though he said he wouldn’t. Nixon is issuing contradictory statements about when he has to reimburse the state and when he doesn’t. Nixon’s continual inconsistencies and excuses aren’t going to fool Missourians, who are the ones picking up Nixon’s campaign tab whether they want to or not. Eerily quiet have been the Democrat candidates seeking to replace Nixon as attorney general. Inquiring minds would like to know whether these candidates believe this is an appropriate use of taxpayer money.

Nixon’s ‘Achy Breaky’ Breakdown: Photo ID for Disney but Not for Voting?

In one of the most ridiculous contradictions in recent memory, Jay Nixon wants people to show photo identification to purchase “Hannah Montana” tickets but opposes requiring Missourians to show photo identification in order to vote.

During a media meltdown yesterday in Kansas City, Nixon said he has reached an agreement that will require people to show ID when purchasing tickets for Disney’s Hannah Montana show, whose star is the daughter of “Achy Breaky Heart” crooner Billy Ray Cyrus. Nixon’s crackdown is ludicrous in light of his longtime opposition to legislation that would have required Missouri voters to present voter ID at the polls to protect the integrity of our elections system.

Nixon’s grandstanding, which is simply a cut and paste display of previous efforts by the attorney general in Arkansas, is also at odds with Democrat dogma. By requiring photo ID for the Hannah Montana tickets, Nixon is denying “thousands of Missourians” without ID an opportunity to purchase tickets if Democrats’ claims about requiring voter identification at the polls are to be believed.

“It is disturbing and almost laughable that Jay Nixon believes that it’s more important to protect the integrity of a Disney show than to protect the integrity of the voting process in Missouri. It also seems that his willingness to deny children tickets because their parents or even grandparents do not have photo IDs is no different than Democrat claims that requiring a photo ID to vote prevents people from casting a ballot,” said Paul Sloca, communications director for the Missouri Republican Party. “It is ludicrous for Nixon to politically grandstand about Hannah Montana while rejecting the much bigger and real issue of voter fraud. Where exactly are Jay Nixon’s priorities?”

In honor of Nixon’s ridiculous double-standard on behalf of Hanna Montana, the Missouri Republican Party offers up this little ditty sung to the tune of “Achy Breaky Heart”:

Jay’s Achy Breaky Truth

You can tell the world
that you never was absurd,
you can burn the truth up if you want.
You can tell your friends,
ID for Hannah is a win,
but ID at the polls don’t seem to hunt.

You can tell your lips,
Let’s just shoot off from the hip!
You can tell your brain,
to sort this out.
You can tell your eyes,
to cover up your lies,
folks won’t like you when you cuss and scream and shout.

But don’t tell the truth,
the achy breaky truth,
You don’t think that folks would understand.
And if you tell the truth,
the achy breaky truth,
it might blow up and kill your plan.

You can tell your Ma,
you sometimes break the law,
when you ride to fundraisers in your car.
Or tell your brother now,
where you went and how,
but don’t admit you stretched the law too far.

Or tell your security,
tell anything you please,
yourself already knows you’re not O.K.
Or you can tell your eyes
to watch out for your mind,
it clearly walked out on you yesterday.

But don’t tell the truth,
the achy breaky truth,
You don’t think that folks would understand.
And if you tell the truth,
the achy breaky truth,
it might blow up and kill your plan.

Don’t tell the truth,
the achy breaky truth,
You don’t think that folks would understand.
And if you tell the truth,
the achy breaky truth,
it might blow up and kill your plan.

National Website Blasts Nixon on State Vehicle Abuse

A web-based newswire that covers supreme courts and state attorneys general across the nation blasted Jay Nixon for hypocritically failing to reimburse taxpayers for attending political events in a state car while reportedly reimbursing the state for travel between work and home. Under the headline: “Nixon says state liable for campaign trips, not commute,” LegalNewsline.com points out clearly the hypocrisy of Nixon’s claims that he’s on duty 24 hours a day which precludes him from having to reimburse the state for use of the state vehicle when, in fact, he pays the state back for trips to and from home. The story was published on the same day that a new video on YouTube showed Nixon continuing to break the law by attending political fundraisers in a taxpayer-financed vehicle. Nixon's office at first countered that Gov. Blunt also travels to fundraisers in a taxpayer-funded vehicle with security detail. It was later shown that the State Highway Patrol is obliged to provide both to the Governor whenever he travels. The AG's people also claimed Nixon reimbursed the state for private use of his vehicle but later admitted that he did so only for commuting to and from work, the Kansas City Star reported. Road trips to political events around the state, for whatever reason, don't count as personal use of the vehicle. ‘It's part of his being attorney general,’ Nixon spokesman Scott Holste told the Star.” Nixon has repeatedly broken the law and his hypocrisy in trying to answer these very serious charges has been exposed to a national audience, including leading legal figures, which serves to further embarrass our state and the office of attorney general. It is clear that Jay Nixon has acted illegally, and his litany of lies to cover up his crimes is pathetic. Nixon will say or do anything to be elected governor, and his disrespect for Missouri taxpayers is pathetic. The entire story can be found at http://www.legalnewsline.com.

Nixon’s Newest Excuse: Security Team Offers Advice

In a stammering and confusing statement to the media, Jay Nixon claimed that his taxpayer-financed personal “security detail” pulled from his consumer protection division actually assists him in making important legal decisions for the attorney general’s office. “I appreciate the opportunity to having folks with me that can help me make state decisions when I have to,” Nixon said this week in Kansas City, raising further questions about the true nature of a so-called security team that chauffeurs him to political events at state expense and in violation of state law. Nixon’s angry and confused statements about his illegal use of the state vehicle failed to explain his ludicrous claim that he’s on duty 24 hours a day which precludes him from having to reimburse the state for use of the state vehicle, when in fact he pays the state back for trips to and from home when security requirements would be at least as significant, if not more so. His latest excuse for his illegal use of state property is ridiculous. Does he seriously want Missourians to believe that his taxpayer-financed ‘security detail’ also serve as policy advisors on important state matters? We thought they were supposed to protect him from unknown threats, but perhaps they are actually protecting Nixon from himself. And perhaps they even offer Nixon political advice when he attends political events on state time and at taxpayer expense. It should prove interesting to find out what other hidden talents Nixon’s taxpayer-financed security posse possesses the next time he has to come up with another excuse for his illegal behavior. The entire Nixon video can be found at the Kansas City Star site.

Kansas City Star Bias on Display Again

The disturbing pattern of outright bias and hostility by Kansas City Star “reporters” was on display again in a blog post by Kit Wagar. Wagar made light of a media release from the governor’s office which said the governor wants to talk about his successes on behalf of Missourians. As chief executive of the state, the governor has a responsibility to talk with Missourians about the issues, and if it’s good news, so be it. Of course, Wagar makes no mention of Jay Nixon’s political speech over the weekend at the Missouri Parks Association’s 25th anniversary meeting (which was closed to the press because Jay doesn’t like tough questions). Wagar’s biased reporting was later featured on a Missouri Democrat Party press release. But Democrats like Wagar don’t want to hear it. Wagar and his liberal cohort Tim Hoover have done everything they can to suppress the accomplishments of this governor and instead choose to fawn all over Democrats. The Voice believes that this blatant partisanship will backfire on the media, which the public has little trust in based on media group research. A copy of Wagar’s Jack Cardetti-inspired diatribe can be found here. To reach Kit Wagar, call 816-234-4440 or, better yet, email him at kwagar@kcstar.com.

Reporter Details Nixon’s Media Evasion

Reports of Jay Nixon’s illegal use of a state vehicle to campaign really seemed to get under his skin. It was so bad that he sought to avoid the media. Reporter Lucie Wolken of the Missouri Digital News did a story laying out the facts of Nixon’s illegal activity, but there was no comment from Nixon’s office. Why? Well, Wolken tells us why on her personal website. Despite her best efforts, Nixon did everything he could to avoid answering Wolken’s questions and, at the end of the day, was successful. This is just another example of how afraid Nixon is to answer the tough questions, especially when he’s guilty as charged.

Associated Press Exposes Nixon’s Abuse of State Resources

Jay Nixon’s illegal use of his taxpayer-financed vehicle has raised serious questions in the public’s mind and in the media. A story from The Associated Press this week showed the clear violations of the law by Nixon by starting with the sentence: “Attorney General Jay Nixon is using his state vehicle for political purposes without reimbursing the state.” The entire article, which was distributed statewide, can be read at http://www.bnd.com.

MissouriPulse.com Post of the Week

For Nixon, It’s All About Smoke & Mirrors

Attorney General Jay Nixon has again conceded that he is breaking the law by using his state vehicle for political campaigning. In a fresh AP story, it is reported that Nixon is not only illegally using his taxpayer-funded car without reimbursing the state, but he also has official staffers from his state office moonlighting as his unarmed security entourage. What could possibly cause the state’s chief law enforcement official to blatantly and continually break the law?

As is often the case with Nixon, there is an over-the-top, self-serving component to the current affair. For years, Nixon has been ridiculed by Democrats, Republicans and the media for his insatiable appetite for attention. He thrives on the misperception that he is a “tough” law man. That misperception helps explain why Nixon illegally campaigns from town to town in a police-styled car equipped with a police-styled radio in the company of a security entourage.

Forget what you know about Nixon’s present charade for a moment. What kind of perception is Nixon perpetuating when he pulls into Salem or Buffalo in a police-styled car with a security detail in tow? Imagine what folks who aren’t ravenous consumers of political news might think when they see him. They are likely going to think Nixon is far more important than he really is, which is exactly the perception he seeks to perpetuate.

While renting a car and charging it to his campaign would be the proper and legal thing to do, look for Nixon to continue to illegally use his state vehicle and security entourage for politicking. Anything less would bruise his immense ego and wreck his campaign of misrepresentation. Nixon knows his poor crimefighting record will take a beating at some point, and he’s banking on voters buying into the misperception he is spreading now.

The Cornerstone - Founding Pachyderms Holding Celebration

The Columbia Pachyderm Club, which founded the national pachyderm movement, is preparing to celebrate its rich and long history of serving Republicans in Missouri and across our nation. The 40th Anniversary Founding Pachyderm Club celebration will be held Friday, November 2, at the Holiday Inn Executive Center in Columbia. The keynote address will be delivered by House Speaker Rod Jetton with special guests including George W. Parker, Pachyderm founder and chairman emeritus, Sen. Kit Bond, U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof and Senate President Pro Tem Michael Gibbons, among others. Tickets are $50 per person, and the dress is business attire. For more information, contact Patrick Crabtree, president of the Missouri Pachyderm Federation and chairman of the Columbia Club 40th Anniversary Committee at 573-445-8522 or 573-881-4096 or via email at Auxano@aol.com.

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 and family, 157th House District, whose newborn daughter is undergoing her fifth surgery this weekend to correct a heart defect.

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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