Code of Ethics: Jackson County legislators feel it

   The Jackson County Ethics Commission smacked the wrists of eight county legislators today for their handling of a counterclaim filed against fellow Legislator Bob Stringfield, who is suing them for Missouri Sunshine Law violations.

   The eight legislators were ordered to pay their own fees for the counterclaim and work out arrangements for paying the attorney who is handling both their defense and counterclaim. The commission did say it was appropriate for taxpayers to foot the bill to defend the eight.

  Which will allow Stringfield aide Bob WitbolsFeugen to push that the county must now pay for all of Stringfield's costs associated with defending himself from the counterclaim. WitbolsFeugen also sent an e-mail this afternoon to members of the media, state lawmakers and representatives for Prosecutor Mike Sanders asking (demanding?) they take action regarding the complimentary legal representation and contending the ethics commission took no action to deter officials from ethical misdeeds.

  Some Jackson County politicos are steaming at Legislator Dan Tarwater, who pushed for the counterclaim against Stringfield. (The animosity between Stringfield and Tarwater ignited a Jan. 30 brawl in the legislative chambers). But Tarwater says he only wanted a counterclaim filed in an effort to get the courts to force Stringfield to pay for the legislators' legal fees. He says he didn't know it had already been filed or the county had paid for three months of work on it. He said he thought the counterclaim would be filed after Stringfield's lawsuit was settled, not right away.

  Check out Saturday's Star for more on the ethics commission's decision.

Posted by DeAnn Smith

Comments

Ain't democracy great!

[Bob]

Tarwater seems like such a dumb-dumb.
And I am a Democrat.
And I vote.

Why can't we get better people on the Dem bench?

[capricorn8]

Hurray for Stringfield! Maybe now the other Legislators will begin to act professional and more respectful of others and take the Sunshine Law as a Law and not a suggestion. Tarwater needs to learn to accept defeat and not expect the County taxpayers to pay for his errors in judgment or actions. I'm a Democrat also and I vote. I am very proud of Stringfield for standing up to the arrogance and distain he has received from the other Legislators.

[KCHotDog]

Has Katheryn exhibited any leadership during the disputes between these legislators? Precious little that I've seen. Now she wants to be mayor. As mentioned before on this blog, she's showing up on TV touting the recycling efforts of county employees. I was in Price Chopper today and picked up a "Take The Stormwater Runoff Challenge" flyer. This is a flyer with the county logo asking us to get a rain barrel or rain garden in order to help control water runoff. And yes, a picture of the grinning toad herself is plastered on the front. Running for mayor at tax payer expense? Looks like it. The questionable behavior never seems to end.

[arewethereyet]

I kind of like Bob Stringfield. I am leery of the folks who advised him to run for his current position, and I think that he has had to do some soul searching on how he got there. Yet he is so weird that he can be adorable. When an issue grabs him, and that is how it happens, he runs with it like the dickens. Sometimes all of that nervous huffery and puffery pans out. Such as this time. You would think that Tarwater, ETAL have spent SO Many Years in the same seats they would know their jobs and the jobs' parameters. Okay, I am not calling them lame, just stupid. I find it refreshing that Shields' great idea to get Bob in has not only exploded but managed to bite her in her rear. (a feat in of it's self) and now Stringfield will remove himself from his office. Probably a good move considering who will be seated come January.

[TASHA]

Bob how much has Bob Stringfield spent of the taxpayers money to get to this small win . Read the opinion all of the other complaints where found without merit. If he cared about Jackson County he would have worked with his fellow legislators to work this out , but his staff or excuse me team, spent full time leading String down the road of being a lame duck. Then surprize one of those team members ran for his office. Stringfield is the loser in this and he cost taxpayers thousands of harrasing dollars. The joke is on him .

[marty]

Stringfield lost all of my respect the day he hit Dan Tarwarter . Anyone that would violate his office and strike another member is a bad legislator. I do thank him for not running again and wasting more taxpayer dollars.

[julie]

Bob Stringfield has never been a effective member of the legislature. So has a politician he has failed . Now as a crusader that another story he has been led around by his team with all of there useless ideas that where floating around the courthouse for years , what a dream come true for two overzealous idiots. Stringfield was on his way to being effective until they entered the picture . Then they lit him on fire and watched him burn. Stringfield is now on the oustside looking in .Kinda sad he was so dumb when it came to team Stringfield.

Is it ethical for Katie to force County employees to listen to some 45 min schpeel about the environment on County time?????

Check it out if you don't believe me. Some 45 people were forced to watched this crap from 10-12 today and the rest of the County is scheduled to watch it sometime before the end of November I am told....