KC Buzz Blog

News flash: Matt Blunt says something nice about Bob Holden!

   In his 2006 State of the State address, Gov. Matt Blunt directly criticized Gov. Bob Holden's policies eight times. This was more than a year after Holden left office. During the 2004, Blunt sniffed disdainfully that Holden was a career liberal politician.

   But now it's 2007. And knock us over with a feather. Cause today, Blunt's offices gives his predecessor credit for something positive.

    A news release about Blunt's trip to Mexico and efforts to secure an international inland port for Kansas City says, "The benefits of SmartPort are far reaching and nonpartisan. Both Gov. Holden and Blunt have worked to build Missouri's relationship with Mexico and secure the site in Kansas City."

   Now some cynical folks will say this was a defensive move by Blunt's staff, knowing the Holden reference would come up if they didn't raise it first. But when's the last time a news release out of Jefferson City used the word "nonpartisan"?

  Posted by DeAnn Smith 

   

Blunt on Harriett Woods

   Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt has issued a condolence statement on the death of Harriett Woods.

   "She was a dedicated public servant and her family will be in my prayers as they mourn her loss," he said.

Posted by DeAnn Smith 

Portrait of Missouri first lady unveiled

   A portrait of Missouri first lady Melanie Blunt was unveiled this week at the governor's mansion in Jefferson City.

   “It is difficult to express my enduring and heartfelt appreciation for Melanie’s wonderful work as wife, mother and first lady and for her dedicated service to our great state,” said Gov. Matt Blunt. “I am grateful for her loving support and strength each and every day.”

   Melanie Blunt is the 28th first lady to have her portrait painted and added to the collection at the mansion. Gilbert "Chick" Early painted the portrait, now on display in the mansion's Great Hall.

Posted by Steve Kraske

Blunt offers state assistance to KC

   Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt is monitoring the aftermath of the chemical explosion in Kansas City and has offered any needed state assistance to local officials, spokeswoman Jessica Robinson said this afternoon.

   The Department of Natural Resources is closely monitoring the situation due to the chemicals involved, she said. Blunt has offered to provide highway troopers to assist with traffic control and other operations, but thus far a request has not been made for their aid, she said.

Posted by DeAnn Smith

Blunt: Meth labs drop by 40 percent

   Missouri law enforcement agents were called to 1,200 fewer meth labs last year than in 2005, Gov. Matt Blunt said today.

   Blunt is crediting a tough new law he signed in 2005 that restricts access to ingredients used in making meth, such as Sudafed, the over-the-counter cold product.

   The numbers:

   In 2006, authorities responded to 1,284 meth-lab incidents compared to 2,252 in 2005.

   Said Blunt, "Our state's tough anti-meth legislation is making a big difference."

Posted by Steve Kraske

Blunt, Sebelius to talk regional issues

   Govs. Blunt and Sebelius will be in town Thursday morning to discuss higher ed, life sciences, public transit and math and science education.

   All are issues on the so-called "regional" agenda that both states share. This is the second annual "governor's summit" that the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce is coordinating.

   Conveners for the event: Gary Forsee, president and CEO of Sprint; and Don Hall Jr., president and CEO of Hallmark.

   The event takes place at the Liberty Memorial Auditorium, but it's closed to the public because of limited seating.

Posted by Steve Kraske 

Lee's Summit, the center of the universe for health care anyway

   Jackson County Legislator Bob Spence is infamous for saying at least once during a meeting how Lee Summit is the center of the universe. It is at least this week for politicians the center of the health-care universe.

  While President Bush was at a Lee's Summit hospital today, but tomorrow it's Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt's turn. He will be at Truman Medical Center-Lakewood's emergency room at 12:30 p.m. promoting his plan to provide access to health-care for poor Missourians, according to a news release from his office.

Posted by DeAnn Smith

The Orwellian Blunt: When is a tax increase not a tax increase

    Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt has made a career of denouncing any hint of the need for government revenue as an attempt to impose a "job-killing tax increase."

   Therefore, it probably shouldn't be surprising that Blunt's budget office had trouble finding words to describe his proposal to raise sales taxes by $30 million on telecom companies, certain financial services and any company that rents things, from bowling shoes to canoes. 

   Budget Director Larry Schepker said the proposal would merely clarify the law. The legislature always intended the companies to pay the tax, but the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that the law gave the companies a pass, he said. Therefore, it is not a tax increase -- although the affected companies would pay more tax, he acknowledged.

   To catch the contortions that Schepker and the budget staff put themselves through to avoid calling the proposal a tax increase, listen this account of the budget briefing put together by Bob Priddy of the Missourinet radio network.

   Some Republicans who blasted former Gov. Bob Holden, a Democrat, when he proposed closing several tax loopholes and raising some taxes insisted that this time was different. The main difference is that it was proposed by a Republican governor. But a handful of Republicans, including Rep. Shannon Cooper of Clinton, conceded that it was a tax increase.

   "If someone's paying $30 million more, it's a tax increase," Cooper said. "I'd be a hypocrite if I called Holden's a tax increase and tried to say this wasn't."

Posted by Kit Wagar

State of Missouri

   Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt's office says he will give his State of the State address at 7:02 p.m. Wednesday. His Web site has a list for you if you want to listen in or watch it.

Posted by DeAnn Smith

Novak: Matt Blunt may not run

   Writing in the conservative Human Events Online, syndicated columnist Robert Novak speculates that Gov. Matt Blunt won't run next year.

   Novak writes that Blunt's 2008 re-election campaign "was not on the agenda of a recent meeting between him and his political team, leading to informed speculation that he might not run for a second term in the barometer state."

   Go here for the full piece. (Scroll down past the bit about Nancy Pelosi).

Posted by Steve Kraske

T. Graves lauds U.S. Attorney pick

   Former U.S. Attorney Todd Graves said today he wanted to make certain KC Buzz Blog readers know he is delighted with the selection of John Wood as his replacement. He said his mind was elsewhere when asked yesterday about Wood's appointment, but that in no way should reflect on the nomination by President Bush. He said he believes Wood deserves effusive praise.

   "He has had a stellar career. He has had very important positions in D.C. He has clerked for a Supreme Court judge," Graves said. "The guy graduated magna cum laude from Harvard law school and nobody gives that to you."

   Graves said he wishes Wood well and wants to help him however he can.

   "I am thrilled they are going to get political leadership back in that job," he said, adding that will provide important long-term strategic direction for the 120 employees in the office.

Posted by DeAnn Smith

Kanatzar gets an overflow crowd

    New Prosecutor Jim Kanatzar formally took the oath of office this afternoon in a Jackson County courtroom to an overflow crowd. Afterward, a reception was held by the Tim Dollar law firm at a downtown hotel. The Dollar law firm employs Kanatzar's wife, Jill, who glowed throughout the event. Kanatzar was surrounded by family members during the swearing-in festivities. Afterward, his adorable four-year-old son, Sam, clutched his father's hand as they were surrounded by well wishers.

   Mayor Pro Tem Alvin Brooks and former U.S. Attorney Todd Graves were among the overflow crowd spilling out into an outside corridor.

   In an interview, Graves wasn't exactly effusive with praise for John Wood's nomination to replace him as U.S. Attorney. He said Wood appears to be qualified for the job. Wood, the cousin of U.S. Sen. Kit Bond, was recently nominated for the post.  Graves said he likes that Wood has connections to the area. He said such knowledge is important to be able to do the job well.

Posted by DeAnn Smith

Are Tigers tickets a sufficient consolation prize to losing out on suite Chiefs tickets?

    Remember last fall when Gov. Matt Blunt skipped over Warren Erdman for a vacancy for the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority? Most had expected Erdman to be the pick among the three candidates, but instead Blunt went with former Chiefs great Deron Cherry (which helped Blunt because Cherry was a charismatic well-regarded African-American Republican and, like Erdman, a campaign supporter).

   So for those scratching their heads about Erdman not getting a pass for the authority's suite at Arrowhead Stadium, perhaps his consolation prize was sweeeet Mizzou tickets. Of course, state Sen. Matt Bartle has other ideas.

  And for KC Buzz Blog readers who love irony, note who's Cherry's state senator and thus listed as making the recommendation for Cherry? Why our very own Bartle.

Posted by DeAnn Smith

It's official: Missouri is a disaster

   President Bush has signed off on Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt's request for a major disaster declaration for the state.

   This for last week's ice storms.

   The details are here.

Posted by Steve Kraske

Blunt dials for dollars. In Boston.

   Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt must think things are pretty well in hand in Jefferson City. He took time off yesterday to spend the day in Boston helping buddy Mitt Romney raise money for Romney's presidential campaign, The Washington Post reports.

   The 400-participant, "all-day call-a-thon" at a Boston convention center netted Romney $6.5 million, the Post says. Callers "hit up friends and colleagues, and many of them wrote their own checks to contribute to the day's total. "

   In what sounds like a political version of a sweat-shop Bangalore call center (hey, at least Romney didn't off-shore it!), "Each person was supplied a laptop computer and given access to new sales-based software, known as ComMitt, developed for Romney's presidential exploratory committee."

   The New York Times was there, too, with a picture of Romney and Blunt yukking it up.

Posted by Matt Stearns

Blunt to aid Parents as Teachers

   After two years of $1 million increases, Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt will try for a $2 million bump in 2007 for the Parents as Teachers early childhood education program.

   In a statement today, Blunt once again calls education his highest priority and called Parents as Teachers, a program Kit Bond has long championed, a "perfect example of an innovative program that is helping prepare our youngest generation to be tomorrow’s leaders.”

Posted by Steve Kraske

Bond on the bubble to head MU?

  This from Wonkette:  According to a Wonkette operative who heard this from two different sources, Republican Senator Kit Bond is going to bail on the Hill and become Chief Lord of the University of Missouri. In a dastardly move that won’t change the Balance of Power (unless it also involves somebody sneaking into Tim Johnson’s hospital room), Republican and Missourah Guv Matt Blunt will do a Dick Cheney and appoint himself to the Senate seat.

UPDATE: Roy Temple of FiredUpMissouri.com called to gently chide KC Buzz Blog that his Web site had the Bond rumor two weeks ago. Here's the link.

Posted by Keith Chrostowski

Blunt board of ed candidate derailed

    A newly elected state senator has blocked one Gov. Matt Blunt's appointees to the state Board of Education. Sen.-elect Jeff Smith, D-St. Louis, said Wednesday that he would not sponsor Donayle Whitmore-Smith for Senate confirmation proceedings. Blunt's office has said previously that he would withdraw her nomination if Whitmore-Smith's home-district senator would not back her. Whitmore-Smith had been opposed by a coalition of organizations representing public school teachers, administrators, school boards and parents. Among their concerns was her support for vouchers and state aid that could help students leave public schools for private ones.

Posted by Keith Chrostowski

Some things never change: Blunt poll numbers

   Yea, insiders question SurveyUSA's polling techniques. (It's a phone survey).

   But holy smokes, the pollster's numbers on Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt have been unerringly consistent.

   The latest: 35 percent approve, 60 percent disapprove.

   Go here to see it.

Posted by Steve Kraske

Blunt taking the alternative

    Gov. Matt Blunt appointed a Kansas City charter school official to the Missouri Board of Education on Thursday, his second nominee in recent months to embrace alternatives to traditional public schools. Blunt said he chose the Rev. Stanley Archie because he wants a "diversity of opinion" on the board that oversees Missouri's K-12 public schools. AP files the story.

Posted by Keith Chrostowski

Oops -- Blunt cancels appearance to visit St. Louis

    Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt has canceled his appearance at the Innovation Task Force in Phoenix (see post below) to meet with National Guard troops helping with the storm clean up in St. Louis.

   Blunt visited the Homer Phillips Independent Living Center, where he spoke with residents and National Guard troops. The center, which houses 270 people, lost power and a generator had to be brought in.

    The Innovation Task force was organized by the National Governors Association. The governors attending the meeting will simply have to learn new innovation techniques without input from Missouri.

Posted by Kit Wagar

Blunt, Sebelius share the dais

   Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius are scheduled to be in Phoenix this week to participate in a seminar on the challenges of the global economy.

   The seminar is part of the National Governors Association's Innovation America Initiative, an effort to maximize innovation at the state level to deal with changes caused by worldwide competition.

   The two-day meeting of state and national leaders will focus on three areas of concern:

• emphasizing science, engineering and mathematics in elementary and secondary school;
• aligning college instruction with the needs of high-growth industries;
• ensuring state policies help companies remain innovating.

  The meeting kicks off Tuesday.

   Meanwhile, Blunt has been elected vice chairman of the Republican Governors Association, putting him in position to be elected chairman next year.

   The RGA develops policy proposals to address state issues and supports the election of Republican candidats for governor.

   "There is no bigger star in the RGA than Matt Blunt," said Phil Musser, the group's outgoing executive director. Musser said Blunt has been selfless with his time in support of the group and was chairman of the group's annual fund-raising gala earlier this year, which raised a record $9.6 million.

    The vice chairman traditionally is elected chairman the following year. Gov. Sonny Perdue of Georgia was vice chairman until being elected chairman last week.

   Membership in the RGA is about to become more exclusive. Republicans held 28 governorships this year. In the wake of the November elections, the number of Republican governors will drop to 22 in January, Musser said.

Posted by Kit Wagar

Matt Blunt scores leadership post

   Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt's fellow GOP governors have elected him vice chair of the Republican Governor's Association.

   A Blunt spokeswoman, Bekah Cooper, heralds the vote: "The confidence other governors have shown in Governor Blunt speaks volumes about his strong character, leadership abilities and progress Missouri is making under his leadership."

Posted by Steve Kraske

Matt Blunt sidling up to Mitt Romney

   Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt appears poised to endorse Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for president.

   The National Review quoted Blunt as saying he would make an endorsement within a few days. Asked who he would support, Blunt said he had "a great deal of admiration for Governor Romney."

   In the article, Blunt said he was eager to endorse a conservative candidate and that Romney is "the most conservative" of the credible contenders now running. Asked if fellow Republican John McCain was conservative, Blunt opted to talk about Romney.

Posted by Steve Kraske

Guv wants no part of 60-hour 'fund-raising frenzy'

   Gov. Matt Blunt, who signed legislation that scrapped Missouri’s limits on campaign donations, has sworn off massive contributions – at least for the first 60 hours of next year.
   Blunt’s campaign issued a statement this week pointing out a loophole in the bill that he signed into law last summer. The bill eliminated all limits on the contributions candidates can accept, but also prohibited lawmakers and statewide elected officials from accepting any contribution while the legislature is in session.
   Blunt’s statement pointed out that the law takes effect Jan. 1 and the legislative session does not begin until noon on Jan. 3. That gives those elected officials 2½ days to snatch up every lobbyist contribution and special interest dollar in sight -- just before lawmakers begin deliberations on legislation that affects those same special interests.
   But Blunt wants to take away the punch bowl.
   "It is important to begin the legislative session focused on doing the people's business and making Missouri a better place rather than engaging in a fundraising frenzy," Blunt said.
   Therefore, he is discouraging lawmakers and other elected officials from accepting contributions in excess of the current limits – $1,275 for statewide officials, $650 for senators and $325 for House members. Presumably, Blunt meant his suggestion to include Attorney General Jay Nixon, Blunt’s likely Democratic challenger in 2008.
   Blunt said he would abide by his own advice. He pledged not to accept contributions beyond the current limits for those first 60 hours of the new year.
   Once the legislature adjourns on May 17, however, unlimited contributions would be acceptable by all candidates. The new law will require stricter reporting of those contributions and prohibits funneling contributions to candidates through committees established by the Democratic and Republican parties.

Posted by Kit Wagar

A morning for the proletariat; an evening with the bourgeoisie

     Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt plans to spend Tuesday straddling the income divide: He'll pass part of the morning panhandling for the mid-Missouri working class and spend the evening schmoozing with titans of industry in Kansas City.
   Blunt's office announced that the guv will be ringing a bell beside a Salvation Army kettle outside Schnucks grocery store on Missouri Boulevard in Jefferson City. The bell ringing is designed to encourage shoppers to deposit money into the kettle to support the Salvation Army's programs to alleviate poverty and homelessness.
   Blunt's kettle duty is scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. But hurry! He's likely to be gone within 20 minutes because he's got a meeting scheduled at 10.
   The guv also has to prepare for a speech that evening to the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce at the Hyatt Regency downtown. The themes will be straight from Blunt's stock speech: the job outlook is good; changes in state law to make it more difficult to sue for damages have helped the economy; and the state's budget surplus is the result of tough spending decisions he made over the last two years.
   No word on whether the guv will mention October's increase in unemployment from 5.0 percent to 5.4 percent. The number of jobs dropped by 10,700 overall, while manufacturing jobs continued their downward spiral, falling by 2,100.
   Blunt's Department of Economic Development blamed temporary layoffs in the auto industry for the manufacturing drop, but manufacturing employment is down 8,100 in the last year. 
   Expect at least of a couple of questions about voters' approval of Amendment 2, which gives constitutional protection to all stem cell research allowed by federal law. The Kansas City chamber strongly supported the initiative. Blunt supported it, but never actively campaigned for the measure, which city leaders consider essential to hopes for making Kansas City a leading center for life sciences.

Posted by Kit Wagar

Michigan governor looks good in Cardinal red

   Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm lived up to the terms of her World Series bet with Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt today and posted a photo on her official web site to prove it.
   Granholm made a mistake by betting on the Detroit Tigers in this year's series, which was won by the St. Louis Cardinals in five games. As a result, she had to don an Albert Pujols jersey while scarfing up a Missouri-branded Angus steak and washing it all down with a bottle of Missouri wine. 

   She read the first chapter of Three Nights in August, a book about Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa. And she was interviewed by McGraw Millhaven on the Cardinals' flagship station, KTRS, the Big 550, on Nov. 3.

   Blunt said in a news release that he was "thrilled that the Cardinals won and that Missouri agriculture is being showcased in Michigan."

   No word on what Granholm considered the bigger punishment: The Cardinals jersey-wearing or the Missouri steak and wine.

Posted by Kit Wagar

Boo birds batter Blunt

   According to the Post-Dispatch's Political Fix blog, Gov. Matt Blunt was the only person booed yesterday at the Cardinals victory parade.

Posted by Keith Chrostowski

Matt Blunt does the ol' Shake-Up-the-Staff Shuffle

   Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt, whose staff has seen major changes in recent months, today announced more shifts.

   Out is long-time spokesman Spence Jackson who is headed to the Department of Economic Development.

   Chuck Pryor was named deputy chief of staff for policy and legislation. He was Blunt's former director of legislative affairs.

   Replacing Pryor in the legislative affairs slot is state Rep. Todd Smith of Sedalia. Smith resigned his state House seat today.

Posted by Steve Kraske 

Prosecutor drops probe of Missouri motor vehicle offices

   The federal prosecutor investigating the way Gov. Matt Blunt's administration awarded contracts to operate Missouri's motor vehicle offices has dropped the investigation without seeking indictments.

   Bud Cummins, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced his decision today in an e-mail message to reporters. After a nine-month investigation, the office concluded that charges were not warranted. Cummins went out of his way to exonerate Blunt.

   "The matter has been closed with no indictments sought or returned," Cummins' statement said. "Second, at no time was Governor Blunt a target, subject, or witness in the investigation, nor was he implicated in any allegation being investigated. Any allegations or inferences to the contrary are uninformed and erroneous."

   The investigation was referred to the Arkansas office last January after the U.S. attorney's office in St. Louis stepped aside. That office is headed by U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway, a former speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives.

   In Kansas City, federal authorities had a conflict of interest. The wife of then-U.S. Attorney Todd Graves had been awarded a contract to run one of the motor vehicle offices.

   The offices, which often generate six-figure incomes for the operators, are typically given to political cronies of the governor. But Blunt went further, closing Missouri's 11 state-run offices and handing those operations over to political supporters. In addition, many of those operators contracted with management companies linked to Republican Party operatives.

   Cummins said his office usually does not comment on investigations, but he was making an exception this time because the investigation had been reported by the media. The investigation was disclosed in The Kansas City Star last April. But authorities had refused to confirm its existence until today.

   Cummins acknowledged that he was taking an extraordinary step.

   "Normally, a United States Attorney's Office does not comment on or even confirm the existence of any investigation unless or until formal charges result," Cummins' statement said. "Inquiries into the dealings of public officials are not uncommon, but those inquiries are generally and necessarily conducted in complete secrecy. This is, in part, to protect both the integrity of the government’s investigation and the presumed innocence and reputation of any party touched by it.

   "There are, however, exceptional circumstances where it becomes appropriate to disclose certain information," Cummins stated. "Department of Justice policy provides for the limited release of information in matters that have already received substantial publicity. Department policy also provides for the possibility of notification to individuals once a matter has closed.

   "Earlier in the year, the existence of the investigation was disclosed to the media and has since become a topic of substantial public interest and discourse in the State of Missouri. In light of that unfortunate disclosure and the publicity it spawned, it is appropriate to confirm certain facts."

Posted by Kit Wagar

Cozying up with Fox

   Talk about odd pairings.

   Republican Gov. Matt Blunt and Democratic Mayor Francis Slay of St. Louis are scheduled to appear on Fox News Channel's show, "The Big Story with John Gibson" between 4:30 and 5 p.m. today. Gibson is broadcasting from Kiener Plaza in downtown St. Louis.

   No word on what they'll be talking about. But both pols appear to be doing their best to suck up to the conservative network.

    The gov's office says in a news release that Slay and Blunt will issue proclamations declaring Tuesday, Oct., 3, 2006, as “Fox News Channel Day” in St. Louis and in Missouri, respectively, to commemorate the cable news network's 10-year anniversary. 

Posted by Kit Wagar

Gov. Blunt donates his Foley money

   Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt today donated the $1,000 he received from former Florida Congressman Mark Foley to Boys and Girls Town of Missouri to help abused and neglected children.

   "The disturbing incident brought to light just days ago is terrible for everyone involved," said Bekah Cooper, a spokeswoman for Blunt.

   She said no one with the campaign was aware of Foley's behavior when the contribution was accepted.

   Blunt received a $1,000 donation from Foley's political committee on Aug. 26, 2004.

   Earlier Monday, Missouri Democrats had demanded that Blunt donate the money to a charity.

Posted by Steve Kraske

Blunt taps Chiefs great Deron Cherry

   Gov. Matt Blunt today named former Kansas City Chief Deron Cherry to the the commission that oversees the Truman Sports Complex.

   Cherry is a Republican.

   Just last month, Blunt, who also is a Republican, declined to pick any of the three nominees on an all-Democratic panel submitted by Jackson County legislators.

   More in tomorrow's Star.

Posted by Steve Kraske

Blunt wins big round, but future unclear

    Shortly after directors of Missouri's student loan agency voted to sell off much of the organization's assets to fund new buildings at state universities, a group of retired teachers protested quietly.

   Susan Cunningham, a retired teacher from Pacific, Mo., said the decision by Gov. Matt Blunt's hand-picked directors could come back to haunt the governor. The issue is important to too many people: students are struggling under crushing debt loads and their parents who are forced to help out, she said.

   Cunningham didn't buy the Blunt appointees' assertions that transferring $350 million from the student loan agency to the state would have no effect on students.

    "Any organization that loses half its assets is not able to do as much," Cunningham said. "They are just blowing smoke. They think people are stupid. We know when the baloney is sliced too thin."

   Blunt got the decision he wanted when the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority board voted 4-2 Wednesday to turn over the assets to the state. But it came at a high cost: Eight months of controversy and the resignation of five of the seven board members since Blunt's plan was proposed in January.

    All four of the board members who voted for the plan were appointed by Blunt this year, including two members appointed just last week. The fifth seat remains vacant.

    With assets of about $5.4 billion, the loan authority will have to sell off about half that to raise the $350 million it would transfer to the state. A few facts about the deal from the loan authority's staff:

• The loan authority's net worth will drop from $237 million to about $100 million.
• Net worth as a percentage of loans outstanding will drop to between 1.75 and 2, which is far below the board's policy of maintaining a net worth ratio of at least 3 percent.
• The return on average assets will drop below 0.2 percent -- the minimum allowed by the board -- "for the next few years."

    The two newest members, Tom Reeves and Randy Etter, said little during the board meeting. Afterward, Etter said he felt comfortable voting to authorize multibillion-dollar transactions after less than a week on the board because he had spent the better part of a day last week meeting with the loan authority’s management. He said he felt he had a good grasp of the loan authority’s operations.

   “A month from now, I’d be no better off on this subject,” Etter said.

    The dissenting board members -- John Greer and Karen Luebbert -- had a different view. Both noted that the deal had continually changed over the last eight months. Each version had been approved by the loan authority's lawyers and financial staff -- yet it always changed again whenever outsiders pointed out flaws.

    Greer noted that management had assured board members that the loan authority could afford a previous proposal to give the state $450 million, then later conceded that it was not possible.

   Luebbert said the University of Missouri has the highest tuition rates in the Big 12 athletic conference and Missouri lags behind other states in need-based student assistance. The loan authority can help address those issues and keep students from graduating with crushing debt loads.

    “MoHELA won’t be the same,” Luebbert said after the meeting. “We won’t have the resources to provide for our most needy students.”

    Next stop: The legislature. Attorney General Jay Nixon, who is likely to challenge Blunt in 2008, said he hoped the legislature would demand a clear and independent financial analysis of the plan’s affects on students and their families before approving the deal.

    Rep. Clint Zweifel, a St. Louis County Democrat, is already calling for just such a study. 

    The loan authority board's action sets the stage for Blunt to move ahead on his building plan. But his advisers must have their fingers crossed that the loan authority deal doesn't unravel in the meantime and there is not crimp in the availability of college loans.

   If either of those happens, the baloney could start looking might thin indeed.

Posted by Kit Wagar

Blunt's new chief of staff blasts "secular agenda" of judges

   Only on the job for a few weeks, and Ed Martin, Gov. Matt Blunt's new chief of staff, is slamming state judges.

   In an interview with The Pathway, a publication of the Missouri Baptist Convention, the 36-year-old Martin says he looks forward to helping the governor to fill vacant judicial positions in the coming months because there are "too many judicial activists" right now.

  “They’re taking the law and they’re making a mockery of it," Martin said in the interview. "There is a time for judges to make hard decisions about what the law means. That’s fair. But not to project what would be a kind of new millennium, secular agenda that has to generally be pro-gay marriage, pro-abortion and all these things that are anti-family.”

   Martin, a lawyer, is a former attorney for Americans United for Life, an anti-abortion group.

Posted by Tim Hoover

Blunt's poll numbers don't budge

   The latest polls numbers on Gov. Matt Blunt: 39 percent of Missourians approve of his performance, 54 percent disapprove.

   That's about the same split as in mid-August.

   Go here to follow SurveyUSA's tracking of the governor since May 2005.

Posted by Steve Kraske

Blunt heads to the border

   Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt visited Yuma, Ariz., Wednesday.

  His mission: to meet with Missouri National Guard troop taking part in President Bush's Mexican border security plan.

   Blunt said he supported Bush's plan. The Guard, he added, was offering "a powerful deterrent."

Posted by Steve Kraske

Axiom Strategies lays down a marker

   It's not often that a governor shows up at the grand opening of a political consulting firm.

   But Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt was on the scene last night as Axiom Strategies threw open the doors at its new digs at 2345 Grand. Yep, that's the Lathrop & Gage building near Crown Center.

   Jeff Roe, the former chief of staff to Missouri 6th District Congressman Sam Graves, is the man in charge.

   Also at the white-tent fest: Amy Blunt, the governor's sister and a new hire at Lathrop, and a host of lawmakers, lobbyists and, well, media-types.

Posted by Steve Kraske

Cherry's blossom festival

  Check out Wednesday's Star for an update on the tap dance between Jackson County legislators and Gov. Matt Blunt on filling a vacancy on the commission that oversees the county-owned Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums.

  Shorter version: Lawsuit talk is off, a compromise gets closer. And that compromise has a name. A name you've probably heard of. Chiefs Hall of Famer Deron Cherry.

  Cherry's candidacy first got pitched by commentator Tiberius on Aug. 14 here on The KC Buzz Blog.

  That same day, Cherry was asked his interest in the sports authority. Heck yeah, so much so he subsequently applied. And county legislators interviewed him Monday.

  Both Democrats and Republicans think he would be a good fit for the sports authority. A registered Republican, Cherry has a history of civic and political involvement.

  "He is the governor's dream candidate," said County Legislator Bob Spence, himself a Republican.

  So look for a Cherry-filled three-person slate later this month. Both county and state officials think Blunt would be hard pressed to bypass this sweet name.

   Posted by DeAnn Smith

Mystery solved: State reveals site of fee office up for bid

   In May, the Blunt administration announced that it was going to try an experiment:

   It would seek bids for at least one driver's license fee office. In the past, of course, the offices went to buddies of the governor, whether that governor was a Republican or Democrat.

   But officials wouldn't say which office was being targeted for bids. Well, today we finally know: It's the West County fee office in the St. Louis area.

   The Revenue Department, which oversees the operation, is offering a request for proposals to anyone interested in running an operation that grossed about $450,000 in FY '05.

   "The department is always looking to improve customer service, and this is a great example of that," Revenue Secretary Trish Vincent said in a statement.

   Turns out the current West County fee agent, Tracy Alcorn, doesn't want to run it anymore.

   State officials won't elaborate. But the Democratic website, firedupmissouri.com, is offering one explanation. Go here to see it.

   As to whether other fee offices will be put out to bid, Revenue spokeswoman Maura Browning was circumspect.

   "We don't know," she said today. "We'll see how this goes. There's a potential that this improves the process. And there's also the potential that it may not."

Posted by Steve Kraske

A Gem of a night: Part deux

    A political chasm in the African-American community was on full display during Attorney General Jay Nixon's second meeting on the future of the Black Archives of Mid-America Inc. Forget the previous subtext between KC Councilwoman Saundra McFadden-Weaver and likely challenger, retiring state Rep. Sharon Sanders Brooks.

    It was an out and out obvious storyline last night that included heated words from supporters of the two women and the two elected officials themselves that led to Nixon grabbing the microphone and using his best deep soothing lawyer voice to get the blow torches put away.

  The festivities really got going when McFadden-Weaver took to the front of the room, microphone in hand to "tell the truth," a.k.a. calling out Brooks. The councilwoman said "if we had talked to each other first, talked to people who look like us," instead of going out and creating "a legal escapade," then the future of the archives could have been resolved without acrimony.

  Brooks gritted her teeth and maintained her control but insisted, "The truth has to come out" when she demanded that Nixon let her also take the front of the room to respond. She went through a detailed explanation of 18 months of (unsuccessful) efforts to get the archives' board and staff to work with civic leaders. She said when this did not occur, she brought the archives' woes to Nixon's attention because she said she wanted the archives to get its financial house in order so that it could apply for federal and other grants.

   Three lessons from last night: 1) Despite talk of coming together as a family and the archives being more important than any one person, don't think that's the final skirmish between the two women. 2) They like each other about as well as Dynasty's Alexis and Krystal Carrington did, and 3) Nixon had to be wondering what he had gotten himself in the middle of.

  Moving on, two Jackson County officials did check out the meeting last night. Outgoing Legislator Eugene Standifer and county employee Theresa Garza, who is unopposed for an at-large legislative seat in November, took in part of the forum. Both county and city officials are talking about funding the archives once Nixon gets the board reconstituted.

  Perhaps the most intriguing moment of the night was when attorney Clinton Adams (does the bellicose and brilliant Adams really need an explanation on a KC political blog?) chatted up City Manager Wayne Cauthen in the back of the  room then the two exited to yammer more outside. The talk was joined by school board member Marilyn Simmons and Marie Young, head of the Black Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City Inc. Oh, to have been a mosquito buzzing around that conversation!

   A slimmer looking Adams said he was there on behalf of his absent sister, Gwen Grant of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City, who Adams said expects to serve on the reconstituted board.

   For those not in the know, go here for an application to serve on the board.

Posted by DeAnn Smith

Romney's courtship of Blunt continues

   Gov. Matt Blunt just retured from a trip to Alaska with Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a likely 2008 GOP candidate for president.

   Romney's courtship of Blunt now extends several months.

   The Associated Press reported that the getaway was hosted by Sam Fox, a major Republican fundraiser and chairman of the national Republican Jewish Coalition. Fox is a major financier of Missouri Republicans.

   Other Missourians were on the trip, the AP said, including Blunt's brother, Andy.

   Reported the AP, "Blunt made the trip without telling the Missouri media and after quietly transferring his gubernatorial powers to Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, a fellow Republican.”

   Said Romney, “We’re just very good friends, and he is the incoming vice chairman of the Republican Governors Association, so I spend a great deal of time with him.”

Posted by Steve Kraske

Jay does KC Round II

   Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon is heading back to Kansas City for a second meeting Thursday night on the future of the embattled Black Archives of Mid-America Inc. The details can be found here.

  Nixon's involvement has some grousing that he's only trying to shore up support among black leaders he rankled (rankled being an understatement for some) with his role defending the state in the Kansas City School District desegregation case. He denies this, of course, saying his job includes overseeing the assets of nonprofits.

  This week, Star columnist Steve Penn outlined his thoughts on Nixon and other white leaders' interest in the archives' future and the debate that's creating.

  The second meeting should be just as politically interesting as the first. And should again have the subtext of a possible city council clash. Term-limited state Rep. Sharon Sanders Brooks, who first called attention to the plight of the archives to Nixon and is speculated as a possible candidate for executive director of the archives, is considering challenging Councilwoman Saundra McFadden-Weaver who has just joined the archives' board of directors.

Posted by DeAnn Smith

Blunt trauma in P-D poll

Two years out from another run, a Research 2000 poll shows Gov. Matt Blunt running poorly against Attorney General Jay Nixon. How poorly? Try 39-52 poorly. Still, two years is a loooong time.

On November's ballot issues, the Post-Dispatch-directed survey indicates the stem-cell initiative is ahead 58% to 37%, and the minimum-wage increase is up by an even wider margin, 68-20.

On the new state law that requires Missouri voters to show a government-issued ID before they can vote this November, 43 percent opposed it. An equal number favored it, but a sizable chunk of those thought it should be delayed until 2008.

Posted by Darryl Levings

Performance arrrrrrrr-t!

   Activists from the group Grass Roots Organizing, which has staged many a Medicaid protest at the Missouri Capitol, will be outside the governor's mansion Tuesday to stage a street theater piece dubbed "Pirates of the Health Care I-be-in."

   According to a statement from the group, "The skit portrays the insurance companies, along with Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt, as health care pirates. The 'people' are represented as prisoners who are made to either pay up and/or walk the plank."

   Blunt and Republican lawmakers in 2005 eliminated Medicaid coverage for 90,000 Missourians. Recently, Blunt and House Republicans have been tussling over how to restore one small Medicaid program that covers a few thousand disabled workers.

   Blunt wanted lawmakers to pass measures to target Medicaid fraud before he would agree to restore the program, while House Republicans say the fraud proposals -- which are backed by the Senate -- would hurt doctors. As the annual veto session draws closer in September, the two sides are no closer to agreement.

   Organizers said the skit will take place on the sidewalk outside the governor's mansion, which is a block from the Capitol.

   No word yet on whether Blunt, a former Navy officer, will be in the mansion to observe the acting buccaneers.

Posted by Tim Hoover

Claire's '04 mistake and '06 fear

   The clear focus of the Jackson County Democratic Party's unity brunch Saturday was pushing Missouri Auditor Claire McCaskill across the victory line in her tight race against Republican Sen. Jim Talent.

   She may live in a St. Louis mansion now, but the former Jackson County legislator and prosecutor says Kansas City will always be home. So she asked for the party faithful's indulgence in that they aren't seeing her as much now and she's skipping important local events. She said she's traveling rural Missouri and having a ball.

  And she confessed she made a significant boo-boo in her 2004 campaign against Matt Blunt for the governor's seat by writing off outstate Missouri.

   "I made a big mistake, we made a big mistake assuming that people in rural Missouri don't care as much about college education tuition, health care, being able to afford a tank of gasoline. They care as much as we do," she said. "And we have not been out there listening to them....Even though the Republicans have been the ones talking to them and listening to them for the last 10 years, they fundamentally understand this is not going right, that something is terribly wrong in the direction this country is going in."

  She also 'fessed up that she's still rankled by Blunt's response to her explanation about why she didn't think a constitutional amendment was needed to ban gay marriage. According to news accounts from the October 2004 debate in Springfield, Blunt retorted, "I wouldn't talk about values either if I had hers."

  McCaskill said Blunt was insulting her family and friends. She said Democrats have values and she won't allow Republicans to use "values" issues against her as they did two years ago. She said she and other Democrats "must keep it simple" on issues and talk from the gut.

  But the low turnout in the Democratic primary does have her concerned about her prospects in November against Talent.

    "I am really worried," she said. "I saw the turnout. I'm telling you folks we've got problems. We cannot phone this in anymore. If we do not get out there and we do not start sounding the alarm right now, we will not lose this race because we don't have a strong candidate or the right message, we will lose this race because we can't get people to pay attention. So help me, help me, help me."

    And on a lighter note, McCaskill says about the hiring of an assistant prosecutor back when she was prosecutor: "Mike Sanders is so obnoxious I had to hire him to get him out of my office. I mean you talk about a jack hammer on your head. Ok, OK, leave me alone, you're hired," she said to laughter.

  Oh, and McCaskill says a bow-tieless newser George Will (who brought along his son) picked up the tab for their recent lunch at Pierpont's.

Posted by DeAnn Smith   

A jab from the left in the Mo. Auditor's race

   The race for state auditor to replace Claire McCaskill continues to heat up.

   Earlier this week, it was Republican nominee Sandra Thomas (though she first has to survive a recount) moving to divert attention to her alleged shortcomings as Platte County's auditor over a $200,000 discrepancy by attacking her Democratic opponent Susan Montee.

   Saturday, it was Montee's turn at the Jackson County Democratic Party's unity brunch. She laughingly encouraged the Republicans to keep the recount tension going, no need for the unity thing on their side.

   Montee talked up her accomplishments as an attorney, certified public accountant and Buchanan County auditor. She said voters will be interested in knowing that their auditor "can balance their books" and said Thomas' is Gov. Matt Blunt's handpicked candidate.

  "I'm so glad to see it," Montee said, gleefully adding that Thomas' woes have been served up to her on a silver platter that she'll gladly take advantage of.

Posted by DeAnn Smith

How do you spell Democratic unity? T-H-E H-U-G

   It was a smorgasbord of Democratic political news as the party leaders showed up Saturday morning to munch on scrambled eggs, danishes, bacon and Republicans while putting aside their primary differences.

   The expected handshake between Jackson County executive opponents Mike Sanders and Charles Wheeler occurred. As did, however, an unexpected HUG; yes, dear reader, Sanders and Jack County Ex Katheryn Shields embraced. (Read more in Sunday's Star but don't worry no Godfather kiss was involved.)

  Between the handshake and the hug came the funny, the sublime and the comical, all of which created a feast for any blogger worth her sugaah. Unfortunately, no Republicans were trailing Claire McCaskill or Emanuel Cleaver so, gosh darn, there will be apparently no YouTube.com video of their red meat tossed to the Democratic faithful.

    The morning started off with a svelte Sen. Victor Callahan pulling up his car right after Sanders and his incredibly shrinking wife Georgia (jealous thy name was every woman in the room). The three ignored each other. But Callahan who said he was all about party harmony joked outloud about whether he dared be seen at the same event as Sanders. (Though unity only goes so far, 'cause no hugs between Callahan and Shields or Callahan and Phil Cardarella). Callahan eventually sat beside state Rep. John Burnett whose absent (and we're told ailing) opponent J.J. Rizzo sought this week a recount since he's down by just 14 votes.

  Sanders is now so popular that some feathers were ruffled when people were unable to sit at his table. And with his 65 percent vote in hand, he tossed his own red meat to the crowd when he said Republican Sen. Jim Talent lacked, er, talent and didn't have Claire's "intelligence." Oh yeah, and he called Republican Gov. Matt Blunt disgraceful.

  In the spirit of Democratic unity, former judge Albert Riederer made a point of shaking the hand of Sanders' campaign manager, Calvin Williford. Riederer, of course, wrote in a Wheeler mailer, "I am so sorry to see the unfair and insensitive negative advertisement being aired by Mike Sanders. Given the opportunity, no ethical person would have approved this advertisement." (St. Louis-area Rep. Sam Page who also chided Sanders in the mailer recently sent Sanders a congratulatory note but offered no apology). Williford on Saturday accepted Riederer's handshake but his clenched smile screamed that some wounds haven't healed quite yet.

  Speaking of screaming, that can only describe KC Councilwoman Saundra McFadden-Weaver's opening and closing prayers. Because of the distortion from the microphone, one of her colleagues even mockingly covered one of his ears during her invocation. Then Cleaver in his speech, Cleaver briefly out-yelled McFadden-Weaver. That is until McFadden-Weaver's lengthy benediction, which had the microphone reverbing the entire time. One elected official complained of a splitting headache, others openly rolled their eyes or shook their heads (during the prayer!!) and one Eastern Jackson Co. committeewoman afterward demanded that rally organizers never again ask McFadden-Weaver to give a prayer.

  Now that's unity!

Posted by DeAnn Smith