Silvey's fee office reform plan is back on

   Saying he had waited long enough for Gov. Matt Blunt's input, Rep. Ryan Silvey said Friday his plan to reform the way fee offices are handled is back on.

   Silvey, a Kansas City Republican, has scheduled a press conference to talk about his plan at 9:30 a.m. Monday at the Helzberg Auditorium at the Kansas City Public Library Foundation. Other Republican lawmakers backing the plan are scheduled to speak about it at events in Springfield and St. Louis.

   Silvey and the other Republicans had planned to unveil the proposal on June 26, but put the plan on hold at the behest of Blunt, who Silvey said wanted to provide input. According to one lawmaker involved in the proposal, Silvey's plan would eliminate the long-standing practice of awarding the fee offices -- which renew licenses and plates -- to political supporters and emphasize giving them to non-profit and charitable agencies.

   Democratic and Republican governors have always given the lucrative fee offices to political supporters, but critics say Blunt went further by turning over 11 state-run offices -- including large ones in Kansas City and St. Louis -- to political supporters. Another new development was that supporters who got fee offices were then contacted by people with political connections who wanted to manage the offices.

  The FBI is investigating the way the fee offices were awarded.

   Silvey told The Star he and the other Republican lawmakers had been trying to schedule a meeting with Blunt's office for weeks to hear the governor's input. The lawmakers decided they couldn't wait for Blunt any longer, he said.

   "We were told this morning the earliest we could get together was next week sometime, nearly three weeks after the initial postponement," Silvey said. "That's too long of a delay. We need to get our reform package out to the people."

   He said the lawmakers still welcomed the governor's input, though.

   Officials with the governor's office did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

   Trish Vincent, director of the Department of Revenue, which oversees the fee office program, said she was unaware that Silvey was moving ahead with his proposal.

Posted by Tim Hoover

Comments

[TG]

Seems that once again the Governor is more worried about political donations and patronage that changing a system to help non-profit organizations!

Glad to see that Silvey and others did not drop the ball like the media was saying. Looks like it is people over politics for these legislators.

[RH]

Why is it wrong for Republicans to use the same patronage system established by Democrats years ago. What is good for the goose should be good for the gander. Can you say hypocrits?

[TG]

Actually, you can say hypocrites if the Republicans who want change to the system supported it in the past and they did not. Remember the press releaseshave cited that it is wrong for BOTH parties to have this patronage system....The word is not hypocrite, it is bi-partisan. And remember these are Republican legislators taking on a Republican Governor

[Stan Sagehorn]

Fee Offices. Its time to do the correct thing with these large money maker's.
For years we all have seen both sides manipulate these offices and the large contributors to campaigns rewarded by operating a fee office or offices.
Legislators should put these offices in the hands of the cities they are located in
and should be operated by the local city goverenment.
This would mean the money would be going back to the General Revenue of said city.
This also means the MONEY WOULD BE GOING BACK TO THE PEOPLE.

[Bug]

RH, your comment makes me wonder if you are not one of the individuals benefiting from the Governor's free hand outs. Instead of trying to justify why it is or has ever been proper to use taxpayer services for free handouts to political contributors, the real question should be why would anyone who cares about the general community oppose a plan to make it something that benefits society instead of someone who is trading you political favors.

RH, I can say hipocrites, but can you spell it?

[grammar police]

Neither can you anonymous:

HYPOCRITE

[B.R.M.]

Congrats to Mr.Silvey for doing what is best for the people.