Star exposes need for ethics reform

I usually try to keep my point of view out of this blog. However, the Kansas City Star has done an excellent job of proving that Missouri’s system of unlimited campaign contributions is horribly broken.

Sunday’s edition featured a story that focused mainly on House Speaker-turned-lobbyist Rod Jetton’s powerbrokering and trading donations for legislation. Featured in that story is David Humphreys, CEO and president of Tamko Building Products, and the hundreds of thousands his family gave to Speaker of the House Ron Richard, Majority Floor Leader Stephen Tilley and Jetton. More than $250,000 came from them after the House passed a controversial bill about the selection of judges:

“Ultimately, 12 Republicans who voted “no” in 2008 supported the 2009 bill — enough to swing the final result — and the money started rolling in seven days later. David and Debra Humphreys wrote a $25,000 check to Friends of Tilley, the floor leader’s campaign committee. Over the next several weeks, the Missouri Republican Party received $50,000 from David Humphreys. Humphreys gave $100,000 to the House Republican Campaign Committee, the fundraising PAC controlled by Tilley. And Humphreys’ mother, Ethel Mae, gave $25,000 to the House Republican Campaign Committee — even though the bill had already died in the Senate when the General Assembly adjourned in mid-May. The family provided for Richard as well, doling out contributions totaling $55,000 between May and August.”

Did money buy votes? It sure looks like it, even though Jetton and Richard denied that the money had any effect on their votes.

I understand the place money has in a campaign. One way a candidate can show they are the right person for an office is to convince people to the point where they hand some cash over. But when the amounts get as large as this, all bets are off, and the line between support and demand blurs.

Were the Humphreys so enamored with the Republicans that they were worth $250,000? Or was that money a reward for legislation that could have benefited Tamko, a company that goes through its share of law suits? There are no ironclad answers to these questions, and that’s exactly why Missouri needs ethics reform.

The Star’s editorial board offered these suggestions, and I agree with every one.

Icet talks budget during campaign stops

Part of Rep. Allen Icet’s campaign is his list of endorsements from Republican members of the House and Senate. He stopped by the Globe Monday before a campaign event.

Icet, R-St. Louis, unfolded a Missouri highway map across the Globe’s conference table during the conversation. Drawn on the map were Missouri’s legislative districts; inside most of the districts were pictures of the Representative or Senator from it — each face is endorsing Icet over Republican Tom Schweich in the Aug. 3, 2010 primary election. (A digital, Google Maps version is featured on his Web site.)

“This is how I’m able to reach out to so many people,” Icet said. “People don’t know me, and they prefer to vote for someone they know. These people who have endorsed me, they help me meet people in their districts.”

Those endorsements are helping Icet on a campaign blitz that is taking him through most of the state in relatively short amount of time. Icet said that his tour of 13 counties across Southwest Missouri is part of almost 60 campaign stops he’s made since he announced in August. (Icet doesn’t include appearances in his home city of St. Louis in that total.)

It’s still early — we have about 10 months until the August primary. But it’s clear why Icet is campaigning hard now: The chair of the House Budget Committee won’t get a chance during the upcoming legislative session, which promises to be another tough budget year.

“For the end of the first quarter in a year-to-year comparison, we are down 10 percent (in tax revenue),” Icet said. “That’s comparing a bad quarter to a bad quarter, and we’re still down 10.”

The first consensus numbers should be available in early January; those will more clearly show how bad Missouri’s financial picture will appear. Icet believes that the General Assembly may have another year of tough decisions, and that won’t help his campaign, he said.

“This is where some painful decisions need to be made,” Icet said. “None of them are easy. And whomever cuts X, Y or Z, then people say I hate X, Y or Z. But we have a constitutional mandate to balance the budget, even if it means making difficult decisions.”

Icet announces grass roots team

The local campaign crew for Rep. Allen Icet has been named and was introduced at an event in Joplin. Icet is running for state auditor in 2010 against Republican Tom Schweich in the Aug. 3 primary election. The winner is expected to run against Auditor Susan Montee in November, 2010.

Allen Shirley and Jonathon Russell have been named as “grass roots Captains.” Though Shirley will cover mainly Jasper County and Russell will mainly cover Newton, they will tag-team both counties, Shirley said on Monday.

Lobbyist reports for August filed

I guess I should be thankful. It’s been several months since I’ve blogged about what our area legislators receive from lobbyists. I figured there would be a mess waiting for me, but August was a relatively slow month. Here’s what our area legislators received:

• Sen. Gary Nodler received $38.51 in meals and gifts, including a Missouri State University shirt valued at $22.74 from the university and a $15.77 meal from Roy F. Cagle of the Missouri Finance Institute in Joplin.
• Rep. Ed Emery, R-Lamar, received $106.23 in meals and gifts. His largest gift, filed as “other,” was worth $77.45 and given to him by AmerenUE lobbyist Catina Shannon on Aug. 17.
• Speaker of the House Ron Richard, R-Joplin, received $54.50 in meals, including a $30 breakfast on Aug. 6 from AT&T lobbyist David C. Nichols.
• Rep. Bryan Stevenson, R-Webb City, received a $50 gift certificate for his birthday from David Winton, of Penman and Winton Consulting in Jefferson City.
• Reps. Tom Flanigan, Marilyn Ruestman and Kevin Wilson and Sen. Jack Goodman received nothing.

Now that a crazy summer full of vacations in the newsroom is effectively over, I’ll be more on top of things in this blog.

Nixon’s suspension of DNR chief stirs Internet

There is plenty of good reading about Gov. Jay Nixon’s suspension of DNR Director Mark Templeton and the revelation that E. coli levels at Lake of the Ozarks were at unsafe levels:

• The Missouri GOP smells blood.
• The Source speculates about where the ax will fall next, and The Kansas City Star’s Prime Buzz gives weight to one of those potential firings.
• KY3’s David Catanese has a good wrap-up of how the situation unfolded.
• The Globe weighed in with an editorial, expressing disappointment with what was supposed to be an improved DNR.

Rep. Wilson to appear at local GOP fundraiser

Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., will be a featured speaker at a local GOP fundraiser. No lie.

The congressman, whose parents have outstanding taste in names, leaped into the spotlight by shouting “You lie” at President Barack Obama during a recent address to Congress. He, Rep. Roy Blunt and Dick Morris will appear during a dinner symposium sponsored by the 7th Congressional District Missouri Republican Assembly.

A reception will be held for Wilson and Morris at 5 p.m. Saturday at the University Plaza Convention Center, and the program will begin at 7 p.m.

Tickets to the meeting cost up to $100 per individual or $150 per couple. The public is invited, but only members will be allowed to cast votes during meeting business.

Show You State’s new home is here!

That means I’m finally going to be posting a lot more pretty soon. I know! Incredible! T.R. will be so happy.