It appears that Governor Matt Blunt's decision to award the Lamar license bureau contract to former State Representative Bubs Hohulin may just be the tip of the iceberg in what I hope no one calls Licensegate.
The Kansas City Star earlier today wrote about more of those to whom contracts were awarded, including Tracy Graves, wife of U. S. Attorney Todd Graves, and Mrs. Graves' brother, Todd Bartles.
Even though there is no doubt that these type of plum jobs were also awarded by recent Democratic governors Bob Holden and the late Mel Carnahan, what makes these appointments different, Missouri Democrats charge, is that Todd Graves' jurisdiction as a U. S. Attorney is western Missouri and Jefferson City, meaning that he would be responsible for any investigation into state government. Democratic Party spokesman Jack Cardetti told the Star, "The confidence of the people in the U. S. Attorney's investigations has now been severely harmed. This does not pass the smell test." Cardetti said the appointments showed a lack of judgment and integrity on Blunt's part, according to the Star article.
The decision to award Hohulin a fee office was criticized because he is already on the state payroll as an assistant to State Senator Carl Vogel, R-Jefferson City, earning more than $30,000 a year.
Hohulin told The Joplin Globe he does not intend to give up his job, and if he did to decide to accept the office, his wife, Marilyn, would be running it. A Turner Report reader notes that an ad was placed in this weeks XChanger 2, a free shopper serving the Barton County area, advertising for employees for the license bureau, indicating that the new management is taking over.
The ad reads, "Taking applications for Lamar License Bureau. Full or part time available, requires some Saturdays. Good personality and attention to detail a must. Apply at 1206 Cherry Street, Lamar, Mo."
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Pittsburg State University's newspaper, The Collegio, reports in an article written by Joslyn Buck, that a fixture in area musical broadcasting has called it quits. The final original broadcast of "Swing Shift" a weekly jazz program,was held Friday, Feb. 4, on KRPS, the college's public radio station. The program's host, Dave Bevan, is retiring at age 89, after being host for the show for the past seven years. Repeats will fill the show's Friday night time slot until the end of the month.
Bevan told the Collegio, "I got to see some of the original big bands and I liked the music and I got to be pretty knowledgeable about it. I am glad to see young people interested in jazz today. It's a part of American history and not something that should just die out."
Ironically, at least as far as KRPS is concerned, that may be exactly what happens. KRPS' station manager told the Collegio he expects the station to go in a new direction with its replacement programming.