I hope The Joplin Globe and the area television stations will continue efforts to find out about the license fee offices that Missouri Governor Matt Blunt awarded to his supporters recently.
The Kansas City Star ran an article today about the offices, pointing out a connection in some instances between people who donated large sums to Blunt's gubernatorial campaign and who later ended up in charge of fee offices.
The governor has said that all of those who were awarded offices had to submit business plans. When one local news outlet attempted to get those business plans through a Freedom of Information request, it was told those were not available.
Apparently, though they have been submitted, according to the Star article. It quotes Mike Smith, Jackson County Sports Authority chairman, who was selected to run the Lee's Summit office as saying he submitted a business plan which estimated a profit of $84,000 in 2006. He said he has since adjusted that estimate to $25,000. Incidentally, Smith, his relatives, and companies in which he holds a major interest donated $10,000 to Blunt's campaign, according to the article.
I am still curious about the business plan submitted by former Republican legislator Bubs Hohulin for the Lamar fee office. That plan should be available and open to inspection by the public. I hope our local news outlets are as interested in seeing the plan as I am. I am sure Turner Report readers in Lamar would also be interested in seeing that plan.