In the second day of a three-day report on the money behind Sen. Gary Nodler, Joplin Globe investigative reporter Max McCoy pulls the curtain open and allows us to see the master manipulators who are behind one of the most powerful elected officials in the state.
It's a list of the usual suspects: Gary Duncan, CEO of Freeman Health, the bigwigs at Empire District Electric Company, Rudy Farber in Neosho, etc. My favorite part of the article is where Nodler Leadership PAC treasurer Nick Myers, a Joplin CPA, says the PAC was meant to promote the senator's leadership style. It may be the first leadership PAC designed to perpetuate bullying, petulance, holding petty grudges, blaming everyone else for your own problems, and out-and-out childishness.
Apparently, Nodler lends his name to this Leadership PAC, according to the McCoy investigation, but nothing else. Of course, the same suspects who are donating to the Nodler PAC are the ones who are donating to his regular campaign fund. Makes you wonder just how many decisions he makes in regard to his state senate duties, and how many are made by the big money men who are pulling his strings.
(Note: An apology is necessary for the headline to this post. It has been at least two decades since the senator has had the ability to do backflips. It is rumored however, that he can jump to attention in record time when one of his big contributors is on the line.)
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A sidebar to today's major story features a profile of Nick Myers, who is portrayed as the power behind the throne.
18 comments:
Mr. Turner,
You run a fantastic site (which I heard about over on CHATTER.)
I haven't seen you cover anything on the TABOR initiative being pushed in Missouri (including Springfield). It's a really important issue that will affect everything. This is the most devastating piece of policy that Missouri has seen in years.
From what I've seen most people, if they have heard about it, dont' really understand it. I posted a simplistic piece on it on my blog
fatjacksrants@blogspot.com
but just wondered if you were going to. You, like Ron, get a lot of traffic and have the ability to really get the word out.
Thought I would give you a heads up.
The whole thing just makes me sick. The problem is, it is too little too late, he is running without anyone against him so we are stuck again with a good ole boy. Is it ever going to change? I doubt it, it makes regular people just so discouraged they don't even bother to vote, it is so hopeless.
Gee Turner if it is so corrupt why didn't you run and save us all from the "tyrany" of a man who does good for the southwest region. Obviously the constituents are content with him or someone would have run. Typical liberal...complain complain and never do anything to fix it or draw facts from reality.
Mr. Turner, I feel compelled to spell out a couple of things for you. People who have contributed to the Nodler Leadership PAC and his regular campaign fund, this happens everywhere in EACH party! This is what the party in power does. They fundraise money and what they don't need they give to other members in the party to help win their races. Democrats claim that they could not find a candidate to run against Nodler, because of the money and influence....Isn't that what you want in an incumbant? Democrats would want the same thing if Nodler was in their party. How many people of the Higher Education community have YOU seen pulling the Senator's strings, as you so eloquently put it? Since higher education has been a top priority of the Senator and the general assembly this session, a huge portion of his legislation that has passed into law, and the only piece to pass into law this session has to deal with Higher Education. Mr. Turner if you wish to rant and rave about an issue, find a chat room, but you would be wise to leave serious reporting to the professionals....and I don't mean the Joplin Globe.
Sounds like it's cutting a bit deep around here.
Democrats: Wah! The Republicans aren't playing fair.
Republicans: Wah! They're onto us.
The little side bar to Nick Myers is interesting. ALL that money he makes and he pays his employees peanuts and took away their health insurance. It is so true that the "love of money is the root of all evil."
Who is going to investigate the money trail behind the Joplin Globe? Who will report that they are expected to generate a profit margin of 19 to 26 percent to send back to corporate to make Alabama retirees rich?
McCoy's story singles out Empire, Tamko, CBT and Leggett and Platt for criticism. What do they all have in common? They are local. Much of their profits stay in Joplin.
Where does the Globe's money go? The money from the local car dealers, your aunt's garage sale and your subscription? Down the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
Four more years of the likes of Nodler and he can even afford to give his money so that other "cripple kickers" of his party can get into office and take more away from those who can least afford it. Power to the Party and to hell with the People.
Good Lord. A Nodler apologist and presumed-Republican is denouncing capitalism. Isn't that the third sign of the apocalypse?
Ball washer...
" Sounds like it's cutting a bit deep around here.
Democrats: Wah! The Republicans aren't playing fair.
Republicans: Wah! They're onto us."
Did you hear any of this stuff when the dems held the gov mansion ? I think not.The Globe says If we dont get what we want ( a interview with Nodler )we will dedicate a week of the front page to smear him as best we can. To think for a second that these things with Nodler or with the license bureau's did not happen when they were in power is just amazing to me. All this and I cannot STAND Nodler !!! Just the system
Yeah, the Globe leans so far left the publishers are thinking of putting a picture of Che Guevara on the masthead. Come on you dope, I defy you to find one time in the past 25 years the Globe has endorsed a single Democrat for statewide or national office. This isn't a campaign against Republicans, it's a series about the impact of some greedy - and sloppy - Republicans on state and federal politics. And if you don't like Nodler, stop apologizing for him.
Globe Rat aka Globe employee...
Jay Nixon is among the Democrats the Globe has endorsed in the past 25 years.
Rat, who cares what's on the editorial page. Let's talk about the front page. I defy you to find a Republican or a conservative in the Globe newsroom. Good luck.
Andy Ostmeyer
Nixon is a real valid counter. If The Globe loves him so much, let's see how they treat his 2008 gubernatorial bid.
Anyone who thinks Max McCoy is out to get Gary Nodler needs to seriously consider voluntary institutionalization. Reporters aren't paid enough to carry out vendettas.
And Max is sure not paid as much as the CEO's of Freeman and Empire.
Jealousy?
Well that explains partially why Nick Myers couldn't do MY taxes better than the lady from H&R Block. We paid him a whopping bit of dough then paid the lady at H&R Block to go over it and redo it (the correct way) and came out ahead. He has his head stuck to far in politics for me to take my business to him again. Oh, yeah....and he was S.L.O.W. getting them done, also.
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