Scantily clad dancers swaying to the beat of Latin music, bartenders who pose in bikinis for the company calendar, and the food's not bad either.
Mango's Tropical Cafe is a top tourist attraction in Miami Beach, and thanks to Monsanto lobbyist Frank Plescia, Speaker of the House Rod Jetton, R-Marble Hill, Senate President Pro Tem (and attorney general candidate) Mike Gibbons, R-Kirkwood, and Sen. Charlie Shields, R-Kansas City, majority floor leader, had the pleasure of experiencing the ambience of Mango's first hand on Nov. 18.
Among the highlights of visiting Mango's, according to the restaurant's website, is bartender Nelly from Nicaragua (pictured), Mango's Star of the Month. "I love the music, enjoy dancing and meeting people from all over," Nelly says on her Star of the Month video. The dancing does come into play at Mango's since, in addition to the floor show, Nelly and other bartenders provide entertainment by actually dancing on the bar.
Documents posted today on the Missouri Ethics Commission website indicate Plescia treated each legislator to a Mango's meal worth $62.06.
It was not the only meal lobbyists bought for Jetton, Gibbons, and Shields Nov. 18 and 19 as the three attended the 11th annual leadership training program "for emerging state legislative leaders and experienced state government relations professionals (lobbyists) put on by the State Government Affairs Council (SGAC) at the Ritz Carlton. SGAC is essentially a group consisting of lobbyists (or the euphemistic "government relations" personnel). The Mango Cafe junket appears to be the only outing, however, which did not include Cassie Jetton, Brenda Shields, and Liz Gibbons.
Ethics Commission documents show that Plescia, who serves on the SGAC Board of Directors, also covered lunch for Jetton, Gibbons, Shields, and their wives on the same day, spending $40.62 on each of them, as they dined at Finnegan's Way.
Jetton apparently did not get enough lunch at Finnegan's Way, and also received a $49 lunch from Plescia the same day.
Lobbyist Sherry Doctorian, representing the law firm of Armstrong Teasdale, was not as specific with her disclosure report, but she also chipped in with $48.26 apiece for "meals, food, and beverage" for the legislators and their wives on Nov. 18 and paid $39.15 for meals for each of them on Nov. 19.
On the same day, she also paid $80.73 each for "meals, food, and beverage" for Rod and Cassie Jetton, according to the disclosure form.
Also keeping the elected officials and their spouses from going hungry was one of their old colleagues, former Rep. Carl Bearden, whose client AT&T footed the bill for $55.07 meals for all of them Nov. 19.
Bearden also paid $12 apiece in travel costs for Mr. and Mrs. Gibbons and Mr. and Mrs. Jetton on Nov. 17 and $11.25 for travel for the Jettons and Liz Gibbons on Nov. 20. The travel expenses were paid by Bearden representing himself, according to the Ethics Commission documents.
12 comments:
Randy, are you twisting this story to your own taste?
You have the photographs of three men alongside a barely-clad woman - setting up your attack.
Then you lead your piece with "Scantily clad dancers swaying to the beat of Latin music, bartenders who pose in bikinis FOR THE COMPANY CALENDAR (were they IN the cafe when these men were there or did you just "drop that in" for ammunition?)
Now you put these men in "this top tourist attraction" and say they "had the pleasure of experiencing the ambience of Mango's first hand..."
Now we move to another of your weapons with "Among the highlights of visiting Mango's. according to the website, - (did you actually go to the trouble of looking all this up?) is bartender Nelly from Nicaragua....but did these men have the opportunity to see Nelly or do you just want to add more paint to your gaudy picture through implication - haven't seen anything to say they even saw Nelly or any other of the dancers or bartenders?
And could they have been lucky enough to see Nelly dancing on the bar? Please tell us, we're dying to know.
And, of course, I'm sure these poor Missouri Republicans were the only ones to have lunch there that day while attending the leadership training program. All the others, Republicans and Democrats, I'm sure lunched at Burger King.
How about going back to the web and giving us the names of all legislators who attended that meeting...what state they were from, which party they belong to, how many had lunch at Mango's and how many had meals paid for by lobbyists...when you do that and I see the true picture, then we'll see how seriously you should be taken on this attack.
Please do this so I don't have to waste MY time doing it.
You appear to be missing the point. Our legislators are in Miami Beach, enjoying the ambience as I put it, on the dime of lobbyists representing interests that will have business come before them during the next legislative session. In fact, the entire convention was for lobbyists to have a chance to hobnob with these legislative leaders. I am sure there were legislators from both parties who were at Mango's, but as far as I can determine, these three were the only ones from Missouri, the state which is featured in this blog.
I gave an accurate depiction of Missouri legislators' involvement in this lobbyist-financed junket.
As for the dancers, the club's website indicated they perform during the entire time it is open.
I fail to understand how anyone can stand up for the status quo of lobbyists representing special interests buying meals, drinks, and entertainment for legislators who are paid to represent us.
How will knowing what legislators (and their parties) from other states attended this meeting help provide a "true picture?"
As long as we can keep denying the negative effect special interests are having on our state, and just looking at it as business as usual, the longer we will have to put up with mediocre legislation designed for the few and not for the many.
"As long as we can keep denying the negative effect special interests are having on our state" what negative effects specifically are you referring to? Could it be the gambling industry - the ones who helped send Bob Griffin to prison? No - you have many other "bogey men" special interests in your own mind.
I've read this blog for a long time. The "negative effect special interests" have is determined by your opinion. You focus on Sinquefield and anyone/everyone related to him. Why? Because you don't agree with their opinion that parents should have ultimate choice you deem it "special interests" and "negative" impacts.
Sure, it's not hard to demogogue in such a way as to seemingly get people to agree with you but it doesn't mean they really do or that you are at all correct. Most of the time you are not. You cannot show in Missouri where special interests have had a negative effect except in your opinion.
It's apparent that you are envious of anyone in authority who does not agree with you. They have achieved a level of authority and trust you can only wish to achieve but never will because you are a small minded man.
This is typical. Turner obviously has no interest in the truth, never has. This is just one more example of him having a woody for republicans and trying to make the democratic party look like saints. Nothing is further from the truth. Besides, aren't republicans supposed to be the ones who are "uptight"? I am glad to see them loosening up and enjoy themselves. hehe Really, who cares? This isn't news and turner is still a joke.
First, it is not typical. Where were your comments when I was writing about the Isle of Capri junket and mentioning the legislators, all of whom were Democrats, who were there having a good old time courtesy of the Isle of Capri lobbyist. I have been the only one who has written about the other Democratic legislators who were there in addition to those who were arrested. Where were your comments when this blog was the first to mention that a settlement had been reached in a civil rights lawsuit against Attorney General Jay Nixon, also a Democrat. This blog has also been the only consistent source of information about the upcoming bank and credit card fraud trial of Rep. John Bowman of St. Louis, also a Democrat. Time after time, I have had Democrats at the top of my Hall of Shame for receiving the most gifts from lobbyists. Where were your comments then? Apparently, anyone who writes anything about Republican problems is going to be smeared from uninformed commenters, such as the two who have posted comments here.
As for the last comment, I have no problem with Republicans enjoying themselves or being less uptight...as long as they are spending their own money doing it and are not living it up courtesy of lobbyists and special interests. The same applies to Democrats.
As for the anonymous comment at 5:58 p.m., where have you been. I have written one post after another about the gambling special interests and have been doing so since this blog started.
Anyone who remembers my days at the Lamar Democrat and Carthage Press will also remember that I never hesitated to rip into Bob Griffin. Apparently, in this day and age you have to agree with people on every single issue or you are the villain.
I have never hesitated to write about anyone, Republican or Democrat, and that is the way I will continue to write this blog.
Yes you have made very small mentions and yes you did list three in your reply. The fact is that these are probably the only times you have given negative mention to the democratic party. They are so few that you can recall all of them in one post. You need to get your facts straight. (wait, I forgot that you don't deal in facts) Anyway, you are the one who has it wrong. Anytime someone disagrees with YOU, they are lambasted for their comments and you attempt to make THEM the villain. No one is telling you how to write the blog. I doubt that anyone cares. The simply disagree with most of the things that you represent as the truth even though they are not. It is a dangerous thing you are doing and you, like most bloggers, tend to fancy themselves as "jouralists" when in fact a blog is nothing more than an opinion page. You cross these lines all of the time and don't seem to understand the difference, become defensive and lash out when these things are pointed out. I sincerely hope you don't pass these ideals on to the students who have the misfortune of being in your classroom.
i get no end of enjoyment out of the posts that can Randy a joke, horrible blogger, demagogue, failed journalist, etc.
Yet that breed of posters never fails to read the blog.
Their envy bleeds through in the posts. They would like nothing better than a forum of their own, but have not the talent nor the following to create one. So all they can do is render personal attacks on Randy.
I have neither the time nor the inclination to daily read, much less reply, to bloggers I don't have any use for, and I'm sure that 99% of the web feels the same.
Loser, failed journalist, failed teacher, liar, whatever you want to throw at the man. But you are spending YOUR time reading HIS musings...so what does that say about you?
For the first time, I have rejected a comment to this blog. I am tired of anonymous bullies who not only attack me, but who attack other people who read this blog. It is one of the reasons why people are so reluctant to comment on blogs. Why should they do so when people simply attack them? I am also going to eliminate a previous post by this person. Bullies are no longer welcome on this blog.
I also eliminated two other comments, one which was a total attack with no pretense of being about the subject, and the other which was a supporter whose comments were directed at another comment which has already been removed.
For those of you who still want to attack me, my e-mail address is rturner229@hotmail.com Feel free to create a fictious e-mail address and send a message to me, or have the guts to put your own name to your comments.
quoted from anonymous 3:24-And, of course, I'm sure these poor Missouri Republicans were the only ones to have lunch there that day while attending the leadership training program. All the others, Republicans and Democrats, I'm sure lunched at Burger King.
I care because I pay taxes in Missouri......
Thanks Randy for the job well reported.
Give me a break. Nothing they did was illegal. I don't care what they do, Democrat or Republican, as long as it is by the law. Turner is a teacher (sort of) and his salary is paid by the taxpayers so he should be open to public criticism as well but he deletes posts that do not agree with his ideas.
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