Speaker of the House Ron Richard, R-Joplin, received concert tickets, baseball tickets, travel, and your typical everyday meals from lobbyists in June, according to documents posted today on the Missouri Ethics Commission website.
Richard received $457.75 worth of gifts in June, bringing his total for the first six months of 2009 to $1,986.33.
His June gifts are listed below:
-$31 meal from David Smith, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, June 11
-$90 ticket to Cardinals-Royals game, Nancy Giddens, Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, June 20
-$86.08 lodging/travel, William Gamble, Missouri Beverage Association, June 25
-$29.93, dinner, Tony Reinhart, Ford Motor Company, June 28. Reinhart also bought a $29.93 meal for Richard's wife, Patty.
-$166.74 for two tickets to a concert and $60 for a meal before the concert from Doug Rogers, Cerner Corporation.
And Randy Turner received a $3,000 "gift" for doing what he is paid for. Unfortunately, taxpayers funded Randy's gift... if our reps and senators take gifts, they come from businesses that are funded by shoppers who have a choice....taxpayers don't have a choice about paying taxes
ReplyDeleteIf you take a gift, then you have no room to criticize others for taking gifts...
It is no wonder you are unwilling to put your name on such an asinine comment. I work for the $3,000 I receive in Career Ladder money. That is not a gift and you know it. For someone to make an argument that teachers receiving money for actually doing extra work is like our elected officials receiving gifts from lobbyists who are seeking to influence their votes is laughable.
ReplyDeleteJust wondering if you are still tracking donations to Steve Hunter committee, since he is going to run for what office in the distant future? Not to mention Rita, his wife, is treasurer?
ReplyDeleteYes, I am still checking the Hunter committee. There were no contributions listed on the July report.
ReplyDeleteHey Randy...been there, done that...the "career ladder thing." You know it's a gift...teachers have always sponsored clubs, etc. for no pay...the biggest "pay event" used to be taking tickets at a ball game...now teachers are gifted for doing what teachers have traditionally done while just getting the amount in their contract...you can say you work for it all you want...and you probably do...but, if there were no career ladders, you'd still be doing them...
ReplyDeleteIt is a gift and you, as well as I, have heard teachers talk about career ladder money in this way...
you can be defensive all you want, but it's a fact and you'll never admit it.
Hope you enjoy your gift and spend it wisely, Randy....
Did Ron get any Celtic Woman tickets? If not, he must feel left out!
ReplyDelete