Joplin Progress Committee tops board candidate Shawn McGrew's contributors

Shawn McGrew, seeking his first term on the Joplin R-8 Board of Education, received $1,050 in contributions by the end of the reporting period, according to his 40-day-before-election report, filed Monday with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

Out of that amount, $1,000 came from the Joplin Progress Committee, with McGrew contributing the other $50 to his own campaign.

R-8 Board member Randy Steele has $1,495 in campaign account

Incumbent Joplin R-8 Board of Education member has $1,495 in his campaign account, according to his 40-day-before-election report filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

One thousand of that came from the special interest group, the Joplin Progress Committee, another $200 from Tom and Jeany Franz, TJ Franz Associates, Webb City, with the remaining $325 coming from unnamed sources who gave less than $100 apiece, according to the report.

Steele had spent $30 of the money at the end of the reporting period.

We don't know who is giving money to Jeff Flowers

If you have not read the earlier Turner Report post detailing who gave money to the powerful Joplin Progress Committee, you would only know who gave Joplin R-8 Board of Education President Jeff Flowers $200 out of the $2,240 he has received.

That is all of the information provided in the 40-days-before-election report filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

The Joplin Progress Committee provided Flowers with $1,000 of that, while Judy Priddy, Joplin, gave $200.

The rest of the money, $1,040, came from unnamed persons who gave Flowers less than $100 apiece, according to the disclosure document. The law does not require that each of those people be listed, but most candidates in local level races do so.

Joplin Progress Committee pours $14,000 into local races, including $1,000 from KC bank

The campaign accounts of six local candidates received cash infusions from the Joplin Progress Committee, according to a 40-day-before-election report filed Monday with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

The report showed $14,000 going to local candidates, with the bulk of the money, $10,000 going to two Joplin City Council candidates.

In addition to the $5,000 received by both incumbent Mike Seibert and Ryan Stanley, the report shows the four Joplin R-8 Board of Education candidates who are either incumbents or who have been anointed by Superintendent C. J. Huff, Board President Jeff Flowers, board member Randy Steele, and newcomers Shawn McGrew and Lynda Banwart each received $1,000 checks.

Those contributing in varying amounts included the realtor cited in the investigative report by Tom Loraine, a company involved in construction of the new Joplin R-8 school buildings, Sen. Ron Richard, frequent Joplin Globe contributor Anson Burlingame.

The largest contribution to this point is the $1,000 given by the Commerce Bancshares PAC out of Kansas City.

The committee had $10,868.34 at the beginning of the reporting period and has received $10,720 since that time and spent $14,639.49, including $484.47 to the Joplin Globe for advertising.

Those who have contributed to the Joplin Progress Committee since January 1 are listed below:

Steve Koelkebeck, Diamond, SMB $500
Cynthia Schwab, retired, Joplin, $500
Commerce Bancshares PAC, Kansas City $1,000
Kenneth Caviness, Joplin, Vintage Stock, $500
Nancy Morton, Joplin, retired, $500
Infinity Publishing Group, Webb City, $500
Rodney Spriggs, Joplin, Vintage Stock, $500
Audie Dennis, Webb City, Boyd Metals, $250
Charles Kuehn III, Joplin, Four State Homes, $500
Pamela Kuehn, Joplin, Four State Homes, $500
Stephen Barnett, Joplin Printing Company, $250
Robert Morton, Joplin, Zimmer US Inc. $250
Joseph Newman, Joplin, Freeman Health, $500
Carpe Diem Investments, Joplin, $500
Kraft Insurance Agency, Joplin, $500
Michael Pence, Joplin, retired, $250
Joy Cragin, Joplin, retired $25
Janet Burlingame, Joplin, retired, $10
Leland Browne, Joplin, retired, $25.
James Hicklin, Joplin, Abbey Title Company, $500
John Hale, Joplin, retired, $300
Joplin Professional Pharmacy, Inc. $250
Anson Burlingame, Joplin, retired, $10
Ivan Crossland, Columbus, Kan., Crossland Construction, $500
Credit Cars of Joplin, $500
Commttee to Elect Ron Richard $500
Gwen Delano, Joplin, works for Ron Richard, $100
Robert Willcoxon, Joplin, retired, $500

Those who contributed during the last quarter of 2013 included the following:

Clifford Wert, Webb City, $500

Jane Cage, Joplin, $500

Paula Baker, Joplin, Freeman Health, $500

Veri Properties, LLC, Carl Junction, $500

Brad Beecher, Carl Junction, Empire District Electric Company, $500

Sharon Beshore, Joplin, retired, $500

Dr. Lance Beshore, Joplin, Leggett & Platt, $500

Michael Wiggins, Webb City, Granny Shaffer's Restaurant, $500

Sara Newman, Joplin, retired, $500

Karen Platt, Carl Junction, Choice Marketing, $500

Jerrod Hogan, American Engineering, Inc. $500

Bennie Crossland, Joplin, Crossland Construction Company, $500

Fred Osborn, Carl Junction, Mercy Hospital, $500

Nancy Good, Joplin, Waco Title, $500

Troy Hill, Joplin, BKD, LLP, $500

Henry Robertson, Jr., Joplin, retired, $500

Joplin Building Material Company, $500

Randy Moore, Joplin, Eagle-Picher, $500

J. Hipple Investments, Carl Junction, $500

Ronald Gates, Joplin, Empire District Electric Company, $250

Gary Pulsipher, Joplin, Mercy Hospital, $500

T. J. Franz and Associates, Webb City, $500

Scott Brothers, Webb City, The Insurance Center, $250

Joplin Progress Committee has raised $19,000 to influence city, school elections

The Joplin Globe reported in two editions this week that the Joplin Progress Committee, the somewhat secretive group of influential business people, some from inside Joplin and some from the surrounding area, has collected $19,000 which it intends to use to influence the upcoming Joplin City Council and Joplin R-8 Board of Education elections.

The committee's website indicates it favors elected officials who do not get involved in the day-to-day operation of either the city or the school district.

Hedging their bets? Joplin Progress Committee endorses five R-8 Board candidates

The Joplin Progress Committee, the group of business leaders who want the city and the school district to continue in the path it has gone in since the May 22, 2011, tornado, is now endorsing five of the eight candidates for the R-8 Board of Education.

The committee has added Linda Banwart and Jeff Koch to its list of candidates.

Last week, the committee announced it was endorsing two incumbents, Board President Jeff Flowers and Randy Steele, and Shawn McGrew. At that time, the committee had not interviewed either Mrs. Banwart or Koch.

The only candidates who did not get the committee's stamp of approval were former Irving Elementary Principal Debbie Fort, Dave Guilford, formerly a building engineer at the old South Middle School, and Shane Reed.

As noted in earlier Turner Report posts, Joplin Progress Committee has stated its intention of making contributions to candidates that meet with its approval. Three R-8 candidates, Flowers, Steele, and McGrew have already formed the campaign committees required by state ethics laws for candidates who plan to accept more than $1,000 in contributions, or more than $325 from any one source.

Koch has indicated he will not accept contributions from the committee.

McGrew, Flowers, Steele form committees; prepare for record amounts to be spent

The three Joplin School Board candidates endorsed by the Joplin Progress Committee have all formed campaign committees now, enabling them to accept the committee's money.

This should ensure that the same kind of spending the Joplin R-8 Board of Education has been indulging in for the past several years will be seen in a local board of education race for the first time in the district's history.

Both Board President Jeff Flowers and Shawn McGrew of Freeman Hospital, who has appeared in commercials for Bright Futures, formed their campaign committees today, according to Missouri Ethics Commission documents. The other incumbent in the race, Randy Steele, formed his committee earlier.

The documents indicate that one of those who has contributed to the Joplin Progress Committee, Nancy Good, is serving as McGrew's treasurer. Ms. Good is also on the Bright Futures advisory board.

Jeff Flowers forms campaign committee, ready to rake in contributions

Joplin R-8 Board of Education President Jeff Flowers filed documents with the Missouri Ethics Commission today setting up a campaign committee.

Candidates are required to form committees if they anticipate receiving more than $1,000 in campaign contributions or more than $325 from any one contributor.

The Joplin Progress Committee, formed late last year by Joplin and area business leaders, to back candidates who agree with their idea of how the school district and the city should move forward, endorsed Flowers, fellow incumbent Randy Steele, and Shawn McGrew last week. Steele, as noted last week in the Turner Report, was the first board candidate to form a committee.

The Progress Committee raised $11,000 by the end of 2013 and has indicated that it will be putting money into the school board and city council races.

Flowers has been asking for money since Jan. 7, when he mailed a letter which included the following request:

"I believe this election is a pivotal one for our district and your support could be the difference. I am asking, most importantly, for your vote, but also for any financial support you are willing to give."

The committee documents list Dale Garrett, Joplin, as the treasurer. Though school board candidates do not have to declare a party, Flowers listed himself as "Republican."

R-8 incumbent Randy Steele files papers forming campaign committee

Incumbent Joplin R-8 Board of Education member Randy Steele has become the first of the seven Joplin R-8 Board of Education candidates to file papers with the Missouri Ethics Commission to form a campaign committee.

Candidates who intend to accept more than $325 from any one source or more than $1,000 overall, or who think that might be a possibility are required to form campaign committees.

According to the creation document, Steele's treasurer will be Jeany Franz, a Webb City CPA.

The papers were filed Jan. 27.

Money may well be coming Steele's way since he has received the endorsement of the Joplin Progress Committee, a group of powerful Joplin and area business interests that has indicated it wants to keep the school district and the city of Joplin headed down the paths set for them by R-8 Superintendent C. J. Huff and former City Manager Mark Rohr.

Election's over: Joplin Progress Committee says you should vote for these people

The Joplin Progress Committee, that secretive group of power brokers who want us to remain on the path to Wallace-Bajjali and 21st Century Learning, have chosen the candidates they will endorse...and support financially, during the April Joplin R-8 Board of Education and Joplin City Council elections.

The group has a decided leaning toward the programs of R-8 Superintendent C. J. Huff and former City Manager Mark Rohr.

The committee is endorsing R-8 incumbents Jeff Flowers and Randy Steele, and Huff's hand-picked candidate, Shawn McGrew.

Those tabbed for city council endorsements are Mike Seibert, Gary Shaw, Ryan Stanley, and Miranda Lewis.

An earlier Joplin Globe story had indicated that people can buy their way into the Joplin Progress Committee and sit in on its secretive sessions. It appears that $500 was the buy-in price. As noted in the Jan. 11 Turner Report, the committee's quarterly report filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission showed that it had raised $11,000 by the end of 2013.

I wrote the following Jan. 11:

From its website, Joplin Progress, here is what the group, thinks are the key platform issues:

• regional economic growth and the creation of new jobs through both existing and new businesses to our community
• quality of life improvements for our community
• the efforts of any reputable large-scale developers who express an interest doing projects in our city and bring forth economically viable, self-sustaining projects
• the development of new, younger leaders
• working cooperatively with other cities and schools within the Joplin Region
• student achievement that is on target or exceeds expectations in core academic areas for all grades with continued emphasis upon increasing the high school graduation rate
• graduating civic-minded, high quality citizens who are college and career ready
• the development and ongoing maintenance of a short and long term strategic plans for the City of Joplin and the Joplin School District respectively

As I noted before, it is hard to argue with any of those ideas. They sound wonderful.

Where I run into problems with the Joplin Progress Committee is with its section on "personal values and attitude":

• possess strong integrity and moral values
• be positive, progressive and open minded
• form opinions based on broad-based facts from varied sources
• be practical and pragmatic
• demonstrate good common sense
• be both compassionate and passionate
• be non-partisan with no personal agendas
• demonstrate the ability to focus on policy, not politics or day-to-day management

When a group hides behind closed doors and makes value judgments on candidates and then does its best to elect its chosen candidates, it is doing so perfectly legally. I simply question the definitions that are offered and why we should assume that this elite group of business leaders is doing anything to help the rest of us.

I would guess that someone who "demonstrates good common sense" would be someone who sees eye-to-eye with the committee on every issue. "Non-partisan with no personal agendas" would indicate that if you are getting elected to try to remove people who have been a barrier to good city government or to good education, but who kiss up to to the business community on a regular basis, you are not going to be receiving any of this group's money.

It is the last one that concerns me most of all. When they say "demonstrate the ability to focus on policy, not politics or day-to-day management, they are saying, "we like the status quo and we are willing to spend money to make sure things stay exactly the way they are."

Those contributing to the Joplin Progress Committee:

Clifford Wert, Webb City, $500

Jane Cage, Joplin, $500

Paula Baker, Joplin, Freeman Health, $500

Veri Properties, LLC, Carl Junction, $500

Brad Beecher, Carl Junction, Empire District Electric Company, $500

Sharon Beshore, Joplin, retired, $500

Dr. Lance Beshore, Joplin, Leggett & Platt, $500

Michael Wiggins, Webb City, Granny Shaffer's Restaurant, $500

Sara Newman, Joplin, retired, $500

Karen Platt, Carl Junction, Choice Marketing, $500

Jerrod Hogan, American Engineering, Inc. $500

Bennie Crossland, Joplin, Crossland Construction Company, $500

Fred Osborn, Carl Junction, Mercy Hospital, $500

Nancy Good, Joplin, Waco Title, $500

Troy Hill, Joplin, BKD, LLP, $500

Henry Robertson, Jr., Joplin, retired, $500

Joplin Building Material Company, $500

Randy Moore, Joplin, Eagle-Picher, $500

J. Hipple Investments, Carl Junction, $500

Ronald Gates, Joplin, Empire District Electric Company, $250

Gary Pulsipher, Joplin, Mercy Hospital, $500

T. J. Franz and Associates, Webb City, $500

Scott Brothers, Webb City, The Insurance Center, $250

Things I'm Thinking About, January 14

Here a few of the things I'm thinking about-

Where is the Joplin Globe?- The  Turner Report broke the story Monday morning that former Royal Heights Principal Larry Masters had filed a lawsuit against Joplin R-8 Assistant Superintendent Angie Besendorfer, claiming that her lies cost him his job. Since that time, all four Joplin area television stations have covered the story and I received a call from KZRG a few minutes ago seeking some information. So far, the lawsuit has not been mentioned in the Joplin Globe, as far as I can determine. It is not an exaggeration to say that most people with any knowledge of the situation have known for the past several months that my stories about the Joplin School District have been accurate. Over the next several weeks, with this lawsuit and others that I am sure will follow, as well as wide-ranging state and federal investigations into the operations of the school, it is going to be almost impossible for the Joplin Globe to pretend that nothing is wrong in C. J. Huff's kingdom. Of course, the Globe could do what it did when Bruce Speck was in charge at Missouri Southern State University when it wrote nothing critical about him for years, then the minute he was gone offered an editorial saying that we must never let anything like the Speck Administration ever happen again.

Where Does the Business Community Stand? One of the generally agreed upon evaluations of this year's Joplin City Council and Joplin R-8 School Board races is that the business community will support the status quo. That is not what I am hearing and the filing of the Joplin Progress Committee's first quarterly report with the Missouri Ethics Commission Saturday backs up that view. While there are a few prominent business names on the list, many of those who agree with the philosophy espoused on the website that city council and school board members should not have anything to do with day-to-day operations, appear to be CEOs of various hospitals or publicly traded companies and while these people have every right to play a role in Joplin politics, their opinions are not necessarily indicative of how the business community feels. I am still hearing it is wide open and there is serious concern about the operation of both the city and the school.

More Mike Shannon- As a St. Louis Cardinals fan for more than a half-century, no news could make me happier than to hear that Mike Shannon, a Cardinal broadcaster for the past 42 years and the voice of the Cardinals since the death of Jack Buck (the best baseball announcer ever as far as I am concerned0 in 2002, has signed a multi-year contract to continue, though he will be calling only a few road games this year. When Shannon is gone, TV announcers Al Hrabosky and/or Rick Horton will work with John Rooney, while another Cardinal great and teammate of Shannon's in the '60s, Tim McCarver, will work in the Fox Sports Midwest booth. Pitchers and catchers report next month.

The big money behind the Joplin Progress Committee

The Joplin Progress Committee filed its quarterly report with the Missouri Ethics Commission today and has given us our first look at a group that plans to put its stamp on the April election with the idea of keeping the city of Joplin and the Joplin R-8 School District firmly in the hands of City Manager Mark Rohr and Superintendent C. J. Huff.

At a glance-

-The committee raised $11,000 by the end of 2013.

-A total of $4,250 came from Webb City and Carl Junction addresses (contributors are listed below)

-The committee's biggest expenditure was for advertising in the Joplin Globe.

These are the people who, according to a recent Globe story will be meeting secretly to determine which candidates will receive their endorsements, and just as importantly, their financial backing. The group appears to have been formed in response to the growing number of people who are filing to run for school board and city council in an effort to implement change. I wrote the following in the Dec. 19 Turner Report

From its website, Joplin Progress, here is what the group, thinks are the key platform issues:

• regional economic growth and the creation of new jobs through both existing and new businesses to our community
• quality of life improvements for our community
• the efforts of any reputable large-scale developers who express an interest doing projects in our city and bring forth economically viable, self-sustaining projects
• the development of new, younger leaders
• working cooperatively with other cities and schools within the Joplin Region
• student achievement that is on target or exceeds expectations in core academic areas for all grades with continued emphasis upon increasing the high school graduation rate
• graduating civic-minded, high quality citizens who are college and career ready
• the development and ongoing maintenance of a short and long term strategic plans for the City of Joplin and the Joplin School District respectively

As I noted before, it is hard to argue with any of those ideas. They sound wonderful.

Where I run into problems with the Joplin Progress Committee is with its section on "personal values and attitude:

• possess strong integrity and moral values
• be positive, progressive and open minded
• form opinions based on broad-based facts from varied sources
• be practical and pragmatic
• demonstrate good common sense
• be both compassionate and passionate
• be non-partisan with no personal agendas
• demonstrate the ability to focus on policy, not politics or day-to-day management

When a group hides behind closed doors and makes value judgments on candidates and then does its best to elect its chosen candidates, it is doing so perfectly legally. I simply question the definitions that are offered and why we should assume that this elite group of business leaders is doing anything to help the rest of us.

I would guess that someone who "demonstrates good common sense" would be someone who sees eye-to-eye with the committee on every issue. "Non-partisan with no personal agendas" would indicate that if you are getting elected to try to remove people who have been a barrier to good city government or to good education, but who kiss up to to the business community on a regular basis, you are not going to be receiving any of this group's money.

It is the last one that concerns me most of all. When they say "demonstrate the ability to focus on policy, not politics or day-to-day management, they are saying, "we like the status quo and we are willing to spend money to make sure things stay exactly the way they are."

Those contributing to the Joplin Progress Committee:

Clifford Wert, Webb City, $500

Jane Cage, Joplin, $500

Paula Baker, Joplin, Freeman Health, $500

Veri Properties, LLC, Carl Junction, $500

Brad Beecher, Carl Junction, Empire District Electric Company, $500

Sharon Beshore, Joplin, retired, $500

Dr. Lance Beshore, Joplin, Leggett & Platt, $500

Michael Wiggins, Webb City, Granny Shaffer's Restaurant, $500

Sara Newman, Joplin, retired, $500

Karen Platt, Carl Junction, Choice Marketing, $500

Jerrod Hogan, American Engineering, Inc. $500

Bennie Crossland, Joplin, Crossland Construction Company, $500

Fred Osborn, Carl Junction, Mercy Hospital, $500

Nancy Good, Joplin, Waco Title, $500

Troy Hill, Joplin, BKD, LLP, $500

Henry Robertson, Jr., Joplin, retired, $500

Joplin Building Material Company, $500

Randy Moore, Joplin, Eagle-Picher, $500

J. Hipple Investments, Carl Junction, $500

Ronald Gates, Joplin, Empire District Electric Company, $250

Gary Pulsipher, Joplin, Mercy Hospital, $500

T. J. Franz and Associates, Webb City, $500

Scott Brothers, Webb City, The Insurance Center, $250

How the Joplin School Board race will play out

Some predictions for the Joplin R-8 Board of Education race:

-At some point, a forum for all of the candidates will be held, sponsored by the business community. The questions will be tightly managed to steer away from any controversial issues, except Common Core Standards. The rules, in what is claimed to be the only way to be fair to all of the candidates, will not allow any questions that cannot be asked of all candidates, which effectively prevents any digging into the heart of the various problems that face the school district. It also allows incumbents and those who have aligned themselves with the incumbents to have a clear advantage.

-At least one group that is not aligned with business and that group may not exist at this point, will try to hold a forum in which these issues will be addressed. The incumbents will not take part in this forum and it is unlikely that those who are aligned with them will be in it either. It will also will receive little, if any, coverage in the Joplin Globe.

The Joplin Progress Committee and how to buy a school board and city council

Occasionally, I read a comment on one of my posts and have a hard time believing that someone is so blind to what is going on around him.

Last night, after reading the Joplin Globe's page one story by Susan Redden about the Joplin Progress Committee, a collection of business interests that plans to pour big bucks into putting the kind of people it wants into Joplin R-8 Board of Education and Joplin City Council seats, I read a comment that left me shaking my head.

Someone thought it was only fair that these people get involved and have a say in how things are run in Joplin.

Hello?

The people who have formed the Joplin Progress Committee and who indicated to Mrs. Redden that they plan to conduct their meetings, quite legally, out of the public's eye, already have a major say in what is going on in Joplin.

The only reason they found it necessary to form a Joplin Progress Committee is because people are finally making the decision to run against their hand-picked choices for school board and city council.

From their website, Joplin Progress, here is what the group, whomever it consists of, thinks are the key platform issues:

• regional economic growth and the creation of new jobs through both existing and new businesses to our community
• quality of life improvements for our community
• the efforts of any reputable large-scale developers who express an interest doing projects in our city and bring forth economically viable, self-sustaining projects
• the development of new, younger leaders
• working cooperatively with other cities and schools within the Joplin Region
• student achievement that is on target or exceeds expectations in core academic areas for all grades with continued emphasis upon increasing the high school graduation rate
• graduating civic-minded, high quality citizens who are college and career ready
• the development and ongoing maintenance of a short and long term strategic plans for the City of Joplin and the Joplin School District respectively

It is hard to argue with any of those ideas. They sound wonderful.

Where I run into problems with the Joplin Progress Committee is with its section on "personal values and attitude:

• possess strong integrity and moral values
• be positive, progressive and open minded
• form opinions based on broad-based facts from varied sources
• be practical and pragmatic
• demonstrate good common sense
• be both compassionate and passionate
• be non-partisan with no personal agendas
• demonstrate the ability to focus on policy, not politics or day-to-day management

When a group hides behind closed doors and makes value judgments on candidates and then does its best to elect its chosen candidates, it is doing so perfectly legally. I simply question the definitions that are offered and why we should assume that this elite group of business leaders is doing anything to help the rest of us.

I would guess that someone who "demonstrates good common sense" would be someone who sees eye-to-eye with the committee on every issue. "Non-partisan with no personal agendas" would indicate that if you are getting elected to try to remove people who have been a barrier to good city government or to good education, but who kiss up to the business community on a regular basis, you are not going to be receiving any of this group's money.

It is the last one that concerns me most of all. When they say "demonstrate the ability to focus on policy, not politics or day-to-day management, they are saying, "we like the status quo and we are willing to spend money to make sure things stay exactly the way they are."

My guess is that for the first time we are going to see city council and school board ads in heavy rotation as we approach April as the city's economic heavy hitters flex their muscles  and do their best to maintain the status quo in a community that is desperate for change.