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
