Monday, January 27, 2014
Atorney General announces probe into rising propane costs
Attorney General Chris Koster announced his office is investigating the cause of the recent rise in the price of propane gas, and will issue a report when the inquiry is complete. On January 24, 2014, Koster received a request from Senator Mike Parson to conduct an investigation, and forty consumers have filed complaints with the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division about the increased costs. Consumers indicate that the price charged for propane gas increased from approximately $1.94 in December, 2013, to approximately $5.00 in recent days.
"Missourians are justifiably concerned about the dramatic increase in propane prices, affecting their ability to heat their homes and care for Missouri-based livestock," Koster said. "I want to thank Senator Mike Parson and many others who have highlighted this important issue and brought these complaints to our office. We are currently investigating all complaints, and working with businesses and agencies in 9 other states across the Midwest to determine the cause of these price increases."
On January 24, 2014, consumer investigators with Attorney General’s Office participated in a multi-state conference call with representatives of the propane gas industry. Distributors and analysts have pointed to a sharp increase in the export of propane and substantially higher consumption this winter, which may have created a corresponding shortfall in the supply of domestic propane.
Tim Jones: Where are Gov. Nixon's priorities?
Like so many parts of our lives the weather is always changing. I hope you have taken the time to notice a few of the amazing sunsets we have enjoyed this past week. However, the bitter cold has returned both inside and outside the building. It was particularly frigid inside the Capitol last week as Gov. Nixon received a chilling response from the legislature as he presented his State of the State address.
There is a stark difference from the reality of the weather outside and the winter wonderland of the governor’s forecasted budget. Nixon played Santa in January. Sadly, the governor’s proposed budget does not meet the realities of Missouri’s current revenue estimates. These estimates are not Republican numbers, rather numbers that are evaluated by The University of Missouri. Nixon’s budget holds no plan for real job growth, no plan to help the transfer situation for students in failing schools or even a plan for the other failing schools in Missouri.
My colleagues and I take the budget issues confronting this great State very seriously. In contrast, Nixon’s budget has a request for over $324, 641 for a Washington D.C. office and three staffers for the office of Administration. I ask you, where are his priorities?
Kander: GOP Senate bill could disenfranchise 220,000 Missouri voters
(From Secretary of State Jason Kander)
Secretary of State Jason Kander this morning announced approximately 220,000 registered voters could be disenfranchised with the passage of Senate Joint Resolution 31 & Senate Bill 511, proposed legislation that would require voters to present a current government-issued photo ID before being allowed to cast their ballots.
"As the state’s chief elections officer, it is my job to make sure that only eligible voters vote, but also that every eligible voter has the opportunity to vote," Kander said. "This proposed legislation could keep hundreds of thousands of current Missouri voters from voting, which is not only just wrong, but unconstitutional."
Among the hundreds of thousands of eligible Missouri voters that could be kept from voting by SJR31 & SB511 are students with current school-issued photo ID’s, senior citizens who no longer drive, Missourians who rely on public transportation, and women who have changed their last names due to marriage or divorce.
"This is not just a simple identification requirement," Kander said. "This is essentially ‘REAL ID’ all over again, as the legislature wants everyone in our state to be required to have a certain kind of identification. This idea has already been debated and defeated by the Missouri legislature."
Kander is the first secretary of state in Missouri to formalize the elections complaint process and make his office’s findings available to Missourians. More information about the Elections Integrity Unit—including its reporting procedure and copies of its completed reviews—is available at www.sos.mo.gov/integrity on Kander’s website.
Carthage license office up for bid
(From the Missouri Office of Administration)
The Missouri Office of Administration is now accepting management contract bids for the Carthage License Office. Interested individuals and groups must submit their bids to operate the Carthage License Office by Feb. 21, 2014.
A copy of the Request for Proposal (RFP) bidders are required to use to develop their bids can be viewedhere. Prospective bidders may also tour the Carthage office from 6 to 7 p.m., Feb. 4 to gain perspective on how a license office is operated.
In fiscal year 2013, nearly 66,000 transactions were conducted at the Carthage office, generating approximately $219,000 in agent processing fees.
The Missouri Department of Revenue oversees 182 license offices which are each operated by independent agents. All of the license offices were put out for bid under the competitive procurement process in 2009. Contracts were awarded for one year with three one-year renewal options. The move toward a competitive procurement process of the license offices overhauled the way local motor vehicle and driver license offices are awarded and was one of the first actions of Gov. Jay Nixon's administration.
Bids will be evaluated on areas such as expertise of the personnel proposed, methods proposed for performing the services and whether the individual or entity is a not-for-profit, political subdivision, a Missouri Certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), a Women Business Enterprise (WBE) or a Missouri Service-Disabled Veteran Enterprise.
The Missouri Office of Administration is now accepting management contract bids for the Carthage License Office. Interested individuals and groups must submit their bids to operate the Carthage License Office by Feb. 21, 2014.
A copy of the Request for Proposal (RFP) bidders are required to use to develop their bids can be viewedhere. Prospective bidders may also tour the Carthage office from 6 to 7 p.m., Feb. 4 to gain perspective on how a license office is operated.
In fiscal year 2013, nearly 66,000 transactions were conducted at the Carthage office, generating approximately $219,000 in agent processing fees.
The Missouri Department of Revenue oversees 182 license offices which are each operated by independent agents. All of the license offices were put out for bid under the competitive procurement process in 2009. Contracts were awarded for one year with three one-year renewal options. The move toward a competitive procurement process of the license offices overhauled the way local motor vehicle and driver license offices are awarded and was one of the first actions of Gov. Jay Nixon's administration.
Bids will be evaluated on areas such as expertise of the personnel proposed, methods proposed for performing the services and whether the individual or entity is a not-for-profit, political subdivision, a Missouri Certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), a Women Business Enterprise (WBE) or a Missouri Service-Disabled Veteran Enterprise.
Wind chills 0 to minus 10 tonight for Joplin area
(From the National Weather Service)
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE MISSOURI
OZARKS AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS.
OZARKS AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS.
.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED...
LIMITED EXCESSIVE COLD RISK.
DISCUSSION...
WIND CHILL VALUES WILL RANGE FROM 0 TO MINUS 10 TONIGHT.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.
WIND CHILLS BELOW ZERO CAN BE EXPECTED AT TIMES TUESDAY AND
TUESDAY NIGHT.
TUESDAY NIGHT.
ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY.
New York teachers withdraw support of Common Core Standards
The momentum against Common Core Standards continues to grow with the New York City teachers' union withdrawing its earlier support:
The action is a blow to supporters of the Common Core, which was approved several years ago in 45 states and the District of Columbia but which has become increasingly controversial around the country, with a number of states pulling back from the initiative or changing the standards. Some states, such as Florida, are actually changing the name so as not to be seen as being identified with the Core.
The New York State United Teachers, which is part of the American Federation of Teachers, had given its support to the Core earlier. But AFT President Randi Weingarten, a longtime Core supporters, has called implementation of the Core “far worse” than that of the troubled HealthCare.gov Web site. She also supports the NYSUT resolution.
Coalition formed to protect against serial child sexual predators
(From Protect Missouri Children)
A bi-partisan coalition has formed Protect Missouri Children to support a proposed amendment to the Missouri Constitution. The amendment provides a powerful tool to aid in the prosecutions of serial child sexual predators. The proposed amendment overwhelmingly passed the Missouri General Assembly in May. It will now go to the voters for adoption in November.
“As a prosecutor, I see these horrific crimes committed against children nearly every single day,” Platte County Prosecutor and campaign Co-Chair Eric Zahnd said. “This common sense change will help ensure that Missouri’s children are protected and those who commit crimes against them can be successfully prosecuted.”
The change will allow relevant evidence of prior criminal acts to be admissible in the prosecution of crimes involving minors, which is the standard used by federal courts and other states. Missouri is more restrictive than any other state, barring prosecutors from telling jurors about prior criminal sex acts in nearly all cases against accused child predators.
“By allowing what is known as propensity evidence to be admissible in cases of sexual abuse, we can give prosecutors a powerful tool to put sex offenders behind bars,” said State Representative and Resolution sponsor John McCaherty, R-Jefferson County. “We want to change the standard in Missouri to mirror the standard used by the federal government and many other states to protect our children from these heinous crimes.”
“This constitutional amendment is extremely important in ensuring our kids are safe and these awful crimes are prosecuted,” St. Louis County Prosecutor and campaign Co-Chair Bob McCulloch said. “I look forward to working with child advocates, the law enforcement community, other prosecutors, and concerned citizens from across Missouri to make sure we pass this amendment to protect Missouri children.”
Joining Zahnd and McCulloch as the committee’s treasurer is Jasper County Prosecutor Dean Dankelson. “Passing this constitutional amendment is probably the most important thing we can do to protect Missouri children from the most dangerous child sex predators,” he said. “I’m proud to be a part of this effort to educate voters about the importance of passing this constitutional amendment.”
For more information, visit ProtectMissouriChildren.com, find Protect Missouri Children on Facebook, or follow @ProtectMOChild on Twitter.
A bi-partisan coalition has formed Protect Missouri Children to support a proposed amendment to the Missouri Constitution. The amendment provides a powerful tool to aid in the prosecutions of serial child sexual predators. The proposed amendment overwhelmingly passed the Missouri General Assembly in May. It will now go to the voters for adoption in November.
“As a prosecutor, I see these horrific crimes committed against children nearly every single day,” Platte County Prosecutor and campaign Co-Chair Eric Zahnd said. “This common sense change will help ensure that Missouri’s children are protected and those who commit crimes against them can be successfully prosecuted.”
The change will allow relevant evidence of prior criminal acts to be admissible in the prosecution of crimes involving minors, which is the standard used by federal courts and other states. Missouri is more restrictive than any other state, barring prosecutors from telling jurors about prior criminal sex acts in nearly all cases against accused child predators.
“By allowing what is known as propensity evidence to be admissible in cases of sexual abuse, we can give prosecutors a powerful tool to put sex offenders behind bars,” said State Representative and Resolution sponsor John McCaherty, R-Jefferson County. “We want to change the standard in Missouri to mirror the standard used by the federal government and many other states to protect our children from these heinous crimes.”
“This constitutional amendment is extremely important in ensuring our kids are safe and these awful crimes are prosecuted,” St. Louis County Prosecutor and campaign Co-Chair Bob McCulloch said. “I look forward to working with child advocates, the law enforcement community, other prosecutors, and concerned citizens from across Missouri to make sure we pass this amendment to protect Missouri children.”
Joining Zahnd and McCulloch as the committee’s treasurer is Jasper County Prosecutor Dean Dankelson. “Passing this constitutional amendment is probably the most important thing we can do to protect Missouri children from the most dangerous child sex predators,” he said. “I’m proud to be a part of this effort to educate voters about the importance of passing this constitutional amendment.”
For more information, visit ProtectMissouriChildren.com, find Protect Missouri Children on Facebook, or follow @ProtectMOChild on Twitter.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
The whistleblower letter I wrote three weeks before I was removed from the classroom
- On the day before spring break in March 2013, following months of being leaned on by R-8 Administration about the contents of the Turner Report and shortly after East Middle School Principal Bud Sexson had begun asking questions about my book Scars from the Tornado, Sexson came into my classroom and said HR (Tina Smith) wanted my computer. He gave me no reason. I not only gave him the computer, but about 10 minutes after that, I took him another computer that I had used for school work. I had nothing to hide.
- I had heard enough horror stories about the way the Joplin R-8 School District Administration to know that this was not going to turn out well for me.Since it made no sense to go to Sexson, Assistant Superintendent Angie Besendorfer or Superintendent C. J. Huff with the information I had, I decided, after careful deliberation to send the information I had to a member of the Joplin R-8 Board of Education.
- In this message, dated and sent March 16, 2013, a full 23 days before I was removed from the classroom and escorted out of the building in full view of my students and my fellow teachers. I told my story.
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