Graves: Teachers, parents, not Washington bureaucrats, should make education decisions

(From Sixth District Congressman Sam Graves)

A new school year is in full swing across the Midwest. I know it all too well, as my youngest daughter just started her freshman year at Mizzou. Her first day of kindergarten still doesn't seem that long ago.

As students and teachers return to the classroom this fall, the House and Senate will be working jointly to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Schools Act.

I have always believed that teachers and parents are better positioned to make decisions for their schools than bureaucrats in Washington.

Education should not be an issue that divides Republicans and Democrats - everyone wants our children to go to good schools, have success in the classroom, and lead productive lives. But the simple fact is that the Education Department, working from hundreds or thousands of miles away, just cannot know what is best for every community in America.

Thomas Jefferson once said "That government is best which governs the least.” There is nowhere his words ring truer than in our schools.

Joplin City Council votes 8-1 to hold hearing on Woolston ethics violations

The Joplin City Council voted 8-1 moments ago to hold an evidentiary hearing one week from today to address possible ethics violations by City Councilman Mike Woolston.

Woolston cast the only dissenting vote.

Councilman Ben Rosenberg made the motion for the hearing, quickly seconded by Bill Scearce. At the conclusion of a special meeting in which the city's tax levy hearing was held and a discussion was held with Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce President Rob O'Brian concerning the city's contract with the Chamber, Rosenberg read a lengthy list of charges against Woolston, accusing him of "tarnishing the reputation of this body," with his actions.

Rosenberg noted the allegations, included both in the state audit and in the Loraine Report, that Woolston had used insider knowledge he obtained as a member of the Citizens Advisory Recovery Team (CART) to benefit Joplin businessman Charlie Kuehn of Four State Homes. Though Woolston has claimed from the beginning that he only accepted one commission from the sale of property in the area of 20th and Connecticut, Rosenberg noted that he had benefited from becoming the exclusive real estate agent handling deals with Four State Homes, "a significant financial incentive."

Rosenberg also cited Woolston's involvement with the Hope Valley TIF, which he in voted in favor of without disclosing that he was a business partner of developer Kevin Steele, who was proposing the TIF. Woolston also voted for the TIF, instead of abstaining.

Woolston and Kuehn are also both involved in the South Main TIF, which was approved by the council during its August 17 meeting.

Rosenberg also cited another allegation that was made in the Loraine Report, not by Loraine, but by Woolston himself, when he conceded that he had appeared before Planning and Zoning, as a private citizen, not as mayor, to aid with Kuehn's projects.

Rosenberg also alleged that Woolston had violated the code of ethics in the City Charter when he shared confidential information about the development of the 20th and Connecticut area with Kuehn.

Woolston said, "I have done nothing wrong." He asked that the council reject the hearing so that the citizens of Joplin could "move past this."

He quickly pivoted from that thought, though, and after saying he wanted it all to be over with, armed with materials prepared by his lawyer, Woolston gave a lengthy timeline for how the process should be held, which would culminate in a hearing February 1, 2016 or more than five months from now.

With extra appeals, Woolston's plan would last through April 2016.

Councilman Ryan Stanley said he was not sure one week would be enough time for Woolston to prepare, but he did not like the idea of waiting until February 1.

Councilman Gary Shaw said he would vote for the August 31 hearing, because he wanted to hear facts and not "opinions" like those he says were included in the state audit report.

If the council finds that Woolston violated the ethics code, he could be automatically removed from office.

***
Want to find more about Councilman Mike Woolston's actions before next Monday's hearing. Woolston is prominently featured in my book, Silver Lining in a Funnel Cloud: Greed, Corruption, and the Joplin Tornado. A signing will be held this Saturday, August 29, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Always Buying Books in Joplin. The book is available locally at Always Buying Books, Changing Hands Book Shoppe, and The Book Guy in Joplin, Pat's Books in Carthage, and Cato's Connection in Lamar, as well as online in e-book and paperback formats at Amazon.com

It's time to remove Mike Woolston from the Joplin City Council

Now is not the time for Mike Woolston to leave the City Council.

The time that the Council should have parted ways with the tornado mayor was the day it received Osage Beach investigator Thomas Loraine's report, which clearly showed that Woolston was taking advantage of his position on the council to benefit himself and his friends.

The attack on Loraine's report began immediately and the same approach was taken that is being taken now with the state auditor's report.

They hammer it at small points to make it seem like the reports are contaminated.

Sadly, it is not the reports that are contaminated, but those who are willing to take an action to preserve their power, position, and prestige.

We have seen it with Woolston's response to the Loraine report and with the responses the past few days of those who were named in the state audit.

Thomas Loraine's mistake is that he did not include some of the materials from his interviews in his 30-page report. It is not Loraine's words that show that Woolston has not place on the City Council. Woolston was the one who made that abundantly clear. When Loraine suggested that the Council needed to do something about Woolston, his reasoning for the warning was probably found in the following section of his interview with the City Council member. It begins with Loraine and Woolston discussing Woolston's dealings with Charlie Kuehn of Four State Homes:

Loraine- Now Charlie has expressed some concern for you not making any money. What’s that all about?”

Woolston- He’s just a standup guy, I guess. He knows that nobody can survive without making an income. And I’m fortunate enough that I’ve had income from other real estate transactions and so although it’s difficult to give those up still I can survive and make a living based on my other properties and other transactions I’ve been involved in.

Loraine- What was it he was trying to do to help you make money?

Woolston- He’s not necessarily trying to help me make money, but we continue to work together on various projects. He has a number of investors with whom he works; several of them are building commercial buildings. We are working together to find tenants for those.

Another instance is the Salvation Army building. Once they’re ready to put their building out for bid, I’m trying to have a contact with them such that we would have an opportunity to take their request for bid, put a bid together, and submit it to them so he might get the construction work on the project. So we continue to work together because I think we have a mutual interest in rebuilding the city in a positive way and influencing what our city looks like going forward after the tornado.”

Loraine- Of course, Charlie also wants to make money.

Woolston- Sure.

Loraine- And I assume you do.

Woolston- Correct.

Loraine- So I mean the road you’re following in this regard is going to be lined with mine fields.

Woolston- Sure.

Loraine- And that’s something you’re willing to put up with and be an alderman?

Woolston- For now, yes.

Loraine- “How would the city identify projects that Charlie is thinking about that the city doesn’t know about yet, but you do?”

Woolston- The city to my knowledge wouldn’t have any way to identify something that he’s just thinking about.

Loraine- And working on.

Woolston- At some point through the permitting process he has to initiate some kind of action to get the City’s approval for building permits or zoning or alley vacations, or whatever the case, and the City would know at that point, in addition to my disclosing that I had some involvement with him on a particular project.

Loraine- And I assume that on those kinds of projects you’re going to be acutely aware that you need to abstain and not talk to zoning people.”

Woolston- Certainly.

Loraine- And of course, as I understand your city, if you as an alderman talk with somebody in the Zoning Department trying to favorably impress them to make a decision you could be impeached for that.

Woolston- I probably could. I talk with them frequently on Charlie’s projects and other projects. It’s never to lobby for what he’s doing. And frequently when I go down there, I’ll let them know that I’m there as a private member of the community as opposed to a council member requesting information.

Loraine- But it also identifies to those zoning people or those people in the City that this is a project that you might be involved with and maybe they’re going to treat it more gingerly.

Woolston- Obviously, they know that I’m a council member and I worry about on occasion because I’m sure that we as council members get treated a little differently than any other private citizen when we go in making essentially the same request.

Loraine- I’ll guarantee you do.

Woolston- Sure.

Loraine- I mean they work for you.

Woolston- Sure.

Loraine- So that could cause some degree or consternation on the part of an adverse decision by those City employees. Do you understand that?

Woolston- Yes.

Loraine- And you still choose to do that?

Woolston- Yes.

Loraine- You know, it’s a matter of you making money, I suppose.

Woolston- Sure.

Loraine- And not giving up political power in the city. Is that right?

Woolston- Right.

Shortly after Woolston made those statements, he ended the interview with Loraine with this comment:

The public needs to have confidence that there’s nothing underhanded going on at the Council level. If the public believes that the Council is doing something under the table or something that’s improper- that’s why I called for the investigation of Mr. Scearce and the FBI file because the public has those questions and until they get answers those questions are going to continue to be out there…If the public has questions about me and my involvement, I’ll be happy to visit with any of them and answer any questions because I’ve done nothing wrong.”

Loraine's interviews with members of the public made it clear that Woolston had used his position on the city council as he worked to convince property owners in the area of 20th and Connecticut to sell to Four State Homes, though he did not tell them for whom he was working. In at least one case, Woolston referred to people who did not want to sell their property as "stupid."

While Loraine did not have subpoena power, his assertions on what had happened to he parcels of property that were purchased by Four State Homes thanks to the intervention of Woolston proved to be on the money, literally and figuratively.

Woolston picked up the property for Charlie Kuehn and Four State Homes, then the Joplin Redevelopment Corporation bought them from Kuehn at heavily marked up prices. In one case, as the state audit showed, the price leaped from $35,000 to $162,000.

All the while, Woolston was pulling a Chinese wall operation, working for Kuehn, who was working with Wallace-Bajjali, but never working specifically with Wallace-Bajjali.

Woolston was convinced that this legal hairsplitting enabled him to continue this arrangement. He then protected himself by abstaining from council votes.

At some point though, Woolston, while trying to make sure that what he was doing was legal, began confusing legal with ethical. A councilman who uses his position to influence employees while claiming to be acting as an ordinary citizen has crossed an ethical line.

A councilman who uses knowledge he would not have about development of the tornado-stricken area of Joplin if he were not a city official to benefit a business colleague has crossed an ethical line.

A councilman who has knowledge that he is making deals on property that are going to be flipped and cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars has crossed an ethical line.

The City Council should have removed Mike Woolston when the Loraine Report was released, or at the least, censured him.

The proper move for the good of the City of Joplin would be for Woolston to resign. He is the one who has made it clear that he is being investigated by the FBI. From all appearances, the FBI has plenty to investigate.

Now that the state audit report has connected the dots, there is no reason for Woolston to remain on the City Council. If he does not resign, the council needs to take steps to remove him.

Bankruptcy court lawsuit: David Wallace made $1 million during 2014

Former Joplin master developer David Wallace never paid a cent to cheated BizRadio investors, left the City of Joplin high and dry and couldn't afford to pay alimony to his ex-wife.

In testimony given by Wallace himself during a May 5 meeting with creditors in his Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings, he admitted under oath that "during calendar year 2014 from salary, commissions, conversions of loans, and other forms of borrowing and/or compensation, Wallace had received approximately $1 million."

The revelation, as well as other accusations against Wallace is included in a lawsuit filed Friday in U. S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern Division of Texas by two creditors, Wayne M. English and James D. Colling.

The lawsuit asks the judge not to reward Wallace for debts incurred through "false pretenses, false representations or by means of actual fraud."

Among the items cited in the petition:

-Wallace's failure to repay the money owed to investors in the Biz-Radio scheme

-Wallace-Bajjali received a "six-figure payment" from the Amarillo project in 2012

-Wallace-Bajjali received $1.68 million from the City of Joplin

-In Wallace's statement of financial affairs filed in bankruptcy court, Wallace said he had received $566,403.59 in salary, bonuses, dividends, settlement funds, and deferred compensation.

The petition notes that Wallace failed to make even one payment to the investors, which brought a lawsuit from the court-appointed receiver for the BizRadio settlement.

Tax amnesty offered to Missourians through November 30

(From the Missouri Department of Revenue)

As authorized by House Bill 384, Missouri will offer a tax amnesty from Sept. 1, 2015 to Nov. 30, 2015. The tax amnesty provides individuals and businesses with a one-time opportunity to pay back taxes that were due prior to Dec. 31, 2014 without having to pay interest or penalties.

“Missouri Tax Amnesty provides taxpayers with a three-month window to pay their debt without having to pay the interest and penalties they would owe under normal circumstances,” said Revenue Department Director Nia Ray. “I encourage individuals and businesses that qualify for tax amnesty to take advantage of this opportunity.”

Tax types that are amnesty eligible include individual income tax, corporate income tax, corporate franchise tax, employer withholding tax, sales tax, consumer’s use tax, vendor’s use tax and fiduciary tax.

The program requires taxpayers to stay in compliance with all state tax laws for eight years after signing the agreement. Taxpayers who are the subject of any civil or criminal state tax-related investigations or litigation cannot participate in amnesty.

The Missouri Department of Revenue will mail tax amnesty notices to delinquent taxpayers and businesses in late-August. The mailings include information such as the amounts owed and the amount the taxpayer will save in interest and penalties. For more information about the tax amnesty and to obtain an application online, visit dor.mo.gov or call 573-751-7200. 

Globe continues to stack the deck against investigations of favored officials

Maybe no one writes letters to the editor any more.

After all, there are other places where the people of Joplin can make their feelings known. They can reply to Facebook posts on the KZRG, KOAM, KODE, KSN, and even the Joplin Globe website.

They can leave comments, anonymous or otherwise on the Turner Report.

But even with the incredible changes that have been brought about by the internet, it is almost impossible to believe that not one person wrote a letter to the editor of the Globe about the state audit.

The Sunday edition, a place in which the readers' opinions on all kinds of issues once thrived, did not feature a single lettet to the editor yesterday, about the audit or any other subject.

Apparently, the only person who cared enough to offer an opinion on the audit for the newspaper that reaches the most households of any of the Globe's editions was frequent guest columnist Anson Burlingame.

The Globe devoted 25 column inches on its opinion page to Burlingame's view that the state audit was a joke. Using the same approach that he has always used, Burlingame quickly let us know that business is far too complicated for any of us to understand. The only ones who understand business are David Wallace of Wallace-Bajjali Development Partners and, of course, Anson Burlingame.

Consider Burlingame's reasoning on other recent city issues.

The operation of city government was too complicated for anyone except Mark Rohr and Burlingame to understand. Far too complicated for a veteran attorney like Thomas Loraine, who had been an assistant U. S. attorney and was an expert on corruption in public office.

The budget of the Joplin R-8 School District was far too complex for anyone except C. J. Huff and Burlingame to comprehend. When a public meeting was held following the release of the state audit of the school district, Burlingame dominated the proceedings, insisting that he knew more about the topic than anyone else. Though he has never written anything about being an accountant, Burlingame insisted that an accountant who was questioning district spending at that meeting did not know what he was talking about.

At the audit presentation Tuesday night, it was Burlingame who made it clear to State Auditor Nicole Galloway that he knows far more about the proper way to conduct a city's business than Galloway's staff, most of whom have been conducting forensic audits for years.

In his Sunday column, Burlingame continued to defend the power elite that led us into these situations with both the city and the school district. Among his pronouncements:

Many of the implications in that superficial and narrowly targeted audit simply are not correct in terms of how the government can- and must- interact with contractors before an RFP is issued...

Wallace Bajjali failed because of continued interference from a confused and divided customer, as well as the lack of deep pockets of private money needed to fund any and all startup costs required.

Remember long ago the outrage over $800 toilet seats" in a federal procurement? Well, according to our state auditor, the problems is the "invoice for one pair of dress shoes.: Just how inane can criticism become I wonder?

I have a hard time imagining that I am the only person in the city of Joplin who did not think much of David Wallace trying to get the city to reimburse him for a $161 pair of dress shoes. Perhaps Burlingame does not think this is a big deal, but for those of us who pay for our own shoes and cannot afford to pay $161, it is irritating that Wallace wanted to pass that cost along to us.

Burlingame also appears to be trying to make it seem like that was the only inappropriate cost Wallace tried to make us pay. Burlingame neglected to mention the $769 in airline tickets and $222 in hotel bills, both coming from a time before the city had hired Wallace to be its master developer.

Or how about the $155 in alcoholic drinks for which Wallace asked for reimbursement, covering the costs of drinks for him, his partner Costa Bajjali, Councilman Mike Woolston, City Manager Mark Rohr, CART Chairman Jane Cage,and Chamber employee (and future Wallace-Bajjali employee) Gary Box.

And the idea that Wallace-Bajjali failed in Joplin because of interference is ludicrous. Why should David Wallace have been able to accomplish something in Joplin he was never able to do anywhere else?  His record is filled with one failure after another, with other people having to pick up the pieces when he has long since departed.

While not wanting to question Anson Burlingame's mental and emotional makeup, it appears that his slavish devotion to David Wallace, Mark Rohr, and C> J. Huff, among others, comes primarily because they were willing to listen to him and willing to share with him some of their ideas. 

The Joplin Globe, meanwhile, continues to aid and abet this slap in the face to serious opinion writers and columnists because Burlingame is serving as the attack dog to go after whoever is harming the people who are pulling the strings for Publisher Michael Beatty and Editor Carol Stark.

That list includes the five city council members who voted to fire Mark Rohr, the new board of education members who finally managed to rid the school district of C. J. Huff, and the professional investigators, both Thomas Loraine and the state auditing team who revealed that the elite, non-elected "community leaders" and the elected officials and hired administrators who are in league with them have feet of clay.

Who knows, maybe the Globe will run a letter to the editor that agrees with the findings of the city audit. Perhaps they can shovel it into one of their weekday editions when no one will see it.

***

A signing for my book Silver Lining in a Funnel Cloud: Greed, Corruption, and the Joplin Tornado will be held this Saturday, August 29, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Always Buying Books.

Copies of the book are available at Always Buying Books, Changing Hands Book Shoppe, and the Book Guy in Joplin, Pat's Books in Carthage, and Cato's Connection in Lamar.

The book is also available in e-book and paperback formats from Amazon.com.

Agenda posted for Tuesday Joplin R-8 Board meeting

The Joplin R-8 Board of Education will hold the annual tax rate hearing 7 p.m. Tuesday, followed by the regular board meeting. The agenda for the regular meeting is printed below:

A. Call to Order

1. Roll Call

B. Pledge of Allegiance

C. Approval of Agenda - Action

D. Reports

1. Board President's Report

a. South Main TIF

b. Board Committee Updates

1. Finance Committee - Jeff Koch, Debbie Fort and Ron Gatz

2. Policy Committee - Lynda Banwart and Jennifer Martucci

3. Facilities Committee - Sallie Beard and Gary Nodler

4. Communications Committee - Jeff Koch and Jennifer Martucci

2. Superintendent's Data Report

a. Summer School Report - Jennifer Doshier

b. Start of School Data 2015-16 - Jason Cravens

c. MAP Report - Sarah Stevens

E. Public Comments Regarding Agenda Items *

F. Consent Agenda - Action

1. Approve Minutes - Action

2. Personnel Recommendations - Action

3. Policy Update - Second Reading - Action

a. Policy KG - Community Use of District Facilities

4. Board Resolution to Adopt State Compliance Plan - Action

5. Out-of-State Overnight Field Trip - School Year 2015/16 - Action

6. Health and Dental Care Insurance Reports - Info.

7. Financial Statements - Info.

G. Regular Agenda

1. Renewal of Employee Health Plan Reinsurance - Action

2. Joplin Schools Employee Health and Dental Plan - Action

3. Funding Transfer Authority - Employee Health Plan - Action

4. Accounts Payable - Action

5. Set Tax Levy for the 2015-15 School Year - Action

6. 2014-15 Community Foundation of Southwest Missouri (CFSWMO) Project HOPE Grant - Release of Grant Funds - Action

7. Facilities Usage Fee Schedule - Action

8. Early Childhood Facility Location - Action

H. BOE Announcements

I. Closed Session RSMO.610.021(1) Legal actions (3) Hiring, firing, disciplining or promoting of particular employees.

J. Adjourn

Woolston, Seibert were aware of Wallace-Bajjali bankruptcies, lawsuits

In a Joplin Globe article designed to whitewash involvement by the Citizens Advisory Recovery Team from accusations that it steered the master developer position to Wallace-Bajjali, the Globe revealed for the first time that Mayor Michael Seibert and Councilman Mike Woolston had access to documents that revealed that David Wallace had a long history of bankruptcies and lawsuits.

The same documents also showed that Wallace had not revealed a great deal of his sordid history to another city that was considering using his company to head a large-scale development.

The revelation was buried deep in Sunday's page one article and comes in a comment from CART Chairwoman Jane Cage:

"There were positive and negative references on both (finalist)

candidates, and none of those were mentioned in the audit. During the course of reference checking, we were given an exhaustive background report on Wallace Bajjali prepared by the city of Amarillo in their developer search. The report took into consideration the SEC and bankruptcy question about Wallace Bajjali. After exploring the issues, they made the decision to choose Wallace Bajjali. City staff had that report and supplied it to the auditor as well. Our group of volunteers was given no instruction on record keeping or procedures from anyone in finance or purchasing. When I was asked for records — I gave the auditors everything that I could find (three years later) related to the process."

This is the first indication that any Joplin city officials had access to an extensive investigation conducted by lawyers working for the city of Amarillo. Seibert and Woolston both served on CART. Both have made statements indicating that they did background checks on Wallace-Bajjali, with Seibert acknowledging that in an interview last week on KZRG's Morning News Watch.

The Amarillo report gave the go-ahead for the city to work with Wallace-Bajjali, even though it expressed warnings throughout the document, including one that the city of Joplin would have been wise to follow:

There will be a need to engage in prudent contract drafting to minimize the risks inherent in public-private urban renewal projects.

The Joplin City Council entered into a contract with Wallace-Bajjali that called for the city to pay the company $5 million if the contract was canceled within the first year, $4 million during the second year and so on. The only city official who worked with Wallace-Bajjali on the contract was former City Manager Mark Rohr. Former City Attorney Brian Head was kept out of the loop.

Joplin City Manager: City working on addressing auditor's report

(City Manager Sam Anselm provided the following update to the Joplin City Council Friday.)

Good afternoon, everyone. Please see below for this week’s update.

Key Meetings

-Exclusive of the council meeting and the state auditor’s presentation earlier this week, on Tuesday I addressed the Kiwanis Club at Twin Hills, to provide attendees with an update on what’s been going on around the city lately, including construction projects, the CDBG-DR process, our Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) update, and the audit. (I would have had much more to talk about had the meeting been scheduled for the following week.)

-On Tuesday afternoon Director Haase, Director Allgood and I met with a representative from the General Employee Committee to discuss their request for an additional paid holiday. That item will be on your agenda for the Issues & Options portion of our budget work sessions next month.

-Finally on Tuesday, and prior to the audit presentation, I attended the open house at City Hall to gather input for the LRTP update. According to the consultant overseeing the update, survey responses have been higher than they anticipated. I cannot say how many were in attendance at the open house, however.

-Sandwiched between post-audit media interviews on Wednesday, the mayor and I met with Able Body Mfg. to discuss the road widening project in front of their location, and to get an update on their operations. On a positive note, they’re seeing some growth in the composite portion of their business and are discussing future plans, so the representative wanted to keep us in the loop.

-Yesterday, Mayor Seibert, Councilwoman Colbert-Kean, and I had a roundtable discussion with the chamber, the NLC, local business representatives, and staff from Senator Bond and Representative Long’s offices to discuss legislation supported by the NLC on the topic of e-commerce, internet taxes and their impacts on local businesses and cities.

-Finally, yesterday afternoon I attended the first hour of the Sales Tax Oversight Committee’s meeting, to provide the committee members with an update on projects that fall under our various sales taxes (Capital Improvements, Parks & Stormwater, Public Safety).

 Miscellaneous 

Some updates from PW. In addition, a full list of updates is attached to this week’s report:

-Last week we met with property owners for a very early discussion of the conceptual approach to the Jackson Street Bridge replacement. As a group we agreed to remove the old bridge and build a new bridge generally in the same location at the highest elevation that we could afford. The new bridge would handle two lanes of traffic as well as sidewalks and bike lanes on each side. If there is any money left over, they would like us to extend the sidewalks as far as we can to accommodate a large number of people who walk along the road to Shoal Creek. They really appreciated being in on the ground floor in helping develop the solution and the discussion helped us streamline the scope of the engineering contract.

-Staff has met with the Joplin Special Road District, Jasper County Commission representatives and Newton County Commission Representatives as part of our effort to bring all of these entities on board to the upcoming CIST projects.

-The 20th Street Grade separation project is moving forward – it appears they may be a couple of weeks behind schedule right now. New Hampshire is opened back up and work on the foundations for the support walls along 20th has begun.

-Main Street – we are not done with our surface treatment work – we pulled off to do work ahead of the overlay contractor on those streets that needed some subgrade work before they get overlaid. As soon as we get that completed we’ll move back to Main and finish our work.

-As for our approach to addressing the auditor’s findings and recommendations, last evening I sent the following message to department heads:

Good evening, everyone. Starting next week and for as long as it takes, we're going to forego our normal staff meeting format and focus on the audit report. (We'll still continue to go over agenda items the week before council meetings, and we'll take a break on September 1st to listen to the CPBB guys.) 

I've mentioned to several media outlets this week that it has been impossible to discuss the findings, our responses, and how to move forward with making changes without being able to involve the staff who will be most impacted by those changes. 

And looking back on things, immediately after the tornado I think our response was so successful because everyone was around the table discussing challenges and coming up with solutions together. Over time things started returning to normal, we began focusing on our own departments, and decisions started being made without input from everyone. So let's get back to doing what made us so successful in the beginning. 

If you haven't read the audit report yet, we'll start at the beginning, and we'll go through as much as we can in an hours' time, and break until the following week. If you have any relevant information that either the auditors didn't include in their findings, or wasn't included in our responses, we'll be including that on a webpage I’ve created to give the public continuous updates on our progress of implementing the changes. I'll also be including a summary of our conversations in my weekly report to council. I'm looking forward to next week's meeting, because it presents us with an opportunity take a close look at how we do things, and how we can do them better, to serve our community. Please come prepared, and don't forget to bring your wrenches, so we can start unkinking some pipes. (A subtle reference to the Extreme Government Makeover book that many of you should have; if you don't have it, let me know and I'll buy you a(nother) copy.) Thank you for your time.

-With respect to that webpage, it is a work in progress, but it is “live” on our website and can be found at http://www.joplinmo.org/stateaudit.

-In staffing news, the assistant parks director position has been filled by promotion Paul Bloomberg to that position, and Jessica Johnson has been promoted from recreation leader to recreation coordinator. Please join me in congratulating them. As indicated in a previous report, next week I will be meeting with staff from parks and HR to discuss other position reclassifications that will result in a more streamlined structure within the parks department that will place a greater emphasis on the “R” side of Parks & Rec.

In the Pipeline

-The agenda for Monday night’s special meeting has been posted. We will have the public hearing for the property tax rate as well as the ordinance for your approval, and we will also be discussing the draft contract with the Chamber of Commerce.

-On September 1st, department heads will be hearing a presentation from Jon Johnson and Chris Fabian with the Center for Priority-Based Budgeting, to learn more about the PBB process and give staff an opportunity to ask questions. (The agreement with the CPBB will be presented to you on September 21st after a presentation from Jon and Chris.)

-Budget work sessions will take place September 14th and 15th , and on the 16th , if necessary. At the mayor’s request, I have asked our public information officer, Lynn Onstot, to contact MSSU to see if they can either broadcast or record those meetings in the council chambers to allow the public an opportunity to view those meetings if they cannot attend in person.

Reiboldt: Distracted driving is dangerous driving

(From Rep. Bill Reiboldt, R-Neosho)

According to the National Safety Council, the United States is on track to have one of its worst traffic fatality years since 2007. The Missouri Highway Patrol has reported that from January 1 to August 17, there were 519 liveslost in traffic crashes in our state. Traditionally, August seems to be the deadliest month on our state’s roads, and primarily there are four major reasons for traffic fatalities: driver inattention, speeding, impaired driving, and not wearing a seat belt. So far, there is a 13% increase in fatalities over the same time period from last year. Weekends seem to be the time when more accidents occur. Sadly, weekend before last sixteen people lost their lives on Missouri roadways.

Research shows that fatalities can be prevented if the ones behind the wheel take proper measures. When operating a vehicle, those driving must take personal responsibility for their own safety and for the safety of others in their vehicle by always requiring seat belts to be on while driving or riding. Sixty-one percent of those killed in our state this year were not wearing their seat belt. The national average for seat belt usage is 87%; however, in Missouri, only 79% are obeying the law by buckling up. Six out of ten occupants of vehicles killed in 2014 traffic crashes were not wearing their seat belt, and since the first of 2015, it is estimated that 61% of all Missouri fatality victims were unbuckled. Seat belts clearly do save lives, and if you are not wearing yours, you are gambling with your life each time you fail to put it on when driving or riding in a moving vehicle.

Another of the “big four” in causes of traffic fatalities involves impaired driving, meaning the drivers were under the influence of alcohol or drugs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nationwide, approximately every 51 minutes an alcohol-impaired driver is responsible for another death, either his or her own or some other person’s. Statistics show that in 2013, over ten thousand people lost their lives because of alcohol-impaired drivers. Of that number, 200 were children ages 14 or younger, one-half of whom were riding in a car being driven by an alcohol-impaired driver. Missouri has a zero-tolerance law, meaning that if a driver under twenty-one years old has even a trace of alcohol in his or her blood, their driver’s license will be suspended. Thirty percent of all traffic fatalities in our state are alcohol-related.

Speeding is driving too fast for road conditions, racing or exceeding the posted speed limits and frequently results is accidents with loss of life. Drivers are urged to slow down and follow posted speed limits, and all motorists are also reminded to slow down and pay close attention while driving thru work areas. In 2014, seven people lost their lives in work zone crashes on our state roads and two died on local county roads. Besides slowing down for work zones, motorists are urged to pay attention to the presence of emergency vehicles and give them room.

Missouri has a “Slow Down and Move Over” law that requires drivers to do just that—slow down or move over when flashing lights are present, even when the lights are on the shoulders of roads.

Distracted driving is also a dangerous activity and involves texting, using a cell phone, eating, or not paying attention while driving. According to the Department of Transportation’s figures for 2014, 1.6 million traffic accidents nationwide involved cell phone use. In the recent past, Missouri made it illegal for drivers under twenty-one years of age to text while driving, though the idea makes sense for all drivers, regardless of age. According to a recent survey of adult drivers, almost fifty percent said they text while driving—certainly not a safe practice for them or anyone else in their vicinity.

Driving is serious business and anything that takes a driver’s attention away from the road is unsafe and a cause for concern. If anyone questions the true severity of the problem, have him or her talk with the survivors and families of the crashes that took 759 of our Missourian’s lives last year or those left behind from the 519 Missourians killed on state roads, so far, this year. Drive safe. Be safe.