Sinquefield pours $2.5 million into battle to renew earnings tax for Kansas City, St. Louis

If anyone doubted how serious retired billionaire Rex Sinquefield is about having earnings taxes in St. Louis and Kansas City repealed, it is safe to say that doubt has been erased.


Missouri Ethics Commission records show Sinquefield contributed $2,534,000 Thursday to Let Voters Decide, the front group he created to push the repeal of the earnings taxes. With that contribution, Sinquefield has now spent $4,284,000 on the issue.


The background for the initiative was provided in the Feb. 10 Turner Report, which noted that the group is fronted by the people who have been doing Sinquefield's business with the state legislature for the past few years:

Missouri Ethics Commission documents show Let Voters Decide lists Stephanie Bell as treasurer. Ms. Bell is a lawyer with the firm of Blitz, Bardgett, and John Deustch. At one time, she was an assistant to former Senate President Pro Tem Michael Gibbons, now a lobbyist.

The deputy treasurer for Let Voters Decide is Mandy Studer, grass roots director for Americans for Prosperity and chief of staff at Pelopidas, the organization formed by Sinquefield lobbyist Travis Brown.

On the incorporation documents filed Jan. 13 with the Missouri secretary of state's office Jan. 13, Brown is listed as an incorporator.

The registered agent for Let Voters Decide is Marc H Ellinger, Cole County presiding commissioner and a partner with Blitz, Bardgett an Deutsch.

Joplin Independent provides in-depth analysis of Seventh District candidate forum

For in-depth analysis of Tuesday night's campaign forum for Seventh District Congressional candidates, check out the Joplin Independent .

KODE anchor speaks at East Middle School

I am about a month behind with this one, but as usual, the last few weeks of school are always the busiest. In the accompanying video KODE anchor Brian Dorman speaks to eighth graders during a job fair May 5 at East Middle School in Joplin.

Nodler: Consequences of federal health care program already being felt

In his latest report, Sen. Gary Nodler, R-Joplin, a candidate for Seventh District Congress, rips into the federal health care program for the umpteenth time:

One of the first programs approved in the federal healthcare bill will begin July 1, but many of the Missourians that could have benefited from the program will be left paying higher premiums because of the way the law is written.  The program is a federally run high-risk insurance pool that would allow patients with pre-existing medical conditions to qualify for affordable insurance.  However, since Missouri already has a similar program, some in the state are being blocked from accessing the federal version of the program.

The Missouri Health Insurance Pool (MHIP) was established in 1991.  The program offers individual health coverage to those high-risk individuals who cannot otherwise get health insurance.  The pool is managed by the Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions, and Professional Registration and receives some federal and state funding.  Individuals pay premiums to cover the remaining costs of the pool, which amount to about 150 percent of the state average premium.  For example, a 44-year-old man with a $500 deductable pays a rate of $683.  Our state’s insurance pool covers about 3,000 Missourians who would not otherwise be able to qualify for health insurance.

A new lower-cost federal program will begin on July 1.  This program, using $5 billion in taxpayer dollars, offers premiums at a standard rate in an effort to offer affordable insurance to more Americans that are otherwise unable to become insured.  Missouri is set to receive $81 million in federal funds to implement the program.  However, since the law specifies that eligible patients have to have been uninsured for the previous six months before applying for coverage, Missourians currently covered by MHIP are excluded.  This effectively penalizes these individuals who have been paying to maintain their coverage.  There are 35 states facing similar problems because of their own state high-risk pool programs.        

When looking at the federal healthcare bill, there is no lack of concern for the future.  The escalating costs of mandated healthcare, the cost of Medicaid expansion on the states, and the concerns of many Americans that do not want to see their healthcare freedom infringed upon have come to light since Congress began discussing the bill.  However, this issue will affect thousands of Missourians within a month.  The consequences of the federal healthcare bill are already clear for these citizens, and I fear we will continue to see the negative effects of this legislation as time goes on.  

One of last connections to old Liberty Group Publishing out at Gatehouse

Scott Champion, one of the last of the executives who formed the leadership team when Liberty Group Publishing is out at Liberty's successor, GateHouse Media, though his departure has been in the works for months.

An article in today's Peoria Journal-Star indicated Champion has "stepped down" as regional vice president. The article features no quotes from Champion, relying only on a statement from Gatehouse President and Chief Operating Officer Kirk Davis:

In the entrepreneurial spirit that has characterized Scott’s career, he will be focusing on other creative endeavors,” Davis said. “He is a very passionate newspaperman and we wish him much success.”

Davis was the man who took over Champion's position after Champion was given the heave ho from his position in GateHouse's executive leadership team as noted in the Jan. 13, 2009, Turner Report:

CEO Michael Reed has pushed aside one of the last connections to the old Liberty Group Publishing, president and chief operating officer Scott Champion and replaced him with a man who will earn more than twice the base salary Champion made in 2007.

Filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission indicate that at a time when many GateHouse employees are wondering if they will have jobs a few months down the line, new President and COO Kirk A. Davis (pictured) will receive a base salary of $461,260.80. Champion's base salary for 2007, according to a proxy statement filed with the SEC was $200,000. Even with $173,000 in bonus and benefits Champion made nearly $90,000 less than Davis' base salary.

The SEC filing indicates Davis will normally receive four week paid vacation...except in 2009 when he will receive five weeks because he is carrying one over from 2008. Other benefits Davis will receive include vacation, sick leave, and participation in company medical and dental insurance programs. He will also be reimbursed for travel, meals, and accommodations, the proxy said.

If Davis is fired for cause he gets nothing other than the salary and vacation to which he is entitled, but if he leaves the company for any other reason, he will be sitting pretty, according to the SEC filing.

If GateHouse determines Davis no longer fits in with the company he will receive a year's salary, any unpaid bonus and continuation of his insurance coverage.

As good as Davis' deal is...and believe me, it is good...it pales in comparison to the benefits and salary received by the man who hired him, GateHouse Media CEO Michael Reed, the former CEO of Joplin Globe parent company Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.

Reed received $925,000 in total compensation in 2007, including a half million in base salary. His compensation in 2006 was valued at more than $6.4 million, including $4.299.000 worth of stock (which was a much better deal at the time than it would be now).

The winding down of Champion's GateHouse career was not without financial benefits, as noted in earlier Turner Report posts. During 2009, Champion received two bonuses, totaling $185,000.

Nexstar Broadcasting stock drops nearly 15 percent

Nexstar Broadcasting stock dropped 14.93 percent Tuesday, falling from $6.90 to $5.87 a share.

Nexstar Broadcasting owns and/or operates KODE and KSNF in the Joplin market and KOLR and KSFX in the Springfield market.

Hour-long news starts tonight on Fox 14

Fox 14 begins its one hour news program at 9 p.m. tonight.

It should be interesting to see how this experiment works out and what the extra time will be used for. It would be nice to see some longer reports, maybe even some investigative work, as well as more time for local sports, which have been given short shrift on local stations across the country in recent years.

Hopefully, we will not see a bunch of the food and fluff materials that we often see on local stations' 5 p.m. news reports.

I will have more on this later.

Book signing set for Saturday, June 26, at Hastings; Newspaper Days available at Books N Java in Neosho

Copies of my books, including the latest, Newspaper Days, will be available at a signing 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 26, at Hastings in Joplin.

As of this morning, Newspaper Days, is available at Books N Java in Neosho as are copies of Small Town News, Devil's Messenger, and The Turner Report.

The books are also available at the Lamar Democrat office, Pat's Books in Carthage, and Always Buying Books and Changing Hands Books Shop in Joplin, as well as from various internet outlets, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million.

Seventh District candidates offer methods to balance the budget

The Seventh District Congressional candidates just offered their suggestions on balancing the federal budget:

Billy Long- "Go back to what Mel Hancock told us. We have taxed ourselves into oblivion. We need to reduce taxes and do away with the capital gains tax, or at least suspend it." There is no program that couldn't be reduced, Long said. "Do away with TARP and cancel the stimulus."

Steve Hunter- Eliminate corporate taxes. Cut them to zero. Cut individual taxes, especially income tax. Put more money into circulation. Cut regulation on small business. Corporations take care of themselves, but small business don't."

Jack Goodman- Goodman said he would propose a bill for an earmark moratorium until a more transparent system can be put into place.

Jeff Wisdom- Wisdom referred to Social Security as a welfare program and said something has to be done to reform the system. He said that the U. S.  should cut the  Department of Education, EPA and  Department of Agriculture and shift responsibilities to the state. He also said the health care bill and stimulus should be repealed.

Darrell Moore- Move to a flat tax and simplify deductions., Moore said. "Get rid of the corporate income tax."

Gary Nodler- Nodler suggested the government go to zero-based budgeting and prohibit no-bid contracts.

Mike Wardell- Wardell said he would go along with what everyone else said.

Nodler: Teaching to the test has made life more difficult for teachers

Teaching to the test has made life more difficult for teachers, Sen. Gary Nodler just told the audience at the candidate forum at Missouri Southern State University.

Because of that culture, Nodler said, teachers have less time to actually educate children.

Greene County Prosecuting Attorney Darrell  Moore said the federal mandates have made it far more difficult for southwest Missouri teachers to do their jobs.

All candidates agreed that the federal Department of Education and the No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top programs have been nightmares.

Springfield auctioneer Billy Long said, "It's time to dismantle the Department of Education".