Christmas Spirit Alive in Shanghai

While the temperature here in Shanghai would remind you of
the holiday season, I was surprised to see the Christmas
decorations in some local shops. Attached is a photo showing
a holiday message along Nanjing Road. There was even a
Christmas tree in the lobby of the Radisson hotel. It was a
welcomed reminder of home.

Globe Comments were Irresponsible

I take issue with today's Globe editorial related to the closed session meeting held by the Neosho City Council last week.

We would also caution the City Council not to use closed door sessions under the exemption of “personnel” if it intends to talk about the city’s financial woes. That’s illegal. The council met behind closed on Nov. 21 and emerged with the decision to investigate whether the council has been fully informed of the city’s financial condition in recent months. That does not sound a discussion exempted under the law.

I take very seriously my role and duty as a council member.  Having some editor in a corner office allege illegal conduct without knowing what was said or discussed is irresponsible and sure not journalism.  I can tell you without a doubt that we didn't discuss any specifics on finances or the current financial situation of the city.

Neither Mr. Blase or Mr. Blackwood was in the meeting and we had no documents prepared for us to review.  We discussed personnel issues and the events surrounding those personnel issues...PERIOD. 

So before you go throwing unsupported allegations or hint at illegalities, do a little work yourself.  I'd start by reminding yourselves of your duties and obligations as journalists.  I've very clear on my duties and obligations as a councilman.

Seals Face Assault Charges

There aren't many times a year that a news article get's me fired up, but today is one if them.  I've been following a story about three navy seals who are facing court-martial for an alleged assault on a terror suspect...the same suspect who was the mastermind of the capture, torture, burning, murder, and public display of four US security guards.  Their bodies were burned and hung from a bridge for public display in Fallujah in 2004

So after five years of alluding capture, our military finally caught him in Sept of this year.  But now, those same seals, who should be applauded and congratulated for their work, may go to prison.  Why?  Because the terrorist they captured accused the seals of  punching him and giving him a bloody lip.  (Honestly, I think he's pretty lucky.  My preference would have been a public burning and hanging.)

So I guess the message to our enemies is this - shoot us, kills us, murder us, whatever, but if you get even a scratch during your capture, raise your hand, allege abuse, and we'll make sure we punish those responsible to the fullest extent of the law.

No Thanksgiving Turkey for Me

There are a number of things different in Chinse culture vs. American culture.  That's no surprise.  But I never dreamed that finding turkey in China for a Thanksgiving meal would be next to impossible.  After eating frog, squid, eel, goose liver, and a few things that I don't know what they were, how can they not have turkey? 

Come to find out, most Chinese don't like turkey.  What they don't like specifically gets lost in translation, but suffice it to say...'I ain't gettin' no turkey on Thanksgiving.' 

Carthage Considering Temporary Elimination of Parking Tickets Downtown

The Carthage city council is considering a temporary suspension of a city ordinance related to fines for exceeding the 2 hr parking limits around the city's downtown area.  The consideration comes from a recommendation made by the city's public safety committee.

The fine for exceeding the 2 hr limit is currently set a $1.  Proponents of the suspension cite the costs to enforce the ordinance vs. the benefits received.  Carthage had also considered raising the fine to $15, but that was rejected by council earlier this year.

An more detailed summary by the Joplin Globe can be found here.

Fairview MO Mayor Stays On...For Now

The Fairview city council has delayed plans to hold a closed session meeting to discuss the status of their mayor, Sid Oliver.  Oliver was arrested early Thurday and charged with two felony counts of theft.  He is out on a $50,000 cash bond.  He is accused of charging the city for over $19,000 worth of services over the past two years.  As an elected official, state law outlines and limits the amount of business he can do with the city.

The city council will wait until their regularly scheduled meeting on December 14th to consider any actions against the mayor.

Fairview had a reported population in 2000 of 395 according to the US Census Bureau.

Neosho Will Emerge Better and Stronger

Events of the last few days have put the City of Neosho in the limelight once again.  This time, it's due to questions surrounding the MoDOT Star loan received by the city in early 2008.  That loan was obtained to finance construction of T-hangars at the Neosho airport.

You can read the details online or in print and judge for yourself if you agree or disagree with the concerns.  But regardless of how you feel and what comes out of the investigation, Neosho will be better for it.  This event has reinforced the need for better communication and information sharing between the council, city management, and the public.  I look forward to getting thru this, getting past this, and moving on with efforts to focus on making things better for ALL of Neosho.

Carthage Chamber Searching for New Leader

The Carthage chamber of commerce has started looking to replace it's president.  This comes after a surprise resignation announcment from current president John Bode.  Bode has run the Carthage chamber for three years.  He will stay on until a replacement can be found.  Bode cited personal reasons for the resignation.

Newcomer Considers Run at Joplin Council Seat

Erik Wright, a Joplin resident and MSSU graduate, has picked up a nominating petition for the Joplin City Council.  He makes the fourth person (and first non-incumbent) to be actively considering one of 5 open council seats in Joplin. 

According to an interview with the Joplin Globe, "(Wright) is interested in working on two specific projects if he were elected: redevelopment, and increased access to the Sunshine Lamp Trolley."

Three incumbents — Gary Shaw, Michael Seibert and Mike Woolston — have picked up nominating petitions.

As earlier commented on this blog, inclumbents Gary Shaw, Michael Seibert and Mike Woolston have already picked up their petitions and intend to run again.  Phil Stinnett and Jim West, the two remaining incumbents, has not year announced their intentions.

2 Year Community Colleges Join State Tuition Freeze Plan

As a follow up to my post earlier this week, Gov. Nixon's office announced on Friday that 2-year community colleges will be included in a tuition freeze program, similar to the one announced on Tuesday for 4-year institutions.  This freeze guarantees 4-year (and now 2-year) public univerties and coumminity colleges in Missouri will see no more than a 5.2% funding cut for next year.  That guarantee applies if they, in turn, agree to freeze tuition costs for students.

Both agreements are still subject to approval by the state legislature.

The Joplin Globe article is here.

Sr. Citizen Banquet is a Huge Success

The Neosho R-5 School district held their annual Sr. Citizen banquet today at the Neosho Middle School. This year's turnout was outstanding and guests were treated to a Thanksgiving-flavored meal of turkey and the 'fixins'. Many local businesses contributed goods for the raffle.  Various other businesses also had employees onhand to help serve water, coffee, and tea.

Little President Humor - It's always good to laugh

Here's a video I thought you might enjoy.  Regardless of who you supported (Obama, Bush, neither or both), political satire can make you laugh.



Obama's Home Teleprompter Malfunctions During Family Dinner

MSSU Boys Basketball Has Season Opener Tomorrow

MSSU Lion's Basketball starts another exciting season tomorrow on the road at the PSU Classic in Pittsburg, KS.  The Lions tip off at 5pm against Missouri S&T.  Coach Robert Corn, an MSSU grad himself, is in his 21st season as head coach with 16 post season tournament berths and two trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament.

MSSU will have its home opener on Nov. 24th against Central Bible.

You can find the entire season's schedule here.  GO LIONS!

Neosho Daily Comments on Illegal Dumping at Allen Bridge

Below is today's NDN editorial opinion on the recently discovered illegal dumping at the Allen Bridge park.  I have to agree - it is ridiculous.  I'm seeing this kind of activity more and more as I drive around our beautiful city and county.  I hope the culprits are found and prosecuted to the fullest limits of the law. 

As responsible people, most of us don’t litter. We don’t dump trash in public parks or fishing areas, much less think of dumping our construction waste there.

But there are some unscrupulous people out there who apparently don’t think anything of dumping not one, but maybe as many as four loads of roofing materials at the Allen Bridge public access. The area is used primarily for fishing and other water-related recreation.

Last week, it was discovered someone dumped a load of roofing material at Allen Bridge. Other loads followed a few days afterward.

The Missouri Department of Conservation controls the area, and is responsible for cleaning up the mess. Someone else’s mess.

Tax dollars which could be used in more productive ways are being spent on investigating the issue. Additionally, the DOC will have to rent a large trash container for the cleanup and use a bucket loader. They will then have to pay landfill tipping fees or haul the waste to a recycler. And after the cleanup, there will likely be nails left behind, which is a bad situation as the area is a public fishing access. People park in the area where the debris now is to fish in the creek.

All this because someone didn’t want to pay a tipping fee or take the material to be recycled. It’s a shame.

And it is a shame that this isn’t an isolated incident. According to Terry Cook, a resource technician for the department of conservation, other acts have occurred in public areas. Over at the nearby Lime Kiln public access, someone set a pile of kindling on fire, as well as destroyed an adopt-a-highway sign and scrawled graffiti on a picnic table. And in Tipton Ford, someone destroyed barricades the department had installed.

One might say “Big deal. What do I care about what condition public fishing accesses are in? I don’t fish.” But everyone pays taxes and that money should be used for improving programs, not fixing senseless acts of vandalism and thoughtless acts of littering.

Fairview Mayor Charged with Two Felonies

Fairview mayor Sidney Oliver has been arrested and charged with two felony counts of theft.  Last week, the Newton county sheriff's office was notified about possible miscount of the mayor related to business dealings with the city as well as possible intimidation of employees.

My prior comments on these allegations can be found here.

A complete article from today's Neosho Daily News can be found here.

TIF District Back in Court

Today's Springfield Business Journal reports that the legality of the TIF established in Lake of the Ozarks is in dispute.  The TIF was created as part of a new development being built by John Q. Hammons.  In dispute is the blight designation required by state law to qualify for a TIF development. 

Originally scheduled to open in 2010, the planned development is currently delayed due to the ongoing court challenge.

The article can be found here.

Jasper County Officially Says No to Increases

Today's Joplin Globe is reporting that Richard Webster, Jasper County auditor, has made it official today by telling members of the county commission that the 2010 budget will include no funding to boost the wages of county workers.  There also was no allocation for salary hikes for workers in the current year’s budget.

Webster was quoted earlier this month saying “I don’t see how there can be any increases, in any shape or form, next year,”

This supports comments made earlier by Webster and mentioned on this blog.

The full Globe article can be found here.

Neosho R-5 Sets Election Filing Dates

During last night's school board meeting, the Neosho R-5 school district set filing dates for the 2010 school board election.  The filing dates will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 15, 2009, through Jan. 19, 2010.

Filing may be done between the hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday at the Neosho R-5 Central Office, 115 E. Hickory St., Neosho. If these times are not possible, persons may contact the Superintendent of Schools for special arrangements, However, no one will be able to file before 8 a.m. Dec. 15, 2009, or after 5 p.m. Jan. 19, 2010.

If a candidate decides to file for office between the dates of Dec. 21 to Jan. 1 (Christmas break), arrangements can be made through the Neosho R-5 Central Office.

Qualifications to run for a school board position are:
 

• Must be a resident taxpayer of the Neosho R-5 School District.
• Must be a citizen of the United States.
• Must be 24 years of age.
• Must reside in the State of Missouri for one year preceding the election.
•  If elected to the Board, must complete 16 hours of Board Member training, which is approved by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education within the first year of appointment.

Board members Chris Parks and Bruce Mahr are both serving 3 year terms that will expire in April, 2010.

Unlike city council elections, the R-5 position does not require a set number of signatures from voters to qualify as a candidate.  Candidates are handled on a first-come, first-served basis at the central office and appear on the ballot in the order in which their paperwork is processed.

State Universities Agree to Tuition Freeze

Gov. Nixon has announced an agreement in principle that will freeze current tuition rates at Missouri's 4-year public universities.  In return, Nixon pledges to support funding for the universities at 95% of the current fiscal year's levels.  The agreement will still require approval of the Missouri General Assembly and the school's governing boards.

The full article is here.

State Unemployement Continues to Trend Downward

Below is the article from today's Springfield Business Journal related to the latest Missouri Job numbers.  The signs are encouraging, but inline with opinions that the full recovery is still many months ahead.

Missouri's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for October fell, even as the nationwide rate rose during the month, according to the latest jobs data from then state's Department of Economic Development.

According to the October state jobs report, Missouri's unemployment rate dropped by two-tenths of a point to 9.3 percent in October on a seasonally adjusted basis, compared to an uptick of four-tenths of a point to 10.2 percent nationwide.

When jobs data is not seasonally adjusted, Missouri posts an October unemployment rate of 8.9 percent, compared to 9.5 nationally. October marks the eighth consecutive month that Missouri's unemployment rate has been lower than the national rate, according to a DED news release.

DED data shows that total nonfarm payroll employment increased by approximately 4,000 jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis in October to more than $2.7 million. Job gains were concentrated in durable goods manufacturing, which rose by 2,200 with small gains in multiple industries and in private education and health services, which rose by 2,700.

Professional business services also showed an increase of 1,000, though the gains were partly offset by declines in other industries, such as trade, transportation and utilities, which posted a collective drop of 2,800, half of which were in retail trade. Government jobs also declined, by 1,300, mostly at the local level.

How Much is Not Enough

As part of the Neosho city council meeting tonight, the council will review Sunshine requests from councilwoman Heather Bowers to decide if the requests should be provided to her at no cost.  Missouri statues governing Sunshine law requests allows municipalities to charge (within statutory limits) for the costs associated with research and copying.  The council has had discussions on information access in the past.  That discussion included having the city clerk bring before the council requests by any council member who is asking for certain information at no charge. 

At the center of the discussion will be how much FREE information an elected official should be allowed to have, specifically if that information is not related to current business before the council.  I've said before that having an informed council is good and that, when in doubt, why not allow the information to be provided.  But there are limits.  Both the Attorney General's office and the MML recognize that the act of being elected to a city council does not, by itself, give council members unfettered and free access to all historical documents of the city.  They recommend that document requests not related to current city business be handled like any other request from any member of the public.

Personally, I'm not interested in documents dating back 5, 10 or 20 years.  I can't change anything about what happened then.  While I may not have agreed with every decision the council has made historically, I also wasn't close enough to it to know all of the facts that led to the decision.

I am confident that I can affect change and provide council oversight of issues currently before the council.  That is where my focus is today.  My view...let the past rest and focus on today.  If the issues were there in the past, they will be here now as well.  Let's find them, let's fix them, and let's move forward together and all work to make tomorrow better.

Palin to Visit Springfield for Book Signing

Former Alaska Governor and VP Candidate Sarah Palin will be in Springfield on December 2nd to sign copies of her new book "Going Rogue".  The signing will be a Borders Bookstore at 3300 S. Glenstone Ave. in Springfield at 10am.  Gov. Palin's schedule shows 2 hours of signings are planned.

She will also be speaking at College of the Ozarks later that day.

Back to Square one in Southern VP Search

After having all but one of the finalists for MSSU's VP search drop out of the running, Dr. Speck has declared the search 'failed', according to the Joplin Globe.  Dr. Peter Johnstone withdrew his name sometime in the last few days.  Brian Chapman, a biology professor and former academic affairs vice president at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, had withdrawn from the race last week.  


According the the Joplin Globe, the remaining finalist for the job, Charles Cullum, a professor of English and former associate provost and dean of graduate students at Kutztown (Pa.) University, said he would not reapply if the university mounted a new search. 

Southern's search for a new VP is a result of the abrupt resignation of Jack Oakes this past summer.  Mr. Oakes, a former faculty member, resigned after only three weeks on the job siting conflicts in management style with Dr. Speck, MSSU's president.


The full Joplin Globe article can be found here.

Joplin Council votes down trail design at McClelland Park

The Joplin city council last night voted 7-1 NOT to build walking trails at McClelland park - at least for now.  The project, which was the subject of a public hearing  last night, had drawn mixed reviews from those close to the project.  Most council members voiced their support for trails, but just not this particular design.

The parks advisory board had recommended the trails be built to add to McClelland Park's attraction.  Currently, the park is mainly used by disc golf playes who play the 27-hole course located there.

Representatives from various groups who use Joplin's parks for fitness and exercise were on hand.  They also had mixed comments.  Some liked the plan to adding more trails, some felt the design was wrong and needed to be changed.


Regardless of who felt what, the council ask staff to go back to the drawing board and come up with some new ideas.  


The full Joplin Globe article can be found here.

Joplin Sees Worst Building Year in a Decade

It should come as no surprise that new construction is down significantly during the current economic recession.  Joplin's numbers only confirm that things are not good for construction.  According to the Joplin Globe, Joplin reported its worst year for construction in at least a decade. The permits indicate that the value of new business and new home construction was down by half, compared with the previous year.

The Globe's article comments on current projects underway in the city:

Construction has been sluggish in Joplin since the recession began, with few seven-figure projects filed by the private sector, but October included three permits valued at more than $1 million. One of those was at Joplin Regional Airport for a new electrical vault building for lighting controls for the airfield, as well as signage and striping. The largest was $5.1 million for work on the Gryphon Building at 1027 S. Main St. It was filed by Neal Group Construction.

Despite the numbers, some contractors remain optimistic.  September saw an uptick in new home construction.

For people in the need for construction, it remains a buyer's market.  Local cities (and ultimately the taxpayers) have benefited from the construction slowdown as builders are being very aggressive on bids to try to capture what little work is out there.

Manufacturing Inventories Fall in September

The US Census Bureau is reporting this morning that manufacturing and trade inventories dropped in September 0.4% from August and 0.3% from September, 2008.  Sales and shipments fell 0.3% from August and 0.6% from September 2008.  The inventory to sales ratio was 1.32, event with September 2008.  This ratio means it would take 1.32 months for factories to exhaust stockpiles.

The rate of inventory accumulation plays a key role in determining the current pace of economic growth and often provides useful clues about the future pace of growth as well. For example, if inventories are accumulating at a rapid pace, such that inventory sales ratios are rising, it may portend a slowing of growth in the near future as firms cut production to bring inventories back into line with sales. Vice versa, if inventories are growing slowly or actually falling, it may signal a future pickup in production

Fairview Mayor In Hot Water

Fairview, MO mayor Sid Oliver is facing charges of official misconduct after allegedly receiving thousands of dollars in compensation for services from the city.  Those payments exceed the statutory limits of 105.454 RsMO.  That section of the law limits compensation for elected officials to $500 per transaction or $5000 per year.  There are exceptions for services awarded through a competitive bid process.

According to the NDN, Oliver received $10,403 in February of 2007 and $7,272 in February of 2008 for services including building upkeep and gravel spreading.  He is also accused of pressuring water department officials to waive fees for him and his two stepsons.

While it will be up to county prosecutor Jake Skouby and the court system to work through the allegations, the statutes for elected officials for compensation and nepotism are on the books for a reason.  I applaud Sheriff Copeland for making sure elected officials are staying on the right side of the law.

The complete NDN article can be found here.

Newton County Sees Sales Tax Increase

Newton County officials on Thursday reported last month's sales tax revenues were up $9700 ($360K vs $351K) over last year.  It marked the first month in 12 that revenues were not declining.  Overall, the county is down 5% for the year.  Officials had planned on (and budgeted for) 2% growth in revenues for the year.  Despite the uptick, County Commissioner Jerry Carter is anticipating December to be $450,000, down from $502,653 last year. 

According to Carter, next year's budget plan is flat.  Budgets are due November 17th.

Round and Round we go...this Friday

City officials have announced that the round-a-bout and South St. bridge project will be open to the public sometime tomorrow evening.  Crews are installing signs today in preparation for opening tomorrow.

This opening comes two weeks after the official dedication and ribbon cutting ceremonies held on October 30th.

This information comes solely from the Neosho Daily News site.  The article is here.

Australia and China Seeing Economic Improvements

Even though the US economy is still struggling under the weight of the current recession, some countries are starting to see some positive signs.  According to today's NY Times, Australia just reported employment grew for the second month in a row (Sept. and October).  Experts expect the Australian unemployment rate will peak just below 6 percent (compare that to the current 10.2% in the US).  The central bank has also been raising interest rates.

In China, the real estate sector is surging.  Property sales and new construction were up and investment in real estate rose 18.9% for the first 10 months of the year.  Economists pay attention to the property data because real estate, which is dominated by private firms, accounts for more than 20 percent of fixed-asset investment, the main engine of Chinese growth in recent years.

While Chinese exports are down over 20%, increases in domestic retail sales have exploded by over 30%.

As the largest country in the world, China has a population estimated at 1.338 billion.  Australia ranks 54th with an estimated 21.262 million.

Webb Supt. to Retire

Webb City's current superintendent, Dr. Ron Lankford, announced his retirement at last night's Webb City school board meeting.  My hat's off to Dr. Lankford for all of the work he's done at Webb during his 33 years of service, 12 of them as superintendent.  In addition to a number of awards received by the district, Dr. Lankford was also named Superintendent of the Year by the Missouri Association of School Administrators.

Read the Globe article here.

Sales Tax Updates - Huh?

The Springfield Business Journal is reporting that Springfield saw encouraging numbers from its sales tax revenues this month.  The city's November sales tax check totaled $2.1 million.  That number is flat from the same time in 2008, but much better than previous months that had seen double-digit declines.  For the year, the city's tax revenues are down 9.7% ($1.5 million.)  In October, Springfield cut $1 million from its general revenue fund budget due to sales tax shortfalls earlier in the year. 

I've received no 'official' updates on Neosho's numbers since the budget conversations in September.  My quick search of the Neosho Daily site yielded no other insight.  Word on the street is that November's check was about $150,000 above expectations.  Unfortunately, I have nothing to confirm or deny that.

Did you know yesterday was Patch Tuesday?

We've all heard of special days:  Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, etc.  But how about Patch Tuesday?  While you won't find it on most calendars, Patch Tuesday comes thanks to Microsoft.  It is the day (the second Tuesday of every month) that Microsoft releases security patches for its operating systems and other software.

Yesterday's patch is especially noteworthy because of the issue it addresses - remote code execution.  It's becoming more and more likely that attacks can come from simply visiting the wrong website - no file to download, no button to click...just a visit to the wrong site.

So beware of going of the reservation during your web surfing.  Stay where you know you are safe.  And by the way...download the updates and install them!

A full article can be found here.

Joplin Council has five seats open in April

As April 2010 elections continue to take shape, voters in Joplin will have the opportunity to chose five council members this time around (a majority for those doing the math).  Joplin is governed by its Home Rule Charter and has a council-manager form of government.  The Joplin city council is composed of nine councilmen - four from zones and five at large.  Each council member serves a four year term.  This election will see seats of two zone members and three at-large members up for grabs.

Three of the five incumbents have already announced their intent to run (Zone 1-Gary Shaw, Zone 4- Michael Seibert, and At-Large-Mike Woolston).  Two other incumbents have not yet decided.

Joplin's council is compensated at a rate of $5 per meeting, not to exceed $100 per year.

Neosho has two seats open on its five member council.  Mayor Jeff Werneke and councilman Warren Langland have both submitted their petitions and are on the April ballot.

Quiet Zone Preparations Underway

Work on the Quiet Zone upgrades are in the works on the north side of town. New barriers and arms are being installed on Old Scenic/Jefferson. The photo is from Front St. Looking east.  Similar barriers and crossing gates will be required at all crossing as part of the upgrade.  Some streets, incluing Front St. onto Jefferson and Smith Ave. onto College, will become right-turn only once the upgrades are in place.

Mobile blogging is now active. Isn't technology great!

Tweet About Mold Causes Lawsuit

What happens what someone Tweets about things that others say aren't true?  Well, in this case, it results in a lawsuit.  A Chicago woman recently made a comment about mold in her apartment saying "Who said sleeping in a moldy apartment was bad for you? Horizon realty thinks it's okay."

Feeling the comments were incorrect and harmful, the management firm for the apartments has responded with a lawsuit.  The Chicago Suntimes reports the response was because "...her alleged Twitter posts "maliciously and wrongfully" slammed her apartment at 4242 N. Sheridan and the company managing it."

It will be interesting to see how this turns out.  Free speech does has its limits.

Duties as a Dancer's Dad

After a quick lunch at the MSSU tail gate party today, I turned my attention west as I travelled to Tulsa for an evening of dancing.  (I'm not the one dancing - if you've ever seen my try, you'd already know that).  My daughter's dance class is competing in a dance competition put on by Co. Dance (http://www.codance.com/ if you're interested.)  Co. Dance, based in the Chicago suburb of Naperville, IL, will host a total of 19 regional competitions across the US this season.

It's always a fun time to see hundreds of talented and gifted children and young adults perform and showoff their skills.  Tonight should be no exception.

So for you dads out there with only boys, this is my "football" weekend.  But instead of pads and helments, we've got tutus and makeup.  Eitherway, it's just another day of being a dad...and I really enjoy it.

Trust vs. Turmoil

Seven months have past since the voters of Neosho entrusted me with the position of councilman.  In April, 1135 voters in Neosho showed their support, making me their top pick in the April 2009 council election.  I'd like to think that support, in part, shows the voter's trust and confidence in me to use common sense and good judgement to make decisions that are good for Neosho and its residents.

During the past week, there has been some turmoil related to city's planned disposal of old and outdated documents.  Some have alleged a coverup, some have even alleged fraud.  Quite a myriad of opinions to say the least.

In an effort to avoid the appearance of coverup or impropriety, I lobbied on the side of postponing the disposal of some of them to allow time for the other side to ensure nothing secret or incriminating was included.  That, now, has created its own turmoil.

Details aside, I've tried to reconcile the issue and step back and look at the broader issues at hand.  I've boiled it down to a rather simple question - do you (the citizens of Neosho) trust me when I tell you that this particular disposal isn't the issue it is being made out to be?  Do you trust that I've looked into it, know the 'why's' and 'how comes' of this request, and can make an informed and credible decision?

I appreciate those who comment about the lack of trust in government.  But the past will always be there.  No one can change it.  What can be changed is how things are done today.  I've got another 2 1/2 years to affect change in Neosho.  At that point, the voters can decide if they feel I've done a good job or if I need to go.  But for now, I'll continue to make decisions that I feel make sense for Neosho, make good on my commitments as a councilman, and support those in city government who work everyday to do their best for you and me.

Destruction is a very harsh word - How about disposal instead?

"Council to Discuss Destroying Documents" - that's how the Neosho Daily News prefaced last night's city council meeting.  No wonder we drew such a crowd - it must be Ollie North all over again - right?  Well, not really.

What was at issue was nothing more than a courtesy notification to the council of the city's intent to dispose of records no longer required "by law" to be retained.  But because the city had done a poor job in the past of adhering to a schedule, the action had the appearance of impropriety and cover up.  After all, if you haven't destroyed documents for 10 or 20 years, why now?

Record retention is something all cities struggle with.  It takes time to organize them.  It takes time to box and store them.  It takes space to keep them.  Luckily, the Missouri statues give cities clear guidance to help keep our records in order while managing the amount of time we are required to keep them.  The city has, in turn, adopted a document retention policy that covers how the city handles record retention and disposal - all in accordance with the law.

Ultimately, we elected to dispose only of court and police records in the short run.  That kept the peace for now.  And honestly, if we've kept them for this long, a few more weeks sure won't hurt.  But we can't keep everything for eternity.  Laws and policies are in place for a reason.  Use them and be consistent.

Local School Bond Passage - What's it mean?

Voters in Webb City and Carl Junction both approved school bond initiatives last night for building improvements. Pierce City wasn't as lucky as voters defeated a proposed measure there.

Does this mean that even in a bad economy, voters really do support education? Well, sort of, but not exactly.

Voters in Webb and Carl both approved issues that require no "increases" in the tax levy. In other words, because of their existing levies, they are able to re-roll their new bond amounts (in this case $2 million for Webb and $1 million for Carl) into their existing levy coverage. Tax payers in those districts won't see any increases in their yearly taxes, but they will ultimately pay those taxes for a longer period to "pay" for the improvements.

It was different in Pierce City. That bond issues was a true tax "increase" by proposing a levy increase equivalent to $0.33/$100 in assessed valuation.

This distinction shows the challenges that smaller schools with no debt service levy already in place are facing. It's a lot easier to extend a tax than it is to raise one. But once it is in place, it can be very beneficial...just ask Webb and Carl.

Jasper County officials told to hold down spending

Today's Joplin Globe website highlights comments from Jasper County officials regarding continued budget issues in the county. County Auditor Richard Webster also mentioned that no pay raises for county officials are anticipated. When ask about increases in the 2010 budget, he replied “I don’t see how there can be any increases, in any shape or form, next year,”

It appears the county is facing the same challenges and shortfalls as other cities and counties around the area.

Neosho recently cut budgets by 13% and pay by 3% across the board starting October 1st.

You can read the full article here.

Round and Round we go...almost

Last Friday, the city of Neosho held the official ribbon cutting for the new South St. overpass. City officials expect the new road to be open sometime this week after final details are addressed. According to the Neosho Daily, what remains are "...lines need to be painted on the roadway, signage put up, grading and grass seeding done and lighting installed."

I took a few minutes on Sunday to walk the bridge and observe the overall site. Overall, I do like it. Having a bridge cross-over to avoid railroad delays will most certainly benefit me at some point. But some view the costs associated with the project (including the non-monetary costs of losing Park and Daugherty) to outweigh the benefits. Time shall tell.

3 Down - Who's Next

With Citigroup's planned bankruptcy announcement late last night, we're now up to three in the number of companies that accepted bailout funds to avoid just this event. The bailout had infused $50 billion to Citigroup since December 2008.

Citigroup joins a distinct list of other poorly-run/mismanaged companies such as Chrysler and GM, who have taken OUR money to simply prolong the inevitable.

My compliments to everyone who dreamed up this wonderful bailout idea. Looks like it's really paying off.