Nixon’s Budget Cut $484 Million by Legislature

From today’s Joplin Globe (emphasis is mine):

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri lawmakers finished off a more than $23.3 billion budget Thursday that cuts millions in state spending and trims the state’s payroll.

The budget bloodletting was spread across state programs, but the highest-profile cuts came in various education programs. Basic state funding for K-12 public school districts would remain the same even though Missouri’s school funding formula called for a more than $100 million increase. Schools also will receive less state aid for busing. And funding for the Parents as Teachers early childhood program would be cut by more than half to $13 million.

Spending on tourism was reduced, mental health and social services were trimmed and less was budgeted for twice-daily Amtrak passenger train service between St. Louis and Kansas City. Colleges and universities will get 5 percent less, but that preserves a deal in which the schools agreed to not raise tuition next year for undergraduates from Missouri.

In all, lawmakers cut $484 million from the budget initially proposed by Gov. Jay Nixon in January. Nixon said last month that $500 million needed to be trimmed from his initial suggestions because tax revenues have continued to fall and state officials are uncertain about whether Missouri will receive an extension of federal stimulus money.

“You don’t get any satisfaction in making those cuts knowing they impact people’s lives,” said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Rob Mayer, R-Dexter. “However, you also have to keep in mind that you have a responsibility as a state senator to put forward a budget that is balanced and keeps the state on good, solid financial ground in the future.”

Yet overall, the budget is about $188 million bigger than last year when federal money and other funding sources are counted. But there is several hundred million dollars less in general revenue that comes through things like state sales and income taxes.

Candidates Disqualified from Race

From today’s Joplin Globe (emphasis is mine):

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Two candidates for the 129th district’s state representative race in Missouri have been disqualified for failing to meet a deadline on a financial disclosure report.

A Republican, Adolfo Castillo, and a Democrat, Jim West, have been disqualified from the race, according to records on the Web site of Secretary of State Robin Carnahan.

West said his campaign financial report was filed, but that he overlooked filing a personal finance report that was due April 20. He said he received a letter from the state on April 22 in regard to the deadline and that he has since filed the report. He said he is looking into whether he can re-enter the race.

Castillo could not be reached for comment.

The Associated Press reports that 16 other House candidates were disqualified for missing the deadline.

Two candidates for nationwide offices were also disqualifed, according to the secretary’s list. They are Republican Bob Brown, of Springfield, who was running for U.S. Representative in the 7th District; and Libertarian candidate Martin Lindstedt, of Granby, for the U.S. Senate.

Springfield Council Member Opposes Drug Searches at Son’s School

From today’s Joplin Globe:

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A drug search at a Springfield high school that included locking down the school and using drug-sniffing dogs violated the constitutional rights of students and teachers, according to a city councilman.

Councilman Doug Burlison and his wife, Mellony, have asked the American Civil Liberties Union for help in stopping the random drug searches. They contend the searches should be conducted only after specific incidents and not because of general suspicions.

If information about the search at Central High School is correct “the District’s policy of conducting such searches constitute outrageous violations of the Fourth Amendment rights of students and teachers who have been subjected to these searches,” ACLU attorney Doug Bonney wrote Thursday to superintendent Norm Ridder.

The ACLU will consider filing a lawsuit if the district doesn’t change its drug search policies, Bonney said.

Bonney said in his letter that Central High School was locked down on April 22 while officers and drug dogs went into classrooms. Students and teachers were told to leave the room without their belongings, which were then searched.

Ransom Ellis, the school district’s attorney, said Friday that the district had received no other complaints about the search, which was conducted by Greene County sheriff’s deputies and two drug-sniffing dogs.

“It is not a routine thing, but the purpose of it is to indicate a deterrent to possession of drugs,” Ellis said. “They very much hope they never catch any kid. But kids do have drugs and the district has zero tolerance.”

Ellis said Central was the fourth school searched this year. He said only three classrooms and a locker room were searched, and the only time officers touched any possessions was if a dog alerted to it.

School spokeswoman Teresa Bledsoe said the search was not prompted by a specific incident.

The Burlisons’ son, freshman Connor Mizer, told The Springfield News-Leader that if students passed a drug dog on their way to their next class, and the dog signaled an alert, the student’s clothing was searched and the student was told to go outside.

Ellis disputed that any student was sniffed individually, and said the closest any student got to a dog was about 10 feet.

“The dogs were kept away from the kids” he said. “They only looked at items in the classrooms.”

Doug Burlison said he and his wife wanted the ACLU to clarify whether the searches were legal.

“We are both libertarians and cognizant of what is in the Constitution,” he said.

The district told the News-Leader that Central High had eight drug incidents between Oct. 30, 2009, and March 12, 2010.

Senate Says No To Blue Books

This from KMIZ:

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Missouri Senate has endorsed an effort to save money by publishing state laws and official information solely online and doing away with printed volumes.

Senators voted Wednesday to stop printing state statute books and Missouri's Official Manual, widely known as the Blue Book. The information already is posted on state websites.

The printing ban was added to a broader bill that would eliminate unnecessary laws. The legislation still needs another vote in the Senate and must be approved by the House.

Senate Majority Leader Kevin Engler, a Republican from Farmington, says printing the manual and statute books wastes money because the online versions are widely used.

Nixon Still Pushing Caps on Tax Credits

Tonight’s online edition of the Joplin Globe has a good article detailing the ongoing debate in Jeff City about tax credits.  Here are a few comments from that article that I found noteworthy.

Nixon said about $585 million in tax credits were redeemed last fiscal year in Missouri, which amounts to an increase of 86 percent over the past decade. Redemptions of tax credits have continued to rise over the past two years despite declines in state revenues amid the economic downturn.

Nixon singled out two tax credit programs — one for historic preservation, the other for low-income housing projects — that he said have seen particularly explosive growth.

Nixon said Missouri ranks No. 1 in the country in historic tax credit redemptions. Those redemptions cost the state $186 million last year and $161 million in 2008. The state ranks No. 2 in redemptions of low-income housing tax credits, which cost the state $176 million in 2007.

“The growth of entitlement tax credit programs in Missouri is simply unsustainable,” Nixon said.

By contrast, the state ranks 45th in the nation on per capita spending for higher education and 35th for K-12 spending, he said.

Nixon has proposed capping the state’s annual authorization of tax credits at $314 million and reorganizing the state’s 60 tax credit programs into six general categories. The Department of Economic Development would have greater flexibility in deciding how much should be spent in each area and would have the authority to “choose the right deals” for the state, the governor said.

Nixon said tax credit reform is needed to provide accountability and transparency for how the credits are used.

The entire article can be found here.

Local Firm Gets Bids for CJ Schools

Construction Services Group, a Neosho-based construction firm, was a big winner in bid competition for work in the Carl Junction school district.  The CJ board awarded 5 contracts to CSG yesterday for various jobs.  They include:

• $152,891 to repave the bus barn lot
• $62,700 for the addition of a covered bus bay that will house 10 buses
• $35,823 for energy-efficient lighting in the halls of the intermediate building, and in 11 classrooms at the second- and third-grade building
• $57,850 to remodel two sets of restrooms in the second- and third-grade building
• $54,800 to repair three sections of the intermediate building roof

The work is part of a $600K total package of work to be done in the district.  Voters approved a $1 million bond issue in November, 2009 to finance these and other projects.

Newton County Hires Architectural Firm for Jail

From today’s Joplin Globe:

The Newton County commissioners have hired an architectural firm to draw up plans for a jail expansion on which they have no plans to proceed anytime soon.

Presiding Commissioner Jerry Carter said the county has hired Archetype Design Group of Leawood, Kan., to draw up preliminary designs and conceptual work for a jail expansion. The cost of those services is $37,500.

But the commissioner said the county is in no rush to move any further along with an expansion of the jail.

“We are not in a position right now to commit to the jail expansion because it involves indebtedness, and we don’t feel like we’re ready at the present moment to make that commitment,” Carter said after a commission meeting this week. “On the other hand, we are sure we’re going to have to eventually make that commitment.”

Carter said the agreement between the county and Archetype is with the understanding that it will do only the first phase of the development plans.

“We thought it was prudent for us to go ahead and make the conceptual design, and be poised and ready to go out for bid at some future point,” he said. “Once this phase one is completed, we can either go forward or, if the economic situation doesn’t look favorable, we can put it on hold until such time as it does look favorable, and then we’ll be ready to go out for bids.”

Sheriff Ken Copeland said any possible expansion of the jail would depend on the state of the economy.

The sheriff said he does not believe an additional tax would be necessary, and that the county may have some options to use federal grants to finance an expansion.

“Right now is a bad time,” Copeland said. “We have people losing their jobs and losing their homes. We certainly don’t want to spend any money we don’t have to. It’s something that is a problem for us, and it’s going to cost us and the taxpayers either now or later on. It’s something that’s going to have to be dealt with.”

As recently as February, the commission had been planning to seek bids as soon as possible in an attempt to possibly qualify by the end of this month for some federal stimulus benefits that could have paid part of the interest on any debt involved.

Under the plan being pursued at that time, the jail would have been expanded by 40 to 50 beds at a cost of about $3.5 million. Officials were projecting being able to pay off the debt over 15 years through the county’s general fund.

Copeland said the current jail was built 13 years ago and is designed to house up to 80 inmates. In February, he said the jail’s average population in 2009 was 103 inmates per day, and that for several weeks last summer it had housed as many as 137 inmates per day.

“When it was built, the jail above the courthouse was keeping like 25 to 30 prisoners all the time,” he said. “So when we built this 80-bed facility, we figured it would last a long time. But the population is on the rise every year.”

NHS Gives Quite a Performance

The 2009-2010 Neosho Music Dept put on a great concert tonight. The Neosho Jazz Band, Concert Band and Symphonic Band performed. Go Wildcats!

Even the Best Aren’t Perfect

Reading about Joplin’s latest “clean” audit brought back some memories.

I remember a contest in college where leading CPA firms were each given identical information regarding taxes and each ask to prepare a federal 1040 return in accordance with current law.  During that year, there were dozens who participated and not one of them got the same answer (and that year, none got it exactly right either.)  I often wondered how such smart people could NOT get the same answer.  I’ve since learned that life isn’t so black and white.

The city of Joplin received a clean audit again this year from their audit firm Cochran Head Vick & Co.  And for the 20th year in a row, the city received a certificate of achievement for excellence in financial reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association. 

But wait?  The auditors found problems including:

• Failure to monitor compliance for those receiving CDBG funds
• Charging internal engineering fees for recreation trails against grants – not allowable
• Repeated criticism (also mentioned in previous years) for not having a formal written policy and procedure for cost certifications

My point: even well run cities will have findings in an audit.  No one will ever be perfect, but making a mistake isn’t always a crime.  Seeking perfection is a work in process that never stops.

If given a choice, put me on the team that strives for perfection, not the team that sits in wait looking for the first mistake.  Working to make things better is, at least for me, so much more satisfying.

And to my friends in Joplin, congratulations again for doing a great job in your city.

Tax Facts 101 – City Sales Taxes

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been asked a number of questions about the city’s consideration of a property tax.  One specific question seems to come up quite often:

“Why isn’t the city asking for a sales tax increase instead?”

My response?  “That’s a great question!”

There are three basic questions you have to ask to answer that:

• What taxes are available to the city?
• What amounts can be collected?
• What restrictions, if any, are there on the funds?

Let’s go back a moment and understand “sales taxes” in general.  The state of Missouri specifically authorizes what taxes a city may collect and in what amounts the tax can be charged.  Today, there are basically 6 taxes authorized by statute.  Those are:

• General Revenue Sales Tax (already at maximum)
• Capital Improvements Sales Tax
• Economic Development Sales Tax
• Transportation Sales Tax
• Storm Water/Parks Sales Tax
• Fire Protection Sales Tax (already at maximum)

The city of Neosho does collect, in some amounts, every tax listed above.  Our current city tax rate is a combined 2.5%.  (If each were at their maximum, the total would be 3.25%.)

The issue that comes into play next is that the state limits (or caps) how much each tax can be – regardless of if the voters approve.  That’s were Neosho is kind of stuck. 

The most flexible tax, the General Revenue sales tax, is capped by statute at 1% and Neosho already collects the full 1%.  The same goes for the Fire Protection sales tax.  It is capped at 0.25% and the city collects that full amount.  That takes those two taxes off the table for consideration.

That leaves the four remaining taxes and a combined available amount of 0.75% that the city COULD consider.  In theory, if the voters did approve an increase of all four taxes (each requiring a separate line on a ballot), the city could collect an additional $1 million or so.  But then the issue becomes what restrictions are there on those remaining taxes?  That’s the last issue. 

Based on the financial issues we face, primarily servicing our debt, we can’t use those remaining taxes for that purpose.  So raising a tax that we cannot use to address our issues doesn’t make much sense. 

Bottom line, barring a change from Jefferson City, the sales tax options we have don’t really help that much.  And that’s how I would answer the question of “Why isn’t the city asking for a sales tax increase instead?”

I hope this helps.

SEAL’s 2 – Gov’t 0

From Foxnews:

A U.S. military judge on Friday cleared a Navy SEAL of any wrongdoing in the alleged beating of an Iraqi prisoner suspected of masterminding the grisly 2004 killings of four American contractors.

The Blackwater contractors' burned bodies were dragged through the streets and two were hanged from a bridge over the Euphrates river in the former insurgent hotbed of Fallujah in an attack that shocked Americans and galvanized U.S. support for the war.

After a daylong trial and fewer than two hours considering the evidence, Navy Judge Cmdr. Tierny Carlos found Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Keefe of Yorktown, Virginia, not guilty of dereliction of duty, a spokesman said.

It was the second verdict in as many days to throw out charges against a SEAL accused in the abuse case. Three SEALS, the Navy's elite special forces unit, face charges in a case that has drawn fire from at least 20 members of Congress and other Americans who it see it as coddling terrorists to overcompensate for the notorious Abu Ghraib prison scandal.

The trial against the third and final SEAL to be charged is slated for May 3 in Norfolk, Virginia.

Keefe was not charged with assaulting terror suspect Ahmed Hashim Abed, but of failing to protect him in the hours after he was captured and brought to a U.S. military base on Sept. 1, 2009. Abed had been the focus of an Iraq-wide manhunt for his suspected role in the Blackwater guards' killings.

U.S. Joint Forces Special Operations spokesman Lt. Col. Terry L. Conder said Keefe showed no visible reaction when Carlos read his verdict shortly before 9 p.m. at a courtroom at the U.S. military's Camp Victory on Baghdad's western outskirts.

The verdict comes a day after another SEAL, Petty Officer 1st Class Julio Huertas, of Blue Island, Illinois, was found not guilty of similar charges.

Huertas testified briefly during Keefe's case — mostly to underscore the point that he, too, had been cleared, Conder said.

The evidence largely pit the testimony of Abed and a junior Navy whistleblower, Petty Officer 3rd class Kevin DeMartino, against that of several SEALs and other Navy sailors who denied that Abed had been abused.

Conder said that DeMartino testified for several hours Friday to recount anew his memory of seeing Abed punched in the stomach, causing blood to gush from his mouth and stain his white dishdasha, the traditional long garment worn by some Arabs.

DeMartino identified Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew McCabe as the SEAL who hit Abed as Keefe and Huertas stood watching nearby. DeMartino said he initially lied about witnessing the assault but days later alerted the SEALs commander of it, sparking the investigation.

Defense lawyers, however, seized on inconsistencies in DeMartino's testimony and questioned the credibility of Abed, a suspected terrorist, to raise doubt about their versions of events. They also relied on evidence recycled from Huertas' trial in claiming that Abed could have bit his lip to make himself bleed on his clothing

Compared to McCabe, Keefe and Huertas faced relatively minor charges as neither were accused of assaulting Abed. Keefe and Huertas chose to have their trials held in Iraq, so they could face Abed in court. McCabe waived that legal right.

The verdicts have played into Iraqis' fears that courts will never hold U.S. troops accountable for atrocities or other abuses.

Joplin’s Not Flying High

It’s no secret that passenger traffic through the new Joplin Region Airport is down over 70% compared to previous years.  Last year, a mere 10,000 people (less than 30 a day on average) traveled in and out of Joplin.

But thanks to our Federal government (through an Essential Air Service contract), taxpayers are subsidizing the one airline operating in Joplin.  That’s our tax money being spent to fly empty planes back and forth to Kansas City in the hopes of getting someone to buy a ticket and climb on board.

At some point, you’ve got to ask the question – is this service worth the money being put into it.  With the growth of the NW Arkansas Regional Airport and Springfield, Joplin has had a chance to prove its importance in the aviation market of the 4-states.  So far, it hasn’t even got off the ground.

Been There, Done That, Let’s Do It Again

Below are comments from Nevada Mayor Jayne Novak about Neosho’s new City Manager Harlan Moore.  These comments are from today’s Neosho Daily News.

Neosho, Mo. —

Harlan Moore comes with a strong recommendation from Nevada Mayor Jayne Novak.

“You are an extremely lucky city,” Novak said.

She credits Moore with helping salvage a city that was in financial duress and, during his second stint, patching together personnel issues left by the former manager.

Moore is the two-time interim manager for the city with a population of under 9,000. During his time there, he oversaw a $13 million sewer project, a $3 million community center renovation, projects at the airport and city street improvements.

“He’s a very aggressive city manager,” Novak said. “He gets things done and the employees in Nevada have a lot of respect for him and, it’s my understanding, enjoyed working for him. As a council member he was wonderful to work with. He kept the council very well informed. I was very sorry to see him go. He was there as an interim. I understand that, but I would have kept him there forever if I could have.

“I feel like you’re in good hands.”

Nevada found itself in a financial crisis in the spring of 2006 facing a $1 million shortfall. The city manager left his position and Moore was hired as interim manager. The council directed him to cut costs and a couple months later the city went through a massive restructuring, elminating some city jobs by combining responsibilities and some departments. A year later, in 2007, the city hired a man they thought would be a permanent city manager, but by November 2008, they were looking for an interim manager again. Moore applied for the job.

At the time Novak was not a fan. She was not on the council during Moore’s previous tenure, but had heard about the cuts and before he interviewed she said she would never hire him.

“When he came in to interview he told us what the process was there and why it was handled like it was,” Novak said.

The council voted to bring him back and Novak believes Moore may have saved her town.

“It would have been a huge mistake not to,” she said. “He’s just really good at what he does.”

This March, the city hired a permanent city manager and Novak thinks the Neosho position will be good for Moore and bring him closer to his home in Grove, Okla.

Moore will return to Nevada tonight for the grand opening celebration of the Franklin P. Norman City/County Community Center, a project he helped supervise.

SEAL 1 Cleared

From Fox News:

BAGHDAD (AP) — A U.S. military jury cleared a Navy SEAL Thursday of failing to prevent the beating of an Iraqi prisoner suspected of masterminding a 2004 attack that killed four American security contractors.

The contractors' burned bodies were dragged through the streets and two were hanged from a bridge over the Euphrates river in the former insurgent hotbed of Fallujah, in what became a turning point in the Iraq war.

The trial of three SEALs, the Navy's elite special forces unit, in the abuse case has outraged many Americans who see it as coddling terrorists.

A six-man jury found Petty Officer 1st Class Julio Huertas, 29, of Blue Island, Illinois, not guilty of charges of dereliction of duty and attempting to influence the testimony of another service member. The jury spent two hours deliberating the verdict.

"It's a big weight off my shoulders," a smiling and composed Huertas said as he left the courthouse at the U.S. military's Camp Victory on Baghdad's western outskirts.

"Compared to all the physical activity we go through, this has been mentally more challenging."

Huertas said he plans now to continue with his military career and "to go home and kiss my wife."

Huertas was the first of three SEALS to face a court-martial for charges related to the abuse incident and the verdict was a major blow to the government's case. All three SEALs could have received only a disciplinary reprimand, but insisted on a military trial to clear their names and save their careers.

The trial stems from an attack on four Blackwater security contractors who were driving through the city of Fallujah west of Baghdad in early 2004. The images of the bodies hanging from the bridge drove home to many the rising power of the insurgency and helped spark a bloody U.S. invasion of the city to root out the insurgents later that year.

The Iraqi prisoner who was allegedly abused, Ahmed Hashim Abed, testified Wednesday on the opening day of the trial that he was beaten by U.S. troops while hooded and tied to a chair.

Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Kevin DeMartino, who was assigned to process and transport the prisoner and is not a SEAL, testified he saw one SEAL punch the prisoner in the stomach and watched blood spurt from his mouth. Huertas and the third SEAL were in the narrow holding-room at the time of the incident, he added.

But defense attorneys tried to cast doubt on the beating claims, showing photographs of Abed after the alleged beating in which he had a visible cut inside his lip but no obvious signs of bruising or injuries anywhere else.

In her closing arguments, Huertas' civilian attorney Monica Lombardi pointed to inconsistencies between DeMartino's testimony and nearly every other Navy witness. She also reminded the jury of the terrorism charges against Abed, who is in Iraqi custody and has not yet been tried, saying he could not be trusted and may have inflicted wounds on himself as a way of casting blame on American troops.

"There was no abuse," Lombardi said. "This is classic terrorist training."

After the verdict, Lombardi said the jurors told her they had made their ruling because there were too many inconsistencies in the case and that they did not believe the prisoner.

Prosecutors refused to comment after the verdict, but in his closing argument Lt. Cmdr. Jason Grover said the SEALs were itching for payback for the killings of the Blackwater guards — two of whom were former SEALs — and that now the elite unit had "circled the wagons."

The court-martial of Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Keefe, of Yorktown, Virginia, who is also charged with dereliction of duty on allegations he failed to safeguard the prisoner, is scheduled to begin Friday also at Camp Victory.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew McCabe, of Perrysburg, Ohio, the SEAL charged with assaulting Abed, is scheduled to be court-martialed May 3 in Virginia, where the three men are based.

Missouri Revenues Still Down

From today’s Joplin Globe:

State budget director Linda Luebbering said Thursday that tax revenues are coming in lower than expected and an additional $45 million in cuts are necessary to balance this year’s budget.

Gov. Jay Nixon already has vetoed or cut more than $850 million from this year’s $23.7 billion budget for state operations and capital improvements. The 2010 budget year runs through June 30.

Luebbering announced the need for additional midyear cuts as House and Senate members began negotiations Thursday on a final version of next year’s budget. Lawmakers also are trimming spending from Nixon’s proposed 2011 budget.

First SEAL Cleared on All Charges

Good news. 2 more trials remain.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Columbia Council Considers Use Tax

From today’s KMIZ:

Right now Columbia's revenue is down more than 3% from this time last year. The city's finance director, Lori Fleming, says this could bring in anywhere from $500,000 to $1,000,000 dollars to the city.

The Use Tax would be imposed on a person that stores, uses or consumes tangible personal property in Missouri that does not pay the Missouri sales tax.

Runway Rehab Coming to SGF

  From today’s SBJ (emphasis in mine):

Springfield-Branson National Airport will be getting nearly a million dollars in federal grant money to rehab its main runway, U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill said Friday.

The airport will receive $860,000 through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration grant program for engineering and design work to rehabilitate Runway 14/32.

At 8,000 feet, the asphalt runway is the longer of the two at the airport, according to spokesman Kent Boyd. He said the project, which would require the runway to be closed for several months, could cost between $6 million and $10 million.

The runway was last rehabbed 16 years ago - several years more than is ideal, Boyd said. 

When work begins and the runway is closed to traffic, Boyd said airlines could have to make decisions about passenger numbers or fuel to carry on board. The biggest issue is in the summer, when airplanes have more difficulty getting lift - and need as much runway as possible - due to warmer air. Runway 14/32 is longer than the alternate runway, which is only 7,000 feet.

The airline that could face the biggest issue, he added, is Allegiant Air, which flies larger MD-80 aircraft through Springfield. When a runway has been closed in the past, the airline has taken less fuel on flights to Las Vegas and Los Angeles and landed for refueling somewhere along the route, often in Wichita, Kan.

Better Late than Never

Good news from the war front.  One more down, but plenty more that need to go.  According to Iraqi  sources, Al-Masri has been given a one-way ticket to meet his maker along with Abu Omar al-Baghdadi.  The death of the two terrorists was confirmed by US military officials this morning.

After being surrounded and taking a missile strike, the two bodies were found in a hole in the ground where they had apparently been hiding.

Citigroup Reports $4.4 Billion in Profits

From today’s NY Times:

After nearly two years of being drenched in red ink, Citigroup provided the strongest signs yet that the troubled bank is beginning to recover as it reported a $4.4 billion profit in the first quarter.

See more details here.

UM Curators Approve Tuition Increase

 

From KMIZ:

ROLLA, Mo. (AP) - University of Missouri curators have agreed to keep tuition flat in the next academic year for undergraduates who live in the state.

But out-of-state and graduate students will have to pay more after a Friday morning vote at the Missouri University of Science and Technology.

Nonresident undergraduate tuition will increase by 5 percent at the Columbia and Rolla campuses and 2.7 percent at the Kansas City and St. Louis campuses.

Graduate tuition for all students at the four campuses will increase by 2.7 percent, which represents the Consumer Price Index inflation rate. And some graduate fees at programs including law, business and the School of Medicine will significantly increase.

Neosho Girls Win KU Relay

From today’s Joplin Globe:

LAWRENCE, Kan. —

Neosho’s girls wrapped up a strong showing at the Kansas Relays by winning the 4x880­yard relay Saturday at Memori­al Stadium.

The team of Jessica Eastin, Jessica Jackson, Morgan Rath­man and Courtney Wood won with a time of 9 minutes, 36.97 seconds, 1.12 seconds ahead of Lee’s Summit West.

Neosho had placed second to Lee’s Summit West by half a second Friday in the girls’ dis­tance medley relay. “We had a great weekend. It was awesome,” Neosho head coach Harry Lineberry said. “We led the entire way (Friday) and got beat right at the end.

“Today (Saturday), Courtney took the lead with one lap to go and just hammered it. Courtney just put it down. Our kids get­ting their first victory, it was great.”

Shynnel Bohanon, who ran in Friday’s distance medley relay, was replaced by Rathman in Sat­urday’s event due to a previous commitment, Lineberry said.

“One of the nice things is they give out nice trophies for the relays,” Lineberry said. “I’m a Missouri grad but KU has always been nice to me every time I’ve been up here.”

Jackson, a junior, placed fourth in the girls’ 1,600 meters Saturday with a time of 5:03.29, which was 2.27 seconds behind winner Samantha Levin, a jun­ior from Ladue Horton.

Jackson shaved 12.5 seconds off her previous personal best time of 5:16.08 set this month at the Carthage Invitational.

“Her time was not in the fastest heat,” Lineberry said. “If she had run in the fastest heat, she might have won.”

Levin, the defending state champion in the 800, edged Jackson in that event Friday by 1.8 seconds. Neither Jackson nor Levin ran in the 1,600 at last year’s state meet, where Wood placed fourth.

Wood ran her best time this spring and placed fifth in the 3,200 meters on Friday.

Carthage placed eighth Satur­day in the girls’ 1,600 sprint med­ley relay with a team of Kas­sidey Borland, Kaylee Morgan, Chloe Shepherd and Ivy Shep­herd.

Joplin’s Ashlee Shimmin was 19th in the girls’ discus with a toss of 110 feet, 2 inches

Jane’s Growth Helped by Water/Sewer Grants

From today’s Joplin Globe:

JANE, Mo.- — After a year and a half of work, the community of Jane will see the first $4.83 million of approximately $9 million designated for area sewer work later this month.

A combination of grants and loans, applied for by the board for Public Rural Water System District No. 1, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a federal Community Development grant will finance the construction of a sewer system for the McDonald County village and the surrounding partially sewered Highway 71 corridor. The town will accept its first check Tuesday.

Rapid area growth in the past 10 years, including the construction of a Wal-Mart Supercenter, Wal-Mart’s data center and other proposed growth, prompted Jane city officials to seek federal funds to help with the establishment of a city infrastructure.

“We’ve only been incorporated for five years, but our area is growing so fast and we are in dire need of a sewer system,” said Jonell Lawyer, who is chairing the PWDSD No. 1 board. “We have to be able to service our city.”

Construction will include wastewater collection lines, lift stations and a transfer main to transport wastewater to a treatment plant.

The approximately 400 residents of Jane now rely on aging septic systems. Jane’s $4.83 million will be split into a $2,250,000 loan and a $2,580,000 grant. Funding will come through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Water lines

The addition of a sewer system isn’t the only upgrade in Jane’s future. Jonell Lawyer, chairwoman of the board for Public Rural Water System District No. 1, said her board is preparing to apply for grants to replace the city’s 30-year-old water lines.

Joplin Council to Consider New Trash Contract

From today’s Joplin Globe:

JOPLIN, Mo- — A proposal to convert Joplin’s trash service to a polycart system with automated trucks is on the agenda Monday night for City Council action.

The council last month conducted a public hearing on the issue, which drew objections from about a half-dozen residents. The panel then tabled the issue to give city staff time to work out an agreement with trash hauler Allied Waste on those concerns.

Proposal details

Under the proposal, the company would provide Joplin residents a single 96-gallon polycart at no charge. It would have to be used to hold all trash except bulky items, and yard or tree debris. The company says the carts hold the same volume as three standard trash cans. The trash hauler would not pick up bagged trash that is not contained in the polycarts because the trucks do not accommodate that method of disposal.

The residential pickup rate that raised from $9.25 on April 1 to $9.77 a month would remain the same but those who need more than one cart would pay an extra fee.

The trash company proposed a fee of $5 a month for each additional cart, but at the council’s March 15 meeting, residents Kevin York and Lloyd Buehner objected to the extra charge. York said there are probably many large families who cannot afford the added expense.

More details can be found in the full Globe article here.

Neosho current has a polycart system and charges residential users $9.49 per month.  Neosho’s waste hauler, WCA, has proposed a new rate of $10.01.  That increase will be addressed by the council starting in May.

Go Cardinals!

Its game time in Springfield!
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Summer Ball Signups Start Tomorrow

Signups for summer ball start tomorrow.  The YMCA is holding signups at the Neosho High School cafeteria from 10am to 2pm.

Further registrations will be taken through Monday, April 26 at the Freeman Southwest Family Y.  After April 26, a $10 late fee will be charged. No child will be turned away due to inability to pay.  Scholarship applications, to apply for reduced fees, are available at the YMCA and should be completed as soon as possible to aid in registration on Saturday.

2nd Down and Go!

After failing to get a job offer last year, Neosho football coach Shawn Flannigan has succeeded this year.  He will be taking a job with Rogers High School starting this summer as their head football coach.  Flannigan replaces Ronnie Peacock who resigned last month.

Flannigan cites “a career opportunity” along with the “financial situation of the district” in his reasons, according the quotes published in today’s Neosho Daily News.

Flannigan came to Neosho two years ago under AD Corey Roy.  Flannigan and Roy coached together in the past.

Navy SEAL Trial Being Moved

Here’s the latest update:

Two Navy SEALS accused of covering up the assault of a terror suspect will start on Monday…in Iraq.

What’s Wrong With This Picture?

Here’s one for you aviation experts.  Can you tell what’s wrong in this picture (and why)?

I’ll can confirm:

I was at 8,000 ft

I was heading westbound

I was doing 140 KIAS

Think you know?  Leave a comment.

What’s Your Finger Worth?

I’ve often heard a picture is worth a thousand words.  But this is the first time I’ve heard a finger is worth a $5000 settlement. 

From today’s Joplin Globe:

OLATHE, Kan — An Overland Park man who flashed an obscene gesture at an Olathe police officer after getting a ticket is getting rewarded for his behavior.

The city of Olathe has settled a civil rights complaint filed by Scott Schaper of Overland Park. He was ticketed in September for disorderly conduct for flipping off an officer who had given him a ticket for running a stop sign.

The city of Olathe last week agreed that its insurance company would pay Schaper $4,000, with another $1,000 for the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and Western Missouri. Olathe police also must train its officers that they are required to take such verbal abuse.

The Kansas City Star reports that Doug Bonney, legal director for the ACLU chapter, says Schaper reacted angrily because the traffic stop made his children cry.

Construction Sees Gain in March

Building permits in March 2010 were 685,000, an increase of 7.5% from February and 34.1% above the March 2009 estimate. Housing starts rose 1.6% from the prior month, to 626,000. This was 20.2% above the March 2009 level.

Excellence in Education Banquet was 'Excellent'

Over a hundred people turned out for the annual Excellence in Education Banquet held at the Neosho High School.

This year's program honored the R-5 Character Education program. The keynote speaker was Joan Krusor Davis, Missouri Character Education Project Coordinator.

Specifics on Monthly Sales for Retail Q1 2010

Here are a few highlights of areas I look at.  The growth/(decline) is for the first quarter of 2010 vs first quarter of 2009.

Retail and Food – +5.5%

Auto and Other Motor Vehicle Dealers - +8.8%

Electronics and Home Appliances – (-1.6%)

Clothing and clothing accessories - +2.6%

Sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores - +3.9%

Food and Beverage stores - +2.8%

Some Positive News As Monthly Sales Advance

From the US Dept of Commerce (emphasis is mine):

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for March, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $363.2 billion, an increase of 1.6 percent (±0.5%) from the previous month and 7.6 percent (±0.5%) above March 2009. Total sales for the January through March 2010 period were up 5.5 percent (±0.3%) from the same period a year ago. The January to February 2010 percent change was revised from +0.3 percent (±0.5%)* to +0.5 percent (±0.3%).

Retail trade sales were up 1.8 percent (±0.5%) from February 2010 and 8.2 percent (±0.5%) above last year. Gasoline stations sales were up 26.4 percent (±1.5%) from March 2009 and motor vehicle and parts dealers sales were up 14.1 percent (±2.5%) from last year.

Is Protecting Resources More Important Than Protecting Citizens?

Lawmakers in Washington are now taking on the Interior Dept. after discovering that US Customs and Border Protection agents are not allowed to use motorized vehicles, construct roads, or install surveillance equipment along certain parts of the US/Mexico border.  Apparently, the Dept. of the Interior prohibits our border security agents from pursuing anyone, including terrorists, who cross in certain protected areas along the border.

According to Fox News “The lawmakers say internal documents show that the Interior Department and the U.S. Forest Service have consistently and actively prevented Border Patrol agents from securing U.S. borders by requiring Department of Homeland Security officials to complete lengthy and expensive environmental analyses, and even blocking Border Patrol agents from entering some areas.”

The Interior Dept. Secretary Ken Salazar has committed to work with the DHS to “meet the twin goals of protecting our national security and our natural resources."

Personally, I don’t consider those goals to be competing or equally important – the day resources outweigh safety/security of our citizens is the day something is very much wrong in our country…and it looks like we’re possibly already there.

All Public Schools Will Feel Nixon’s Pain

From today’s Joplin Globe:

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Gov. Jay Nixon says he will ignore lawmakers’ instructions to shield more than one-quarter of Missouri’s public school districts from a midyear funding cut. Instead, Nixon plans to spread the pain to all districts.

Nixon signed a midyear spending bill Tuesday, but he says it was unconstitutional for legislators to use the measure to try to exempt some districts from a cut.

Nixon directed state education officials to follow their initial plan of dividing a $43 million shortfall in state aid among all districts. Lawmakers had tried to overrule that by exempting about 150 districts from the reduction.

Reaction among lawmakers was mixed. Some accused Nixon of overstepping his authority while others praised the move as providing stability for schools.

Greene County Saw Less Green in 2009

From today’s SBJ (emphasis is mine):

Greene County released its fiscal 2009 financial statement, and total revenues for the year came up about 9 percent shy of what was expected.

According to the statement, released April 1, the county’s total general revenue of $34.3 million was 96.8 percent – or $1.2 million short – of the $35.4 million projected for the year ending Dec. 31. Only licenses and fees performed better than projected, earning $754,173 and $8,994,121, respectively, for the general revenue fund. Taxes for that fund were $465,467 less than the estimated revenue of $17 million.

Slightly more than $391,000 in general revenue fund taxes has yet to be collected, the report said.

Total revenues for all funds came in at approximately $97 million, down $9.6 million from projected revenues of $106 million.

The county ended the year with a cash balance of $29.9 million, compared to a Jan. 1 balance of $27.2 million.

The report is released on an annual basis after an examination by the Greene County auditor.

City-Wide Garage Sale Is a Financial Success for City

This past weekend, the city of Neosho had 1000’s of visitors come to our fine city looking for bargains and other can’t-live-without items being sold at the annual city-wide garage sale.  And while this event helps people turn old, unwanted items into cash, it also helps put cash back into our city.

Each year, those visitors leave with more stuff than they came with, but they also leave with some of their $$ staying at local restaurants, convenience stores and gas stations. Those $$ translate into sales taxes that ultimately help our city pay its bills.

As we start the turnaround of our city’s financial crisis, I hope we continue to support these fine events and work to find more ways to get visitors into our city.  Neosho has so many things to offer – let’s work on getting more people to come and see what makes Neosho such a special place to live.

Poor Oversight Cited in MVC Embezzlement

From today’s Joplin Globe (emphasis is mine):

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A state audit accuses a former accountant at the Missouri Veterans Commission of embezzling more than $90,000.

Former veterans employee Stacy Griffin-Lowery pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor theft charge in June 2008 in Cole County and repaid more than $17,000.

Auditor Susan Montee said Monday that Griffin-Lowery swiped an additional $90,000 by getting reimbursed for cash advances and purchases made on her personal credit card.

Griffin-Lowery was represented by attorney Matt Grayson. He said Monday that he believed the case had been closed with her previous plea agreement.

Before going to work for the Veterans Commission in 2002, Griffin-Lowery worked in the state auditor’s office.

The audit says the theft could have been prevented with better oversight.

Easter Bunny Brings Gift to Retailers

It appears that the Easter Bunny brought more than chocolate and dyed eggs to retail sales this year.  Below are some initial retail numbers from March.

From Retailing Today (emphasis is mine):

Retailers continued to show strength over last year for the month of March, with several retailers reporting double-digit same-store sales growth. Target posted a better-than-expected 10.3% comps increase, TJX, which reported a 12% increase, crushed analysts' estimate for a 6.5% gain and Ross Stores posted a 14% increase that also well exceeded expectations. Kohl's did especially well in March, with a 22.5% comps increase that far exceeded the 12% gain consensus forecast.

While those numbers are good, the impact of Easter cannot be underestimated. Costco and BJ's, for example, both noted in their March sales reports that the fact Easter fell in the March reporting period impacted their comparable sales by as much as 2%. For the month of March, Costco said its U.S. comps, excluding fuel, were up 2%. At BJ's, same-store sales, excluding fuel, were up 7.3%.

April's numbers will likely be at least somewhat lower than those posted in March, however the retail industry has been on an upswing so far in 2010 and should continue to grow as the economy improves.

Parents as Teacher’s Program May No Longer Be “Free”

As someone who has seen the results of PAT, I was disappointed to read in today’s Joplin Globe that state funding for the program is on the chopping block.  That lack of funding may move the financial burdens of being in the program onto the parents.   

The full Globe article is below (emphasis is mine):

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missourians whose children are developing normally may have to start picking up the tab to remain in the Parents as Teachers early childhood development program.

The program offers developmental health screenings for infants and preschoolers and sends trained workers into parents’ homes to provide child-rearing instruction. Currently, parents do not pay anything and can receive up to five in-home visits each year. Families classified as high-need can receive up to 25 personal visits.

Under legislation given first-round approval by the Missouri Senate, families would need to start paying some of the costs if there are no developmental delays found in the child after six visits. How much parents would pay and how billing would be handled is left to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to determine.

Parents as Teachers started in Missouri nearly 30 years ago and a 1984 state law required it to be offered in all school districts. It has since spread nationwide.

The program served more than 85,000 families with children ages 0-3 and nearly 61,000 families with children ages 3-5 during the last school year, according to figures from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The Senate legislation was endorsed by voice vote last week and needs a second round of approval before it moves to the House. The Parents as Teachers provision was added to a broad education bill that includes provisions to allow year-round school schedules, teachers to accept merit pay and school districts to offer two start dates for new kindergarten classes.

State lawmakers are struggling to ensure families can continue receiving benefits despite budget recommendations that call for eliminating more than half the program’s state funding next year.

The Bistro - Excellent!

I had the opportunity to eat at a new place tonight - The Bistro. Located at 32nd and Connecticut in Joplin, it was a great treat. For the money, it was a 9+. Please try it and post your comments.

The photo is of the owner/chef cooking up a dish in the open kitchen.
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MSSU Tuition Freeze in Hot Water

Officials with MSSU are again considering tuition hikes in response to unknown budget cuts coming out of Jefferson City.  Gov. Nixon had proposed cutting funding for higher education no more than $50 million.  In return, colleges and universities around the state would agree NOT to raise tuition. 

But now, with the budget in the hands of the Senate, it is unclear if such a “cap” on cuts proposed by Nixon will withstand the Senate sword. 

Since the Senate will be making changes to the the budget, any cuts put forth and approved by the Senate will have to be worked out in conference.  Time will tell if the cuts for higher education do or do not happen.

A complete summary of the issues can be found in today’s Joplin Globe.

Briarbrook CID Looks To Be Near Finalization

From today’s Joplin Globe:

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Members of the interim board of a newly created taxing district have a “handshake agreement” to buy the former Briarbrook Country Club and its 253-acre golf course for $1.6 million.

Toby Teeter this week told other members of the board of the Briarbrook Community Improvement District that he has begun preparing a contract for purchase of the property.

Teeter said the price is based on the agreement with the property’s current owner, Equity Endeavors, headed by Joplin attorney Steven Hays.

“It is (Equity Endeavors’) wish to proceed with what we identify in the petition as option No. 2,” Teeter said, referring to the proposal involving the purchase of the property directly from the owner.

Hays was unavailable for comment earlier this week.

The proposal would cost the owner of a $100,000 home in the taxing district about $90 per year in special assessments. The board has authority to borrow $2.1 million through a bond issue, which would cover the $1.6 million purchase price as well as maintenance and renovations.

The other option identified in the CID petition involved giving the property to the state in exchange for tax credits. Teeter said Equity Endeavors was not interested in that option.

Teeter said he has had informal discussions with representatives from Edward Jones about bond issuance, but there is no contract as yet. He said the board will not issue bonds until the purchase contract has been executed.

He said the board will meet again, either in special session or at its regularly scheduled time on the first Monday of the month, before signing the contract.

Also on the horizon for the CID is the formal election of board members. The 10 candidates up for seven seats on the board are Teeter, David Englert, Randy Brownlow, Gary Greene, Phyllis Sanders, Dan Hartley, Karen Rutledge, Tim Huff, Bill Albright and Ron Brewer, according to City Clerk Maribeth Matney.

Ballots will be mailed to residents on June 1, and they must be postmarked by June 15, Matney said. All registered voters in the 3rd Ward, which encompasses the Briarbrook neighborhood, are eligible to vote.

To begin a system of staggered terms, the three people who receive the most votes will serve four-year terms, and the four people who receive the next highest number of votes will serve two-year terms. All subsequent elections will be for four-year terms, Teeter said.

Teeter said he has received a written request from Ron and Teresa Brewer to be removed from the CID, as allowed under state law. The board can grant that request if it can fulfill its budgetary needs without the special assessments of the property owner.

Teeter said the board will likely decide on the matter at its next meeting. He said Ron Brewer did not give a reason for wanting to be removed from the district.

Brewer did not respond to calls seeking comment.

Newton County Opens Bids

The Newton County Commission opened bids today for what may be a remodel of the old armory to accommodate a new 911 dispatch center.

Branco Enterprises, a Neosho-based construction company, was the low bidder at $362,800.  The county engineer will now review the bids before presenting a recommendation.

Despite being the low bidder, Branco’s bid did come in higher than estimates.  The county commission must now work to secure funding for the project.

The Neosho Daily has a full report here.

Joplin Water Co. Seeks Rate Hike

Missouri American Water is seeking a rate hike to reportedly cover costs associated with a $4.5 million upgrade spent in recent years on upgrades.  The rate increase equates to about 18% per month.

The full article is here.

Initial Unemployment Claims Rise Last Week

From the DOL:

In the week ending April 3, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 460,000, an increase of 18,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 442,000. The 4-week moving average was 450,250, an increase of 2,250 from the previous week's revised average of 448,000.

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending March 27 were in:

• Texas (+3,640)
• Oregon (+2,412)
• New Jersey (+1,715)
• California (+1,275)
• Kentucky (+926)

The largest decreases were in:

• Michigan (-2,240)
• Illinois (-1,872)
• Oklahoma (-1,270)
• Missouri (-1,079)
• North Carolina (-673)

The complete report can be found here.

Career Ladder May Be Tossed Out of Budget

Word from Jefferson City is that some Senate lawmakers are wanting to eliminate funding for the state’s Career Ladder program.  That program is designed to reward teachers who take on additional responsibilities such as tutoring after school.

Last year, then Senate Budget Chairman Gary Nodler had warned that funding for the program was questionable.  Given today’s economic environment and a $500 million shortfall in the budget, it appears more likely that cuts will be forthcoming.

The program was created in 1985 and currently costs the state around $37 million. 

Proponents of the program see it as way to reward teachers for doing more with students and for taking on extra duties.

Neosho has a number of teachers who participate in the program.

SEALs No Longer Accused of Lying

As the saga continues with pending trials for three Navy SEALs accused of abuse of a detainee, changes of making false statements have been dropped against two of them.

PO Jonathan Keefe and PO Julio Huertas are still charged with dereliction of duty.  They, along with PO Matthew McCabe, are accused of abusing a terror suspect, Ahmed Hashim Abed.  Abed is believed to be the mastermind behind the killing, burning, and lynching of former Blackwater employees.  Their mutilated bodies were hung from a bridge over the Euphrates River.

Poor Abed suffered a bloody lip and was punched during his capture.  The photo above shows what happened to the four American’s he had killed.

Only in American would three military heros be charged for punching a suspect who killed Americans.

You can find more photos of the innocent Americans here.

Sewer Work Progressing

If you been down the Blvd. lately, you’ve likely seen the sewer work going on at Harmony St.  This work is part of the $8.5 million sewer improvement plan approved by voters in August of 2008.

The full article from the Neosho Daily News is here.

(The above image is from the NDN.)

Southwest Airlines Upgrades Technology

Southwest Airlines, starting tomorrow, will use satellite-based navigation technology when it lands at many larger airports.  The upgrades made by Southwest in cockpit hardware and software will allow their pilots to shoot RNP approaches.  These approaches are laid out in a way to be more efficient.  So efficient that the routes will require less time and allow for longer glides from altitude to touchdown with engines at idle.

Southwest isn’t the first to use these approaches, but they are by far the largest.  Below is an RNAV (RDP) approach plate showing the flight path for Chicago’s Midway airport.

The full article is here.

March Collections Down Again for State

From today’s SBJ:

Net general revenue collections for March decreased 17.8 percent from a year earlier, according to numbers released Friday.

Collections for the month totaled $461.7 million, down from $561.9 million in March 2009. For fiscal 2010 to date, which runs July 1–June 30, collections total $4.68 billion, down 13.3 percent from the first nine months of fiscal 2009.

Individual income tax collections are down 9.4 percent for the year, to $3.76 billion, though they were up 2.7 percent for the month. Sales and use tax collections dropped 3.9 percent for the month and 6.8 percent for the fiscal year.

Corporate income and franchise taxes dropped 9.1 percent for the month and 12.5 percent for the year, while other collections dropped 14.7 percent for the month and 7.5 percent for the year.

State Finance Director Linda Luebbering said that the state borrowed another $100 million from the state Budget Reserve Fund for cash flow purposes in March. The state has now borrowed $450 million this year, which will be repaid by May 15, according to the release.

Neosho Chamber Passes Resolution Focusing On Tuesday’s Election

Below is a resolution passed by the Neosho Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and published via email in today’s chamber newsletter.

Board of Directors Resolution

Be it hereby resolved that we, the Board of Directors of the Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce are asking our members to carefully study the candidates for the Neosho City Council and to support those who express support for the Economic Development program of the Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce and the continuation of Neosho’s 1/8 cent sales tax that is for Economic Development.  It is vitally important to our Community that we continue efforts to grow our economy.

The four City Council Candidates are (in alphabetical order):  Warren Langland, Jeff Werneke, Tom Workman and Chris Wright.  If you are not sure on how they feel about Economic Development, please call them (their phone numbers are listed in the phonebook).

Please see the attachment of some results of the Economic Development Tax.

In today’s economic environment, I’d tell you that every tax will be under scrutiny to ensure it is providing the best value for the money and that the funds from a particular tax are being spent in a way that is allowed and provides the most benefit to the community.  As for “continuation” of the tax, I’ve looked at the statute.  It takes a majority vote of the people to repeal it – not just lack of support of a council member.

For the record, the chamber took no position on the 405 changes that were passed last year.  Those changes significantly increased regulations on businesses do business in Neosho and to those that would possibly relocate here.

YMCA Announces Signups

After 3 months in the making, all appears ready for the Neosho Family Y to take over Neosho’s youth summer ball program.  This is from today’s Joplin Globe:

NEOSHO, Mo. — Neosho’s YMCA has hired staff and is looking for sponsors and coaches for the summer baseball and softball season.

Last month, the cash-strapped city of Neosho agreed to transfer control of the summer ball programs to Freeman Southwest Family YMCA. The lease agreement approved by the City Council grants the YMCA use of the city’s five ball fields and concessions at a fee of $1 per year.

This week, the YMCA announced that it hired the coordinator for the summer ball programs and announced the program fees. The cost of the T-ball programs will be $25 per child, if they are a YMCA member, and $30 if not. The baseball and softball program fees will be $30 a child if they are a YMCA member, and $35 per child if they are not.

The YMCA offers financial aid and has stated that no child would be turned away based on an inability to pay.

Jenny Holweger, executive director of the Neosho YMCA, said this year, in part, would be about laying the basis for the future.

“We are really looking at it as year one,” Holweger said of the season, noting that the YMCA wanted to build on this season in years to come. “Hopefully we will be able to add another level to it (next year).”

In mid-January, then-City Manager Jan Blase announced that budget cuts would force the city to divest itself of the summer youth baseball and softball programs that affect about 1,000 youngsters. Blase said passing the programs off would save the city about $50,000 annually.

The city approached a fledgling parents’ organization about taking over the programs. The parks advisory board and others then contacted the YMCA because of concerns about whether the parents’ organization could be up and running in time for the upcoming season.

Neosho Mayor Jeff Werneke on Friday said the transfer of the programs would afford an opportunity to revitalize the programs and bring them more consistency than the city-run programs.

“I think it’s a step forward,” he said.

Nuts and bolts

The Freeman Southwest Family YMCA has hired Jessica Ferguson as the summer ball sports coordinator.

Season dates

April 17 — Registration for summer ball programs.

April 26 — Deadline to register without late fees.

May 3-7 — Baseball and softball skills camps for ages 9-18, specific days and times to be announced.

May 17-July 10 — Baseball and softball season.

May 31-July 4 — T-ball season.

July 16-17, 24-25 — Optional baseball/softball tournaments.

Information: Freeman Southwest Family YMCA, 455-9999.

2nd Class is OK with Me

From today’s Joplin Globe:

NEOSHO, Mo. — A bill approved this week by the Missouri House of Representatives would allow Newton County to avoid the added costs that come with designation as a first-class county.

The measure, which has the support of House Speaker Ron Richard, R-Joplin, passed the House 147-7 and now moves to the Senate.

The bill is a result of a request by Newton County officials, said Jerry Carter, presiding commissioner.

House Bill 1806 increases the minimum assessed valuation to move counties to first-class status from $600 million to $900 million. Currently, counties that reach and maintain a $600 million assessed valuation for five years advance to first-class status. Newton County’s valuation is more than $686 million.

Carter said the classification “has nothing to do with the quality of the county, but is an arbitrary measure based on the county’s assessed valuation that in turn might indicate their ability to pay for additional services, such as a juvenile detention center or a coroner who has a medical degree.

“So really, what that can mean is more unfunded mandates from the state,” Carter said.

Carter also said officials are especially concerned the state may pass on more costs to counties because state revenues are down and lawmakers are working to cut spending.

“It’s our feeling now would not be a good time to become a first-class county, and we’ve raised that issue with our legislators,” he said.

Besides increasing the threshold for first-class counties to $900 million, the threshold for counties to reach second-class status would raise from $450 million to $600 million. All counties with an assessed valuation of less than $600 million would be third-class counties.

“We’re dealing with one of the toughest economies on record and our counties simply cannot afford to take on an additional economic burden at this time,” Richard said. “Moving to a higher classification would bring additional costs, with it and we want to spare counties from that change if possible.”

“Bigger is not better when you go to first class,” said Richard Burke, executive director of the Missouri Association of Counties. “I’ve talked to officials from a lot of counties who said they wished they could go back.”

Additional requirements for first-class counties are scattered throughout the statutes, Burke said, and entail more work and expense.

“And there’s potential for a loss of revenue because of the way tax laws are structured,” he said.

Requirements most concerning to Newton County, Carter said, include mandates that the county coroner be replaced with a medical examiner who must be a physician, and that the county provide a juvenile detention center.

Newton County is one of several counties in the region now served by the Jasper County Juvenile Detention Center.

Jasper County, which currently has an assessed value of more than $1.5 billion, reached first-class status about 10 years ago. But a change in state law at the time made the medical examiner requirement optional for the county.

Burke said there are other bills proposed this session designed to address concerns by counties that still want to move to the first-class designation.

“Most feel like Newton County, but there are still some that want it, and the legislature is trying to help,” he said.

“If there was the slightest value for Newton County, we’d seize the opportunity,” said Carter, “but at the present time, with the economy the way it is, it’s not reasonable for us to consider changing classifications.”

Sunshine In The Forecast

Every so often, I like to take some time and review Missouri’s open meetings law.  That law is commonly referred to as “The Sunshine Law”.  In general, it sets the rules as to when a public body may close a meeting to the public.  As a rule, meetings MUST be open unless specific topics are being dealt with or discussed.  By law, those specific topics are “strictly interpreted” meaning that a public board or council does not have any room for interpretation.

Below are the only times a meeting MAY be closed - (note I said may, because the law allows, but does not require, the meeting to be closed).  Emphasis is mine.

• Legal actions, causes of action or litigation (except that votes, minutes and settlement agreements must be opened to the public on final disposition, unless ordered closed by a court).

• Leasing, purchase or sale of real estate where public knowledge might adversely affect the amount paid in the transaction.

• Hiring, firing, disciplining or promoting a particular employee.

• Welfare cases of identifiable individuals.

• Software codes for electronic data processing.

• Individually identifiable personnel records.

• Records related to existing or proposed security systems.

• Records that are protected from disclosure by other laws.

As an extra bonus, law makers who created the law also put in place civil penalties for individual members of the public governmental body.  In other words, if I KNOWINGLY violate the law, I can face a penalty of up to $1000.  If I PURPOSELY violate the law, that penalty jumps to $5000.  There are also provisions for paying legal fees.

I’ll be posting more on the Sunshine Law over the next few days, but for now, take a minute and review the Attorney General’s website.  While you’re there, take the quiz.  I got 8 out of 10 on it today.  That tells me I’ve got some studying to do.  Luckily, I’ve got 4 others to keep me inline plus a city clerk who is quite a scholar on the topic herself (enough so I often throw hypotheticals her way).

Until next time…enjoy the weather…and pay attention to the Sunshine!

Visitor Leaves Eggs Everywhere

Well, another Easter has arrived, and with it came the annual visit of the Easter Bunny.  I’m not sure when he came, but by 6:30am this morning, there were a couple of dozen eggs hidden in the yard and a basket of chocolate was sitting on the porch.  Kyndall was able to look out the upstairs window and confirm that the bunny had made his yearly pilgrimage. 

As a side note, I mentioned to Kyndall last night that as kids get older, the Easter Bunny has to choose when to stop coming by so he can focus on the new children being born around the country.  While I don’t remember the exact age, I believe I was eight when the bunny quit coming to my childhood home.  I suspect this may be the last year for such visits to Madison Ave. as well.

Neosho Cuts Asst. Supt. Position

In a surprise move, the Neosho R-5 school district has eliminated the position of Asst. Supt. of Business and Finance.  A vacancy had been posted after the announced resignation of current Asst. Supt. Charles Brazeale.  Brazeale has accepted a position with the St. Charles school district.

Three candidates had been selected from a pool of applicants to be considered for the post.  It was expected to be filled yesterday during a closed meeting of the R-5 board.

Due to recent budget cuts announced from Jefferson City, school districts across the state are facing cuts of unknown amounts.  Dr. Richard Page, Neosho’s Supt. of Schools, estimates the Neosho budget shortfall to be around $1 million compared to last year’s numbers.

Joplin announced a similar move earlier this week as part of cost cutting reductions in their central office.

Branson Adds More Flights

Branson’s new airport is adding new service to better serve customers in the market.  In May, Branson AirExpress will offer non-stop flights to Nashville and Gulfport/Biloxi.  The routes will be services by ERJ-145 aircraft (50 seat jets).

With the addition of the two new destinations, the airport – which hits its one-year anniversary in May – will offer flights to 10 cities. AirTran Airways flies to Atlanta and Orlando, Fla., and service will be added to Denver later this month.

Economy Adds Jobs – Unemployment Remains at 9.7%

In March, the US economy added 162,000 jobs, according to the US Dept. of Labor.  This is along with yesterday’s news that initial unemployment claims came in at 439,000, down 6,000 from the previous week’s revised figure and down from 599,299 a year ago.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending March 13 were in Alaska (7.2 percent), Puerto Rico (6.4), Oregon (6.1), Pennsylvania (6.0), Wisconsin (5.9), Idaho (5.8), Montana (5.8), Michigan (5.5), Nevada (5.5), and Rhode Island (5.3).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending March 20 were in Illinois (+1,396), Oklahoma (+1,152), Missouri (+792), South Carolina (+395), and New Mexico (+303), while the largest decreases were in California (-5,180), Pennsylvania (-3,677), North Carolina (-2,733), New Jersey (-2,521), and Michigan (-1,644).

Nevada Mental Health Facility Closing Due to Budget Cuts

From today’s Joplin Globe:

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The state plans to close a mental health hospital in Nevada by 2012 in response to budget problems.

The Missouri Department of Mental Health announced on Wednesday that it will close the Nevada Habilitation Center by 2012.

Sixty of the center’s 90 patients will be moved to group homes in southwest Missouri. The remaining 30 patients will be transferred to other, larger facilities in the state.

The Springfield News-Leader reports that closing the hospital will eliminate about 50 jobs.

Mental Health department spokesman Bob Bax says the exact amount of money the state will save by closing the hospital was not available.

Neosho Business Referred To DNR for Leak

From the Joplin Globe:

NEOSHO, Mo. — A Neosho business has been referred to the state attorney general’s office for allegedly failing to provide documentation that it has either closed an underground gasoline storage tank or protected it from corrosion, according to the state.

A release from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources states that Super Stop No. 12, 800 S. Neosho Blvd., has been referred for failing to provide that documentation.

A phone message left Monday for a DNR spokesman about what range of penalties the store might face was not returned. The release said the attorney general’s office could compel compliance and negotiate a penalty.

A phone message left for the gas station owner, Bob Foster, on Monday was not returned.

DNR records state that the business has a storage tank of bare steel that, without protection against corrosion, must be closed. The agency said it has sent Foster a letter advising him of that requirement, as well a letter of warning and two notices of violation, and engaged in six telephone conversations with him to no avail.

District Decides Not to Fill Position

As part of growing concerns over budgets, the Joplin school district announced this week it is cutting jobs through attrition as part of a plan to cut 5%-8% from the central office budget.

Asst. Supt. Stephen Doerr announced his retirement early this year.  Current Joplin Supt. C.J. Huff announced this week that the position will go unfilled saving the district about $130,000.

Budget cuts have yet to be finalized in Jefferson City, so the impact of the financial cuts is not yet certain.  But school districts do know for certain that cuts are coming…it’s just a matter of how much.

The full article can be found here.

Sales and Manufacturing Index Shows Promise

From today’s SBJ (emphasis is mine):

Sales in both the manufacturing and service sectors increased at a rate not seen in more than a year, according to the March Credit Managers' Index, released Thursday by the National Association of Credit Managers.

The overall index increased to 55.7 from 55.2 a month earlier. Numbers higher than 50 indicate positive movement.

Sales in service and manufacturing increased by nearly five points, faster than any increase since early 2008, despite no increase in new credit applications. Much of the gain is attributed to recent increases in consumer demand.

Negative factors, such as accounts placed for collection and dollars beyond terms, remained steady.

“It is early in the process, but if one couples this data with reports from other sectors, there is reason to assume there will be some pretty decent progress ahead in the coming months,” said Chris Kuehl, economic analyst for the NACM, in a news release. “The consumer is getting a little more confident, despite the fact that there has been no change in personal income, and the business confidence level has also expanded."

The outlook for coming months also remains positive, with the indicator index for both service and manufacturing around 55.

The first quarter of 2010, according to the release, was essentially flat after decent increases in the last part of 2009. This is better than the prediction of most economists, who feared that early 2010 would erode the gains made at the end of the previous year.

Government Efficiency – Another Example?

Where else could a business that scraps 50% of what it buys be successful?  Only in government.  Justified in the article by “young people being killed” and “to be able to protect the American people.” – two standard lines used often to justify political decisions.

From today’s FoxNews website:

When the H1N1 vaccine first became available last fall, the doses were worth their weight in gold to many people desperate to get the shot, but now it’s being reported the government is about to throw away millions of those “precious” vaccines.

The news comes just days after health officials warned Americans the H1N1 flu season is not over yet, with the Southeast reporting an increase in cases of the virus.

According to a report in the Washington Post, less than half of the 229 million doses of the vaccine the government bought to fight the virus have been administered, which leaves an estimated 71.5 million doses that will have to be discarded if they are not used before they expire.

Still, government officials said they are “satisfied with the effort.”

"Did we do as well as we would have liked to? No, not at all," Dr. Anne Schuchat of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. "But the country did an extraordinary job of responding. It's pretty incredible to think about how much uncertainty we had at the beginning of this."

Schuchat added that it was “unavoidable that some doses would go to waste.”

"We were dealing with a very unusual situation. We had a pandemic. We had young people being killed," she said. "We wanted to make sure we had enough. We didn't want to be short. It was important to us to be able to protect the American people."

Federal officials estimate that between 81 million and 91 million doses of the vaccine were given to people through the end of February.

Since the outbreak of the H1N1 flu a year ago, the CDC estimates that more than 60 million people in the U.S. were sickened by the virus, at least 265,000 were hospitalized and more than 12,000 died.

Construction Spending Down Again

From the Census Dept:

Construction spending was $846.2 billion in February 2010, 1.3% below January 2010 and 12.8% below February 2009. The January 2010 level was revised down 3.0% from last month’s release.