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Don't let Shawnee try Olathe's DOUBLE PICKPOCKET PLAN--free two week vacations and $1200 Pelosi Bonus Bucks for FAKE FURLOUGHS at taxpayer expense

2020-04-23T10:46:00.001-05:00

Cities are using dishonest strategery to subsidize their budgets
without applying for a grant they'd never get. Pretending their
employees are unemployed. Just long enough to give them
$1200 in Pelosi Bonus Bucks--and free two week extra vacations.
Draining federal funds intended for truly unemployed.

As reported by Fox4 and others,

https://fox4kc.com/news/olathe-plans-2-week-furloughs-for-nearly-all-city-employees-to-supplement-budget-deficit/?fbclid=IwAR3gz-u5wbYZ4yjH89gO2hcLvuXB-KM6LLd7j9GdkEQtpogn5yBt4-CYx2I

Olathe is furloughing all employees for two weeks on a staggered basis.

And grinning like the Cheshire Cat, that they cut their annual budget AND gave a $1200 bonus to all their employees--at federal expense.

But who pays for that "opportunity" to move cash out of our pockets? The same taxpayers!

This is a double pickpocket move.

Robs the taxpayers twice. Gives the employee a free two week vacation in addition to their regular one and their ongoing 35% insurance and pensions and benefits package. Each employee now would also pocket $1200 IN PELOSI BONUS BUCKS. $600 A WEEK X TWO WEEKS---OVER AND ABOVE THEIR TWO WEEKS OF UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS.

Paid from the second COVID rescue fund, the CARES Act. Which was supposed to support the truly unemployed. Not these strategic FAKE unemployed. It's a budget strategy and a free vacation, mooching off a loophole.

The CARES Act fund might be empty for regular folk. Or too challenging to qualify for, especially for the SELF EMPLOYED who have never qualified for unemployment.

But cities or counties can handhold their furloughed workers. City staff can fill out and submit the paperwork FOR them!! Make sure they get their $1200 Pelosi Bonus Bucks. Because one level of government looks out for the other.

Even tho the Ks. state govt. unemployment division doesn't answer phones. Cities and counties have back channels to make this happen. Meanwhile, the cities and counties are getting the equivalent of a grant or a transfer of federal tax dollars--into their budgets. A two week easing of their payroll. Two weeks out of 52 = 1/26th. About 4% federal subsidy of any city or county's annual payroll. Go to the head of the line. Wink wink.

It's disgusting. Immoral. Sneaky.

Reminds me of Scout troops or church teens that spend ONE NIGHT camping outside, in a fox fur parka, to "feel the pain" of actual homeless people.

When city or county employees accept $1200 in Pelosi Bonus Bucks
for pretending to be unemployed, just to trim the city's payroll,
that is despicable and deceitful. They are being bought off by their bosses.
That CARE Act money was intended for truly unemployed.
Many who don't have the paperwork or handlers to manage their applications.

I did note that some Joco cities earlier furloughed their community center workers.

Thank GOD for the hard work last year of There's A Better Way Shawnee Committee. Last May 21 the voters of Shawnee REJECTED WASTING $54 MILLION on an unnecessary Shawnee Community Center. By a vote of 72% NO. With 46% turnout.

I am proud to have been the largest contributor to paying for the postcards to alert voters about that vote, with 100% factual information.

I'd also note that Mayor Michelle Distler forbids public comment now at council meetings except for public hearings. So if Shawnee discusses this Double Pickpocket Furlough Plan, I will not be allowed to speak Monday night for five minutes. Nor will any other citizen.

Shame on "Nervous Nelle" Michelle Distler. Campaigned on transparency, but can't take the heat in her version of undeclared Martial Law. (and thanks for a reader on TKC catching my dictation error--eg 'Marshall")!

Tracy Thomas

publisher, JocoPost.com and KCMOPost.com

FB: No More Taxes Shawnee

Former Shawnee Council president and Ward 4 councilwoman, 1999-2004

Shawnee's Mayor, "Nervous Nell" Michelle Distler so paranoid, she fears councilman calling in remotely could be an imposter

2020-01-31T12:47:00.000-06:00

Ever since she quit the Republican party last spring, (after a lifetime), Shawnee's recently re-elected mayor, Michelle "Nervous Nell" Distler has been consumed with more conspiracy theories and paranoid suspicions than Adam Schiff.

Most recently, at the Jan. 27, 2019 City Council meeting, Nervous Nell Michelle tossed out an unseconded idea, that the city should cancel remote participation by absent council members--(utilized very infrequently in case of illness or being out of town) --because "some citizen phoned her" and questioned, "How do we know that is the real elected official? Maybe someone else is calling in and voting!"

Ya know, the council member logs in via the city clerk before the meeting. One imagines the clerk could ask them their DOB and social security number, same as every credit card, bank, or transactional app in America. Alternatively, maybe we could have a Secret Song to go with a Secret Grip, like my ex-husband did when he was president of SAE fraternity at Wichita State.

"OK, Councilman Knappen, sing Shawnee's Secret Song before I allow you to comment or vote!"
--Mayor Michelle 'Nervous Nell' Distler

Nervous Nell also floated the idea that unlike all the other major cities in Joco, remote participation should no longer be allowed--because just "ONE of her supporters stated the audio quality was not satisfactory."

Picky, nit picky. God forbid, the staff of 313 well paid city employees, with their 35% bundle of added pensions, cars, phones, and insurance benefits, could not address that.

Next, Mayor Distler yelled at a citizen, speaking during the allowed Business from the Floor, and quoting an excerpt from Policy Statement 7, II 1a, that "it is the City Manager, (not the mayor) who sets the agenda."

Nervous Nell is a bundle of anxieties, for fear that she would have to do her job. Break a tie. Rather than table mandated elections of council president. at the first meeting of the year. Like she did, in the middle of proceedings. Absent any nominating speeches. Or a request to try again. Rather than break the tie, she just up and tabled it. Which is not her legal authority.

During Distler's first term, the liberal socialists had 6 votes. The fiscal conservatives had 2 votes. So the mayor never once had to break a tie,. In four years. Now, following the disastrous failure of the city's unwanted $54 million community center, by a turnout of 46% of all registered voters, by a resounding 72% no, the fiscal conservatives ran for office and now hold 4 of 8 council seats.

There will likely be several 4/4 ties. Rather than upend and rewrite all the longstanding rules, including Council Ordinance 45 and Policy Statement 7, to rescue her from the pressure of making a decision and not being Miss Popular with the in crowd in their McMansions, Distler just needs to Do.Her.Job.

Caroline Myss (author of Archetypes, and Sacred Circles) would say that "Nervous Nell" Michelle Distler's predominant archetype is Damsel in Distress. And Victim. Volunteers who quit grew tired of her crying uncontrollably as they drove her to campaign door to door. Her major financial donors quit writing checks. Long time supporters for up to three decades describe her as whining to anyone who will listen---to her litany of unlikely-to-occur concerns.

Residents are already tired of Distler's mayoral overreach and machinations. True, she won by a large margin. Perhaps because her opponent, Stephanie Meyer, (the champion of 'Meyer-Lago', the hugely failed community center) was an overbearing socialist.

Last Monday, council members debated the legal rescue of Mayor Damsel, tweaking the rules for electing their chairman. They agreed this might take a few weeks,. But what did Distler ask? "What if it takes until June? " She generally paints a negative objection. The worst case scenario.

One imagines that if you have close secret relationships with members of your city's Public Safety staff, (whose budget you control), one could get in the habit of expecting the worst possible outcomes or situations. Hey, that is the mindset, the default mental setting, of men whose job is public safety.

Famed politico who elected Mayor Charles Wheeler, Jerry Jette, used to illustrate paranoic concerns by saying, "What if the President married a gorilla? That COULD happen...."

See also: Tracy's other blog, www.KcmoPost.com

They don't call it UNIFIED for nothing. UG judge kicks Schlitterbahn case.Protects his own tribe from culpability. I predict Loser AG Derek Schmidt does not refile, just "lets it SLIDE"

2019-02-22T19:16:00.001-06:00

I am pissed.

And since I am the one who gave Tony Botello at TonysKansasCity.com the breaking news tip about the DECAPITATION of young Caleb Schwab, I must follow up on today's news, that Judge Burns dismissed the three big cases against the management and designers of the Verruckt water slide at Schlitterbahn in Wyandotte County.

What did you expect? Too awkward to allow testimony by other county employees if their malfeasance and design shenanigans were partly at fault.

The AG's prosecutorial team gave the judge the perfect cover for dismissal. They made classic novice errors with the evidence they showed to the grand jury. Any fool who ever watched Perry Mason or Ally McBeal or LA Law knows that. Oh I miss those shows. And yes,
And yes, cue the music now! Law & Order...

Ks AG Derek Schmidt is incompetent. (Or was this a "wink and a nod" deal, one government giving cover to another??

This was not a frivolous case. It was an awkward one. Wrapped up nice and tidy with a dismissal, from early wildly incompetent prosecution, by our AG. (Who other than being cross eyed, looks exactly like the smug actor in the National car rental ads.)


"Choose any attorney whose never prosecuted a Murder 2 case...and go!

Derek had never tried a Murder 2 case. He wanted to keep the case in house, (ego) so was assisted by an equally inexperienced asst. AG. He clearly should have referred it out.

One must remember, the reason it was not handled, as it should have been, by the Wyandotte County's DA was--
a. The experienced guy retired or lost his election. 30 years experience, gone.

b. The new DA had zero experience and booted it up to the state.
    (In volleyball, that's called an "assist".) At least he was smart enough to know to do that!

c. After all, Wyandotte County, the UG,was at least half responsible for the DECAPITATION
of Caleb Schwab, because their Gang of Five--a committee of men appointed with zero credentials to the trumped up Wyandotte County Design Review Committee.
Men without training in design sat around a table over sammiches--and said, roughly, "We gotta show some control over these cocky Texas assholes. Not just rubber stamp their plan. So howsabout we make em put a net over the slide, and hold that in place with some metal HOOPS! Pass the BBQ sauce and I need another brewsky.

d. (One of the five was some sort of planner, but not credentialed in slide engineering. )
But the other four were just the usual Dotheads, including the obligatory guy from the most corrupt utility in America, the BPU.)    As my futurist friend, Fritz Maffrey calls such dolts, the "prancing Dilberts of Downtown."

d1. Sadly, even the great Steve Vockrodt at the KCStar, never reported the names of the five.   The STAR should have sued for that info. But the only time recently they've hired an attorney was last month --to defend THEMSELVES! re Sen. Jim Denning's defamation case regarding the hatchet job column by defrocked liar/columnist Steve Rose...the Jesse Smollett of Johnson County. When his first story didn't bring down Denning, he concocted another, claiming to be The Victim. (to be continued.)

and now back to Schlitterbahn:
e. It is an obvious logical explanation and fact that it was the UG designed and mandated hoops that decapitated Caleb.
f. And then it was the UG mandated netting that held the head up there for hours
and had to be cut down. Caleb's mom did not even notice, she was so traumatized, seeing her son's (headless) BODY lying on the tarmac. I know this from a police officer there, sworn
to secrecy.

g. So how could the county prosecute itself? Duh, they couldn't...and wouldn't. The county administrator would not allow it.   But again, Vockrodt couldn't get him on the record, or get in the damn building to interview him.

h. And how could the UG police department report or testify their own bosses, as witnesses?????--county administration in charge of their budget?

h1: And why should the judge expose fellow UG staffers to being cross-examined? Why have a jury be forced to decide which percentage of fault was the UG Design Review Team, vs the mistakes made by Jeff Henry, the co-designer and tyler the manager who could not seem to train high school kids to put the fat ladies in front.

h2. Better to dismiss charges early. A wink and a nod among governments that must work together on so much more. Blame it on hapless Derek Schmidt, slap him on the back and say, "Sorry, buddy. You lost a tough case, and the UG dodged a bullet."

i. THIS WAS A COMPLETE CLUSTERFUCK.

j. And the news media still refuses to report the truth, it was a DECAPITATION! Not an "accident", it was totally preventable. Designed and mismanaged to fail.

Fear of losing future ad revenues from a huge summertime client. Had this crime happened in the inner city, the cold brutal facts would have been immediately reported. Just last week, a former TV5 producer now the social manager for Shawnee, told me management still maintains it was "out of respect" for the family. Fake news.

And it was not --as the UG police officer told Ch. 9--"a serious neck injury." Jesus. Who knew that Pinocchio was a cop for the UG??

k. No, Schlitterbahn and your attorneys, with your sanctimonious spin today--
While it WAS a tragedy, it was ALSO a crime. Which your clients escaped being convicted of. Because the final crime was the incompetent legal prosecution team by our state.

If this were sports, bettors might say you THREW THE GAME. Is Derek Schmidt that fucking stupid? After all, he misfiled the case initially, under a corporate name that did not exist. Or did he do this on purpose?

Caleb Schwab's family will never know.

Takeaways:
I am grateful that Scott Schwab's family got some closure with their private settlement.

I am embarrassed for the citizens of Kansas. The AG, Derek Schmidt, has clearly been outed as inexperienced--and lacking the basic judgment to REALIZE his limitations, and thus cheat the family and the citizens of Kansas from real justice.

He doesn't cut his own hair, change the oil in his car, or manage his own website.
AG Derek Schmidt, a simpleton Topeka attorney used to fixing tickets, should have known he needed an experienced attorney to prosecute these cases.

Shame. Shame. Shame.

I'd also add:
Carl Cornwell is a fine, fine defense attorney if you are ever charged with a major crime.

I don't know the other defense attorneys--forget their names. They too did a great job for their despicable clients, but it was Carl Cornwell who gets the win for Jeff Henry.

Who I hope gets a big sentence in Joco for his other pending charge.

Jeff Henry is the OJ Simpson of Schlitterbahn. He got away with murder 2.
BTW, despicable is not a defamatory thing to say about Jeff Henry. The truth is its own defense.

I did have to laugh when Jeff Henry was caught drugging and whoring around as he was in Joco. Defense attorneys have a challenge trying to control their sociopathic and reckless clients. He's self-destructive. Again, just like OJ.

Do I think the state of Kansas will refile these cases? No. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome.--who said that? TKC intellectuals, please weigh in.

AG Derek Schmidt could not possibly take enough remedial law seminars or crash courses in How to Prosecute a Murder 2 Case to refile.
He might as well just let is SLIDE.
(Gallows humor intended.)
The next time there is a major murder case in Kansas, I hope a future AG will have the balls and the wisdom-- it takes both, (male or female) to refer the case out, to an experienced professional.

No More Taxes Shawnee on FB leads growing opposition to Shawnee Community Center. Alerts SOS Scott Schwab to Three Monkeys ballot wording deceptions that violate Consumer Protection Act.

2019-02-22T16:15:00.000-06:00

The City of Shawnee is obsessed with keeping up with Lenexa.


Have you seen that new ladidah Rec Center at 87th & Renner in Lenexa? Let's raise our property taxes in Shawnee 52%, and build something two thirds as large, with half as many party rooms, as close as possible to Legends Outlet Mall!!! Just don't tell the deets on the May 21 ballot!

To the point of jamming in deceptive, incorrect, evasive and misleading ballot wording to approve a $54 million Shawnee Community Center on May 21. But just saying it costs $38 million.

DO THE MATH 1:
$2.7 million a year
x 20 for the FIRST 20 years, (remember, in never sunsets, but let's start there) is
=============
$54 million.

But the ballot says $38 million.

Did you ever buy a car, a house, a piece of particle board white trash furniture from Nebraska Furniture Mart?


Big Louie works you over in round 1--for your monthly payment. And then round 2, Horace says, "Don't forget the rust proofing!

There's INTEREST. Which must be disclosed, or the seller has violated the 2018 AG Consumer Protection Act. Now why in hell doesn't Tyler Ellsworth, the toddler lawyer and the Shawnee Council KNOW that and disclose it in the ballot??

Here are some of the violations that No More Taxes Shawnee on FB, led by tax cutting cougar, Tracy Thomas, spotted as she prowled through that Consumer Protection Act and the ridiculously vague seven line mail-in ballot as worded by Tyler Ellsworth, the "toddler lawyer" (3 1/2 years since he passed the bar), Shawnee's D list bond counsel, Kutak Rock.

Tracy shared them Friday with Scott Schwab's office, he's our new Secretary of State, since Kris Kobach left that office, lost for governor, and is now somewhere Building That Wall.

There is still plenty of time to amend the BALLOT WORDING, so it is not what I have just realized is a violation of the KS AG's Consumer Protection Act of 2018:

50-626, G2: oral and written representation of:

1. Exaggeration

2. Falsehood

3. innuendo and

4: Ambiguity as to a material fact.

G3: suppression or omission of a material fact. For example: Violations re 50-626: It's $54 million, not $38 million. Interest over 20 years must be stated.

It's unprecedented for a city to be so broke they must also FINANCE DAILY OPERATIONS, WAY BEYOND CONSTRUCTION COSTS! 17 FT Park employees, when only 12 were added to the police department this year.

50-626G8: a transaction that involves unrevealed obligations. 1. Will never be self-sustaining, even new, before it requires repairs and maintenance.

2.No Sunset of the mill levy property tax (they could, but refuse to)

3.No EARMARK of the mill levy property tax (they could but refuse to)-- which tells you that just like Merriam, they will repurpose, redesign or do something completely different, after we vote. It's a BLANK CHECK. Expected to also set the mill levy higher in July than their propaganda-- which is illegal electioneering. More violations of Ks. Consumer Protection Act of 2018, due to this deliberately vague ballot wording:

50-627b1: took advantage of inability of the consumer to understand the language of an agreement. (eg calling it $38 million when it's $54 million.)


Where's the damn calculator when I need it, Mickey?

50-627b2: The price grossly exceeded the price at which similar property or services were readily obtainable. (eg Lenexa Rec. Center and new Joco pool, more conveniently located. Without paying $54 million, plus fees.)


I can't walk to the mailbox, on Nieman and 69th. I have no use for this, can't use it or afford to build it for others.

50-627b3: Consumer unable to receive a material benefit. eg too far away, cannot use due to age, health, transportation.

50-627b4: No reasonable probability of payment of the obligation IN FULL by the consumer. eg admittedly never self sustaining, even before it's not new.

50-627b5: The supplier (City) induced the consumer to enter into something excessively one-sided...in favor of supplier. (staff is so jealous of Lenexa, want their "own", even tho location is bad, too close to Wyco which has no rec centers, only 2 party rooms when Lenexa has 4, too much space allocated to sports, not enough community use.)

50627b6: The supplier (City) made a misleading statement of opinion--on which the consumer was likely to rely to the consumer's detriment. eg: won't commit to actual property tax mill levy increase. Because city is ignoring 2017 Ks. Tax Lid Bill, giving voters the sole power to raise mill levy.

City intends to set mill levy at WHATEVER THEY CHOOSE, in July budget meeting. Guesstimates of $7.36 are not fact. They are teaser rates.

This is illegal, it's electioneering. Unprecedented.

The city is desperate to compete with Lenexa. City trying to put speculative memo in the same envelope--or print on same page as evasive 7 line ballot wording.

Even trying to con the county Election Commissioner into signing it!! Non-binding, Metsker is a TV evangelist from the last century, not a lawyer, propaganda to hoodwink the voters.

All before the March county appraiser letters increase our property valuations dramatically. eg a house for $160k going to $200k, because small homes are in great demand. Keep reading: No More Taxes Shawnee on FB And when you read, anywhere, that the "cost is $38 million", challenge that online paper (ShawneeMissionPost.com, or TV 9 reporter or TV4 reporter, or council member or Julie Breithaupt, city social director, here on Nextdoor.

That is FALSE and MISLEADING. Might be the cost to a millionnaire buying a bond, but just like a car or a house that you finance, the actual total cost to the homeowner MUST legally state the interest. And the term of the loan. But this never sunsets. Total of $54 million plus future operating losses. Make your council members correct the ballot wording.

For more information, see No More Taxes Shawnee on FB
as well as our sister blog, www.KcmoPost.com

The 9 wording amendments to Shawnee's community center May 21 tax hike ballot--to avoid what TKC dubbed the Shawnee Swindle

2019-02-13T09:57:00.000-06:00

All We are Saying is Give FACTS a Chance!!!!

There's still time. Call your council reps and the Mayor. (numbers on city web site.) AND forward this to all, as an email: governingbody@cityofshawnee.org.

Amend the May 21 mail-in ballot wording. Give the facts!

Say what it is, and what it is not. That's the only way to be honest. And let voters make a truly INFORMED decision.

This will eliminate the need for any "inserts" or never before allowed memo/speculations or illustrations/and non-binding verbiage-- by Election Commissioner Ronnie Metsker, or Mayor Michelle Distler, or anyone else.

1. That the property tax increase has no sunset.

2. And cannot be repurposed in the future, once the GO bonds are paid off, for any new or different project. For Parks and Rec or any other department.

3. That $38 million does not contain the interest that will be paid to bond holders/investors since that will not be known until the bonds are sold.

4. That IF the mill levy is set, in July at 2.919 mills, to purchase a proposed 20 year bond, that current projections do not forecast this center ever being self sustaining.

5. The council maintains that it alone has the right to approve mill levy increases, not the public. As a currently allowable exception to the 2017 Ks. Tax Lid Bill.

6. If the council determines each year that it will require a higher mill levy than the guesstimate of 2.919 mills per year for building and maintaining operation of this one community center, at 61st and Woodland and nowhere else, Council reserves the right to raise that subsection of the mill levy, without another public vote...earmarked only to this specific project.

7. The Council maintains the option, however, of dipping into the General Fund as needed, possibly affecting funds for police and fire and other necessities.

8. This proposal calls for the City to hire and provide ongoing employee benefits to 17 new FT employees of Parks and Recreation.

9. There are no provisions herein for off duty security police officers or the payment thereof from this or any other known source.

=========================================================

It took two weeks of browbeating the staff and council to get them to at least say on the ballot: This will be funded by a property tax increase.

Was that so hard??? But how much, and for how long?

And truly, if it operates in the red, as predicted by their own "Owner's Rep Team", if they set the mill levy too low, remember--$38 million DOES NOT COVER INTEREST!!!--it will also dip into the General Fund. Can't you JUST tell the truth? About this "want" that is not a "need"?

That wording concession was snuck in AFTER the meeting packet was put online. at Friday's deadline.

Perhaps at their offsite weekend "planning" meeting of the council--off the record, with no minutes?? And no reporters??

Once a tax is increased, unless you sunset it, it goes on forever.

LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE--AFTER YOU TELL THEM WHAT THIS REALLY ENTAILS.

Stay in touch:

Follow FB page: No More Taxes Shawnee

And read www.KcmoPost, and www.TonysKansasCity.com

Shawnee Council accused of FISCAL FOLLY for Taj Mahal community center, by bus. exec/humanitarian David Williams

2019-02-10T11:37:00.000-06:00

The proposed Shawnee Community Center (a $38 million Taj Mahal rival to eternal rival Lenexa's rec center) is in serious trouble.


Shawnee, always trying to be Lenexa, wants to build a Taj Mahal $38 million rec center in far western Shawnee. Which will end up being the new urban teen hangout for unmentioned northern neighbor, Wyandotte County). Funded by a $15 a month property tax that never sunsets. (also not mentioned in ballot.)

Public opposition is suddenly speaking up, angry and motivated to stop a hearing and ballot order, 7pm Mon. Feb. 11 at Shawnee City Hall, Johnson Drive and Nieman. The Shawnee Community Center (a proposed $38 million to $52 million Taj Mahal rival to eternal rival Lenexa's more convenient new rec center) is in serious trouble.

This morning the entire Shawnee Council received this letter from David Williams, a respected business exec and humanitarian from Ward 4. (The same ward where Mickey Sandifer, who supports SCC to the point of breaking the law in saying "Vote Yes", is running for re-election.)

If the public cannot attend Mon. Feb 11 at Shawnee City Hall, when this will be put on a proposed May 21 mail-in ballot, after a short public hearing,they are encouraged to email their opinions to: governingbody@cityofshawnee.org

From: David Williams <dndwilliams1@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Feb 10, 2019 at 8:14 AM
Subject: Proposed Community Center
To: governingbody@cityofshawnee.org <governingbody@cityofshawnee.org>

Shameful - Shameful - Just Per Shameful!

The City of Shawnee has over $144 Million dollars of Capital Improvement projects on the books currently. Many of these projects have been delayed multiply times due to complications with funding. The council is taking on a folly that is the worst use of taxpayers funds ever heard of.

If I was planning on continuing my career as a council member or seek higher office I would think long and hard about taking an average of $200 a year forever out of every taxpayer’s pocket on a folly like this. You could be the next Kevin Yoder! Just to be like the JONES. One of the main Capital Improvement Project that I have seen delayed and delayed because of financial reasons has been the Monticello Road Project. A project that I have given up on of even being completed. A project that would not only improve traffic flow, improve safety, and gain access for the residents to access the trails system. It would also bring development of homes and in turn bring more tax dollars to Shawnee. I would have thought our council would be interested in the big picture on how to improve revenue by increasing residents not just fleecing the ones they have.

History:

One of the reasons given by the council was the recession on 2008, which I agree was bad for the community. Well I think you might want to consider the following information before promoting a new $38 Million dollar loser. Yes, I have heard that the council can not promote but there are some of you that are promoting this folly.

National Economy Outlook:

Chief executives are concerned for another recession in 2019!

On Monday, January 21, 2019 the International Monetary Fund cut its global growth predictions for this year and next, saying “the balance of risks remains skewed to the downside” and momentum is “past its peak.”

Chief executives ranked a global recession as their number one concern for 2019, according to a survey of nearly 800 top business leaders around the world released Thursday by The Conference Board. Global trade threats came in second. Even consumers, who power the U.S. economy, are on edge. Consumer confidence has fallen to the lowest level of Trump’s presidency, according to the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment survey out Friday.

As for the Community Center Project. Shame on anyone on the council that votes to move this forward to the voters with a mail in ballot process. I was able to attend both “Open Houses” in January and shame on the council members that were there if you vote to bring this to the voters. With less than 50 individuals at each presentation it should give you the message. Please don’t say it was because of the weather, it was not that bad either day. It tells me that the majority of Shawnee taxpayers are NOT interested in this tax drain. OR - OR - The Project has not been communicated well enough and taxpayers are unaware of what the council is proposing.

Shame:

It was shameful that a taxpayer had to search out individuals to ask what was the estimated cost to the taxpayer. No one had name and position tags to identify them. Maybe this was the plan. Shame on the presentation with all the FLUFF & SIZZLE and NO facts or figures posted anywhere. Being in sales for over 40 years I can see FLUFF & SIZZLE when I see it. Shame on the council as the message of this proposal really hasn’t gotten out to the majority of taxpayers. Depending on digital media isn’t cutting it. The taxpayers don’t really know what is going to hit them with a tax increase and for how long (forever).

A property tax of this magnitude will make Shawnee one of the heaviest taxed cities in Johnson County and maybe the state.

It is shameful that you our trusted officials would invest in a project that will run in the RED forever ($200,000) never paying for it’s own operation.

More staff, not police or fire?

By adding 17 more full time employees with benefits this negative spending will grow year over year. And the real shame of it all they don’t have to be residents of Shawnee. They can go spend their salaries in other cities. I have never seen a legal business operate in the red and survive long.

* Shame on the council member voting on doing a project that will compete with tax paying

private industry.

* Cut the losses and sell the property.

* Sell the property and speed up completion of some of the other Capital Improvement Projects.

David Williams

Resident Ward 4

David Williams is currently in Puerto Rico rebuilding homes for hurricane victims.

He may be reached via email, dndwilliams1@gmail.com

The council email to Mayor Michelle Distler and all 8 Councilmen and women, is governingbody@cityofshawnee.org

If the public cannot attend Mon. Feb 11 at Shawnee City Hall, 7pm, Johnson Drive and Nieman, when this will be put on a proposed May 21 mail-in ballot, they may mail their opinions to: governingbody@cityofshawnee.org

Here are other concerns:
(not expressed by David Williams. By others on No More Taxes Shawnee.)

* a want rather than a need

* too far west location

* the next youth hangout for idle Wyandotte County teens, @ 72 cents/day. cheaper

than a babysitter

* funding shenanigans

* a non-disclosed property tax hike THAT NEVER SUNSETS

* violation and thumbing their nose at the 2017 Ks. Tax Lid Law

* secret plans by council to raise the tax even higher in July to $15 a month from $7.36

stated on vague ballot

* illegal electioneering by Council and staff, including Park Board director Neil Holman,

and Ward 4 Councilman Mickey Sandifer. Staff and council are only allowed to

"educate and inform", not advocate, eg say "Vote Yes".

* And now even an election controversy involving a non-binding legalese "faux

endorsement" by Joco's beleaguered election commissioner, Ronnie Metsker,

are being exposed.

You may also read and leave comments on a new FB page:

No More Taxes Shawnee

See related stories on www.KcmoPost.com

Jeff Henry. Druggie. In bankruptcy court. Now out on bail for Murder2 charges in death of Caleb Schwab. Read his brag to governor about the wobbly slide.

2018-04-04T12:41:00.001-05:00

Jeff Henry the designer of Verruckt, had drug problems...as reported by Dail Mail in the UK!

Jeff Henry, in front, with his brother Gary and his Dad.
Photo supplied by Jeff Henry to Grantland.com.

and wait till the jury gets to read this from Grantland.com, the Wet Stuff interview:
Read the entire Wet Stuff interview here.

Thanks to Grantland.com, and author Bryan Curtis and photographer Kevin Cooley. Great reporting!

Here's an excerpt where Henry displays his ability to make the former governor uncomfortable AND brag about how the slide feels unstable...

“Feel the shaking tower?” Jeff Henry, the designer, asked.

Sam Brownback, the governor, said, “I thought it felt like it was a little …”

“It wobbles,” Henry said.

The designer had a slightly wild look in his eyes. Without the slide, you might have thought Brownback was introducing an aggrieved rancher fighting the feds over grazing rights.

Travel Channel cameras were shadowing Henry for a documentary. “I’m not really a designer anymore,” he told Brownback. “I’m an actor.

Jeff Henry and Kansas governor Sam Brownback, 17 stories above the plains.

Great reporting by KSHB41: Schlitterbahn now $30 million in debt. Question: did Caleb Schwab's family get their $20 million Cash In Advance??

2018-03-30T08:53:00.002-05:00

Great reporting! KSHBTV41 re Schlitterbahn bankruptcy

Check out that brown water at 1:00 into the video. The audio then mentions a golf course, but the video is brown water, a bathing area clearly surrounded by white recliners.

Talk about a Shitty Bathing Experience.

Kudos to Channel 41--very seldom do TV stations report on bankruptcies.

Warning to families this Easter weekend:
I'd think twice about telling the kiddoes you're taking them to Schlitterbahn on opening day, May 25.

If your kid, grandkid or you have an accident at the KCK Schlitterbahn this summer, just how much confidence should a prudent adult have that the park has any paid-up insurance to treat broken bones, twisted backs or bacterial infections???

Is there a release that you sign upon entering??? Responsible adults need to think ahead and do some homework before waltzing into a potentially life-altering situation. Kids just wanna have fun. And their brains are not fully developed to assess possible consequences.

warning to families!
Before you buy season passes to Schlitterbahn, (without Verruckt, the Tower of Death and Decapitation--as co-designed and mandated by the unindicted Wyandotte County UG Design Review Committee goons), stroll thru these pics and stories from unrelated Action Park NJ

There are a whole lot of white trash kids who are thrill seekers. They actually glorify danger and getting injured at water parks. Of course then our hospitals treat them, on the taxpayer's dime. The bragging by these not-very-bright amped up kids in these Buzzfeed videos is disgusting and alarming.

And here's my question for the local news or STAR to investigate:
Was Caleb Schwab's family paid the $19.7 million out of court settlement by a reputable bonded insurance company?

Cash in advance? How did it go down??? Respectfully and legit?? Or did manic scruffy nose-wiping-in-court Jeff Henry take the toothpick out of his filthy mouth and scratch his lice before setting down his beer before shaking Scott Schwab's hand and handing him a crumpled check? Saying, "Sorry, dude. I got this."

Nothing can make up for the loss of a child. But if the Schwab family, including House Speaker pro tem Scott Schwab, candidate for Secretary of State, is hoping to start a foundation to honor Caleb's life, will that funding actually be there? Or just wash out like the fetid pond down in Corpus Christi, Texas?

Inquiring AG's want to know.

And note to Winter Prosapio, gum-snapping Communications Director/PR cowgirl--
considering all you know, feel free to turn whistleblower, for the sake of that dead child. You know in your heart, this was an incident, not an accident. Connect the dots. Do you actually think you will retire from the Henry family organization with a FUNDED PENSION??? Get out while ya can, girl. Try to salvage your reputation. Don't be the Texas version of Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

There is a God. Jeff Henry, the loser inventor of Verruckt at Schlitterbahn, also arrested re Caleb Schwab's decapitation!

2018-03-26T17:32:00.000-05:00

Schlitterbahn co-owner arrested in Texas in connection with 10-year-old's water slide death
http://via.fox4kc.com/S6lRy

Jeff Henry. I hope you rot in hell.
You dreamed up the water slide.
You named it "insane" in German.
But you were the insane one, to endanger the public.
You built it too fast.
You and your buddy didn't even know what you were doing.
You had no training, ignored advice from a local Structural Engineer.
You covered up all the problems.
You endangered many lives.
You are responsible for Caleb Schwab being decapitated.
I THINK AFTER THIS, the trial,
the state of Kansas should order Schlitterbahn to leave the state.
Not just tear down the slide.
But bulldoze the entire water park you and your greedy family built.

Shawnee City Council hurls addl. $6 million (total of $31 million incentives) to John Petersen of Polsinelli--for the non-luxury apartments at 75 and Quivira. Woohoo--530 more customers for Walgreen's, Starbucks and 2 drive-ins!

2017-12-19T16:25:00.002-06:00

With two lone holdouts, (Eric Jenkins and Mike Kemmling), the Shawnee City Council heard the angel voices and fell on their knees the week of Christmas, at the feet of John D. Petersen, the king of kings of real estate giveaways and incentives.

In fact, the council added $6 million in giveaways since the public hearing a month ago!!!--up from $25 million to $31 million!!!

Smug, handsome and very very rich:
the head pimp of Polsinelli's
Real Estate Division...
John D. Petersen, with an E.
for EXTRA Helpings of taxpayer subsidy.
Including the addl. $6 million bump since LAST month's
Shawnee Council's public hearing,
from $25 million to $31 million.When he cashes in, (flips Westbrooke Green to someone else,
even another subsidized apartment complex owner, think Section 8 with a fountain out front next to two drive-in restaurants)
since he customarily takes 10% of each real estate deal,
that's $3.1 million. Not bad for a night's work
charming Mayor Michelle Distler and six of her elves.

Name that gummint giveway, and Polsinelli's Petersen delivered the bag of goodies
(This list is 3 years old, there have been dozens more since then.)

I told the Council last night, I am embarassed for them.
They've given away 22 years of free police and free fire and free street maintenance--to a man who will do whatever he likes, and if he changes his plans, they don't have the courage to do anything about it.

I cited a previous client, the Oz Project. According to the late great Finn Bullers at the Star, it was Petersen who instructed his client to STOP PAYMENT ON A $400,000 EARNEST MONEY CHECK. And the county did nothing about it.

The vote was deliberately scheduled to avoid neighbor attendance, for Dec. 18--the LAST MEETING as 3 of 8 councilmen are leaving the council, presumably fat with their campaign contributions. Westbrooke Green (530 ho-hum apartments at 75th and Quivira, $1100 a month compared to $800 Section 8 all around it) with a fountain, some Stairmasters and two drive-in restaurants) to "drive more folks to shop at the existing Walgreens" (to quote defeated/departing/but too beholden and chicken to let the next council decide this, Councilman Brandon Koenig).

Mayor Michelle Distler--the Sly James of Shawnee
Not the sharpest tool in the drawer.
Married to a man who sharpens scissors for a living.

At the very last minute, Mayor Michelle Distler got all curious and giddy! She asked her crack staff, "Does anyone even KNOW what it costs to have the city [and its taxpayers, presumably], respond to a police report, a break-in, a robbery, a fire?"

Crickets.

Then she reprimanded the audience for not bringing these objections or concerns up earlier!

I was gobsmacked, as was Ray Ehrlichman, the perpetual citizen who attends every meeting, and blogs as Shawnee Ray.

How can the mayor not be concerned about what she gavelled into existence--a 22 year giveaway of free services--for some apartments that are absolutely 100% NOT 'luxury' apartments??? (The real luxury ones are downtown OP for $1800. Even the 80th & Metcalf new ones at $1500 a month describe themselves as vanilla, bare bones.)

This Shawnee Council sold out for cheap.
Of the six voting yes, most accepted campaign contributions from Petersen, his son, Curt and co-horts, of around $500 this year. One or more took $1000. However, the public will not know till after Jan. 10 when the reports are due at Jocoelection.org. The election board then reports to Ks. Ethics Commission.

Used car dealer, departing but voting Councilman defeated in August,
"The Arrogant One", Jeff Vaught.
Not too smart. $250 contribution offset by $240 fine for delayed report.

We do know that Jeff Vaught (aka The Arrogant One, per Shawnee Ray's blog) held up HIS required report from Aug. 2017 to Dec. 12, just to keep prying eyes from seeing that Curt Petersen, John's son, donated $250. The delay resulted in a penalty of $240!!!

And if there were ANY last minute contributions, after the August primary which Vaught lost, then he will be subject to up to a $5000 fine.
Because--when you're late reporting, you can't take any last minute payoffs!

It's a pain in the ass to read campaign contribution reports here
Hint: click on Media tab (don't ask why) then two more clicks, then takes forever to lookey loo at some eyeball graphic.

What does it cost to buy a City Councilman's vote?
And what can a real estate developer expect in return?
John D. Petersen might easily net $3.1 million, (his 10% of a deal where he didn't even invest one dollar.)
Plus of course his hourly rate, of at least $500 an hour. That is, if he actually builds what he proposed last night, which I seriously doubt. More on that in a future post, here or on my sister blog, www.kcmopost.com.

By comparison, when John Petersen raised the money to elect Annabeth Surbaugh as the first chairman of the BOCC (Johnson County Commission) he raised $40,000 for her war chest.

The KCMO Council charges a bit more for their votes. Just ask Burns&Mac, AECOM, and Edgemoor.

Shawnee Mission School Board race--afraid to discuss the two elephants in the room--(bussing and overpaid admin)--which is how Blue Valley is costing SM middle class homeowners $30 grand in resale value

2017-10-31T22:15:00.000-05:00

The northern half of Johnson County (SMSD) is on the verge of making the same disastrous community-destroying mistake KCMO did 50 years ago--sacrificing the middle class to rescue and prop up latchkey apartment kids.

Heather Ousley is willing to bus this boy to force him to teach English
to apartment kids whose parents won't speak it.

If liberal labor activist Dems Heather Ousley and Laura Guy are elected to SM school board, will our district become like KCMO's? Including bussing, namecalling and finger-pointing union fights on nightly newscasts?

"Johnson County niceness" is preventing the Nov. 7 school board candidates from telling voters the truth: Blue Valley is kicking our ass on test scores.

When you go to sell your home, the price of your home in Shawnee Mission District could easily drop $30,000! You will have FEWER BUYERS. You will lose out to Blue Valley.

Ultra-liberal union organizers, including Dems Heather Ousley and Laura Guy are using their "aw shucks" Cheshire cat smiles and Peter Pan collars to infiltrate the SM School Board. But make no mistake--their political leanings show they would be much happier living in Westport or KC's Hispanic West Side.

From Heather Ousley's Facebook. She is not in tune with the average Johnson County homeowner and voter.
She's a lovely woman--but wants to play Bernie Sanders' social engineering games with your biggest investment,
your home. She'd bus your kid to rescue illegal immigrants.

Nobody wants to mention these facts. Intellectually we are ALL committed to "diversity" and "quality education for all". To a point. But if an unwieldy number of kids don't speak English (like 28% in Shawanoe Elementary--whose immigrant parents oppose "assimilation"), then middle class families in MY neighborhood have to fork over thousands for private school tuition, over and above the $14,000 per pupil we spend on every child in Kansas. Or they vote with their wallet, and move out south.

I know of 17 kids in my HOA--who either are home-schooled or attend Good Shepherd across the street, or Maranatha Academy, or Adventist, or Padre Pio. Why? They're tired of their kids being ignored in crowded public school classrooms --and used as free teachers' assistants. Middle class kids of average intelligence, used as pawns. And the bright ones? Completely ignored.

(Whereas Padre Pio, whose tuition is $3595 per year, runs away with ALL the STEM awards!)
So clearly, money is not the only solution. It's less overpaid administrator bullies. More teachers in the classroom. But also teaching values, not just teaching to the test.

NOBODY RUNNING FOR SCHOOL BOARD WANTS TO DISCUSS IT.
NOT EVEN HEATHER OUSLEY, THE VERY LIBERAL DEMOCRAT BACKED BY TRI-COUNTY LABOR COUNCIL and the NEA.

1. If union organizer/ultra-liberal Dem Heather Ousley is elected, take her at her word. The eventual result will be bussing of middle class kids to prop up the test scores of disadvantaged kids.

She's already said as much in the debate two weeks ago: "I refuse to allow any disadvantaged school to have any more disadvantaged kids assigned to it." So even if the Title 1 (free school lunch) school is surrounded by a growing number of subsidized apartments--what's the outcome? She's committed to bussing in higher achievers. Gerrymandered districts. Using our kids to artificially serve as teachers' assistants in crowded classrooms. And prop up test scores.

Did homeowners learn NOTHING from Judge Clark and KCMO's disaster than led to massive flight to Johnson County?

2. Meanwhile, 82% of all VOTERS, who are older, do not have kids in K-12. They moved to Joco for the good schools and--LONG TERM-- to build and preserve the value of their biggest asset: their home.

FACT: We are losing out to Blue Valley district. Huge migration of families. It's undisputed.

Up first: Replacing the disgraced bully, Jim Hinson, the former SMSD superintendent who had the affair (and DUI?) with the married school board President who hired him. He gave a giant contract to her daughter's boss to manage the district's benefits. He was a despot who skirted Open Meetings. He did not allow any "negativity" to be discussed at board meetings.

The current board rubberstamped everything he demanded. Meeting in diads in secret, in violation of KORA, to achieve a "wink and nod" consent agenda. Puppets. Who propped up outrageous admin salaries. Shame on them.

What we need: People commited to change rather than headline grabbing. With the quiet resolve to:
1. Slash administrative costs.
2. Put more teachers in the classroom.
3. Without bussing or turning the district into another battleground like KCMO's school board is.

I am voting for Mandi Serrone Hunter, at large, and against "Hanoi Heather" Ousley.

Hunter is a moderate Republican. A real estate attorney with high scores in her career--so she "gets" that in Johnson County, we have mastered the teeter totter--an artful balance between social values and property values.
Mandi Hunter, daughter of beloved Lenexa Councilman Lou Serrone, uses discretion when she speaks in public-- but beneath her smile is a velvet hammer.

Hunter is resolved to restoring Shawnee Mission to competitive greatness. An excellent education for all. Without bussing or discord. Not whining and lobbying before the cameras about a magic bullet of millions more in taxes--but a much smarter allocation of the money we already give our school board.

Whereas Heather Ousley is a publicity seeker. She "walked 60 miles to Topeka". That's clearly a stunt. Half crazy. Fell into the arms of her hubbie, a state rep, Jarrod Ousley. In the primary, didn't we just get RID of Cindy Neighbor, another know-it-all convinced we needed her as both a state rep and on the school board??

Mandi Hunter is smart. Her style is to work behind the scenes for concensus and improvement. But she does not buy into that liberal babble-speak that simply handing millions more over to the contentious NEA will make OUR district work any better than KCMO, which is the world's longest Model Cities rumpus room in America.

The SMSD is rotten at the TOP, not the middle. We can't afford to let the NEA union organizers (Ousley and Laura Guy) turn the northern half of Johnson County into a real estate war zone.

"Hanoi Heather" Ousley is Dangerous Union Organizer Who Will Ruin SM School Board, Gerrymander Boundaries and Deputize Our Kids as Junior Social Justice Warriors! Vote instead for Mandi Hunter.

2017-10-24T15:21:00.001-05:00

Homeowners beware--a civil rights Snowflake Attorney, "Hanoi Heather" Ousley is running at large for SM School District Nov. 7. She promised at last weekend's ShawneeMissionPost debate NEVER to allow disadvantaged school's boundaries to permit higher income/achieving kids to leave that school. (debate is linked at bottom.)

"Hanoi Heather" Ousley is as tone deaf as Jane Fonda was, when she was a traitor to the US in VietNam.

"Hanoi Heather" Ousley wants to play politics with Joco's biggest investments--our homes--through gerrymandering school boundaries. She promised Sat. at the debate-- to handcuff smart affluent kids into artificially inflating school test scores. That includes MY neighborhood school, Shawanoe at 75th & Nieman in Shawnee. It's smack dab in the growing heart of subsidized apartments, (formerly called Section 8) for citizens and illegal immigrants alike. At Shawanoe, 28% of the kids speak 17 OTHER LANGUAGES THAN ENGLISH! And school board candidate Heather Ousley is willing to handcuff and dragoon our little kids into being teacher's assistant--to teach English to kids at Shawanoe. Meanwhile, many other children are not getting much attention, because we all know, class sizes in Shawnee Mission schools are too large.

This social engineering experiment failed miserably in KCMO. Did we learn nothing??
Despite statements and inferences from Hanoi Heather and another socialist/union candidate, Laura Guy, students do not "learn better" in a school that is excessively diverse. They made that up.

Using kids as unwilling pawns for social engineering is WRONG.
Using GERRYMANDERING of district boundaries for cavalier social experiments and manipulation of test scores is UNETHICAL AND HIGHLY DESTRUCTIVE TO MAINTAINING PROPERTY VALUES!

None of this would be an issue in the more prosperous Blue Valley School District in southern Johnson County--because they don't have Title 1 low income schools. All those kids walk to their neighborhood school. That's why parents bought where they did!

In Johnson County, we all believe in diversity to a point. In my own HOA, my immediate neighbors are a great mix of folks who maintain their property and support kids through higher learning to good careers. They include Hindu, Muslim immigrants who escaped the Shah of Iran and speak Farsi, gays, Catholics, African Americans, Armenians, Mexican American citizens, atheists, mixed families with foster kids, rednecks, retirees...and me.

To the Bernie Sanders liberals in Northeast Johnson County, I'd say this: Of course you support diversity. But it is mostly INTELLECTUAL DIVERSITY, because Fairway, PV and Mission do not have low income subsidized housing totally surrounding YOUR neighborhood grade schools! (Like we have at Shawanoe.) You do not have any ESL schools at 28%.

"Hanoi Heather" is a Merriam Democrat whose misguided extreme Liberal policies are not in line with homeowners' goals. She will ruin Johnson County property values for the 82% of residents who do NOT have kids in SMSD. While quite pleasant one on one, if you hand her a microphone, Hanoi Heather turns into a belligerent harpie for the NEA Teachers Union (Never EnoughApples!): Listen to her badgering Hillary style speech in Topeka on her web site.

Hanoi Heather Ousley: Joco's Hillary Clinton harpie for "Full funding" for public schools, because $14000 a year isn't enough per student

Full funding is really teacher union code for endlessly more money. But that's not the solution.

"Hanoi Heather" Ousley's day job is a civil rights attorney for HUD. So her paycheck comes from HUD; while her husband Jerrod's paycheck comes from being a Democrat state rep in Topeka. And now this family is so narcissistic they think they also need to boss around our School Board?

Union organizers from Mo marching for Jerrod Ousley. Wife "Hanoi Heather" Ousley is ALSO endorsed and funded by Tri-County Labor Council. This "Bill & Hillary" wannabe power couple is on a rant--willing to disrupt the rights of homeowners to preserve and protect their property values in Joco. They are on the record, willing to use gerrymandering of district boundaries, and using little children to be dragooned into serving as Junior Social Justice Warriors.

Ironically, Hanoi Heather doesn't walk her talk--she moved her three kids out of her husband's district's Nieman Elementary--a Title 1 low income school, to a non-titled school. Allegedly, one child had a hearing problem. But not all three! One must "state a reason" to move a child out of their assigned school boundary.

Thus, the Ousleys used their political influence to move all three of their kids out of the elementary district represented by their Dad. Ousley's opponent, Republican Mandi (Serrone) Hunter has a child with a hearing deficit--but KEPT her child in the assigned school. Hunter's father is famously likeable Lenexa Councilman Lou Serrone.

Listen to the one hour debate, or just start at minute 17--
where Hanoi Heather feared Shawanoe would "lose half the PTA" if my HOA, Seven Hills, was allowed to be rightfully reassigned to Mill Creek, where ESL is just 3%.
Oh the horror! Ousley feared half the PTA would be lost!

Finally, I had to laugh at this PTA nonsense. We don't play games with property values because a few PTA Moms lobbied to keep their "identities" and power and social cachet at the school where nobody else wanted to serve. Wahhhhhh! There's no crying in PTA!

---
Editor's note: 10/27/17
I just received a second comment after Ned Scott was allowed to leave his comment.
It appears HERE, because like the second commenter, I can't get Blogger to post it. I happen to agree, that it was OUSLEY who acts like Hillary Clinton who used her privilege as the wife of a state rep to pry THREE of her kids out of a Title 1 underperforming school! In fact using the disabled child as her wedge to sneak the other two reassigned. That's disgusting. For her own "convenience". Ousley's actions demonstrate clearly she thinks the rules don't apply to her.

COMMENT #2 FROM OUSLEY PULLS STRINGS. ALL TALK

"Tiger Mom"?? Mr. Ned Scott, it seems Ousley meets your notion of "Tiger Mom," not Mandi Hunter. OUSLEY is the one sending all of her kids to a school outside their attendance zone. The facts are: Hunter's kids attend their assigned school, like most people do within the district. Mandi Hunter is committed to the serious change our district desperately needs. Hunter is already posing questions and proposing policies to enhance accountability, digging deeply into district policies and methods to make decisions in the best interests of the students and everyone else who supports this school district, from teachers to taxpayers. We all want a great education for ALL our kids. And Hunter has the courage to check the administration's supersized salaries--so we can lower class sizes. We need to stop the steady exodus of middle class families to Blue Valley. The actions of our privileged scheming school board are costing ALL SMSD homeowners tens of thousands of dollars in lost resale value. Ousley is all about herself in her galloping ambitions and publicity stunts."

Why I deleted FB Messenger from my phone. It's like Pre-Crime and a spy camera!

2017-10-17T12:35:00.001-05:00

The most important film of the decade was Minority Report, starring Tom Cruise--explaining pre-crime...and Big Brother getting all up into our business.

Even tho Tom Cruise is personally a creep, his movie Minority Report warned us of how Big Brother has its eyeballs on our every move, everything we shop for, every message we send, every call we make...even every thought we entertain about what we'd LIKE to buy in the future. And now Facebook Messenger's permissions app does all that. And I bet you never read it, just clicked YES.

The man on the attached video, EXOabigdeal, who explains the dangers, uses more than the normal number of curse words, but look way beyond his outrage: he is absolutely right!
How dangerous FB Messenger is.
Their applications are preposterous.
Secret use of your camera, access to all your contacts, ability to make phone calls without your permission, permission to downlaod files and share them with others, without notifying me!

It's all in the Permission Page for FB Messenger.

I took Messenger off my phone, completely. People can text me. That's enuf.

But if you listen to the end, EXOabigdeal on YouTube explains three apps you can use on your phone so you can still receive Messenger messages, but keep it from launching, and keep it from sharing.
Those are Greenify, Smart BoosterPro and Boot Manager.
I have better things to do at my age. But if you are hip and your kids are messenging you, try those.

Facebook Messenger: Most dangerous app I've ever had explained to me.

Shame on you, Mark Zuckerberg.
YouTube video explains huge dangers of FB Messenger--it's a combo of Pre-Crime and a spy camera

While Tony's trogs push for $15 an hour and tally the latest murders, Joco shops Amazon Prime Day, debating which living room robot/speaker to buy: Amazon Echo or Google Home.

2017-07-11T13:11:00.000-05:00

What a difference a school district and a state line make. It's a whole nuther world west of State Line in Johnson County, Kansas.

The big debate: White v. Black, Amazon Echo or the junior version, Dot.
A so-called speaker that is not even stereo!
But it's a robot! Just say, Alexa--and boss it around!

Poor KCMO citizens, especially the ones in Hyde Park --too close to Troost. Rampant crime. Not just black on black crime, now it's agressive confrontation and stealing of cars and beating up husbands walking their dogs. By young hoodlums who cannot get a job at $7.75, let alone the $15 minimum wage that Tonyskansascity.com is lobbying for.

Meanwhile, folks in Johnson County are living an idyllic life. Especially today. Shopping shopping shopping the 10,000 discounted items today on Amazon Prime. Including their elite home robot device, the Echo. (Or the junior edition, the Dot. Which comes with pastel themed skins to add a je ne sais quo to one's decor.)

Personally, I'm not buying Jeff Bezos' Amazon Echo. For today's Prime Day price of $89, vs. $149 regular. It's a speaker that is not even stereo. I'm also not buying the rival product you can't find on Amazon (isn't that restraint of trade? Oh well, it's hot and I'm too tired to protest that) the Google Home.

I'm not saying "Alexa, do this". I'm also not saying "OK Google, do that." I am too busy to have a robot. Especially to tell it to turn on a light. Or change the music. Or look up a recipe, and even reread the last step. I'm from Iowa. I'll just walk over and do those things myself. I especially refuse to spend $40 per lamp or other robot-controlled device to get the interface.

Wonder and Clue. Petite miniature goldendoodles. They
do not turn on lamps, change the Pandora or love Alexa.
If an Amazon Echo entered the home, they would pee on it.

I am too busy telling my goldendoodles, "Clue, stop eating your brother's poop. Leave it! Leave it! You are a disgrace to your Perfect Puppy training."

And "Wonder, stop peeking off the deck. Stop barking at those dogs who get walked by our neighbors who had to take a Valium and get out of the house because they were on hold for three hours with Tech Support at Amazon Echo. Enjoy your deck and our wonderful yard. I've told you a million times, we are not walking people."

Robots will be alot of trouble to train. Almost as hard as puppies. But mark my words, if the citizens of Missouri approve a $15 an hour minimum wage, that will be the greatest boon to economic development in the history of Kansas. Businesses will swarm to Johnson County.

Heck, it's well known that most CEO's no longer live in KCMO. They moved away from the crime. Ray Kowalik --the Burns and McDonnell CEO who falsely brands himself as a "hometown boy" and who wants to build "the new smaller billion dollar 35 gate KCI" and pocket the additional $140 million in private bond funds for himself, Michael Merriman of Americo Life, and their Burns and Mac buddies--Ray lives in Lee's Summit. The late Neil Patterson of Cerner, who died this week, didn't even live in Jackson County--he held court at Loch Lloyd in Cass County.

And you know what? I bet Ray and Neil both had an Amazon Echo in their cigar-smoke filled living rooms.

Not me. If I get bored, and need to order someone around, I will just put on my French maid's apron and pay myself $15 an hour out of my piggy bank, to turn on my own lamps.

Southwest Airlines' Plan B: leave KCI, and build new terminal in Gardner Ks! Financed with local Airport Revenue Bonds

2017-07-07T13:55:00.003-05:00

Behind the scenes, Southwest Airlines may pull a Love Field strategy in metro KC. Land their planes in Johnson County, and forget all about MCI in KCMO. (Southwest does not fly out of Dallas/Ft Worth's "main" airport, they have Love Field. Nor do they fly out of O'Hare in Chicago. They use Midway.)

Gardner Municipal Airport in Joco. Closer. Cheaper.
Faster than 75% of Southwest's passengers wasting 45 minutes each way to go to KCI.
Future home of Southwest Airlines.
And building their own terminal in Joco
would cost "peanuts" compared to KCI!!!

Every prudent business has backup plans. Southwest, being an innovator and cost-conscious, and serving THEIR key market, which is the 75% of all passengers who live and or work in Johnson County, is no different.

What will the CEO of Southwest airlines, Gary C. Kelly, do? Sure, he writes a few nice letters to KC Aviation Department to keep them happy. But they are not legal commitments! Meanwhile....since Sly James and the KCMO Council are dithering--and teasing with Burns & Mac....

Gary C. Kelly is the chief executive officer and chairman of Southwest Airlines.
He first joined the company in 1986 as Controller. In 1989,
Kelly was promoted to Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance.

Has anyone checked the visitor logs in the Topeka capitol?

Has Governor Sam Brownback secretly offered tax breaks and incentives to Southwest?

What about the leaders of the Kansas Senate and the Kansas House? Nick Jordan,
the Ks. Director of Revenue? Jordan is DESPERATE to bring in some new revenues.

What about Acting Director Antonio Soave, Director of the Kansas Department of Commerce? Landing Southwest Airlines in Kansas would be the plum of his career.

And finally, gubernatorial hopeful with the biggest ego in the state, Kris Kobach? Rather than a white horse, he would so love to ride into office on a white jet.

The KC Star is obsessed with financing Kansas schools this fall, definitely a great distraction. Especially for a newspaper that has NO local reporters, no full time STATE reporters, and one pock-faced has-been who-cares-what-he-thinks columnist (named after a thorny flower).

The STAR is so Missouri-centric, they don't even consider what a superlative option this is. To them, it's all about KCI. They still actually hold to the old wives tale that it is an "international" airport!

And has our Johnson County Teleprompter in Chief, BOCC Chairman Ed Eilert, made Southwest an insider deal like he made for his investment buddies at King Louie??? Don't count our wooden Indian, Ed, out. He can read his marching orders from a cue card with the best of 'em. Mister Ed can play the same game as Sly James--give the bond sales to private investors, paying 2% more per year to borrow money, rather than issue Airport Revenue Bonds.

If Google Maps went offline, the STAR could not dispatch a courier to even FIND the Johnson County Board of Commissioners in Olathe unless someone left a trail of bread crumbs for them to follow. Or they hailed an Uber.
(With the exception of Steve Vockrodt, their utility outfielder who lives halfway to Lawrence, so he knows the proper exit. But he can't cover EVERY beat!)

As Tony says, "Stay tuned."

Thanks to Shawnee Mission Post/Jay Senter's reporting, ACLU spanks SM School Board's Three Monkeys policy as violation of 1st Amendment.

2017-05-30T16:57:00.001-05:00

Today, Doug Bonney, Chief Counsel and Legal Director of the ACLU of Kansas challenged Sara Goodburn, President of the Shawnee Mission School District for violating the First Amendment in suppressing parents from speaking at a fake Open Forum meeting earlier this month.

Speak no evil. Ignore public input. Disallow First Amendment. And make the public GUESS what you think, so you can get re-elected without ever revealing how you voted in those executive sessions. The SMSD school board puts 98% of all votes on their consent agenda. So how would you know for whom to vote???

Last month, the SM School District secretly (like 98% of everything they do) passed new rules requiring patrons to:
a. WRITE the Superintendent, first about any issue BEFORE attending a school board meeting
b. Not mention names of district employees
c. The "Onesie Rule": Not speak in support of any issue that anyone else mentioned earlier in the
in-name-only Open Forum
d. Wait patiently by their mailbox !!!--for a reply that might or might NOT come,
weeks after said Open Forum. Seriously. Might come when you win the Readers Digest
Sweepstakes.

The All-for-One True Blue Blood Oath
The school board also seemingly took a blood oath and foresook their integrity, revising their Code of Ethics, (LOL) never to disagree in public with any board position. Especially if they disagreed.

Having watched the Trump administration try this tactic, sending generals out to back up crazy actions, it makes me wonder, how's that working for ya?

Our SMSD Three Monkeys! New school board president Sara Goodburn--the paper waving scolder of parents making comments--plus former prez Deb Zila, cozied up to departing Superintendent Jim Hinson. Photo by Shawnee Mission Post.com

Huge praise goes to Jay Senter, publisher of an unrelated blog, Shawnee Mission Post, which has dogged this story ever since they revealed the conflict of interest story when Deb Zila, the school board member who was prez when she hired her 'school crush', Jim Hinson, as Superintendent. And then Mommy Deb snuck through on a consent agenda the CBIZ contract for insurance benefits admin. Her daughter Mallory, former Nordstrom customer service gal, administers the benefits plan for our school district! And Mom Deb didn't think she needed to pull that off consent agenda--and ABSTAIN!

Well, now Hinson has suddenly resigned--before we figger out how to get the Ks. Legislature to fund us so schools re-open in August.

Cheers to the ACLU of Kansas for writing Sara Goodburn and 'splaining the First Amendment to her. (She might have missed that chapter in history class.) Clearly, the SM School Board has spent too much time emulating the KCMO City Council! Suppressing speech, voter turnout, public information, etc.

Sara Goodburn scolded a parent for asking about Deb Zila's failure to abstain, and her conflict of interest on the CBIZ contract. A totally valid point. And, even with the new gag order, Zila is NOT an employee of the district, so the Open Forum rule didn't even apply to her. (Goodburn admitted that later.)

One clever parent threaded the needle at the last meeting asking pointedly, without naming any names:
1. "Will the contract for the NEXT SMSD superintendent have a moral turpitude clause?"

2. "Is anyone on this board currently having an inappropriate relationship with any district employee?"

The board and the audience gasped audibly. Stunned silence. Absolutely NO response! The dead elephant in the middle of the room cinched up his necktie, and stared at his shoes during the awkward silence, till Sara Goodburn asked for another patron to approach the mike.

Question: Do we think the district, or the superintendent, before he leaves this month, will respond in writing???? Or maybe on his way out the door, he will start tweeting...

---
Here are excerpts from Doug Bonney's great ACLU letter:

“…I write to emphasize that people have a well-established First Amendment right to criticize both elected officials and other public servants,” Bonney wrote. “The Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment reflects ‘a profound national commitment to the principle that debate on public issues should be uninhibited, robust, and wide-open, and that it may well include vehement, caustic and sometimes unpleasantly sharp attacks on government and public officials.’ New York Times v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254, 271 (1964). ‘Criticism of their official conduct does not lose its constitutional protection merely because it is effective criticism and hence diminishes their official reputations.’ Id. at 273.”

Bonney went on to suggest that the policy, as currently written, would prohibit both public criticism of the district’s superintendent, who is vested with great authority over decisions about the district’s position on matters of public policy, as well as praise of current teachers or building principals:

“By prohibiting commenters from discussing ‘matters related to a specific student or employee,’ the Board’s current guidelines are overbroad and inconsistent with the First Amendment. Specifically, the guidelines prohibit citizens from making public comments — whether good or bad — about the stewardship of school employees who have key responsibilities for carrying out the public functions of the school district. For example, the guidelines would prohibit a parent from criticizing Superintendent Hinson by name for his public statements about the on-going legislative and public debate over school funding in Kansas. Similarly, the guidelines would prohibit a parent from extolling the selfless dedication of a particular teacher or principal in the district who has made extraordinary efforts to help immigrant students. Because such comments fall squarely within the people’s First Amendment right to comment on stewardship of public officials, the Board’s current guidelines for the Open Forum agenda item are unconstitutional.”

Read Doug Bonney's ACLU letter to SMSD in full, here.

See related post about SMSD in RH column.

also, read www.kcmopost.com for other news that will make you so glad you live in Kansas.

KCMO suckers!!! Giving KCI away like a bride's dowry to Burns & Mac--Despite most of their employees living in Joco. And one puny KCMO storage barn paying property taxes.

2017-05-21T22:08:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Chuck Palah, the best researcher I've ever found, for this undeniable statement of the facts.

Mayor Sly James is giving away KCI terminal in a no-bid contract to the bride,
Burns & Mac--as a form of dowry.
Even tho Burns & Mac owns only a car barn in KCMO.
And 85% of her employees live outside of KCMO,
mostly in Joco.

Conspicuously absent from the tax rolls? Their headquarters building, with the recent expansion completed, after KCMO granted them blight designation, millions in tax breaks, partial earnings tax exemption, all while the city financed the project for them.

So where is it? Lost in the fog at KCI???

In the wake of Burns and McDonnell's recent surprise announcement, requesting to be given a no-bid billion(+) dollar airport terminal construction contract, the public is being told by Mayor James, City Manager Troy Schulte, CEO Ray Kowalik, and most of our local media, that Burns and McDonnell is an outstanding exemplary member of the Kansas City Missouri community. But is that really true? Let's take a look, because everyone else seems to quickly accept whatever they're told without question.

First, just a quick refresher on Burns and McDonnell. They are a privately-held, employee-owned, wealthy Kansas City-based engineering, architecture and construction firm, headquartered at 9400 Ward Pkwy, Kansas City, MO 64114. For 2015, Burns and McDonnell reported $2.6 billion in total revenue. Average compensation for the most common salaried job (electrical engineer) is $136,955. Their workforce is comprised of 84-percent White Caucasian, 6-percent Asian, 5-percent Latino, and 4-percent Black. Women hold 24-percent of positions.

The board of directors is composed entirely of White males.

Now, let's go to the website for JACKSON COUNTY MISSOURI and see if Burns and McDonnell pays taxes on real estate/personal property.

https://ascendweb.jacksongov.org/ascend/(g0aspc3bs5cahhjyzmfuzu45)/search.aspx

Below, you'll see all the listings on the site for Burns and McDonnell, and remember that their headquarters is 9400 Ward Pkwy, Kansas City, MO 64114:

48-340-10-05-02-0-00-000

BURNS & MCDONNELL ENGINEERING CO INC

404 W 90TH ST, KANSAS CITY, MO 64114

12/16/2016 00:00

9990024

19,227.56

This is the only real estate listing found for Burns and McDonnell. This is a parking lot/storage facility, several blocks from their headquarters, where they keep vehicles/trailers.

--------

20100717B

BURNS & MCDONNELL ENGINEERING COMPANY IN

10450 HOLMES RD, KANSAS CITY, MO 64114

Inactive account

Burns and McDonnell occupied 3 floors of this building.

--------

20100144B

BURNS AND MC DONNELL

404 W 90TH ST, KANSAS CITY, MO 64114

No activity on this listing since 2015.

------

20071354B

BURNS & MCDONNELL ENG CO INC

9201 STATE LINE RD, KANSAS CITY, MO 64114

Inactive account

------

20054139B

BURNS & MCDONNELL ENGINEERING CO INC

9221 WARD PKWY STE 300, KANSAS CITY, MO 64114

Listed as an active account, but no values found.

------

02018500F

BURNS & MCDONNELL ENGINEERING COMPANY INC

4800 MARTHA TRUMAN RD, GRANDVIEW, MO 64030

11/30/2016 00:00

9789830

4,921.66

Listed as a MACR 7-year personal property for tax depreciation purposes.

------

02018500E

BURNS & MCDONNELL ENGINEERING COMPANY IN

404 W 90TH ST, KANSAS CITY, MO 64114

11/30/2016 00:00

9789881

5,032.92

Personal property

------

02018500D

BURNS & MCDONNELL ENG CO INC

10450 HOLMES RD, KANSAS CITY, MO 64114

11/30/2016 00:00

9789820

23,763.27

Personal property for the 3 floors of the building which they occupied.

------

02018500C

BURNS & MCDONNELL ENG CO INC

9201 STATE LINE RD, KANSAS CITY, MO 64114

11/30/2016 00:00

9789781

72,971.53

Personal property

------

02018500B

BURNS & MCDONNELL ENG CO INC

9300 WARD PKWY, KANSAS CITY, MO 64114

11/30/2016 00:00

9789878

626,618.61

For the personal property listed below.

34 Chevrolet Impalas, 2 boats with motors, 3 flatbed trailers, 12 other trailers, 13 Chevrolet truck/SUV, 1 Ford Transit, 142 GMC truck/SUV, 1 Lincoln MKT SUV

------

019600706

BURNS & MCDONNELL ENG CO INC

UNKNOWN, UNKNOWN, MO

Listed as an active account, but no values found.

------

So, you can see that Burns and McDonnell pay a modest amount of taxes on personal property (vehicle fleet, trailers, boats, furniture, office equipment, etc.) held in all the buildings they occupy, yet only have one real estate holding at 404 W. 90th KCMO 64114. You can Google this address to view their modest non-descript vehicle storage facility.

Conspicuously absent is their headquarters building, with the recent expansion completed, after KCMO granted them blight designation, millions in tax breaks, partial earnings tax exemption, all while the city financed the project for them.

Next, let's see where the Burns and McDonnell leadership team reside. Do you think they live within KCMO? Based on a sampling of several hundred Burns and McDonnell employees who contributed to Mayor James reelection campaign during a single quarterly reporting period, we know that approximately 85-percent or more of their employees do not reside within KCMO. And if you don't reside in KCMO, then you don't pay property taxes/buy groceries/merchandise in KCMO, and don't send your children to school in KCMO.

Ray Kowalik, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, lives in Lee's Summit, MO.

David Yeamans, Director and President of Aviation & Facilities Division, lives in Leawood, KS.

John Nobles, Director and President of Process & Industrial Division, lives in Leawood, KS.

Paul Fischer, Vice President and Director, lives in Overland Park, KS.

John Olander, Vice President and Director, lives in Leawood, KS.

Dave Ruf Jr., Chairman Emeritus, lives in Overland Park, KS.

Greg Graves, recently retired CEO, lives in Stilwell, KS.

BOTTOM LINE?

After doing this cursory review on Burns and McDonnell, it seems rather apparent that they leverage their position as a large employer to extract maximum benefits from the city, while simultaneously choosing to grow and contribute to the economic vitality of the non-KC Missouri suburbs and state of Kansas.

Do you think KCMO should grant an exclusive no-bid billion(+) dollar construction project to a company whose management team are non-residents? Have you ever wondered why Mayor James, Troy Schulte, and many on the KCMO Council seek to impress and enrich non-residents? Follow the money-trail and your questions will be answered.

Sly James' 123GO Bond game--rather than his 23Skidoo out of KCMO/"Little Detroit" by copying Senator Pat Roberts LaZBoy strategy

2017-03-29T10:35:00.003-05:00

Sly, I am so sorry I couldn't airlift you immediately out of KCMO to WDC for your 23Skidoo exit strategy. Good luck peddling your craycray 123GOBond issue! If you can con the public into believing that NON-MANDATED EASTER BUNNY WISH LIST, you'd be such an asset to the nation. Now whatever you do, delete this Instagram!

KCMO Mayor Sly James RENTS, and resides in tony Union Hill at 108 E 30th St., a few houses east of Walnut--a block and a half east of Main. Where the yard sign and his bodyguard are on the street. That's open record.

He does not own any home in KCMO --he sold Mannheim, and relocated from a rental north of the river. Therefore, ipso facto, SLY JAMES DOES NOT PAY PROPERTY TAX!

You may recall he left his wife--and his kids' cars--listed on Mannheim Rd personal property--when he sold that house and encamped to rent in the Northland. But sloppy Joe--I mean Sly--then failed to pay his personal property taxes on time. That should have been grounds for the Election Board to refuse to allow him to run for re-election. But he was running against The Colonel--a homeless man. (never reported by Micheal Mahoney or the STAR.) And annoying Clay Chastain, who rents a room here from his sister in Westport--but lives and drives and votes in West Virginia. So the Election Board let that SLYde.

Currently in Jackson County, one in ten homes are already abandoned!!!! No property taxes paid there!

Sly's exit strategy out of Little Detroit--aka KCMO--got busted when Hillary ran a dreadful campaign, barking like a pit bull, and lost the Presidency. (I used to like her, and once wrote her 7 checks, so back off.) Sly's plan was: Hillary appoints Cleaver to a post, then Sly takes Cleaver's unexpired seat--requires just the votes of the local Democratic Central Committee--those nameless loyal precinct committeemen and women. Sly tells his landlord, do like Senator Pat Roberts does in western Kansas--rent me a back bedroom or just this Union Hill basement-- with a LaZBoy recliner for when I circle back to gladhand.

But instead of 23 Skidoo, now he's peddling 123GO.

Like Sen. Pat Roberts (R)KS, who rents a back bedroom from a landlord in his home district, Mayor Sly James hopes to one day replace Congressman Cleaver and move to Washington DC. James would have the taxpayers buy him a LaZBoy recliner in the townhome he currently rents on Union Hill, 108 E 30th St. Mayor Sly James does not pay property taxes. Yet his boondoggle 123GO Bond issue would raise property taxes in KCMO for 40 years. $100 a month compounding annually. (per the CITY MANAGER, WHO TOLD DAVE HELLING THAT GLORIOSO'S NINE BROCHURES ARE FULL OF FALSE INFORMATION AND PROMISES.) For a wishlist where not one puppy kennel, not one sidewalk or bridge is mandated. Just a Hallmark card of "wouldn't this be nice..."

For more information and news, log onto www.kcmopost.com

Shawnee Mission School District allows nepotism hires--and overcharges $1054 upfront if you dare to request Open Records search

2017-03-13T15:02:00.001-05:00

Here's to my esteemed and finally emboldened leader friends at the news reporting website, www.ShawneeMissionPost.com! Generally they just kiss the asses in power. But FINALLY, THEY TOOK A STAND. And got punished for daring to report the news.

They outed the Shawnee Mission School District for allowing the hire of the daughter of one of their school board members, Deb Zila.

Photo from SMPost.com: Deb Zila, the smug silent Mom who approved the contract with CBIZ to be
benefits MANAGER for the school district where she was elected to serve on the board!!
Hey, Deb. Save us all the trouble of a KORA records search--divulge the answers for FREE!

Meet Mallory Zila. Fresh from KState, until last April, when this former Nordstrom employee became a highly paid Employee Benefits Manager for CBIZ. She manages insurance and benefits for SM School District,
where Mommy Deb Zila serves as SM South area's elected school board member!
Note: this ruffled grey sweatshirt is NOT from Ivanka Trump.

And then, when the website made a KORA request (Kansas Open Records Act) Shawnee Mission Post was gobsmacked to be told they were slugged with a preposterous $1000 downpayment demand!!!

Here's that link:
https://shawneemissionpost.com/2017/03/13/shawnee-mission-school-district-asks-for-1000-prepayment-in-order-to-comply-with-open-records-requests-61471

Note that the rate for searching and copying is $56 per hour, when the district publishes a rate of $30 to respond to KORA requests. But working at the copier at SMSD comes with a benefit: all the Koolaid you can drink.

Today Shawnee Mission Post ran a survey on their web site. Asking inoccuously: "Are you satisfied with the level of transparency of the Shawnee Mission School District?"

Knowing the facts, what fool would answer "yes"?? None. But that doesn't count the district's horde of employment slaves...and Facebook and LinkedIn friends of Mallory and Deb Zila.!!

Well, so far the tally is 65 yes, 458 no. I thus conclude that the staff of the Shawnee Mission School District logged on after drinking their morning Koolaid, to vote yes. Couple that with the new policy of charging a deposit of a preposterous $1000 for Open Meetings requests for documents, which will likely be overturned as burdensome and thus illegal. Shame on overpaid Jim Hinson and the school board that condones this crap.

The SM Schools should be merged with Blue Valley School District, and Olathe and Desoto. Fire some administrators, consolidate and save the taxpayers money. Then the Mom on the board, Mrs.Deb Zila, should submit the answers now, for free--and then resign based on conflict of interest. Did she abstain from a line item on a SMSD board consent agenda that authorized her daughter's company's employment contract? That's how these things sneak through.

And folks wonder why the Ks. Legislature wants to cut down on wasteful taxpayer subsidies of public schools. We all have the governance we are willing to put up with. And yes, I know that's a dangling participle...I'm from Iowa, a "state of minds"...

Pulse of Northeast Johnson County: Are you satisfied with the level of transparency from the Shawnee Mission School District?

SHAWNEEMISSIONPOST.COM

Justice!!!! Schlitterbahn to close and remove Verruckt death machine!!!

2016-11-22T18:14:00.002-06:00

Verruckt slide at Schlitterbahn with the killer netting above innocent unsuspecting riders. When the raft went airborn this summer, the hook and loop belts (not Velcro brand) gave way, expelling young Caleb Schwab into the netting, and decapitating him. JocoPost.com was the first to report the decapitation. Confirmed the news with an eyewitness and an investigator sworn to secrecy for fear of losing their job in law enforcement--due to the cozy relationship of county government and their big money-generating local business. We shared the decapitation details with Tonyskansascity.com--and Tony shared it with the world. For the first week, local TV refused to say the word "decapitation". The public was so misled, families were still attending the water park as if this was some trivial accident, rather than a horrific and preventable death trap.

KCTV 5 reported it as their lead story at 6pm today.

The results of the investigation must have been brutal! Waiting for more details tomorrow, but here is Steve Vockrodt's initial report in the STAR. (Just last week, he and I had speculated on whether the report would be buried and the victims paid for their silence.)

KC STAR reports Verruckt removal, three minutes after TV5 broke the story at 6pm

Schlitterbahn can never compensate Scott Schwab's family for the decapitation of their sweet son, Caleb. But this is the right thing to do.

That slide was a blight on the landscape.

Good riddance.

I hope someone goes after the man, the son of the original owners of the water park, and send him to prison. This was his doing. He was so desperate to be the lead story on XTreme Sports cable show that he committed to building the world's tallest water slide. With insufficient planning and design time. Without telling his family/business partners. Without knowing how to do it safely. And according to a local engineer, he ignored phone calls from a structural engineer who tried to warn him--the design was defective, and would kill ejected passengers.

More to follow.

TV5 breaks story: Schlitterbahn says Verruckt will be coming down

OK, Hillary-in-mourning folks: Change the channel in your head! Last night for KIFF film festival, Glenwood Arts/Ranchmart. "Dying of the Light", Eagle Huntress, KIFF local shorts or The Kandidat, thriller about a Slovakian Presidential campaign!

2016-11-10T15:09:00.003-06:00

All over town, I find folks in mourning for Hillary's loss.

To gain perspective, here's how to change the channel in your head. Come to the final night of this town's best film festival, Kansas International Film Festival. At Ranchmart South, 95th & Mission.

Here are my picks:

5:25 Dying of the Light
(No, it's not about the meltdown of the Democratic party!!!) It's an excellent documentary about the fact that movies (and cameras) are now all going electronic--being made digitally, without the special qualities afforded by photochemical film. This compares to the paintings of The Masters being no longer painted in oil. It's a funeral for the past. See how I related it to the thoughts on instant replay in your head???

OR--
5:30pm The Eagle Huntress
This is a sneak preview, and will have more screenings, starting around December. A 13 year old girl in Mongolia becomes the first female in her family's centuries' old tradition of hunting, using giant golden eagles, atop horseback. In deep snow. On the steppes of Mongolia. Which is really really hard to do!!!! Harder than being paid to be a protester on the Country Club Plaza. You'll see some of the best cinematography ever captured on film. Stop feeling sorry about America! Stop being afraid. This might be the perfect film for you--and any brainwashed children who are crying today!!! Stop watching TV news networks and liar-for-hire pollsters try to explain how they quit reporting and actually tweeted out insults and campaigned rather than reporting on our elections!!

Then
7:30 pm: KIFF Local #2
See seven short films made by local filmmakers. Maybe discover the next Steven Spielberg!

Getty image. Melania is from Slovenia, not Slovakia, where KIFF film The Kandidat was filmed... but still--it's about a maniuplative Presidential campaign! Art imitates life??? ps, I HAVE NO IDEA WHY SHE ALWAYS SQUINTS.

OR--
7:35pm: The Kandidat
A cynical black humor thriller, takes place in Slovakia during a presidential campaign. Based on a novel about a manipulative game of promoting an unknown into the Presidency of a country. Go figure: Art imitating life!!! This is why KIFF is such a terrific film festival.
Ironically, and no part of this film, Slovakia is right next door to Slovenia, the home country of our next First Lady--Melania Trump!!! (I guess we have four years to figure that one out.)

For more details, see www.kansasfilm.org

Great food at KIFF cafe--I love Chef Kat Irons' special curried chicken salad on croissant with Sun Chips...

CABARET: Wowsers at Musical Theater Heritage in Crown Center.

2016-11-06T15:54:00.000-06:00

I love musicals--and so do many of the women who live with the good readers of Tonyskansascity.com. And even those who sleep with the trolls there. So here is a NO FAIL DATE NIGHT SUGGESTION for Tony's readers. Courtesy of KC's local musical and theatrical expert, Bill Doty.

CABARET is one of those musicals you see again and again, not only if you have been out of touch for a long time (40+ years), but to see how it is staged and performed. Having been described as (Kansas City’s) John Kander and the late Fred Ebbs’ masterpiece, CABARET is one of the best musicals ever to trod the boards. Kander and Ebb (Cabaret, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman) are already right there with the Sondheim, Schonberg/Boubil (Les Mis...) and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber as institutional forces in American musical theatre. So, there you have them “Cabaret” and Kander and Ebb – venerable, indelible, incomparable. Armed with that, you can take your seat.

Executive Producer Chad Gerlt and Artistic Director Sarah Crawfords’ just- opened Musical Theater Heritage (MTH)/Crown Center production of CABARET is an unqualified rave!

First, the concert-style musical format, a force unto itself, takes us to the madness of 1931 Berlin where we are constantly surprised and seduced. Artistic Director Sarah Crawford’s masterful casting, directing and her use of the syncopated choreography of the late Bob Fosse (OMG, FOSSE!) are reason enough to get tickets now.. The play is sensitively enacted – as Nazism takes hold, we care about the storyteller (author Christopher Isherwood) as Cliff, his landlady, Fraulein Schneider, the androgynous emcee of club Kit-Kat Klub/his “girls,” and the unwieldy faux Brit, Sally Bowles.

I’ll leave theatre-goers to see these consummate performances, this incredible story – except to say that they are all stunning – perfectly researched and imagined – brilliant and (oops, a slip) Stefanie Wienecke as Sally Bowles may be the best Sally you (or anybody) has ever seen.

Doty postscript: I am booked to see CABARET at least two more times.

---

Tracy adds:

Bill Doty is not just some guy in a diner with an untrained ear and eye for theatre. He has had dinner with Andrew Lloyd Webber in London. He is a playwright with a current work in previews in NYC..."Children of the April Rain". He worked in Hollywood and at the National Archives for 49 years--with all the Hollywood stars. He's our version of Forrest Gump. He knows everyone worth knowing. Tennessee Williams once rang his doorbell at 8:30 in the morning, in his skivvies, holding out a coffee mug and asking: "Got vodka?"

And Doty buys his tickets. These are not the rahrah writings of a reviewer sitting in the comped seats. So when he says, this is the musical of the year, you can trust him.

For tickets to Cabaret

at MTH/Musical Theater Heritage,

816/221-9987

You are Willkommen!!!

HOT TICKETS! Win 2 free tickets to meet Ed Asner, Sunday night 5pm at KIFF/Ks Intl Film Festival, Glenwood Arts, Ranchmart South, 95th & Mission. See his doc: "My Friend, Ed."

2016-11-02T22:22:00.001-05:00

KCK's loveable hometown movie star, Ed Asner, (aka Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, plus 101 other roles on film and TV), will be our town's version of Robert Redford at Sundance--at the 16th annual KIFF/Kansas International Film Festival running now thru Nov. 10.

About "My Friend, Ed":
Sunday, Nov. 6 one showing only! 5:05pm

Special Events:
3:30 to 4:15pm Autograph Party (one item per person)
4:15 to 4:30pm Media Interviews
4:30 pm Seating for the one showing.
Festival passes seated first,
{$60/see 18 possible films in one week.
Fri. Nov. 4-10 plus mingle all week: attend 2
exclusive parties with filmmakers and stars}

5:05 pm Screening of "My Friend, Ed"
55 min. documentary
6p-6:30pm QandA: Ed Asner; daughter Liza Asner, and
Sharon Baker, Director/Writer

Tony is helping me and my favorite local film festival give away free tickets to selected films this year.
To win, send me a polite request via comment (not on Tonyskansascity but on www.jocopost.com).
You may log on, or click the link Tony provides, or click this blog in the RH column of Tonys site.

I will need your name and email address and phone number--so you can't just be anonymous. Since I screen all comments first, I won't publish your info, just use it to see if I can score you two free tickets.

I will give away as many tickets as I can.
This one will be VERY popular.
If you win, I will immediately send you the form, and notify the Will Call Desk at the Glenwood Arts. I will also let you know if you did not win FREE tix, but encourage you to buy them early, as they are selling FAST.
Winners will take your Confirmation Email (print out or just show your phone) to the Will Call in the vast underground theatre lobby Ranchmart South to pick up your tickets. (You may park on the 95th St. side and walk down the 20 steps, or park in back, off 95th Ter. just east of Mission Rd.)
You may also buy extra tickets there --if it's not sold out. Goin' fast!

Each of the 35 FULL LENGTH films at this year's KIFF film festival ONLY AIRS ONCE!!!
Tickets are not exchangeable for another film. Five different indie films (docs, narratives or animations) are screened in the five auditoriums, one time only, at any given time. Audience members vote on their favorites, to earn additional showings in the future.

This year a record number of filmmakers and performing artists are flying in for the festival. It's a big deal in the independent film world. The stars and producers will be partying in Westport, and mingling with fans and other movie producers at the Glenwood Arts, at the KIFF Cafe, where Kat Irons prepares gourmet food. Paparazzi welcome. So chew your curry chicken salad on croissant with your mouth closed--please!!!

In addition, KIFF President Brian Mossman has arranged for Sneak Previews one time only of three highly anticipated films that will not open for general release until Christmas!:
Friday, Nov. 4 "Jackie" 7:30pm one screening only. Stars Natalie Portman,
drama, Jacqueline Kennedy AFTER JFK was assassinated

Sat, Nov. 5 "Lion" 4:45pm one screening only. Stars Dev Patel. True story.
Six year old Hindu boy jumps train, can't get home.
Adopted in Australia. 25 years later, uses Google Earth
to view every train station in India. Mom???

Sun. Nov. 6 "Neruda" 7:15pm, one screening only. Right after Asner.
An inspector hunts down Nobel Prize Laureate,
fugitive Chilean poet Pablo Neruda.
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The KIFF Festival is the best in Kansas City--like going to Cannes or Sundance, only you can still get tickets! Independent films, animations, shorts and the three studio sneaks.

For details, go to www.kansasfilm.com

Here's the complete Ed Asner press release/bio

For more offers of free tickets, and info about the great indie films at KIFF, see our sister site: www.KcmoPost.com

How much did local officials know last week--when they held an Earthquake Drill--right before the Sept. 3rd Oklahoma tremor hit Joco??

2016-09-03T11:19:00.004-05:00

So just last week the morning local news reported an Earthquake Drill. Just in case the New Madrid Fault gave Joco and the metro its first earthquake since 1812.

Wikipedia, New Madrid Fault earthquakes, 1811-1812

The Mississippi ran backwards during KC's last big earthquake. Barge drivers hate it when that happens!!!!

Odd? Why now?? Out of the blue??? Or did they know something. In the Watergate hearings, the big question was, what did they know, and when did they know it?

Or, as Arsenio Hall would say, HMMMMMMMM.

I forgot to call my insurance agent to ask about earthquake coverage. Perhaps I should have. I bet the rates go up Monday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just downloaded the app, EarthquakeAlert from the Android play store. Thank you, Josh Klemm for making this free.
Google Play store free EarthQuakeAlert app here

Now there are those critics that think me terrible for criticizing madman Jeff Henry for designing Verruckt water slide so ineptly, on the back of a cocktail napkin perhaps, in a dare and a big damn hurry, just so his family-owned Schlitterbahn could be the lead story on XtremeSports reality TV show Season III by Animal Planet. Jeff Henry refused to even listen to or meet with the local engineer who WROTE him documenting the "attractive nuisance" of his misloaded, badly designed water slide. Jeff Henry's narcissism and stubbornness and GREED led directly to the decapitation of young Caleb Schwab, may he rest in piece. I mean peace.

Well, Jeff Henry's deadly screw-up, still unacknowledged, has put me on alert. I am not waiting around for a bunch of greedy thoughtless business owners and their lawyers to cover up their clients' messes. And delay the fixes to protect the public. I am once again sounding the alarm.

My job is not to be an engineer. My job is to warn the public. We need to stop letting politicians and less-than-bright bureaucrats sociopathic profit-obsessed businesses without a conscience risk our lives. And in the case of earthquakes, the foundation of my biggest investment, my home in Shawnee Ks.

February 7, 1812, 0945 UTC (3:45 a.m.); (M 7.5‑8.0^[2]^[3]) epicenter near New Madrid, Missouri. New Madrid was destroyed. In St. Louis, Missouri, many houses were severely damaged, and their chimneys were toppled.

So today we had our first earthquake since 1812. And fortunately, it was NOT the New Madrid Fault, beneath us. Just a tremor from a 5.6 earthquake in Oklahoma. There have also been many more such quakes the past three years in Kansas, but I don't see Sam Brownback doing anything about that.

"Hey, the Koch brothers are oil and gas producers. I made all their LLC's tax free in Kansas. So what if salt water is a byproduct of their extractions. Not many Kansans even HAVE chimneys that can be toppled. Let the people eat beef jerky. What's a few cracks in your walls? Stop whining... Buy some spackle at Home Depot and let's get on with 'reinventing government' among friends!!!

So I don't expect Sam to fix this. He's bought and paid for. But how about you, Congressman Kevin Yoder?: You're in Congress. This problem is bigger than Kansas. It's your turn to lead. Force oil and gas producers in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, wherever, to stop pouring their salt water into the ground, right on top of the crystalline layer full of faults. That could set off our own New Madrid Fault any week now.

Yoder--How about you do this now, BEFORE our houses fall down, go boom.

And you, worthless Senator from oil country in western Kansas, the Big Red 1, Jerry Moran. Mr. "last one to vote every time in the Senate, after you have your finger in the wind so long it dries out"----You too.

Senator Jerry Moran. Supported largely by oil and gas producers in western Kansas, who then pour their salt water refuse back into the earth. Kansas has had a marked increase in earthquakes. Caused by this. Moran has NEVER voted first on any bill in the US Senate, EVER!!! Not even the one bill he co-sponsored!!! He waits to vote with the majority.

If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. I learned in my high school science classes in Iowa, (a "state of minds"), you don't put salt water into a fresh water river.

So here's the deal, boys. Make the oil and gas producers either haul their salt water byproduct of oil and gas production to an ocean. Or desalinate that waste water, and then it can go in the nearest river.

Here's the link to a great story.
60 Minutes story documents recent quakes from manmade causes

Note: you don't have to log in to read the text, just scroll down.

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Due to an RSS linking error in my site, Tonyskansascity.com cannot auto-link to my feed at www.jocopost.com. I need an expert in blogger.com to fix this for me, thanks for telling your friends. Tracy Thomas, publisher.

Tony's site does auto-link in the right hand column of his site, to www.KcmoPost.com. read the companion stories there.

Guest reviewer (Hollywood and theatre expert) Bill Doty says $178 ticket to see Josh Groban & Sarah McLachlan at Starlight was over the full moon worth it.

2016-08-17T10:41:00.000-05:00

Sarah McLachlan, the Arms of the Angel singer (sorry it's a fuzzy image!)

My celebrated and worldly friend, Bill Doty, is the only man I know who saw "Les Mis" on Broadway (not Theatre League) 21 times, and paid for each ticket. He has returned to PV from his careers in Hollywood (publicist for Merv Griffin Show for years) and his second act, National Archives, and is now a playwright, "Children of the April Rain", about the airlift of the Vietnam orphan babies...which is having its 8th reading in the NYC area in September. Last night, Doty went to Starlight Theatre to see and hear Josh Groban's concert with Sarah McLachlan. Here is his review.

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Incomparable. Irishman, Foy Vance got cheering approval from the all but sold out audience (all upscale parking was sold out – we had to enter from the west and park on the grass);

Sarah McLachlan is gorgeous beyond belief, composes brilliantly, plays (I counted) four instruments at least and sings like an angel.

That description was used again for Josh Groban by the bully who punched him out in school!

Josh Groban, final tour before he opens on Broadway this November

Vance opened, McLachlan began the show – and then Mr. Groban did an entire show after the Intermission. I knew he would be the best, but even that was doubled or tripled. The stage was set in black with his six chandeliers – (“Oh, here comes Josh with his six chandeliers!”) but then the shock of the entire stage, lights on, profusely – alive with a full upstage screen and otherworldly projections – clouds wafting by a full moon, a multi-era scrapbook of paintings, objective and abstract – perfectly timed.

Wham – Josh, dressed in black jeans as though he’d just happened by (and participated in everything on stage, including a drum solo) and the reveal – The Kansas City Festival Orchestra and charts that would make history – (supported by Webster University Chamber Singers), thundering accompaniments, the orchestra challenging Groban, in songs from musicals, tunes in French and Portuguese, duets with his openers (a “Bridge Over Troubled Water” with Irish rocker Foy Vance that would make us forget SM&JG); a ballad with McLachlan – a once in anytime pairing of legendary voices.

Throughout, Groban would approach the inevitable scary high note – shave it just a little (appearing to have substituted a modulation/change to cover a lurking inability to make the impossible reach) and then he would soar higher!

I’ve seen “Les Mis...” 21 times and Groban’s “Bring Him Home” was better than any – ever. Nobody dares to sing “Over the Rainbow” in the wake of Garland – yet--he announced that he had “a cold beer and burnt ends waiting on the bus” and then stopped the show with it.

Critics must be reserved and even the Star went crazy (for them)! This was a theatre show, an international show, and a debut of a ballad from his upcoming Broadway debut.

As classy as classy could be.

I’ll skip seeing a few local shows until I’ve recovered financially from investing $178! It was worth it.

--Bill Doty