There was
A KILLER ARTICLE published yesterday at EKC . . . Basically, they lay out the story which claims that New County Exec Mike Sanders put aside environmental programs in favor of hiring his own personal army PR hacks in the form of a "Communication Office."
What the article really pointed out to me is that I don't have to worry about things ever getting cleaned up at the Jackson County Courthouse because there will always be dirt and mud in that place for the foreseeable future . . .
Not that I really care about the environment at all but I'm always interested on what slime the local press has to offer regarding politicians!!!
Here's the info they deliver that's backed up by two recently fired employees . . . Which is most likely the only way a story like this could have been leaked:
The main point of the story is the claim that Sanders is responsible for : The elimination of $570,000 in spending on environmental programs has been roughly offset by creation of a new Communications Office.
Also, two firings were called into question: Larry Falkin, deputy director of natural resources for the Parks and Recreation Department, and Chris Bussen, resource conservation coordinator in the natural resources office, were terminated from their jobs less than a month after Sanders took office as county executive . . . Bussen offers the best quotes by far in this story and seems to be the primary source.
Calvin Williford, the county's director of intergovernmental relations and chief of information responds to Sanders alleged eco-unfriendly actions: "“No environmental program has been cut in Jackson County. We have made staff reductions but no program or service has been cut. Those duties have been reassigned to other departments. A department was created comprising Larry and Chris. All those functions were going on for years without layers of managers. What we did was integrate them back into the departments."
Bussen fires back: "Anybody who manages programs knows when you cut a half million dollars from environmental programs, there’s no way they can continue to operate,"
Obviously, any politico with half a brain is keeping their mouth shut about this one in the County Legislature. So far, no legislator has been quoted on the matter and Bussen claims that their silence is deafening . . . Very much like I song I once heard from the Screaming Trees.
Of course, EKC provides ample evidence of the cuts despite denials from the Sanders camp Communications Office.
Laura Klover, Bridging the Gap (an area nonprofit that handled trash recycling) program director, said the Jackson County programs totaling about $150,000 per year were terminated, at least temporarily.
A Johnson Controls contract for 180k was cut. EKC reports that: "In addition to saving almost a half-million dollars per year, the Johnson Controls contract reduced energy consumption by 40 percent and eliminated 58,000,000 pounds of greenhouse gasses from being released into the air."
Finally, the Abitibi Recycling contract was cut as well . . . They lead the effort in involving schools in recycling paper in the Beat the Chiefs promotion.
So, according to EKC . . . What did Jackson County get in return for all of these cuts? Apparently, they've cited a number of folks related to strong supporters AND REPORTERS connected to Mike Sanders getting on the payroll in what might be called by some . . . A classic example of patronage.
EKC gets a nice slam on The Star by noting: "Of particular interest is Jeffrey Stead (a videographer) recently hired by the county AND husband of Deann Smith, who held down the Jackson County government beat for The Kansas City Star during the hotly contested county executive primary contest between Sanders and Charles B. Wheeler . . . Stead was hired for his current position on Feb. 5, 2007 about the time The Star transferred Smith to other reporting duties."
In conclusion, EKC takes a swipe at one of KC's longtime beloved politicos by printing: "The new director of the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department is Michelle Newman, daughter of Hila “Dutch” Newman, president of the Westport Landing Democratic Club. “Dutch” Newman was active in the Sanders' campaign for county executive."
Hopefully, Sanders can get his new Communication Office into gear and answer these claims come Monday . . . It'll be nice to see if PR flacks and Political friends can clear the air, because there certainly doesn't seem to be any funding for anybody else to do it if the claims reported by EKC are correct.
I voted for Mike because I was tired of Shields problems.
Now Mike is in office less than six months and seems to be more of an asshole than Shields. Makes me wish I could take my vote back and vote for old man Wheeler.
Tony, you have killed my faith in any politicians but worth more than a sack of shit.
Thanks man . . . All of the colorful language belongs to me HOWEVER, ALL of the heavy lifting was done by Tom Bogdon over at EKC. It really is an amazing article and definitely worth a read. Seriously, anyone interested in this story needs to check out the first link offered in this post.
The Bogdon story is BS. First, Bogdon was a Wheeler campaign staffer and Wheeler spokesperson at manhy events, and has expressed to me personally his "biterness" about the outcome of the election. Wheeeler and Bogodn have been drinking buddies for over 20 years. Second, the claim that a "new" PR department was created is equally totally BS. Sanders took positions ALREADY IN THE COUNTY"S BUDGET and moved them all into one department. Also, in the process he actually CUT TWO PR jobs that Shields had used for over 4 years. In terms of enviornmental stuff, Johnsons Controls is a company represented by current legislature Scott Burnett, thus, the county did the right thing cutting out that kickback operation.
In short, I don't have enough time or desire to point out all of the factual innacuracies in the former Wheeler staffer's article. Anyone can believe anything they wan't to "just because it is in print" (and it sounds like you fall into that category of Lemming). However, if anyone wants real facts not tainted by political motives, they need to look elsewhere (i.e. - at the county budget which is on-line). One last thing I just found, if all of the envirornmental programs are cut, what was the resolution for an additional $66K voted on last week for "Bridging the Gap", an enviormental group (look on-line at the county's web-site, its right there). Ooops. Facts are pesky little things boys. But politcal spin will go on.
Why does anyone have their panties in a wad over what a fired employee is bitching about?
"Bogdon was a Wheeler campaign staffer"
Bullshit.
Along with the rest of your tirade.
Well, now here's where I can weigh in. Tom Bogdon did work for Charlie Wheeler in his last campaign against Sanders. Isaw him with Wheeler several times. He also spoke as a surogate for Wheeler, and caled himself a "campaign volunteer" at a campaign forum I attended in downtown KC, when Wheeler was sick or something. As for the tree hugging stuff, who gives a shit.
SO what if Bogdon worked for Wheeler. Does that make the cuts in order for a TAXPAYER FINANCED PR CENTER FOR MIKE SANDERS ANY BETTER?
Well, given the hard feelings on both sides, I would be circumspect of anything anyone associated with either side says.
Where's our objective source?
at the county budget which is on-line
Care to provide a link that shows they actually cut PR staff by two?
Yo Joe, the assertion in the article was that an entire new PR department was created with money saved from the cuts to envirnmental programs (not that PR jobs were cut, but that Sanders created a whole new unit of PR employees). Total and complete bullshit. I work in the county (legislative side, not for Sanders) and what Sanders did in our budget hearings was he consolidated PR staff working in different departments, and moved them all into one published unit. Bgodon spun this like all of the jobs were new, when if he'd researched it he would have known otherwise. Bogdon's story about a slew of "new PR jobs" is simply that, a story with the feel of a politcal hatchet job. Also note that the "source" of all this great gossip is an employee that Sanders fired who 3 months later is still unemployed. Hardly a man without an agenda.
Also, last year the county had to cut its overall budget by 7% to meet the massive budget shortfall that Shields left us with. If some tree hugging hippy crap got cut a bit so that I could feed my children, then so be it. Better that than layhing off people with families. I have not been a huge fan of Sanders one way or the other over the years, but on this issue, the guy that wrote that article must have some political agenda as its premise is complete and utter BS.
Ladies and Gentlemen: Mike Sanders!!!
Am I the only one that has trouble just swallowing everything a disgruntled fired former Shield's employee is going on about? What next? We all get excited over what the Gottstein folks are dishing out about T being a bigot, anti-semite? After all, because someone wrote it, it must be true, right? For a bunch of self-proclaimed sceptics and outsiders, this sure appears to be a trusting bunch when it serves their purpose. After all, if someone wrote it and its negative about a politician, well then it simply has to be true. It just HAS TO BE! I for one would like to see at least one shred of PROOF before I go off. And I don't call the musings of a fired former political hire proof. I don't know, call me crazy, but I believe some ounce of proof is helpful before slandering someone. Maybe I'm just silly that way.
Nah, proof schmoof. Let's get to mud-slingin' babyeeeee!!!! I can't get enough of the Whheler v. Sanders 2006 rehash! BTW, Tom Bogdon did the media (volunteer) for Wheeler during his campaign against Sanders. Looks like old Tom still thinks it's August 2006, and Sanders hasn't won by 35% yet over his man. Tom is an old-time politcal hack, whatdyaexpect? Facts?!
DeAnn Smith has a husband? Poor guy.
What?! Misleading allegations made by political opponents about the one another?! What?! Surely this can't be true.
The problem is that this is masquerading as an independent piece of journalism - which it clearly is not. If Bogdon wanted to write a column on his perspective on the whole thing as a friend of Wheeler's and former Wheeler campaign staffer, disclosing his relationship to the whole thing upfront in print, that would be a different matter.
As much as Tony whines and cries about and insults the Pitch because they are "corporate" and actually have money to hire decent reporters and odn't have to rely on hatchet jobs written for free to get back at the writers' former political enemies, the Pitch would never, ever do something like this. But I'm sure you'll continue to whine about the Pitch just because they're "corporate" while you continue to laud EKC just because they have no money. WEll, this is what having no money gets you!
Bogdon should have disclosed his HUGE conflict in his so-called article... and maybe included a few facts amid his outright lies (though it was entertaining). Glad to see others have outed him.
For those of you who missed the incessant WHINING from Chris (I'm My Own Biggest Fan) Bussen when he was invited to find new employment back in January, this is just more of the same. Only louder, and even less accurate.
Here's the big picture Bussen/Bodgdon/Falkin and the other "eco-terrorists" will never show you:
- Jackson County's Enviro programs existed for one reason and one reason only: getting Shields elected Mayor. In Jackson County, GREEN stands for money, not environmentally friendly.
- Millions of dollars flowed into those programs so the county (Bussen) could BUY awards for Shields. None of the programs made money. They all COST money... especially that Johnson Controls payoff, and the cost of flying employee after employee to Bob Mann's Eco-indoctrination retreat in Colorado.
- And did anyone else catch that Shields spent over $50,000 last year on TV commercials for herself (just before the Mayor's race)? What was the "issue"? You guessed it: the ENVIRONMENT. Maybe that's why Sanders thought it was time to get communications under control?
- And Btw, all communication staffers except for 1 already worked at the county. It was a reorganization of existing staff into one office.
Memo to Mr. Bussen: there's a job open in Johnson County, KS. Please apply. They got all kinda money over there!
Hey Bogdon- Cardarella called to say your check is in the mail. Right after he gets done paying the lawyers it should be okay to cash!
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