Offered with no Commentary

Shelley Tue, 06/23/2009 - 15:08

Via Kansas City Star, State Representative Cynthia Davis comments on a program to provide nutritional meals to poor kids during the summer. Representative Davis' responses were pulled directly from her summer newsletter.

Program description: Current economic woes make Summer Food Service Program more important than ever. Program provides nutritious meals to young people throughout the state.

Davis response: The implication suggests that during a recession, parents don’t give their children nutritious food. The reverse may be true. During hard times, many families find it even more important to pull together. Families may economize by choosing to not waste hard earned dollars on potato chips, ice cream, or Twinkies. Perhaps some families will buy more beans and chicken and less sweets.

Program description: Hundreds of local community organizations throughout the state will offer lunch, as well as breakfast, during the summer months to eligible children.

Davis response: Who’s buying dinner? Who is getting paid to serve the meal? Churches and other non-profits can do this at no cost to the taxpayer if it is warranted. That is what they did when Louisiana had a hurricane.

Program description: “Children need nutritious food to grow and learn all year long,” said Ann McCormack, chief of the health department’s Bureau of Community Food and Nutrition Assistance.

Davis response: The problem of childhood obesity has been cited as one of the most rapidly growing health problems in America. People who are struggling with lack of food usually do not have an obesity problem.

Program description: Meals will be served at designated sites to children age 18 and under.

Davis response:Anyone under 18 can be eligible? Can’t they get a job during the summer by the time they are 16? Hunger can be a positive motivator. What is wrong with the idea of getting a job so you can get better meals?

Tip: If you work for McDonald’s, they will feed you for free during your break.

Offered without commentary. Because none is necessary.

Update: More from Riverfront Times, including link to Keith Olbermann naming Davis Worst Person in the World.

Update: Excellent response from Fox. Contact your local state legislator to ask them to lobby Republicans to remove Rep. Davis from her chairmanship of the Committe on Children and Families. Excellent suggestion.

Update: Representative Davis responds. I've also included a copy of her press release (PDF). Good luck finding anything coherent in there.

Too Hot

Shelley Fri, 06/19/2009 - 15:13

Even before Summer officially starts on Sunday, we've had heat alerts the last two days. Combined heat and humidity has led to effective temperatures of 105 degrees. We haven't broken upper temperature records, but we have lower temperatures in the evening.

As these two Grévy's zebras demonstrate, the only way to handle weather like this is to stay in the shade, or in air conditioning. I've had to turn my air conditioning up to 80 degrees, just to keep it from running 24 hours a day.

Not sure if the sudden heat wave is an indicator of a bad summer or not. From what the climatologists have said, it looks like we will have an unusually warm summer. Move over, zebras.

two zebras under shade of tree

Missouri's Department of Natural Resources: In Transition

Shelley Tue, 03/03/2009 - 11:43

Missouri's Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR), has been the focus of contention for the last several years. One of the first acts the state's last governor, Matt Blunt, did when he first came to office back in 2005 was fire most of the DNR's upper management—including the director, Steve Mahood, who was greatly respected in the environmental community. Mahood eventually went on to a position with the Nature Conservancy.

In Mahood's place, Blunt appointed Doyle Childers, a long time Republican Missouri State Senator. Childer's appointment was not without controversy, primarily because of his business focus, and by his lack of natural resource management experience. The controversy around Childers was exacerbated by his own politically motivated actions as regards to two specific events related to the DNR: the Taum Sauk dam break, and the Boonville Bridge.

Wettest Year Ever

Shelley Tue, 12/23/2008 - 17:13

Congratulations, St. Louis.

With this afternoon's rain, frozen rain, sleet, and hail, we set a new record for wettest year. From the Weather Underground:

Statement as of 2:40 PM CST on December 23, 2008

... Record yearly maximum precipitation set at St. Louis MO...

A record yearly maimum precipitation of 55.00 inches was set at
St. Louis today. This breaks the old record of 54.97 inches set
in 1982.

We managed to flood every river, stream, creek, and dry bed this year. Though none of the floods beat any records, the number of floods was extraordinary, as was the fact that every flood came perilously close to beating records. However, at least we haven't been getting the snow other areas are getting. Knock on soggy wood.

Flood photos here at MissouriGreen.

Voting in Missouri

Shelley Mon, 11/03/2008 - 09:37

Missouri does not have early voting, so we're expecting a busy day at the polls tomorrow. Make sure you're all set with what you need to vote in Missouri, which is one of the identifications listed in this page. The Missouri Secretary of State's office also provides a handy poll place and sample ballot lookup. The sample ballot is especially important to making sure you're prepared to vote before you head to the polls.

You probably already know who you're going to vote for when it comes to President and Governor and so on, but you may not be sure of how to vote when it comes to that long list of judges that always seem to fill up these ballots. The Missouri Bar Association puts out a list of judges by region and how well the judge did with surveys given to both lawyers and jurors. Based on the surveys the MoBar then gives a retain or not recommendation. For St. Louis County, most of the judges were highly rated. One was given a do not retain ranking, and a couple of others were given a more qualified retain recommendation. I ended up retaining all but three judges on my sample ballot.

Most of the ballot issues are not as straight forward as they seem, and it pays to put some time into reviewing what's up for a vote. I've found that the national Ballotopedia to be a helpful place to start, though just searching on each measure or amendment brings up opposition and support arguments. As an example of a Ballotopedia page is one for Proposition A, which has to do with removing loss limits. The issue has been tied to school funding, but when you scratch the surface, you find that the issue is really being paid for by the existing casinos who want to encourage more people to lose money, while preventing other casinos from being built. At the same time, proponents point to the implication with Proposition A that schools will get more money. It's an important ballot item, like all of the other ballot items, and you need to spend time with each.

For what it's worth, my own voting recommendations are:

  • Vote No on Constitutional Amendment 1, about English being the 'official language' in government meetings. English is already the official language in Missouri. It's a silly bill put out by those wanting to cater to the paranoid and the xenophobic.
  • Vote Yes on Constitutional Amendment 4, regarding how financing of storm water control projects are funded. This is a difficult to read bill, and I resorted to Google searches to find opinions on the bill. Eventually, the fact that this bill had such broad bipartisan support in the state senate won me over, though I still think about just letting this one slide on the ballot with a non-vote.
  • Vote No on Proposition A, to remove casino loss limits. Too often corporate interests tie political initiatives to school funding as a way of getting a controversial bill passed. Removing loss limits is only going to add to a growing gambling problem afflicting this state, as well as encourage people to lose too much in the heat of the moment. In addition, the Proposition also prohibits any new casinos, which I believe should be controlled by community planning boards, not the Casino Queen, the main sponsor of this bill. Both Republican and Democratic candidates for governor are against this bill, which demonstrates broad bipartisan opposition to the bill, because I don't believe the two agree on anything else.
  • Vote No on Proposition B, on creating a new home care council. The concept is good, but the wording in the proposal is vague. What exactly are the powers attributed to this council? What will they do that isn't handled by other agencies? I like the idea of a watch dog for in-home care professionals, but a badly done proposition isn't going to help anyone.
  • Vote Yes on Proposition C, which would mandate that energy providers use clean energy sources, up to 15% over time. The organizations in favor of the bill are many, with Ameren being about the sole opposition to the bill. Ameren would prefer "market forces" dictate the use of clean energy. I would assume these are the same market forces that have kept our banks healthy. No, we can't depend on business to do the right thing.
  • Within St. Louis county, my main interest is on Proposition M, which would provide Metro funding. Gas prices may be cheap now, but they're not going to last. A forward thinking community is one that plans for, and supports, mass transit, including light rail. Some people are unhappy at the cost overruns the Shrewsbury line cost the tax payers, but punishing a facility that is good for the community for the past actions of people no longer associated with the facility, is penny wise, and pound foolish.
  • As regards to the other St. Louis County initiatives: I'm voting Yes on Proposition C , 1, I, and H. In fact, I'm voting Yes across the board for St. Louis county initiatives. Most of the issues are related to taxes, and include support for our wonderful parks, children services, and necessary capital improvements.