Life Of Jason

I get a phone call tonight from Dale.  He informs me that he has a girlfriend.  Apparently she called the house tonight to talk to him.

My son’s a player and he’s only 7.

I said he can’t bring her to the wedding.

Last week Jim Lee of Busplunge posted a blog concerning a news report at Willard area state Rep. Shane Schoeller’s sponsorship of the part of a bill that would allow Kansas City area utility Aquila to continue to operate a power plant that was built without permission of the State Public Service Commission (who approved it a year later) and continued building in the face of court orders to cease.

Well, while Jim and I are usually at polar opposites when it comes to political views (he likes Hillary, I don’t) it did raise some very interesting questions. I had started to hash out a blog with my thoughts on it when I thought I would try to track down Rep. Schoeller and just ask him directly about the situation.

I just received his response and to be honest haven’t even had time to read it yet because I’m about to run out the door to see my beautiful fiancee and try to wrap up some wedding plans. (May 24 is coming entirely too fast in some ways and not fast enough in others.)

Here is his response, unedited, for you to read and make up your own mind on the situation. I would encourage you if you’re not familiar with the situation to read Jim’s blog on the subject that contains the news item so the background is clearer to you.

LifeofJason: How does that power plant benefit the people of your district enough to justify your sponsorship of the bill instead of a representative from their area?

Rep. Schoeller: As a member of the Missouri House of Representatives I serve on the Special Committee on Utilities. The legislation to allow the Aquila plant to remain in its current location was sent to our committee due to its subject matter. I agreed to sponsor the legislation at the request of the Utilities Committee Chairman, Ed Emery. I realized the legislation would be controversial but believed there needed to be a discussion due to the possibility of a power plant valued at over 140 million dollars being torn down. This action would increase the customer’s electric rates since they would have to go out and purchase power to be shipped in for the peak periods of use. In addition, this purchase of power outside of the service area would also compromise their reliability of electric service which we should try and avoid whenever possible.

I would have been pleased for an area representative from the Cass County area to carry the legislation but due to the controversy surrounding the issue, Chairman Emery believed it best for a representative with no bias in the matter to carry the legislation. I agreed and have let those individuals against the legislation know that I would be glad for the issue to be resolved without HB 2468. To avoid further controversy in the matter it has been decided recently it is best to let the legislation go forward to avoid further costly lawsuits after the settlement between Aquila with the county and residents. I have more information regarding the settlement in the final question.

LOJ: What is your response to the fact that almost every one of the Representatives from the area directly affected by the issue voted against it?

Rep. Schoeller: We worked hard with the representatives from the Cass County area to get their input on the legislation which resulted in it being amended to only apply to first class counties and then sun setting the legislation within one year. I understand though why they voted no. This is an issue where you can see both perspectives very easily. They certainly had some constituents who voiced their concerns through Stop Aquila that did not desire to see the power plant built and agreed with them.

I went and met with many of the residents who live within site of the South Harper facility to be sure there were perspectives other then those opposed to the building of the facility. The residents I met with were very upset with the idea of the power plant being torn down. Many of them were natives of the area, who said before the facility was built that they experienced the loss of power almost every time it rained hard. They really did not want to entertain the notion of it being torn down only to possibly be rebuilt on the exact same location. I address this too in the next question.

LOJ: How can you justify giving essentially amnesty to Aquila for violating the court orders when you’re against giving amnesty to illegal immigrants? Didn’t both of them break the law? Why should either be rewarded?

Rep. Schoeller: Amnesty for illegal immigrants is a federal issue and not an issue we decide in the state legislature. Currently state law does not address the criminality of illegal immigrants. In the state of Missouri it is currently only a civil crime.

The issue at hand with Aquila is not about rewarding them. It has been inaccurately stated that the legislation is designed to save Aquila the embarrassment of dismantling its South Harper peaking facility. Rather the purpose of this bill is to apply some common sense to what has become a three-year long legal battle and avoid the wasteful expenditure of $95 million to dismantle an electric generating facility at a time when the state needs more, not fewer, such facilities to meet increasing demand.

To highlight how little common sense has been applied to this situation, consider the fact that Aquila could be forced to dismantle the plant and then, doing exactly as the courts have prescribed, rebuild the same facility in exactly the same place. HB 2468 would avoid that unreasonable waste of $95 million. Even the Presiding Commissioner of Cass County stated in his committee testimony that the facility could be torn down only to be rebuilt in the same spot.

Some also have said that this legislation would give the Missouri Public Service Commission significant additional power. Again, nothing could be further from the truth. This legislation is narrowly written and expires after one year, at which time the powers that it grants disappear.

Some people feel that Aquila built this facility without any legal authority. I disagree, based on my review of the process that Aquila followed – a process that had been in place and used by all utilities in Missouri for 25 years- Aquila was following the same procedure used by utility companies across the state in building their power plants. Two other states with very similar statutes where it was challenged in court ruled on the side of the utility companies in their final rulings at the State Supreme Court level. In any case, whether you agree that Aquila followed the proper legal process or not, I am convinced that the appropriate resolution of this situation is most certainly NOT the dismantling of the facility.

In addition I want to add that the hearing that HB 2468 received before the Special Committee on Utilities, Aquila executive Jon Empson apologized for Aquila’s role in this situation. Aquila has subsequently reached agreement with Cass County under which Aquila would pay the county nearly $2,000,000 in legal fees and fines. Aquila also continues to work with the local citizens to address their concerns. To me, that represents a much more practical resolution to this issue than dismantling the plant. That is why I have sponsored HB 2468 and support its enactment.

I want to thank Rep. Schoeller for his quick reply to my questions. I’ll probably edit this post later with some thoughts when I have time to really read through the responses.

Edit with my thoughts:

OK…here’s my thoughts on it.

I still don’t see why Rep. Schoeller had to be the one who sponsored it.  Why didn’t the chairman of the committee, Ed Emery do it himself?  Did Emery think it was too hot to touch so he would throw it to a freshman Representative to take the heat?  I hate to be that cynical about politics but it seems like they were tossing off the hot potato.

I know Rep. Schoeller said “due to the controversy surrounding the issue, Chairman Emery believed it best for a representative with no bias in the matter to carry the legislation” and I believe that Rep. Schoeller believes that but I really wonder if that’s just what they wanted him to believe.

Now….only $2 million for legal fees and fines?  When it would cost $95 million to tear down the plant?  That’s only 2.1% of that cost.  If the KC Star report I read tonight was accurate, the plant was $140 million.  That means the fine is just 1.4% of the total cost of the plant.  That seems WAY to low considering they flaunted court rulings.  It doesn’t matter if they thought they would eventually be proven right in the end.  Private citizens who ignore court rulings go to jail.  This is less than a slap on the wrist to Aquila.

I would say at least a $14 million fine would be a good starting point (or 10% of the cost of the plant.)

On the other hand, it really doesn’t make sense to have them tear it down in order to rebuild it.  However, I really worry about the precedent that’s being set by this legislation.  If we see it this time, will we see it again?  You can’t put the genie back into the bottle even with a sunset provision on this particular law.

OK, if you’re a regular to this blog, you’re probably wondering what in the world a headline like that is doing on this blog.  If anything, I try to tone down things like that when I’m reporting on it here at LOJ.  However, I used that headline to make a point about media coverage of events like the one alluded to in the headline of this blog entry.

Why do we need to know what happened to this poor girl?  Why do we need to know the details of what allegedly happened between her and this “man of God”?

This is a long time issue with me and unfortunately today the folks in my spotlight are my television news channel of choice, KSPR.  While they didn’t put the details in the headline (they instead said “Pastor charged with sex abuse of 16 year old girl“) the actual story included the details of the charges filed (statutory rape and sodomy) and later in the piece gave details like the one I included in the headline of this blog post.

Why does the public need to know exactly what was done to this girl?

Anyone with a computer can Google the charges against this man and find out what allegedly happened between him and the then-underage girl in question.  This is especially true of those close to the situation or live in Neosho and could then use that information to taunt or shun this girl.  Don’t think for a second there aren’t some people around her who will use this information in some hurtful manner against her.  Teenagers can be extremely cruel.   It only takes one person to start a rumor that the pastor isn’t the only guy she’s allegedly entertained.  Won’t matter if it’s true…now a girl who’s been traumatized from this situation will have all new levels of emotional trauma.

And even if it doesn’t happen (and I pray that it doesn’t) the fact is that it COULD happen because of the media reporting the specifics of the alleged encounter.

Why does the public need to know that?  Can you give me one good compelling reason that the general public needs to know the details of what happened within that room?

I really believe the respectable media should adopt a code like they do in regards to not naming rape victims.   Instead of reporting the details of a rape or stautory rape, they should just say that someone was charged with “sexually based offenses” and refer to the incidents as “sexual assaults.”  In this, you allow the public to know that the crime involved sex or some kind of attempted sex act without telling the reader/listener/viewer exactly what happened to the victim.

Now, to be clear, I’m not dumping this all on KSPR or whichever newsroom reporter wrote the piece.  (The header just says “by KSPR news” so it could be anyone.  Like in everything else, I blame Kevin Lighty even though he’s chief meteorologist and likely knows nothing about it.)

This is just the state of media and a time where the media could collectively take a step to protect victims of sex crimes a little further without reducing at all the truthfulness of their reporting or lessening their responsibility to the community.

Many of you know that KSGF’s Vince Jericho has lied both on and off the air about me, my beliefs and this blog.  I had pretty much decided to no longer mention him or his show here because of those deliberate and dishonest attempts to smear me without having the integrity to face me man to man but when someone tipped me off to what happened on his show this morning, I realized that I had to post on this blog about it and drive those of you who read it to their podcast for the day.

Vince’s wife, Denise, shared on the air this morning the horrific story of her childhood and the abuses that were inflicted upon her.  She endured situations as a child and a teenager that would have sent many a person into a spiral of shame and regret and self-loathing that would end up with a ruined life.  Instead, she was able to overcome the challenges that were put in front of her and turned her life not only into a life worth living but a life that through Christ is making a different in the life of others.

It’s a very brave stand for a woman to share these kinds of things in today’s society where people tend to use things like this against them.  Words get twisted to advance a particular agenda and someone who was trying to do the right thing…like encouraging women to get out of abusive situations and get help…could end up being an object of scorn.  We as a society would like to believe that it wouldn’t happen to someone who takes a stand like this but it’s more common than we want to accept.

What makes this even more inspirational is that she went on the radio in front of thousands of strangers to reveal the most intimate details of her life.  This wasn’t a situation where she could control the audience who was listening to the words that came from her mouth.  She showed that someone who has been victimized does not have to remain a victim and that anyone can rise above horrors inflicted upon them to help blaze the trail for those who unfortunately will have to walk that same road in the future.

When more women like Denise Jericho stand up and help take the stigma away from these abuses and show that these horrors are not the fault of the women who’ve been attacked the faster we can move forward to protecting those in our society who most need it.  Child abuse and spousal abuse are HUGE problems that get mostly pushed under the rug because of the stigma attached to it.  It’s time to get rid of that stigma.

Go to KSGF’s website and listen to the podcast with Denise Jericho today.  Listen to the words of this brave woman.  If you know a woman who is in an abusive relationship, download that podcast, burn it on a CD and give it to them.  If you know someone who is abusing their child like what happened to Denise then call the cops.  Don’t rest on the old “I don’t want to get involved.”  We cannot afford to continue to be silent.

Denise Jericho is not silent.  I know more and more women will start to follow her lead.  The time to end these abuses is NOW.

Click here to head to the City’s website to look at the proposed budget for 2008-2009.

You’ll need to download all three PDFs to see the entire budgeting process. There’s a lot to go through and I haven’t had time to search to find all the little things that are in this big document.

I received an e-mail today from Fred Ellison of the Missouri Liberty Coalition regarding the $758,000 “surplus” in the budget after all the proposed cuts would be put into effect. First, I’ll post his letter unedited and then my thoughts on it.

“Dear Mayor and Council Members:

The purpose of this letter is to assist you in evaluating several choices that are available for the extra $ 758,200 that may be created by the 7% budget reductions.

The first point that I would like to make is that the proposed $ 5,200,000 extra contribution that you are planning to make to the Police and Fire Pension Fund during the 2008-2009 Fiscal Year is only a band-aid being put on a gapping wound and is still $ 1,300,000 less than the amount that you have failed to contribute over the last three years. At the end of the current fiscal year, you will have cost the Pension Fund about $ 800,000 in potential earnings on the accumulated $ 6,500,371 under contribution.

The initial suggestion that comes to mind would be to contribute the additional $ 758,200 to the Pension Fund. The long-term impact of this decision would be to provide about $ 6,638,000 of earnings for the payment of benefits during the next 30 years. (If the amount of the additional contribution is $ 467,700, the additional earnings will be about $ 4,094,000.)

Another suggestion that was made last Tuesday, at the budget session, was using the $ 758,200 to restore approximately 15-18 positions in the Police and Fire Departments. The impact of increasing Pension Plan participant wages by about $ 575,000 will result in about $235,000 per year (for the next 3-5 years) in employee and employer contributions. If a permanent solution to the unfunded liability in the Pension Fund is achieved after three to five years, the additional contributions will probably decline to about $ 135,000 per year for subsequent years. The long-term financial impact on the Pension Fund of restoring these positions will be to provide about $18,650,000 for the payment of benefits during the next 30 years.

Therefore, from a strictly financial perspective, the most prudent decision will be to use the full $758,200 for restoring positions in the police and fire departments. This is also in the best interests of the health and safety of the citizens of Springfield. Another, often overlooked, consideration is the impact that the current understaffing of the police and fire department will have on insurance ratings and ultimately insurance rates in the City of Springfield.

The decisions that you are making have much greater implications than you might ever imagine. If the City Council cannot be trusted to keep its commitments to city employees, why would the citizens of Springfield feel that City Council should be trusted on other matters?”

My first thought is that last line was completely unnecessary or should have been worded in a less combative way.  That’s just personal preference…I’d like to see someone build their case without a shot at the Council members.

Up to that point, he built a very solid case for taking that money and putting it where he had suggested in his plan.   I’m all in favor of restoring positions to the police and fire departments who could really use the additional officers and firefighters.  It’s a good plan and one that should be given serious consideration.

OK, maybe not but when I see a record low temperature of below freezing for April 29 it sure feels like a myth!

I blame Kevin Lighty. Since he’s been here we’ve had nothing but screwy weather. He’s trying to turn Springfield into another Veedersburg, Indiana where 31 in April is likely normal. (In fact, today’s forecast for Springfield and Veedersburg look VERY similar…)

We’re on to you, Kevin. You need to take steps to redeem yourself like buying an Ozark Mountain Daredevils CD and playing it in the background of your forecast today at 4:30. Perhaps have some video shot of Joe taking you down the James River in a canoe on a 31 degree morning. (Joe won’t be in a canoe with you, of course…he’s not that much of a man’s man.)

Edit, 11pm Monday: According to Darin, McCartney’s mother got the message and he’s spoken to his daughter. So at least he knows she’s safe. Please keep Darin and McCartney in your prayers until they’re brought safely together again.

The Supreme Court ruled that Indiana’s law requring people to show a photo ID before voting was Constitutional.  As you would expect in anything having to do with voting today, one side of the measure (mostly Democrats) said it was an attempt to “disenfranchise” poor and minority voters who usually vote Democratic.  Republicans said that it was a necessary step to protect from voter fraud.

The 6-3 decision was surprising to me in that I expected a 5-4 vote on idealogical lines.  Instead, the majority opinion was written by John Paul Stevens who is often considered in the liberal side of the Court.  According to an article from bloomberg.com:

“Writing the court’s lead opinion, Justice John Paul Stevens said voter fraud is “real” and “could affect the outcome of a close election.” States, he said, have a “valid interest in protecting the integrity and reliability of the electoral process.””

I agree 100% with Justice Stevens.  The integrity and reliability of the electoral process is a very valid and very real concern.  Reasonable steps to make sure voters are legally registered to vote is something that should be supported by people of all political parties and ideaologies.  If you screamed about the 2000 election or about St. Louis keeping polling places in predominantly Democratic districts open longer then you should be stepping up to say that something as simple as showing a photo ID to prove identity before voting is a small step to preserve integrity of the process.

Look, if you have to show a photo ID to use a check or in many cases a credit card then it’s not unreasonable to ask for the same kind of ID when it’s something much more important like voting for our city, state and national leaders.   It will be interesting to see what happens in Missouri now that the Supreme Court has ruled in this manner.  (If you don’t know, the our state’s high court voted down the Voter ID law in Missouri.)

Let’s get a law in place and allow enough time for people to be informed through the media and other avenues like direct mail that voting in the future will require a photo ID.   Provide information on how to get one if you don’t have a driver’s license or other previously issued form of state photo ID.  This is a reasonable, common-sense measure to help fight voter fraud that is not an unreasonable burden on anyone.

Amy & I were blessed to have been given tickets to see the Dixie Stampede in Branson on Saturday by my ex-wife so that we could see the show with my sons.

But, before I get into the bulk of the review, I have to give a warning and then some serious props.  The warning is that if you have a peanut allergy (like my soon to be daughter Julie) that you need to avoid the pre-show at the Dixie Stampede because the Carriage room where it’s located serves peanuts.  That puts peanut dust in the air, on the chairs, floor, etc.

The props go to the staff of the Dixie Stampede who went not just above and beyond the call but beyond that to take care of us when they found out about Julie’s condition.   They first offered to bring us chairs into the gift shop area so we could wait until the arena was ready for us to come in.  Then they offered to let us go sit in their offices so that we didn’t have to deal with people rushing around us in the gift shop.  Then after about 20 minutes when the arena was ready for people (and at least 20 minutes before the pre-show was over) they came and took us in and seated us then brought us drinks.  The way they went out of their way to make sure that not only were we taken care of but also that we felt welcomed and appreciated was…well…appreciated.  We’ve been in places where you’re treated as an afterthought when you have a child with a peanut allergy.  Not at the Dixie Stampede.

In addition, our server Melinda was excellent at serving us.  She even went into the kitchen and brought us an ingredient list for the meal so we could see what Julie could and could not eat.  She payed so much attention to our kids that I hope she gets some kind of pat on the back or salary bump or something from the management at the Stampede.  Maybe a personal phone call from Dolly!

The food was surprisingly good.  When you think they’re serving 1100 people that they would have to cut some corners on the meal but it was seasoned well and tasted very well.  The potato was a little on the dry side but outside of that I didn’t have a complaint with any of the meal.  We were impressed from the very beginning because Amy, Tanya and I all had the same reaction to the butter biscuit…it was so good we happily took them from the kids when they said they didn’t want theirs!

The show was very good.  Dale was excited to be brought into the show at one point to do a display of trick roping.  He ran down like he was sitting on springs when they asked him to do it and he twirled the rope around like he was a pro.  (Sorry for the grainy photo…I had to snap it on my picture phone because I’m guessing Dixie doesn’t allow photos of their show.  So if you’re reading this and don’t see a photo of my son to the right of it you’ll know Dixie Stampede asked me to take down the photograph.)

Dale announced to me after he came back to his seat that he wanted to be a cowboy.

The show was pretty close to what I remember from the last time I saw it four years ago.  There was some great horse tricks and no matter how many times you see it you cannot help but be impressed with a guy who stands on the backs of two horses and then jumps through a flaming hoop.

There was a part of the show where they talked about man first coming to the west and they did a routine where they had someone doing a native American dance and celebrated the native American mythology of the Thunderbird where a woman in a Thunderbird costume was lowered from the ceiling.  It was quite eye catching with the black light.

There were the Dixie Stampede traditions…the ostrich races, the pig races.  The obligatory Branson show ending tribute to America.  (Not that I have anything against that but I’m really tired of every Branson show I see having a “tribute to America.”  While I’m sure the performers at Dixie were honest in their performances I just roll my eyes when it happens because it’s so predictable.)

The interaction of the audience was really fun as well.  They divide the arena between north and south and each side does different cheers to support “their” side of the competition.  (I was on the confederate side but I couldn’t dishonor my great-great-great-grandfather who fought for the Union at Gettysburg so I went ahead and cheered for the north anyway.)   The crowd was really into the cheering and the “stampeding” where they would kick the wooden front of the row where you were seated.  The kids really loved that part of it.

Overall, I would happily recommend you check out the Dixie Stampede.  While I wouldn’t say it’s “the most fun place to eat in Branson” (that honor still goes to the Circle B Chuckwagon Cowboy Dinner & Show) I would still say it’s a good value for the money and a show worth seeing in Branson.

This is hopefully the first in a series of reviews of Branson shows and attractions.  I know for sure I’ll have a review of the Circle B’s new show for 2008 coming up sometime in early June.  (If you’re with a Branson show and would like a review done on this blog, just e-mail me.)

Amy & I had an interesting Saturday in Branson. There was a very nice surprise, a look at the “hot new” place to be in Branson and a disappointing visit to a previous favorite location.

Thumbs Up: Area ‘57 at the Dick Clark American Bandstand Theatre. As Amy & I were leaving the Dixie Stampede yesterday (and there will be an official LifeOfJason review of that posted later today) we saw a sign for “Area ‘57″ announcing a free drive-in movie…”Smokey and the Bandit.” Well, I love that movie and said to Amy it’s a shame we wouldn’t be in town because if that was legitimate it would be a great thing.

Well, one thing led to another and we were still in Branson around 6:30ish and thought we’d check out to see if this deal was real. Well, we pulled down the hill into the parking area to see a giant inflatable drive in theatre screen. A guy explained that this was part of the ‘57 Heaven car museum at the Dick Clark’s American Bandstand theatre and it was completely free to attend. (They have a concession stand that’s not free but the movie was free.)

So we grabbed some dinner (you’ll see that in a few paragraphs) and came back to enjoy Smokey and the Bandit on the Drive In screen. It was such a great time for us and it’s really great to see a business like the AB Theatre doing something like this for free. Amy & I can’t afford to go to Branson shows all the time…we can barely afford to go to the movies! (I don’t think we’ve gone to a full price movie theatre in a year.) Something like this is great to give back to the community and the American Bandstand Theatre & ‘57 Heaven deserve a big pat on the back for it.

If you go to the website for Area ‘57 they show some of the movies that will be coming up. We were told last night a lot of the movies will feature classic cars. (American Graffiti, Grease, etc.) I know that Amy & I will be going back a couple times this summer. We might even find a way to stash money away for a show at the Bandstand Theatre because I’ve heard Paul Revere & The Raiders put on a killer show.

Thumbs Down: Baldknobbers Restaurant. This used to be a place that I recommended to people when they went to Branson because of excellent service and above-average food. They’re now way off that list.

I really don’t know how quite to explain it but the atmosphere felt completely different last night. While the waitress was friendly and the staff seemed to be genuinely interested in each other (providing a family working atmosphere, I guess) it just seemed like a restaurant on it’s last legs. I hate to say that but it was mostly empty when we were there and it felt a little dark inside the restaurant.

The buffet seemed smaller than it was last year. Perhaps it was the same size but it just seemed smaller. The food wasn’t as good as it has been in the past either. The ribs on the buffet were cold and tough. The chicken noodle soup had soggy noodles and really little flavor to it. The meatloaf was pretty good and that kept Julie fed but both Amy and I thought it wasn’t anywhere worth the $11.99 a person to eat at that buffet.

We’re not going back to Baldknobbers and that’s hard for me to say after recommending it to so many people both in person and back when I was on the radio. For the price you have to pay you can get much better food at many other places.

Meh: Branson Landing. OK, this was my first time to visit the Branson Landing after hearing people both local and tourists saying how great “The Landing” was to visit and shop. I have to say I don’t see the greatness of it. It’s a nice outdoor shopping mall. It looks pretty. It’s next to the river. It’s got a Bass Pro (although I didn’t see a section for Martin Truex, Jr., driver of the #1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet so it’s not a real Bass Pro to me.)

I don’t see why it’s a destination for so many people. Why would you want a condo that overlooks a mall? I guess I don’t understand the point of paying an excessive amount of money just to live at the “in” place.

It’s not a thumbs up, it’s not a thumbs down. It’s just a “meh” where you shrug your shoulders and say “it’s ok.” I’m willing to concede that perhaps my expectations were very high because of all the hype surrounding the Landing that’s why I wasn’t more impressed than I was by it.

I’m sure I’ll end up going back there at some point but I don’t see the Landing being a place that I’m just dying to go.

I’m going to work up my review of Dixie Stampede and post that a little later today. Right now, it’s race time.