Thursday, July 20, 2017
State Employees Take Org Health Survey
The Greitens administration has sent a work survey to state employees. It’s an “Organizational Health Index survey.” According to the survey, it’s “an important tool… The OHI has been used by 1000s of other organizations around the world. They include private, nonprofit, and government organizations. The results will enable us to compare to ourselves and to other organizations how we are working…”
In his note to state employees Greitens writes, “We will use the results of this survey. I already scheduled a meeting with all the Cabinet leaders in late August to review the initial findings and begin to use them to set our priorities for the coming years.”
The survey is mostly a series of statements which the employees are asked to strongly or somewhat agree or disagree with.
Many of the statements sound like corporate buzzword, gobbledygook. For example: “Managers align the organization’s goals with the personal goals of employees,” “The work environment maximizes interaction and cross-collaboration,” and “The organization’s incentive and recognition systems promote healthy competition among employees.”
While others call for quite candid straightforward assessments. For example, “Most days I find my work to be pretty boring,” and “I would recommend working here to friends and relatives.”
Follow-Up on Beetem for House 60
Yesterday I wrote about Jane Beetem as a candidate for House 60 (Rep. Jay Barnes’ seat).
I am told it will be a spirited primary.
In addition to Beetem, two other candidates are running: David Griffith, the executive director of the American Red Cross of Central and Northern Missouri, and Pat Rowe Kerr, who made headlines for her sexual discrimination lawsuit under the Nixon administration.
Beetem is the only candidate who has started a committee so far.
And
One observer wonders if Beetem’s husband, Judge Jon Beetem, would have to recuse himself from any judicial proceedings involving the legislature if his wife wins the House seat…
GOP “Coalescing” Around Hawley?
AP’s Summer Ballentine writes (see it here) “Big-name Missouri Republicans and donors have coalesced around Attorney General Josh Hawley as their favored candidate to challenge veteran Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill in 2018…”
And Politico’s Morning Score reports “Two Republicans - one in the Show-Me State, the other a national operative - told Campaign Pro they heard from Hawley associates he plans to run…”
Meanwhile
On Facebook, Rep. Paul Curtman has 120 “attending” and 186 “interested” in his kick-off event a week from Saturday for US Senate. Could have a nice crowd if these numbers continue to build. We’ll see…..
The Money Speaker Race
One aspect of the speaker’s race in the House is fundraising. The bragging rights for the latest quarter went to Rep. Holly Rehder who chipped $10K into the HRCC coffers while Rep. Elijah Haahr only put in $5K and Rep. Robert Cornejo’s $5K came in last week – after the quarter’s close.
For those keeping score at home, last year (2016), Haahr added $55K to HRCC’s bank account; Cornejo sent in $52,500; and Rehder contributed $35K.
Patterson in House 30
The headline is Patterson Eyes 2018 (see it here), but it might be Keep an Eye on Patterson. He seems like a possible star of next year’s freshman class.
Pull Quote: More than a year before any votes are cast in the 2018 elections, political newcomer Jon Patterson is showing himself to be adept at one aspect of politics: fundraising. Mandatory quarterly filings with the Missouri Election Commission show that Patterson has already raised over $100,000 in this election cycle. This has piqued the interest of some Jefferson City veterans…
Dark Money Org Seeks Sunshine
Post-Dispatch reports that Missouri Alliance for Freedom filed suits against Auditor Nicole Galloway and Sen. Rob Schaaf seeking emails under the Sunshine law. See it here.
Pull Quote: The Kansas City-based group says it favors limited government, which means citizens must be able to access public documents to oversee what the government is doing.
Its president is Kristen Blanchard Ansley, the former acting executive director of the Missouri Republican Party. The Graves Garrett law firm is run by Todd Graves, chairman of the Missouri GOP and a close ally of Gov. Eric Greitens… Schaaf has been at loggerheads with Greitens since the Republican chief executive took office in January. A nonprofit similar to the Missouri Alliance for Freedom operated by members of Greitens’ former campaign team ran attack ads against Schaaf during the legislative session…
Both of the nonprofits are known as “dark money” groups because they are not required to disclose their donors. Schaaf has called for more disclosure by the groups in order to allow voters to see who is financing them.
Baker Announces for House 160
Press release: Neosho Mayor Ben Baker, a Republican, has announced his candidacy for the state house, to replace termed state Representative Bill Reiboldt.
Baker is the Dean of Students and a professor at Ozark Bible Institute, which is also where he studied theology. A lay minister who attends Bible Holiness Assembly of God, he has also been involved with Ozark Christian Missions, where he has travelled to India, Africa and South America leading various teams on mission trips.
Baker owns and operates Artisan Construction, a homebuilding business in Neosho, where he resides with his wife Naomi and their four daughters…
As Mayor of Neosho, Baker proved to be an effective and responsive leader after the area incurred two natural disasters and an attack from an anti-religion group all within the span of one month… Additionally, Baker played an instrumental role in the Cruz campaign, where he volunteered as an organizer for the Southwest Missouri region. He has retained Axiom Strategies to consult on his campaign…
Morris on Greitens’ PDMP
Rep. Lynn Morris, a pharmacist, sent a press release concerning Governor Eric Greitens’ executive order implementing a prescription drug monitoring program.
“It does not appear that physicians and pharmacists were consulted about this plan. In fact, it appears that doctors and pharmacists will not be allowed to view the data. While I believe most people would love to see a decrease in drug overdoses leading to deaths, I’m not sure how this program will work.
The Governor’s press release says in Phase II of the Executive Order it will be required for dispensers (pharmacists) to report to the PMP run by the Missouri Health and Senior Services. I’m not sure how or what we are to report if we don’t see the data. Pharmacists may have to take additional training to become a detective. That’s because it is incredibly difficult to size up your patient getting pain pills today.
All PDMPs should start with the physicians for that’s where the prescription is generated. I worry about privacy issues for our residents and don’t really see how Health & Senior Services can manage a new program when I understand they are already short staffed…”
And
Studies suggest link between unemployment and opioid use… See it here.
Today’s Events
From Mary Scruggs’ indispensable calendar:
MLBCF Golf – Swope Memorial Golf Course – KC – 7:30AM.
$5K+ Contributions
Find the Cures - $50,000 from Bradley Bradshaw.
We Are Missouri - $6,925 from UFCW Local 655.
We Are Missouri - $13,101 from UFCW Local 655.
RSLC-Missouri PAC - $10,000 from Republican State Leadership Committee PAC & Individual Account.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to former Sen. Brad Lager, and Dick Fleming.