Monday, November 21, 2016
Looking Back on the Ads
Public Integrity put a graphic to all the ads you watched, along with a few tables. See it here.
They counted nearly 100,000 TV ad spots for the governor’s race.
Eric Greitens – 34,678 spots valued at $12.9 million.
Chris Koster – 26,454 spots valued at $10.5 million.
LG PAC – 10,583 spots valued at $3.9 million.
John Brunner – 10,061 spots valued at $3.8 million.
Catherine Hanaway- 9,193 spots valued at $3.4 million.
Peter Kinder – 1,440 spots valued at $761,540.
Committee for Accountable Government in Missouri – 1,005 spots valued at $987,820.
Jobs and Opportunity – 919 spots valued at $414,560.
Republican Governors Association Missouri – 507 spots valued at $201,540.
Lester Turilli – 139 spots valued at $19,100.
Trakas Wins in South St. Louis County
In the elections results, I’d missed that Republican Ernie Trakas beat former Rep. Pat Yaeger in South St. Louis County. This is considered a blow to County Executive Steve Stenger. See an opinion piece in the local paper The Call about it here. And remember, Springfield businessman David Humphreys threw in a $25K check for Trakas in late August, so put another notch in Humphreys’ win column from the elections.
Unintended Consequences for Amendment 3 “Winner”?
One MOScout reader wonders if “some groups who successfully helped defeat Amendment 3 could end up being big losers in the long run because of it.”
Their first example is the NEA. The reader thinks they should have kept their eyes on the ball: the governor’s race.
“Jumping in against Amendment 3 while not focusing more on electing their gubernatorial candidate is going to have instant consequences – right to work could be law before spring break.
And that’s just the start. There will be a lot of education legislation in the pipeline that have a much more substantial and direct effect on their core.”
Furthermore, the reader says, “Given the amount of the projected and growing budget shortfall, it is highly likely there will be cuts to K-12 funding. Amendment 3 was the only realistic way public schools could get additional funding to, among other things, hire additional teachers (ironically increasing NEA membership) for the foreseeable future…”
Republican Alternative to ActBlue Launched
The press release: Company founders Larry Schuster and Greg Wolff announced today the launch of RedRightNow, a local technology startup that “allows Republican candidates and conservative organizations to process online donations quickly, easily, securely, and for free.” The company launches with its first two clients in place, and is able to provide services in all 50 states… Users of the system can create a fundraising page that will allow them to immediately start collecting online donations. The page can either be integrated directly into their site or connected to it with a direct link. In addition to processing contributions, RedRightNow offers a variety of tools to help communicate with donors and potential donors, using mass e-mail, social media, and other mechanisms. RedRightNow is free for the candidates and organizations that use it, and charges a 3.95% fee to donors who contribute through the system, at the time of the donation….
RedRightNow has built a powerful team of advisors who are helping provide a service to benefit Republican candidates and organizations, as well as the overall Republican Party… Francis Flotron (MO), Jeff Malmen (ID), Tim Jones (MO), Melanie Abrajano (MO), and Travis Brown (MO).
STL Mayoral Race
Last week St. Louis City Collector of Revenues Gregg Daly sent a series of tweets indicating that he would not run for mayor in the Spring.
The immediate consensus is that this is a big positive for Alderwoman Lyda Krewson. This is based on a racial analysis. As the field currently stands she is the only white candidate with four credible African American candidates: Alderman Antonio French, Treasurer Tishaura Jones, Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, and Board President Lewis Reed.
I think there are two other point to consider. First, filing hasn’t even opened, so the field is hardly settled. So while it’s true Krewson is the favorite right now, we don’t really know what the race will look like yet.
Second, Daly’s exit does matter on racial calculations. But also, it unlocks the vote-rich southwest corner of the city. Daly fits the same psychographic as Francis Slay who was relatively liberal on issues, but conservative in his style, no-nonsense in governing, and almost allergic to anything that whiffed of a scandal.
Daly Tweets
This political season has taken a toll on everyone.
It’s time we focus on ideas and solutions. #GrowSTL4Everyone
Young, old, progressive, traditional, rich, poor all need a voice in our future. #GrowSTL4Everyone
People who know me, know I’m committed to bringing people together not dividing our city. #GrowSTL4Everyone
The mayoral race is primed for more divisiveness. #GrowSTL4Everyone
That’s why I’ve decided not to run for mayor & instead work with the people to give them a stronger voice.
Let’s work together to #GrowSTL4Everyone
Greitens Seeks Best and Brightest
The Greitens Team unveils a webpage for would-be administration job seekers to upload their resumes. See it here. "What we have earned is something sacred: the privilege to serve,” Governor-elect Eric Greitens said. “We are looking for the best and the brightest to join our mission to create more jobs, higher pay, safer streets, and better schools for Missouri.”
It’s a little odd to use the phrase largely associated with David Halberstam’s book on the erroneous foreign policy crafted by the academics and intellectuals who were in John F. Kennedy's administration, and the disastrous consequences of those policies in Vietnam. The title referred to Kennedy's "whiz kids"—leaders of industry and academia brought into the Kennedy administration—whom Halberstam characterized as arrogantly insisting on "brilliant policies that defied common sense" in Vietnam, often against the advice of career U.S. Department of State employees.
Hancock Stepping Down
John Hancock announced last week he’d be steeping down from his position as chair of the Missouri Republican Party. It was a crazy and incredible ride for the veteran operative. He was under fire early as Tom Schweich accused him of a whisper campaign.
While some called for Hancock to resign for the sake of unity, he stuck to his guns instead, defended his reputation. With the rise of Donald Trump as the Republican presidential nominee, the Missouri Republican Party remained remarkably cohesive, and triumphed in November maintaining its enormous advantage in the legislature while sweeping the statewide offices – victories that had been eluding the Republicans for the last decade.
MO Sustainable Farming Marketing
Missouri Department of Agriculture has an opening for Ag Stewardship Assurance Program and Development Manager (ANNUAL SALARY RANGE: $50,000 - $57,589) See it here. “This is a senior-level professional position with the Missouri Department of Agriculture managing the Agriculture Stewardship Assurance Program (ASAP) and multiple agriculture grants statewide.”
About ASAP
Missouri’s Agricultural Stewardship Assurance Program (ASAP) certifies that farmers are responsible steward of the land and environment engaged in sustainable farming. Certification comes in six areas: farmstead, cropland, energy, livestock, grassland and forestry. This is a program that Director Richard Fordyce implemented. Fordyce got the idea for ASAP while attending a 2014 meeting in Michigan, which requires all farms to become certified as sustainable. “When I got home, I decided we need to champion the good things agriculture is doing here in Missouri,” he said. “We also hope to start conversations with those outside our industry, including consumers. Finally, we believe the sustainable certification will aid producers in their marketing efforts.”
Bits
Nominations are open for the St. Louis Regional Chamber's Arcus Award for Public Policy. The Arcus Award for Achievement in Public Policy honors a company for providing leadership through the creation of a program or initiative that unites the public and private sectors to advance and secure policy necessary to make St. Louis a better place to live, work and invest.
Nominate a company or organization here. Nominations will close on November 23rd.
Nixon to Bayer: Please! The press release: Gov. Jay Nixon spent three and one-half hours today at Bayer AG global headquarters here in talks on the proposed Bayer-Monsanto merger with Bayer AG CEO Werner Baumann and Liam Condon, CEO of Bayer CropScience AG… Baumann reaffirmed his commitment to the Governor that the combined agricultural business of Bayer and Monsanto will have its global Seeds & Traits and North American commercial headquarters in St. Louis.
New Committees
Show Me Unity – Treasurer: Mike Watts. See it here.
Adam Schnelting filed a committee to run for House 104 as a Republican in 2018. The current representative, Kathie Conway, will be termed.
Missouri Healthy Working Families – Treasurer: Sidney Watson. See it here.
Help Wanted
The City of Saint Charles Department of Administration seeks Community Relations Liaison.
“The purpose of the Community Relations Liaison position is to provide a wide variety of professional level support for the Mayor, City Council, and Administration and coordinates activities; performs extensive research, professional assistance, project management, and recommendations on City issues; and spearheads the receipt of and responds to citizen concerns/complaints by working with all city departments and management… Conduct research, reviews, and provides information on current City policies and procedures. Contact lobbyist & research projects for Mayor or Administration…. Attends and may participate in City Council, HOA, Commission meetings, and a variety of meetings that may include Federal, State, Local Government, Legislative and Community organizations. Attends staff and departmental meetings as required…. Salary $51,555.45 - $71,069.76…”
Lobbyists Registrations
Ryan Rapp added University of Missouri.
$5K+ Contributions
Greitens for Missouri - $100,000 from David Steward.
Enhancing Community PAC - $15,000 from Paric Corporation.
Schupp for Senate - $10,000 from Friends for Gina Walsh.
Greitens for Missouri - $5,001 form Aaron Sachs.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Ginger Steinmetz and John Valenti.
Congratulations
To Travis Brown and his wife Kelly Sarka Brown on the birth of their daughter Olivia Louise Brown (Seven pounds and four ounces and 19 3/4 inches long).