MOScout Daily Update: Carpenters $1.5M COH - 6 Richest Missourians - MO Vaccinations Plateau and more...
Carpenters’ War Chest
The Carpenters Union filed their October campaign finance report. (Reports are due 5PM Friday). Carpenters Help in the Political Process (CHIPP) showed one of the sources of their political muscle… a massive campaign account. In the last three months, they brought $510,220 into their coffers, raising their cash on-hand to over $1.5 million.
We’ll see whether they’re on ice for the 2022 cycle, or if their dissolution simply switches the decision-making power.
Meanwhile
Post Dispatch reports on their “messy” accounting. See it here.
· In one major accounting change, the union made significant recent additions to its payroll reporting, adding dozens of new employees whose salaries appear to have previously been paid by the union’s various benefit and training funds. Other employees have been on the union’s payroll for years while also reporting compensation from those benefit funds — even as those benefit funds paid the union close to $1 million annually for “salary reimbursements.”
· Meanwhile, the St. Louis-Kansas City Carpenters Regional Council took on millions of dollars in new debt and maintained a large loan balance to developers, a practice that appears to be inconsistent with practices at other regional councils across the country.
The Hardened UnVaxxed
New vaccinations are drying up in Missouri.
According to the state’s database, there are now routinely more third booster shots being administered on a daily basis than first or second shots. This indicates that the vaccination rate for the state is probably near its plateau. Few new folks are getting in line for the jab.
So, where are we?
Of the total Missouri population… 48.3% are fully vaccinated
Of the eligible 12+ population…. 63.5% have at least gotten one shot with 56.6% getting the second as well.
Perhaps, as company policies are put into place and employment mandates take hold we’ll see these rates get some lift. But I wouldn’t hold your breath. It feels like we’ve arrived at our destination.
And
Politico says the “unvaxxed aren’t as partisan as you think.” Read it here.
· The highly politicized national dialogue over the unvaccinated goes like this: The unvaccinated are Trump loyalists, disproportionately rural, less educated and white. Their recalcitrance and denial has fueled the deadly Delta surge, threatening us all and obstructing our path toward “something-like-normal” life.
· It’s true. But it’s not the whole story. These partisan anti-vaxxers represent about 12 percent of the American adult population.
· But there’s another large and important group of unvaccinated — the still-hesitant, or what [Kaiser Family Foundation] dubs “the wait and see.” This is now 7 percent of the adult population — a drop from the 17 percent back in March, but still millions of people.
· By focusing our national dialogue on the hardcore ideological vax-refusers, we are doing a disservice to ourselves and to the vaccine hesitant, who remain vulnerable to the virus. In addition to getting hold-out adults protected, we need to get them to feel comfortable getting their children vaccinated, when those shots are authorized later this fall.
· On average, the members of the wait-and-see group are younger, lower-income and more urban than the people in the “definitely not” group. Both groups lean Republican, but the resistant group is more hard-core GOP.
MO Billionaires
St. Louis Business Journal reports on the new Forbes list of riches people. 6 Missourians rank…
Six Missouri residents have been ranked among the 400 richest people in the U.S. according to a new list from Forbes.
• St. Louis-based heiress Pauline MacMillan Keinath, 87, who is believed to be the largest individual shareholder in food company Cargill, ranked at No. 106 with a net worth of $8.2 billion, up from $4.9 billion, according to the publication.
• John Morris, 73, founder and CEO of Springfield, Missouri-based Bass Pro Shops, ranked at No. 134 with a net worth of $6.9 billion, up from $4.1 billion in 2020.
• David Steward, 70, the co-founder and chairman of St. Louis-based IT giant World Wide Technology, comes in at No. 182 with net worth of $5.8 billion, up from $3.7 billion last year.
• Jim McKelvey, 55, who co-founded payments company Square with fellow St. Louis native Jack Dorsey, ranks at No. 269 with a net worth of $4.2 billion, up from $2.2 billion in 2020. McKelvey remains on Square’s board but the serial entrepreneur has since founded St. Louis-based tech startup Invisibly. (Jack Dorsey, 44, now of San Francisco and CEO of both Square and Twitter, is ranked at No. 53 with net worth of $14.9 billion, up from $6.8 billion last year.)
• The cofounder of discount brokerage Scottrade Financial Services Rodger Riney, 75, and his family rank at No. 318 with a net worth of $3.6 billion, flat with 2020. He sold Scottrade to TD Ameritrade in 2017 in a $4 billion deal.
• Jim Kavanaugh, 58, co-founder and CEO of IT services provider World Wide Technology, ranks at No. 340 with net worth of $3.4 billion, up from $2.3 billion in 2020.
Treece Watch
As of this morning Brian Treece’s campaign committee (Treece For Mayor) was still active despite the recent Missouri Ethics Commission ruling (see it here) that he terminate the committee. It’s an indication, perhaps, that Treece is considering appealing the order.
Treece has said he’s not running for re-election, so this would be a purely principled battle.
eMailbag
Ain't nothing gonna change the Guv's mind but the jihad against Mo Indy is silly. At least Trump groups them all together.
New Committees
Two new PACs were formed, each with Heather Grote as treasurer. SWMO Forward PAC (see the paperwork here), and Sandy PAC (see the paperwork here).
Help Wanted
Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (MOCADSV) seeks CEO. “The CEO is responsible to the MOCADSV Board of Directors for the overall management of the organization, its services, staff and financial resources to successfully achieve organizational goals and mission. The successful candidate will demonstrate both a unique appreciation for our history, mission, and values, and a capacity to ensure our leadership in addressing domestic and sexual violence issues at a statewide level. The position is located in Jefferson City, Missouri…
resume and cover letter may be submitted to resume@sescomgt.com.”
Lobbyists Registrations
Jay Hahn deleted ACT, Inc.
Philip Scaglia deleted PLTR-SSP @ KCI, LLC.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Jeanne Kirkton, Jay Hardenbrook, and Jamala Rogers.
Mathewson Memorial Postponed
Columbia Daily Tribune: The family of Missouri State Senate President Pro Tem James Mathewson has decided to delay his previously scheduled October 22 visitation and funeral. This decision is out of an abundance of caution due to concerns about COVID19 and the expected attendance of many friends and family with health vulnerabilities. The events will be rescheduled to a later date and new arrangements will be announced by Heckart Funeral Home, Sedalia.