I am told that in the St. Louis University High School mock election the winner was John McCain. Over at John Burroughs High School, Obama took about 75% of the vote.
I'm sure this means something, though I don't know what.
Somewhere in the midst of the debate over what to do about skyrocketing energy prices, the lowly tire pressure gauge was raised from glove compartment companion to high satire.
Following Sen. Barack Obama's comment in a speech on energy policy that Americans could take a simple step at home to save on gas by making sure their tires were properly inflated and the car tuned-up, the Republican Party policy machine pounced.
Obama's tire-pressure policy was mocked by Sen. John McCain and the national party ...before McCain himself later grudgingly acknowledged that it works.
Now the Missouri Republican Party is getting in on the joke...days after the campaign has even admitted it's whole cloth. Missouri Republicans were giving out tire gauges for two hours Thursday afternoon, following a last minute announcement.
It's an odd choice to mock. That a well-maintained vehicle saves on gas is as basic as insulating the house. Even Obama's comment that such changes could make a drastic cut in energy consumption–equal to sinking new oil wells–is also an old-hat comment. That one has been knocked around since the 70's.
It's also one idea that works. AAA, the auto and travel agency, estimates that mileage decreases by 2% for every pound of pressure below the recommended level. The Department of Energy also recommends a well-maintained vehicle and properly inflated tires, among other tips. Their website says the savings are closer to 1/2% per pound.
Record gas prices has driven up costs across the board. Families are skipping or shortening vacations, using more coupons or going to discount grocery stores and eliminating unnecessary driving. For the first time since the early 1980's, Americans are reducing the number of miles they are driving.
The tire gauge gag is a decent campaign jab. It's quick and memorable, but it could and should backfire. It's the kind of simple aphorism that fills countless books of "American Wisdom" and quotable quips. It's an example of ingenuity and dedication that, while small individually, quickly exceeds the sum of people's efforts.
The campaigns flippancy seems to mock the fear with which many people view rising gas prices. With a slowing economy, and a weakening job market and costs rising everywhere, every extra dollar spent at the pump weighs more and more heavily on drivers.
But the larger point is that one crack joke from McCain sent the substance of the debate over energy policy spinning into the background. Perhaps that was the purpose, however.
McCain's campaign ads have had their substantive moments, but their real message is focused on getting the media to cackle and caw over the messages' catchier–if empty–shots: celebrity candidates (paging Sen. Fred Thompson) or presumptuousness (it is a race for the Presidency), for example. Even his own party is grating about their sophomoric quality.
More drilling, "now", is not a policy; it's inertia. Drilling is what we do currently, the argument is only over where to do it–and not really worth the capital anyhow. However, talking about integrating energy savings at the individual and national level is something that may cause substantive change in how the country approaches energy and how much we use and spend.
Voters have been receiving robocalls espousing the benefits of Becky Plattner as the Democratic choice for Lt. Governor. Plattner is the current Presiding Commissioner of Saline County and a commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources; appointed by Gov. Matt Blunt.
Reader PL writes in to say that those robocalls have, to their ear, the same woman reading the script as those who are running the anti-Zweifel robocalls.
The fact that multiple campaigns may use the same firms is nothing new. Yet the Plattner campaign's only major expense, excluding the Democratic filing fee, is for it's website.
According to MEC filings, the campaign has raised little more than the cost of the website itself. They spent $2,658.10 on the website and have raised a total of $2,958.10.
Plattner did disparage the fundraising extravaganza that is modern state-wide politics in the Springfield News-Leader, so that could explain the fundraising aspect. However, putting together a phone barrage is not a quick call to the printer. The call itself is cheaper than a mail piece, but putting phone numbers to voters requires finances or a benefactor.
So who is putting their chips in the Lt. Gov's race?
A recent SurveyUSA poll for KCTV in Kansas City and KSDK in St. Louis finds that Democratic Attorney General Jay Nixon will start of in the lead against the winner of the GOP primary. The same poll finds Congressman Kenny Hulshof leading the race against rival State Treasurer Sarah Steelman.
Asked whether he was behind the Zweifel calls, Roe said Friday: “I haven’t heard about them. I don’t think I am, but I’ve got 21 people in the office so I’ll check on it.”
State Rep. Clint Zweifel (D-78th), has been the target of anonymous robocalls which his campaign says distort his record. Democrats say the calls have come from Republicans trying to meddle in the four-way Democratic primary.
Roe has been picked out as a potential source partly for his adept use of robocalls in campaigns past, but also because his client is State Senator Brad Lager (R-12), who may not be patiently waiting to see which Democrat he will face in the general.
But was Roe behind the calls? Well, we'll get back to you...
Updated: Old Online Petition Supporting Chief Mokwa Still Up
Reader "Common" alerted me to the age of this list. The date is tucked down at the end of the list, "Last Update: 10/02/07 @ 22:43"
It appears the website was in response to a wave of criticism following a growing list of troubles that palgued the police department and its chief last year including rigged rape statistics, a no confidence vote from the police officers union and a reported rapid rise in crime statistics.
However, "Common's" question is a good one, do these signatories still support the chief today?
I found the link on the Fox2 News website, so it's likely others are also finding it, and misinterpreting it as well. That one of the Mayor's aides name is on the list (though he is not identified as working at City Hall, so it may be similarly named resident as I assumed at first) should have been a tipoff.
In some ways the situation is not much different from last year. An increase in crime including a recent wave of murders and shootings is driving up resident's anxiety and a new scandal that may pull in the chief only add to troubles that haven't really left the minds of many in the city.
I have sent an email to the address listed on the website, we'll see if we get some new information.
On his website, MayorSlay.com, Mayor Francis Slay cites the investigation into the potential misuse of impounded cars as his reason for asking the Chief of Police to step down.
"The department’s task of public safety is a vital one for our neighborhoods. St. Louis needs a fully focused department — and police chief — now."
The growing investigation into shady deals involving impounded vehicles, the Saint Louis Police Department and the tow company which handles towing for the city has drawn in the Chief Joe Mokwa by way of his daughter.
She and her husband, a police officer, were some of those accused of "borrowing" cars from the impound and getting below-market deals on purchases.
Note: I revised the headline to relflect the fact that Slay didn't call for Mokwa to resign, but retire. While the result may be the same, the actions are quite different.
State Treasurer Sarah Steelman wants to repeal the ethanol mandate enacted in January of this year. Her opponent, Rep. Kenny Hulshof, wants to retain the mandate. Hulshof raises corn, the primary source of 95% of U.S. ethanol, for several generations.
The mandate requires that all gasoline in Missouri be made of a 10% ethanol blend when its price is equal to or less than gasoline.
"[Hulshof] contends it helps hold down the price of gas and reduces the nation's dependency on foreign oil.
…
Steelman contends the mandated use of the corn-based fuel is driving up the cost of human food, livestock feed and even of gasoline itself."
That the role of renewable fuels is becoming a major issue in a Republican primary alone says how far the energy debate has come. Certainly there is a self-interested political aspect to this; farmers vote and no one supports "foreign oil" dependancy.
Yet even if ethanol rides in on a political float, it represents the growing seriousness with which people are taking alternative energy sources.
While studies (pdf) have shown that ethanol production now represents a net energy gain, Steelman's point illustrates the poor choice of corn as its principle source.
Cellulosic ethanol, President G. W. Bush's "switchgrass", is the real ethanol machine, generating over 340% of the energy invested in producing it. Contrast that with corn's 30-70%. The technology, however, is immature and will need more investment if it is to reach production levels.
Despite the seemingly strange decision to divert a food source to generating a gasoline substitute, most corn in this country is controlled and grown by large conglomerates. They are also–unsurprisingly–major lobbyists.
It's not necessarily fair to imply nefarious dealings and money, of course. A natural political windfall–think "family farms" not Con Agra–and a massive pre-existing infrastructure make corn the first, if not the best, choice.
Barring some major revolution in personal transportation or Manhattan Project-style effort to change the country, the internal combustion engine is going to be with us for some time; eating up oil and pumping out pollution as it goes. In that case, any effort that both reduces oil dependency and pollution is welcome.
While Nixon's focus does appear to eclipse his Republican colleagues interest, the GOP hasn't entirely abandoned the field, but you'll have to wait till after the August primary to find out where they stand.
Both candidates for the Republican nomination, State Treasurer Sarah Steelman and Rep. Kenny Hulshoff, assure the public they will explain their plans for dealing with health care…after one of them wins the nomination.
The story points out that the candidates' choice to downplay or highlight health care is politically pragmatic. Among likely Republican voters, health care concerns poll lower than standard issues like taxes and spending; while among likely Democratic voters, it is the dominant issue (Research 2000 poll, July 14).
Yet the same poll shows that among all voters, health care tops the list of important topics with 15%. Education funding and the economy follow closely with 14% each.
While the Republicans' decision to downplay health care may help them save energy to put into red-meat Republican issues, their decision leaves the field open for Nixon to stake out a leading position. It may even give him the edge he needs.
The issue is dominant among Democrats, and top among all voters. Closely following health care are issues like the economy and education which voters are increasingly turning to Democrats to solve.
Add in a general trend away from the Republican party and Nixon's own favorable poll numbers and it could mean that the Governor's Mansion is Nixon's to lose.
State Senator Chris Koster released a statement on a Cole County judge's decision not to hold up $21 million in state funding that is destined to be distributed to the Life Sciences Trust Fund.
"It is the strong desire of the Republican Party to criminalize stem cell research in our state, despite the clear objections of Missourians and the limitless potential it presents in the areas of medical advancements and economic development."
He also took the opportunity to try and gain some distance from his red-trunked former brethren.
"As our next Democratic Attorney General, I plan to fight tirelessly for those in this state who yearn for the next generation of cures, and for the vast majority of Missourians who reject the agenda of the extreme right wing that has hijacked the Republican Party.”
The Trust was established by legislation in 2003 to help direct revenue from the tobacco settlement into research.
The Missouri Roundtable for Life (represented by their attorney Ed Martin, a former aide to Gov. Matt Blunt and former ACC columnist) filed suit this week questioning the disbursement saying that the stem cell protection amendment approved by voters in 2006 may mean the Trust could potentially fund embryonic stem cell research.
The Roundtable argues that there is some ambiguity between the amendment and the Trust's own stipulation that research not involve abortion, human cloning or prohibited human research.
The $21 million in appropriations came with even tighter restrictions on exactly which fields can be funded which includes plant science and information technology.
The Roundtable is concerned that the stem cell amendment may trump the legislators' restrictions if the Trust decides to fund forays into stem cell research or research at institutions that also do stem cell research.
The Roundtable lost its bid to put a hold on the funding, which was part of the already-signed state budget, while the courts work to settle the language debate.
On its face it would seem that the situation would likely allow the potential for stem cell funding despite the legislators restrictions. Both the 2006 amendment and the Trust's legal language interprets funding issues quite broadly; no cloning, no abortion, and no prohibited human research of which stem cells are no longer a part.
That said, the courts won't be taking this up soon, so it's obviously not a remedial question.
Still, given the right-to-life's desire to see stem cell restrictions back on the books, the suit could represent an effort to tie up the issue in court until new legislation or amendments could be passed, or perhaps even get the definition of human cloning back into flux.
Either way, they will continue to chip away at public funding for life sciences research. It's also yet another example for other states to point to when attempting to lure research centers and up-and-coming scientists away from Missouri.
MOHELA is already lurching into Missouri's educational system like Godzilla into a building. Adding to the system's burden by tussling over life science funding while other states are investing millions into expanding their programs only continues to degrade its status.
An additional interesting bit is who else is involved. State Treasurer Sarah Steelman's office was named in the Roundtable's suit and Rep. Bob Onder sits on the board of the Trust.
Onder's involvement may have helped cost him the endorsement of Missouri Right to Life in his bid for the U.S. Congress.
Slay Asks Candidates Where They Stand On Gun ID Tech
From Mayor Slay.com: I recently joined a group of elected officials in supporting national implementation of a microstamping technology that transfers a gun’s unique identification onto its cartridges. When cartridges from such guns are recovered at crime scenes, they can be more easily traced back to the handgun that fired them, through its life, and – sometimes – to the person who fired them.
Firearm violence is a serious problem in Missouri. Is support of microstamping going to be a point of difference among the candidates for the state’s highest offices?
Rep. Jeff Harris has added his own singing political spot to the Missouri political hit-list today.
Sung to the tune of "My favorite things" several "person on the street"stand-ins counted off a number of Sen. Chris Koster's "favorite things" including medicaid cuts and the GOP. Harris, Koster and Rep. Margaret Donnelly are facing off for the Democratic nomination for the Attorney General's race.
Harris' presses hard on Koster's recent jump from the Republican party to the Democrats. To add a final dig the last line on the add notes that, "One of Jeff Harris' favorite things is being a Democrat...all the time."
It's hard to know how hard of a punch it represents, however. With the exception of his opponents in the AG race, many Democrats have heartily embraced his conversion.
Regular voters may take note of his party switch, but given the tarnish the Republican label has gained, many of them may also be switching their votes as well.
Inevitably, any conversation about energy production or scarcity turns to ANWR and refining capacity. Yet research by the Department of Energy would seem to relegate these to last-ditch efforts.
According to the DOE, opening the region to drilling would have a marginal affect on prices or volume when it finally reaches its potential in the 2020's and that domestic refining capacity has not only increased since 1990 but has not been maxed-out in order to keep up with demand.
Despite the government's own research, of course, political opportunity waits for no one.
Spurred by the explosive growth in gasoline prices, the trope has found its way into Missouri politicians' playbook, notably U.S. Rep. Tom Akin (R-Town & Country).
Akin held a presser in the shadow of Interstate 70, one of the busiest auto arteries in Missouri, announcing his support for several long-championed actions, opening up the Alaskan wildlife refuge for drilling and expanding U.S. refining capacity.
Via the Political Fix: "Akin said his bill, introduced recently, would expand the U.S. oil supply by opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the outer continental shelf to oil drilling and making federal land available for new oil and gas refineries."
It seems an easy fix; quit mucking around and get to drilling. Yet the St. Louis area Congressman may do well to read the Department of Energy's own research on the subject.
A May 2008 DOE report requested by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska)–a drilling advocate who has made no comment on the report since it was published–predicted that opening ANWR would have a minimal impact on both crude supply and prices (read the full report here, PDF).
If authorized this year, the fields wouldn't begin pumping until 2018, and by 2030 would only constitute 0.8% of world consumption. Though the recent rocket-ride that constitutes oil pricing may render projections shaky, they expect the new output to no major impact on oil prices by the time the fields reach their peak pumping capacity 0f 280,000 barrels/day in 2026.
As for reducing dependency on foreign oil, the report predicts that imports will be reduced by 3% by 2030 if drilling goes ahead.
If the report–which was published this month–is correct when it comes to the rockier world of price estimates, DOE predicts ANWR production to reduce prices by INSERT:CONTENT:END.75 per-barrel by 2025.
The price aspect is far harder to predict due to explosive demand growth and other market issues, but based on projected capacity, it's still unlikely to have more than a statistically insignificant effect.
Declining refining capacity is the companion theme dragged out in these speeches, but the DOE website shows a fairly steadily utilization of refining capacity for the last 18 years at about 90%. In addition, reining capacity has increased from 15.7 thousand barrels a day in January of 1990 to 17.6 thousand barrels a day in June of 2008, a 12% increase.
While there is an argument to be made for expanding refinery capacity and opening ANWR to drilling, it falls far short of the rhetorical promises of cheaper oil and freedom from foreign sources.
It may score some political points, but a glance at the actual data shows the reality to fall far short of the promise.
Jason Kander, the Democrat seeking to take the place of the term-limited Jenee Lowe in the 44th Missouri House district, has come up with an interesting pitch....with musical accompaniment.
It's a creative ad, though I found it a touch uncomfortable, but to be honest, I find any instance of someone singing at me uncomfortable. Kander seems pretty happy with it however.
This veteran of the Army's mission in Afghanistan offers himself as a progressive follow-up to the departing Lowe.
I haven't kept up with Kansas City-side politics, so I don't have much to comment about the race. That said, after perusing their websites, the three candidates aren't widely divergent on the policy end, but there is often so much more than policy at play in a primary race.
Blog KC seems to think the race is going to be the one to watch on the Western end of our state. They see a parallel to the Obama/Clinton race due to the gender politics at play. It's not surprising that, all things being equal, Democrats would rather see a woman replace a woman in Jefferson City.
Outgoing head of the St. Louis City Schools, Diana Bourisaw, announced
her endorsement of State Rep. Robin Wright-Jones (D-63) in her pursuit
to replace term-limited Maida Coleman in the 5th Senate District.
“I support Robin Wright-Jones for
her support of public education and the St. Louis public schools. These are challenging times for our
children. Our goal is to make public
education the quality choice for every child in St. Louis. Robin Wright-Jones is the best candidate to
reach this goal and to serve the people of St. Louis and Missouri. She brings a magic mixture of talent,
dedication and willingness to work hard for the betterment of the community
that makes me proud to stand beside her and encourage others to do so as well.”
Robin is facing off against State Rep. Rodney Hubbard (D-58) in a sprint to the August primary.
Education
is likely to be a major sparring point for the two campaigns, one
aspect in particular: vouchers or voucher-style programs.
Hubbard
has supported voucher-style programs in the past, which are anathema to
proponents of traditional public school funding. Hunnbard has also
taken flak for accepting donations from billionaire Rex Sinquefeld who
helps fund pro-voucher groups and founded the libertarian Show-Me Institute.
Wright-Jones,
on the other hand, has supported anti-voucher groups such as People for
Public Schools, which worked to oppose the appointment of members of
the State Board of Education who expressed favor for voucher-style
programs.
The other major issue is the state takeover of the St. Louis Public School District.
In that light, Bourisaw's endorsement is likely to be viewed
favorably. Despite an early rough patch where she was attacked by the
School Board Member who appointed her, and that she took the lead chair
just as the district's control was being assumed by the state, Bourisaw
is generally looked up on as an effective leader. The surprise decision
by the state's supervisory board to begin a search for a superintendent
without alerting her first likely earned her additional support.
Only
after announcing it publicly was Bourisaw told the new board was going
to restart the hiring process and she was welcome to reapply for the
job. In most circles that's know as the bump-aside.
Education is a lodestone in St. Louis politics. Reiginting the issue of
state control and the use of public funds in private education will
potentially benefit Wright-Jones.
There's a poll out in the 5th Senate seat, has anyone been a recipient and is willing to offer up their impressions?
Rep. Rodney Hubbard and Rep. Robin Wright-Jones are set to battle for the seat vacated by the term-limited Maida Coleman.
Hubbard has been prepping for the run for some time and has an advantage in both finances and in time. Yet Wright-Jones has been drawing attention because of the view that she presents a more progressive option than Hubbard.
Hubbard's connections to folks such as the voucher proponent Rex Sinquefield is pointed out as an example of his more conservative underpinnings.
This race potentially offers an interesting opportunity to hear some issues sussed out.
Education, public subsidies, local control, the real estate collapse, tax abatement, the Mayor. All of these issues will hopefully be on the forefront of the race.
According to Ameren's outage map only 4,153 customers are out of power. Given the strength of the storm, that is quite a feat. The outages are centered on St. Louis City and St. Louis County which encompass about 650,000 Ameren customers.
The July 2006 storms left 320,000 customers without power in this area.
The first of those two storms was more powerful that tonight's, but one that packs the punch of the one this evening would likely have sprung any weak points in the system.
Ameren has not always done what's in the best interest of its customers, but after 2006, they seem to understand not only the importance of quality delivery, but that their work will be tested.
It's too bad it took millions in losses from 2006 and significant legislative and public pressure, and the tenuous future of their rate increase request to make sure that Ameren followed through.
Anyone braving tonight's deluge on South Grand Blvd. may have encountered a river of water just south of Osage.
A gravel truck decided to unload on our car just prior to the encounter, accompanied by sideways-traveling walls of water and gale-force winds.
There were a few split Pear trees and others with limbs sheared off, but on the rest of the drive, the trouble seemed limited to leaves and small branches.
Surprisingly, folks were still huddled around Ted Drewes', so of course we stopped in for a post-apocalyptic storm concrete. One woman, a determined custard fan, said she was trapped under their brief overhang as the front stormed through.
A hat tip to reader DL who pointed out that the Higher Education Savings Board, chaired by State Treasurer Sarah Steelman, selected American Century as one of the two financial groups to manage Missouri's college savings plan, MOST.
The Stowers-founded American Century and Vanguard were selected in 2005 to manage the funds placed in the MOST program by Missouri families looking to save money for higher education.
The Steelman campaign recently responded to criticism from her opponent Rep. Kenny Hulshof (R-9) for accepting donations from a pro-stem cell group by pointing out that Hulshof received money from a PAC affiliated with American Century.
American Century was founded by James Stowers, Jr. in 1958, however, the Stowers family is likely best known for the Stowers Institute for Medical Research. Founded by Stowers and his wife in 1994, the institute has come under heat from conservative Republicans for their support of embryonic stem cell research.
The couple also helped underwrite the successful 2006 ballot initiative that ensured that any stem cell research allowed under federal law was also lawful in Missouri.
Amazingly, the police found fingerprints from which they identified the perpetrator. He is now in custody and yesterday I went down to the Warrant Office where I learned he will be charged.
I hate to sound flabbergasted, but it seems, at least for me in this case, the system actually works!
A bill approved by the Missouri Senate this week enshrines into law a practice that had already been voluntarily adopted by the three major credit reporting agencies.
The bill, HB 1384, would order the credit bureaus (Eperian, Trans Union and Equifax) to honor a consumer's request for a credit "freeze" in cases of believed or actual identity theft. The block would prevent any new accounts being opened in the consumer's name without their explicit authorization, usually through a multi-step "unlocking" procedure established between the agencies and the consumer.
While any efforts to help protect consumers against identity theft are to be commended, the credit bureaus all agreed to voluntarily implement such practices by November 1st of last year. Currently, 43 other states also have similar laws on the books.
Instructions for Missouri residents who want to secure their credit before the bill is signed into law can do so through the Consumer's Union website.
Individuals who have been victims of theft will have any fee waived provided they have the proper documentation of the crime. Any other individuals will pay a $10 fee.
A credit "freeze" is similar to a credit "fraud alert", however, the freeze goes further than just alerting agencies that a credit application may be fraudulent. The freeze locks a person's credit with a key only the individual has access to. Credit histories are often accessed for legitimate reasons without an individuals knowledge, this would block any access without their express permission.
It's a positive–if perfunctory–step that Missouri is taking. Identity theft is a bane of the modern economy. Wily criminals have taken short joy-rides with individuals financial persona, and have often left them with years worth of legal hassle and fiscal chaos to clean up.
From the Missouri Senate press release, "Alarmingly, two out of five victims report problems such as harassment by debt collectors, being unable to qualify for loans, having their utilities cut off, being subject to a criminal investigation or civil suit, and having difficulties accessing their bank accounts according to an FTC survey. 'New account fraud' victims were twice as likely to encounter these problems."
The dollar amount that identity theft costs this country is likely unknown, but the figure is comfortably in the billions.
Perhaps a state-wide campaign to inform Missourians as to how they can utilize the available tools to protect their financial lives should follow the signing of this bill.
Bombardier Aerospace, the Canadian airline manufacturer the state legislature is trying to lure to the Kansas City area, has supplied jets to airlines operating in North America, Europe and Asia.
The manufacturer's planes are now headed what may be less-than friendly skies, Iraq.
Bombardier announced last month that it is selling four of its new CRJ900 NextGen airplanes to the Iraqi Government for civil air service. The Iraqi Government has options to buy 10 more.
State Senator Jeff Smith has apparently spent some time utilizing the Motley Fool's financial resources.
In a letter to constituents this weekend, Smith outlines his decision to vote against bill H.B. 2393 authorizing $240 million in incentives for the Canadian company Bombardier Aerospace.
The credits were shaved from a proposed $880 million down to the final figure, almost a quarter of a billion dollars.
The airplane manufacturer is looking to move to Kansas City International Airport.
Smith said he took the advice of a fellow Senator, Republican Matt Bartle of Lee's Summit, and investigated the company as if he were investing his own money into the company. Stormy weather was what he found.
"I decided to take a deeper look into the company. Because in essence, I'm a proxy investor for nearly 170,000 of my constituents whose tax dollars are on the line.
The more I read, the less I liked.
Market analysts noted that the company has been plagued by financial difficulties, and the most-respected bond-rating firms in the nation have downgraded Bombardier's debt to below investment grade. The firm operates in a very turbulent industry that has seen more than its share of bankruptcies in the last decade, and faces intense competition from other firms that have caused its profit margins to shrink.
In sum, I decided that given the uncertainty, I wouldn't invest my own money in Bombardier. So how could I justify voting to invest taxpayer's money in order for the state to become a virtual equity partner in the firm?"
It's an interested explication of how legislators could approach fiscal programs. It's human nature to be a bit more free with our decisions when the pinch isn't on us.
The AP reports that the Missouri Department of Economic Development would only release a brief summary of two independent analyses it received. The summary concluded that the company is in a position to launch its new line of planes at the proposed KC facility.
A story by AP writer David Lieb notes that health care issues have 
Inevitably, any conversation about energy production or scarcity turns to ANWR and refining capacity. Yet research by the Department of Energy would seem to relegate these to last-ditch efforts. 
A hat tip to reader DL who pointed out that the Higher Education Savings Board, chaired by State Treasurer Sarah Steelman, 
