It’s a great day in jimmycsays land and also in the world of the Committee to Stop a Bad Cure, the campaign committee I registered last month to fight the proposed new half-cent sales tax for “translational medical research” in Jackson County.
(I put quotes around that term every time I use it because it sounds so weird, and a lot of people don’t know what it means.)
After several weeks of preparation, the committee’s website, http://www.stopabadcure.org, went live this afternoon.
I invite you to check it out and give me your comments and suggestions.
Our committee is now 27 members strong, including me. All are residents of Jackson County. (They are listed on the website.)
In addition to the website, we have purchased billboards, which will go up next week in strategic locations. If finances allow, we will advertise in The Star and have yard signs and fliers.
The committee has now raised and spent about $4,200. I have contributed all but about $300 of that.
If you would like to contribute and help pay specifically for KC Star ads (newspaper readers vote) and printed materials, send checks to the committee at 1209 W. 64th Terr., KCMO 64113.
I am the committee treasurer, and that’s my home address.
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We are up against big bucks. As of last week, the Committee for Discoveries, Treatments and Cures, the committee working for the tax, had raised $780,000. Already, they are mailing four-page, full-color brochures. (If you are a frequent voter in Jackson County, you can expect to get a brochure almost every day in the final days leading up to the election.)
As of last week, the committee for cures had received 17 contributions of $10,000 or more, accounting for all committee revenue.
Here is a list of the contributors:
— Wagstaff & Cartmell law firm, $10,000
— Husch Blackwell law firm, $10,000
— Irvine O. Hockaday Jr., former Hallmark Cards c.e.o., two contributions of $10,000 each
— Robert Kipp, former Kansas City city manager and former Crown Center Development president, $50,000.
— Tom McDonnell, retired DST c.e.o., $25,000
— Dr. L. Patrick James, board member of the Kansas city Area Life Sciences Institute, $10,000
— St. Luke’s Health System, $10,000
— KCP&L, $25,000
— Polsinelli law firm, $10,000
— John Sherman, chairman and c.e.o. of Inergy LP, $100,000
— Hallmark Global, $100,000
— J.E. Dunn Construction, $100,000
— The Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, two contributions of $100,000 each
— Lockton Insurance, $10,000
— Donald Hall, $100,000
Note: Missouri Ethics Commission disclosure reports do not indicate if the $100,000 contribution from Donald Hall came from Donald Sr. or Donald Jr. Both are members of the Civic Council, an organization of the area’s top corporate and legal executives. The Civic Council is the money and power behind the push for the tax increase.
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Those contributions are eye-popping, aren’t they?
You need to know this, however: Those contributors realize that if they can foist this tax onto the taxpayers, they themselves will not get hit up for much bigger amounts to help fund the medical research program privately.
Privately, of course, is how the bulk of the money should be raised — from corporations, foundations and wealthy individuals.
It’s obvious from these contributions that oodles of private money is out there waiting to be tapped.
But in this case, as in many others before it, the sponsors decided they would prefer to have the taxpayers carry the load. They’ll be trying to fool just enough people to get this passed on Nov. 5
I say, let’s cram it down their throats, Jackson Countians.
Good gracious, it’s David vs Goliath. I do rememeber that outcome as well
The newest member of our campaign committee weighs in…
Fitz,
How many of these donors to the Committee for Cures live in Jackson County?
Good question, Mike…I did a little “whitepages.com” work and came up with some answers.
Thomas W. Wagstaff, KCMO
Irvine Hockaday and Don Hall (junior and senior): Mission Hills
Robert Kipp: Leawood
Jim Polsinelli, KCMO
Thomas McDonnell: KCMO (updated with help of Kaler Bole)
L. Patrick James: Couldn’t find
John Sherman: KCMO
Terry Dunn, president and c.e.o. of Dunn Constr., Leawood (updated, Bole)
David M. Lockton: KCMO
It appears, then, that at least four of the above people live in Kansas.
Terry Dunn lives in South Leawood. His wife is Mayor
Tom McDonnell lives just south of the Plaza.
Ah, the jimmycsays reporting staff comes through again! (Besides being a reporter for the blog, Kaler is a member of the Committee to Stop a Bad Cure.)
I should have known about Dunn; Peggy has been mayor a long time.
Thanks, Kaler…Now get out there and find out where L. Patrick James lives!
(This editor can be a tyrant.)
What about all the folks who work at Husch Blackwell, Wagstaff & Cartmell, UMKC, St. Lukes and Children’s Mercy who live outside of Jackson County but are pushing for this tax as well?