Political Mixers with Matt Blunt pushed Governor Matt Blunt transfixed the regional newspaper to a catalyst for freedom of digital information.
Click-Send-Delete no longer works anymore. Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon confirmed the digital power of the Sunshine law - a tradition future attorney general hopefuls are campaigning on.
Why? An 8 million dollar war-chest and the states top position regresses on the idea he should retain the honor of Governor. It's exceedingly hard to believe...or is it.......
"Count the former chief of staff for Gov. Matt Blunt among maybe a handful of people in the state who can say that after the governor turned the political world upside down by announcing he wasn't running for re-election.....During the days in 2006 when McClure was contemplating leaving, he already had suspicions that Blunt wouldn't run again in 2008. Before Blunt was even officially the governor, McClure, a well-respected policy wonk who had spent years working in the capital city, was busy leading the transition team. He and others helped put together a policy book that would guide the governor's staff during the first year of the administration. Blunt's goal-oriented, no-nonsense way — which was clearly influenced by his Navy background — made things fairly simple for staff, McClure said. Their job was to accomplish everything in that first policy book — McClure still has a copy at home with notes where various tasks were checked off."Former Matt Blunt Chief of Staff McClure- Tony Messenger SNL
According to information provided by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, approved appropriations for elementary and secondary education rose from $4.8 billion in FY 2006 to $5.2 billion in FY 2008.
Tort reform. Check. Financial stability. Check. More money for K-12 education. Check. Name change for SMS. Check.
As the article points out, not everyone agrees with Blunt's strategy on education. Much of the school funding storyline played out in or near Branson, Missouri.
In Stone County,Mo. , Pete Herschend's financial interests successfully lobbied for the first TIF (Tax Increment Financed) bonds based solely on sales tax. Herschend, a Blunt appointment to the department of education, designed the proposal to the Stone County Commissioners in a form that wouldn't reduce education funds. The company he founded, Herschend Family Entertainment (HFE) owns Silver Dollar which generates the majority of county income.
In the north side of the county, a school district in Crane Mo., spearheaded the school funding equity suit - which was shot down by a Cole County judge earlier this year.
In Eastern Taney County - District 143 Rep. Maynard Wallce (R) country. Wallace happens to be the only Missouri Republican endorsed unanimously by Education.
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http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080127/NEWS01/801270415
http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080127/NEWS01/801270415
