Those annoying political “robocalls” will have to say who is paying for the call. But that needed change is where state lawmakers left campaign reform when they left Topeka last week. And in passing the robocall bill, legislators also eased restrictions on political fundraising during the legislative session — something both Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and former Attorney General Phill Kline had been fined for doing but hardly the worst problem with Kansas’ outdated campaign finance law. So unless there’s a rethinking during the wrap-up session later this month, the Legislature plans to do nothing about the shadowy groups that sponsor “issue advocacy” attack ads, the black hole of nondisclosure of campaign contributions in the final 11 days before an election, and other areas in need of improvement. What a disappointment. Again.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
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25 Comments
And when will the Eagle do some research about the use of non-profits to hide political money?
Has the Eagle done anything to find out more about the money behind “Progress Kansas,” which was used to knock out certain state reps in Kansas, including Willa DeCastro and Bonnie Huy in Wichita, and Mary Pilcher Cook and Dennis Kriegshauser in Johnson County? That non-profit knocked out at least four Republican State Reps. The Eagle is blind to that non-profit money, and can’t be bothered to tell the public what happened?http://www.kansasmeadowlark.com/2006/KansasProgress/index.htm
Has the Eagle done any research about how hard it is to identify lobbyists and avoid the problems both Sebelius and Kline had? Since lobbyists sometimes use a work address, sometimes use home addresses, sometimes have multiple addresses, and often change addresses, and candidates often use unpaid volunteers to do mailings, how is it possible to avoid sending a mailing to a lobbyist? The intent of that law was good, but it wasn’t realistic, as both Sebelius and Kline discovered.
One of the worst abuses of non-profit money in politics occurred in 2002 with the Bistate Arts and Sports group set up by the Greater Kansas City Chamber. To get their non-profit status, they told the IRS the American Stroke Foundation would get the money when they folded. So, what did they do after the IRS gave them their non-profit status and they needed to shut down the non-profit? They didn’t give any money to the American Stroke Foundation, rather, they changed their articles of incorporation in Missouri and gave the money back to themselves (the Greater KC Chamber). I cannot find any evidence they told the IRS of that change. Because McClatchy newspapers don’t do much research this abuse of non-profits was never found or discussed. Unchecked by the IRS or the Star or Eagle, the Chamber continues hiding political money through non-profits:
The Greater KC Chamber sent $25,000 to Progress Kansas, but didn’t show the address on the Missouri filing to hide what they were doing before the Kansas filing was due. Has either the Star or the Eagle done any research on this? http://www.kansasmeadowlark.com/2006/10-18/index.htm
People will be prepared this time and audio-video record the calls; take photos of campaign ads and generally the political ads will be kicked back to the groups that make them.
You ostriches are sooo funny. Bonnie Huy was blown out of the Kansas House because of her own ego, or her myopia about what was important to constituents. Of course, Raj Goyle had a lot to do with this landslide victory over Huy in a district that had purposefully been gerrymandered to favor Huy’s re-election after Eliz. Bishop almost beat her about 8 years ago. Bishop’s home address was left out of the new district boundaries in the 2000 redistricting.
Willa DeCastro was also caught in her campaign last year mistakenly claiming at a South Wichita neighborhood association candidate forum - after she had first demanded “no taperecordings” - to have been endorsed by the AFL-CIO. Loretta Rockwell of the AFl-CIO Labor Fed. published a letter to the editor the following week in the Eagle which confirmed that DeCastro was wrong.
Really, ostriches, Progress Kansas had nothing to do with these defeats.
I want to know why the Eagle isn’t hiring Meadowlark as a journalistic consultant? Just because they are the largest newspaper in the region, just because every other news resource in Wichtita recycles their efforts, just because they have been a respected newspaper since earliest years (there were periods when things weren’t eactly stellar, of course) of Wichita - doesn’t mean they couldn’t benefit from this research he keeps asking them to do.
Makes me wonder if he would be satisfied if they came up with right conclusions, regardless of the amount of research they did. I think that might be his real problem, i.e. the conclusions, not the amount of resrearch.
Back to the topic introduced..it is obvious that lawmakers don’t want to place barriers in front of their own election campaigns. This is one area where a voter initiative is desparately needed, since the electeds obviously will not clean up the system they use year after year.
Meadowlark conveniently leaves out the fact that both Huy and DeCastro were taking casino lobby money at the same time they were voting against expanded gambling in the state. Potowatomi Nation, the owner of the Topeka-area casino, can’t stand the idea of competition elsewhere in the state, and they’ve been busy buying votes ever since. Last year, voters got wise to it.
Seriously, do we really think that a few mail peices and phone calls rocked an entire election?? If it were that easy any Joe-schmo with a printer and a cell phone could do it. These candidates won because they simply ran better campaigns. You hit the nail on the head kelly.
Tom I am famillar with the type of campaign run by Goyle. He purchased his state seat as a step up to a national seat. Look at the money thrown behind him. He took a position that nets about $12,000 a year. He has Yale and Harvard degrees. His high school teacher here in Wichita gave a very chilling description of him. On election day he was walking around inside my voting place introducing himself and shaking hands with everyone. This is illegal for a reason. Obviously he knew the laws concerning this because when he was stopped by the poll manager he stepped outside the front door and continued to do the same thing.
Huy and Castro both won at the polls but were defeated by the advance ballots cast. Lack of control in this area is very serious. This time it is a state representative position. Whats next?
There were reports from high school students that they were offered $20 for each advance ballot marked for Goyle. The parents of these kids didn’t want them to get involved in a court action and so it went no further.
I hope you see the potential for big outside dollars to buy the state of Kansas. This time it was a liberal victory what will it be next?
No one told me about any of this. I witnessed it with my own eyes.
Also Elizabeth Bishop ran against Schlapp and was defeated. I don’t know much about the redistricting but I do know she is being pushed to get into local politics with the impetus to move to a state position.
Just keep running her, eventually she might be elected to some post.
Ksgrm,
You’re engaging in a brilliant job of character assassination. You rely on rumor and innuendo to attack a politician with whom you disagree.
You’re accusing Representative Goyle of several felonies - if you have the evidence, why aren’t you turning it over to law enforcement?
I spent quite a bit of time in Topeka this session, and was privileged to watch Rep Goyle put his energy and passion into backing bills he believes in. I have yet to see him taking bribes from people he opposes to vote their way on their issues.
My post was factual. DeCastro’s and Huy’s voting records and donor lists are public record, and are available on the internet. I suggest you look them up.
Ksgrm,
Sour grapes much? Here are a few words to live by, “He who slings mud only loses ground.”
Tom and Lynz if telling about something I saw and heard myself is slinging mud - then mark me as quilty — of telling the truth. No character assascination, if it is the truth - pure and simple it is fact. If it is false then it is character assascination.
I am merely pointing out what will happen w/Goyle. Mark my word. He is too ambitious to stay in Kansas. I met him personally, talked to him for almost an hour and my opinion was formed from that conversation.
So people read it and weep. There are problems with our election process and the left is the first to holler when some one in Florida meant to vote for Gore and voted for Buchannan instead because they were told to push the second button and the ballot had been changed.
Left or right our elections should not be for sale.
Ksgrm,
Goyle didn’t “buy” the election. He was in every neighborhood talking to every voter possible. Huy wasn’t that far behind Goyle in spending, either.
You said yourself you talked to him for almost an hour. Um…there’s a clue there for you somewhere.
As part of that process of talking to voters, Goyle signed hundreds up to vote by mail. They didn’t have to vote for him once they got their ballots; in fact, they didn’t have to sign up in the first place.
Lynz is right. Sour grapes.
Boo hoo.
Ksgrm,You want a little cheese with that whine?You want to talk about advance ballots? Cool, here goes. Raj is a rock star at walking door to door. Nobody on their best day could possibly hope to keep up with that guy. And on the way, he asked people if they wanted to vote by mail. They didn’t have to sign up and they certainly didn’t have to vote for him. But they did, and here’s why, Raj is a rock star. He’s interested, he listens and he works like there’s no tomorrow. He didn’t “buy” a thing, he earned it.And what exactly is your problem with Goyle possibly challenging Tiahrt? Does the Congressman just get to keep that seat forever without a serious challenge? How democratic is that? Puuuu-leeeeeease.
I voted against Bonnie Huy for a very simple reason. When she came by my home, I shared my concerns with her voting. She was not willing to give my views any weight. She told me I was out of touch with her district. I believe she found out she was out of touch with her district.
Cheri,
That sounds exactly like Bonnie Huy! Arrogant and impervious to facts.
Well Lynz I didn’t mention a seat he might be going for. You mentioned Tiahrt. That is certainly his privalege.
Why did you not address the allegation of campaign improprieties? I saw them and so did many others. He was at several polling places that day and it was reported on the news that there was some conflict when a candidate was campaigning inside the polling place. His name wasn’t mentioned. I was there and witnessed what happened.
Are you telling me that a Yale/Harvard grad didn’t know he was breaking a law. My point is if he would break this law how much more will he push the envelope on other things. I question his ethics. That is my right.
I can’t speak to what you say you saw, I wasn’t there. I can address one thing though, the press did report that a candidate was at one polling place, one. How can you state that he was at several polling places unless you were as well? And if you were at several polling places, I think the bigger question is: why? I’m gonna leave this one alone now a) because it’s a tired/whiney argument and b) because my daddy always told me not to engage in a battle of wits with people who don’t have any ammo, it’s just not fair.
And as for the Tiahrt thing, I was simply pointing out that there’s nothing wrong with ambition. I was using Tiahrt as a a place holder, an example. I’d like to see a formidible challenge for every long-standing incumbent, that what makes the whole thing fun. What’s the problem with building experience before trying to move up to the next level? I don’t know what Rep. Goyle’s intentions are in that respect, but I do know that he’s working hard right now and that’s all I can ask of any Representative.
I get that you don’t like him, we all get it. You don’t have to like him. You definitely don’t have to vote for him. But if you just want to re-hash old arguments that have already been addressed and resolved, well then I really can’t help you out there. Read back through stories surrounding this non-event and you’ll see that the whole thing sputtered out because it was meritless. You may not like it and I’m betting you don’t agree, but we’ll just add that to a long list of things that aren’t my problem.
Ksgrm,
The news never reported that a candidate was campaigning at a polling place. They reported that a group of organized Republicans were *accusing* a candidate of campaigning at a polling place.
The *Republican* poll judge said it was nonsense. The whole incident was a manufactured conflict by the conservative radicals meant to discredit Democrats. It didn’t work. Tough.
You even said yourself that Goyle “lost” on election day - that he won only because of advance ballots. So even if your allegation were true (it’s not), it doesn’t look like it worked out, does it?
Now quit whining. Get a *real* candidate, not a stubborn old woman who, as Cheri pointed out, is condescending to her own constituents.
Tom which part of ‘he campaigned at my voting place’ Maranantha are you not understanding. He does not vote there. He was going down the line introducing himself and shaking hands until the poll manager stopped him.
Complaints were filed and followed up on by the sherrifs dept. The determination was that no one felt coherced to vote for him after shaking his hand.
I really don’t appreciate you calling me a liar when you are in such a mother lion mode over Goyle. I personally don’t care that he won or lost. As I said I talked to him for almost an hour when he came to my house. I said he broke the law and you come back with some lame excuse and ragging on me to pick a new candidate.
You are definitely in denial. Are you Goyle in disguise?
As for Huy she did exactly what she said she would do. She did not vote for tax increases and since a large majority of her constituents were seniors w/fixed incomes she was voting what she felt her constituents wanted.
As for his contributions. He personally told me that 85% of his funding came from outside the state of Kansas. His words not mine.
Thems the facts and I’m sticking to them.
What complaints were filed? Filed in what jurisdiction? What are the case numbers? Was Goyle charged with a crime? If so, when’s the trial? When’s the Ethics Commission hearing?
I didn’t call you a liar; I clarified for you what was reported on the news. Go back and read carefully.
I don’t know whether to be flattered or horrified that you think I’m Raj Goyle in disguise. My name is Tom. See the sig line?
Tom I told you there was an investigation. My husband and myself along with others who were there at the time gave testimony. My husband and I both said we did not feel intimidated by his presence. I guess the investigation went nowhere if everyone said the same thing. The DA’s office lead the investigation. I never followed up on it.
I wish him all the best. I was just making some observations about his campaign.
I lost some respect for him with the direction his attacks took but I guess that is politics.
Take a valium and get some rest. Sorry to upset you.
By the way my real name isn’t ksgrm.
Wow, never thougt I’d see a discussion here where I could agree with both side.
Tom, you’re right when you say that Rep. Goyle out campaigned the shrew. But, Ksgrm and others are even more correct when they say that “He [Goyle] purchased his state seat as a step up to a national seat.”
If anyone think Goyle is really concerned with those he “represents” then they missed his clear plans to use this position as a stepping stone for his own ego climb.
Huy and DeCastro were terrible right wing theocrats who needed to be defeated for the good of the state. No question about that. Unfortunatly, with Goyle it’s only slightly better.
Oooooookay, this went fast in an ugly direction.
Ksgrm,Tom’s name really is Tom. Raj Goyle doesn’t have time to pudder around on this ridiculous blog.
Oooooookay, this went fast in an ugly direction.
Ksgrm,Tom’s name really is Tom. Raj Goyle doesn’t have time to pudder around on this ridiculous blog.