What do folks here think of the Clean Missouri initiative on the Nov. ballot?

[lastlib]

It touches several areas of reforming legislative ethics and re-districting, some badly-needed subjects to fix. I've read that mega-donor Rex Sinquefield opposes it, which in itself makes me tend to lean toward supporting it. I have a lot of reading to do on it, but if anybody here has some thoughts, I'd be glad to hear them!

[lastlib]

1. Kicking....

[SWBTATTReg]

2. I think there needs some kind of limits against all of this dark money pouring into ...

candidates from outside the state boundaries, or at least limiting it. However, even w/ limits like this, they'll find some way around it, I feel. It just like avoiding paying one's share of taxes, they'll run to Panama, incorporate into some nefarious entity and avoid paying taxes that should be paid, like the rest of us do.

After Citizens United, I have noticed all of the 'dark money' pouring into campaigns, and we don't really know where this money is coming from. Some successful candidates on the democratic side and Bernie Sanders have seemed to work around/with this 'dark money', but are open about this money and its origins.

I speculate that this 'dark money' pouring in represents billionaires and the like trying their best to direct and guide legislation towards their favorite topics/issues of the day and basically ignore what the average Missourian wants, and most importantly, avoid paying taxes/fees/anything at all. Josh Hawley is a good example of this as a major portion of his campaign money came from 1 family in MO (Tamko of roofing, Joplin MO). One family.

I can understand the need for money to run campaigns, it's expensive, but don't we need to draw some lines here on how much can be spent on elections? It seems excessive and tends in my opinion block perhaps better candidates from running (on both sides of the fence).

From what I understand, Amendment 1 (the clean MO initiative) did pass. However, I expect the repug-controlled senate and house to bypass this amendment provisions and ignore it. They did before in other voter sponsored initiatives.

One more step in the right direction.

[lastlib]

3. Repuglikans have a special knack for ignoring the will of the people when it suits them....

That's part of why I have such a seeething hatred of them. You're probably right that they will try to do some end-run around any ban on dark money. It's how they roll. I voted for the amendment partly on the basis that I knew that Rex Sinquefield was spending buckets of money opposing it--if he's against it, it's probably good for me.

[SWBTATTReg]

4. Just how much is Rex S. worth? I tried finding out, he is quiet as a church mouse about ...

revealing his wealth. One thing about him (Rex), he is one of the founders of the St. Louis Chess Club here in STLMO, one of the premier chess clubs now in the country, if not the world. I'm a big fan of chess, but haven't been to this club yet (in the CWE, STLMO). So, I give him a plus for this (the chess club).

It's amazing that folks such as this want to avoid letting others know of their wealth...why? To avoid taxes and the like? There may be some other rationale for folks like this to not reveal their wealth (e.g., lottery winners of big jackpots), but I am leaning towards the avoidance of paying taxes. Also, why resist letting folks know who you're supporting w/ your money?

[lastlib]

5. I'm also a big chess afficionado, and have to (grudgingly) appreciate....

what he's done for the game. Unfortunately, I'm on the KC side, and never get over to StLou, but I would love to see the chess HoF.

Politics aside, I have another story relating to Sinquefield & chess. I was a Boy Scout, and beginning my love affair with chess, in the early 70s, when Bobby Fischer was questing for the world championship. I wrote letters to the Boy Scouts to urge them to develop a merit badge for chess. I got a half-heartedly positive response back, but nothing ever came of it. Forty years later, the BSA went to Sinquefield for donations, and he wrote a seven-figure check, and waved it under their noses, but with the condition that they develop a chess program for Scouts. You wouldn't believe how fast the BSA came up with a chess merit badge!

I can't find anything definitive about his net worth, either. He's pretty secretive about it, it seems. He does have a burning hatred of taxes, which explains a lot of his politics.

[SWBTATTReg]

6. Perhaps one day you'll have an opportunity to visit the club in the CWE in St. Louis MO. It's ...

kind of a pain to park in the CWE, but I am kind of surprised (pleasantly) that Chess has taken a home in the area. At least one thing going for STLMO. Too bad that you got to wave money under people's noses in order to get something going/done (chess merit badge in boy scouts for donation by S). I have a little less respect for the chess club now (just a little) knowing its history but that won't keep me from enjoying the club when I can.

Also as to a burning hatred of taxes...where does he think roads, infrastructure, etc. come from? You can attribute a lot of his wealth (and I don't care where it came from) to the paid for roads, airports, ports, etc. that taxpayers mostly paid for. If anything, I don't see for the most part, the ultra rich stepping up to the plate and helping municipalities in dealing w/ tax issues / infrastructure / you name it NOR really paying more in taxes to help the middle class out, who really hasn't rec'd a substantive raise in quite a while.

Take care of yourself in KC, hopefully the snow/ice isn't too much of a mess there today.