April 22, 2004

Political Profile of JoCo Bistate Tax Committee

Yael T. Abouhalkah in the Kansas City Star opined last week about Vetting bistate tax in Johnson County:

For now, the future of the proposed bistate tax in Johnson County is in Ed Peterson's hands.

Peterson, a county commissioner, has organized a citizens committee to evaluate a bistate tax plan that could be on the fall ballots in five area counties.

Supporters of the bistate tax showed up at the first committee meeting Tuesday to outline their ambitious and positive goals: Raise $60 million a year from the quarter-cent tax to upgrade the Truman Sports Complex and expand arts and cultural programs around the region.

. . .

The panel is well-qualified for the tasks at hand.

It includes Overland Park City Council member Carl Gerlach and Roeland Park Mayor Lori Hirons; former state legislators Carol Sader and Audrey Langworthy; banker Bob Regnier; arts boosters Carol Heil and Larry Meeker; Johnson County Community College President Charles Carlsen; and Gary Sherrer, former lieutenant governor of Kansas.

These are not the kinds of people who are going to do a perfunctory review and come out with unfounded accusations. This group has the potential to give some well-reasoned conclusions about how Johnson Countians ought to approach the next bistate tax.

• The meetings are open to the public.

Credit Peterson for realizing many Johnson Countians don't realize what's in the bistate proposal — and have concerns about it — because it largely has been put together behind closed doors.

That was unfortunate. But it was how the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation and the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce handled matters.

Why doesn't Abouhalkah dig into all the money spent secretly by the Chamber in 2002? 

• Steve Cloud's Johnson County Republicans for Education PAC  $20,000 from Greater KC Chamber PAC ($54,000 back to Kansas City Star)

• Committee for Excellence in JoCo Schools:  $10,000 Funded by Greater Kansas City Chamber?
• Committee to Support our Schools:
  $50,000 Funded by Greater Kansas City Chamber?

• Bistate Arts and Sports Corporation
  Who gave the $500,000+ in 2001 and 2002?  How much of this money ended up in Steve Cloud's hands as part of his JCRE PAC?

What is known about these committee members?  Are these members able to "evaluate" a plan, or are they just able to rubber-stamp most liberal tax increase proposals?

Charles J Carlsen.  Member of the Mainstream Coalition Advisory Board, JCCC Foundation.  Contributor to liberal State Senators Barbara Allen and John Vratil.  

Carl R Gerlach.  Supported by Steve Cloud's GOP Club of JoCo to be precinct committeeman in 2000 and 2002.  Member of JCCC Foundation.

Carol J Heil.  Contributed $200 to Democrat Kathleen Sebelius.  Changed from "Democrat" to "Republican" in last few years to become "Republican for Moore."

Lori J Hirons.  Democrat. Chair of Planned Parenthood MoKan PAC (2003).  Contributed $750 to Dennis Moore and $20 to "Yes Yes Yes" (to hide party affiliations in JoCo races).

Audrey H Langworthy.  "Republican". Former State Senator Langworthy was supported by Steve Cloud's GOP Club of JoCo to be precinct committeeman in 2000 and 2002, and is a member of the GOP Club Advisory Board. She contributed to liberal candidates Barbara Allen, John Vratil, Jim Yonally and Shane Jones. She endorsed Adam Taff and Kathleen Sebelius in 2002.  She was a member of Sebelius' BEST (infrastructure) team. 

Larry G Meeker.  Democrat.  President of the Arts Council of JoCo.  Wrote a pro bistate tax letter to the KC Star in May 2002.

C Edward Peterson.  Democrat.  Wife is liberal Kansas City Star editorial write, Laura Scott.  

Robert D Regnier.  Bob Regnier, Bank of Blue Valley, has his fingerprints all over political money in Johnson County.  He is or has been the treasurer for several candidates:  Sue Gamble for State Board of Ed, and Senator Vratil.  He's contributed to Steve Cloud's JCRE PAC, liberal State Senators David Adkins and John Vratil and candidate Shane Jones, and to the Blue Valley First Committee.  Bob's wife, Ann, is on the Mainstream Coalition advisory board.

Carol H Sader.  Former State Rep and friend of Kathleen Sebelius -- Sader and Sebelius sat close together on the House floor and formed a strong friendship.  As a long-time political activist, Sader carefully changes political parities to vote in August Republican primaries.  Her party affiliation can be best summarized in recent years as a "DRDRD".  Sader has been the president of  Mainstream Coalition. She's contributed $1000 to Mainstream and $150 to Chris Biggs for Attorney General in 2002.  She contributed $30 to "Yes Yes Yes" (to hide party affiliations in JoCo races).  Sebelius nominated Sader to her BEST (infrastructure) team, to the Kansas Commission on Judicial Qualifications, the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission, and to the State Board of Healing Arts.

Gary L Sherrer.  Sherrer is the former Lt. Gov. under Bill Graves.  He recently moved to JoCo and serves as an Executive VP with Gold Bank -- the same bank that received $50,000 (see Committee to Support our Schools) from the Greater Kansas City Chamber to raise the JoCo sales tax and promote pro-tax candidates in 2002.  Sherrer is closely associated with Steve Cloud's GOP Club of JoCo.

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