Framing the Questions

Proud of my Minister . . .

R Stephens — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 02:39:32 GMT

Check out the link here"

https://philsnider.wordpress.com/2012/02/04/my-comments-from-clergy-e-verify-press-conference/

Behind the Scenes with e-Verify

R Stephens — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:09:37 GMT

In two days, a small percentage of Springfieldians will go to the polls to pass judgment on what is being called the “e-Verify ordinance.” This ordinance purports to establish local prohibitions against the hiring of illegal and undocumented workers.

Below is simply a series of glimpses and random thoughts about this topic that I have had from a position both behind the scenes and in front of the cameras.

One of the things that has struck me very strongly is the effort by supporters on both sides of this issue to remain calm and to keep the conversation at a civil level. This is a topic that can prove to be very contentious and lends itself to strong emotions. Both sides of the argument should be complimented on how they have handled themselves during this time.
People on both sides of the issue were convinced that people on the other side were ignorant ____________. (You fill in the blank.)
I am continually amazed how folks think complicated issues can be reduced to 10-second sound bytes or a bumper-sticker philosophy.
Where has been the faith community? Where are the ministers of the churches—large and small? We pride ourselves on being a religious community—why the thundering silence on this issue from the churches?
This is a human issue. Why did it break along the traditionally political lines of liberal versus conservative instead of more philosophical lines?
We apparently have forgotten our national history and narrative.
The more I heard the “debates,” the more I realized that this really was about race and not about jobs. One spokesman for the Ozarks Minutemen, at the League of Women Voters forum, said everything Tuesday evening except, “Beware the Brown Wave.”
We have over 106,000 registered voters. Yet I will be shocked if more than 10% will actually vote. The rest of us will be content to allow barely 10,000 people—roughly the population of West Plains—to determine what kind of reputation this city will carry into the future.
This election will make the national news.
The petition language, and therefore the ballot issue, are seriously flawed.

Mayoral Announcement Comments

R Stephens — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:14:46 GMT

Good morning—Today I am announcing that I will be a candidate for Mayor in the 2013 election.

I am making this early announcement for two reasons: first, since Mayor O’Neal mentioned in the Springfield Business Journal that he would not be running again, I have been on the receiving end of numerous questions about my intent. I’d like to lay the speculations to rest. Secondly, I would like to focus on consolidating the gains that we have consistently made since I was elected in 2009.

Some of our new economic development policies are beginning to pay off. Springfield was recently named the #3 city in the nation in job growth. Southwest Missouri is driving the state economy right now; Springfield is driving the southwest Missouri economy, and the downtown area is one of the drivers of our local economic engine. That’s why I wanted to have this announcement here. My thanks to Andy and Chantal Drennen for the use of their Gelato Mio store for this announcement. When we’re finished here, I understand that they may be talked out of some samples of the best gelato in Missouri.

When I was elected, there was a very real chance that the Police/Fire Pension issue could tip Springfield into a municipal bankruptcy. As Council members, we made several promises to voters; the voters trusted us, took a deep breath and voted in a temporary pension tax increase. We now have the numbers in the pension fund headed in the right direction.

In the three years of my service as a General Council member, we have worked hard to restore openness and transparency to the local political process. It’s sometimes been ugly—we pretty much conduct all our discussions and arguments in public and they can sometimes get pretty heated. However, in a recent local study conducted by MSU’s Dr. Mike Stout, trust in federal elected officials was down; trust in elected state officials went down; but trust in local elected officials ticked upward. I am very proud of that small but significant increase.

I am also proud of the fact that, last April, my colleagues on City Council selected me to be their Mayor Pro Tem. Their trust and support mean a great deal and serving as Mayor Pro Tem continues to be a great experience.

In Springfield, we have conducted the City’s financial affairs the past three years in a way that ensured our operating budget was balanced without dipping into reserves, without borrowing, and without using one-time grant money.

In fact, our most recent audit showed that we actually were able to increase some of our reserves and also pay down some of our debt. This is conservative fiscal management at its best and there are not very many cities around the country that can make this claim. I am proud to be able to stand here and point to these accomplishments.

At this point, I would like to turn the podium over to Mayor Jim O’Neal.

Intro: Shawn Martin and Eric Latimer of the IAFF

Intro: Matt Morrow, CEO of the Home Builders Association

Intro: Mike Evans and Chris Welch, Springfield Police Officers Association

To wrap up, there are three acknowledgements that I want to make at this time. First of all, a huge thank you and “I love you” to my wife Cindy. I could not do what I do on City Council if it were not for her absolutely rock-solid support and encouragement.

Secondly, I want to thank all the folks in the City Clerk’s office—the three Brendas, the two Anitas, and the Lisa—for all their work for the citizens of Springfield and on behalf of City Council members. They do so much to manage our schedules, find answers to millions of obscure questions, and—for the most part—keep us out of trouble. Please remember that when we on Council say the wrong thing or miss an appointment—it’s our fault, not theirs.

Finally, Cindy and I have often talked about what a wonderful group of people allow us to call them friends. Many of you are in this room today. Again, the support, love, and humor we get from our friends mean so much to both of us. And, yes, even that small sub-committee of friends who have taken on the task of making sure I don’t get too puffed up—I appreciate them, too.

Thank you all for being here. Your presence means a great deal. I am looking forward to working as a General Council Member and Mayor Pro Tem through 2012 and to the campaign in 2013. All the speakers today will be around for a few minutes if any of the news folks have specific questions. Thank you and enjoy the gelato.

Wrapping Presents Leads to Wrapping Up the Year

R Stephens — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 23:04:45 GMT

As we move into the last week of the year, all the newspapers are filled with “year-end, wrap-up” types of stories, whether the subject is weather, disasters, sports, politics, economy, or whatever.

This will be a little like that, only just dealing with some of the things that have occurred in the City during the past year.

The big issue two years ago when I was elected was the Police/Fire Pension deficit and the fund’s ability to tip Springfield into bankruptcy. Now, after some reorganization of the Pension Board, some of their investment decisions, and the temporary tax that voters approved, we have the numbers headed in the right direction for the first time in a number of years. In addition, City Council had made several promises to voters at the time of the tax election and we have kept every one of those.

Led by Mayor O’Neal, the Council has opened up the decision-making process and has utilized several citizen-staffed task forces. Not only does this give Springfield more voices at the table, but it enables voters to have a first-hand look at complicated issues and a deeper understanding of what City Council members have to wrestle with from time to time.

In addition, we “borrowed” an idea from our neighbors to the west (Joplin, MO) and established a citizens tax oversight committee. This group of citizens have access to all the numbers showing sales tax receipts from the state and then the various deposits of those funds. In this way, citizens and voters can be assured that the City is using the tax revenues in the way we promised they would be.

And speaking of Joplin, you can’t talk about 2011 with mentioning the tornado that hit our sister municipality to the west in May. Once the tornado lifted, their first call was to Springfield and the message was simple, “We need help.” And Springfield responded. Within an hour, we had two collapsed-building rescue teams on the way to Joplin, followed by many, many additional firefighters and police officers (all of whom volunteered for the duty) during the next few weeks.

Also, a tip of the hat to our Public Works personnel who also were detailed to assist in the clean-up in Joplin. After Joplin administrators made the decision to clear the streets first, it was many of our PW folks who helped get the roads open again.

And a heart-felt thanks to all the other City employees and City Utilities personnel who either volunteered through their jobs, through their churches, or other organizations to help our neighbors in Joplin. I have heard several of the Joplin administrators speak about the outpouring of help from all over the country, but every one of them singles out Springfield for special praise.

While we’re talking about disasters, Springfieldians raised over $54,000 to send to our Sister City of Isesaki, Japan following the huge earthquake and tsunami. When we began the campaign to raise money, we were hoping for $10,000, with a stretch goal of $15,000. The final total just blew us away and I don’t think I’ve ever been prouder of Springfield than when talking about how we reacted to these two disasters, one close and one half a world away.

And to end up the year on a positive note, at our last Council study session of the year, our outside auditors delivered a glowing report of the way Springfield handled its money. We have delivered the services we promised; we were able to pay down some of our debt; and we were able to put some additional funds back in reserves. As City Manager Greg Burris has said on several occasions, “We operated a balanced budget without dipping into reserves, without using one-time money for operations, and without borrowing.”

And the other positive item coming at the end of the year, Springfield was noted as the #3 City in the nation in job growth. While our unemployment is still higher than we want it to be, we’re still far better off than many of our other similarly-sized cities around the country. And we’re working hard to grow jobs here and to bring new jobs to the area.

Finally, it’s been a lot of work on behalf of City Council, but especially the great team of people who work for the City of Springfield. All of us should send a little thank-you their way whether

we see someone repairing a pot-hole,
we receive an answer to a question regarding zoning
a police officer helps clear an accident from an intersection
we hear a fire truck rushing to another medical call
we get an answer to a Sunshine request
we flush the toilet and it goes somewhere
a relative arrives at the airport for a visit
we take our grandkids to a park.

Springfield is poised for another great year in 2012. I look forward to the challenges, but also to the continued good news coming our way. As the slogan at the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce goes, “Every place should be like this!”

Letter to Wally

R Stephens — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:38:06 GMT

A friend of mine accompanied his step-father on one of the Honor Flights to Washington, DC. He asked if I would write a letter than could be shared during the flight and afterward. I was happy to write the following:

Dear Wally:

As Mayor Pro Tem, I have had numerous opportunities to speak to veterans groups and to take part in celebrating the courage, the dedication, and—yes—the sacrifices of those who have served our Country in the past.

I recently spoke to the U. S. Retired Submariners’ Association at their national convention here in Springfield. I mentioned to them that we on City Council often speak of those who have gone before us.

We who are elected officials could not do what we do, had our veterans not done what they did in World War II, in Korea, in Viet Nam, and in various other “hot spots” around the world. We in the United States could not have our peaceful transition of governments had we not suffered through and won the violent World Wars.

We who have been elected to serve the public have often commented that we truly stand on the shoulders of giants. And there are no shoulders more gigantic than those of our World War II veterans. The “Greatest Generation” truly showed the world how to define the concepts of courage, dedication, heroism, and—at home—the building of a great nation.

Wally, you are one of a number of veterans on the World War II Honor Flight. This will be a wonderful experience to meet some of your fellow veterans, to relive some of the past glory of hard-fought and hard-won victories, but yes, to also remember those who did not come back from Europe, from Africa, from Hawaii, from Guadalcanal.

We are glad you came back. We celebrate with you on this Honor Flight. And we will never forget what you contributed to the security and the well-being of our nation.

Sincerely,

Robert L. Stephens

We Really Take It for Granted

R Stephens — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 00:49:57 GMT

Earlier this week, the Mayor and I met with four journalists and two translators from the Ukraine who were in Springfield studying democracy in general and our municipal government in particular. The over-arching conclusion that I came away from this meeting with was that we her in Springfield and the US truly take our systems of government for granted.

The four journalists from the Crimean Sea insisted on taking our photos with each one of them so they could prove that they actually were in the same room with us. In their country, the Mayor travels in an entourage of four large black vehicles with four large bodyguards—even though, as the journalists related, there is no threat to the Mayor. In addition, the general populace cannot enter the municipal building nor talk directly with members of the City Council. They can send letters, but they have no idea if the letters are read or acted on.

In addition, our system of government is far more transparent. In the Ukraine, only recently has a law been passed to require government entities to provide minutes of official meetings to journalists. Contrast that to our Freedom of Information Act on the national level and the Sunshine Law on the state and local levels. Furthermore, the amount of information on our municipal website is phenomenal, especially in comparison to our visitors’ home city.

The journalists also mentioned that, in their hometown, the Mayor owned the company that counted the ballots for City Council elections and, as a result, members of the City Council who were friends or relatives of the Mayor kept getting re-elected. The Mayor and I took great pains to explain that both Greene County’s County Clerk and Springfield’s City Clerk zealously guarded their reputations for being independent and unbiased elections officers.

One point that I made was that, even though the Mayor and I had different political philosophies, we could put those aside to work on the major issues for the City of Springfield. Of course, there was a light-hearted moment when I held my hands about a foot apart in describing the difference in philosophies and the Mayor was holding his hands about three feet apart! But our visitors got the point—if people of differing viewpoints had faith in our system of government—they could work together for the betterment of the community.

Finally, Mayor O’Neal stressed that the United States had been working on developing a democratic society for over 225 years, while those folks in the Ukraine were in the very beginning stages. We stressed that we still didn’t have a perfect system, but that we continued to work on it. The journalists were coming from a country with a long history of totalitarianism and that it would take a long time for them to convert completely to a democracy. But the fact that they were allowed to come here and to report on what they found is a very encouraging step. We wish them continued luck.

And the Mayor and I left the meeting with a renewed pride in our system of government and in how Springfield handles the issues it’s faced with.

When NIMBY Meets the New Urbanism . . .

R Stephens — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 02:24:56 GMT

A couple of years ago, a friend who works for the National Weather Service told me that meteorologists fight to get to this area of the country because the weather is so changeable that it presents a real challenge to forecasters.

The weather changes because the cool, dry air from the Rockies tends to collide overhead with the warm, moist air coming up from the Gulf. Those collisions, when the conditions are right, produce an amazing array of weather, ranging from a gentle rain to the type of storm that recently struck Joplin.

Metaphorically speaking, a similar collision is beginning to take place—not overhead—but under our feet, as we as a City continue the generations-long conversation about land development and re-development. The most recent example is the request by developers to build a five-story hotel on the south side of Republic Road, just north of the Ravenwood sub-dvision.

Obviously, the neighbors don’t want a five-story hotel looking down on their backyard bar-b-ques, on their sunbathing, or simply spoiling the skyscape. This has been named the NIMBY syndrome, meaning “Not in my back yard.”

We’ve seen this syndrome all over town--ranging from the neighbors to the east not wanting the PD330 zoning changing from agriculture to commercial to mid-town neighbors fighting the Salvation Army’s plan for a homeless shelter to everyone in the world (it seems) weighing in on City Utilities’ efforts to relocate the outgrown and outdated bus transfer station.

There is a trend in the planning and development world that is also impacting the conversation: that of New Urbanism. As near as I can tell as a lay person, the New Urbanism is the old small town. If you look at many of our small towns in the 30’s and 40’s, you saw commercial areas adjacent to residential areas. You can see remnants of this if you drive or walk or bike east from South Avenue along either Walnut Street or Elm Street. You see the commercial buildings running out to Jefferson or Kimbrough and then you quickly enter a residential area. Same thing occurs if you move south from Walnut along South Market, South Main, or South Grant.

The new phrase to try to sell the old ways is “mixed use.” We on Council keep hearing from planners about the benefits of mixed use: denser populations, the ability to walk or bike instead of taking cars, and living above commercial areas. The other side of that coin is that cities don’t have to build more miles of streets, police and fire protection can cover better if the population is concentrated, and the other elements of a city’s infrastructure do not have to be expanded and maintained—the delivery of utilities, the sewer lines, and traffic controls.

Unfortunately, Springfield has always been and is a prairie town. We live right on the edge of the prairie that stretches from around Lamar west to the Rockies. We are used to—in the past—hopping on our horses and riding. In more modern times, we’re used to hopping in the car or pickup truck and driving.

One of the things that has accelerated the conversation about mixed use and concentrating the population more has been the several year recession that we’re in. Not only is the unemployment rate hovering between 9% and 10% nationally, but because of foreign wars and civil unrest in the Middle East, gasoline prices are at levels that we haven’t seen before.

Back during the Arab oil embargo of the 70’s, Americans gave up their big cars for smaller vehicles that got better gas mileage. Today, technology has developed to the point that we have hybrid cars—running on both gasoline and electricity. However, it remains to be seen if folks will really abandon their SUVs in favor of smaller, lighter vehicles. Will we give up our stallions and ride a Shetland pony? I don’t know.

However, I do know the conversation about mixed use will continue as long as it’s the current fad in planning circles. And the arguments will continue at that nexus between residential areas and commercial developments, especially if we keep trying to concentrate populations by building vertically instead of horizontally. Nobody in a single-family dwelling wants to live next to five, seven, or 25 story building—regardless of its use.

So, the discussion continues.

Hypothetically . . . just sayin'

R Stephens — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 03:29:24 GMT

Once upon a time, there was this hypothetical elected city leader. And this hypothetical city leader rode herd on a rather unruly, eight-person hypothetical city council. And the hypothetical city that they served was hypothetically governed by a Charter—passed down by generations before.

By tackling some hypothetically difficult issues and solving them, the hypothetical city leader and council developed some hypothetical political capital. And the hypothetical city leader developed quite a bit of political capital with the unruly members of the council.

And it came to pass that an issue appeared before said council that dealt with hypothetically obeying the law. However, due to a quirk in the hypothetically-governing Charter, the options available to the city council were hypothetically awful.

A hypothetically public hearing was called; public discussions occurred with the hypothetical city leader presiding. The hypothetical editorial board of the local paper weighed in; hypothetical patriots argued in circles with each other in hypothetical capital letters in the comments section.

Meetings were held by different hypothetical interest groups. Hypothetical Retro-Sixties demonstrations were called for some hypothetically unclear reason. Potential solutions were passed back and forth between hypothetically opposed groups dealing with the issue. No hypothetical solution could be agreed upon.

During the final week of discussion, the hypothetical elected city leader proposed a solution and hypothetically lobbied for it. The unruly, eight-person hypothetical city council conferred with hypothetical political bases, with hypothetical supporters, and hypothetically with each other—taking care not to violate any hypothetical orb-in-the-sky state law.

Although hypothetically unhappy with the options, the unruly, eight-person hypothetical city council came to realize that the hypothetical option-being-lobbied-for by the hypothetical city leader might work, at least as a hypothetically stop-gap measure. And so, hypothetically grumbling, the council arrived to do its work, one hypothetical member being absent for family reasons.

During the proceedings, hypothetical unruly member after unruly member weighed in on the hypothetical situation. The hypothetical petitioners came in for their share of hypothetical criticism as well as spots of isolated hypothetical praise. Hypothetical founding fathers were quoted; hypothetical statistics were bloated. But at the end, it was time to vote . . . hypothetically speaking.

For some reason, the hypothetical city leader—who had been lobbying the hypothetical unruly council—suddenly, and without hypothetical warning, changed his vote. The tally when the dust cleared: 4-4, which means the same as a hypothetical “no” vote.

Many hypothetical political watchers were baffled; the hypothetical clerk sent a text message to the dais to confirm that the hypothetical leader had not inadvertently hit the wrong button. The hypothetical leader offered no reason for the change in vote prior to the adjourning of the meeting.

So, the issue will go before the hypothetical voters next year. And the hypothetical city will bear a $140,000 expense for the election. The ballot issue continues to have flaws—real, not hypothetical and the hypothetical city will have to pay to defend the measure—if it hypothetically passes—to the Supreme Court.

And that political capital that the hypothetical city leader had built up with the members of the unruly hypothetical council? Well, it’s all hypothetical now.

Petition Musings--Part 2

R Stephens — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 18:37:10 GMT

Whether our heritage was comprised of Native Americans, Caucasians in the early days of America’s recorded history, Africans in the late 18^th century and beyond, Asians during the beginning of the Industrial Age, Irish during the great Potato Famine, Italians, Germans, Cubans, or Vietnamese in the mid-70s—we are all either immigrants or descendants of immigrants.

In 1630, Puritan John Winthrop preached a sermon to the Massachusetts Bay Colony entitled “A Model of Christian Charity.” In that sermon he indicated that their new community would be a “city upon a hill,” and would be watched by the world.

Three hundred fifty years later, this phrase would be often echoed by the late President Ronald Reagan in his descriptions of America as “the shining city on the hill” for the rest of the world.

The country will watch our actions here in Springfield. Will Springfield shine or will the tarnish spread?

Petition Musings--Part 1

R Stephens — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 15:47:46 GMT

In 1986, the Immigration Service—admitting 25 years ago that the federal government was not doing its job—used its governmental powers to deputize every hiring individual in the United States with the requirement that employers have employees complete the I-9 forms and then verify forms of identification.

As a Human Resource professional, I can testify to the amount of time required to comply with this law and labor costs are one of a company’s largest expense items. In many cases, the indirect costs (which include benefits, payroll taxes, and legal compliance efforts) will reach 40% of direct payroll, if not higher.

A government requiring private enterprises to engage in surveillance and verification activities that are not part of the business’ core mission is, in essence, imposing a tax on those enterprises. This petition forcing employers to utilize the E-verify system will require additional labor time for all businesses and, in many cases, require additional capital expenses for some of our smallest and most fragile businesses.

Yet, contrary to statements in their press release, the Minutemen appear very willing to impose this hidden tax on businesses—in the midst of the worst economic recession since the Great Depression.

Why Ya Gotta Just Shake Your Head . . .

R Stephens — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 23:04:11 GMT

Some of you may remember my rant about a month ago where I was pretty incredulous that FEMA would not grant Joplin a 30-day extension to finish cleaning up debris. i posed the question as to whether this refusal was based on Joplin's dilly-dallying or just FEMA's wish to pay 75% of the expenses rather than 90%.

Well, now we hear that part of the money that FEMA had designated for Joplin clean-up and reconstruction is now being re-routed to the east coast to deal with Hurricane Irene damage. Two chicken-crap moves, in my opinion.

I recently ordered a t-shirt with the message "Change It Back!" FEMA makes me glad I did.

The Surprises Just Keep On Coming!

R Stephens — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 13:57:15 GMT

Those of you who follow on FaceBook may remember a comment I posted last week about being startled when the teller at my credit union drive-through reminded me that it was my wife’s birthday.

While I know they were trying to do the “customer service” thing, most of the comments I’ve received from folks are along the lines of “Wow, that’s a bit big-brotherish!”

Well, the surprises just keep on rolling in. Cindy and I were going to breakfast Saturday morning and happened to drive by the credit union building. It had completely new signage on the building and out in front. We wondered if this branch had been sold since the credit union had recently built a huge monument to itself over at Sunset and Kansas Expressway.

Turns out that—according to the postcard that came in the mail Saturday afternoon, the Postal Federal Credit Union is now—are you ready?—sitting down?—BluCurrent!!

Yep, BluCurrent. Apparently all one word with a capital letter in the middle.

What’s even more interesting is that the new logo—a series of rounded-corner rectangles fading off into some invisible horizon—are orange and green!! So, why would an entity named BluCurrent have an orange and green logo?

I know there’s a trend to simplify (and sometimes obscure) names. And the first name of this business was pretty unwieldy: The Postal and Federal Employees’ Credit Union. Try writing that one on the front of a check! It then became The Postal Federal Credit Union back when all the financial institutions were being deregulated and membership requirements got expanded basically anyone who lived in southwest Missouri.

BluCurrent. BluCurrent? Why not green? At least the color green has some connotation with money. And that’s what credit unions do, isn’t it? Help people save money and make loans to members?

Oh, yeah. BluCurrent. Doesn’t it give you an image of some sort of electrical utility? Maybe, if you don’t make your loan payment, they’ll zap you. I wouldn’t think twice about seeing a BluCurrent electrical truck in the neighborhood, but I would sort of wonder about an entity that is trying to hide what it does.

And let’s talk spelling and pronunciation for a moment. Blu. Since it’s not spelled with the conventional “e” on the end, do we pronounce it blu as in “bluh” with a short u? Guess the Twitter norm of reducing everything to its lowest common denominator (and spelling) has garnered the attention of the design agencies. At least their younger employees (those who grew up gaming and not reading) don’t have to worry anymore about spelling. We’ll just create a new word.

Just call me nonplussed. Or in the trends of the day, non+’ed !!

Choices, Choices, well. . . Not So Many

R Stephens — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 13:54:00 GMT

Probably the most emotional and divisive issue that I have seen in my time on City Council is on the agenda for Monday evening. The petition circulated by the Ozarks Minutemen was certified by the City Clerk as having enough valid signatures and is up for the first reading.

This petition mandates that all businesses within the city limits of Springfield utilize the federally-provided “e-Verify” system to determine work eligibility and to screen out undocumented workers. The Minutemen say it’s a free service that simply ensures that federal law is being followed by businesses in Springfield.

Folks all over town have been gearing up and planning their strategies for the evening. We anticipate that there will be many, many speakers signing up for their opportunity to speak on the issue. Some will speak passionately and eloquently; others emotionally; still others will be nervous, but will get through their allotted time. There will be accusations that this petition is racist in nature, that it targets Hispanics and Latinos. The Minutemen will argue that everyone is checked through the system and therefore it’s non-discriminatory. Business groups will state that this will put an extra burden on commercial enterprises, especially small businesses, and will require much more administrative time, cost for equipment, and broadband access for businesses currently not “wired.” And other speakers will lament the further damage to race relations in Springfield that they see this petition causing.

Unfortunately, they will all be wasting their collective breath.

If you look at the way the Springfield Charter is written, with a petition initiated by citizens, City Council only has two options: a) it can immediately accept the language in the petition as law or b) it can vote to place the issue on the next regularly-scheduled election. Also, per the Charter, City Council cannot amend the petition language in any way. And finally, if City Council does not perform either a) or b) above, the petition language automatically becomes law in 30 days.

Even though I suspect most of the speakers will be addressing the content of the petition, City Council—while there may be comments from individual members—is only allowed two choices—pass it as law or put it on the next ballot. Considering the content, modifying the content, eliminating parts of the content, adding content—these are not options available to Council during this process of first reading, second reading, and vote.

The Mayor, in order to accommodate the large number of speakers anticipated, is asking City Council to suspend our normal rules of 5 minutes per person and use a three minute time limit for comments and 2 minute time limit for Council questions. I would not have an issue with this. I have noticed over the years that, with five minutes, many times a person will start repeating himself or herself needlessly.

One reason for the Mayor’s request is to help the petition proceedings move along. The other is that this issue is not the only thing on the agenda. He is trying to keep folks from having to sit through a five- or six-hour meeting, waiting for their chance to speak.

Catching the Irony

R Stephens — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 20:06:38 GMT

Did anyone catch the irony of the two stories in today's Springfield News-Leader?

In the first story, FEMA--that federal monolith that takes care of people after major disasters--turned down Missouri's request for an additional 30 days in which to clean up storm debris.

The second story was about the new public housing prototype in New Orleans--also managed and subsidized by the federal government.

Never mind that Joplin suffered the highest force tornado in Missouri history. Never mind that a good chunk of this city was shredded into pieces about 4" x 4" and had to be cleaned up. Rather let's ask--how many extensions has the federal government provided to itself, other agencies, and other states and municipalities? A thirty-day extension after an EF-5 tornado is hardly some wild-eyed rip-off.

Rather--if FEMA grants the extension, it's on the hook for 90% of the debris clean-up. If no extension is granted, then that "hook" drops down to 75%. Pretty crappy way to save some money. Want to compare the bills run up by Katrina vs. Joplin?

What was Joplin's mistake? Instead of holding up signs that said, "Send help," someone spray-painted a sign that said "Put down your damn camera and pick up a shovel." Instead of mugging for the media, the folks in Joplin left the shelter each morning and went to work--either at their jobs or at their homes. That's why the national news anchor was surprised at 2:00 pm when he couldn't find anyone to interview.

A 30-day extension rejected.

Seriously?

How We Look Abroad . . .

R Stephens — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 13:35:43 GMT

The following comment came from my sister who lives in Spain.

"I liked the Warren Buffet quote (although generally I prefer Jimmy). All this mess is so embarrassing from over here. The U.S. is set up as the best example of democracy in the world, what many other countries, especially emerging democracies were trying to imitate---and look at it. It is just feeding the anti-American feelings and leaving us wide open to very harsh criticism. This debacle reaches much farther than the U.S. borders."

Not much to add to that.

Debt Ceiling Debacle

R Stephens — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 02:30:15 GMT

The sad thing about this entire debt ceiling debate is that both parties are convinced that the public's attention span is so short that we won't remember this come the elections in 2012. And, given the level of civic engagement that I see as a City Council member, I suspect they're right.

At times like this I quote Will Rogers, the home-grown philosopher from Oklahoma: "Americans deserve the government they get." If we're not paying attention, if we vote only by party line, if we support only candidates supported by specific interest groups, we can expect to have more of the same. If we accede to the lowest common denominator, that's what we'll get.

If we demand higher quality work and compromise and less partisanship and drama, it'll take a round or two of elections, but we can get it. But the public has to be paying attention for longer than the next season of "Jersey Shores."

Gotta tell you--I like that quote by Warren Buffett when asked about the need to balance the federal budget. He said, "You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for reelection."

The 3% cushion gives you the room to fund unexpected military action if we find ourselves in a war. Other than that--we need to live within our means. States all do it; municipalities and counties have to do it; why should we expect the federal government to be any less responsive?

You Can't Govern from the Fringe

R Stephens — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 20:56:39 GMT

The last month has demonstrated once again the genius behind our Springfield Charter.

While I don’t often comment on national politics, the recent debacle regarding the debt ceiling is a perfect example of why Springfield’s City Council is, and should remain, non-partisan.

In Washington, D.C., both parties have locked into partisan positions that resemble the old Miller Lite commercials: one side yelling “Tastes great!” while the other screams back “Less filling.” However, this time—instead of watching a goofy 30-second commercial—the actors were playing with an economic Armageddon.

On a national scale, our political parties have taken a great leap—not forward—but to the fringes of their philosophies. And you simply can’t govern from the fringe. You can rule—as Hugo Chavez has proven in Venezuela—but you can’t govern.

The Democrats have locked into their standard positions and are fear-mongering. “Social Security will be eliminated,” they say. “And Medicare as we know it will be changed.”

The Republicans have locked into their standard positions and are fear-mongering. “No tax increases because they’ll bankrupt businesses,” they say. “The deficit will cause our economy to collapse.”

And, you know, they’re both right . . . up to a point. If we keep going the way we are, Social Security will be eliminated—not by any political posturing, but simply because we won’t have enough workers paying in to the system to cover the folks drawing out of the system. Ditto medical costs and Medicare.

Furthermore, businesses—especially small businesses—are trying their best to pull out of this recession. Additional taxes—whether they’re in the form of new taxes, increased tax rates, or additional regulatory requirements—are one more straw loaded on the camel’s back. And I hate to think of the deficit and tax burden that my two daughters will inherit.

And while I’m venturing into commentary about a national issue, let me quote one of our Senators:

“Both parties contributed to our current economic situation, and we'll need both parties to work together to find a way out. I hope my friends on both sides of the aisle will join me in working to find a solution that's in the best interest of families and job creators in Missouri and across America.”

We can argue until the cows come up to be milked as to whether Senator Blunt has helped or impeded the situation. That’s not the issue. The issue is that someone on the national stage has figured out that you can’t govern from the fringe. The two parties need to meet somewhere near the center and get this debt ceiling worked out.

Thankfully, our Council has been able to lay aside partisan issues (at least for the last couple of years) and work together to find some type of solution. Almost every solution leaves both parties wishing for more, but maybe that’s just the definition of compromise. And compromise is what our political system is built on.

Sometimes a Cigar is Just a Cigar!

R Stephens — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:42:11 GMT

As a Council member, I have encountered my share of odd issues and I understand that these go with the territory. However, I received an email that had been forwarded numerous times that was a little out of the ordinary.

The issue was that some Springfieldians were upset about a small concrete statue that was being displayed on the front porch of a Springfield house. The statue was of a young black male holding a fishing pole and sitting on the edge of the porch. The real issue was that the statue apparently had a piece of twine around its neck.

Some folks felt like this was a reference to the lynchings that had occurred in the city back during the early 1900s. In fact, there was a photo that was being circulated by email that showed the statue on the porch.

After numerous forwardings, the email made its way to my city email account with the comment that I should know about it, since I was the Council representative to the Mayor’s Commission on Human Rights. It had also come to the attention of the local NAACP.

My initial question, which no one could answer, was “Has anyone talked to the occupant of the house?” As near as I could tell, the answer was no. No one had any idea if the issue was one of racism or simply a matter of questionable taste.

After driving by the house in question a couple of times, I decided to talk to the occupants in person. I stopped by after lunch earlier this week and knocked on the door. There was no answer nor was there any vehicle in the driveway. I left a business card in the door with a request for the folks to call me.

Several hours later, I got the message from the Clerk’s office that the gentleman had called to talk to me. I returned the call and explained the situation. While the occupant was a bit nervous and defensive at first, he indicated that there was no intent to defame a particular segment of our population—rather he was simply trying to affix the statue to his house to prevent theft. His holiday decorations had all been stolen last December.

He also indicated that he had removed the fishing pole and replaced it with an American flag—because of Flag Day and the approach of the Independence Day holiday.

I believed the gentleman because, as I had walked up his driveway to the front door, I could see that it wasn’t twine or rope around the neck of the statue, but actually a cable that then wrapped around the porch pillar and was secured with a small padlock.

At the end of the conversation, I reiterated to him that he was not in trouble, he was not in violation of any ordinance, and that he could decorate his private property however he wished. I also repeated that what he had done to secure the statue was being interpreted as anti-Black by a segment of our population. I suggested that anything he could voluntarily do to secure the statue in a way that didn’t entail a cord around the neck would be a welcome change. And I left it at that.

I think the lesson to be learned from this is four-fold: first, if there is a question, for heaven’s sake, ask it. This entire situation would have been unnecessary if the first folks to see the cable around the neck had simply asked the occupants about the intent of the decoration. City Council or a City Council member didn’t need to be involved in this, although—once it reached this level—I was happy to look into the situation.

Secondly, we must be careful about inserting our own context into someone else’s reality. The only intent, I’m convinced after talking with the gentleman, was to provide some decoration to the house. Incidentally, there was also a replica of some of the Chinese warriors that were archeologically uncovered several years ago. It was also secured to the side of the porch.

Thirdly, we can’t and shouldn’t legislate taste in décor. What other folks find attractive is really none of my business. Nor is it the business of others—it’s private property and, if it doesn’t violate other ordinances, then it’s the owner’s or the occupant’s taste in decor, not ours.

And finally—and this is a “walk in their moccasins” type of thing: if we don’t live in those neighborhoods, let’s not pass judgment on those who do. I don’t know what it’s like to worry about your belongings being missing every time you return home. But some folks in our city do have that concern.

The take-away for me from this situation is simply this: we really have to look at the context of a situation and ask ourselves if it’s similar to our own experiences. If there is no similarity, maybe we shouldn’t feel the need to rush to judgment of others.

One Week Later, A Deep Breath: Part Two

R Stephens — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 17:42:41 GMT

Earlier, I posted a perspective on the first evening of the tornado and how the City of Springfield responded in the early hours of that tragedy. This posting is about my experiences as a volunteer in Joplin.

On the Wednesday evening following the tornado, my schedule cleared for Thursday. I knew that our church was putting together a work crew to help folks from our denominational churches in Joplin. Via email, I found that there was room for one more volunteer . . . in fact, there was the message “there is ALWAYS room for one more volunteer.” We met the next morning at Brentwood Christian Church at 8:00. In a convoy of two vans and a car, we headed for Joplin with our final destination the First Christian Church of Joplin.

As we drove in the eastern edge of Joplin, it simply looked normal. We could not see any damage or evidence of the tornado. Car dealership were open; the cars were shining; there were balloons tied on them. Then, at one point, we came up over a bit of a hill and could see St. John’s Hospital across the way. The dark hulk of a previously active and well-lit medical center was a very sobering sight. Drapes and furniture were hanging out the windows.

A few blocks further on and we began to see evidence of wind damage. There were chunks of banners, corrugated plastic, and corrugated metal pieces wrapped around light poles and telephone poles. This continued for a few blocks until we arrived at the church. Beth, the senior minister, was truly getting a trial by fire. She had been at the church for about eight months and was only about ten months out of the seminary. This was her first full-time assignment.

She had us complete the volunteer forms and then told us to get braced for what we were going to see and deal with. She mentioned that there was a lot of survivor’s guilt in Joplin. People were wondering why they were spared when there was so much damage and death around them.

We headed for our assigned locations, assisting members of our denomination with the clean-up. We left the church in our convoy and then we turned the corner into the tornado zone.

I have never seen anything like it. There were no trees taller than five feet and those had no bark nor leaves left. In fact, the skyline met the horizon like it does out in Kansas or Nebraska. In the Ozarks, normally you see trees whichever way you look. But in the tornado zone in Joplin, there’s not there.

Incidentally, I am fairly familiar with Joplin, but I was completely turned around. I didn’t know what street I was on—there were no recognizable buildings left standing. None of the businesses had commercial signs—they had all been ripped off and scattered. Most of the business buildings were severely damaged—walls were down, windows were non-existent, doors were laying in the street. There were a few buildings with the windows already boarded up. At others, a few people were stacking inventory in the back of an SUV or pickup. (No, not looting—there were two policemen there at the corner.)

It was not until after we exited the zone that I saw a street sign. We had been on Main Street. I’ve been in and around Joplin for years and am familiar with that older part of town. But it was completely unrecognizable. There were no landmarks any more. It was oddly disorienting.

Another image that sticks in my mind is that I didn’t see any Joplin police vehicles. I know some had to have been destroyed and I assume the remaining vehicles were active in the residential areas. What I did see were police cars from all over the area: Springfield (of course!), Carthage, Eureka, Cassville, Kansas City, Sedalia.

Most of the officers were stationed at corners to help with traffic control. All power was interrupted, so none of the traffic signals were working. However, all drivers were carefully observing the 4-way stop rules. I did notice that drivers were really driving in a courteous manner.

When we arrived at our location, the lady who lived in the house came out to greet us. She insisted that she was alive, she was ok, and that we should go help someone who really needed the help. She only relented after we explained that the trees that were on her house and the neighbor’s house had taken out the main power line and that power could only be restored to the entire neighborhood when we cleared the debris. Once she learned that it was necessary to help her neighbors, she was fine with the help.

There was a privacy fence running along the side of her driveway that consisted of six panels. Only two panels were still in the yard. I have no idea where the remaining four landed. A panel 4’ x 6’ can be deadly when it’s airborne.

Toward the end of the assignment, the trees were cut off and dragged to the curb. We then started cleaning the debris from the yard. Regardless of the material—whether it was paper, plastic, glass, or particle board—the pieces in the yard were no larger than 4” x 4”. Everything was shredded into small pieces. We kept raking and gathering and raking and ultimately filled about 14 extra-large bags.

While we were working, a group from the Lebanon High School Athletic Department came by distributing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I don’t think a PBJ ever tasted so good. A little later a second group of volunteers came by with cold bottled water.

A couple of hours later, trucks from Pizza Inn came by with hot, fresh pizzas. They were giving them away to anyone who needed or wanted one. A little later, a Baptist church group came by with hot hamburgers and hot dogs. Volunteers were taking care of volunteers. The one phrase I’ve heard most during the past week is “Neighbors helping neighbors.” Aren’t really any other words.

One Week Later, A Deep Breath: Part One

R Stephens — Tue, 31 May 2011 13:21:51 GMT

It’s now been a week since the deadly tornado ripped through our neighboring community of Joplin. With the perspective of a few days, these are my impressions of the 48 hours after the tornado.

There was a surreal sense to watching the reports on the news channels. We had seen all this before—the crushed buildings, the overturned vehicles, the reports of deaths—but this time, suddenly, it was different. We recognized those street names. We had eaten in some of the restaurants being shown. We had shopped in those areas of devastation. And we had relatives and friends there. This was no longer an “Oh, poor Tuscaloosa” feeling—this was here.

City Manager Greg Burris received a phone call from the Assistant City Manager of Joplin twenty minutes after the tornado hit. The message was simple: “We need help.”

And like folks in southwest Missouri have always done, we got busy.

Shortly, the first team of Springfield firefighters and first responders were on their way. This team had specialized skills in collapsed building rescue and were adept at tunneling through debris to get to victims. I asked if one team were enough. He, along with the Fire Chief David Hall and Emergency Response Coordinator Ryan Nicholls, felt that it was all we could spare until we knew for certain that Springfield wouldn’t be hit. Keep in mind, the tornado was still marauding through and waging destruction in Southwest Missouri at that time.

As a Council member, I didn’t even know we had such a specialized team of firefighters (I have since learned we have three), but I’m very glad they exist and were able to roll quickly. Soon we learned that Kansas City was sending a team, Branson was sending a team, and Greg’s job also became one of trying to coordinate a response among all our surrounding neighbors

As the night progressed, plans were made for additional teams from Springfield and Greene County to form and go to Joplin as needed. Soon teams of Public Works employees with heavy equipment were loaded and ready to go at daylight. Front loaders, dump trucks, and street barricades were needed. There was a memorable photo of ten to twelve trucks heading out in a convoy in the early Monday morning mist.

Both the Springfield Police Department and the Springfield Fire Department had more volunteers to go than could be accommodated. Keep in mind—many of these men and women were volunteering on their days off. The same held true over in the Public Works Department.

At some point, Greg will issue a report detailing all the help and assistance that the City of Springfield provided. It will be a phenomenal listing of people and equipment. We had police officers and firefighters in Joplin; there were Public Works employees; there were Public Health folks giving tetanus shots to volunteers; there were Police Chaplains there to help our employees cope with the horror that they were seeing.

This will be my only “it’s all about me” statement. Last Sunday night, as the tornado passed out of Joplin and was traveling along the I-44 corridor, I realized that the Mayor was still out of town. Jim was due back in Sunday evening, but—with the weather—was likely not to make it. With the Mayor out of town, the Mayor Pro Tem is in charge. That’s me. And that was a terrifying realization—that, if the tornado continued on its current path--Springfield would be dealing with the same situation that had just hit Joplin. The City Manager and I were in almost constant contact—either by phone or by email—and Cindy and I were about 10 minutes away from heading for the Emergency Command Center that is activated in situations like this. Thankfully, for Springfield, the tornado took an alternate path.

A couple of days after the tornado, I was speaking offline with Paula Morehouse, a reporter for KY-3 who was covering the damage. She made the comment that she grew up on the west coast, went to school on the east coast, but had learned from her assignments here, that—for Ozarkers—it was all about people.

But that should not be a surprising comment to Springfieldians. Our neighbors needed help. And we were and are there for them. And I’ve never been prouder to be on Council, to be from Springfield, or to be from this part of the country. Call us what you will: hillbillies, rednecks, fly-over country, Winter Bone people—we are still rock solid folks who help and who share. We just don’t know any other way.