Nobody’s this clueless. Nobody.

Via AoSHQ.

Open thread.

Nobody’s this clueless. Nobody.

Via AoSHQ.

Open thread.

It could be the company I keep, but lately it seems the partisan rhetoric from the left is getting more shrill. From the bogus commercial of a Republican throwing grandma over a cliff, to the reasons why Rep. Weiner should not resign. From Jon Stewart being blinded by his own ideology, while at the same time saying he is not driven by it. To the “Frack No” sticker in one of my neighbor’s windows. To understand the sign, you need to know what fracking is and I’m even going to give the environmentalist’s point of view, from SourceWatch:

Fracking (also often referred to as hydraulic fracturing or hydrofracking) is a process in which a fluid is injected at high pressure into oil or methane gas deposits to fracture the rock above and release the liquid or gas below. The process and its aftermath has generated controversy because of harm to drinking water and health where it has been used, in Colorado and New Mexico, and more recently in expanded drilling plans in the Marcellus shale in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and other mid-Atlantic states.

Now for the other side, go to “ten things to know about fracking”.

Everything is divided. Right down to the polls. A few weeks ago Rasmussen had Governor Christie at 53%, today a Quinnipiac poll has him at 44% and women don’t like him. Living in one of the bluest counties in New Jersey, I can tell you there is something wrong with the Quinnipiac poll. While his approval is not as high as 53%, his disapproval here, even among the Democrats I know, is not as bad as Quinnipiac would have people believe.

What is a fiscal conservative like me supposed to do in an environment like this? Get my own fix, that’s what.  Here it is, Andrew Klavan on the debt battle.

Click here to read the original Email in a Web-friendly page.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

View final internal favorable/unfavorable numbers for several local politicians
Note to supporters: We are very pleased with these campaign favorability numbers, when compared to other candidates.  Particularly when considering how many county-wide mailings were purchased by our opponents.
Dear {FIRST_NAME},
Scroll down if you want to see a list of “favorable” and “unfavorable” numbers for a bunch of politicians.  First, I’d like to share a few more thoughts on April elections in Johnson County.
The fantastic news is that with the “New Media” — namely, the Internet — it’s easier than ever for political campaigns to communicate factual information to voters.  In high-turnout November elections, the leftist newspapers don’t matter as much, and it’s harder than ever for big-money liberal candidates to “buy votes” through endless mail-based campaigns.  But… it’s still a little bit like “Back to the Future” and the year 1985, when it comes to April elections.

April voters are not November voters.
9.71% of voters participated in Tuesday’s Johnson County election.  That’s compared to 50% in the November 2010 election, and 75% in the November 2008 election.  71% of April voters are over the age of 50.  They are wealthier, and they “like” taxes a little more than November voters.  And so, so many of the voters in low-turnout are government employees (based on percentage), and it’s not in their financial interest to vote for fiscally conservative candidates, who will trim the fat from government budgets. Importantly, a “county-wide election” is not a “county-wide election.”  Take a look at these numbers below, which demonstrate the percentage of April votes that come from the six county commission districts (pictured at right).
In a November election, each district would produce about 17% of the voters.  But in April, the north-east section of the county makes up a huge portion of the vote.  This partially has to do with age, level of education, income, and whether an area is incorporated (with cities).

Commission district  Percent

• 1   27.7%
• 2   20.1%
• 3   8.7%
• 4   13.8%
• 5   14.1%
• 6   15.5%

The above data demonstrates yet another reason why we need to move JCCC elections both to districts and to November elections. Everybody — everybody — pays taxes toward Johnson County Community College. But, to be very general, what is functionally occurring is that people in Prairie Village, Leawood, and Shawnee are deciding the property tax rates of voters in Olathe, southern Overland Park, and Gardner.

Throughout the election, I was confident that I would be finishing among the top four (I needed to finish among the top three). The biggest uncertainty for my campaign was whether I would finish 2nd, 3rd, or 4th.

Interestingly, if the April election were held 4-8 weeks ago, there’s a good chance that I would have won. Why — because some of my opponents were not known just a few months ago, despite being in elected office for several years. But through expensive mailings (at a cost of $15,000 each), and through the assistance of The Kansas City Star and The Johnson County Sun (actually read by many April readers, though largely ignored these days by November voters), our campaign did lose ground.
As I mentioned in my Email yesterday, there is a lot of peace in knowing that we lost by only one place (4th out of 9 candidates) with a budget of $6,000, when my opponents raised $60,000 each, and when I missed 3rd place by 5,000 votes (I’d be kicking myself if I had lost by only 50 votes, but there wasn’t anything we could do to gain 5,000 votes, without an additional $5-$15,000 to pay for more mailings).I feel like I — after spending the last 5-6 years of my life in public — have received, more or less, a “fair shake” by the overall media (several unfair attack-type articles, combined with several fair pieces of media coverage, so that most voters have enough information to make up their minds in a fair manner).
The end result is something I’m relatively pleased with: a 45%-27% favorable/unfavorable rating. In an election with a larger turnout, or where I could personally meet most of the voters (in a smaller district), I would have been able to strongly compete. But on Tuesday, April 5, with a 9.71% voter turnout, when being out-spent 10-1, with few fiscally conservative voters participating, and with the media giving undeservedly-glowing praise to my liberal opponents, my campaign did all we could.

Some polling numbers:

I’m pleased to report that my campaign’s favorability numbers continued to improve throughout the election. My overall favorable numbers increased by 25% (from 36% to 45%), and my “very favorable” numbers increased 69% (from 16% to 27%).

Keep in mind a few things when reading the numbers below. First, “very” numbers (as compared to “somewhat”) are more significant. “Somewhat favorable/unfavorable” opinions are generally easier to shift, in a short amount of time. “Very unfavorable” numbers are bound to happen, after a politician has been in office a while. “Very favorable” numbers are difficult to create, and they’re hard to “move down” once they exist (a hit piece by The KC Star won’t cause a “very favorable” voter to immediately reconsider his/her opinion about a public figure). In general, you want the “very favorable” to end up higher than the “very unfavorable.”

Also, keep in mind the demographics of a “likely April voter”:

• 71% over the age of 50
• 63% Republican, 24% Democrat, 13% Independent
• The inconsistent geographic pattern mentioned above (the make-up, considering each county commission district)
• Due to both geography and age, more likely to be influenced by The Star and The Sun
• 54% female, 46% male

On Wednesday, Feb. 2, a poll by my campaign showed my ownfavorability numbers this way:

Benjamin Hodge

• Haven’t heard: 4%
• No opinion: 41%
• Very favorable: 16%
• Somewhat favorable: 20% (total fav 36%)
• Somewhat unfavorable: 4% (total unfav 20%)
• Very unfavorable: 16%

On Monday, March 28, we took a poll, and I’ll share with you the numbers for some of the public figures about whom we asked:

Kevin Yoder

• Very favorable: 38.3%
• Somewhat favorable: 26.4%, total 64.8%
• Somewhat unfavorable: 8.8%, total 22.9%
• Very unfavorable: 14.1%
• No opinion/haven’t heard: 12.3%

Greg Musil

• Very favorable: 30.0%
• Somewhat favorable: 23%, total 52%
• Somewhat unfavorable: 4% total 9%
• Very unfavorable: 4%
• No opinion/haven’t heard: 39%

Stephanie Sharp (current JCCC Trustee, former Kansas House member)

• Very favorable: 10%
• Somewhat favorable: 13%, total 23%
• Somewhat unfavorable: 4%, total 9%
• Very unfavorable: 5%
• No opinion/haven’t heard: 68%

Doug Wood

• Very favorable: 11%
• Somewhat favorable: 23%, total 34%
• Somewhat unfavorable: 8%, total 13%
• Very unfavorable: 5%
• No opinion/haven’t heard: 54%

Jon Stewart

• Very favorable: 16%
• Somewhat favorable: 24%, total 40%
• Somewhat unfavorable: 3% total 6%
• Very unfavorable: 3%
• No opinion/haven’t heard: 54%

Benjamin Hodge

• Very favorable: 27%
• Somewhat favorable: 17%, total 45%
• Somewhat unfavorable: 6% total 27%
• Very unfavorable: 22%
• No opinion/haven’t heard: 28%

Don Weiss

• Very favorable: 19%
• Somewhat favorable: 19%, total 18%
• Somewhat unfavorable: 4% total 7%
• Very unfavorable: 3%
• No opinion/haven’t heard: 54%

I hope you’ve found this Email of interest and encouraging.
——————–

Thank you for your time, as always.
Sincerely,
Benjamin Hodge
Kansas Representative, 2006-’08
Trustee, Johnson County Community College, 2005-’09
Kansas Republican Party delegate, 2009-’10
Voicemail: 913-259-4236
contact@benjaminhodge.com
www.benjaminhodge.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hodge.benjamin
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/benjaminhodgeks
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/benjaminhodge

Read More →

Click here to read this campaign Email in a Web-friendly format.

Benjamin Hodge
Kansas GOP Delegate, 2009-’10
Kansas Representative, 2007-’08
JCCC Trustee, 2005-’09
Web site: BenjaminHodge.com
Phone:  (913) 259-4236
Email: contact@benjaminhodge.com

Saturday, March 5, 2011

“They listened to JCCC President Terry Calaway tell
them of impending staff layoffs, then voted to spend
money that might have saved a few of those jobs.”

– Johnson County Sun editorial

Incredible: Even the liberal Johnson County Sun’s editors
agree – JCCC wasted tax dollars by spending $125,000
on ”image consultants” after losing a federal court case
over illegal expulsion of four nursing students

Also: Read the editorial The Campus Ledger, the JCCC student newspaper

Wow.  The liberal, always-cheerleading-for-big-government Johnson County Sun just acknowledged that Johnson County Community College wasted a ton of your tax money on “re-branding.”  JCCC did this directly after spending another ton of your money trying unsuccessfully to justify their decision to illegally expel students, and going to federal court and losing on every single argument.

The editors at JCCC’s student newspaper, The Campus Ledger, come to a similar conclusion.

I’ve included the text of both editorials below.  I’ve also included images — you can click on them to enlarge and print out, if you’d like.

Lastly, please share this with your friends and family, reminding them that in one of the toughest economies ever faced by United States citizens, our local governments in Johnson County are indeed wasting our tax dollars.

I need your vote and your friends’ votes on Tuesday, April 5.  I pledge to reform the spending habits and open up the budgets at Johnson County Community College.

1.  Click here to read the editorial by The Johnson County Sun on March 1, 2011 — “Trustees make bad decision”

2.  Click here to read the JCCC Campus Ledger’s editorial on February 17, 2011 — “College should mind expenses from brand redesign project”

Read More →

This college’s repeat, illegal behavior is well known and well-proven in Kansas City.  Yet, leaders at Johnson County Community College continue to go out of their way to be all the more unethical.  Just after being scolded by a federal judge that they illegally expelled four nursing students, JCCC is now spending over $100,000 of the taxapayers’ money to focus on its “image” and “brand.”

Click here to read the following Email in a Web-friendly format.

Benjamin Hodge
Kansas GOP Delegate, 2009-’10
Kansas Representative, 2007-’08
JCCC Trustee, 2005-’09
Web site: BenjaminHodge.com
Phone:  (913) 259-4236
Email: contact@benjaminhodge.com

Friday, February 18, 2011

“Re-branding” — JCCC spends $120,000 of taxpayers’ money
on an “image consultant”

Actions come directly after being caught breaking the law
by illegally expelling four students

Also — Darla Jaye calls voters in support of Benjamin Hodge for JCCC Board

Correction from previous Email:  In my previous Email, I quoted “diversity” director Carmaletta Williams and stated that a not-kid-friendly play was being performed at The Coterie Theatre.  Carmaletta Williams later sent out an Email, stating that the particular play was atTheUnicorn Theatre, not The Coterie.

Dear {FIRST_NAME},

At a recent board meeting of the Johnson County Community College Board, President Terry Calaway along with the UNANIMOUS support of the elected board members moved to spend $120,000 on an “image consultant” to “re-brand” the college.

This was done almost immediately after being told by a federal judge that the college broke the law by illegally expelling four students and that JCCC leaders denied these students due process rights.

These wasteful actions are supported by liberal JCCC candidates Greg Musil, Jon Stewart, and Don Weiss.

Read More →

My recent Email about the ongoing pattern of unaccountability at Johnson County Community College.  Click here for a Web-friendly version.

(Note:  I’m running for one of three at-large seats available on April 5 for this college board. There are seven total seats.  I held the position from 2005-09 and narrowly lost re-election in 2009).

Benjamin Hodge
Kansas GOP Delegate, 2009-’10
Kansas Representative, 2007-’08
JCCC Trustee, 2005-’09
Web site: BenjaminHodge.com
Phone:  (913) 259-4236
Email: contact@benjaminhodge.com

Monday, February 7, 2011

You’re “depraved” — Johnson County Community College

leaders to Catholic student concerned about traditional morals

Anti-religious, intolerant behavior supported by
full Board of Trustees, including:
-Don Weiss, DeVry administrator

-Jon Stewart, former Metcalf Bank CEO
-Bob Drummond, President of “TLC for Children and Families”
-candidate Greg Musil, board campaign treasurer; JCCC Foundation
member who fully supports co-Foundation member Charles Carlsen,
accused by four women of sexual harassment
-JCCC President Terry Calaway, recently told by a federal judge he illegally expelled students, violated due process process rights of students
Warning:  content below not appropriate for children      This Email isn’t about the First Amendment, but rather a disregard to student well-being by leaders at Johnson County Community College.  It’s about unaccountability, it’s about a pattern of behavior, and it’s about the use of tax dollars by a large government body.
JCCC “Diversity” leader Carmaletta Williams (right), replying to a Catholic student who was concerned about traditional values on the JCCC campus:

“The depravity rests with you — not me.”

Carmaletta Williams is known to tell people that she doesn’t answer to anyone at the college, according to sources.

Read More →

(Click here for the PDF version of the following transcript)

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

DISTRICT OF KANSAS

DOYLE BYRNES,

Plaintiff,

vs.

JOHNSON COUNTY COMMUNITY

COLLEGE, DR. CLARISSA CRAIG,

MS. JEANNE WALSH, MS. AMBER

DELPHIA, DR. MARILYN RHINEHART

and DR. DENNIS DAY,

Defendants.

District Court Case No. 10-2690

TRANSCRIPT OF RULING OF THE COURT

On the 6th day of January, 2011, came on to be

heard proceedings in the above-entitled and numbered

cause before the HONORABLE ERIC F. MELGREN, Judge of the

United States District Court for the District of Kansas,

sitting in Kansas City, commencing at 1:30 p.m.

Proceedings recorded by mechanical stenography.

Transcript produced by computer.

APPEARANCES:

The plaintiff appeared by and through:

Mr. Clifford A. Cohen

Cohen, McNeile & Pappas, P.C.

4601 College Boulevard

Suite 200

Leawood, Kansas 66211

The defendants appeared by and through:

Mr. Mark A. Ferguson

and

Mr. Thomas E. Hammond

Gates, Shields & Ferguson, P.A.

10990 Quivira, Suite 200

Overland Park, Kansas 66210

JOHANNA L. WILKINSON, CSR, CRR, RMR U.S. District Court, 401 N. Market, Wichita, KS 67202

(316) 315-4334

1-6-11 BYRNES v. JCCC, et al. 10-2690 2

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At 50,000 thousands students every year (many non-degree-seeking), Johnson County Community College is the largest in Kansas and among the largest in the Midwest.

They don’t care much for any law, state or federal.  Just since 2005, the college has been guilty of violating the state open meetings law, the state open records law, the federal First Amendment, there has been at least one likely illegal firing, a president who is still on the taxpayer-funded college foundation (which receives several hundreds of thousands of tax dollars a year) was guilty of the sexual molestation of multiple women (according to four women), and there have been related cover-ups which quite likely were criminal. All of this has cost the college — no, the taxpayers – millions in wasted tax dollars.

In the middle of all of this is a no-bid legal contract given to an unethical lawyer named Mark Ferguson, who is in the law firm of state Democratic Party Chairman Larry Gates.  He’s both dishonest and incompetent.  Ferguson clearly does not know the law, or else he would not have embarrassed himself and the entire seven-member, elected Board of Trustees and argued in front of a federal judge that it was legal for the college to suddenly expel four nursing students, after one of the students posted (and later removed upon request) a picture of a placenta.  A college teacher gave permission to the students to take the photo.

It was not legal.  It was clearly illegal.  A federal judge made it abundantly clear on Thursday.  According to The Kansas City Star:

The judge on Thursday shot down every argument, legal and otherwise, that Johnson County Community College had used to justify its ousting of Byrnes last fall, preventing her from graduating on schedule in May.

In part, the judge found that:

– “Photos are taken to be viewed, and if the students were given permission to photograph the placenta, it became irrelevant what they did with the pictures.”

– “Byrnes was not allowed a fair hearing on her dismissal.”

Terry Calaway’s arrogant, unrepentant response, again from The Star:

In a statement later, Calaway said the college was disappointed by the ruling… We took what we believed to be appropriate action, but the court saw the situation differently.”

The director of the nursing program is Jeanne Walsh, whom former Governor and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius appointed to the state nursing board.

KMBC-ABC Channel 9 has a video story on JCCC’s illegal behavior.

Fox 4 also has a video story on the federal judge’s actions.

Other related articles:

- KMBC Channel 9, “Students Who Posted Placenta Photo Reinstated”

- MSNBC/Associated Press:  “Student who posted placenta picture reinstated”

- Bloomberg/Associated Press:  “Kan. students who posted placenta photo reinstated”

- Forbes blog:  “Update: Taking a Photo with a Placenta Won’t Get You Kicked Out of Nursing School”

- The Pitch:  “Doyle “Placenta Pic” Byrnes gets to go back to JCCC nursing school”

- KCTV/CBS Channel 5:  “JCCC Student Who Posted Placenta Pic Reinstated”

Meet the six people most responsible for the corruption and incompetence at the Overland Park-based community college:

Lynn Mitchelson (above), ex-banker from Mission Woods and former chair of the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce

Terry Calaway, JCCC President and one of the current leaders of the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce

Don Weiss, an administrator at DeVry University.  Supporter of and endorsed by the left-wing “Mainstream Coalition,” which sent spies into area Christian churches in 2005.

Jon Stewart, ex-CEO of Metcalf Bank, protege of Lynn Mitchelson

Melody Rayl: Lawyer who does not know the law, former police officer who covered up crimes at JCCC, and former college professor who opposes academic freedom.  Violated JCCC Board Code of Conduct while HR committee co-chair to secretly pass domestic partnership benefits for college employees; openly gay.

Mark Ferguson, lawyer extraordinaire.  According to his Web site:

- Overland Park Chamber of Commerce Political Education Institute, Graduate;

- Leadership Overland Park (Part of OP Chamber of Commerce), 1995; Co-Chair and Selection Committee Chair, 1996, 1997

-Appointed by Kansas Governor as part-time Special Administrative Law Judge, Division of Workers’ Compensation, 1995-2003

Read More →

Johnson County Community College is nationally known as a corrupt institution run by dishonest leaders like President Terry Calaway, ex-bankers Lynn Mitchelson and Jon Stewart, and Gardner funeral home director Shirley Brown-VanArsdale.  They’ve broken laws left and right — the First Amendment, the Kansas Open Meetings Act, the Kansas Open Records Act, sexual molestation by former President Charles Carlsen, the likely illegal firing of at least one employee, the recent student expulsions which I expect were illegal, and all of the related cover-ups that have wasted hundreds of thousands of our tax dollars.

Many Americans are confused about how the banking crises have occurred.  I don’t have all the answers, but the following explains enough — ex-banker Lynn Mitchelson once had a regional reputation for fixing banks, and he and his protege and former Metcalf Bank CEO Jon Stewart have kept Charles Carlsen on the JCCC Foundation, even though they Mitchelson and Stewart know that Carlsen molested at least four female employees.  And the main building at JCCC is still named after Carlsen.

These leaders are dishonest, they do not care about the safety of employees or students, and they are more interested in what a small number of their friends think about them, than in engaging in the most basic ethical behavior.  They are cowards, they are liars, and they are incompetent.

Three incumbents are up for re-election in April 2011 — Mitchelson, Stewart, and far-left Democrat Don Weiss.  I have long said that Mitchelson and Stewart won’t run for re-election.  Their corruption has caught up with them, and they never really cared, anyway.  Don Weiss — we’ll see.  I’ve seen Weiss’ poll numbers, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he chooses against running for re-election.

A strong first-time candidate filed today for the JCCC Board:  James Nelson of Olathe.

James Nelson is a former student at JCCC, and he is the president of the communications provider KCnet.

Join James Nelson’s campaign Facebook page here.  His Web site is VoteJamesNelson.com.

Mike Pirner is managing Nelson’s campaign.  Pirner ran Patricia Lightner’s incredible campaign for US Congress.  In the August Republican primary, Lightner received 37%, as Kevin Yoder narrowly won with 43% of the vote.  Yoder outspent Lightner by some huge margin — something between 4-1 and 8-1.

Pirner then ran Jason Osterhaus’ awesome November victory over Larry Winn in the 4th Johnson County Commission District, an area larger than a state senate district.  Osterhaus’ victory was the single biggest upset in Kansas during the 2010 elections.  His opponent, the liberal  Larry Winn the Third, spent roughly $70,000.  Osterhaus spent $10,000.  Winn’s father Larry Winn the Second was a congressman in the 1970s.

Learn about the various candidates for all of the April 2011 city and county elections at the Johnson County Election Office’s Web site.

Read More →