Discussion is pretty slow in the Missouri hometown so I thought I'd toss out a bone. What's your thoughts on Missouri's governor's race?

I'll go first:

Crystal Quade vs. Mike Hamra
I'd be surprised if anyone voices any support for either Democratic candidate, so I don't expect much discussion on this race. Personally, I don't know a thing about Mike Hamra except that he owns a lot of restaurants. As for Quade, I will say that during my time working for the legislature she impressed me as being effective in her role as House Minority Leader. She's sharp and a good communicator. She doesn't stand a chance in the general election, but I do look forward to her debating whoever the Republicans settle on. She's at best a Missouri 5 or 6 in the looks department, but she's more pleasing to look at than any of  the Republican candidates. Plus, she's got a spunky attitude that should make for some lively debates.

Jay Ashcroft, Mike Kehoe, Bill Eigel
I trust opinions are strong on Republican candidates. My sense is that Ashcroft is the presumed front runner. Kehoe is the better politician and has the most money. Eigel is the Trumpiest one of the bunch so I suspect he's the Arfcom favorite. Beyond that, my take:

Ashcroft -- I think the best thing he's got going for him is name recognition. As the son of John Ashcroft, he's got a huge advantage. I think he's done a credible job in his current position and the various divisions of the Secretary of State's office seem to be functioning fine. So, he can claim some competence. Otherwise, I don't think there's a whole lot to recommend him. I don't like the way he's tried to put his finger on the scale by holding up the abortion petitions. It's fine for him to have personal opinions but he should do his job without favor or prejudice. I don't think he's done that. That may be a good thing to a lot of you, but not to me. Also, he's boring (Yes, I've met him. No charisma.) I just can't see him being a "leader" in the governor's office.

Kehoe -- Before I went to work for the Senate I had nothing good to say about Mike Kehoe. I had a run-in with him over a repair bill when he owned the local Ford dealership and that always soured me on him. Plus, the scandal about his brother's ambulance company didn't look good on him. It sure seemed like their was some corruption involved in the awarding of bids. I put all that aside as I watched him in his role as Lt. Gov. and while presiding over the Senate. I confess, I've done a complete 180 on Mike Kehoe. I like his style. He impresses me as a straight shooter who doesn't get caught up in playing a lot of games. He's got a wicked sense of humor and doesn't wallow in the usual bullshit in the Senate. It's possible his business dealings are funky, but as a politician he strikes me as fairly honest. I think you always know where he stands. He's also been a great champion for Missouri business. I think he would be an effective governor. At this point, he's got my vote.

Eigel -- In my old job in the Senate I would listen to floor proceedings every day. I would cringe every time Eigel got up to speak. He was one of the most disruptive, disingenuous and counter-productive members of the Senate I observed during the five sessions I endured on staff. Yeah, I know he's the darling of the MAGA crowd, but I can't fucking stand the guy. I'll leave it at that.


Your turn. Give us your take on Missouri's governor's race. Do you care? Are you paying attention yet?

I can't blame you for not being tuned in yet. I confess that until a few years ago, I paid no attention whatsoever to state-level politics.

Ashcroft seems like the one I'd want to see on the General ballot. Bland is good. No scandals bland is very good.
I'm willing to listen and change my opinion though. Being new to the state he's the one that I've noticed.

Bill Eigel all the way!  As was said.....DISRUPTER!  Need someone to shake both Senate and House up and get them to do something productive for this state.  Super majorities on both sides and a Republican governor and instead of tax breaks, we see the fuel tax getting raised and sales tax on out of state purchases.  Get rid of personal property taxes, get rid of this constant BS of 51% of popular vote can change the state constitution, ban all the CRT and state DI jobs, and get this state spending less rather than more and more every year.  And he's the only one who is solid on 2A.

Kehoe is a nice guy, met him several times, but he's going to sit back and watch like Mike Parson has.  The "ambulance scandal" was not a scandal.  WTF would the State of Missouri buy ambulances from Canada when you have an upfitter in Linn??  The BuyMissouri program that Parson started and Kehoe now runs is all about Missouri companies doing business with other Missouri companies.  It's no different than when Congress stopped the presidential helicopter contract from going to Airbus, and giving it back to Sikorsky.  Yeah it was his brother, and that's how he found out.  I don't care if he owned the majority share, if he bid it for the same/near money, an in-state business should get the contract.  It could even be a higher bid if they subtract all the income and withholding taxes it generates for the State.  That was a good thing for Missouri and the people of Linn.  Being from EMS, Osage makes great ambulances anyway--and they're within a few hours to fix them.

Ashcroft.....running on his name.  He can stop all this BS ballot language and hasn't.  I think he sees the Gov position as a stepping stone to higher office, and will play it safe.

As of now I'm thinking Eigel.I like maga. No interest at all in Ashcroft. Don't really know much about Kehoe ,will see what comes out about him.

I've only had one interaction with any of those folks and that was Kehoe. Met him and one of his sons at Paddy Malone's in early 2012. Seemed like a good guy then. I sent a complaint to his office about 2 weeks ago. Not a peep from him or his office about it or even a confirmation that they even received the complaint.

I was surprised that Eigel's video offered nothing in the way of a resume. After watching his video I didn't know anything more about who he is or what he's done than I did before watching it. (FWIW, he's an U.S. Air Force veteran who owned a skylight business.)

I enjoyed Crystal Quade's roller derby schtick. That's not something you see in typical campaign commercials. (And yeah, supposedly she did play roller derby.)

I suppose.

....and a State Senator for the 7 years.  Twice elected for the St Charles area.

I have had 1 personal interaction with Kehoe.  I was pushed into being on a small town sewer board and the state and federal government officials were being total pains in the ass.  Kehoe got all the interested parties in the same room and politely called the folks on the state level out on it.  Nothing came of it, but if nothing else I appreciated him calling them on their BS, forcing them to admit in an open forum that their BS created an insurmountable problem and that their BS ultimately would cause the problem to get worse.  YMMV.

I’ve met Ashcroft on a couple of occasions. I wouldn’t say he’s charismatic or lacks charisma, but he is a bit of a nerd. I’m sure he’ll do a fine job.

I only know Kehoe through his dealership. Apparently we have mutual friends who all agree that he’s highly competent. I’m sure he would also do a good job.

Eigel I only know through reputation. Like OP said he seems to have a habit of being an ass just for the sake of being an ass. There’s no rhyme, reason, or purpose to it, he just likes being an ass to everyone.

Which candidate wants to eliminate property taxes. Thats who I want to vote for.

That would be Eigel.

That's not exactly what I said.

Thanks

Need someone with some energy. Parson has the energy of a manatee and zero command of situations that demand it.

*Similar to what OP said?

Missouri's congress has been comfortably Republican for the last 20 years & that is unlikely to change any time soon.  Democrats aren't a real threat so Republicans have gotten more interested in fighting with each other than pushing back against the Ds.  We need somone who can rally the Rs around a central vision and to do that requires relationships and competent administration.  From where I stand, it seems like Ashcroft is stronger than Kehoe in terms of relationships while Kehoe is stronger in terms of administration.  I think either will do an fine job, myself.

Eigel really isn't strong in either of those areas.  If he's elected Missouri's Rs will remain as aimless as they are now, if not worse.

I've heard him referred to as Gov. Hee-haw and Gov. Howdy-Doody.

I can go with "similar."

Ironically, the Democrats probably have more power than they've had in years. With the Senate Republicans split into two factions, it's hard to pass anything without getting some Democrats on board. That gives the Dems a lot of leverage to either temper Republican legislation or to slip in a few of their priorities as part of omnibus bills.

I'm most familiar with the Senate, but it is a nearly dysfunctional legislative body. The coming session should be a doozy with four members running for statewide office. I'm expecting a total shit-show.

Yep.

If we could get everyone on the same page we could do some amazing things.  We need a govenor that's going to help make that happen.

ETA - I'm more familiar with the house than the senate.  Its functually dysfunctional, if that makes sense.

The Senate has the filibuster. It's an entirely different dynamic. As often as not, it's Republicans filibustering Republicans. The Democrats can just sit back and watch.

I heard him the other night in a local (Springfield) "Preppers meeting" talking about election security, and he seems like, to my shock, a regular guy. He was passionate and on point with some intelligent solutions on how to make voting more secure. He was slick in the way that all politicians are, of course, but he earned my vote.

Scott Faughn had Jim Lemke on his podcast this week. If you don't know who Lemke is, he's the Svengali behind the Missouri Senate's Conservative Caucus (aka, the Chaos Caucus) and the guy directing Bill Eigel's race for governor. It's inside baseball kind of stuff but if you're nerdy for Missouri politics, it's somewhat interesting.

You can skip the first half unless you're interested in farming. The Eigel Lemke portion starts about 27:30 in . . .

Should be mentioned that Jim Lembke was a former State senator and a House rep before that.  He was one of the few Republicans that ever got elected in the district he was in, and was a pioneer for the Tea Party movement.  He ran the 100PAC which in the last MO Senate election got some really good Senators elected (staunch pro-2A, pro life, etc) and got the RINO's out.  Good dude......having him throw his support behind Bill Eigel speaks to Eigel's integrity and electability.

As far as Faughn goes......remember he's the "republican" that delivered two bags of cash totalling $100K from anonymous doners to Al Watkins, the attorney who was representing the husband would made the audio recording of Eric Greitens's mistriss's "confession" (where she claimed he forced himself and photographed her--later changing the story saying she dreamt it, then finally admitted it was all consensual.)  This guy is deep in the swamp and no friend to true Republicans.

I suppose it's true that familiarity breeds contempt. I spent five years writing for Missouri senators (after Lemke had left the Senate). The better I got to know my senatorial clients, the less impressed I became with the title or office. Truth be told, guys like Lemke are far more powerful and influential out of office than they ever were when they had a brass plate on a Capitol door. Thanks to term limits, the real power in Jefferson City is with the lobbyists and consultants.


All of that is true. But it's also true that Faughn is really well connected and absolutely has his finger on the pulse of Missouri politics. If you spend any time in downtown Jefferson City bars and restaurants you'll see Faughn huddled in conversation with politicians, lobbyists and political staff of all political stripes. If you dismiss Faughn and the Missouri Times you're missing out on one of the better sources of intel about state government.

Word.

When I was younger I was big on term limits.  Now, not so much.

That damn near settles it for me.

I get that reaction. Nobody likes paying property tax and clearly something needs to be done about a tax system that can result in taxes on an old vehicle actually increasing even as the vehicle gets older. It needs to be fixed.

That said, Eigel's call to eliminate property taxes entirely isn't a serious proposal. How are local fire departments, police departments and other services on the community level going to be funded?

Eigel has been calling for the elimination of property taxes for several years now. His proposal hasn't gotten any traction because most of the legislature recognizes that without some way to replace the money local communities will lose, it's basically bullshit. I can't imagine they start taking his idea more seriously if he moves into the big office on the second floor.

Property taxes in my little county are not to bad. I hate having to pay personal property taxes every year on old vehicles. Damn school taxes are the real killer every year.

Missouri Senate dysfunction leads to gridlock on final day of 2023 legislative session

People deserve to own their own property free and clear.

You still have to fund services somehow though. Do away with property tax, they will just shift it to sales or income tax. They’re still going to get your money.

Eigel’s answer is that the state has plenty of money. That’s true now because we’re flush with federal dollars, but long term that’s not an answer.

FWIW, Eigel votes against every appropriation bill. He says they’re all too bloated. But when the governor line item vetoed money for Eigel’s district he pitched a fit — even though he voted against the bill in the first place.

At least with sales tax you can choose to participate.  With property tax if a retired person can’t pay they lose their house.  It’s complete bullshit.  Gov run services aren’t that great to begin with.

I’ve met both Ashcroft and Kehoe at our conservative gatherings several times. Heard them both speak about their philosophies before they were running for Governor. And I also heard them speak just recently.  
  I like them both but leaning toward Kehoe. I don’t think Missouri would be hindered by either one.
  Eigel on the other hand is a grandstander. Yes, he has introduced some good bills but he screwed us at the end of the 2023 session when he decided to filibuster because he didn’t get his way on one of his bills.We lost out on IP reform because of his tantrum.
 
https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/12/missouri-senate-grinds-to-a-halt-on-final-day-of-2023-session/

https://spectrumlocalnews.com/mo/st-louis/news/2023/05/12/missouri-general-assembly-session-ends-with-senate--chaos-?cid=share_clip

He's calling for the end of PERSONAL property taxes, not [real estate] property taxes.  The property tax from the land you have will continue to fund the fire depts, school, etc for the districts they are located in.  You don't pay sales tax or income tax* on real estate.  (* with some exceptions)

30+ states don't have personal property taxes, several of which have eliminated them in the last 10 years.....and they're still in business.

It's BS that every year you get a tax bill from the state for the privilege of owning a car that you paid sales tax on, have to register, in which you use taxed fuel, to go to work which generate employment and income taxes, then use to buy stuff which you will pay sales tax on.  It's not like they're missing out on anything and you don't get to deduct the miles that it's used out of state.  Then businesses have to pay them on their vehicles and equipment they use to employee people and make money.....and have to pay that personal property tax (at the higher rate of 33%) whether or not their business was profitable that year.

Personal property taxes keep people and businesses from wanting to relocate to Missouri, and those of us in Missouri to have tax shelters in other states.

How about the three taxes the "republican" state legislature has passed in the last few years:

1. The "Wayfair" sales tax on out of state purchases   -   This is a sh!tload of money for the State
 

2. The higher fuel taxes -   yeah I know most of this goes to the road itself, but it still spurs economy from local companies


3. Raising minimum wage which in turn generates more employment and income taxes.

It was always the argument about business personal property (like office furniture, computers, racks, trade fixtures, etc) being taxed that someone could have bought it out of state and not pay sales tax on it.  Well no that that's not an option anymore, I pay sales tax on my non-titled desk, then have to pay personal property tax on 33% of the assessed value every year even though it's depreciating.  Then when I replace it, I have to pay the sales tax AGAIN (no credit for the desk I sold or was no longer usable), then have to pay personal property tax on the newer desk.  How about a 6000#+ vehicle that the IRS allows me to depreciate 100% the first year, so it shows a value of $0 on my books, yet the State of Missouri doesn't recognize and will charge 33% on whatever they think the assessed value is?

Personal property tax is the scammiest tax out there because YOU ARE PAYING SALES TAX on everything when you buy it.  Why and How the people of this State have just rolled over an accepted this for all these years blows my mind.

They had sent bills back to the House and nothing happened either.  The two sides are both butthurt and we don't have a Governor in the middle threatening to start cutting funds.  Most are fat, dumb, and happy with the super majorities and don't rock the boat unless their lobby wants them too.

Bills they want to get passed, and the Gov want passed, get passed early and signed early.  All the other stuff gets kicked to the end, and then disappears.......a filibuster didn't change anything.

A disrupter is what we need because it puts people on their toes and makes them work for their districts.  If they all know they're going to get their sugar daddy governor to stroke them a $52B check for the fiscal year and have a golden parachute from a lobby when they leave, why get loud?  If their districts are at risk of missing out on the funds, then they are risking losing their seat--which means they need to work harder for my vote and represent the wants/needs of their district.

Everything Eigel is pushing for is stuff that would help me and hold my ideals as a small business owner, gun owner, and conservative.  If he has to grandstand to do it, good.......because I don't see anybody else fighting as hard as he is.

Eigel is completely ineffective as a legislator. He never accomplishes anything.

I moved from a State that didn't do personal property tax, so that was a big surprise moving here, having to have an exemption letter prior to registering our vehicles. Vehicle registration was much cheaper. I am guessing I'll see that difference when I get my personal property tax bill next year?

Thats it for a reponse to all that?  So then let's NOT support him because the rinos and democrats think he's mean?  And in your analysis being an ineffective legislator automatically would make him an ineffective executive?  No.

I seem to remember somebody running for president that everybody said couldn't get elected because nobody would work with him....in fact some threatened to resign and even move to Canada.  Then he did get elected and for four years the house and senate did have to work with him because they didn't have a choice.  And he got more federal judges appointed, among other things, than any other president because he knew how to make deals.

Then I remember another guy who ran for president that was supposed to be the great unifier....a maverick to his own party.....working with both sides.  He got his ass kicked and later betrayed the Republican party out of spite (and we are still paying for it.)  That doesn't work in politics.

The Missouri Senate is not stalled because of one guy....and neither is the House.  There are a lot of lazy do-nothing politicians there and no way we are going to replace enough of them in one election cycle.  I'd rather rally around one guy that can shake it up and challenge these people.  I really don't care if he's liked because the most effective leaders usually are not.

It sounds like you're not only pro establishment; but you were very much part of it.  So you can continue to push for it, but don't come here an bitch about ONE guy screwing everything up for your party that holds a super majority in both Chambers.

Yes, and if you have a newer or nicer vehicle, you're going to miss those higher registration fees.  You'll also miss the fact that you knew every year how much it was going to cost.  Now you have to wait until November to see how much the county thinks your car is worth.  A few years ago when used car prices sky rocketed, so did everyone's personal property tax bill.  Good luck trying to contest their valuation as they go off a book value and no an appraised or market value.

Yep. It comes down to results. You said, "If he has to grandstand to do it, good." Well, Eigel doesn't "do it." He is just talk.



No, there is a group of six to eight that are behind all the chaos and dysfunction in the Senate. If that's what you want, 2024 is your year. Four of the original Senate Conservative Caucus members are running for statewide office.

Thinking back to my comment on Eigel being a ‘grandstander’ I will say this…IF Eigel would win, I believe he would do a good job. I think the Governor position would change how he responds and acts as a whole but not change his constitutional philosophy. Which of course is a great foundation.
  Being a Senator allows one to be a ‘grandstander’ because of the power of the position compared to a House legislator. But that still doesn’t imply that a Senator has to act that way…it’s just the arrogance of legislating that way that turns me off.
 
  Now getting off topic and concerning taxes…I moved from a Democrat run state where we had NO personal property tax BUT our property taxes were outrageous. My real estate taxes plus my personal property taxes together here in MO are still $1500 below what I was paying in just property taxes across the river. Not to mention the fact that ONE vehicle license for ONE year was $150 four and one half years ago before I moved here.
  That being said, I do think MO would be better off dropping the personal property tax and just adding the amount onto the real estate taxes and be done with it. By the way my taxes overall were $50 cheaper this year from last year. But you do have a way to control those personal property taxes…of course I would have to get rid of my little 10” plastic boat that I’m taxed on and my single axle covered trailer that is just sitting on my street and never buy a new vehicle…but it can be done.

  Minimum wage hike can be overwhelming for a business. Most minimum wage jobs are for a person just starting out as an employee. They never were meant to make a living. They were and still are a way to get your feet wet as an employee and move up to better paying positions and/or jobs.
  An unreasonable minimum wage is a ‘job killer’. Just ask the 1500 + Pizza Hut drivers in California who are being laid off due to the minimum wage going to $20 an hour…plus don’t forget they were making tips along with their present wage.
  If you do the math for each one of those 1500 employees making $5 more an hour in February comes to $7,500 extra an hour for let’s say a 30 hour week comes to $225,000 which comes to $11,700,000 a year. Now this is just a few Pizza Huts in a California area. Now if every state did that, add that to the payroll of all the Pizza Huts in the nation. Many jobs would be lost because most business owners can’t afford to absorb that dent in their bottom line.

Once you realize he's .gov and benefits greatly by having his face in the trough, it's easy to see why he posts the way he does.

No .gov employee talks about cutting spending.  Ever.

Even though they have a front-row seat to the corruption and wanton waste, they never call attention to it.  Always away from it.  Actually DO something about it?!?!?!?!?
Nope.  Enough of them actively hide it and threaten the loss of their pension to the rest - So nothing will change.

They tout how they're honorably serving us.  What a fucking joke.

I know our founders would stand with me and not them.

But I'm the kook weirdo.  Those with their face in the trough use the word weirdo quite often.  Like they're reading the same playbook...

Are you OK, bro? . . .

Right on que.  Speak the truth.  They question the messenger's sanity.