Partisan Disclaimer Required
Posted by: Jonathon Prouty | 2:55pm | Permalink

If not for the largesse of Jay Nixon’s slush funders at the Missouri Foundation for Health, the Missouri Budget Project would not be able to engage in poorly disguised partisan tax-and-spend attacks like the op-ed that appeared in this weekend’s Southeast Missourian. Since 2003, the foundation has helped to establish and further the liberal policy shop with over $700,000 in grants.

For review:

That said, Missouri Pulse recommends the use of a disclaimer whenever the Missouri Budget Project and other recipients of foundation munificence engage in partisan attacks to the benefit of their sugar-daddy Jay Nixon. Failing to do so perpetuates the fallacy that the groups operate independent of Democratic messaging, which may very well explain why no disclaimers have yet to appear. Here’s some language for consideration:

DISCLAIMER: The following partisan attack was made possible by hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants from the Missouri Foundation for Health, a foundation over which Attorney General Jay Nixon has appointment powers. The views expressed in the attack reflect the views of the Nixon for Governor committee.

MO MEDIA WATCH: No Accountability
Posted by: Jonathon Prouty | 1:00pm | Permalink

For weeks, Missouri Pulse has examined questionable grants made by Jay Nixon’s slush funders at the Missouri Foundation for Health. Unfortunately, our friends in the media, many of which rely on grant recipients as “nonpartisan” sources for their stories and editorials, have largely ignored the issues addressed thus far.

While these issues cry out for accountability, we are left to wonder what is required to trigger media scrutiny aside from replacing AG Jay Nixon, the Democrat overseer responsible for this mess, with a Republican. We’re certain that any Republican with appointment powers over a billion-dollar foundation that doles out millions in grants to ideological pet causes would face the immediate wrath of the media. Heck, the Democrats got coverage this week with a feeble attack on Rep. Carl Bearden’s data collection work for an association that amounted to “a little over $1,000.” And while the Bearden non-issue somehow merited press attention, Nixon’s oversight of a foundation that has doled out millions to his allies remains largely ignored.

For the sake of review, here is an account of current grant totals made by the foundation to Nixon’s liberal pet causes:

• $5.8 million:  The current tally of grants awarded by the foundation since 2003 to groups that comprise Missouri’s burgeoning liberal advocacy network, more commonly known in Jeff City as “the advocacy arm of the MDP.” While many of the groups have been receiving grants since 2003, they really hit their partisan stride in 2005 when Gov. Blunt assumed office. Since then, the groups have taken on a prominent role as manufacturers of partisan attacks all the while being disguised as “nonpartisan” sources in news stories.

  The $5.8 million figure includes over $700,000 in grants to establish and further the mission of Missouri’s most visible liberal policy shop, the Missouri Budget Project; $3.3 million to groups that formed a coalition to oppose Gov. Blunt’s MO HealthNet plan; and nearly $650,000 combined to the rowdiest liberal protest groups in Missouri—GRO and the Missouri Citizen Education Fund (Pro-Vote).

• $875,560: The current tally of grants awarded by the foundation since 2003 to La Clinica, a St. Louis clinic that serves uninsured illegal immigrants.

• $452,307: The current tally of grants awarded by the foundation since 2003 to leading pro-abortion groups Planned Parenthood and NARAL.

It is a shame that a foundation with a stated mission to help Missouri’s uninsured has squandered $7 million in grants to a liberal attack network that has accomplished nothing, a clinic that caters to illegal immigrants and prominent pro-abortion groups. It goes without saying that a number of health care providers could have put the money to better use.

Riddle Me This
Posted by: Jonathon Prouty | 9:30am | Permalink

Last week, Jay Nixon’s slush funders at the Missouri Foundation for Health released a poll that concluded most Missourians would support raising taxes to cover the uninsured. Not to rain on the parade, but it would be most interesting to know how the foundation defines who constitutes the “uninsured.”  Do they, like Nixon (see pg. 9 of link), believe illegal immigrants are entitled to state health services funded by the tax dollars of hard-working Missourians? If so, do they include illegal immigrants in their definition of the “uninsured”?

There are a couple reasons for our queries. A simple explanation of the term could have drastically altered the conclusions of the poll, especially if the foundation’s definition is in line with recent grant awards. Since 2003, the foundation, which was created by and is overseen by Nixon through appointment powers, has doled out $875,000 in grant awards to St. Louis-based La Clinica, which openly defends its health care work for uninsured illegal immigrants. If the $875,000 is any indication, it seems the foundation interprets its mission, which is to help the state’s uninsured, as including illegal immigrants. Unlike Nixon, we’re willing to bet that certain 2008 AG aspirants might frown on the foundation’s current interpretation of their mission.

Press accounts of La Clinica’s work:

“Working with a small budget and a volunteer staff, La Clinica is struggling to serve a community with few alternatives. . . . Almost two-thirds [of the clinic’s patients] are undocumented immigrants, said the clinic's founder...” (P-D, 9/12/1999)

“Doctors and school officials asked that they not be required to police for illegal immigrants or to place them in a position of denying people health care services or an education. Dr. David Campbell is director of La Clinica, which is staffed by volunteers and run on contributions. The clinic had nearly 10,000 patients visits last year. ‘Out of those 10,000, how many are undocumented?’ he said. ‘I don't know. We don't ask, and I hope we don't ever have to ask.’” (P-D, 8/15/2006)

Rail Corridor Conversion Group Gets $230K To Study Obesity
Posted by: John Hancock | 7:30am | Permalink

In 2005, environmental groups rallied around Jay Nixon’s politically charged MKT Bridge suit (a.k.a "loser of a lawsuit"¹). Before Nixon even filed, he had state employees in his office tipping off high-profile groups regarding the details and timing of the suit in an effort to create a groundswell of support on the left. One of the groups notified in advance was St. Louis-based Trailnet, which was personally alerted by Nixon’s special advisor. Trailnet has been described as a "group dedicated to converting rail corridors into bike and walking trails"², which was fitting for Nixon given the circumstance. Shortly after Nixon's office reached out to them, Trailnet's executive director sent an e-mail to activists in support of Nixon's yet-to-be-filed suit.

Despite the transparently political intent of the suit, Trailnet and similar groups with a potential financial and/or ideological interest signed on with Nixon. Despite Nixon's evenutal loss and a tangle of appeals, it seems the effort was well worth the risk for Trailnet as it was subsequently awarded substantial grants through Nixon’s slush funders at the Missouri Foundation for Health. According to the foundation’s grant list, the rail corridor conversion group received nearly $240,000 in first-time grants in 2006 including a nearly $230,000 grant to "develop and implement a toolkit for obesity-prevention policies” in St. Louis area communities.   This qualifies as one of those things that make you go, "Hmmm."

SLUSH FUND TALLY UPDATE: Nearly $4.3 million in questionable grants to pro-abortion groups and the state’s growing liberal advocacy network. Still counting ...

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1 News-Leader, 4/30/2006

2 Post-Dispatch, 3/13/2000

Nixon’s Twins
Posted by: John Hancock | 11:45am | Permalink

Nixon and a deputy oversee the first KC foundation board meeting, link from AG office. Shocker! The appointee seated in the brown jacket (Harry Jonas) is a Nixon donor.

For the past couple weeks, Missouri Pulse has examined millions in recent Missouri Foundation for Stealth grants awarded to leading pro-abortion groups and the growing liberal advocacy network in Missouri.

However, AG Jay Nixon has more than one slush fund up and running in Missouri. In 2003, Nixon created a separate foundation in KC and appointed a board that resembles a who’s who list of local liberals and Democratic donors. Much like their counterparts across the state, the majority of grants awarded by the KC foundation are worthwhile, but they have followed the other foundation’s blueprint of skimming to liberal pet causes.

Since 2005, the Health Care Foundation of Greater KC has awarded grants to Planned Parenthood (nearly $300,000 alone), the Missouri Citizen Education Fund/Pro-Vote, the Missouri Budget Project and even the nuts (no pun intended) at ACORN.¹

All told, Nixon’s slush funds have pumped nearly $750,000 into Planned Parenthood and NARAL since 2003, meaning that Nixon has served as a major underwriter of the state’s abortion industry at a time when the state’s pro-life leaders have boldly shut off state funding to such groups. You can almost smell Nixon’s 2008 plan to deceive Missouri voters on the abortion issue going up in smoke.

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¹ Health Care Foundation of Greater KC, grant awards, 2005-2006

Democrats, Nixon Slush Funders Roast MO HealthNet In Springfield
Posted by: John Hancock | 8:05 am | Permalink

This past weekend, the Springfield News-Leader provided an inadvertent illustration of the increasingly cozy relationship between Missouri Democrats and their allies in the state’s growing liberal advocacy network, which has been financed with millions in grants from Jay Nixon’s slush funders at the Missouri Foundation for Health.

According to the News-Leader and an event flyer, a couple dozen people attended a Pro-Vote sponsored get together in Springfield on Saturday that was intended to be a “townhall” discussion on Gov. Blunt’s MO HealthNet plan. As the title of the News-Leader’s story indicates, the meeting turned out to be nothing more than an echo chamber for supporters of Rep. Sara Lampe (D-Springfield)—a liberal if there ever was one.

Much like Grass Roots Organizing (GRO), Pro-Vote is a partisan protest group with a reputation for being quite rowdy. In addition to yelling really loud like the folks at GRO, Pro-Vote has its own liberal policy shop known as the Missouri Citizen Education Fund (MCEF) with studies prominently displayed on Pro-Vote’s website. Since 2004, the Missouri Foundation for Health has awarded $373,717 in grants to MCEF, including $300,000 in 2005. Interestingly enough, a 2005 IRS 990 filing for MCEF indicated revenues of less than $370,000 that year. Could it be that Nixon’s slush funders provided MCEF with 80% of its funding in 2005? 

Nixon Slush Fund Finances Protest Group; Pulse May Apply For Grant
Posted by: John Hancock | 8:35am | Permalink

From the Columbia Daily Tribune (CDT), 3/31/2007:

Robin Acree, left, and Victor Chapman protest yesterday outside the Jiffy Lube at Providence Road and Walnut Street in response to Gov. Matt Blunt’s proposal to restructure Medicaid through his MO HealthNet initiative. About 30 people gathered for the protest, which was coordinated by Grass Roots Organizing. Acree led the group with a megaphone in chanting, “These cuts won’t heal!” and “Blunt goes to Jiffy, but his plan is iffy!” The group gathered in front of Jiffy Lube because Blunt announced his proposed changes March 20 at another Columbia Jiffy Lube. “This plan is set up to throw people out of the system who need health care, like the disabled and already sick,” said protester Emery Lichti ... (Nick King photo)

A friend in Boone County sent Missouri Pulse the CDT item above. The picture and accompanying text describes a March protest (megaphone included) against Gov. Blunt’s MO HealthNet plan. The protest was conducted by the liberal lovelies with Grass Roots Organizing (GRO). Aside from numerous and oftentimes rowdy protests, the group’s partisan reputation was furthered by its 2005 production of an anti-Blunt DVD entitled “Blunt Trauma.” Not even the Missouri Democratic Party has gone to such partisan extremes...yet.

However, that has not stopped Jay Nixon’s slush funders at the Missouri Foundation for Health from funding GRO. The foundation, which was created with the intent of helping the uninsured, awarded the protest group a $150,000 grant last year. Here’s a look at all grants awarded to GRO since 2004:

According to Nixon's slush funders, recent GRO grants were awarded for the purpose of enabling the group to pursue "economic justice and human rights, with regards to health care." Apparently, the pursuit of such ends entails standing outside a Jiffy Lube, wearing a yellow shirt and yelling really loud into a megaphone, "Honk if you hate Blunt's health plan."   

After reviewing the growing list of partisan recipients of foundation grants, Missouri Pulse believes we are eminently qualified to yell real loud, hold rowdy protests, produce a DVD and accomplish nothing whatsoever. Heck, we could even finger paint. That said, we are proud to announce we are considering applying for a piece of the action from the foundation.

SLUSH FUND TALLY UPDATE: So far, Missouri Pulse has examined $450,000 in recent foundation grants awarded to leading pro-abortion groups and $3.6 million in grants awarded to establish and promote the burgeoning liberal advocacy network that includes GRO and operates as a de facto arm of the Missouri Democratic Party.

CURRENT TOTAL: $4.05 million

More to come...

Nixon Slush Fund Twisting Arms In Jeff City
Posted by: John Hancock | 3:00 p.m. | Permalink

The message below has been making the rounds in Jeff City today. It seems the Missouri Foundation for Health and its creator/overseer Jay Nixon have dispatched surrogates to suppress efforts to reform the current system through which the foundation siphons millions of dollars away from its mission, which is to help the uninsured in more than 80 Missouri counties. In recent years, the foundation has controversially directed millions in grants to recipients that include leading pro-abortion groups and a burgeoning liberal advocacy network that effectively serves as a de facto arm of the Missouri Democratic Party.

As far as lobbying muscle in Jeff City is concerned, the foundation’s most recent IRS filing disclosed payments in 2005 of more than $25,000 to the Democratic firm Penman & Winton. In addition, it should come as no surprise that the foundation staffer who authored the message formerly worked for Sen. Jean Carnahan, a Democrat.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dear xxxx:

I'd like to call your attention to a recent amendment filed by Rep. Nathan Cooper (R-158) of Cape Girardeau. This amendment would drastically alter the governance structure of the Missouri Foundation for Health by giving the Governor the power to appoint the MFH Board of Directors.

Not only is this amendment of doubtful constitutionality, but it would significantly impact the Foundation's ability to continue to provide grants to the communities we serve. In its first five years, the Foundation has contributed over $218M to non-profit organizations throughout its service area.

If you are willing to assist the Foundation in resolving this matter, please contact your legislators and ask them to have Representative Cooper withdraw this amendment from Senate Bill 22.

Please contact me directly with any questions you may have.

With best regards,

Caroline Battles
Director of Public Policy

Nixon Slush Fund Has Dished Out $3.3 Million To HealthNet Opponents
Posted by: John Hancock | 9:40am | Permalink

Since January, the “First Things First” coalition has been criticizing Gov. Blunt’s HealthNet plan for failing to restore state welfare rolls to unsustainable pre-2005 reform levels. Just last week, the coalition submitted petition signatures to legislators that called for welfare restoration. Sound familiar? It should. They’ve taken a page from Jay Nixon’s 2008 campaign plan, but that is only the tip of the iceberg.

According to a recent Missouri Association for Social Welfare legislative update, the coalition consists of the following ringleaders:

FTF includes MASW, the Missouri Budget Project, Jobs With Justice, Metropolitan Congregations United, Paraquad, ProVote, SEIU, AFSCME, UAW, Disabled Citizens Alliance for Independence, the Inter-faith Partnership / Faith Beyond Walls, and many others.

Ideological similarities are not the sole reason for camaraderie between Nixon and these groups. Their bond has become increasingly seamless as Nixon’s slush fund, the Missouri Foundation for Health, has helped bankroll many of the groups since 2003. Let’s take a quick look at grant awards made by the foundation to the named groups.

More Nixon Foundation Foot Soldiers Come Out Of The Woodwork
Posted by: John Hancock | 1:30pm | Permalink

As AG Jay Nixon pushes for big government healthcare through partisan channels, so pushes his well-funded allies in the so-called non-profit world. In today’s JCNT, two more recipients of Missouri Foundation for Health largesse took aim at Gov. Blunt’s MO HealthNet plan. Does anybody seriously buy the arguments of Nixon’s donors/surrogates at the foundation that these groups do not have a political ax to grind? Good grief! This is scandalous.

From the JCNT story:

A delegation led by the Metropolitan Congregations United (MCU) and Disabled Citizens Alliance for Independence (DCAI) gathered with supporters at a press conference just before the committee met to hear testimony.

From the foundation’s 2002-2006 grant list:

Previously, Missouri Pulse examined $1.1 million in combined foundation payments to pro-abortion groups (Planned Parenthood, NARAL) and Missouri’s top liberal think tank, the Missouri Budget Project. With the addition of these groups, the current tally stands at over $1.4 million with much more on the way.

Logical question: To what extent is Nixon's foundation bankrolling Missouri’s ever growing liberal advocacy network? Stay tuned.

Nixon’s Foundation Should Welcome Public Scrutiny
Posted by: John Hancock | 11:10am | Permalink

It is unfortunate that AG Jay Nixon has dispatched others to take offense to Missouri Pulse’s examination of Missouri Foundation for Health grant awards. While a majority of the grants awarded by the foundation, which was created and overseen by Nixon, go to worthwhile causes, it is in the public’s interest to scrutinize the appropriation of funding to sources that are polarizing and overtly political in nature. Unfortunately, the foundation’s arguments featured on the Political Fix regarding public oversight and Nixon’s role lead to more questions than answers.

Prominent Nixon donor¹/Foundation CEO James Kimmey argues the foundation is no different than other non-profits, which are free from public oversight. That is simply not true. How many private non-profits were established through the legal efforts of an elected official, were funded through sources created by those legal efforts, are susceptible to an open records request, and have a committee that is appointed by one elected official—in this case Nixon? It is unfortunate that Kimmey chose to ignore these facts. Maybe, he should have first sought the counsel of Nixon.

From the Southeast Missourian, 9/2/2001:

The foundation's activities fall under Missouri's open meetings and open records statutes, which typically apply only to governmental entities. "It is the only not-for-profit in the state subject to the Sunshine Law,” Nixon said. "As part of the settlement, I put that in, and that's totally unique.”

Moving on, why would Nixon bother attempting to minimize his prominent role in the foundation? This is his creation. He set it up. He appoints the “watchdog” group. And he is using the foundation as campaign fodder. Additional factors further weaken the argument of Nixon’s alleged detachment:

• Many of those appointed to the foundation’s board and advisory committee have donated to Nixon’s campaigns and/or to the campaigns of other Democrats through personal or corporate channels. More on this later...¹

• As recently as 2004, Nixon was criticized for attempting to exercise too much control over foundation decisions. More on this later... ²

Nixon should stop using his donors as surrogates to defend the appropriation of controversial grants to his political allies. This foundation is of Nixon’s making, and he should accept responsibility for its decisions, which he has authority over through his appointment powers. Let’s hear from Nixon, not his surrogates.

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¹ MEC, FEC, tray.com
² P-D, 2/20/2004

Nixon’s Abortion Deception
Posted by: John Hancock | 1:50pm | Permalink

With 2008 in mind, AG Jay Nixon has already begun to temper his pro-abortion stance with Johnny-come-lately rhetoric regarding his office’s recent defense of pro-life laws. If Nixon chooses to pursue this deceptive course in 2008, he faces serious obstacles. As many already know, Nixon has a record of ditching the state’s defense of pro-life laws, but there is another weakness that arguably poses a much greater threat.

Since 2003, the Missouri Foundation for Health has donated over $450,000 in funding to one of the nation’s leading abortion providers, Planned Parenthood, and top pro-abortion group NARAL. Here is an account of that support from the foundation’s grant list for 2002-2006:

The billion-dollar foundation, which was created by and is overseen by Nixon, was established for the purpose of aiding the uninsured in over 80 Missouri counties. As recently as December, Nixon appointed members to serve on the community advisory committee of the foundation, which has been described as the “watchdog” that oversees funding awards made by the foundation.¹

Apparently, the watchdogs and the Attorney General who appoints them have been napping since 2003 when Planned Parenthood began to receive funding from the foundation. The failure of Nixon and his appointees to put a stop to the funding is not only politically damaging, but it is legally questionable when considering state efforts to banfunding to abortion providers. Someone should hand Nixon a shovel, because he’s going to have to do a heck of a lot of digging to get himself out of this mess.

More...

Irony or scandal? Missouri Pulse has already taken a look at Missouri Foundation for Health awards to the allegedly "nonpartisan" Missouri Budget Project. The foundation has donated a combined $1.1 million to the Budget Project and pro-abortion groups since 2003.

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¹ P-D, 2/20/2004

Whose Budget Project Is It Anyway?
Posted by: John Hancock | 2:15pm | Permalink

For years, media outlets have portrayed the Missouri Budget Project as “a statewide nonpartisan organization.” In fact, that is the exact description used in today’s CDT story on the Budget Project’s opposition to state tax relief measures supported by Republicans. While the media has perpetuated the group’s “nonpartisan” image, a foundation created and overseen by AG Jay Nixon has handed out hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants to the group with few, if any, questions raised about the glaring conflict.

Since 2003, the Missouri Foundation for Health has donated over $700,000 in funding to the Missouri Budget Project (a.k.a. Missouri Coalition for Budget & Policy Priorities), and the group has welcomed the support. Here is an account of that support from the foundation’s grant list for 2002-2006:

While a majority of the foundation’s annual grants are worthwhile and justified, it is unacceptable that over $700,000 has been squandered to help establish and further the efforts of a liberal think tank that should be funded through private means. If such an arrangement does not constitute an egregious conflict, what does? If a Republican elected official had oversight over a billion-dollar entity that was funding the Heritage Foundation, Missourians would have heard about it long ago.