August 29, 2008 Poll Question

In the last 5 years what has been the best raise - increase in base pay (excludes bonuses, promotions, options etc.) - you have gotten from the same employer for the same position?

With this latest poll I am just trying to get an idea of what folks in our community who work salaried or hourly jobs get for raises. Please do not include one-time bonuses or stock options or promotions or other incentives. I am looking for how much was the biggest increase in your base salary or hourly wage in the last 5 years for the same job. If you are retired then, what was the biggest raise you received in the last 5 years before you retired for the same job?

This poll will close on September 19th.

As with all my polls they are not scientific. I am just trying to get an idea of what is going on in the lives of the blog’s readers. Thanks for voting.

When will “SH” come forward and stand behind their statement?

This last Monday August 25th I attended my very first Kirkwood Board of Education meeting. Having no munchkins at all yet or any other family attending a school in the district, I have not seen a need to attend these meetings. I do glance over the updates the Board prints and sends out. The standardized testing scores the students get seem to be good. I do not hear complaints from my friends and neighbors that do have kids in the district’s schools. So, like most folks I leave the issues in the hands of the folks we elected to serve us and our community’s students – the Board of Education.

Before I go any further I want readers to know I do bring a unique perspective to School Board issues, since I was raised by my mother who is now a retired teacher. I have first-hand experiences of what it takes to be a dedicated elementary school teacher as I watched my mother’s career of 27 years. I have been a part of the struggles and the rewards. It is incredible to be out with her and people will recognize her, then go on and on about what an impact she had on their life as their teacher. Not only does my Mama get the “big head” about it, but I do too! Hey that’s my Mama! She kicked butt and took names as a teacher. Just ask her … or … me for that matter! (wink)

On Monday I came to my first meeting to see what would be said and not said by those attending. My interest had been peaked by an anonymous and of course pathetic comment that was made in a June 9th Kmail. Supposedly, some resident identified by Keith Williams as “SH” said:

“I trust none of them. They are snakes who present information w/ their own spin on it. Then they act like people who call them out on it are the enemy. I am not the enemy. I just want fairness and reasonableness. As long as people have a myopic view that those running our schools can do no wrong, we're hopelessly screwed!”

Yet, that night no one came up to the podium and uttered this quote. As I have said before on this issue, “SH” is clearly a person that is devoid of the quality of character to publicly address our elected school board members, look them in the eye, make this statement and stand by it. So, this person slithers over to Keith, hides behind Kmail, so they together can make their political attacks with anonymity. So, who are the real snakes in this instance?

This kind of a statement by “SH” makes me question just how much this person wants “fairness” or “reasonableness.” They are definitely providing neither. Their lack of corresponding action does not match their anonymous run-off-of-the-mouth.

Like all too many of the “Alleged Disenfranchised” in this community “SH” is – All Bluster, All Slam, All Hype.

When will “SH” come forward and stand behind their statement?

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That's my take thus far! What's yours? Click on the "Comments" link below and share you take on the issue.

What’s next for Kmail?

It has been over a week since the election and according to my Kmail sources they have not received a new Kmail dispatch. There is nothing but silence from Kmail? What is up with Keith? What’s next for Kmail?

This is an interesting question since Keith sent out a last ditch attempt to go after Paul Ward in a 07/29/08 Kmail. There were various (using Keith’s own words) “nauseating” and “nefarious” accusations made in that Kmail against Paul. But, in true Keith fashion he did not hold all the candidates to the same standard after he had sharpened his political dagger and took some swipes at Paul. It is safe to say Keith showed how Kmail was not interested in all the facts about all the candidates running in this election, just the one he wanted to attack. He was simply going after Paul full-throttle right before the election. It was such an act of desperation, even more so than his lambasting of Tim Griffin in April of this year.

The most basic way Kmail showed its true colors in this attack email was Keith’s tired line that Paul was not on the list of “qualified candidates.” Hello Keith, 100 or more Kirkwood voters signed a petition to put Paul’s name on a ballot in accordance with our City Charter. That is qualified in the real world! In addition, the St. Louis County Board of Election verified those names as registered voters and placed Paul’s name on the election ballot. That is qualified in the real world! Finally, unlike his other two opponents, Paul was previously elected by Kirkwood voters and served our community for 4 years on our City Council. That is … more qualified … in the real world!

In Keith’s Kmail Kirkwood the decision of actual voters in our community does not matter. According to Keith's declaration voters in Kirkwood do not know how to choose a “qualified candidate.” Only Kmail speaks for voters in our community in Keith’s world. Fortunately, not many in Kirkwood live in Keith’s world.

As readers of this blog have already seen Keith really does not live in the real world at all.

Keith’s past off-base election predictions were debunked in:
The Coming Prognostications of Kmail

The mystery of Kmail was cleared up in:
There Is No Mystery In Kirkwood About Kmail

Kmail’s “fabrication business” was dealt with in:
Can you give me a number between 1 and 10, Keith?

I hope with this posting Donkeith Corleowilliams will soon come to understand that just because Paul, Tim or any other candidate chooses to not take him up on his “offer they can not refuse” and decides to not submit to using Kmail, does not mean they are not a “qualified candidate” in our community. This is the second time Keith has tried to use this tactic. Thus, this is the second time the Kmail “unqualified candidate” has won and done so overwhelmingly in our community.

Will we see the same shameless candidate shake-down from Kmail in 2010?

We do not know, but Keith’s candidate Bob Sears (typo corrected from original post) is planning on being on the ballot. Bob declared his candidacy in the Kirkwood-Webster Journal's Letters to the Editor yesterday.

Wow ... so how far will Kmail go to prop up Bob Sears in 2010? What’s next for Kmail?

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That's my take on the issue. What's yours? If you have your own take on this issue, then do not back down now! Click on the Comments link below and share your thoughts! Thanks in advance.

Questions for the Editors of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Dear Ms. Mannies and the Editors of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch,

I recently read at stltoday the following article:

"08.07.2008 7:23 pm
Eagleton: Dems oppose his request for recount
By Jo Mannies
Steve Eagleton, the Kirkwood lawyer/developer seeking the 15th District state Senate seat, says that the state Senate Democratic leadership has told him not to go ahead with his request for a recount. …"

Could any of you please tell me who says Mr. Steve Eagleton is a "lawyer?" Does he say he is a "lawyer?" Or does just the press say he is a "lawyer?"

I have been trying to figure out how journalists, professionally trained in fact-finding and fact-checking, continue to place this title onto Mr. Eagleton when he is not a member of the Missouri Bar. So, just how does Mr. Eagleton fit the definition of a "lawyer" when he is not authorized to practice law in Missouri?

This brings me to my next set of questions for the editors.

Why do you journalist folks at the Post-Dispatch just not have the ability to get the facts straight in the community of Kirkwood? Especially since it seems like you continue to show you have no clue about the members of "Kirkwood Citizens Coming Together for a Bright Future" (KCCTBF), which includes its co-chair Mr. Eagleton.

Who can forget your editorial entitled, "A Long Time Healing" from March 3, 2008? Have any of you been able to find a KCCTBF candidate at either of the two city elections in our community since you wrote that drivel?

Ever going to clean up the mess you helped create with that editorial or are you going to continue to ignore the facts regarding the members of KCCTBF and further "A Long Time Healing" in Kirkwood?

Just Wondering,

Joe Toenjes

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What is your take on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's issue with presenting the facts. Take a moment, click on the Comments link below and share you point of view.

Can you give me a number between 1 and 10, Keith?

On July 31, 2008 Kmail sent out another classic missive of misdirection that need to be addressed, on oh so many levels. I will be dealing with a variety of issues from this email in the near future.

But, I want to deal with his statement about me in the email with this posting. He wrote,

“And then we have an unsolicited note from a Joe Kirkwood.”…
“He is not a Kmail subscriber …”

Is this anywhere near reality in Kirkwood?

I have been told, but do not know this for a fact, that Mr. Williams’ career was running “some sort of fabrication business.” I do not know if this is true or not.

But, what I do know … without question … is that Kmail is in the “fabrication business.”

Yes, Mr. Williams via Kmail says I am “not a Kmail subscriber.”

So, how many times does a Kirkwoodian have to request to be added to Kmail, before Mr. Williams actually adds them?

I mean Keith presents Kmail as a …

“community service … offered free of charge” …

“This is a community service Kmail is very proud to provide for the betterment and education of us all.” …

a "100% Kirkwood" … newsletter.

I, therefore, have to ask about the number of times a Kirkwoodian needs to request to be added to Kmail …

Can you give me a number between 1 and 10, Keith?

I mean really my last name is pronounced “Ten – Yes.” So, can we not keep it within a reasonable number?

As you know I am already somewhere between 4 to 6 times requesting you add me to Kmail. How much more do I have to go?

If you can not, then … please, let’s be forthright with your Kmail readers if you do not mind, Keith.

The reality in Kirkwood does not come close to the idea that I am “not a Kmail subscriber.” That is a grand figment of your imagination you wish to perpetrate on the readers of Kmail.

The reality in Kirkwood is that you have refused to add me to Kmail. You and only you.

You chose to exclude a fellow Kirkwoodian from receiving your alleged “community service … offered free of charge.” You chose to not provide this Kirkwoodian with your supposed service for the “betterment and education of us all.” You chose to go out of your way to keep Kmail from being “100% Kirkwood.”

Fess Up … Keith.

Kmail is Keith Mail … nothing more and nothing less.

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