This is a very good point. Where has Dieckhaus been? This landfill issue is probably the biggest thing going on in his district right now and he's nowhere to be found. That's kind of strange.

Too bad the FCDs don't have a candidate for the 109th this year. That person could have had a well-organized and tenacious grassroots citizens action group behind them if they came out strong against the landfill. Obviously, Kent Cunningham would have been ideal as he lives in Labadie but he could not do it this time. Oh well, another big missed opportunity for Democrats in the county.

I saw him in Schnucks the other day and thought about asking him about this very issue, but his family was with him. I wonder what Cindy McGee's opinion is on the Labadie dump. On second thought, I don't care as she's completely insane.

I'm always happy to answer questions when asked of or about me. First, I'd like to clear up a few misstatements from Sarah Jo's initial post: 1) Most campaign contributions do not come to influence votes; rather, they are usually a result of having already made votes and people agreeing with those votes. 2) Rex Sinquefield has given to my campaign, but he is hardly a "puppet master of Missouri Republican politicians". If he were, wouldn't we have had some significant education reforms by now? Maybe a "Fair Tax" system in place? We do have a Republican majority in both houses of the General Assembly. Rex gives to just as many Democrats as he does Republicans (I don't know that the numbers are exactly the same - but VERY close). As I stated in my first point, Rex has taken an interest in my campaign because I am a former teacher who is in favor of many of the reforms that he seeks. I stated those views openly when I ran for office in 2007-2008 and have filed several bills related to my beliefs. Rex has contributed to my campaign because he and I share a vision of providing a quality education to each student in this state.

As for the AmerenUE issue, I am staying on top of it. It is the biggest issue in my district, and I have talked to many of the residents in the Labadie/St. Albans area - as well as other concerned citizens - about it. My personal view is that if AmerenUE meets the regulations that have been established by the federal, state, and county governments, they should have the right to place the landfill on their property. Admittedly, I believe that the county should proceed VERY cautiously. I think a conditional-use permit that would prohibit AmerenUE from bringing coal ash from other facilities and possibly raising the landfill to the 500-year flood plain are fair proposals.

With that being said, I included a question on this issue on a survey that was recently sent to my constituents. At this time (probably about 1/3 of the surveys I expect to receive have been returned), my constituents district-wide are opposed to the landfill in any capacity by a narrow margin. If that holds true, I will openly oppose the landfill as their representative because that is my job.

One final comment - thank you to Rob Compton for being so considerate when you saw me in Schnucks. I truly appreciate you not addressing the issue while I was with my family. I do hope, though, that you feel like you can contact me any time via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, or phone and know that I will certainly be responsive.

I guess I'd have to see with my own two eyes a document showing that Rex Sinquefield contributes equally to Democrats as he does to Republicans. His ultra-conservative libertarian, anti-government politics are antithetical to Democratic values. If, as you say, Rex does not buy votes but instead contributes to legislators whose votes are in line with his values, it seems unlikely that would include very many Democrats.

I also find it hard to believe that the votes of legislators are not influenced by big donors like Sinquefield on some level. I'm not talking about a direct quid pro quo but a much subtler, longer term understanding that exists between lawmaker and donor. A kind of Pavlovian response if you know what I mean.

But even if all that you say is true, Scott, (especially if what you say is true) the larger problem is that our current campaign laws are designed to serve the interests of the wealthy few. That's not a democracy, Scott. That's a plutocracy.

And with the recent overruling by the Supreme Court lifting the ban on political spending by corporations in candidate elections it's only going to get worse. But Republicans aren't going to complain since you guys will be the direct beneficiaries of this culture. The American people? Not so much.

I should also point out that the bulk of Sinquefield's donations don't go directly to candidates but to conservative and libertarian initiatives, e.g., petitions, think tanks, ballot initiatives. Those efforts in turn move voters to apply pressure to lawmakers. In this way lawmakers can legitimately claim they are just doing the bidding of their constituents when in fact, it's an initiative sponsored by big money that serve the personal and business interests of people like Sinquefield. So I think that is what sarah jo means when she refers to him as a "billionaire puppet master of Missouri Republican politicians." He's not going to get everything he wants. But he can afford to move the balance ever rightward and to his favor so he can get what he needs.

Here are Rex's contributions for 2010 to this point; it looks like Democrats make up about 1/3 of his contributions:

Link

Scott, can you please explain to the many unemployed or former Chrysler workers and suppliers why you refused to support a resolution to the federal government asking them to approach Chrysler about maintaining production in St. Louis since they were kept alive by loans from the American taxpayer?

You said during that conversation with myself and President of UAW Local 110 Joe Shields that you were opposed to the auto bailout. Since at that time the loan program was already underway I reminded you that we should at least get something from it and keeping St. Louis open would greatly benefit many of your constituents. You then said "I would rather go through a thirty year depression than pass that debt on to my kids and grandkids".

At the time we were struck by the callousness of your response (as if raising your kids in a depression wouldn't be punishment) but also the absurdity of it as the loans were already in place. You seemed all too willing to stick your head in the sand on an issue that changed the lives of many of your constituents.

I am sure those currently unemployed or working in jobs that pay much less would like an answer. I am sure that school districts, fire departments, and even the state government is anxious to hear why you would not stand up and defend a business that generated so much tax revenue and with its closure has led to many more layoffs outside the auto industry.

Do you think I'm stupid Scott? Did you think I would not go through each and every one of the items on Sinquefield's 2010 contribution list?

Rex Sinquefield does not give to "just as many Democrats as he does Republicans" as was your original assertion. And according to the source you provided he has not given even close to 1/3 of his campaign dollars to Democrats. Not even close.

By my count he gave $119,107 to 17 State House and Senate Republicans and $25,003 to only 4 Democrats in Jeff City.

But more importantly he dropped a cool $8 million on the Let Voters Decide anti-tax ballot initiative. He's given $250k to the Missouri Club For Growth. He's given $100k to the House Republican Committee. He gave $10k to the Senate Leadership Committee. And another $10k to the Missouri Republican Party. And another $100k to the anti-tax crusade group, Progress for St. Louis.

Don't come on here spreading this BS, Scott. This isn't AM talk radio. You're either lying or you can't do basic math. Sinquefield is as sarah jo pointed out in her post, "the billionaire puppet master of Missouri Republican politicians" and you're on the dole.

Representative Dieckhaus,

You say you have been “staying on top” of the Ameren issue. Were you at any of the three Planning and Zoning meetings where this was discussed? I do not recall seeing you there. Please correct me if I am wrong. You said you have spoken to “many residents in the Labadie/St. Albans area”. Other than the meeting with you in Jefferson City early this year, and a couple of follow up emails from us, to the best of my knowledge you have made no attempt to contact the Labadie Environmental Organization to stay current on the issue. How can you “stay on top” without getting up to date information first hand from one of the main parties involved in the issue?

Your survey results on the landfill issue would have a wider margin opposing the landfill if it would have been written and posed in an unbiased manner. It is heavily slanted in favor of Ameren’s proposed landfill and mentions the opposition just as an afterthought. It is no accident that those who know little or nothing about the facts would vote yes just relying on the information on your survey. This happens all too often. Questions and ballot initiatives are crafted to get the results the authors want.

Most importantly “meeting the regulations that have been established by the federal, state, and county governments” is not the full story. That statement gives people a false sense of safety and security. Number one, the federal regulations are currently under review by the EPA to possibly regulate coal ash under Subtitle C hazardous waste rules. Number two, the state regulations are weak and not protective of public health and the environment. Number three, there are no regulations on the county level and that is what this issue is all about. The Labadie Environmental Organization is fighting to insure that the county does the right thing in being thorough and thoughtful in their consideration of this issue.

I must echo the comments made by Steve. We were two of a coalition of about six that went to Jeff City in Feb to discuss our concerns with Rep Dieckhaus and Sen Griesheimer, early in the process. We provided articles, documentation of coal ash damage cases nationwide, and tried to engage our elected representatives. No one has contacted us to clarify facts or to discuss the findings in the damage cases provided. It is as though no one is concerned by the hazardous nature of the material we are discussing. We have been more than a little disappointed in the lack of action from both our elected and appointed officials who claim to be serving the people of Franklin County. Any one of them could write a letter to the County officials stating that they have concerns and wish the County to form an Advisory Committee and evaluate the risks to the population and environment before moving forward.

The survey question on the landfill in Rep Dieckhaus's mailer, was clearly misleading. The issue is not whether Ameren should get its landfill IF it follows regulations, it is that regulations are not adequate to protect communities and ground water. As Steve has pointed out, state regulations are inadequate and federal and local regulations are in play. Ameren currently discharges 16+ million gallons/day of effluent off the ponds containing mercury, arsenic and lead without the DNR coming down on them. They monitor grease, turbidity, ph and temperature...that certainly is not designed to protect us. This is not new to Scott, Sen Greisheimer, County P&Z Commissioners and County Commissioners...because we have given them all the same information and have tried to encourage the formation of an Advisory Committee to address some of these concerns.

I am encouraged to see that Scott is willing to openly oppose the landfill IF he hears from a lot of constituents. I say, we all send him a letter and copy in LEO. Send it to Rep Dieckhaus's Jeff City email = Scott.Dieckhaus@house.mo.gov
and cc to CoalAshWasteLandfillLetters@gmail.com. That way we can see how many letters he gets and then follow up to ask for action. Even better, send your emails to Sen Griesheimer or whomever is your State Rep and Senator and ask for action on this issue that impacts the entire Metro St. Louis area. Key would be cc'ing us in so we have some proof that they have heard from concerned citizens.

Randy - I certainly would not have posted a link and expect that you would not read the information. I posted the link quickly and glanced at the list. 17 Republicans received contributions from Sinquefield and 6 Democrats. You are absolutely correct that this does not make up 1/3, but it is over 1/4.

You are still bending the truth on this, Scott. If you look just at lawmakers in Jeff City Sinquefield contributed directly to only 4 Democrats and 17 Republicans. If you also include Democrats from St. Louis City and County governments that makes six. Even then Sinquefield gave a total of 125k to these six Democrats while giving nearly $10 million to Republicans and Republican committees and causes. That's not "just as many Democrats" as Republicans. That's not "about 1/3 of his contributions". And that's not "over 1/4" of his total contributions, per your latest walk back. The fact is, Sinquefield has contributed to every single Republican in the state house and Senate by way of the House Republican Committee, the Senate Leadership Committee and the Missouri Republican Party.

Randy - I am not bending the truth. You are distorting what I said and trying to spin it into what you want. I said that Sinquefield had given to a good number of Democrats in addition to the Republicans he supports. I had not said Sinquefield gave equal dollar amounts on each side. I had not said that all of the candidates that he supports were in Jefferson City.

Many of the Democrats that Sinquefield supports are advocates of parental choice in matters of education. How is giving parents a choice in how and where their children are educated a bad thing? What benefit does Mr. Sinquefield personally see from his efforts? He is vilified in many political corners because he is a man of means and is passionate about a few issues. I would assume that if you (or anyone on this site) amassed a significant sum of money during your lifetime, you may be inclined to give politically to candidates who shared your views. I respect Mr. Sinquefield for his passion and desire to see better educational opportunities in Missouri.

See, this is what separates blogs from AM talk radio. On conservative talk radio you can make all kinds of stuff up, as if by saying it it's enough to make it true. But you can't walk away from your own BS here.

This is from the first comment you made in this thread:

"Rex gives to just as many Democrats as he does Republicans (I don't know that the numbers are exactly the same - but VERY close)."

Then it went from that to "about 1/3." Then it went from that to "over 1/4." And then when you get caught walking back your initial BS claims, it's me who's "trying to spin it."

Better stick to talk radio, Scott. This is not a good platform for you.

I'm not surprised that Scott doesn't understand the real purpose of those supporting "parental choice" in schools for their kids. That's code for privatizing pubic education. Extremists in the "free enterprise" camp have stated their long term goal as a dismantling of all things "public." This anti-community, anti-democratic strain goes back to Milton Friedman in the 1950's. No time for full report here, but look up the goals and campaign contributions of a group called All Children Matter.
For now, I offer this from Jonathan Kozol's article "The Big Enchilada."
"Meanwhile, the richly funded and well-oiled juggernaut of privatization continues to move forward, carving out increasingly large pieces of the public system....we may soon wake up to find that they have been replaced by wholly owned subsidiaries of McDonald's Burger King and Wal-Mart. Some $490 billion (4% of GNP) is spend on education yearly in the United States. It will be an act of social suicide if liberals blithely continue to dismiss the opportunities this vast amount of money represents for corporate predation."
I'm not sure if Scott knows what's going on with the privatization crowd, but if not, he'd better do some homework.

I couldn't help noticing that Mr. Dieckhaus has successfully avoided providing a substantive response to concerns about the landfill.

Good point Anon. And I guess I should take some of the blame for that. There was a time when liberals and conservatives could have fundamental disagreements on principles but we all agreed on the facts. But in today's opinion-as-fact, Fox News media culture that's no longer the case. We spend all our energy debating what the facts are and avoid any meaningful discussion of the important issues -- in this case Ameren's proposed landfill and what ideas our state rep has in dealing with it. This thread is a great example of that. We spent all our time on the provably ridiculous assertion that Rex Sinquefield's political contributions are equally bipartisan. In a rational world this would not even be up for debate but here we are debating that very thing. Thanks for the comment.

Slightly OT: new MEC reports for Nieves and Stratman: Link

Good thoughts about the important issues. One point I need to make is about the importance of new jobs and industry coming into Franklin County. If you have not lost your job during this downturn in our economy then you may not be aware that Franklin County is in a very bad way as far as the employment rate. The downfall of the Chrysler plant and the seat-making plant in Pacific has left many Franklin County citizens in precarious financial positions and with no health insurance. This whole issue of coal ash and health could easily be turned around into a positive by Franklin County officials if they would just be forward-thinking. The proposal by AmerenUE to place this coal ash dump in the flood plain would bring nothing but more liability to Franklin County. It will not bring jobs in numbers great enough to justify the liability and destruction of habitat that will result with the construction of a concrete dump full of heavy metals in a floodplain full of loess soil which probably can't handle that type of structure anyway. Why can't everybody be thinking about ways to reuse this coal ash in places where it will be beneficial to build industry that will bring jobs to Franklin County and restore the dignity of Franklin County residents? We have the knowledge to move forward with varied and sustainable types of technology to keep our power grid working in a way that benefits everybody, not just a few politicians and their bank accounts.

Agree Knollee, industry could be looking forward and trying to find safe ways to handle waste. I watched an excellent documentary "Cradle to Cradle" the other night in which Ford Company utilized the ideas of 2 individuals encouraging forward thinking sustainable design for plants and products. Ford not only reclaimed what was a Superfund site, they saved money in the process and made a place where their employees wanted to work. This does not have to be a "fight", it could be an opportunity to do something innovative and responsible. What we have asked Ameren to do all along.

What Cradle to Cradle; Waste Equals Food Link# on Google Video for FREE