HyVee and VFW Post 1829 Team Up to Salute Veterans
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| Veterans line up at HyVee for a Free Breakfast. |
Raytown to serve over 400 veterans free Breakfast this past Wednesday. In addition VFW Post 1829 gave each veteran who attended a “Gratitude Gift Bag” for their service to America.
Senior Vice Commander of Post 1829, Tony
Jacob, said funding for the gift bags and contents was part of Operation
Gratitude. District 5 (which Raytown is a part of) was one of three sites chosen
to receive 20,000 Gratitude Gift Bags and the items to fill them.
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| TONY JACOB |
“The fulfillment of the project was quite an undertaking”, said Tony Jacob, who helped organize the event. Mr. Jacob serves as the Public Relations
Officer for the event.
Jacob continued, “Preparing the gift bags
alone required an estimated 250 man hours to complete.”
Mr. Jacob credits the following individuals
for making the four hour event at HyVee a success.
Gratitude is given for all those who served and their families as we remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to keep us free. We recognize all Gold Star families, POW’s and MIA’s always. He also recognized a similar (one hour event) hosted by Post 8100 of Grandview, Missouri held at 59th and Raytown Road from nine to ten o’clock in the morning that same day.
A Special thanks to:
Zach Jones - Hy-Vee District Store Director
Carolyn Blashek - Founder of Operation Gratitude
Kevin Schmiegel - CEO Operation Gratitude
Marilyn Facklam - VFW Post 1829 Auxiliary
Andre Sidney - Commander VFW District 5 Department Of Missouri
David Pierschbacher - Commander VFW Post 1829
Tony Jacob - Senior Vice Commander VFW Post 1829
Little Bonner - Commander VFW Post 8100
Frank Looker - Commander VFW Post 1000
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| BY GREG WALTERS |
Salaries to Cities of Similar Size
The following cities,
Raytown, Gladstone and Grandview, are similar in size, population and Median
Household Income. These three cities have much in common and are a legitimate
test to accurately show the cost associated by similar sized cities to Raytown.
However, because Raytown
has an unusually large Board of Aldermen (ten members), the cost to the City of
Raytown to maintain the payroll of Board members surpasses the other two cities
(Gladstone and Grandview) by approximately $24,000 annually. This fact
emphasizes that members of the Raytown Board of Aldermen are NOT underpaid.
RAYTOWN 29,526 9.97 miles $41,949.00 $5,400.00 x 10 Members = $54,000
GLADSTONE 26,365 8.64 miles $46,366.00 $100.00 x 5 Members = $500***
GRANDVIEW 24,475 14.79 miles $40,003.00 $5,965.70 x 6 Members = $35,794
**Total annual cost to city x number of Board Members.
***Gladstone Aldermen are paid $100 each annually.
- The Median Household Income in Liberty is $11,000
greater than Raytown.
- The Median Household Income in Lee’s Summit is $49,415
greater than Raytown.
- The Median Household Income in Blue Springs is $10,626
greater than Raytown.
CITY POPULATION AREA (SIZE) MEDIAN INCOME
LEE'S SUMMIT 91,364
65.39
miles $83,601.00
BLUE SPRINGS 52,575
22.35 miles $55,402.00
LIBERTY
29,149
29.15 miles $52,475.00
Clearly, these last three cities (Lee’s Summit, Blue Springs and Liberty) should not be used for comparison purposes of compensation for members of the Raytown Board of Aldermen. It should also be noted the three cities in this bracket are not landlocked by surrounding communities. As a result, these three cities have room to grow their economies.
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS:
- Each Board
member receives a $50 per month car allowance.
- If a Board
member travels outside of the metropolitan area on city business they are
reimbursed for mileage according to IRS guidelines. This “payback” is on
top of the $50 monthly car allowance.
- Members of the
Board of Aldermen are allowed to participate in the City’s Group Health
Insurance Plan.
- Board members
are provided an IPAD for their use during their term of office.
IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT . . .
- Board members
receive an annual cost of living increase during each of the four years in
their term of office while in office.
- Some members of
the Board of Aldermen be compensated more than others for their service.
The Raytown Board of Aldermen is a group of equals. They share the
same responsibilities and have the same authority of one vote on issues that
come before them.
The suggestion that some Board members are more equal than others
is an Orwellian thought that should not even be considered.
CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTION
The Missouri State Constitution is very clear on when elected
officials can have their pay increased. One of the proposals before the Board
of Aldermen would allow for an automatic pay increase paid annually. Another
allows for additional compensation to be paid to individual Aldermen for
services performed. Both of these proposals are a direct contradiction of the Missouri
State Constitution.
ARTICLE VII PUBLIC OFFICERS SECTION 1. 13. Limitation on increase of compensation and extension of terms of office.—The compensation of state, county and municipal officers shall not be increased during the term of office; nor shall the term of any officer be extended. Source: Const. of 1875, Art. XIV, Sec. 8. Section14.
11 comments:
We go through this from time to time. The Elected Officials Compensation Review Board recommends a pay increase, usually a huge increase. Each and every time, the BOA has rejected the increase and left the pay at $450 per month. I've lived here for 25 years. It was $450 a month back then. I don't know why the Review Board even bothers. It's a total waste of time.
FROM THE EDITOR:
We have received many comments on the blog section of the Raytown Report -- most with reference to the recent Presidential Election. The comments are welcome -- the personal attacks on others who post blogs are not. Calling someone a name and making unsubstantiated claims will not get your post published on the Raytown Report.
If, however, you do sign your post (and provide some way we can verify who you are) we will publish your comment -- with your name.
Those are, and have been our rules for a long time.
We appreciate comments from readers. But be must insist they be kept civil. You will find that be doing so, your message will be posted.
Since other cities pay their aldermen considerably less than Raytown, why don't you suggest the BOA cut their pay down to $100 per month with no car allowance. After all, Raytown is only ten square miles, meaning each ward is two square miles, more or less. How much gas can you use in two square miles? Raytown is short on money. Those who truly care about Raytown and not the money should agree with this.
Glad to know since the election is over the city has taken down the plexiglass. Covid is no danger now.
An example of an "unsubstantiated claim":
"So this how you win elections by cheating. God will not bless your party for what you are trying to do to our country."
Of course this is just my humble opinion, yours may be different.
Be safe Raytowners, RN
November 11, 2020 at 8:03 AM
You must be watching CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC.
Another network (which folks like to hate) has had many stories of voter fraud from Repubs not being able to verify ballot counting to many dead people voting. Must be why their ratings are huge and the other networks don't compare.
I want to thank HyVee for still doing this, I usually go and sit and talk to other old farts like myself and was worried they would not have it this year. when i was walking in I was told it would only be drive up and I was just happy they are still doing it. Would have been nice to sit and talk but good nonetheless.
Can't say I agree with Michael. My remembrance of this past summer is one of "peaceful demonstrations" in which looters broke into and burned down stores. Remember how a group of anarchists took over a large portion of Downtown Seattle? How about the riots in New York City, Minneapolis, Portland, Atlanta, St. Louis, even Kansas City made the list.
The tearing down of statues, even those of Lincoln and Washington. The scenes of people being threatened as they eat their dinner. Those instances where Police Department abandoned their station houses to the mob. All are nightmarish and portend to a future of chaos. The riots in the summer of 2020 were not an accident. Just as the "occupy" movement was not an accident many years earlier. Events such as we have seen are not spontaneous. They are funded and planned.
Michael may consider this a peaceful transition. I do not. It only shows that he is naive. I fear for our county's future. The dems have not even been sworn into office yet and they are already pounding the drum to defund police department across America.
Scary times.
On final thought. Michael, please do not try to cancel our history. By doing so you cancel our culture.
I did not vote for him, but I hope for the best for our new President. I hope he stays safe. His number 2, Kamala Harris, is a different story. There is a reason she sunk to the bottom of the polls in the Democratic Primary. She is about as likeable and honest as Hillary Clinton.
Stay safe everybody. Let us pray for better times ahead!
11-12 8:05 pm This is supposed to be "The Raytown Report" If I want to read opinions about different parts of the country, I'll go to a facebook page. Keep this for Raytown only.
There is so much I want to unpack with the comment made Nov. 12th at 8:05. Since that post was anonymous I guess I will be anonymous too.
It is a shame when there is such divisiveness in the country. Even sadder when leaders perpetuate it. Equally as sad but not surprising is the tone many take, like that of the 8:05 comment.
Regarding the 2nd paragraph-there has already been mass chaos. People have been killed because of a wildly unjust system. The criminal justice system is fraught with problems that are destroying families and communities, and there is so much that needs to be said and done about that...
Regarding the statues-tearing them down is not about erasing history. It is about not honoring/letting tax payers dollars fund the upkeep of a person who shouldn't be honored. I would imagine no one would want to fund the upkeep of a murderer like Charles Manson, right? It's along the same lines.
Instead of pointing out all people have awful traits, the commenter suggests that only one political party is atrocious and mistakenly makes the supposition that millions of Americans that vote for one party over the other, all have the same brain and want exactly the same thing instead of voting at times for the lesser of two evils.
Riots and protest are very different things and I agree some events are not spontaneous. Some think all democrats are liberals and are devil worshipers. Some think all republicans are evil hypocrites and rapists. These are extreme thoughts, with one side constantly missing the humanity of one another and foregoing any attempts for communication. Without communication there is no change or growth and that is how fear and lies fester sand grow, which is dangerous and there needs to be more "calming" or hopefulness...whixh can be misread as naivete.
Regarding the events of the last several months-MOST PEOPLE that protest injustices hate murder, hate destruction, want people to be civilized, want leaders to do what is just etc. The narrative that unfortunately some people chose to believe when it came to the protests was counter to the intention, and fringe groups (think anarchists and the like) caused confusion and chaos. I have coworkers that have extreme beliefs that republicans were to blame...again, an extreme thought.
Anyhow, my point is just that it would be great, and is actually doable, to have conversations with one another, learn from one another, and gain insight as to why people believe what they do. It would be a beneficial way to make America whole and healthy. But I also agree that I would prefer this blog to be about our community instead of politics.
"Anyhow, my point is just that it would be great, and is actually doable, to have conversations with one another, learn from one another, and gain insight as to why people believe what they do. It would be a beneficial way to make America whole and healthy."
^^ Beautifully written and insightful, November 20, 2020 at 6:22 PM. I really enjoyed reading it.
Now run for office in Raytown. :-) Please.
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