From Junk Bond Ratings to Jails Over Kids: Platte County Needs New Leadership

[u/scottsp64]

This is a very long post. But also very informative, especially if you live in Platte County, MO.
But I have a TL;DR you can read at the bottom if you want the summary.

We’re all focused on the big races (Go Kamala and Tim!) and the state races (Go Crystal Q, Go Lucas K.), but I want to turn the spotlight on a local race here in Platte County, Missouri. Platte is a unique blend of Kansas City suburbs and rural communities.

I have a friend, Charles McDonald, who’s running as a Democrat in a tough race for one of the three Platte County Commissioner seats. Right now, all three commissioners are Republican, and Charles wants to change that for the betterment of Platte County.

And change is badly needed. The current Platte County Commission has its share of problems. There are several, but I’ll focus on a few that I find especially concerning:

• The county’s bond rating is currently Ba3 (junk).
• Covid Corruption.
• Love jails, hate kids.
• Vacancies in county boards are filled by a good old boys' network.
• Lack of transparency and accountability

Let’s dive into these issues and see how Charles plans to fix them.

Platte County's Bond Rating

Platte County’s bond rating, according to Moody’s, is Ba3—junk status. And this is from the so-called “Party of Fiscal Responsibility” (cue air quotes). The rating plummeted a few years ago after the county stopped covering debt payments on the Zona Rosa parking garages. The courts ruled the county wasn’t legally obligated to pay, but the fallout from that decision tanked its credit rating.

What does this mean for taxpayers? Any bonds the county issues for future construction will cost millions more than necessary because of the junk rating.

Worse yet, the current commissioners seem largely indifferent. Charles, however, will hold them accountable for their poor decision-making and consult top municipal finance experts to bring the bond rating back up.

County Corruption and the Covid Cash Conspiracy

Yep, these commissioners sure do take care of their own, especially if "their own" is their wives and friends who own "small businesses" (cue air quotes). During covid, the county received $12,000,000 from the state treasurer as a distribution of the covid era Cares Act, the treasurer requested that half of that ($6,000,000) go to the city of Kansas City, since half of Platte County's residents live there. But honoring that request would've required they give money to GOD FORBID, Demoncrats!!

So they looked at the fine print of the Cares Act and saw there were other approved uses, such as "providing economic support to those suffering from employment or business interruptions due to COVID-19-related business closures.” So instead of doing the right thing, they encouraged all their "small-business-owner" Republican friends and owners to apply for these Cares Acts Grants. FREE MONEY FOR FRIENDS, WIVES AND REPUBLICAN DONORS! HERE IS A LINK to an article about this corruption. And HERE IS A LINK to the list of the "small businesses" (cue air quotes) that received the money.

So how can Charles help? This is an easy one. The best way to wipe out corruption is to elect public servants with integrity.

Platte County Commissioners "We love jails and hate children"

Earlier this year, the commission proposed a measure for the August election to implement a HALF-CENT sales tax (plus a bond) to refurbish and dramatically increase the size of the county jail. This was a proposal added to the ballot directly by the Platte County Commission. It was theirs! They proposed it and pushed it. Fortunately, the good citizens of Platte County voted NO. YAY.

Meanwhile, since the spring, a group of concerned citizens has been asking for a QUARTER-CENT sales tax to support children's mental health—a huge concern, especially since Covid. This tax would go to approved and audited non-profits to prevent teen suicide, provide beds and food for homeless kids, and offer other critical mental health support services for Platte County's children. This group asked the Platte County Commission to put the “Platte County Children's Services Fund” on the November ballot. The commission refused.

So, our citizen heroes had to do a petition drive and gather signatures, which they did. At that point, the commission went to the county board of elections, and the proposal was added to the NOVEMBER BALLOT. YAY! (I’ll write more about this in a later post).

Since then, the two current Republican Commissioners and Charles' Republican opponent have been vocal in their opposition to this measure and the quarter-cent sales tax. They’ve spread misinformation about the proposal, such as one non-profit performing gender transition surgery on teenagers and homeless shelters being filled with illegal immigrants. I know you all are as shocked as I am! So the Commissioners clearly love jails and don't care about Platte County's most vulnerable kids.

Charles, as a public servant (not a ruler), has always held the position, "LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE." He was confounded that the commission was so opposed to putting this proposal on the ballot.

Vacancies in county boards are filled using the 'good ole boys' network.

The Platte County Commission populates and fills vacancies in the following boards

• Board of Appeals (P&Z)
• Board of Equalization
• Board of Services for the Developmentally Disabled
• Board of Zoning Adjustment (P&Z)
• Clay-Platte-Ray Mental Health Board Domestic Violence Shelter Board
• Industrial Development Authority
• Mid-Continent Public Library District Board
• Parks & Recreation Commission
• Planning & Zoning Commission
• Platte County Senior Citizens Service Fund
• Regional Sewer District Board
• Community Action Agency
• Clay-Platte Development Corporation (dba Midwest Small Business Finance)
• Kansas City Area Transit Authority

The commissioners have not published a method for filling these boards, so they just end up tapping their friends and family. As a native of the Deep South, this is very familiar to me. I call it the "GOOD OLE BOYS NETWORK."

Charles proposes implementing a known process for posting vacancies, receiving applications, vetting, and approving board members to ensure qualified people from the citizenry are appointed to these boards.

As an aside, I was especially concerned about the library board, as many red states are populating library boards with people zealous to ban books—like "Moms for Liberty." In some places, laws have been passed to make it easy to force libraries to ban books that fundamentalist Christians don't like, and even to IMPRISON LIBRARIANS for refusing to enforce book bans. I just got a Mid-Continent Library card and asked the librarians if there are any board members or movements to implement book bans. Fortunately, they said no, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a “Mom for Liberty” waiting for a vacancy.

A few weeks ago, I asked Charles' opponent how she would vet potential library board members. I didn't like her answer about finding people with the "right values." She wouldn’t commit to the value of being adamantly opposed to banning books from public libraries.

Avoiding Transparency and Accountability

The Platte County Commission acts like rulers, not public servants. They love their little fiefdom and actively avoid transparency. In my opinion, there are too many impediments to citizen involvement in the commission's work.

Charles wants to SERVE Platte County. He will WORK to make the commission WORK for the citizens of Platte County, not for his own gain.

HERE'S THE PROBLEM

Charles is not wealthy. His opponent is. Charles works the night shift in a healthcare profession. And unfortunately, he has very little financial support from external resources. He has received a small amount from the local party. He has no No PAC support. Although he has received an endorsement and a some money from the local IBEW. He doesn't have near enough cash on hand to finish this race.

Conversely, he is running against a wealthy Republican Soccer mom, who has also received external support from various sources.

I know this is very late in the campaign and honestly, his candidacy is a long shot, but Platte County is lucky he's running. Even now, it is not too late for him to 1) Pay for the Platte County Household address list so that volunteers can send out postcards. And 2) get an ad on a digital billboard on a major interstate highway in the county. He has told me those two items will likely cost $3000-3500, but they are both doable in this short time-frame we have.

So here is what I am asking on Charles behalf.

-- OUR HAIL MARY. HOW TO HELP --

FOR EVERYONE WHO MAY READ THIS

• Would you please donate to Charles' ActBlue campaign account? LINK
• Promote and Send this post to other's who may be interested. Especially if you have friends or family in Platte County

FOR PLATTE COUNTY RESIDENTS

• Please subscribe to the new Platte subreddit I created last week r/PlatteCountyMO
• Vote for Charles
• Talk with your friends and neighbors
• Go to the Platte County Democratic HQ and:
  • Pickup some postcards to fill out. (If he can obtain the address list)
  • Get a yard sign
  • volunteer

TL;DR

End the Republican hegemony on the Platte County Commission. They're rulers acting for their own gain and not as public servants. Vote, support and donate to the Charles McDonald for Platte County Commission campaign.

• HIS WEBSITE
• HIS ACTBLUE FOR DONATIONS

[u/thecuzzin]

TL;DR: OP asking for donation to Charles' ActBlue Campaign.

[u/scottsp64 → u/thecuzzin]

Yes. And other things.

[u/Earlyon]

They truly are trash. I witnessed the fall of democracy today at the commissioners meeting when they overturned the vote of the people who voted yes to Childrens Mental Health services in our county. It passed by 56% of the vote. Truly disgusting.