U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore is inviting high school artists from Wyandotte County and throughout the Third District of Kansas to participate in the 2010 Congressional Art Competition held April 16.

The competition, which will be held from 4-6 p.m. at the Jack Reardon Convention Center in Kansas City, Kan., will give students an opportunity to have their artwork displayed in the U.S Capitol Building in Washington D.C.

“I am always impressed by the work of the talented young artists from our district and I enjoy seeing the artwork by the Third District winner each time I walk through the Capitol walkway,” Moore said. “Our district always sends a great piece to Washington and I am excited to see what extraordinary work this year’s competition inspires.”

The winner of the contest will be awarded a scholarship to attend Savannah College of Art and Design, along with a trip for three to Washington for the reception.

All entries must be two dimensional, framed, and no larger than 30 by 30 inches on the outside of the frame and four inches in depth.

Eligible artwork for the contest can include paintings, drawings, two-dimensional collages, prints, computer-generated art and photography.

Entry forms for each student should be sent to 500 State Avenue, Suite #176, Kansas City, KS, 66101; by fax to (913) 621-1533 or by e-mail to alicia.hooks@mail.house.gov.

U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore has nominated 27 candidates within his Congressional district who are seeking to attend military service academies, two of which are from Wyandotte County.

Bonner Springs HIgh School student Jacob Barren and Piper High School student Kevin Palmer were nominated today by Moore.

“Kansas has routinely nominated outstanding candidates to become military leaders,” Moore said. “I’m confident that with such exemplary academic and leadership skills, these young people will carry on that tradition and go on to excel at their respective service academies.”

Barren is looking to attend the U.S. Naval Academy, while Palmer is looking to attend the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and/or the U.S. Naval Academy.

They are two of 52 original applications, which Moore said was a record to his office.

The Kansas City Kansan's editorial staff brainstormed the list of Wyandotte County's 10 Most Important Stories of 2009.

Here they are. Feel free to disagree with the list in the comments and provide your own list.

10. Moore announces retirement: U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore, who had served over a decade in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Wyandotte County, announced he would retire.

Since then, a number of potential candidates on both sides of the aisle have announced at least some interest in running for the seat.

On the Democratic side, Unified Government/Mayor CEO Joe Reardon and Kansas Sen. David Haley announced they would "consider" running.

A plethora of Republicans, including Kansas City, Kan., resident Daniel Gilyeat, have expressed interest in the seat.

9. New preschool in KCK: After looking at an initial downtown location for a new preschool, the Kansas City, Kan., Public Schools District settled for a location on 55th Street in between State Avenue and Parallel Parkway.

The new preschool, which will serve as the district's replacement for its preschool center at Indian Springs, will open this January.

8. Christmas Snowstorm: Wyandotte County received its highest snow total on Christmas Day in nearly 50 years and some areas across the county received a foot of snow.

The snow provided headaches across the state, as travel on highways slowed down significantly.

Still, in terms of injuries, they were mostly limited to just one incident concerning an accident at Interstate 435 and Leavenworth Road. The storm began as an ice/sleet event early on Christmas Eve and then evolved into a snowstorm. The snow continued at a slower pace the weekend after Christmas.

7. Reardon re-elected among election results: Unified Government Mayor/CEO Joe Reardon was re-elected to a second term. He won well over 80 percent of the vote against LaTosha Moore-Fradieu.

Among the other prominent election results: Mark Jones was voted off the Board of Public Utilities in favor of David Alvey and Cathy Breidenthal and Wendell Maddox were selected to fill positions on the Kansas City Kansas Community College's Board of Trustees.

6. KCK Public Schools names new superintendent: The Kansas City, Kan., Board of Education unanimously selected Cynthia Lane to fill the position of superintendent of schools once current Superintendent Jill Shackelford retires from the district next summer.

Lane has been with the school district for over 20 years. She's currently an assistant superintendent in the district.

During the past few years, Lane has been instrumental in implementing the district's Laptops for Learning program and has headed the efforts to deal with massive budget crunch state wide.

5. Nebraska Furniture Mart, Legends clash with UG over taxes: Other than the Kansas Speedway, Nebraska Furniture Mart and The Legends Shopping Center are the two most prominent tenants within Wyandotte County.

During the summer, the UG battled with the two tenants – mostly with NFM - on late tax payments.

While The Legends and the UG agreed to a full payment, the battle with NFM was a bit nastier. NFM Executive Vice President Bob Batt held a press conference inside the story denying that the store owed that much money.

But in the end, a deal was made.

Nebraska Furniture Mart agreed to pay $700,000 in property taxes from 2006, and will pay $2.1 million in back property taxes from tax years 2007 and 2008, based on its self-valuation of $30 million.

4. Plaza at the Speedway blossoms as latest western development: With chain stores like Best Buy and Walmart dominating the area, the latest shopping center is beginning to fill in at the Village West area.

3. Wizards, Cerner set for KCK: Joining the Kansas City T-Bones, the Major League Soccer's Kansas City Wizards is expected to relocate across the state to KCK, pending a STAR bond agreement with the State of Kansas.

Along with the Wizards' new stadium, located across from Nebraska Furniture Mart, is a new Cerner office campus.

The $414 million Kansas City Wizards-Cerner Office Campus project could create over 8,000 jobs, which would be largest job creation project in the history of Wyandotte County.

Once completed in 2011, the entire project will triple the number of jobs in Village West from 4,473 to 12,791. The total payroll of the Village West jobs would skyrocket to $334 million from an original $81 million figure.

Along with the office campus and soccer stadium, Wyandotte County Park would become the host of a soccer complex that would host regional and national tournaments.

Over half of the project would be funded by private entities. STAR bond revenues from Village West would fund the stadium itself.

2. Kansas Speedway selected as casino location....again: A year after the Kansas Speedway was initially selected to host Wyandotte County's casino, the speedway again won approval from the State of Kansas after re-submitting a smaller plan to the state.

The multi-phased casino will include $361.8 million casino and dining area in phase one, with a hotel and casino expansion coming in phase two of the project. Phase two will cost around $159.1 million to construct.

There will be over 2,300 slot machines, 86 table games, 100,000 square feet of gaming space and over 28,000 square feet of restaurants, clubs and night-life attractions.

Initially, the Kansas Gaming Facilities Review Board was concerned with approving the plan without a concrete plan for a hotel. But a proposed 300-room hotel was enough to win the board's approval. The hotel must be built a few years after the casino is originally constructed.

1. State, county budget crunch hits Wyandotte County: While the list mostly includes good news, the top story of the year details job losses, dollars lost and an overall budget crunch that reflects that downturn in the economy.

Every governing body in Wyandotte County faced major hurdles in dealing with the budget crunch. A look just a few:

• Unified Government: The UG implemented furloughs in 2009 and asked local unions to consider not accepting their raises. Most of them – notably the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department – voted to accept a pay freeze to prevent layoffs. A 10 percent across the board cut was also passed by UG commissioners. Overall, the UG had a loss of $15 million in state aid from Kansas.

• KCK Public Schools: Over 100 faculty jobs across the district were slashed with the loss of state aid. In addition, KCK Public Schools had to dip into its contingency fund to help stabilize finances in result to the multiple cuts announced by Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson. The district had to also increase the mill levy The situation is expected to worsen next year.

• Turner School District: A school was closed because of budget reasons.

• Edwardsville: The City attempted to pass a sales tax increase, which valued at the ballot box in a horrible voter turnout.

• All school districts could face future cuts again this spring. KCK Public Schools, Turner and the Bonner Springs School District have all joined "Schools for Fair Funding," an organization that sued the state earlier this decade for increased funding. A lawsuit is expected by area superintendents.

Kansas Sen. David Haley of Wyandotte County is considering a run to replace outgoing U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore.

Haley, a Democrat, said this afternoon that he is "seriously evaluating a bid for the Third District Congressional Seat in Kansas.

“Dennis Moore’s leadership in Congress has shown America much of what’s right with Kansas; that we here in the Heartland can indeed be socially progressive and fiscally conservative which is squarely where most Americans define themselves philosophically,” Haley said in a statement today. “By virtually ignoring political party labels, today the Third is the economic engine and in so many ways the pride of our State. We can ill afford to go backwards; to disintegrate into the confusion of yesteryear’s retrospection.”

Haley is currently a Kansas State Senator serving the Fourth District of Kansas. He is currently serving his third term in the Senate. He serves as the ranking member of both the Senate Judiciary and the Senate Public Health & Welfare committees.

Haley said his qualifications will help him with the important issues of the day.

“Assuring our national defense, affirming public safety, insuring access to suitable education and affordable healthcare, and expanding economic opportunity and job development are not untested campaign slogans for me as I seriously evaluate representing the values of this congressional District,” he said. “Should I do it, I’m confident that my record will speak for itself.”
 

Story courtesy of Mark Wiebe, Director of Public Affairs at the Wyandot Center

Not many high schoolers actually get to educate an elected official in Washington, D.C.  But in early November, several students who participate in a local AIDS prevention program got that chance.

Led by Steve Walker, PACES program manager at Wyandot Center, and Lori Dowd, faculty advisor who teaches at Bishop Ward High School, the students traveled to the nation’s capital courtesy of a $5,000 grant from the AIDS Services Foundation of Greater Kansas City.

During their Nov. 5-8 stay, they took in some of the usual sites—the monuments, the Smithsonian and the Holocaust Museum, which Walker described as a powerful experience.

But their chief purpose was to spread the word about their experiences with HIV education. As participants in BASE (Be Active in Self-Education), the five students and one young adult have been at the forefront of a program designed to increase HIV awareness among peers.

They’ve created posters, organized HIV awareness weeks at their schools and — at Turner, Schlagle and Washington high schools —have offered on-site HIV testing.

In Washington D.C., the students shared these experiences with the likes of Rep. Dennis Moore, whose Third Congressional District includes Wyandotte County. Walker said that Congressman Moore was a gracious and receptive host.

“We were expecting 15 minutes with him, and he gave us an hour,” Walker said.  “He kept saying, ‘When’s your next meeting? Do you have time?’”

Congressman Moore used the extra time to regale the students with his guitar and give them a tour of the Capitol, including a walk through the tunnel that connects the Capitol building to Congressional offices a block and a half away.

The students also shared their experiences with Dr. Timothy Harrison, an AIDS policy analyst for the Department of Health and Human Services. Walker said Dr. Harrison is always looking for innovative AIDS prevention programs. “You’re definitely on our radar,” he told the group.

The students then met representatives with the National AIDS Fund and the D.C. branch of an international marketing firm, GMMB, which recommended using social networking tools such as Facebook to spread the word about their efforts.

But when asked about the trip’s highlight, the students came back to Congressman Moore. One student told Walker, “We felt like Dennis Moore had heard us, and we left feeling like we have an advocate.”

Those in the photo: Far left – Lori Dowd, faculty advisor; far right, Steve Walker, PACES program manager; center, Congressman Dennis Moore; with student AIDS Ambassadors representing Bishop Ward, Turner, Bonner Springs and Washington High Schools.

Unified Government Mayor/CEO Joe Reardon issued the following statement on the retirement of U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore:

“Representative Dennis Moore has served the 3^rd Congressional District and the citizens of Wyandotte County well during the course of his 11 years in office.  He and his staff have been extremely responsive to their constituents and have helped the 3^rd district tremendously. He continues to be an effective leader representing the interest of Kansans in the 3^rd district.  We wish him, and his entire staff, the best of luck in their future endeavors.”

Kansas Democratic Party Chairman Larry Gates issued this statement concerning U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore's retirement. As expected, it's a little nicer than the statement released early by the Kansas Republican Party.

“Congressman Moore has dedicated his career to public service.  During the past 11 years Dennis Moore’s commitment to his constituents has been unmatched by any other member of Congress. Dennis Moore made finding common-sense solutions to tough problems his top priority. From his unwavering support of our active military and veterans, to his commitment to our children's health, education and safety Congressman Moore has been a leading advocate for the core values of the Kansas Democratic Party.”

Editor's Note: U.S. Rep Dennis Moore released a statement regarding his retirement from the U.S. House of Representatives. Here it is in full.

It has been an honor and a privilege to have been elected six times to represent the people of the Third District in the U.S. House of Representatives.  I have decided not to seek reelection in 2010.  It is time for a new generation of leadership to step forward.

I am proud of all we have accomplished since I was first elected in 1998.  I have always sought to be an active representative, engaged in the concerns and activities of our community. 

My staff of hardworking Kansans has resolved thousands of cases for constituents facing federal government-related problems and has supported my work in Washington.  I was proud to write and help enact legislation to increase death gratuity benefits for service members' families, improved R&R travel benefits for service personnel and childproof cap requirements for gasoline cans.  And I successfully worked to bring over $190 million of targeted federal funds back to our district for things like flood control, improved transportation and social services.

I served as Policy Co-Chair for the Blue Dog Coalition for two years during the first Congress in which they were part of the congressional majority. With the Blue Dogs and as a member of the House Budget Committee, I strongly supported fiscally responsible budgets and pay as you go rules. 

As a senior member of the Financial Services Committee, I became chair of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, which this year has already held seven hearings on TARP implementation and ways to strengthen financial services industry oversight, and helped lay the foundation for comprehensive regulatory reform.

I have always taken this responsibility very seriously.  A public office is a public trust.  This has been the most exciting and frustrating job I have ever had. 

Exciting because of the opportunities to do the right thing for our people, especially those who most need our support.  Frustrating because of the strident partisanship which too often distracts Congress from squarely addressing the critical issues of our time.

The current year has been the most intense and busy of my tenure.  We have spent long hours struggling over detailed, controversial and far-reaching legislative proposals to reform health insurance, control global warming, and stimulate the economy, along with financial services regulatory reform. Yes, it is tiring. 

But I have always sought to represent the moderate mainstream of the district, which I hope now will host a robust competition between the two parties to fill this congressional seat. 

As the first Democrat elected to represent this district in 40 years back in 1998, I know that there didn't used to be partisan competition in northeast Kansas. This progress is good for democracy and important in ensuring that all voices are heard.

I will remain fully engaged in my job until the end of 2010 and anticipate a smooth transition with my successor. 

My sincere thanks to the voters of the Third District, to my wonderful wife Stephene, our family, my friends, staff and congressional colleagues for making this unique opportunity for public service possible.

In light of today's news regarding U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore (D-KS), I thought it would be interesting to do a second poll today looking back on his time in Congress. Feel free to comment as well.

Amanda L. Adkins, chairwoman of the Kansas Republican Party, released the following statement on the retirement of U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore (D-KS).

"President Obama and Nancy Pelosi’s agenda is dangerous for the country and giving Democrats in Washington unchecked powers is unsafe for America.  Voters in the 3rd District are very aware that Dennis Moore’s record of voting with Speaker Pelosi and Democratic leadership 98% of the time is out of touch with their values.
 
"The Republican Party is always looking forward.  I am confident that we will put forth a candidate who is focused on the needs of Kansans.  At this time of economic uncertainty, Republicans know the importance of a pro-growth, pro-business agenda to families in our Great State."

The Kansas City Star is reporting this morning that U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore will not seek re-election in 2010.

A Democrat, Moore has served multiple terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from the Third District of Kansas, which includes all of Wyandotte County. In the article, The Star speculates that Moore's support of President Barack Obama's health care bill and other agenda items has made him vulnerable.

There's been no official announcement yet from Moore's office.

UPDATE: The Politico national publication has a story and a quote from Moore's office confirming his retirement.

If the decision was not health related, this could be another sign that 2010 could be a very rough election cycle for Democrats around the country.

From The Politico:

Moore spokesman Brandon Naylor said that Moore will "not be running for re-election" and will be issuing a statement explaining his decision later today. 

Moore, a leading Blue Dog Democrat, was already facing the likelihood of a tough re-election, given his votes for the stimulus, cap-and-trade energy legislation and the Democrats’ health care bill – all of which would be a tough sell in a swing Kansas City-area district. Moore wasn’t facing any serious GOP competition, but Republican recruiters were looking to land a top challenger in the race.

President Obama carried Moore’s district with 51 percent of the vote, but former President Bush won it with 55 percent in 2004.

Ever since he was elected, Republicans have worked to oust Moore to little avail. Moore won 56 percent of the vote in last year’s election against a highly-touted Republican challenger, state senator Nick Jordan. And in other years, Republicans been hampered by divisive primaries pitting a down-the-line conservative against a more moderate candidate.

EDITOR's NOTE: This is a guest column from U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore on the health care reform issue.

The House of Representatives will soon be voting on landmark legislation to reform our severely flawed health care system.  H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, will ensure health coverage for over 96% of American citizens and end abusive practices by some in the insurance industry.
 
I will be voting for this bill because it addresses the issues of affordability, fiscal responsibility, quality and choice.  We can no longer afford to do nothing.  We must meet this challenge head-on.
 
This bill will not only dramatically improve the health care system for those who already have insurance they like and want to keep, it benefits those who don’t have insurance now.  I want to update you on the parts of this reform that will affect you.
 
H.R. 3962 will place limits on insurance companies that indiscriminately drop individuals for pre-existing conditions, allowing the insurer to look only at the last 30 days for a pre-existing condition, instead of the current 6 month standard. Ultimately there will be a complete ban on the practice.
 
Additionally, health insurers will no long be able to rescind coverage.  This happens when individuals are dropped from their insurance policies as a way for the insurer to avoid paying for treatment when a policyholder gets sick.
 
Similarly, insurance companies currently have limits on the maximum lifetime pay-out for policyholders.  This practice will be banned, allowing a continuity of care.
 
The legislation will begin to close the Medicare Part D “donut hole” immediately.  Effective January 1, 2010, $500 per enrollee from Medicare will be used to shrink the prescription drug donut hole, closing the gap completely in 2019.
 
Medicare beneficiaries will also have the opportunity to reap the benefits of negotiated rates on name brand prescriptions as a result of these reforms, reducing the overall cost spent on medication every month.  I have advocated this reform throughout my service in Congress.  There will be NO cuts in benefits for Medicare enrollees.
 
The age ceiling for dependents would increase to 26, so parents can decide if they would like to extend their coverage to young adults.  This is a particularly important provision given the number of young adults who lack health care after they leave college, but before they get a job.
 
This reform also provides for a “public option”, which extends basic, affordable health care to the 47,000 residents of our district who are uninsured, which ultimately reduces costs for their neighbors who now have insurance.  The option will be available in a new health insurance exchange, where the uninsured and small employers will be able to comparison shop for standardized health packages.
 
With the implementation of a public option, we will reduce our deficit by $30 billion over the next 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.  Put simply, we will be spending less on health care, which saves our country money.  We will drive down premiums and provide affordable coverage.
 
Especially in these tough economic times, we should be doing everything we can to reduce the financial burden on middle class Americans, which is why households making less than $1 million will not see their taxes increase to pay for this program. Additional revenues come from meaningful crackdowns on excessive payments of your tax dollars to certain categories of Medicare providers. 
 
This plan is fully paid for, so it will not add to our debt.  We cannot begin to get the deficit under control without tackling the challenge of health care.
 
I know that many have questions about this proposal and would like to read or review a detailed summary of it.  These documents and other background materials are available at my website: http://www.moore.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=35&sectiontree=6,35.

UPDATE: An organization sympathetic to the Democratic Party has linked the poll on Facebook. Although I do enjoy the increased traffic because of it, I thought it would be appropriate to make note of it.

(And yes, I would do the same if a poll on a Republican Party member was linked.)

Patricia Lightner, a former Republican State Representative who's running for the Kansas Third District Congressional seat, criticized current U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore (D-KS) today following a vote to retain Rep. Charlie Rangel as the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Lightner, who's facing competition in the Republican Party primary, wasted no time in going after Moore following the vote.

"In this time of economic struggle where Americans are facing strains on their pocketbooks, we should expect that our leaders in Congress would want a suspected tax cheat removed as Chairman of the committee that writes tax law," she said. "Dennis Moore had a chance for a common sense vote. Instead, Dennis Moore sided with power and sidestepped the issue."

Rangel – of New York – has been under tax evasion investigation and for "preferential mortgage treatment" during his time at his position.

There was a proposal to remove Rangel from his position because of the investigations. Today it was announced that Rangel would have a primary opponent in 2010. 

 

After an early morning filled with rain and thunderstorms, one flood control project in Wyandotte County became $2.82 million richer today.

U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore (D-KS) announced that the Turkey Creek Flood control project will receive $2.82 million of federal funding.

“I’m always pleased to return the taxpayers’ money to them through federal investments in worthy projects,” Moore said.  “ I am particularly pleased that we are continuing construction of the Turkey Creek flood control project and that funds are included to begin building the long-awaited “Seven Levees” project.”

Other projects funded in the $4.17 million package: $556,00 for a Missouri River degradation study; $486,000 for the Seven Levees" project, $217,000 for continuation of the Brush Creek Basin flood control study and $90,000 for the continuation of the Upper Turkey Creek flood control study.

“We can never fully prepare for severe weather but improving our readiness for flooding will better protect families and businesses in the Kansas City area," Moore added.

The funds were included in H.R. 3138, which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives by a 308-114 vote. The U.S. Senate will consider the bill next week and will arrive on President Obama's desk soon.