With the opening of filing for Missouri's presidential primary this past week, it's officially Election Time in Missouri.

Most of us complain about one aspect or another of the political election process. That seems to be the case whether it's the long (and getting longer campaigns), fundraising (stories this week of babies in diapers making campaign contributions), a negative tone to many campaigns (too many to enumerate), or just the lack of voter turnout.

Most of problems be they perceived or real â€" the earlier and longer campaigns â€" are not really new to the political process.

"Kennett's city election last Tuesday was probably the hardest fought in the history of the city, but the contests were clean, devoid of acrimony and now that it is over everyone seems to be well satisfied.

"There was little interest taken in the school election, Dr. Baldwin and Hugh Pankey having no opposition in their race for re-election to the school board, and this apathy and lack of interest came near causing an adverse vote on the proposition to increase the statutory levy for school purposes."

The school tax levy was raised from 40-cents to $1.00 per $100 of assessed valuation. The article goes on to say that in the past such levy increases had passed with wide margins.

For the most part our local elections are not of the mudslinging variety, at least publicly mudslinging. There will always be a bit of innuendo and gossip about the candidates but only rarely are there long-lasting bitter feelings that come out of a local campaign.

A large tip of the hat to the DDD"s unofficial, but much appreciated historian for passing along this tidbit as well as last week's brief about the local medical society learning about the wonders of vitamins. Both were from the Friday, April 9, 1921 edition of the Dunklin Democrat.

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Publicity

The 2006 annual report of the Missouri Foundation for Health has been released. For those of you not familiar with MFH, it is the nonprofit foundation created when Blue Cross/Blue Shield decided to become a for-profit operation. The MFH was established by Attorney General Jay Nixon who worked with BCBS officials to establish the foundation.

Speaking of politics, expect MFH and Nixon's continued involvement â€" or at least attempted involvement and influence with the foundation to be a major political issue next year.

I digress.

The foundation's report undoubtedly goes to policy makers, legislators and others with an interest in health care around the country.

On page eight of the report is a photo of Sen. Rob Mayer, along with several folks from this area who traveled to Jefferson City who represented grants funded by the foundation to this part of the state. Just for clarification, the foundation serves communities in 84 counties of the state plus St. Louis, the service area of BCBS when the change was made.

Among those whose photo appears with Sen. Mayer in the report are Shawn Sando and Raymond Gunter representing Family Counseling Center and Evelyn Pulliam representing Mission Missouri.

In 2006 the foundation awarded almost $55 million in grants, a large part of which went to agencies in the Bootheel.

I don't think Dr. Pu personally wrote the checks.

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Good news

Continuing a theme started here a few weeks ago, I came across some additional good news in government last week and this tidbit has a bit of hometown flavor to it.

The St. Louis Business Journal ran an article and editorial in praise of a man in state government who has directly been responsible for saving Missouri taxpayers approximately $150 million, and the number continues to grow. One of the first appointments by Gov. Matt Blunt was Mike Keathley to the position of director of the Office of Administration; basically that's the state's business office. Keathley is a native of Bernie, Mo., where he had run the family's business IXL Manufacturing started by his father, Bob Keathley. Bob is a member of the Southeast Missouri Woodworkers and Woodturners Club along with several local men.

In 2005 we ran a column by Gary Rust that pointed out Mike had, at that point, saved Missouri taxpayers some $30 million "through implementation of executive orders and replacing a major contract while (in most of the decisions) improving citizen services."

As noted by SBJ, the savings continue to mount. He has been able to bring about these savings by paying attention to the state's real estate holdings, both through leases and land or buildings it owns.

And, the majority of those savings come from property in and around the St. Louis area. The better news for taxpayers is that there is likely more to come.

"The next big push in the real estate review will focus on Kansas City. ‘We're looking to do exactly the same thing we did in St. Louis in Kansas City,' (Dave) Mosby, state director of facilities management, design and construction said. The state has 19 leases in the Kansas City metropolitan area that Keathley said he'd like to consolidate. The state is looking to buy two buildings totaling 100,000 square feet, in Independence and south Jackson County."

More savings in outstate?

"The state of Missouri also is looking at its real estate outside of the state's major metropolitan areas It currently leases space in Cape Girardeau and owns office buildings in Springfield and St. Joseph."

Several folks around here know Mike and also know he has been battling colon cancer for a while as well. It's nice to know that in all the jaded politicking we read about in Jefferson City that there is such a thing a a dedicated public servant. Missourians are fortunate to have one overseeing its business.