State Auditor Sues Gov. Nixon.

State Auditor Tom Schweich announced last week that his office has filed a lawsuit in Cole County Circuit Court asserting Gov. Jay Nixon violated the Missouri Constitution and failed to utilize established accounting principles when he withheld more than $170 million from state agencies, programs and educational institutions prior to the start of the current fiscal year.

In June, the state auditor’s office announced the commencement of a regularly scheduled audit of the Missouri governor’s office. As veteran auditors (who have served multiple administrations) reviewed general accounting and fiscal practices of the governor’s office, they also reviewed the governor’s accounting procedures and alleged legal authority for more than $170 million in withheld appropriated funds. On August 19, the state auditor’s office sent a letter to the governor expressing serious concerns about the legality and financial basis for his withholds. The letter noted that neither the governor nor any budget official could provide any supporting data (spreadsheets, ledger books, cash balance sheets, projections, studies, analyses or any other data) to support the withholdings. The auditor’s office found the withholds to be contrary to the express language of Missouri Constitution as the governor made the withholdings prior to start of the current fiscal year. The Missouri Constitution states the governor can only make withholds based on current fiscal year revenue data, at which time there was none.

The withholds were made from appropriated funds for: Parents as Teachers, Bright Flight Scholarships, Medicaid, community colleges and state universities, veterinary student loans, the Missouri Film Office, community intervention programs, Area Agencies on Aging (funding partially restored), domestic violence grants (funding partially restored), children’s treatment services, the judiciary, trade zone facilities, regional port authorities, math and science tutoring, the Scholars and Fine Arts Academy, the Missouri Lottery, the Missouri Department of Transportation, the Missouri Federal and State Technology Partnership Program (MOFAST), MOHELA Projects, the Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP) Remediation, marine maintenance facility, civil detention and legal fees, Alzheimer’s grants, Access Missouri Scholarship, crisis care services (funding partially restored), the Missouri Research and Education Network (MOREnet), the Office of Child Advocate, Boonville Readiness Center, community development corporations, transportation, early grade literacy, industry training, local air pollution control, eating disorders staff & expenses, mediation and firefighter training.

The auditor also noted that the governor withheld funds from the Republican controlled legislature and the Republican auditor, but did not cut funds for his own office or any Democrat statewide elected official.

Jasper County Jail Count

198 September 2, 2011

Total Including Placed out of County

I find it useful to lose somethin’ ever now and then. Nothin’ seems ta motivate gettin’ rid of those things ya figure might come in handy some day like tryin’ ta find somethin’ ya need right now.

That old pair a roller skates that ya thought might actually be used at some point in your life suddenly becomes a startin’ place for a heap of junk. I continues with that tennis racket that needs restringin’.

If your really on a roll, you’ll find a trunk or two that will barely hold together under the load of your other "treasures" long enough to get to the curb. Havin’ an empty box always helps the motivation. Ya keep lookin’ for junk to fill it with.

The worst thing is if ya find what your lookin’ for too early in the day. At least you can still brag to how smart ya are not to throw anything out.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Weekly Column

To Your Good Health

By Paul G. Donohue, M.D.

Berries, Nuts, Popcorn and Diverticulosis

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I know you have written about diverticulosis before, but would you mind going over it again? I was hospitalized with it and had to have intravenous fluids. My brother-in-law says that wasn’t necessary. He has it, and it has never caused him any trouble. He says he’s careful about not eating nuts, seeds, popcorn and berries, and that’s all you have to do for it. I know I was in pain, and I know it wasn’t imagined. Can you clear up these issues for me? -- W.F.

ANSWER: Your brother-in-law is right about diverticulosis. It seldom causes severe pain. Diverticulosis is the formation of diverticula -- small protrusions on the outer colon wall. It’s a condition widespread in countries where refining flour is the rage. Refining gets rid of fiber, and a low-fiber diet is believed to be a major factor in the development of diverticulosis. Fiber keeps undigested food soft, moist and easily propelled through and out of the digestive tract. Without it, stool becomes hard and dry. The colon must exert great force to pass it through. That force generates diverticula formation.

You had more than diverticulosis. You had diverticulitis -- inflammation of the diverticula. Each diverticulum connects with the colon through a narrow neck. If that neck becomes obstructed, bacteria in the diverticulum multiply and cause it to swell and become most painful. Swollen diverticula break and form abscesses, which add to the pain. Most often, diverticulitis must be treated in the hospital.

At one time, people with diverticulosis were uniformly instructed to avoid nuts, seeds, popcorn, berries and similar foods in the belief that they would obstruct the neck of a diverticulum and bring on a bout of diverticulitis. That position isn’t universally adopted anymore. However, if your personal doctor tells you to avoid those and similar foods, do so. He or she knows far more about your particular condition than does someone at a word processor hundreds or thousands of miles away from you.