Missouri’s top veterans official says the Veterans Administration is in crisis again. Executive director Hal Dulle of the state veterans commission says too many veterans have to wait too long to be accepted in the Veterans Administration system and then have to wait too long to get the medical help they need. He says, his office works to get veterans to file for their benefits but the VA lacks the personnel to handle the paperwork efficiently. Dulle says the system isn’t broken. He says it just doesn’t have enough people to handle the increased number of veterans applying for services. The heavy burden is caused by an influx of Gulf war veterans seeking benefits at the same time many Vietnam veterans have decided after 40 years of not being involved…to sign up. But once the paperwork is processed and the veteran is in the system—-there’s a lack of doctors. Dulle says part of that problem is that the VA has limited funds…and in a competitive world, the VA has trouble paying enough to keep the specialists the veterans want to see from going into private practice. Dulle thinks the VA needs to contract for outside doctors, or with state healthcare programs, to provide services until the organization is caught up. He says some of his colleagues disagree, though, and want the VA to stay an integrated network with its own employees.
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VA in Crisis
PSC Chairman Defends Actions in Merger Case
Public Service Commission Chairman Jeff Davis, under fire for what some claim was an improper meeting with a utility executive, defends himself, telling the Missourinet he did nothing wrong.
Davis has met with Senator Maida Coleman (D-St. Louis) the top Democrat in the Senate who wants a public hearing on the private meeting Davis had with an Aquila executive involved in a proposed utility merger with Kansas City Power and Light. Davis met with Aquila CEO Richard Green in January. Davis tells the Missourinet the law allows such meetings as long as the PSC isn’t hearing a case. When we pressed him on the issue, noting that he knew the case would soon be before the PSC, Davis stuck with his insistence that he didn’t do anything wrong under current state law.
Davis says he never promised Green that the merger would go through. He says he only promised Green that the merger proposal would get a fair hearing and that the PSC would give a "yes" or a "no" to it. The merger would total $1.7 billion. It has had its first hearing before the PSC and utility executives have stated they will submit a revised proposal next month.
Davis has since recused himself from the case. He says his decision to step down from the case had nothing to do with calls from both Governor Blunt and Attorney General Nixon to recuse himself. Davis says he made the decision before he knew of calls made by Blunt and Nixon.
Davis has scheduled his own hearing on January 7th in which changes can be proposed to tighten PSC ethics codes. Public Counsel Lewis Mills, the consumer advocate before the PSC, has submitted proposed changes. Davis says he wants to hear from anyone with suggestions and he hopes to deliver a proposal to the Senate by mid-January.
Retailers Brace for Post-Christmas Shoppers
The day after Christmas is traditionally a busy one at shops and malls throughout the state as the presents that are too large or too small are returned … and people who got gift cards or those who are simply searching for bargains head to the stores. Missouri Retailers Association President David Overfelt expects a lot of customer traffic Wednesday on the heels of what might be described as a less than busy shopping season heading into Christmas.
Overfelt says the day after Christmas, which is a holiday known as Boxing Day in Great Britain and Canada, usually features big sales in those countries. And, he expects the same here because of what he says was a bit of a lull in sales leading up to Christmas.
Overfelt says in addition to people exchanging gifts, a major part of the activity today and in the coming days will be from people redeeming gift cards, which are becoming a major Christmas gift item.
Pinkel Gets Contract Extension
From Missouri Athletic Department: www.mutigers.com
The University of Missouri and Head Football Coach Gary Pinkel have agreed to terms on a new five-year contract that will keep Pinkel on the Tiger sideline through the 2012 season. The new deal, as announced by Director of Athletics Mike Alden, comes on the heels of Mizzou’s historic 2007 season that saw the Tigers win 11 regular-season games for the first time in school history, and reach number one in the rankings for the first time since 1960 (and for only the second time ever). The new deal runs through Dec. 31, 2012, and replaces Pinkel’s previous contract, which was set to have expired Dec. 31, 2011. 
(picture courtesy of Bill Greenblatt, UPI)
Pinkel, in his seventh year at Mizzou, has the Tigers at 11-2 currently, and playing in the Cotton Bowl for only the second time in school history, when they take on Arkansas, Jan. 1, in Dallas, Texas. The only school in 2007 to defeat two BCS bowl teams (Illinois and Kansas), Mizzou won its first-ever Big 12 Conference North Division championship this season under Pinkel’s direction, and those exploits won him Big 12 co-Coach-of-the-Year accolades, as well as runner-up Associated Press national coach of the year honors.
The upcoming Cotton Bowl appearance will mark the program’s fourth bowl game in the last five years under Pinkel’s guidance. The `Dean’ of Big 12 North coaches, Pinkel is 48-37 at MU and 121-74-3 in 17 seasons overall, with his 48 wins ranking as third-most in MU history.
Under terms of the new agreement, Pinkel, 55, will receive a guarantee of $1.85 million per year, including a base salary of $280,000. The new guarantee represents an increase of $550,000 from the previous yearly guarantee of $1.3 million, while the base is $25,000 more than the previous figure.
KC Man Charged in October Murder
A Kansas City man has been charged with murder and assault in an October shooting death police say came during a dispute over five dollars. 26-year-old Derrick Peace has been charged with killing Phillip Pleasant October 10th. Pleasant’s body was found inside a car parked on the front yard of a house. A 30-year-old woman was found in the backseat, wounded from a gunshot to the face. Witnesses told police two women were arguing over five dollars. Peace and Pleasant then began fighting. Witnesses allege Peace then shot Pleasant and one of the women.
