Monday, March 16, 2026

waste of time and money

The Capital Improvement Project Summary (Project #2008000) outlines a major street reconstruction for SW Huntoon Street from Gage Road to Harrison Street in Shawnee County. Identified back in 2010 by the Joint Economic Development Organization (JEDCO), the project is funded entirely through the Countywide Sales Tax with an initial local budget of $185,000 and a total estimated cost reaching $18.5 million. The scope could range from a basic mill-and-overlay with patching to a full reconstruction that includes new curbing, lighting, sidewalks, bike lanes, and shared-use paths. An RFP is currently being developed to hire a consultant, with public engagement and conceptual planning slated for 2024, design in 2025, right-of-way and utility work in 2026, and construction stretching from 2027 through 2029.
Given where we are today with our local budgets and pressing priorities—tight revenues, rising inflation, and critical needs in core services like public safety, roads maintenance, and essential infrastructure repairs—this project simply makes no sense to be advancing right now. Pouring millions into what amounts to a luxury "quality-of-life" upgrade on one street, complete with bike lanes and tree trimming, feels wildly out of step when everyday roads are crumbling and taxpayers are already stretched thin. It's hard to justify moving forward with conceptual plans and consultant hiring in 2024 when so many other county responsibilities are falling behind.


Undeniable Soros Funding Pipeline to Loud Light Kansas: The IRS 990 Proof They Cannot Deny

Loud Light claims to be a homegrown, nonpartisan Kansas group just “turning up democracy” for young people. That story falls apart the moment you open the public IRS tax filings. Loud Light (EIN 81-0798700) and its 501(c)(4) political arm have taken more than one million dollars through a direct, documented chain that starts with George Soros’ Open Society Foundations and ends in their Topeka P.O. Box. Every number below comes straight from ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer and the organizations’ own IRS Form 990 Schedule I filings—records anyone can pull up and verify right now.

Here is the unbreakable chain:

Alliance for Youth Organizing (EIN 46-2465621) sent Loud Light $175,585 in a single recent tax year. The grant is listed word-for-word on Alliance for Youth Organizing’s own 990 filing: “LOUD LIGHT INC, PO BOX 4045, TOPEKA, KS 66604, EIN 81-0798700, 501(c)(3), 175,585.” That exact line appears in the public record on ProPublica.

From 2020 through 2024, the same Alliance for Youth Organizing sent Loud Light a total of $755,085. Loud Light’s own filings and CauseIQ summaries confirm the running total. Their 501(c)(4) arm, Loud Light Civic Action, pulled in an additional $267,490 from the related Alliance for Youth Action.

Loud Light is an official state affiliate of the Alliance for Youth Action network. They are listed on the national group’s own website and materials as one of their partner organizations. This is not a loose connection—it is a formal relationship.

Now the top of the pipeline: The Alliance for Youth Organizing and Alliance for Youth Action have received millions directly from George Soros’ Open Society Foundations and Soros-linked entities. Kansas researcher Earl F. Glynn (WatchDogLab Substack) tracked the upstream grants using the same public 990s and Open Society’s own grant database. Soros money flows Open Society Foundations → Alliance groups → Loud Light. Additional layers include the Tides Foundation (which sent Loud Light $115,000 in 2024 alone plus $302,500 cumulatively) and Arabella Advisors’ dark-money funds (Windward Fund, New Venture Fund, etc.), which poured at least $1.8 million into Kansas groups in 2024—including Loud Light’s share for voter work. Arabella entities themselves received tens of millions from Soros nonprofits in the years immediately before.

This is not speculation. These are the exact dollar amounts, EINs, and grant descriptions sitting in the IRS database today.

What does Loud Light do with the Soros-tied cash? They use it to:

  • File lawsuits against Kansas election laws (co-plaintiff with Kansas Appleseed in the 2025 SB 4 mail-ballot deadline case)
  • Attack Rep. Pat Proctor and other Republicans for pushing voter integrity bills
  • Produce weekly legislative hit pieces that call conservative leaders “conspiracy peddlers”
  • Run youth voter registration and turnout operations that target low-turnout districts while opposing every reform that makes elections more secure

The same organization that takes Soros money through these national pass-throughs then lectures Kansans about “foreign billionaires” having no place in our politics. The hypocrisy is on paper for anyone to see.

There is no direct wire from George Soros’ personal checking account to Loud Light’s account—that would be illegal for a 501(c)(3). Instead, Soros built the exact layered system we see here: Open Society Foundations funds the national alliances, the alliances fund the state groups, and the state groups do the political work. Every link in that chain is documented in public tax returns.

Loud Light cannot deny this. The grants are listed by name, address, and EIN in black and white on ProPublica. Earl F. Glynn’s WatchDogLab reports, the Kansas Informer coverage, and the organizations’ own filings all line up on the same numbers. If they want to prove it is false, they can release every grant they have received since 2018 with the original donor names and amounts. They will not do that—because the trail leads straight back to Soros.

This is the proof-positive connection. Soros money is in Loud Light’s bank account, funding their lawsuits, their attacks on Republican legislators, and their efforts to loosen Kansas election rules. The records do not lie. Real Kansans deserve to know exactly who is paying the bills when these groups show up at the Capitol or the courthouse. The paper trail is wide open.



Loud Light's Specific Soros Pipeline (Ongoing)

 Soros Funding in Kansas: The Dark Money Pipeline Targeting Elections, Voter Turnout, and Legislative Battles

Kansas conservatives, led by Rep. Pat Proctor, have long warned about the "Axis of Ballot Harvesting" — groups like Loud Light, Kansas Appleseed, and allied organizations that sue commonsense election reforms while hiding behind nonprofit status. The money trail confirms it: George Soros and his Open Society Foundations (OSF) don't write direct checks to most Kansas groups anymore, but their network funnels millions through dark-money intermediaries (Arabella Advisors funds, Tides Foundation, Alliance for Youth Organizing/Action). This cash powers voter mobilization, election lawsuits (like the 2025 fight to count mail ballots a week late), and progressive advocacy in a red state.

Here's the documented picture, drawn from IRS 990 filings analyzed by Kansas researcher Earl F. Glynn (WatchDogLab Substack) and reporting from Kansas Informer (updated through early 2026):

2024 Peak Inflows via Soros-Linked Dark Money Networks

  • Arabella Advisors Ecosystem (New Venture Fund, Hopewell Fund, Sixteen Thirty Fund, North Fund, Windward Fund): At least $1.8 million flowed to 15 Kansas nonprofits. Soros' OSF and related entities poured over $43 million into these exact Arabella funds in 2023 alone (including $10M+ for "Free Election Fund" efforts). Key Kansas recipients and purposes:
    • Loud Light (and its Civic Action arm): Part of the haul for voter registration, turnout drives targeting youth/underrepresented voters, legislative monitoring, and lawsuits against voting reforms.
    • Kansas Civic Engagement Table: $138,000 – coordinates "inclusive democracy" advocacy and GOTV.
    • Blueprint Kansas (KSVotes.org): $62,500 – voter engagement focused on Democratic-leaning turnout.
    • Kansas Latino Community Network: $113,000+ – voter registration and civic empowerment.
    • Mainstream Civic Engagement: $108,000 – nonpartisan (in name) GOTV.
    • Abortion-focused: Aria Medical ($409k), Trust Women ($454k), Kansans for Constitutional Freedom ($50k).
    • Others: Bluestem Foundation, Kansas Interfaith Action.
  • Tides Foundation & Tides Advocacy: $1 million across 8 grants to Kansas groups in 2024, explicitly tied to "Integrated Voter Engagement."
    • Loud Light: $115,000 – expanding voter access, challenging barriers, monitoring legislation.
    • Kansas Latino Community Network: $15,000 – voter education/turnout.
    • The Voter Network (Overland Park): $185,000 – relational organizing for GOTV.
    • Alacrity Institute: $500,000 – electoral reform advocacy (fusion voting).
    • Others for civic engagement in Wichita, Merriam, etc.

Loud Light's Specific Soros Pipeline (Ongoing)

Loud Light has received over $1 million in Soros-tied funding since 2020:

  • $755,085 (2020–2024) from Alliance for Youth Organizing (heavily OSF-funded).
  • $267,490 to Loud Light Civic Action from Alliance for Youth Action (another $2.6M+ direct from OSF entities).
  • Additional $115,000 from Tides in 2024 alone, plus shares of the Arabella $1.8M wave. This directly supports their lawsuits (e.g., joining Appleseed in May 2025 to overturn SB 4's Election Day mail-ballot deadline) and weekly legislative recaps attacking GOP priorities.

Kansas Appleseed and Broader Election Lawfare

  • Kansas Appleseed Center for Law and Justice: Direct $50,000 from Soros' Foundation to Promote Open Society + $155,950 from Tides. Uses "nutrition/public-health cover" for voter-turnout campaigns and co-sues over mail ballots and voter data access.
  • These groups (with Disability Rights Center of Kansas) filed the 2025 lawsuit against Secretary of State Scott Schwab to reinstate a 7-day grace period for mail ballots — classic "ballot harvesting" protection funded by the same networks.

Funding Contraction in 2025–2026 (But the Pipeline Persists)

OSF underwent major upheaval under new leadership (Alex Soros). Nationwide:

  • Grants dropped from 2,166 ($1.1B) in 2023 to just 839 ($670M) in 2024 — a 40%+ cut.
  • Kansas Left groups like Loud Light and Appleseed saw fewer direct OSF wires, shifting more reliance to Arabella/Tides dark money and Alliance pass-throughs.
  • Still, the 2024 inflows (pre-contraction) fueled ongoing 2025–2026 fights over voting rules, abortion amendments, and rural outreach via the Soros-backed Rural Democracy Initiative.


Bottom Line for Kansas Conservatives This isn't philanthropy — it's a coordinated effort to import out-of-state billionaire influence into Kansas elections. Rep. Pat Proctor was right: the "Axis of Ballot Harvesting" (Loud Light, Appleseed, ACLU Kansas allies) rakes in Soros-tied millions to sue every integrity reform we pass while claiming "nonpartisan" status. Kansas voters see the pattern — low-turnout rural and young voters get targeted, lawsuits tie up the Secretary of State's office, and progressive causes advance on foreign-influenced cash.

All figures are public in 990 filings (ProPublica, WatchDogLab analyses). The flow continues through layered nonprofits to obscure the source, but the impact hits Kansas ballots directly. If Loud Light and company want transparency, they should disclose every upstream dollar instead of attacking those who connect the dots. Real Kansans reject this dark money takeover of our democracy.

Rep. Pat Proctor Was Right All Along: Loud Light's Soros Ties Prove the "Conspiracy" Is Real

From a conservative Republican standpoint in Kansas, Loud Light's latest Week 9 legislative recap is nothing but textbook left-wing activist spin — selective, alarmist, and designed to scare young voters while smearing Republican majorities for doing their jobs: protecting free speech, election integrity, fiscal sanity, and the sanctity of life.

Loud Light has a long track record of progressive advocacy (opposing voter ID reforms, pushing expanded mail ballots, and defending abortion access). So it's no surprise they twisted every conservative priority into a "conspiracy" or "attack." But their hit piece on House Elections Chair Rep. Pat Proctor is especially rich. They accused him of "peddling conspiracies" for pointing out that a Jewish philanthropist and foreign billionaires (clearly referencing George Soros and his network) fund Kansas media and organizations to undermine election security reforms.

Rep. Proctor was spot on — and the public record proves it.

Loud Light has received over $1 million in Soros-linked funding through national progressive pipelines. They got $755,085 from the Alliance for Youth Organizing (2020–2024), which itself took $495,000 directly from Soros' Open Society Foundations. Their 501(c)(4) arm pulled in another $267,490 from the related Alliance for Youth Action, which received $2.6 million+ from Soros entities. Additional hundreds of thousands flowed through the Tides Foundation and Arabella Advisors' dark-money funds (Windward Fund, New Venture Fund) — the exact networks conservative watchdogs like Earl F. Glynn at WatchDogLab have documented laundering Soros money into Kansas voter-mobilization groups.

Even as Soros' Open Society Foundations cut back direct U.S. grants in 2024–2025 amid internal upheaval, the money trail to Loud Light and similar outfits like Kansas Appleseed remains clear in IRS filings. Rep. Proctor has repeatedly called this out, labeling Loud Light part of the "Axis of Ballot Harvesting" that hides behind nonprofit status while raking in millions to sue commonsense election reforms. Loud Light's own attacks on him in committee and on social media just confirm they're feeling the heat.



Now let's break down the rest of their biased recap, without the emotional language:

The Kirk Act (SB 419) — Actually a Free Speech Victory, Not "Restriction" Senate President Ty Masterson used legitimate leadership authority to revive and advance the Kansas Intellectual Rights and Knowledge (KIRK) Act after the Turnaround deadline. This bill isn't about restricting college student protests and debates — it's the exact opposite. Named after conservative icon Charlie Kirk (tragically assassinated in 2025), it protects students from university censorship of political, ideological, or religious speech on taxpayer-funded campuses. It gives them the right to sue when left-wing administrators silence conservative voices. Masterson was right to prioritize it. Loud Light calls protecting speech "suppression" because their side benefits from the current imbalance.

Budget Update (HB 2434 + SB 315) — GOP Trying to Clean Up Decades of Overspending The House and Senate are in conference on the budget — their one constitutional duty. Loud Light whines about "depleting the state general fund," but ignores that Kansas Republicans have passed balanced budgets, cut taxes, and resisted Democrat big-government demands. Proposals to decrease revenue? That's tax relief so families and businesses keep more of their own money. The real problem is structural overspending from past liberal policies and court mandates. Expect a final budget with accountability and restraint — not blank checks for progressive pet projects.

Anti-Abortion Movement Bills — Standing for Life, Not "Fake Clinics" HB 2635 protects real crisis pregnancy centers that offer free ultrasounds, counseling, diapers, and adoption help to women in crisis. It shields them from harassment and forced abortion referrals. These centers serve thousands of Kansas women who choose life — they're not "deceptive fake clinics."

SCR 1623 (Value Them Both 2.0) would amend the Kansas Constitution to affirm that life from conception is an inalienable right. This responds to the activist Supreme Court's 2019 invention of a broad abortion right. It's about restoring balance and letting the people decide. Tying it to one consultant is a cheap smear. Conservatives believe life begins at conception — this puts principle in the Constitution where it belongs.

Bottom Line Loud Light's recap isn't journalism — it's advocacy meant to rally their base and smear leaders like Rep. Pat Proctor, Senate President Ty Masterson, and Speaker Dan Hawkins. These men are exercising majority power the way voters elected them to: advancing bills that protect speech, secure elections, control spending, and defend the unborn.

The "crises" Loud Light invents are just conservative governance in a red state. Kansas voters rejected the progressive agenda in 2022 and keep electing Republican majorities for a reason. Bills like these strengthen our state — free campuses, honest elections, responsible budgets, and a culture that values life.

If Loud Light truly wants to "turn up democracy," they should debate the merits instead of smearing leaders and hiding their Soros-tied funding. Real Kansans see through it.

— In strong support of Rep. Pat Proctor and Kansas election integrity.

Fw: I want to help you



Henry McClure
785.383.9994 

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From: Holistic SMB Expo <holisticsmbexpo@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, March 16, 2026 4:39:01 PM
To: Henry McClure <mcre13@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: I want to help you
 
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today.  I did speak with Mr. Baylor also.  I am attaching a flyer for our event so you can see what we have barely managed to do.  I am getting the copy to Mr. Baylor after this email.  He spoke to me about writing as well and that no one is doing the horoscopes right now as the person doing them before has moved.  We spoke briefly about it.  I will give it serious thought.  It might be time for me to do something different and rewarding.   The store address is 708 SW Gage Blvd.  Amethyst Treasures.  I will be opening my own store later this year.  More like a little gift shop with eclectic items.  

The store owner's name is Sherry Hill.  I am there on Tuesday Afternoons about 2 and they close at 5, and Thursdays 1 to 5.  I look forward to meeting with you when time allows.  Whatever suggestions and help you would like to provide I would welcome and treasure.  I will be sending info on Facebook.  My name on there is Ayanna Munoz-Jackson Hatcher.  I will connect on X as well.  Thank you so much.  

Respectfully,

Julie Hatcher

On Mon, Mar 16, 2026 at 2:06 PM Henry McClure <mcre13@gmail.com> wrote:
Call Charles 

**At least 7 donors (or donor groups) in Spencer L. Duncan's pre-general campaign finance report (covering July 25–Oct 23, 2025) have direct ties to GO Topeka and/or the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce.**

These organizations are closely linked—they operate together under the **Greater Topeka Partnership** (same address: 719 S Kansas Ave Suite 100, Topeka, KS 66603). GO Topeka is the economic development arm focused on business growth and opportunities, while the Chamber handles advocacy and policy. No standalone "GO Topeka" entity appears as a donor, but the ecosystem (including the Chamber PAC and Partnership board/leadership) shows clear support.


Here are the confirmed related donors from the Schedule A pages you provided (with dates, amounts, and ties):


1. **Greater Topeka Chamber PAC** — $2,000 (09/25/25, Page 3 of report)  

   Direct donation from the Chamber's political action committee (same address as the Partnership). They also publicly endorsed Duncan.


2. **Dr. Shekhar & Jayashree Challa** (listed as Doctor) — $500 + $1,500 = **$2,000 total** (09/24/25 and 10/16/25)  

   Dr. Challa serves as Chair of the Chairs Council / board leadership for the Greater Topeka Partnership.


3. **Amanda Chavez-Thomson** (General Manager) — $250 (10/14/25, Page 5)  

   Chamber Chair and board member of the Greater Topeka Partnership.


4. **John Dicus** (Executive) — $400 (10/09/25, Page 8)  

   Past Board Chair of the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce and active Partnership board member (often tied to Capitol Federal).


5. **Marlou Wegener** — $100 (09/23/25, Page 2/3)  

   Elected Director on the Greater Topeka Partnership board (also recognized with Partnership awards).


6. **Impact Marketing Group** (Consulting) — $200 (10/16/25, Page 7)  

   Listed as a strategic investor/partner with the Greater Topeka Partnership.


7. **Curtis Sneden** — $100 (08/04/25, Page 1)  

   Former President/leader of the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce.


**Additional notes on potential ties** (not as direct/confirmed as the above):  

- Natalie Haag (General Counsel, $100 on 10/09/25) has Chamber PAC leadership ties.  

- Several business/development donors (e.g., Abraham SN LLC $1,000, Morse Inc. $500, FYPM LLC $1,000, Bellaire Center $500, Capitol Advantage $100) are pro-growth entities that typically engage with GO Topeka's economic development programs, but lack explicit board/PAC-level connections in quick checks.


These 7+ represent strong backing from Topeka's business, economic development, and leadership community—totaling several thousand dollars in itemized contributions. This aligns with Duncan's pro-business platform. The full report shows total receipts of **$35,741.40** (with Duncan's own loans/self-funding via Schedule D at ~$32,800).


If you'd like me to cross-check any specific donor name further, pull more details on a particular page, or look into expenditures (Schedule C) for context, just let me know!














starting at the top

1. The Obvious Conflict: Sitting on Boards That Dole Out Dough While His Bank Benefits
Dicus is (or was) the Treasurer of the Greater Topeka Partnership (GTP), the umbrella overlord of GO Topeka, where he's got his mitts on how JEDO sales tax funds get allocated. As Treasurer, he's essentially the money minder for the group that approves millions in incentives—funds that could (and do) boost real estate projects his bank loves to loan against. CapFed has "snagged JEDO-style incentives" for its own branch expansions in the past (think property tax breaks or site development grants in the 2010s-2020s, per local economic reports). Wrong? It's like being the referee in a game where your team keeps scoring—technically legal if disclosures are made, but GTP's "conflict policy" is about as enforceable as a pinky promise. Critics in local forums (like that "Exposing City of Topeka Corruption" group on Facebook) call it out: Dicus handles the treasury while his bank pals (like Beth Easter from INTRUST) oversee GO Topeka incentives. How convenient that public funds prop up developments that need... bank loans!
2. Family Empire on the Public Teat: CapFed's Legacy of Incentives
CapFed's a $9B+ beast, handed down from dad (John C. Dicus, former CEO), and John's been at the helm since 2003. Side hustles? None needed when the main gig includes tapping economic perks. Searches turn up CapFed getting indirect boosts from JEDO/GTP deals—e.g., financing for downtown revitalizations or university tie-ins (he's on the Kansas Board of Regents, overseeing state schools that snag economic grants). In 2016, he was quoted in a GTP business mag praising "quality of life" initiatives funded by... our sales taxes. Wrong? When your bank's expansions get subsidized (historical incentives for branches in Topeka area, per old JEDO minutes), and you're voting on similar handouts for your network, it's insider trading without the stock—cronyism pure and simple. No wonder the tax base hasn't broadened; the "growth" stays in the family.
3. Lobbyist Ties and the Echo Chamber of Influence
Those Facebook exposés (from groups like yours, Henry) tie Dicus to lobbyist Scott Heidner, who's knee-deep in Topeka's power plays. Heidner's firm reps interests that overlap with GTP's agenda, and with Dicus on multiple boards (finance orgs, regents), it's a web of back-scratching. In 2018, Dicus testified in support of Senate Bill 433, backing a $100k investment in "The Brew Bank" via a GO Topeka-style contest—nothing illegal, but it shows him leveraging his position for "investments" that align with chamber vibes. Wrong? It's the classic "public service" mask for private gain—lobbyists and bankers deciding how our $125M+ in JEDO "gifts" over 25 years get sliced, often to connected firms, while population flatlines and the $15M shortfall looms. If that's not wrong, why hide behind vague disclosures?
4. The Bigger "Wrong": No Accountability in the System He Helps Run
Audits for JEDO/GTP are clean on paper (no fraud flagged), but they don't probe performance or ethics—did CapFed's incentives create broad growth, or just more assets under Dicus's watch? As a regents board member, he influences university funding that ties into GTP's "talent attraction" (more subsidies!), creating a loop where state money meets local sales taxes. Wrong? The whole setup erodes trust— he's not "flipping burgers" as a side hustle because he doesn't need to; the system's rigged for guys like him. No major scandals (searches come up dry on lawsuits or probes), but the potential for abuse is glaring, as echoed in those corruption-busting posts.
In the end, John's "wrongs" aren't felonies—they're the everyday sins of a system where bankers like him play treasurer with public funds, approve deals that boost their empires, and pat each other on the back at chamber events. It's not illegal; it's just "business as usual" in Topeka, which might be the biggest wrong of all. If this guy's clean, why does the swamp smell so bad? Got more names or deals to dissect, or want me to hunt specifics on those CapFed incentives? Let's keep draining it.


Grok

That's a photo of an **empty (or nearly empty) espresso cup** after someone drank an espresso shot.

Here's what stands out in the picture:

- The cup is a classic small white espresso/demitasse cup
- There's a nice layer of light-to-medium brown crema (the foamy head) still clinging to the sides and bottom — that's a good sign the shot was pulled decently well
- In the center/bottom you can see the dark coffee "spot" / last remnants of liquid (sometimes called the "tiger eye" or just the puck residue area)
- A little scattering of coffee grounds/sediment at the very bottom — totally normal for straight espresso

It looks like you (or someone) just finished a single shot of espresso and someone thought the aftermath was photo-worthy 😄

Was this from a café, home machine, or a special coffee spot in KC? Looks tasty even after it's gone.

Henry McClure
785.383.9994 

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