Dear Ms. Voth,

Thank you very much for your email confirming that I and NeighborhoodNet do not qualify as a Political Action Committee (PAC) according to the Kansas Governmental Ethics Committee.

Here is background on the anonymous hate emails sent to you and me attacking NeighborhoodNet.

1. I determined to my satisfaction that Brad Jordan, who is an integral part of Neil Sader's Mayoral campaign in Overland Park, was involved with these anonymous emails. The emails urged that NeighborhoodNet be registered as a PAC; accused me of being a liar; and stated that people who agreed with me were "toadies."

   Background on Brad:

   • Brad is the webmaster for Neil Sader's Overland Park Mayoral campaign. The website for one of his companies, Blue Velvet Media, states:

     "Overland Park city councilman Neil Sader has chosen Blue Velvet Media for his media needs in his 2005 campaign for Mayor. The award winning web site is an interregnal [sic] part of the campaigns [sic] overall emarketing strategy."

   • Brad endorses Neil as mayor.

   • Brad is former president of Oak Park Homes Association where Neil Sader also lives, and publishes the Oak Park website

   I sent Brad an email when this all began and told him I had identification of his involvement. Almost immediately thereafter, the link from Neil Sader's website to Brad's company, Blue Velvet Media (part of Blue Velvet Group, L.L.C.) was disabled.

2. I personally spend well under $500 per year on NeighborhoodNet and collect no revenue from it. NeighborhoodNet focuses on protecting residents and neighborhoods. I oppose Neil Sader holding any public office, much less Mayor.

   Neil Sader collects tens of thousands of dollars from his campaign contributors and votes for re-zonings advocated by his top contributors. Neil recently voted in favor of a rezoning that was strongly opposed by many living in Oak Park. Neil's top contributors advocated the rezoning. The Oak Park Homes Association refused to support its residents who would be most harmed by the rezonings.

   As I detail on my website, these types of rezonings can transfer millions and millions of dollars to investors. Residents are ultimately harmed because they bought their homes with the promise that nearby land would be zoned compatibly. Instead, rezonings cause financial hardships for residents and can even lead to the destruction of their neighborhood.

   The re-zonings are part of a "bait and switch" tactic that lures homebuyers with false zoning promises, then enriches land speculators, developers and campaign contributors when the zoning is changed.

3. Both the hate mail and the request to you to register NeighborhoodNet as a PAC were done anonymously. The law prevented you from responding to my Open Records request.

   This anonymous approach is much like that taken over the years by Overland Park itself: Council member's votes are not recorded, critical "public" meetings are not advertised, recently submitted development applications were not made available by Overland Park for 7 years after I first asked for them - Johnson County on the other hand began publishing them within weeks of my asking 7 years ago.

   During these years characterized by secrecy and lack of vision Neil Sader was first on the Planning Commission, then a City Council member, then President of the City Council.

   We don't need any more of the secrecy and anonymity that Neil Sader and his campaign epitomize.

   Neil Sader as Mayor? Why?

   Sincerely and for the public record, not anonymously,
   Bob Phillips
   16315 Dearborn Drive
   Stilwell, KS

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