Unclaimed Property in Missouri - See If You Have Any Money!

Missouri State Treasurer Clint Zweifel wants to give Missourians their money back!
by Kansas City News

According to our State Treasurer, Missouri has opened up the state's largest "lost and found" which contains over $600 million in unclaimed assets (cash) in over 3.5 million Missourian accounts.  The average return is $365 and 1 in 10 Missourians has Unclaimed Property.  Zweifel claims that the Missouri Treasury has returned more than $60 million in unclaimed property to Missourians. 

What is "unclaimed property"?  Well, that's a good question.  When we looked up some of our names it appeared that the unclaimed property was usually somewhere between pennies and $50.00 and the dollar amount is listed next to either your current address or a previous address.  Most people don't even realize that this money is sitting there.

How to Claim Your Unclaimed Property $$
Go to the following website and follow the instructions:
http://www.treasurer.mo.gov/mainucp.aspx

For Kansas Unclaimed Property Visit:  http://www.treasurer.state.ks.us/prodweb/up/ownr_1.php

This is NOT a scam - it is an official government website.  This story was also featured on KMBC news by our good friend Larry Moore.

Here is the official definition of "unclaimed property":
Lost, mislaid, and abandoned property are categories of the common law of property which deals with personal property which has left the possession of its rightful owner without having directly entered the possession of another person. Property can be considered lost, mislaid or abandoned depending on the circumstances under which it is found by the next party who obtains its possession. The rights of a finder of such property are determined in part by the status in which it is found. Because these classifications have developed under the ancient and often archaic common law of England, they turn on nuanced distinctions. The general rule attaching to the three types of property may be summarized as: A finder of property acquires no rights in mislaid property, is entitled to possession of lost property against everyone except the true owner, and is entitled to keep abandoned property. This rule varies by jurisdiction

Kansas Liquor Stores Face Changes in Law

Liquor store owners in Kansas fear a bill in the Kansas Senate will force them to close their doors. For those lucky folks out there who don't frequent the state of Kansas, the liquor laws of the State are quite archaic. Beer (except 3.2%), wine and Liquor can only be sold in Retail Liquor Stores - and those stores can only sell products with alcohol in them - no lottery, cigarettes, mixers, nothing but booze. In fact, some stores, to get around these ridiculous regulations actually have a separate cash register in a different room to sell cigarettes and mixers in. The clerk finishes the liquor transaction and then walks to the other room to do the second transaction - completely idiotic.

Kansas SB 54 is trying to change all the nonsense. Liquor store owners are all twisted about the possibility that the false market for all those small liquor stores in Kansas is about to be squashed. You can't blame them, but it is for the common good of the consumer and the Kansas economy in general. Besides, the Kansas Senate has put in a nice provision to help. The bill stipulates that for 3 years after it goes into effect, there can be no increase in Class C Liquor licenses in the state (A class C license is the only way a store can sell liquor with beer and wine). What this means is that if the Price Chopper next to the little liquor store wants to sell booze, he has to buy the license from a current holder. This should allow the small business owner a way to minimize the damage financially from the law.

The bill also would get rid of the stupid law restricting minors from ringing up beer in a grocery store - how annoying is that. Are you listening Missouri?

The only people opposed to this bill are Liquor Store owners and do-gooder teetotaler types who would outlaw alcohol if they could. This is a good law for Kansas, it will increase tax revenue, jobs, and bring prices down - not to mention reduce inconvenience to the customer.

Big 12 Tournament Underway

The Big 12 Tournament is officially underway, as the opening round games yesterday set up the quarterfinals, which will begin today with Kansas vs. Oklahoma State.

The Cowboys survived a 53-52 win over a Nebraska team that was fighting for a slim chance of sneaking into the NCAA tournament. Oklahoma State built a big lead, lost it, and then held on for dear life at the end. A nice win for the struggling Pokes, but 53 points is not going to cut it against KU, who absolutely manhandled Oklahoma State in the team's regular season meeting. I expect a similar performance this morning.

The best game of the day was Colorado's close win over Iowa State. Colorado was fighting for its tournament life, and used a 12-2 run late to erase a late deficit and beat the Cyclones, 77-75. Now the Buffs get a well rested KState team that has been on fire lately. However, Colorado swept the Wildcats during the regular season. This 4 vs. 5 matchup should be the best second round game. If CU wins, it almost assuredly has punched a ticket to the NCAA tournament.

The worst game of the afternoon was Oklahoma's drubbing of Baylor. Baylor lost star center Perry Jones to a suspension, but that was no excuse to get blown out by a crappy OU team. Scott Drew continues to solidify his reputation as one of the worst coaches in the Big 12, and with upcomming NCAA violations (seriously, how else do you think he kept bringing talented players to Waco, Texas), it appears this is the likely end to Baylor's recent run of success in the league. Back to the bottom where you belong, Baylor. Oklahoma will now have the honor of getting destroyed by Texas, who is trying to avoid yet another classic late season collapse under Rick Barnes.

Missouri continued its recent run of poor basketball in its nailbitter against mighty Texas Tech (the same Tech that just fired head coach Pat Knight). Mizzou won 88-84, but it appears the Tigers are in a funk they cannot get out of. MU doesn't play defense and is prone to stretches of poor shooting and turnovers. The Tigers still have time to turn it around, but the past month has been nothing but disappointment for Mizzou fans. Missouri has a chance to get back on track tonight against a tough Texas A&M team.

New IRS Agents Hired by Obama Auditing Small Businesses

Obama uses "health care reform" excuse to hire 16,000
new IRS agents to aggressively audit the middle class.

Middle Class and Small Business Owners Beware!  Obama's new 16,000 IRS agents aren't just here for the new health care plan...
by Kansas City News

Striking another blow to the already fragile middle class, Obama has hired 16,000 new IRS agents to (ahem) "support" the new health care plan.  This is curious because the health care plan doesn't even go into effect until 2013 or later.  The IRS agents have already been hired, or at least most of them, and they aren't going to be doing anything related to the new health care plan for another 2 years.  What do you think they're going to be doing in the meantime?

Well, I know exactly what they're going to be doing:  Aggressively auditing the middle class and especially those who own their own businesses and small companies.  This is becoming an epidemic as over 3,000 local Kansas City small businesses reported that they are currently being audited.  The audits mysteriously started in October of 2010, and seem to be continuing with no end in site.  Businesses that are being targeted are small "mom and pop" stores and small companies.  Easy targets for the IRS since most of them can't afford accountants and tax lawyers, etc.  So basically we have thousands of new IRS agents sitting around with nothing to do, and they are going after the middle class - more importantly, right here in Kansas City.  Kansas City, like most US cities was founded on small businesses like Hallmark, AMC Theaters, Black and Veach and countless others - granted, those companies are big now, but had they been cut down before they had a chance to grow, we wouldn't be near the great city that we are today.  If the IRS and the government keep attacking the small companies in Kansas City, our choices as Kansas City residents and consumers will become limited.  We will be forced to go "crawling to Potter" - basically having no choice but to buy from the big companies.  It's an old story, you know, WalMart took over and ruined the mom and pop stores, etc. - but this IRS attack isn't moving us in the right direction.

We all get it, the country is broke, so let's hire 16,000 IRS agents to go get money from the little guys who can't defend themselves or cleverly hide their money like the big companies.  Once again, our government got themselves in a bind and the middle class will have to ultimately pay for it.

On a more intelligent note, the UK is proposing that small businesses will not be subjected to audits AT ALL as it costs the country too much money.  The UK is estimating that they will save over 400 Million Euros each year after this law is passed.  Smart country.

Zack Greinke Breaks His Rib Playing Basketball

Former Kansas City Royals star Zack Greinke has a fractured rib from a pick-up basketball game and will likely miss games in April
by Kansas City News

Zack Greinke's new team, The Milwaukee Brewers, will not receive his services for at least the first part of April.  Somewhat of  a "poetic justice" situation for Kansas City fans, it wouldn't have bothered me if he was out for the season.  As it stands, the Brewers have reported that Greinke fractured his rib while playing in a pick-up basketball game.  While it is in Zack's contract that he cannot participate in professional basketball, it doesn't say anything about staying of the playground courts.

Ironically enough, Greinke had recently stopped former MLB player Aaron Boone in a New York hotel and asked him about his career ending injury that Aaron sustained during a pick-up basketball game.  Boone recounts "I don't know if he was looking for advice or what, but he told me he played basketball quite a bit, and how much he enjoyed it. He asked me what I thought. I don't remember if I said, 'Play, or don't play.' But when I read how he got hurt, I said, "Whoa!'"

Zack "Donald" Greinke will begin the 2011 season on the disabled list and will not start the home opener as planned.

Bio Info:
Donald Zackary Greinke ("Zack") was born in Orlando, Florida on October 21, 1983. Selected from Apopka high school in the first round of the 2002 player draft, Greinke was named Gatorade National Player of the Year that same season. Greinke entered the major league on May 22, 2004, playing in the same game that saw the retirement of Reggie Jackson's number.

Greinke's performance has seen its ups and downs largely due to his battles with depression and anxiety. In 2004, he ended the season with 8 wins and 11 losses and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.97. His 2005 season was not as successful (5-17, ERA of 5.80), and in February of 2006 he left the Kansas City Royals spring training camp because of depression and anxiety.

Greinke spent some time away from baseball, eventually returning to sign a one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals in 2007. In 2008 he had a good year, posting 13 wins and 10 losses and an ERA of 3.47. In January 2009, after winning the Cy Young Award, Greinke signed a 4-year contract with the Kansas City Royals worth $38 million, and pitched 24 consecutive innings without giving up a run.