Political Football

After 172 days we finally adjourned! Iowa chose to have both parties in control last November and I believe they made the right choice. I know that the far left and far right extremes, do not agree, but a government of the extremes is not Main Street Iowa. Property tax reform and relief remain a major priority next session.

In the Senate a few extreme-left Senators essentially stopped serious discussion of property tax initiatives. We did what we promised in the House but can’t compel another chamber to act. Even when Governor Branstad amended his property tax bill so that cities were held harmless and he guaranteed no impact on residential rates, the Senate refused to consider it and began their class warfare rhetoric.

I am supportive of a special session at our own expense to follow through with our campaign promises. There is no reasonable excuse for the lack of a bill this session. It was often a “bumpy road,” between the chambers, but it was not always a harmonious relationship within the Republican and Democratic parties either. Not all fights happen between the parties, but because of election-year type rhetoric, the only struggles you hear about are the fights between the two parties. Our major success was the budget.

When we began session, the state was spending $1.18 for every dollar collected in revenue. Today we are spending $.97 of every dollar. Last year 650 million of federal one-time money was used in our budget. We ended that practice. This is not sustainable. We had to exercise strong fiscal discipline in order to not spend more than we took in, but we are now on the right track. Our emergency funds are full and now many of our trust funds are being refilled after years of misuse. Next year, the road should be easier.

When the Senate finally agreed to a sustainable number for total spending, we came together quickly with a budget that was truly bipartisan. When you hear partisan critics cherry-pick isolated amendment votes to attack, remember that in the end the budget was bipartisan which is what Iowans should expect. Here is my annual session summary list:

Well Done Iowa Legislature!

1. A truly sustainable budget that does not spend more than we take in, including an end to the use of one-time money for ongoing expenses.

2. Truly balancing the budget instead of rhetoric based on accounting gimmicks and delayed payments.

3. More than $200 million NEW dollars for K-12 education to avoid yet more property tax increases.

4. Standardize drunken driving law to include .08 limits for boaters.

5. State employees placed on leave after an accusation of a crime, must pay back the money if convicted of that crime.

6. Exempt active-duty veterans from paying income tax on their pay.

7. Creation of a Taxpayer Trust Fund to collect up to 60 million in good economic years.

8. Begin a process to eliminate or change unnecessary regulation and barriers to job growth.

You Fell Short Iowa Legislature!

1. No meaningful property tax reform or relief. This is not acceptable.

2. Iowa has one of the highest commercial property tax rates in the nation. This is an impediment to business growth.

3. The Senate killed a “Home Rule” bill for local school districts to be innovative and creative.

4. The Senate killed a nearly unanimous bill in the House that would cap tuition increases at our Regents institutions and force more efficiencies in administration.

5. Continued discussion of impeachment of the remaining Supreme Court Justices should end. It is ill-founded and bad policy.

6. No private investment in our state preschool program is a continued mistake.

7. Partisan attacks from the extremes have been the strongest in my years in the Legislature.

8. An enforcement mechanism in Iowa’s open meetings/records laws is needed.

Many claims have been made by groups that are against SF 390 and HF 561, the nuclear legislation bill. Here is a list of some of them and an explanation of what is actually in the bill.

“Voting for the bill is a vote to raise rates.”

The bill does not change the fact that rates are set by the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB). Any request to permit, license, construct or operate a nuclear facility would have to be approved by the IUB after a fully contested rate case. But there is more. If the utility is moving forward on a nuclear project it must also gain approval of an annual budget in a contested case proceeding. After a year, the utility comes back to the IUB for retrospective review of the last year’s spending and prospective approval of the next year’s budget. This repeats year after year until completion of the project. If the utility imprudently overspends the customers will not have to pay those costs and the utility will be required to pay. This is both a cost containment feature and a consumer protection strategy.

“It is unfair to ask customers to pay up from for a nuclear power plant.”

If the groups were looking out for customers, they would understand that allowing customers to pay as you go for the cost of a nuclear plant will avoid many of the financing costs involved in developing the project and allow for small gradual increases. It is estimated that the provisions in the bill would reduce the amount of rate increase needed to fund the project by 25%. Paying in real time for a project that takes a long time to develop is a consumer protection.

“There is nothing in the bill that would prevent people from paying for a plant that never gets built.”

It is the policy in Iowa to allow a utility that has been granted an order to build electric generating plant to recover their prudent costs if the plant is cancelled. That being said, the proposal includes language requested by the consumer advocate’s office that would stretch the collection of those costs over the 40-50 year development period and life of the plant had it been built. Any company will move very cautiously on a project if there is the potential that their capital could be tied up for half a century with nothing to show for it. The interests of the company and the consumer are aligned by the inclusion of this language.

“What’s the hurry? What’s wrong with waiting a year?”

It is in the best interests of consumers to act now. The U.S. Department of Energy is moving forward in 2011 to competitively award $400-500 million for the development of the type of small modular reactor that MidAmerican is considering. The Iowa project could be potentially eligible for $200 million. The bill specified that any amount received will be directly credited to the customers’ costs of the generating plant. Iowa must also react to new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules that could require older coal-fired plants to add expensive environmental components, repurpose the plants to burn natural gas, or significantly reduce output as soon as 2015. If we know nuclear plants are coming on line, informed decisions can be made that better serve customers and their pocketbooks.

It is important to remember that the EPA this month handed down rules for the handling of mercury and fine particulate that the agency itself predicts will shut down 17% of all coal-fired generation plants nationally and add four to five dollars a month to residential customers’ energy bills. Please note that this is just the first of many regulations that are planned for coal plants and there are a number of other rules pending which could require even more controls, such as National Ambient Air Quality Standards, coal combustion residue requirements, carbon legislation, and water intake structure rules. This is just the beginning of the costs that will be borne by customers to comply with the rules.

Cost Comparison

March 20, 2011
Your Capitol Voice
Representative Jeff Kaufmann

This week is the second funnel week of the session which means that in order to survive; bills must pass one chamber and a committee in the other. Work this week will concentrate on meeting this deadline. The month of April will then focus on drawing the session to a close….a huge undertaking since the Senate has dealt with so few of the House bills that have been sent to them.

Last month the federal census report indicated that Iowa’s population only increased by about 120,000 in the last decade. With new population data, the process for redrawing congressional and legislative districts has begun. This is a process that happens every 10 years.

Iowa’s redistricting process is indeed a good one. Many states use commissions and the process becomes very political, eventually including the courts to settle disputes. Iowa uses the non-partisan Legislative Services Agency (LSA) to create its congressional and legislative maps.

First the congressional maps are drawn. Because of our slow growth, Iowa will lose a Congressperson. This is a negative development for our state given the accompanying loss of congressional power as well as the loss of an electoral vote in the presidential election process. One offsetting factor is the clout and seniority of our current delegation, especially our two Senators. Still one of our Congressmen will lose their job, and more importantly our state will lose some clout.

New Congressional Districts have to be within 1% of their ideal population and they can’t split county lines. Legislative districts for the State Senate and State House of Representatives are then drawn within these four new congressional districts. They too can’t vary by more than 1% and shall coincide with political subdivisions, meaning that the number of counties and cities that are divided shall be as few as possible.

There are 50 Senate Districts and two House Districts within a Senate District for a total of 100. Districts can’t be irregularly shaped and must be reasonably compact. Most importantly the LSA may only take population into account when drawing them. Political affiliation is not a factor.

On March 31, the first plan arrives and must move to the floor for a vote. Meanwhile a Temporary Advisory Commission will hold at least three public meetings throughout the state. There are no amendments, just a YES or NO vote. If the first plan is rejected, a second plan is delivered within 35 days of the rejection of the first plan. Once again the Legislature can only accept or reject…no amendments. If the second plan is accepted, it goes to Governor Branstad for a signature or if rejected a third plan is developed by LSA.

The third plan can be amended and considered by the Legislature. A plan must be adopted by the General Assembly by September 1, 2011 and signed by the Governor by September 15. If this does not occur then the Iowa Supreme Court creates a redistricting plan.

In 1981 the third plan was accepted without amendment. In 1991, the first plan was enacted, and in 2001, the second plan was enacted. A special session for redistricting after April is a distinct possibility .

The population of the 79th District has had little population change. In comparison there have been large population losses in western Iowa County. In contrast, Polk County and Johnson County have grown significantly. These demographic trends ultimately will affect nearby areas. This District will change but there is no way to predict the specific changes.

One aspect of this redistricting process is sure. It is one of the best and will be as non-partisan as any in the country. There have been no attempts to change the process by either political party. I will certainly cover this topic again in future columns and keep you up to date, even after the Legislature has adjourned.

Capitol Visitors: Dan Boddicker, Ron and Carol Hills, Tipton; Matt Hills, West Branch; Richard and Vera Smith, West Liberty; Carol Wade, Monica and Shannon Duffe, Wilton; Carolyn Williams, Diane Farrar, Gina Chesling, Marilyn Wedel, Mary Frieden, Nancy Miller, Mindy Stark, Muscatine; Dee Vander Hoef, Iowa City.

Listening Post Schedule:
March 26 8 AM Iowa City Chamber
April 2 9 AM MCC Little Theater
April 9 9 AM Tipton Farm Bureau
email Jeff:  jeff.kaufmann@legis.state.ia.us
Write Jeff: State Capitol Des Moines IA 50319
Call Jeff: 1-515-281-3221

Illinois just passed a tax that will lose them money not gain it. They are taxing affiliates of Amazon over 6%. Before now internet acquisitions were not taxed in Illinois.

“Illinois has about 9,000 affiliates, said Rebecca Madigan, director of an affiliate trade group called the Performance Marketing Association. She said the Illinois affiliates generated $611 million in advertising revenue in 2009 and tax revenue of $18 million. She estimates that the state will lose 25% to 30% of that tax revenue because the affiliates will lose business, cut jobs or move out of the state.”

Read more here.

Amazon is also seriously considering moving their Warehouses in Illinois to a more tax friendly Indiana.

Texas tried to do the same thing with the same results, so I can only guess this is truly what the Illinois Governor wanted to do – drive more business out of Illinois.

This is similar to what Iowa did when cigarette taxes were raised a few years ago. But that also had an added value of having some people decide to quit smoking. The bad thing is – the Democrat controlled 2008 Iowa legislature also budgeted that entire tax revenue before they learned – yeah, people either quit smoking or went to Missouri to buy their smokes, so tax revenues were not as expected. But one thing is clear – Legislatures are addicted to tax revenue.

When you think of it, this speaks to any wealth. If you want less of it – tax it. It’s the wealthy that have the flexibility to make decisions on where to live or start businesses. We need a friendly tax structure to encourage businesses to flourish in Iowa.

This week there will be two very controversial bills debated in the House. The first bill which is the amended Branstad pre-K plan will pass and some form will ultimately pass the Senate. The second, a bill dealing with collective bargaining will pass but will be dead in the Senate.

The DM Register, hardly a fan of Branstad or even remotely conservative, has endorsed the pre-K plan. The Branstad plan will change dramatically yet and I believe still has to be adapted to Districts with no privates in the community. The bill will be virtually re-written in the Senate.

I have been attacked for seeking changes in the pre-K system to try to strike a balance with private providers and have a sustainable system that we can afford and not overburden an already underfunded K-12 system. This editorial tells me that having this serious debate is in the best interest of the children and our fiscal integrity.
Thanks.
Jeff Kaufmann

Approve preschool program Iowans can afford
Written by
THE REGISTER’S EDITORIAL
• FILED UNDER
• Opinion
• Register Editorials
Once government gives people something, it’s hard to take it away. That is the case with universal preschool in Iowa. The 2007 Iowa Legislature established a statewide program that allows 4-year-olds to attend preschool for free, regardless of a family’s income. About 90 percent of Iowa school districts now offer at least 10 hours a week of preschool to nearly 20,000 kids.

But just because it’s popular doesn’t mean it’s financially sustainable. Annual state spending for preschool has grown from $15 million the first year to about $64 million.
Gov. Terry Branstad says the state can’t afford to maintain the growing expense. So he has proposed reining in spending and requiring parents with higher incomes to pick up more of the cost of preschool. Though there are some details to be worked out, lawmakers should support House Study Bill 145.

The legislation repeals the existing preschool program. It creates a “preschool scholarship program,” which provides vouchers to eligible parents to help pay the cost. Families of four earning up to $67,000 annually could get financial assistance. All families would have to contribute at least some money – as little as $3 a month in some cases.

This is a reasonable approach to saving the state money while ensuring that state aid is directed to children in lower-income families. Preschool is projected to cost about $70 million next fiscal year under current law. The governor’s proposal reduces spending to $46.3 million in state dollars. Parents will contribute an additional $7.6 million, according to Linda Fandel, special assistant for education to the governor.

If the state spends less, however, that means less money for school.

I usually write at least a January 1 blog post but never got around TUIT.

Dr. Miller-Meeks is still in the confirmation stages of becoming the Director of Iowa Public Health. I think she’ll do a great job and is actually made for this job. I applaud both her and Governor Branstad for taking drastic pay cuts (by more than half?) to serve our state.

Everyone has been watching the craziness in Wisconsin; I don’t know anything about Wisconsin politics other than the 2010 elections turned what was a fairly reliable BLUE state, purple if not RED. As we painfully learned in 2008 – elections have consequences. I just wish the traditional media would spend more time showing the thuggish behavior of the left – since they seem to think the right is “violent”. Don’t say this public versus private sector union issue is a new thing: Read THIS

Bottom line is there are plenty of regulations to protect government workers and governments don’t show “profits” from which you can negotiate pay increases. Interesting article HERE.

Everyone has been watching the middle east turmoil, wondering what type of governments we’ll end up seeing over there… all very interesting if not scary.

Random thoughts:

I hope to deploy some new graphics at the top of the page soon – a bit nicer looking and professional, perhaps to time with the confirmation of my friend, Dr. Miller-Meeks as the new Director of Iowa Public Health – which I am hoping to be sometime in April.

I think I’m done buying laptops for a while – I want an ipad type toy – we’ll see what comes up – thinking Motorola Xoom.

Iowa Spring game coming up – I’m watching some of the NFL combine where Stanzi, Clayborn, Ballard and Reisner are competing…

Still not in tune with the move to a cloud computing – although I like the commercial with the family trying to get a good picture and can’t without editing… “to the cloud”… my vision of the future is not something I can see very clearly.

I find it odd there is a tremendous uptick of gasoline explosions all over the world – old infrastructure, not well maintained I’m being told… yuck. 5,6 so far in PA, OH, IN and another in Canada.

the end – have a nice weekend

A message from Representative Jeff Kaufmann (IA-79)                      
Representing parts of Muscatine, Cedar and Johnson Counties in Iowa.

Last week I participated in an outstanding Veterans Day service at the Tipton Middle School. The brief video “We Fought For You” was shown and it is the best presentation of the meaning of this day that I have ever seen. I promise you that this is worth the watch! There is a link to the video below.

 To my veterans of eastern Iowa…thank you…from the bottom of my heart.

Jeff Kaufmann

The United States could do better, Iowa can do better, we in CD2 can do better than our current elected officials. Dr. Miller-Meeks’ opponent attends ceremonial events and visits campaign offices and won’t talk about his record.

According to this morning’s Journal 20 people showed up at his event Saturday in Muscatine and Dr. Miller-Meeks “as been calling me names for three years” is the best political narrative he can advance. His website is typically vacant or incorrect on where he is appearing…

Vote Miller-Meeks for Congress. Dr. Miller-Meeks will be a great congresswoman for all of CD2.

Find below, the best RADIO AD ever – from Annette Miller, MMM’s Mother, and a short frenetic pictorial of the campaign that I put together last night.

It may have been a year’s worth of formal campaigning but it was three years of work. Dr. Miller-Meeks is the hardest worker I know; she will work tirelessly for Iowa’s 2nd district.

This is the most important election of my lifetime. Vote Dr. Miller-Meeks for Congress.  Stop the lies Dave – if you can’t run on your record, give up.

 Miller-Meeks Campaign First Experiment with New Image Recognition Technology

As early as the 2008 presidential campaign, politics has explored social engines as a means to communicate and they continue to move into the next level of technology. The Mariannette Miller-Meeks campaign has selected to use augmented reality as part of their strategy to reach voters.

With consumers communicating through various channels, it is apparent that focusing solely on traditional methods is not enough to reach everyone that is interested in your information. Augmented reality utilizes technology to “bring to life” physical media, objects and other restrictive channels to make the media interactive.

In the case of Dr. Miller-Meeks’ campaign, they have activated posters, flyers, yard signs and other traditional campaign channels into the mobile world. Activation is the process of connecting static marketing information into multimedia portals through mobile devices such as the iPhone and Android phones. Miller-Meeks supporters Shayne and Diane Huston have donated the use of a product called “kooaba”, where these traditional channels will come to life. Using this application, posters will deliver video, web links and social connections sharing platform information from the Miller-Meeks campaign.

The advantages are a more viral reach into the growing mobile world utilizing the traditional media channels already in place. Rather than having to build a specific application for various mobile phones, the kooaba app becomes the delivery platform. This system can also work for feature phones (non-smart phones) by allowing the user to take a traditional snap shot of the activated image and email it to a specified email address.

Directions:
Download the kooaba application to your iPhone or android (smart phones). Register your phone with the system. Use the application to take a picture of this image.

If you have a feature phone that can take pictures and send emails, than you can take the picture and email it to m@kooaba.com.

Any questions about the technology please feel free to contact Shayne Huston at 515.710.8748 or gshuston@yahoo.com.

Vote Miller-Meeks for Congress!!!

Learn Listen Lead - a video from a visit Dr. Miller-Meeks made to an assembled group in Muscatine – Pre-Primary 2010.

A short bio of our candidate for Congress:

Dr. Miller-Meeks is the 4th of 8 children, raised in a military family (father was career Air Force).  At 15 she was burned in a kitchen fire and required a lengthy hospital stay.  It was there she decided she wanted to become a doctor.  Because of the amount of school she missed, she chose to opt out of finishing high school and went directly to a junior college in Texas near where her father was stationed.

She matriculated from Junior College to College when she found a nursing program that would help pay for her undergraduate degree.  She saw nursing at night as a way to pay for medical school during the day.  This nursing program was offered by the US Army, so she enlisted as a private at 18.  She served 6 years active duty including time in Korea, where she picked up a Masters in Education because there were no “long distance” pre-med classes offered at that time. Dr. Miller-Meeks left active duty to complete Medical School, graduating in the top of her class.  She remained in the Army Reserves until 1998, retiring with rank of Lt. Col. 

Dr. Miller-Meeks met her husband of 27 years while she was a nurse at Walter Reed Army Hospital.  They have two college aged children and live in Ottumwa where she had practiced in a medical partnership for 12 years.  Her husband Curt, was also in the Army and retired a few years later after serving a state-side deployment after 9-11.  He also retired as a Lt. Col. in the Army Reserves.

Mariannette has also taught in the Medical Hospitals at both the University of Iowa (where she did her residency in Ophthalmology) and at the University of Michigan.

In 2006 she was named the first women President of the Iowa Medical Society.  On November 2, 2010 we hope she will be elected to become the first women representing IOWA in the US Congress.  We need her in WASH DC!!!

We are organizing and will publish more clips in the next week so you can help us spread the word about this great Congressional candidate in IOWA – CD2, so you can “meet her” through these videos.

Check out the CD2 map below to see if you are in CD2 or have friends and family there, email me at cjhawki@machlink.com if questions.

Everyone seems to be wringing their hands over the weak economy.  The price of gas goes up with every oil spill or pipe line break and Economists hover over jobs reports and love to tell us the stock market is rising.

When will the cycle of bad economic trends break?  I’m not understanding why it’s that hard to figure out.  We have heard for the last two years that small businesses are the engine of today’s economy in the USA, right?

I’m reading an article about a proposed speech from the head of the AFL-CIO saying he will accuse business (therefore Republicans) of “economic treason”.

Trumka’s charge is centered on his anger at private sector business and corporations for sitting on capital — as much as $2 trillion by some estimates — instead of spending it to expand and create jobs, and at insurers for proposing rate hikes.

HOW DARE THEY SIT ON THEIR MONEY!!!  If this wasn’t so scary it would be funny.  Union leadership has hurt American Business, all the while unions could and should play an important partnership with business.   This is just nuts.

Business DOES NOT INVEST IN AN UNCERTAIN BUSINESS CLIMATE.  Eli Goldratt has a saying:

Tell me how you measure me and I will tell you how I’ll perform.

That is a scientific fact.  Like gravity  the way business works  is predictable, if you understand the principles involved.  But now we have a President who indicates he can’t push through some policy of his (Cap and Tax) he threatens to “legislate by fiat” through the EPA.  If he can’t get a bill past this Democrat controlled Congress, Folks, it’s a BAD BILL.

Unions are trying to get “card check” passed, as well as “fair share”.  Both of those will hurt the very businesses that employ union workers.  Card Check’s formal name is the lovely sounding “Free Choice Act”, which is opposite its name!  This act removes the use of private ballots for Union votes and more (your union boss can see how you voted).  I’m still trying to figure out who gains free choice when a secret ballot is removed, but hey, that’s just me.

Today in Obamaland

Fair Share has been pushed in the last three legislative sessions in Iowa, I probably wrote about it if you search this site, yeah I’m pretty sure I did…  Fair Share is a bill that will require workers in jobs where unions exist, to pay union dues whether they want to belong to the union or not. 

Today, states that allow workers to decide if they want to pay union dues or not, are considered “business friendly” and are aligned with what is called “right to work” status.  That status is a key element  reviewed in a state’s model before a business decides to move or incorporate in that state.  Not sure what’s fair about Fair Share, but it’s bad for economic development.

It’s interesting for all it’s “fairness” and the fact that the Iowa House and Senate have been Democrat (as well as the Gov) for the three sessions… Fair Share has not passed because at least 5,6 Democrats blocked it.  It’s just not good legislation.

One thing that really made me sick, is the GM bailout.  NO ONE would want to see one of our biggest car manufacturer fail. 

Detroit’s auto workers remain among the highest paid manufacturing workers in the world – paid sometimes even when they don’t work,” NBC’s chief investigative correspondent Lisa Myers said. “That’s right. Under union contracts, thousands of laid-off workers receive 95 percent of their salary for doing nothing, for up to two years.”

more here

But this takes the cake!  While unions spend tens of millions of Dollars of worker’s dues to elect Democrats (95-98% was the last number I saw) union leaders now want the tax payer to bail out pension plans that are in trouble.

At issue are multi-employer pension plans, in which companies across an industry pay into a single pension pool. The plans are predominately run by unions and for years have distinguished themselves by poor management

more here

Finally about those Insurance Company bad guys.  When I read this I just shook my head.  a snip of that is posted below

Although the law’s big expansion of coverage under the law won’t take place until 2014, several new benefits go into effect starting later this month. Lifetime dollar caps on coverage are abolished, and plans must allow parents to keep their children on the policy up to age 26. Many plans will also have to guarantee coverage for children regardless of a medical condition, and provide preventive care with no cost-sharing for the patient.

Let me get this right.  Just because lifetime dollar caps are abolished and plans have to guarantee coverage they didn’t before – they CAN NOT raise their prices?  The government is now all knowing.

She warned that bad actors may be excluded from new health insurance markets that will open in 2014 under the law.

Sounds like Chicago THUG politics to me.  Listen there are bad players in every business – but government is a business too and we are the shareholders.  Is there any wonder, now, that the majority of union workers now work for the government, not private business?  We are in a deep mess folks.

So, there you are.   The Economy would be fine if Policies didn’t SUCK.

In Representative Loebsack’s world, his “representation” of IA-02 seems to have started just a few months ago when Dr. Miller-Meeks charged out of the Republican primary with an over whelming victory.  But hey, we haven’t heard from him except for some very pretty (expensive) franked (I paid for it) mail, and now a TV ad showing smiling people at a Town Hall (that he has not conducted in 2010).

Miller-Meeks was a serious contender in 2008, and actually won the debate they had on KCRG…  I can’t remember how many times he said “Mariannette’s right”, or “she’s correct” or other words agreeing with her points.

Where he defeated Dr. Miller-Meeks convincingly in 2008 at the polls with Bush and Obama’s help (not to speak of the second “500 year flood” to hit Iowa in the last 15 years) Mariannette is gaining traction in the last weeks as Loeby is losing it.  He’s so overtly shifting to the right, even the Quad City Times is noting it:

CEDAR RAPIDS — U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack is rethinking his position on ending the Bush tax cuts and might be willing to consider a Republican proposal to extend them for two years.  read more HERE

DON’T BELIEVE IT FOLKS, he votes however the SPEAKER tells him to vote.

Continuing an old theme of mine (learning from HISTORY as to not repeat bad things…) some HISTORY:

We, sadly, can learn from Castro HERE… a snip of it posted below…

HAVANA – Cuba announced Monday it will cast off at least half a million state workers by early next year and reduce restrictions on private enterprise to help them find new jobs.   …..

Currently the state employs 95% of the official workforce.

95%!!!  That’s where we’re heading.  I am so sick of people thinking they have a right to Health Care or a job - I know a lot of well meaning people believe in some or all of this - but it’s unsustainable.

Dame Margaret Thatcher said it best – “Socialism is fine, until you run out of other people’s money.” 

HERE The government of Spain is trying to make the county competitive again in the global marketplace, and UNIONS are striking AGAINST that effort.  And Spain’s experience in Green jobs:

The study’s results demonstrate how such “green jobs” policy clearly hinders Spain’s way out of the current economic crisis, even while U.S. politicians insist that rushing into such a scheme will ease their own emergence from the turmoil.  more HERE

Vote Miller-Meeks for Congress!!!

The November elections seem like a long time from now but also seem to be right around the corner and we’re not ready; we haven’t done all we could to ensure victory.  With the reports of a 10 point lead for a generic Republican over a generic Democrat – a tsunami seems inevitable, but projecting victory is just that – a projection.

The larger question is if we do win, if we do take one or both houses of the national (or state) legislatures, what do we do?  How do we keep ourselves from executing the same over-reaching program that doomed us after the 1994 elections?  I disagree with some congressmen that want to investigate the Obama White House.  I don’t see a way around anything but a two party system, both sides have their problems with leadership.  Is it possible for Republicans to “get anything done” if we do win in November?

In any case these are my priorities for the next Congress in no specific order.

Find a way to repeal and re-write the Health Care Bill.  No bill should be so large that a congressman can’t read and understand it.  This law seems to have been written by lawyers for bureaucrats. Over 100 new agencies?  wow.  What should stay?  Portable health care that YOU own not provided by your employer.  Portable across state lines too. 

As Dr. Miller-Meeks (my candidate for the CD2 Congressional seat in Iowa) says, “We don’t say the Auto Industry is broken when everyone can’t afford the high end car we want to own”.  There should be a menu driven plan that starts by protecting us from catastrophic illness, then deductibles as we can afford them.  The only support the government should provide is a pool of money for high risk Americans.  No one should be denied insurance because of a pre-existing condition.  However, insurance companies should not be “made” to cover 100% of Americans.  At some level the government should step in and help with that steeper cost.

Speaking of agencies, we should take a look at the Department of Education and the TSA.  Since they were enacted, has there been improvement?  I like the idea that I think Paul Ryan promotes – every bill that adds cost to the budget must have a sunset clause and reviewed to see if it did what it said it was going to do.  Education has not improved in my opinion, since the Department of Education was established.

No job should exist in the goverment that can’t be jobbed out to the private sector.  Jobs in the private sector create revenue.  Jobs in the government just cost us more money in the long run.

Our Veterans returning from combat should be given all the medical treatment they need. 

Amnesty?  We can’t deport 12 million illegal aliens.  Again, I agree with Dr. Miller-Meeks when she said we should not hire the 15,000 new IRS workers to parse through our personal files, but increase the number of people working on immigration to improve the fast track to citizenship.  We need workers and they would pay taxes.  And build the damn wall between the US and Mexico.  It won’t stop but it will reduce.

Keep the unions from enacting Card Check, Fair Share, what ever it’s called.  Stupid-ass laws, get a grip, how stupid is this?  “Employee Free Choice Act” is actually a bill that REQUIRES that Union votes are NOT private.  This is simply to provide intimidation and is clearly in support of unions.  What a stupid and misleading name.  Unions would also be able to collect more dues to donate to more democratic candidates. Fair Share is only “fair” to union bosses, not even the unions themselves.

We need to elect people to represent us that have comment sense, not vendettas.  We need to work together to make this country strong again.  We are lazy, don’t take care of ourselves or plan for the future.  The people who believe “Health Care is Free” need to be taught a lesson in business.  The people who believe the US Treasury is a bank account that will never run out of money need to understand it already has run out of money.  The people who believe economic stimulus plans that pay for government jobs need to explain to me how that does more than push that debt down the road for someone else to pay.

Dr. Miller-Meeks not only “gets it” but has a common sense approach that can calm the waters not stir things up more.  Take a look at her website and if you agree with me, send in what  you can to support her campaign.

VOTE MILLER-MEEKS on NOVEMBER 2

Go to this site to make a secure donation to Dr. Miller-Meeks’ campaign or HERE for more policy information.

Mrs. Charles Grassley was in Muscatine again, promoting the candidacy of Dr. Miller-Meeks for Congress – where we also learned that Steve Forbes has just endorsed the good doctor.  Mrs. Grassley was last in Muscatine during Mariannette’s announcement tour during the primary election cycle in late 2009.

Mrs. Grassley says "Vote Miller-Meeks!"

We are working on a September fundraiser, this time at Senator Jim Hahn’s house in Muscatine.  Stay tuned to this site for more details.

check out this Muscatine Journal Article: Barbara Grassley stumps for GOP’s Miller-Meeks 

and this blog notes that Steve Forbes endorses Dr. Miller-Meeks

Dr. Miller-Meeks is continuing to gather momentum for the November Election.

National Review Online notes today (insert and link below) that Miller-Meeks should defeat Representative Loebsack in this highly democratic district with “luck or a wave”.  The wave is an 18 point lead by the head of the Iowa ticket former Governor Branstad, and with this surgeon’s laser focus on victory, luck will follow her as it did with her overwhelming primary win.  No one will out work this candidate.

NRO LINK HERE

ORANGE: GOP Should Win With Luck or Wave

Bill Delahunt’s open seat in Massachusetts, Mike Ross in Arkansas, Jim Costa in California, Loretta Sanchez in California, Jerry McNerney in California, Bob Filner in California, Ed Perlmutter in Colorado, Jim Himes in Connecticut, Chris Murphy in Connecticut, Sanford Bishop in Georgia, Bruce Braley in Iowa, Dave Loebsack in Iowa, Gene Taylor in Mississippi, Russ Carnahan in Missouri, Rush Holt in New Jersey, Dan Maffei in New York, Kurt Schrader in Oregon, Chet Edwards in Texas, Jim Matheson in Utah, Gerry Connolly in Virginia, Nick Rahall in West Virginia, Ron Kind in Wisconsin. (22)

Dr. Miller-Meeks has events scheduled every day - meeting voters all over CD2.  On wednesday at 5:30, she is in Muscatine for a fundraiser at the Rendezvous just off the bypass on Lucas Street.  $25 will get you in the door to meet Barbara Grassley who is traveling around the district with MMM again for a few days.  

A 24 year ARMY Vet, nurse, doctor, mother, wife and leader – we need this good doctor in the HOUSE!!!

Please look at her website for more information, and donate a few bucks if you can.    millermeeks.com

(pictures by David Chesling)

Many of us in Muscatine will be spending our summer and fall finding as many independent votes for MMM as we can.  Muscatine County Republicans voted overwhelmingly for MMM (almost 70% of the votes in a 4 candidate race) but Muscatine is almost equaly divided R / I / D – maybe slanted I at this point.

Although there was some talk of a mass voting movement to get D’s to cross over in the primary to vote for BVP, IMO the weaker candidate against Culver – I don’t think that happened much in Muscatine.  I know for a fact that some D’s switched to vote for MMM, but the ones I know about, I’m confident will vote for MMM in the general election.

The State GOP convention June 26, will be less stressful,  now that all of the federal races have been decided in the primary.  No one outside MMM’s team expected her to win with 51% of the vote but she has a very strong “ground game” and has worked extraordinarily hard for the last two years.

One of her opposing candidates insisted that she shouldn’t be nominated because she lost to Loebsack already (in 2008) but that is hogwash.  In 2008 she had very little name recognition, especially in LINN County.  During the Summer of 2008, everyone was more occupied with the eastern Iowa flooding than the election.  As I noted elsewhere – there were frequent times when we wanted her to make calls to raise campaign funds, and we found her helping with sandbags in one of the counties affected instead.

Hopefully this will also be a November election that sends a message to Washington about spending money and leadership.  We have seen NO leadership out of this White House.  Faced with his own “disaster” all this President is doing is calling out the lawyers.  How clear is that message.  This isn’t about coming together to solve a problem this is about pointing fingers.  Plenty of time to do that in the future, Mr. President.  We need to see some leadership. 

When other countries offered to help because they had experience in oil spills, why were they denied access?  My sense is this President’s decision making has been made in the favor of special interest groups (Unions especially) not in the favor of the American People.  Also, let’s look at what all elected people own in stock or have received in campaign contributions.  Campaign contributions typically favor those in power.  We hope to change at least one branch of goverment’s power base in November and send a message to the others.  “We’re mad as H3LL and we’re not going to take it any more!!!”

!!!Vote Miller-Meeks for Congress 2010!!!

Here is the official tally for the CD2 Republican Primary.  and a photo by Wm Dahlsten  (Husband Curt and son Jonathon in the background) while MMM gives her Victory speech.  

The text of her speech is here I have a .wav file of her speech but I need to break it into two parts to post.  check back later for that.  BTW in this picture she’s standing on a “soap box” Senator Hahn built for her during her announcement tour with Mrs. Grassley last fall.  She had people sign the box when she took it with her around the District.

This is a very special candidate.  Starting her Health Care Forums in early 2009 with Rudy, seems like a life time ago but there will be another long slog until November.

The reason she won by such a decisive margin is – the same thing that happened to me happened to hundreds of people across the district.   I got emails from people I haven’t talked to in a year saying, “How’s ‘our gal’ doing – I’ve got new votes for her this election” or “I wish I could vote for her but still have family in Muscatine I will get to vote for her” or “I don’t vote in Primaries but I will for Dr. Miller-Meeks and I’ve been talking about her to friends”… 

After all her time on the campaign trail getting to know CD2 voters, answering emails at 1am, or her Tele Town Halls – at some point she stopped “getting” votes and people started getting them for her.  No other candidate had that strong grass roots support throughout the district.

6/09/10 update – I will write a more lengthy summary later but it looks like MMM lost WAYNE county – I think I have copied some bad data for WAYNE below.

Wayne’s current unofficial #s are  
MMM – 241
REED – 249
Gettemy – 41
Rathje – 26

so the WAYNE #s below are bogus.

and here is another good article.  Sorry for the confusion.

6/08/10

today’s votes for CD2

A lot of people worked hard in CD2 to get MMM the nomination.  Tonight her opponents said they would endorse her candidacy.  Thank you to everyone who helped.  Now for the harder task of unseating Mr. Loebsack!

and some good press HERE from the National Review Online

And a victory speech HERE.

She won all 15 counties, even LINN!

Here is a quick review of the movement of votes from 2008 to 2010.

Representative Jeff Kaufmann

April Newsletter

I hope you are enjoying this beautiful spring! I am a bit late for my monthly electronic newsletter but I wanted to wait for the complete analysis of the State Auditor’s report on the budget. If you do not read anything else, check this out. I have also included a list of the major highway projects this summer as well as an analysis of tax bills passed into law this last session.

Feel free to contact me throughout the spring and summer if you have any questions or comments.

Jeff

State Auditor: Budget Spends Too Much, Raises Taxes and Creates “Funding Cliff” in FY 2012

On Friday, April 16, State Auditor David Vaudt released his review of the FY 2011 budget approved by the Democratic Majority in the Legislature and signed by the Governor.

The Auditor states that they simply “kicked the can down the road” by using one-time funds and because of that, next year’s Legislature will again face a $1 billion spending gap.

Auditor Vaudt’s criticisms are divided into four areas:

1) Government reorganization fails to yield necessary results.  The Auditor calculates that the government reorganization bill and Executive Order combined to save $108 million in general fund dollars.  He says while this is significant, it represents less than 2 percent of the true cost of providing general fund services.  In addition, true total expenditures increase by $140 million, meaning that the Legislature approved $248 million of additional spending to offset the estimated savings.  Vaudt said “It’s like a family with a $250 a week grocery bill finding $4 a week in savings and deciding to celebrate by having a $9 steak per week, increasing the grocery bill to $255.  Would any Iowa family consider this ‘savings’ or is it just Iowa state government that does?” 

2)  Budget creates a funding cliff due to reliance on one-time resources.  According to the Auditor, the Legislature uses over $700 million in one-time resources that will not be available for use in FY 2012.  In addition, nearly $90 million of general fund costs are shifted to other funds.  This creates a huge spending gap in FY 2012 when the one-time money goes away.  This spending gap is referred to as a “funding cliff” because of the severity and suddenness of the drop in available resources.  This was one reason why all House Republicans voted against the entire budget.

3) Spending down the “rainy day” funds – cash reserves.  The Auditor states that he has continually cautioned that the state’s cash reserves would not last long in the face of a true fiscal crisis.  Vaudt’s advice has been proven correct.  The balance of the cash reserves is projected to be approximately $200 million at the end of FY 2011 – down nearly $400 million from FY 2009 when the reserve funds were full at 10 percent.  Reduced cash reserves create cash flow challenges and severely limit Iowa’s ability to deal with the continuing fiscal challenges looming ahead. 

4) Bumps in the road for Fiscal Year 2011.  Vaudt noted two challenges for the FY 2011 budget.  First, unfunded school aid totals $162 million.  Schools can deal with the reduction by cutting costs or raising property taxes.  “The Legislature chose to push the tough decisions down to the school districts,” the Auditor said.  Second, nearly $50 million in collective bargaining costs are unaccounted for.  This means additional furlough days or layoffs in order to fund the raises contained in the collective bargaining agreements.  Vaudt noted there will be a temptation to hold off on the layoffs until after the November elections so the public is not alerted to the problem.  Delaying the inevitable would simply double the negative impact to services over the second half of the fiscal year. 

The Auditor concludes by saying that due to the use of one-time funds, the Legislature will face a $1 billion spending gap next year.  “As was the case for FY 2011, we face a huge gap next year.  Iowa is, however, essentially out of easy options for dealing with the spending gap.  The taxpayers of Iowa deserve better than this continual ‘kick the can down the road’ budgeting approach.”

High Risk Pools Presents First Decision for States on Health Care Reform – Are We In or Out?

The first major piece of health care reform comes into focus on Friday, when states are required to notify the Department of Health and Human Services  whether they are going to run a new high-risk coverage pool in their states or let the federal government do it.

The high risk pool was created to provide a temporary source of coverage for Americans who are unable to get insurance due to having a pre-existing condition.  Under the new law, a person who has a pre-existing condition and has gone without health care coverage for six months would qualify for the high risk pool.  The monthly premium would not exceed the average cost of basic health insurance for person of that age.

This new plan is not without perils.  Thirty-five states, including Iowa, have already established high risk pools with different rules and rates.  An example of this is in Iowa, a person must exhaust their COBRA coverage before signing up for coverage under the Iowa Comprehensive Health Association.  Some states fear that the difference in programs is, in essence, a penalty imposed on those people who signed up for the state programs.  Since they already have coverage, they are ineligible to switch.

Another concern is funding.  Congress provided $5 billion for the states to use over the life of the program.  Iowa’s share is $35 million.  The Iowa Insurance Division has estimated that this would allow the state to provide coverage to only 1000 citizens.  No one is sure how many would be eligible, but it is believed to be a lot more than what could be covered with the funding available.

The lack of funding and lack of a plan on what to do if it runs out is giving many states second thoughts about the program.  Already, states like Georgia, Nebraska, and Nevada have decided to opt out of the program.  They felt it was better to let Washington run the program and deal with the headaches when the money runs out. 

Handing control over to Washington does have its own set of issues.  Under the law, the feds would hire a non-profit entity in a state to run that program.  This means that a portion of the state’s allocation would be siphoned off for the administrative costs incurred by the non-profit, which could further reduce the number of people covered.

At this point, Iowa has not informed HHS in Washington as to what direction this state is going.  Either way, the people’s beliefs in health care reform will soon be put to the test.

IASB Appears Before Oversight Again

The Oversight committee issued it’s first subpoena last weekend to the former director of the IASB, Maxine Kilcrease, after repeated invitations to appear before the committee were ignored.  She appealed the subpoena with the district court on grounds that she is being compelled to appear before a biased committee.  This came about from comments made during previous committee meetings indicating that she was a “thief.”  The court denied her appeal and she appeared before the committee for the first time.  And while she seems to be a source of some of the turmoil surrounding the organization, there is more to uncover behind the scenes.

The committee met on Thursday, the first time since the legislative session ended.  During the five hour meeting several current and former IASB staff members testified.  That list includes:  Maxine Kilcrease, former Executive Director, who was terminated just this past month on allegations of raising her own salary and keeping the board of directors in the dark on financial matters of the organization; LeGrande Smith, currently employed as the legal counsel for the IASB; Mary Gannon, lobbyist for the IASB; Margaret Buckton, former associate executive director of the IASB; and Larry Sigel, former CFO of the IASB.

Ms. Kilcrease appeared along side her lawyer who gave her opening statement and consulted with her on nearly every answer she gave during the questioning.  She was not very forthcoming with answers, mostly pleading the fifth amendment and telling members that she cannot answer accurately due to her being blocked access to her documents and information.  Her contract was terminated with the IASB at the end of March. 

Others who testified before the committee were much more forthcoming with answers.  LeGrande Smith, IASB’s current legal counsel, answered much of the committee’s questions.  Former associate Executive Director, Margaret Buckton, and former CFO, Larry Sigel, also answered many of the committee’s questions.  Both Ms. Buckton and Mr. Sigel applied for the Executive Director position, along with Ms. Buckton’s brother, Jon Muller, when it was open last year.  All three were denied interviews and Ms. Kilcrease was given the job.  Muller left within days after this occurred, Sigel left a few months later, and Buckton was fired from the organization in September of last year.

The committee spent time asking Larry Sigel about his new company which he formed shortly before leaving the IASB.  The company, Iowa School Finance Information Services (ISFIS) provides financial consulting to schools.  A contract was signed between the IASB and ISFIS right before he left the association.  The contract had the IASB pay newly formed private company $300,000 over three years in return for various lobbying and financial-education services.  A lawsuit was filed by the IASB claiming ISFIS did not hold its end of the contract.  The lawsuit has since been dropped, but lawmakers questioned the situation telling Sigel it seemed like an unethical deal and that his company was “spying” on the competition to the school board’s programs.

Questions were also raised about the openness of IASB’s records.  The legislature passed a measure this year requiring the IASB to comply with Iowa’s open meetings and open records laws.  But the situation needs to be revisited, as it was hastily applied at the end of the session.  A measure to further increase transparency regarding non-profit boards was defeated when a disagreement between the two bodies of the legislature killed it.

One of the big questions on the minds of the Republican members of the committee that still remains unanswered is what are the financial dealings of Skills Iowa?  Two Des Moines Register articles have uncovered information showing questionable financial transactions regarding Skills Iowa.

Skills Iowa is an entity under the IASB that provides online learning tools for students and teachers called Assessment Center and Skills Tutor.  These programs are provided by a software company in Rhode Island called US Skills, Inc.  Skills Iowa was formerly called Following the Leaders (FTL) and was overseen by a group in the eastern US called the Education Learning Council (ELC).  FTL was started around 2002 and was tested in several states as a project to see how online learning could enhance student achievement.  It started out with impressive funding, receiving about $30 million in federal funding for the first 6 years.  After some mismanagement allegations and questions raised about ELC, and studies on the effectiveness of FTL showed poor or unknown results, the program floundered.  ELC let the program go and told states still using it that they were on their own.

Iowa was the largest user of FTL, so management of it was transferred to IASB and Skills Iowa became the arbitrator of the program.  Sen. Harkin took particular interest in Skills Iowa, funneling over $12 million in federal funds to the IASB for it in the form of earmarks.  The program is even called “a special project of Senator Tom Harkin.”

In 2007 and 2008 when federal funding could not be secured for Skills Iowa, the Democratic legislature appropriated $3 million and $500,000 to Skills Iowa.  Federal funding resumed again in 2009.  Over the course of the last 8 to 10 years it appears that Skills Iowa and FTL have received nearly $40 million in taxpayer money. 

Where it gets dicey is who the money is going to.  FTL contracted out to Achievement Technologies for their programs, a company run by Michael Perik.  US Skills, the company contracted by Skills Iowa, is also owned by Michael Perik.  Millions of dollars have been spent by FTL and Skills Iowa on software provided by Perik’s companies; about $6.2 million since August of 2007.  Perik has donated more than $1 million to campaigns across the country, including $50,000 to Governor Culver and $13,500 to Senator Harkin.

Coincidence or not, it’s clear that Skills Iowa needs to show its financials to the committee for review. 

The Oversight committee plans to meet again in May.  How many more meetings remain, though, is still up in the air.  Senator Olive said he felt one more meeting might help close the issue.  Rep. Watts disagreed, saying there are still more people to question and more answer to find. 

Still waiting to appear are Kevin Schick, former CFO, and Jack Hill, former president of the Board, who resigned this week.  Republican members would also like to see Susie Olesen, director of Skills Iowa, appear to provide answers on that entity.  She has been with Skills Iowa in one capacity or another since around 2002.

Road Construction Projects Summary

Approximately $450 million in state highway and bridge work is scheduled for this busy road construction season. This is an amount far below the $600 million that was spent last year when federal stimulus funds and I-JOBS money supplemented the construction project funding. This year’s project list does include some carryover projects that were awarded to contractors last year. The Iowa DOT hopes that some federal stimulus money will continue to supplement the highway budget. In addition to the funding being down, the DOT estimates that only about 4,500 to 4,800 people will be out working on the roads this season; a decrease from last season’s 5,200 workers.

Des Moines Projects:

• Bridge work on Interstate 35/80 over Walnut Creek in West Des Moines
• New bridge deck on Iowa Highway 17 (Granger) over the Des Moines River (bridge closed through mid-August)
• Extension of Martin King Luther King Jr. Parkway (completed this year)

Western Iowa:

• Urban reconstruction on I-29 (Sioux City)
• Urban reconstruction on I-80 (Council Bluffs)
• Reconstruction on I-29 between Missouri and Sioux City

Central Iowa:

• Grading for U.S. 20 between Sac County Rd. N14 and Iowa Highway 4 (Rockwell City)
• Four-lane paving on U.S. 20 between Iowa Highway 4 and Webster County
• Grading and paving of four-lane U.S. 30 between Colo and Marshalltown
• Reconstruction of I-35 from Decatur County to Osceola
• Reconstruction of I-35 between Iowa Highway 175 and U.S. 20

Eastern Iowa:

• Construction of four-lane bypass of Tama-Toledo on U.S. 30 (open with two-lanes late this fall)
• Grading and bridge work for U.S. 61 bypass of Fort Madison (open fall 2011)
• Widen I-80 to six lanes near Iowa City
• Bridge Repair on I-80 over the Mississippi River (Quad Cities)

Vietnam Veterans Bonus and Trust Fund Update

Vietnam Veterans Bonus

Created in 2007 and established in section 35A.8 of the Code, $500,000 was appropriated to the newly created Vietnam Conflict Veterans Bonus Fund.  Iowa residents who served on active duty for at least 120 days between July 1, 1973 and May 31, 1975 are eligible for this bonus program. The eligibility was expanded in 2008 and changed the starting eligibility date to July 1, 1958.  This expansion is repealed June 30, 2011.

As of the end of March there had been 1289 approved applicants, for a total awarded amount of $231,745.50.  This leaves $268,254.50 in the account.  There have been 750 denied requests and 10 are currently deferred, waiting more information.  The deferred applications amount to $862.50.

Veterans Trust Fund

Created in 2007 and established in section 35A.19 of the Code, the Trust Fund allows the Veterans Commission to approve disbursement of money to veterans in need.  A set list of expenditures are approved in Code and an application process is in place to make sure applying veterans meet certain income and need criteria.  The Commission can approve expenditures from the interest earned on the principal balance once it exceeds $5 million, which it did in FY08. 

At the end of March the principal balance in the Trust Fund was $8,493,526.  Remaining in the interest balance of spendable money is $21,868,50.  There has been 318 applications approved over the life of the fund, with 176 denied.  17 have applied this calendar year.

Ways and Means Bills Become Law

Several Ways and Means bills were passed by the House and Senate and sent to the Governor in the final days leading up to the adjournment of the 2010 session.  In recent days, Governor Culver has signed a number of these proposals into law.  While average Iowans will not notice one way or the other once many of these laws take effect, a few of them will negatively impact the pocket books of Iowa employers, which could in turn come down hard on Iowa families.

Senate File 2380 – Tax Credit Overhaul

The law establishes a Tax Expenditure Review Committee composed of five members of the Senate and five members of the House which are responsible for evaluating all tax expenditures every five years and providing recommendations on changes to the programs.  The law also creates two interim study committees on the Enterprise Zone Program and the 260 E Job Training Program. 

The law also does away with a number of tax credit programs.  The Venture Capital Fund, the Value Added Ag Products Investment Tax Credit Program, and the Economic Development Revolving Loan Program are eliminated under the new law. 

The new law reduces the supplemental Research Activities Credit from 6.5% to 3% from companies that make more than $20 million per year.  And, increases the same credit from 6.5% to 10% for companies making less than $20 million per year.  These tax credits are extremely important to Iowa employers that conduct breakthrough research spurring job creation. 

The law also puts the Film, Television and Video Promotion Tax Credit on hold until July 1, 2013.  In addition, it cuts Iowa’s investment in important economic development incentives by $65 million annually.  The law cuts Iowa’s investment in a handful of other economic development tools by approximately 10%, reduces the state’s investment in venture capital by $40 million and reinstates Iowa’s share of the Death Tax. 

The House passed Senate File 2380 on a party line vote of 54-43 on March 19, 2010.  Governor Culver subsequently signed it into law April 15, 2010. 

Senate File 2375 – Streamlined Sales Tax Compact Compliance

The new law will make various changes to definitions in Iowa’s tax code to bring Iowa into compliance with the national streamlined sales tax compact.  The streamlined sales tax compact is an agreement between multiple states and the business community to streamline the way sales and use tax is collected.  It also seeks to collect sales tax on remote sellers that otherwise would go uncollected. 

The House passed Senate File 2375 unanimously by a vote of 95-0 on March 25, 2010.  Governor Culver signed the bill into law on April 21, 2010. 

Senate File 2387 – Blood Bank Sales Tax Exemption

The law authorizes a sales tax exemption for specified purchases of equipment and other supplies necessary for testing blood at a regional blood testing laboratory licensed by the federal food and drug administration.  The sales tax exemption is contingent upon location of a regional blood testing lab to Iowa.  If the facility does not establish its operations in Iowa, then the sales tax exemption is repealed. 

The House passed Senate File 2387 unanimously by a vote of 94-0 on March 26, 2010.  Governor Culver signed the bill into law April 21, 2010. 

Senate File 2371 – Royalty Fees On Dredging Operations

The law requires the Department of Natural Resources to issue reduced royalty fee permits for dredging along the Cedar River in specific areas.  The new permit would reduce royalty fees paid to the state for the removal of sand and gravel from lands and waters. 

The House passed Senate File 2371 unanimously by a vote of 94-0 on March 26, 2010.  Governor Culver signed the bill into law April 23, 2010.

Senate File 2373 – Utility Replacement Tax

The law was a devised by the Utility Replacement Task Force and relates to the utility replacement tax and cogeneration facilities.  It seeks to resolve a problem between the city of Clinton and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) involving double taxation of ADM’s cogeneration facility.  The issue arose because current tax code does not take into consideration a facility operating with steam and electric.  ADM’s cogeneration facility uses a substantial amount of steam while simultaneously using electric power.  Current law does not require the Department of Revenue to tax companies that use steam power, while electric is a taxable utility by the state.  The new law requires cogeneration facilities to be assessed centrally by the state, and locally.  The Department of Revenue will determine an amount for the replacement tax, while the City Assessor’s office will assess the value of the property.  The amount determined by the Department of Revenue will then be credited to the local valuation. 

The House passed Senate File 2373 unanimously by a vote of 95-0 on March 25, 2010. Governor Culver signed the bill into law on April 23, 2010.

Your Capitol Voice

Representative Jeff Kaufmann

            It has been two weeks since the end of the 2010 legislative session and time to pen my last column.  Since adjournment I have had three additional forums with at least one to go.

            There is acknowledgement among legislators of both parties that there was good bipartisan policy passed this session. There is also acknowledgement that there is still a large budget gap.  Everyone agrees, with the exception of a few radical blogs, that this budget gap will be around 1 billion dollars.  In fact at my Johnson County forum last week, all legislators, Republican and Democrat, agreed on this amount which is also confirmed by the State Auditor.

            The real problem is that over 700 million in one-time money was used for ongoing expenses.  Analyses that deny the seriousness of this budget gap intentionally leave out this crucial fact. The crux of the problem for next year is that the one-time dollars are likely gone and there are little to no more funds from which to take money.

            We can argue as to whether we have a revenue issue or spending problem in this state, but what about a solution?  Whether I agree or not, it was a duly-elected Legislature that had a large enough majority to pass the increased spending and these problem budgets.  Next session Iowans will demand constructive discussion on how to truly balance the budget (as opposed to using one-time money and reserves) and how to control spending while providing needed services. Iowans will demand the legislature do better and they must.  These issues will command my attention through the spring, summer, and fall.  I will need your feedback now more than ever.

            Open dialogue is always a challenge in an election year, but we can’t wait until after the November elections to craft solutions. I need to keep open the lines of communications here at home.  This interim you will continue  to see me in your community and attending your events.  I plan, once again, to visit every city council and school board meeting in the District.  I will likely attend hundreds of meetings, events, parades, and ceremonies in the next 9 months.

            Please do not hesitate to contact me and do not hesitate to invite me to your community event if you think my presence would be constructive or helpful.  My job is to reflect this District and expect nothing to change in my taking that expectation seriously.

            Meanwhile I will return to the other facets of my life.  I will be teaching a full load this summer and fall.  I will be working to complete the South Bethel project in Tipton and a host of other historical projects.  And of course, there is hay to make, fences to mend, and lambs and calves to get ready for market.  Essentially I get to settle into the roles of what I am, and not just what I do.

            Thank you for the honor of representing you at the State Capitol. 

Contact Information:

E: mail:     jeff.kaufmann@legis.state.ia.us

Mail:         2125 Old Muscatine Road  Wilton IA 52778

Phone:     563-732-2902

Your Capitol Voice   From: Representative Jeff Kaufmann, R – Wilton (D-79)

            The 2010 legislative session ended last week and many citizens are evaluating laws and policies that passed.  I want to discuss the decisions that I believe will benefit Iowans and those that will not, and in some cases make a bad fiscal situation worse. 

            Policies I believe will benefit Iowans

1.  A texting ban for all citizens and a cell phone ban for teenagers is a good start for safer roads.
2. Attempts at expanding gambling failed.  I believe that new casinos or gambling opportunities are poor choices for economic development.
3. The “Ed Thomas bill” will help law enforcement protect citizens from newly released patients that are prone to violence.
4. The creation of uniform state standards for issuance of a “concealed carry” permit will ensure that our Second Amendment rights are not dependent on the county where we reside.
5. Government reorganization initiatives yielded millions of dollars of savings.  We could and should have gone much farther but this was a good start and a solid bipartisan effort.
6. Several veterans’ initiatives will strengthen Iowa law in favor of our servicemen and women.  It was a good policy year for vets but the Veterans Trust Fund is still not as strong as it used to be.  Lottery proceeds are not good enough for the long-term sustainability of this fund.
7. Iowa will continue to use incentives to encourage and support our biofuels industry.  I do not believe that a mandate is good or necessary policy at this time.
8. A law further protecting genetic information from use by insurance companies or any other entity is good policy. This is an example of state law catching up with technology.

Policies I believe are not good for Iowans

1.  Traffic fines and court costs were raised by an average of 92%.  Policy based on the need for revenue is not a good precedent and the amount charged for some of these fines is simply unreasonable.
2. Attempts to protect property rights failed along straight party line votes.  Given the push for regional flood plain planning, protection of property rights is a necessity to ensure individuals are not co-opted by centralized urban planners.
3. Attempts to place limits on tuition increases by the Board of Regents failed. I will continue to lead this cause regardless of the political challenges.
4. Open meetings and open records legislation should include a better and clearer enforcement mechanism.  That did not happen this year.
5. The amount of pork in the final bills was unnecessary and difficult to justify to any taxpayer in these poor economic times.  Carefully hidden under the titles of flood relief or I-Jobs, specific earmarks and projects for particular legislators often had nothing to do with flood/disaster relief or long-term job creation.
6. Property taxes will increase due to policies that placed fiscal pressure on local governments like school boards and city councils.  Almost 200 million in potential increases this year alone and a potential for almost one-half billion over the next three years.  Bottom-line: This year’s state budget will increase taxes despite election-year rhetoric.
7. We entered this session with a 1.1 billion dollar budget gap. We left with a 1.0 billion dollar budget gap. (This does not even include the 1.6 billion in bonding debt we have acquired in the last two years.)   
8. Key point: Our budget situation next year will be worse than this year because of fiscal policies that did not account for past mistakes and the current recession.  You will hear that our budget is 5.3 billion and balanced.  Highly misleading.  In addition to the 5.3 billion that was spent from our general fund, the State also spent 726 million in one-time money from either the feds or our reserves.  This 6 billion dollar budget is the second largest in Iowa history.  In my opinion, there is no way to justify this, hence a partisan budget that was passed along straight party lines.

In summary there were some good bipartisan policy initiatives this year. The budgetary work, though, was often partisan and has placed Iowa in a more precarious financial situation than when we started the session. Our next legislative session will be challenging; certainly the most challenging in my six years as your legislator.

The talk of more and more Recession possibilities in the future and smaller recoveries reflect a dying economy.

China is even giving us good advice – stop building entitlement programs and attack your DEBT!

Can I be depressing enough to say I don’t even think we’re in a recovery. I think the world changed as much with the economic upheaval and the way it was managed, as the world changed after 9-11. It’s just that most people don’t GET that.

And when will everyone GET that this President doesn’t care about bipartisanship. If he did he would not be poking republicans in the eye on his HC victory. Very un-statesman like. What “about red America, blue America – I want to be President of the United States of America…” Well – not so much.

And don’t get me going on Israel… As goes Israel, so goes the USA in my opinion. We must support them strongly – we must give the rest of the Middle East a reason to negotiate. Valerie Jarrett? Really?

My whole world seems to stop on Super Bowl afternoon – so I’m catching up on a few organizational things including some blogging.  I’m watching the pre-game and may interject some comments.

Fun to watch the playoffs when I don’t care who wins.  What a finish to the season if WhO DaT NaTioN gets a super bowl championship; if the Colts win they are a blue collar team with Dallas Clark and Hawkeye History. 

I watched the Sarah Palin speech last night and am still looking for the next generation’s leaders.  President Obama can’t lead his way out of the proverbial paper sack – 13 months into his term he’s still campaigning.  I don’t see leadership in Gov. Palin either.  I like her, but people are pushing her into a leadership role for which she is not ready.

The 912 and Tea Party movements are engaging more citizens in politics, that is a good thing, and Gov. Palin’s speech was from the heart.  But those who are looking for the next Ronald Reagan in Palin, forget his “time in the wilderness” where he honed his philosophical tone by writing a-lot speaking around the nation and on TV.  Watch this TV broadcast from 1964 – 16 years before he was President.  YOU TUBE BROADCAST HERE   There is no Ronald Reagan type in either party today and I am afraid for the future.

To me it’s as simple as this.  Those who refuse to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.  I’m not looking up the orgins of that quote – it just makes sense doesn’t it?

2008 campaign article

Study shows FDR spending policies lengthened, did not shorten the Depression.

I wish I started to buy gold when it was $400, not doing it now.  I hope the continued unravelling of the Global Warming Myth is turned into a new effort to protect the environment and an understanding that we need to learn how to help future generations survive this climate change we are seeing.  Science based on urgent collection of grant monies and financial profit - is an evil effort and must be stopped. 

Walter Payton :::tears::: gone too soon, we still love you.  Queen Latifa Rocked American the Beautiful…  No one will out do Whitney Houston’s Star Spangled Banner… what was a long time ago, I didn’t think much of this lady today…

Where I do appreciate every candidate and citizen that is newly engaged, this two party system has to come back and find a way to work together.  I hope Republicans do regain control of the 2011 congress and pass a fair and responsible reorganization of our healthcare system.  A reorganization that pays for itself by cutting waste, is portable and covers pre-existing conditions.  I am supporting Dr. Miller-Meeks for Congress in that effort.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: ERIC WOOLSON
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2009    
515-681-3967

MILLER-MEEKS LAUNCHES 2010 CAMPAIGN AGAINST LOEBSACK IN IOWA’S SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

 MUSCATINE – Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, the 2008 GOP nominee in the Second Congressional District, today formally launched her campaign for her party’s 2010 nomination by urging Iowans to make history by electing their first women to Congress and supporting economic, environmental health care, tax and budget policies that once again move the country forward.

       “Just as they bravely did during the floods of 2008 when the federal response was too slow and they could not afford to wait any longer, ordinary citizens can again unite in a common cause and make history,” Miller-Meeks said.  “America is not what is wrong with the world, and embracing weakness has never inspired confidence.  It is our liberties that permit us to strive and achieve greatness and it is the duty of our elected officials to protect these liberties. I will defend those liberties.”

Accompanied by Barbara Grassley, state Sen. Jim Hahn of Muscatine and State Rep. Jeff Kaufmann of Wilton, the Ottumwa ophthalmologist made her announcement at the Quality Cobbler, a small business in the Muscatine Mall.  She also scheduled appearances in Marion, Burlington and Ottumwa later in the day.

“As a physician, we take the Hippocratic Oath to ‘first do no harm.’ I believe this applies not only in medicine but to government as well.  Government should play by the same rules it imposes on us – pay your bills and don’t overspend,” she said.

Noting that Quality Cobbler owner Larry Miller faces many of the same challenges other small business owners already face in keeping their doors open, Miller-Meeks that the prospect of “increased taxes, regulation and impending health care and cap and trade under the current administration and Congress dampen prospects of recovery.”

“Let’s make history with economic policies supporting small businesses like the Quality Cobbler.  End the morass of regulatory and taxation uncertainty so Larry Miller and business owners just like him can plan ahead and expand and hire,” she said. “Our economic recovery depends on a level playing field.  While big banks and businesses created this crisis, it is small banks and businesses who are asked to pay for it.  Entrepreneurs and new businesses won’t take risks necessary to create jobs when they are placed in a straightjacket of regulation, taxes and fees.”

Miller-Meeks said voters in the 15-county district that includes Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Muscatine, Burlington and Ottumwa also can make history by electing her to support an environmental policy that “respects our planet but doesn’t not cripple the Midwest economy by killing union and non-union jobs alike.”

“Let’s make history with health care reform that first controls and reduces cost, is affordable, portable and has universal access.  We can achieve that goal with individual health plans coupled with high deductible, catastrophic health insurance would be taking the road less traveled rather than the well-worn path of failure that will add a trillion dollars to the deficit and ultimately give us less quantity and quality of health care,” she said.

She noted that the district’s voters could also make history by “electing Iowa’s first woman to Congress and reclaiming Iowa’s and the Republican Party’s wonderful heritage on women’s and minority rights.”

“The conservative values of strengthening families, encouraging men to be true, active fathers to their children and empowering women to respect themselves can be advanced by a woman, even one with a hyphenated name,” Miller-Meeks said. “We can make history electing a conservative woman who understands that valuing life doesn’t devalue women.”

Miller-Meeks also alluded to Rep. David Loebsack’s support of the 2008 bailout of massive banks and financial institutions that continue to pay multimillion-dollar bonuses to executives and his vote in favor of the proposed government takeover of health care as indications he is out of touch with the district’s needs and priorities.

“If you can’t read the bill, at least understand what you are voting for.  As a mother, I often waited 10 seconds or counted to three before disciplining my children. Can’t this same common sense be applied to a spending bill? Before enslaving generations of taxpayers for bailouts, economic stimulus, health care reform or cap and trade, can’t Congress wait even a mere 72 hours to ensure we’re are all treated fairly – not just big banks, big companies and big donors?” she asked.  “Senators Grassley and Hahn and Representative Kaufmann live by these principles and have never forgotten that they are privileged to govern at the consent of the voter.  They understand that just one or two ill-advised votes can enslave future generations and deny them their constitutional liberties by burdening them with the profound tax increases to service this massive debt. Protecting the unborn who have no vote today implies fiscal prudence, restoration of constitutional principles of representative democracy and electing politicians who recognize that they are to protect these liberties, not limit them.” 

# # # #

 –
Eric Woolson
President/CEO
The Concept Works, Inc.
1001 Office Park Road, Suite 119
West Des Moines, IA  50265
(515) 226-0277
(515) 681-3967 (cell)
(515) 226-0293 (fax)
ewoolson@theconceptworks.com  
www.theconceptworks.com

HERE is a Link to the full text of an August Press Presidential Conference on Health Care.
[my comments]

Each and every day in this country, Americans are grappling with health care premiums that are growing three times the rate of wages and insurance company policies that limit coverage and raise out-of-pocket costs. Thousands are losing their insurance coverage each day.

[turning things over to the government isn't going to make things cheaper - and if you think it will, you may want to stop reading this post right now]

Without real reform, the burdens on America’s families and businesses will continue to multiply. We’ve had a vigorous debate about health insurance reform, and rightly so. This is an issue of vital concern to every American, and I’m glad that so many are engaged.

[real reform can come in many ways that will relieve burden on America's families - it doesn't have to come at the deconstruction of 1/6 of our economy. THAT is what is scaring people.]

But it also should be an honest debate, not one dominated by willful misrepresentations and outright distortions, spread by the very folks who would benefit the most by keeping things exactly as they are.

[The President of course is disavowing that misrepresentation (willful or not) is coming from him and his administration - moving on...]

So today, I want to spend a few minutes debunking some of the more outrageous myths circulating on the internet, on cable TV, and repeated at some town halls across this country.

Let’s start with the false claim that illegal immigrants will get health insurance under reform. That’s not true. Illegal immigrants would not be covered. That idea has never even been on the table. Some are also saying that coverage for abortions would be mandated under reform. Also false. When it comes to the current ban on using tax dollars for abortions, nothing will change under reform. And as every credible person who has looked into it has said, there are no so-called “death panels” – an offensive notion to me and to the American people. These are phony claims meant to divide us.

[Illegal immigrants already get health care today. No one can legally be turned away from an ER room at a hospital. I will address this further as well as abortions in another post. Dr. Miller-Meeks covered the Death panel issue in her last blog post today.]

And we’ve all heard the charge that reform will somehow bring about a government takeover of health care. I know that sounds scary to many folks. It sounds scary to me, too. But here’s the thing: it’s not true. I no sooner want government to get between you and your doctor than I want insurance companies to make arbitrary decisions about what medical care is best for you, as they do today. As I’ve said from the beginning, under the reform we seek, if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. If you like your private health insurance plan, you can keep your plan. Period.

[But here's the thing: once a government sponsored health care plan is on the table, let's say 5 million uninsured (that can still get care in ERs) sign up for the Government plan. It is the Government's studied assumption that 3 million more small business owners will drop their coverage - pushing their employees into the government plan.

Not all Doctors will be IN the government plan, so guess what? you MAY lose your doctor. Your private health insurance plan today for the most part is offered by the generosity and business smarts of your employer. (who may likely be hammered by this Administration as one of the Evil Rich.

You don't know what your employer will do - and we all know how well the Government planned and estimated cost and interest of the Cash for Clunkers program right?]

Now, the source of a lot of these fears about government-run health care is confusion over what’s called the public option. This is one idea among many to provide more competition and choice, especially in the many places around the country where just one insurer thoroughly dominates the marketplace. This alternative would have to operate as any other insurer, on the basis of the premiums it collects. And let me repeat – it would be just an option; those who prefer their private insurer would be under no obligation to shift to a public plan.

[OK, so options are a good thing? Cool.  I have heard there are about 1300 different insurance companies in the US, but only a few in Iowa. Why not allow all 1300 to compete in all 50 states? If 400 "go away", we sill have a lot from which to choose.

The GOVERNMENT has set these conditions and boundaries on state insurance commissions. Change THAT process. INCREASE competition!  But if your employer drops carrying insurance from what I read - you will be shifted to the Government plan.]

The insurance companies and their allies don’t like this idea, or any that would promote greater competition. I get that. And I expect there will be a lot of discussion about it when Congress returns.

[My suggestion would create MUCH MORE competition - so MUCH that some providers will fade away. But if the government competes in this market, they have a huge advantage. An insurance company by law must carry X% of their potential liabilities in cash reserves. I have seen the government set up no such provision for themselves. That is an unfair competitive advantage.]

But this one aspect of the health care debate shouldn’t overshadow the other important steps we can and must take to reduce the increasing burdens families and businesses face.

So let me stress them again: If you don’t have insurance, you will finally have access to quality coverage you can afford. If you do have coverage, you will benefit from more security and more stability when it comes to your insurance. If you move, lose your job, or change jobs, you will not have to worry about losing health coverage. And we will set up tough consumer protections that will hold insurance companies accountable and stop them from exploiting you with unfair practices.

[PS the Government has the ability to make insurance portable between jobs and between states today. Let's do it!]

We’ll prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage because of a person’s medical history. They will not be able to drop your coverage if you get sick. They will not be able to water down your coverage when you need it most. They will no longer be able to place some arbitrary cap on the amount of coverage you can receive in a given year or a lifetime. We’ll place a limit on how much you can be charged for out-of-pocket expenses, because no one in America should go broke because they get sick.

[what's in bold and blue above is the first common sense true statement in this speech, IMO]

And we will require insurance companies to cover routine checkups and preventive care, like mammograms and colonoscopies. There’s no reason we shouldn’t be catching diseases like breast cancer and colon cancer on the front end. That makes sense, it saves lives, and it will also save money over the long-run. Taken together, the reforms we’re seeking will help bring down skyrocketing costs, which will mean real savings for families, businesses, and government.

[No, No, no.  You cannot assume that. Anyone good at math can figure this out. When we prevent more diseases, people live longer. Where's the savings! I mean I'm all for pro-active health care, but there have been recent studies done that say it won't save money in the long run.  Think about how much more social security benefits are going out to people now that fewer people smoke!]

We know what a failure to act would bring: More of the same. More of the same exploding costs. More of the same diminished coverage. If we fail to act, the crisis will grow. More families will go without coverage. More businesses will be forced to drop or water down their plans.

[This is one of my biggest gripes. No one is saying there aren't needs to address. fail to act, fail to act - must pass the plan... what's the rush! Let's put together a good plan!]

So we can push off the day of reckoning and fail to deal with the flaws in the system, just as Washington has done, year after year, decade after decade. Or we can take steps that will provide every American family and business a measure of security and stability they lack today.

[Pass this plan OR our country will implode.

Frankly I think it's the converse: Pass this plan AND our country will implode!]

It has never been easy, moving this nation forward. There are always those who oppose it, and those who use fear to block change. But what has always distinguished America is that when all the arguments have been heard, and all the concerns have been voiced, and the time comes to do what must be done, we rise above our differences, grasp each others’ hands, and march forward as one nation and one people, some of us Democrats, some of us Republicans, all of us Americans.

[This President: "fear fear fear - pass the bill. don't read, don't think - do it fast!"]

This is our chance to march forward. I cannot promise you that the reforms we seek will be perfect or make a difference overnight. But I can promise you this: if we pass health insurance reform, we will look back many years from now and say, this was the moment we summoned what’s best in each of us to make life better for all of us. This was the moment when we built a health care system worthy of the nation and the people we love. This was the moment we earned our place alongside the greatest generations. And that is what our generation of Americans is called to do right now.

[What's best in each of us is not being heard by this President. He speaks of a lack of bipartisanship, but that bipartisanship has been defined by "do it my way". I don't WANT to DO IT RIGHT NOW. I want to DO IT RIGHT. Now if he wants to throw a couple of trillion around (what comes after that it all seems like funny money by now) as a safety net for those he feels are in jeopardy - do it short term. DO IT RIGHT for the long term.]

I will try to document some of the statements I’ve made in my next posts. -pf

The Muscatine Town Hall was today and reports from the Louisa County Town Hall were the same as ours – it was “tame”. When I arrived at the Muscatine venue 90 minutes early I was pleased the auditorium was open, was not looking forward to standing in line.

For the first 30 minutes even as a few friends trickled in we were seriously outnumbered by opposition support. By the end of the session it sounded like it was fairly even but my sense was we were outnumbered about 60%-40%, and there were less than 200 people there.

The facts have become obscured with the passion and vitriol from each side over the last months, and I worry that our “tame” Town Halls give this Representative the opportunity to tell his leader Ms. Pelosi, that he can vote with her without concern of blow back.

With all due respect to my Democrat friends, where there is misinformation on both sides of the Health Care topic, our President takes the cake on hypocrisy.

No there is nothing formally labeled as Death anything in HR3200. But let’s look at this:

I was not surprised to learn that the VA panel of experts that sought to update “Your Life, Your Choices” between 2007-2008 did not include any representatives of faith groups or disability rights advocates. And as you might guess, only one organization was listed in the new version as a resource on advance directives: the Hemlock Society (now euphemistically known as “Compassion and Choices”).

to read more go here.

This VA “book” was first authored in the late 1990, and tabled during the Bush years. For this to be dusted off in the first 6 months of this administration speaks to focus. Read Section 1233 of HR 3200 and you tell me if this could eventually mutate into something similar to what some of my veteran friends call “The Death Book”.

Let’s look for more
here’s CNN on Lobbyists

here is another good article – read the posts too

I will try to post one of the President’s latest speeches and point out the misinformation there – his talks are filled with certainty about things that are simply not true.

Here is what should be done – this, does not turn 1/6 of our national economy over to the people who have made a shambles of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the SEC…

1st: Create a temporary safety net re: catastrophic for uninsured.
2nd: Require Coverage for pre-existing conditions.
3rd: Redo State Insurance Commissions mandates on require specific coverage – change to a menu option/price
4th: Make insurance portable from job to job & state to state
5th: Watch the free market work
6th: offer a tax deduction for anyone who wants insurance that isn’t insured – now they can shop around and prices will be lower because of competition.

None of this requires the government to take over anything.

There seems to be a debate on whether there are votes to carry Federal Tax issue in the Iowa House.  We shall see.

The US House has actually denied the President his wish to increase taxes on wealthy people who contribute to charities in a large way == read more here - it was unanimous – cool.

The failure of the newspaper business is no different that other businesses. Bailouts are wrong – bad business models should FAIL and better business models rise from the ashes. The NYT’s failures are not akin to Darfur.

When we visited David Vaudt, our State Auditor in his office yesterday he told us he is facing a 26.6% budget cut. Most of his buget is for payroll and to audit various activities, much of which is prescribed by law. He explained that in addition to the cuts, the format of having to audit larger and more complicated budgets takes more time not less. In comparison the Secretary of State’s budget will only be cut 8.1% and the State Treasurer’s budget is being cut by just 10.8%. In fact, the entire Administration and Regulation Appropriations Subcommittee budget, which includes these three offices, averages an 11% cut for all offices in their proposed budget. Vaudt, the only Republican office holder out of the three offices under the jurisdiction of this Committee, recently sent a letter to the respective chairs in the House and Senate to voice his objection to the plan. AND he was on the radio voicing his concerns yesterday.

The President is labeling himself as a bridge builder at the G20 summit.  Someone needs to tell me why we have to build the whole damn bridge though…  who else changed?  Not China.  Not Russia.  Not Nobody – we just gave a LOT.  someone needs to define Compromise and Capitulation to our new President.  That is not Leadership I want.

Capitulation
1. giving up: surrender or a giving up of resistance
2. terms of surrender: a document that sets out the agreed terms of surrender

Compromise
1. an accommodation in which people involved partially reduce their demands and settle differences;
2. a lowering of principles and weakening of morals for supposed gain.

Hmmmm… even compromise doesn’t sound that good.

Have a good night.

There were 3-4 seconds of boos or applause for each speaker, and the crowd was quiet for the next guy – no interruptions during the 3 minute orations.

Absolutely no reason to kick us out.

I’ve been in the chamber when the Governor walks in and there are all kinds of cat-calls and whistling – don’t give me that respect for the House crap.

My representative helped me get onto the floor about 25 minutes after we were kicked out of the gallery and the line of the night was a speaker who said:

 “I’ve never attended an event when the tenants evicted the landlord”….

 …….. it’s gonna get louder before this is settled folks.

It started as such a nice day.  Spent 6 hours at work, then headed to Des Moines by myself.  Sun was shining – decent radio on the way to Des Moines, not much traffic.  After stopping at the hotel, I drove to the capitol – majestic place to be sure.  Windy with an occasional snow flake hitting my windshield.

Left my coat and ran into the building and smack into Trudy and Keith going through security.  We sat and talked for a bit, Trudy was going to be one of the speakers.

The time went by fast waiting for the 7:30 session to start.  Found one of the last seats in the gallery facing the front of the House, reminding myself that the three floors I climbed to the gallery should not have left me so winded.

Trudy was the second speaker, the first against House Bill 807 which removes the deductability of our federal income tax before calculating our Iowa Tax.  Trudy actually had the hardest role – starting the opposition ball rolling and she did a great job; she too is a small business owner.

This is a difficult issue.  No one wants to deny essential goods and services to those who are more unfortunate than ourselves.  But the Iowa Legislature has been out of control with their spending for the last 2-3 years and this is a grab for more money with no plan to stop the bleeding.  We decided to draw a line in the sand today.

Much was made that Iowa was only one of three states that allow that deductability.  But there are also states that have no state tax.  Why not go that way?

I feel we are at a crossroad in this country and it’s not a good feeling.  One speaker, a lady from a social service department of the government said people deserve a decent home, food and clothing.  On the surface who can disagree?  I can disagree with one of her statements, “the government needs to lift these people out of poverty”.  Hasn’t worked so well yet has it?

President Obama had a town hall meeting last week and I was stunned to hear the questions – they were all “when are we going to get this or that”.  Get.  Get?  When did we not work for stuff?

And President Obama changing the structure of tax benefits when donating to charities.  What is that about.  Read this.

Why would a President think this move was important in his first 100 days?  Because he wants people dependent on the government, not charities?  That’s the only reason I can think that he would do this…  It makes no sense.

This feels like the beginning of a class war, but it shouldn’t be.  This is simply the Iowa government spending too much money without too much thought and wanting more.  Like a spoiled child the parent needs to just say – no more.

I’m going to recap the points that some of the speakers made here.  (my favorite one was at the top of this article…)  here it goes…

Many of the speakers were small business people – I think I heard most of the speakers, I was out in the hall with the rest of both galleries for about 25 minutes when Jeff got me on to the floor which let me hear the rest of the speakers.  I read in the press accounts there was a 15 minute delay as the galleries were emptied.

One speaker was a young lady who with her husband ran a construction company that employed 40 people.  She was concerned she would have to lay people off, and was tired of coming to Des Moines to beg for legislators to do the right thing.

Several speakers just announced this move would cause them to leave the state.

One young lady was an engineer and told of her parents owning a small business.  She conducts a series of classes through her church that teaches personal budgeting, debt management, investment - teaching people to live within their own means.  Her students can’t raise taxes to cover the short fall, why should the government?  Why can’t the government live within their means?  I mean it’s not like the population of Iowa is growing!  Where is the money going?

Government jobs pay about 20% more than the private sector.  Why?

Government jobs (most? all?) pay 100% of medical insurance.  Why?

One fellow said, “Revenue is not the problem.  We have more tax revenue than we did 5 years ago – we’re not smart about prioritizing.”  Why?

Several guys made light of their articulation skills but were very funny (and articulate).  One said that they should really make the tax code easy (like the flat tax) and then the legislature would be out of session by February.  And the best thing about passing this bill is that it will create a BIG TURNOVER in the legislature in 2010.

A poignant and sad fact (there were over 40 speakers) was when one fellow simply said he was there because you (pointing at the legislators) “have not earned my trust”.  Please vote for this bill if you want to reduce employment, continue the brain drain from Iowa and penalize success.

A continuing drum beat was college kids leaving Iowa and the potential repeal of the R&D tax credit.  That is crazy!  Iowa is 42nd out of 50 states in innovation and entrepreneurial jobs.  97% of the jobs in Iowa are from small businesses.  Those business owners have no safety net, received no bail out and lately many of the owners are not taking salaries to keep employees working.  These business owners are the ones penalized by this tax change.

Many of the speakers were from LINN, still recovering from the devastating 2008 flood.  20% of the flooded businesses in LINN closed their doors for good.  The Governor is in Washington talking to Microsoft about 75 jobs, when people in LINN have lost 7,500 jobs – and the worst economic effect is typically 2-3 years AFTER the flood.   You can’t grow, expand or strengthen Iowa’s economy in this business climate.

But what finally raised the roof and got us kicked out was Greg Baker, the outgoing Chair of the Iowa Federation of College Republicans.  Greg is a friend of mine as many of the CRs are in the state – and he really took the legislators to the proverbial woodshed.  He loves this state and wants to stay – but doesn’t expect to be able to stay here.  “What a great state – what an opportunity for a guy like me – talking to an esteemed group like this…  But, I have to tell you, what you’re doing is wrong.  You are screaming to college graduates, if you want to make something of your life – not here! Think about what you’re doing! I’m begging you!”

The eruption of applause for Mr. Baker is what got us kicked out.  Baker Cleared the House.

Read HERE and HERE for press accounts of the evening.

ok, better yet,  Baker – You Tube right here.

… and the Register caught me at the door of the HOUSE after we were pitched out of the gallery.

Last week the President gave a DVD movie set to his first foreign visitor. Sounds pretty odd and not very Presidential. If the set was one that could not run on European equipment – I know they are different – that would be embarrassing. The “excuse” given for that and various other issues is that the new President is overwhelmed. But apparently not overwhelmed enough to have parties at the WH on Wednesdays.

I got my taxes done this AM and asked my CPA to reconstruct them if Iowa lost the federal deductability on State tax reporting that currently exists.

I owed $90 more in state tax than I had paid in 2008. Under the proposed system I would owe over $800 more than I had paid in 2008. Wow. That’s more than a chunk of change – something I need to budget to pay. My sense is that bill will not pass, hopefully it won’t get through funnel week.

One of my favorite reads in the AM is Powerline Blog and this AM they were talking about the political games the Democrats were playing posting Rush Limbaugh as the “titular head” of the Republican party – knowing he was not well liked outside of conservative circles. The basic tennant was that Rush wants this President to fail, and how unAmerican that is. But… they also said:

Rush wants Obama to fail to socialize the economy and run up trillions of dollars in debt. Democrats in 2006–surely a plurality, if not a majority–wanted the United States to fail in a war in which our armed forces were then engaged. Yet, through the eight years of the Bush administration, neither the President nor his spokesmen ever accused these Democrats of being unpatriotic. I hope that someday their restraint will be appreciated.

So Rush supports America but not the President. How different is that from Liberals saying they support the troops but not the mission? which is worse? Rush want’s this President’s policies to fail. So do I; I hope voters WAKE UP SOON!!!

Then they talked about Charles Freeman who has been nominated by the President to head the National Intelligence Council when it’s obvious he has a bias against Israel. Can’t say I’m shocked.   [update 5pm today - Charles Freeman is another Obama candidate casualty.  He just asked to have his name removed from consideration.  It appears not only does he sit on a Chinese Company Board but he also has taken considerable coin from the Saudis.  Don't they vet these guys at all?  At lease we can assume he's paid his taxes.  -pf]

On a brighter note – there is more public dialog on the idiocy of Algore’s Global Warming mantra. This will be one of the worst scams of all time – costing trillions of dollars but more important, more than a decade of lost time. Where would we be if we were able to rationally discuss climate change and how to prepare for it? Climate Change will happen – Algore’s hyperbole is harmful and has spawned an industry that has not solved the problem.

Read an article written on a liberal blog HERE refuting Algore’s part in the Global Warming movement.

Maybe there is hope.

I know I promised my next post to be about the economy and W, but I can’t stand this.

Dig this.

An Iowa Senate Committee just passed a bill to the Senate that is about the dumbest thing I have ever seen in politics. They calmly 8-7 (2 Dems voted no) passed a bill out of committee that will require the Iowa electoral votes to go to the Presidential Candidate that wins the popular vote – effectively killing the beautiful symmetry that is the electoral college.

This vote would make Iowa irrelevant to national politics. It makes no sense, unless you want urban areas (that have more Democrat votes – hmmm trending to a conclusion here) to have control over who’s President.

You did know that Presidents are not elected by popular vote, right? Iowa has 7 electoral votes (soon to be reduced to 6 after this census results go into affect – because of population shifts). That’s why I find it odd that this President feels the need to move control of the census under the White House. After all, what ARE community organizers without lists?

ANYWAY (I keep getting side tracked – twitter keeps reporting what he’s saying…) This is where I believe our Founding Fathers were so brilliant in their construction of this Republic. Watch this 10 minute YOU TUBE video that explains further.

Also read HERE where our Governor (aka “the Big Lug”) is telling us the tax code is confusing so we should remove a provision to deduct our federal tax payment before computing our state taxes! HOLD ON TO YOUR WALLETS.

So, now while President Obama is telling you all (and you’re all watching Him on TV right? I’m not.) what a mess he was left to clean up, I will write the note about why this President cannot blame His immediate past President for this pretty pickle.

The rest of the world seems to have gone mad – why not Iowa?

Wait. more thing. Grant Young’s Rant on the Electoral College is funny. If we can’t shoot ‘em – we need to laugh, right?

Thursday – February 19, 2009

from the Iowa House Minority Leader Kraig Paulsen

9:16 a.m. House convenes with the expectation we will begin debating HF 333 in the morning. The Majority Leader tells me Rep. Olson will have a corrective amendment coming, they expect it around lunch time and we will begin debate then. We recess until 1 p.m.

1:00 p.m. Olson amendment has not arrived – we sit and wait.

7:56 p.m. Olson amendment finally arrives – Republicans go to caucus.

9:00 p.m. I inform the Speaker and Majority Leader that Republicans will not permit this bill to be passed in the middle of the night and we will be staying in caucus to work on amendments until the sun comes up.

10:00 p.m. Majority Leader agrees to start debate at noon on Friday if we agree to limit debate to five hours. We agree.

Friday

11:00 a.m. Republicans caucus for final discussions on bill. I asked the caucus to be thoughtful, respectful, and passionate – but win the debate. The final vote count is in doubt.

12:05 p.m. The House convenes.

12:15 p.m. Rumored the democrats now have 51 votes (exact number needed for passage).

12:18 p.m. Majority Leader calls up Price Fixing Act for debate with a end time and vote at 5:20 p.m.

12:20 p.m. Debate begins.

2:00 p.m. Begin debate on main Democrat amendment.

2:30 p.m. It’s rumored they are back to 50 votes.

3:30 p.m. Rep. Bailey (D) announces on floor he will vote “no” unless the bill gets changed.

4:00 p.m. House defers on main Democrat amendment so that Bailey corrective amendment can be drafted. Presumably now they are back to 51 votes.

4:15 p.m. We begin debate on the Grassley amendment to protect disaster victims.

4:40 p.m. Rep Bailey informs me that if I prevent debate on his corrective amendment he will vote for the bill on final passage.

4:45 p.m. Corrective amendment arrives

4:50 p.m. I speak on the Grassley amendment. While speaking it appears to me that Democrat Leader is having his members request time to speak. This will have the effect of running out the clock and prevent us from debating the corrective amendment for procedural reasons.

5:00 p.m. I decide to let him run out the clock and have Republicans end remarks.

5:15 p.m. Grassley’s amendment fails.

5:16 p.m. Rather than call up Bailey amendment they just move on and run the clock out.

5:20 p.m. Speaker Murphy closes debate and calls the question.

5:30 p.m. Vote count sits at 50 – 46 – Bill fails

5:40 p.m. Speaker announces he will hold the voting machine open until Monday at 1 p.m.

11:40 p.m. Rep Scott Raecker (R-Urbandale) votes “no”, vote now sits at 50 – 47 – bill fails

Saturday – nothing happens

Sunday

5:20 p.m. Rep Greg Forristall (R-Macedonia) votes “no”, vote now sits at 50 – 48 – bill fails

Monday

1:09p.m. The Majority leader switches vote to “no” so he can file a motion to reconsider and the speaker closes the vote. Final vote 49 aye – 49 no, 2 absent, the bill fails.

1:10 p.m. House adjourns and finally the legislative day of Thursday, Feb 19, 2009 is over.

When is the Iowa Spring Game? Will we have one with the turf change?
ok back to politics.

This is certainly not the way I expected 2009 to roll out, but I cannot say I’m surprised. I mean, who of you thought the price of housing would continue to rise forever and 0% down made sense.

About 10 things have struck me to say, “I need to go post that” but I haven’t, because I have so much to say I don’t know where to start. There are times when I feel like Alice gone through the Looking Glass.

The last thing that struck me to think of posting hit me at a time where I had a moment to post. Since Saturday Night Live doesn’t have a republican president to make fun of any more, they are making fun of the republican (minority) in congress. I continue to question the ability of the comedy writers of the world; they are cracking each other up. whatever… even though this skit was kept from being shown during the election, making fun of democrats.

There is some good news. The Iowa House refused to vote a Union sponsored bill into law by one vote. Now usually bills don’t go up for a vote unless the group submitting it believes they have the votes. They ended up one short as 5 democrats voted with 100% of the republican House to kill the bill, at least for now. It will probably come back later in the session but this was a big victory for Iowa. There are three more such bills this session – Democrats will approach those with much more care moving forward.

We’ve got some incredibly dedicated legislators, (Jeff Kaufmann, Tom Sands, Dawn Pettengill to name a few of my favorites) and it’s inspiring to watch their dedication to the task at hand.
http://iowahouserepublicans.com/

Iowa is not in bad shape as compared to other states; but with the devastation of the flooding in the Cedar and Iowa River valleys not cleaned up, we are short of ready cash. In the last 2,3 years we’ve spent more than we should. Good thing Iowa mandates operating with a balanced budget, although there’s some robbing peter to pay paul (but that’s a post for another day).

Iowa is already listed as 2nd to last (read this) best place to have a business (12% corporate TAX rate) but now we need to add a bunch of Union issues to the mix? I don’t think so. We’ll be reporting on those labor bills as they move forward.

One of the reasons I haven’t been active on the blog is that the new State Republican Chair (Matt Strawn) has brought the state party into the 21st century asking everyone to build a presence on FaceBook and is setting some other communication links that will help us in the next election cycle. So free time has been spent there. But nothing stirs up the base like Union issues at the statehouse. And our College Republican Group @ Iowa State has been getting some publicity this weekend too – you can read here and here if you don’t already follow this Iowa news.

Financially, I’m so sorry, but these are the things my parents taught me that apparently was not conventional wisdom of the majority of Americans:
1) if it’s too good to be true, it probably is
2) if you work for something (earn it) you’ll take better care of it
3) hard work will pay off
4) the housing you buy should represent no more than 3X your annual NET salary
5) keep enough in the bank to last you a year without a job

Worse, our current government is making my parents out to be liars.
1) you should expect the government to provide for you
2) you don’t need to work
3) doing nothing pays off
4) you can buy housing for 0% down and NOT TO WORRY, we’ll GIVE you 10-20% of the purchase price in free money (just tack it on to that loan) – because the value of your house will go up X% in the next years.
5) who me? save?

There are problems on Wall Street too – so why should we watch or care about price of stocks? All this
“too big to fail” and funny stuff going on… But I did get a kick of out Rick Santelli’s rant, and who could blame him?

Mayor Bloomberg was interviewed last week about the financial situation of NYC and he was very clear about the “cost of raising taxes”. Actually he sounded like Rudy in this interview.

“One percent of the households that file in this city pay something like 50% of the taxes,” explained the Mayor. “In the city, that’s something like 40,000 people. If a handful left, any raise would make it revenue neutral. The question is what’s fair. If 1% are paying 50% of the taxes, you want to make it even more?”

ok enough for one post… I need to get to bed, make sure I get to work early to contribute to the success of the corporation I work for so I will keep my …. oh wait, maybe I don’t.

when is the Iowa Spring Game?
Combines are this weekend – check out Shonn’s stats

Next Post – why you can’t blame W.

We saw this train wreck coming two years ago

 Blaming our budget disaster on the floods or the national economy might be politically expedient but it is simply not accurate. We have seen this fiscal “train wreck” long ago, especially after the two-year increase in state spending of 17 percent. Our state budget problems were caused by overspending.

Using more one-time revenue sources to once again artificially balance the budget will only make things worse. Of course our cash reserves are at their highest, they are tied to spending in code. We should not take comfort here. We need those reserves in order to pay our bills on time. And I strongly believe that the “rainy day” fund should be used for flood victims — not to balance our budget.

What else do we do to fix this mess?

• No more pork barrel spending. None.

• In the past two years we have added more than 600 new state jobs. This needs to be aggressively scrutinized.

• Serious payback provisions in our Values Fund property if promises made are not kept.

• Look aggressively for more private-public partnerships in pre-K education.

• Serious waste appraisals at our regents’ institutions. It’s not acceptable to me for the University of Iowa president to recycle the chief of staff position at $140,000 per year when we are raising tuition on our students.

If we try to fix our self-imposed budget problems by raising taxes and our business environment becomes less competitive, then we have harmed the economic development opportunities that are sorely need at a time like this.

There are other policies, in my opinion, that need to be discussed this session:

• True health insurance reform (we have just tinkered around the edges).

• Greater transparency and openness in government (which can start right now at UI) to allow more public input and find waste.

• Continued bipartisan efforts to generate “green-collar” jobs and allow renewable fuels to lead the way to a cleaner environment and energy independence.

• Stopping the hypocrisy. The casino exemption to the smoking ban should either be eliminated, or small businesses should receive the same treatment.

• Strengthen property rights. Currently there are 10,000 acres in this state under the threat of government condemnation for economic development. Unfortunately until it happens to yourself or someone you know, there is no outcry.

Jeff Kaufmann represents District 79 in the Iowa House of Representatives.

This is a newsletter I got from Senator Rants – an Iowa State Senator that must be running for Governor or something…

Well I thought the current Governor’s memo to state employees was creepy myself… saying “this is not our fault” when gee – in the NOVEMBER elections all the Republicans in the state were talking about how much money the Dems were spending and there really is a deficit – they cooked the books….   and the Dems were saying the budget is balanced, life is good yada yada…

you can download the Governor’s letter at the bottom of this page.  -pf

Culver’s Cuts: What, Why and When

Culver Takes Action

This morning many of Iowa’s news outlets, reporters and columnists alike, are giving kudos to Governor Chet Culver for announcing a 1.5% (one and a half percent) across the board reduction to the state budget.They aren’t wrong – Culver did the right thing. But before we heap to much praise on the Governor for his courageous actions lets first consider why he did it, and look a little more precisely what it is that he actually did, and more importantly didn’t do.

It’s Bush’s Fault?
First, let’s peer into the inner workings of Culver’s motivations. How can we know what he’s thinking? Why, his own words of course. The following comes from an email that Culver sent to all state employees yesterday (full text is on my blog):“As you know, we are in the midst of an economic challenge that is historic in its scope. While its cause comes from actions on Wall Street, supported by misguided federal policies from Washington over the past eight years, the result has been an economic recession that is hitting Main Streets and factories and farms and families – and state governments – across the nation.”

Translation – “its Bush’s fault.”
No where in the letter does Culver acknowledge that before the Revenue Estimating Conference met, that the Auditor, the press, everyone was telling him that there was a $550 Million “spending gap” (the difference between expected revenues and already committed expenditures).

I understand Culver wanting to blame someone. I get the Democrat talking points at play here – that they can blame Bush for anything, after all, it worked pretty good in the elections. But I guess I missed how Bush forced Culver to sign into law an additional billion dollars in new spending in just two years with out the money to pay for it.

Remember….

$550 M – Budget gap before Revenue Estimating Conference.

$779 M – Budget gap after Revenue Estimating Conference.

Also from his letter:

“And I am confident that, in January, President-elect Obama and Congress will immediately go to work on an economic stimulus package that will make a difference to critical financial issues facing all States, such as funding for Medicaid, improving our infrastructure, creating new jobs, and rebuilding our economy.”

Why is that important? Because it’s a clear signal that rather than take immediate action to balance our budget, Culver and the Democrats are going to wait.

Oh, they’ll jump on a plane and head to DC (that part of the travel budget isn’t getting cut) to plead for alms from the Federal Treasury. But aside from that action, they are going to play the waiting game. Wait for the Feds to take care of Iowa’s problems.

From the letter: “We did not cause this economic crisis. But the responsibility falls to us to respond to it.”

He’s right, but so far Culver has only responded with $180 M of cuts to solve the problem.

The problem is $779 M. He can blame Bush for $229 M of it, but what about the first $550 M? Don’t Iowans deserve to know where the rest of the reductions will come? Absolutely.

I know many are worried that rather than make reductions, Culver and the Democrats will raise taxes. Take heart. Culver also wrote “I will protect our State’s fiscal position, and I will do so without raising taxes on Iowans.”The problem is, that action Culver took yesterday will raise taxes on some Iowans.Here is why.

The Governor’s across the board cut impacts the amount of money the state gives to local school districts. It does not change the allowable growth formula, which sets the amount of money that schools can spend, that allows local school boards to back fill those cuts with local property tax dollars. Not all of them will, but some will. Others will use their cash reserves and refill that fund with a levy.

That’s why earlier this week, when I presented a list of options, I suggested cutting more, and using those other state dollars freed up to prevent this kind of property tax increase shenanigans.

For now, however, let’s ignore these pesky little details and take Culver at his word. No tax increases from the state. So how does he plan to close the gap? $779 M spending gap, $180 M in cuts. That leaves $599 M to go.

That’s roughly the size of what he started out with – back in April….

Read Culver’s letter here