Bleeding Heartland - infrastructure bonding

Culver and Branstad will debate three times

desmoinesdem — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 21:10:58 GMT

Terry Branstad's campaign announced today that it had accepted three invitations to debate Governor Chet Culver this fall:

1. Lee Enterprises/KCAU-TV/WQAD-TV Gubernatorial Debate. Time and date to be determined. Sioux City, IA
2. The Cedar Rapids Gazette/KCRG-TV 9 Gubernatorial Debate
Thursday, October 7, 2010, 7 p.m. Cedar Rapids, IA
3. Des Moines Register/Iowa Public Television Debate
October 21, 2010, Noon, Iowa Public Television Studios, Johnston, IA

Branstad's running mate, Kim Reynolds, is also willing to debate Lieutenant Patty Judge once at a time and place to be determined. Maybe by then Reynolds will be able to explain how Republicans would have balanced the current-year budget without dipping into state reserves or using one-time federal funds.

I expect the lieutenant governor's debate to be entertaining. Judge speaks with a lot of confidence. Reynolds is a polished speaker, but not when she gets knocked off her prepared talking points.

I expect Branstad to play it safe in the debates; he's ahead in the polls and mainly needs to avoid any huge blunder. I look forward to watching him explain in Cedar Rapids why his own state bonding was justified, but not I-JOBS borrowing to rebuild after the largest floods in Iowa history.

If I were Culver, I would practice ways to get under Branstad's skin the way Bob Vander Plaats did during the Republican primary debates. But that strategy can only work if Culver keeps his cool, which may be challenging given how freely Branstad lies about the incumbent's record. Culver will have to find ways to refute phony Republican numbers without seeming to fly off the handle. A little humor might help.

AUGUST 24 UPDATE: The Sioux City debate will take place on September 14:

The Sioux City Journal and Lee Enterprises are hosting the debate with KCAU, the ABC affiliate here in the metro. The one-hour debate will air from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on KCAU, WOI in Des Moines and WHBF in the Quad Cities. Besides the Journal, other Lee papers participating include the Quad City Times, Waterloo Courier and Mason City Globe Gazette. To give instantaneous coverage, the papers will have a live webcast and running blog during the debate.

I-JOBS: A great program with a flawed sales pitch

desmoinesdem — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:06:54 GMT

The Iowa Department of Management released a report on the I-JOBS state bonding initiative yesterday. Click here for the pdf file (more than 100 pages). Governor Chet Culver's office highlighted how much I-JOBS has invested in infrastructure, particularly in the areas of flood recovery and mitigation, as well as how many jobs have been created or retained. Iowa Republicans continue to claim I-JOBS failed, having funded only temporary jobs at a high cost.

The Department of Management's report documents about 1,700 projects that could not have gone forward without I-JOBS money. Unfortunately, recent media coverage of I-JOBS hasn't focused on its clear benefits. The dominant media frame has become a he-said, she-said take on whether I-JOBS has lived up to Culver's job creation promises last year.
Governor Culver's office hailed the achievements of the I-JOBS program in a July 28 press release. Excerpt:

I-JOBS was created following the historic flooding in 2008 in which cities and towns were overwhelmed with needs.
The state needed a program that would:
Help Iowans recover immediately
Mitigate future flooding through infrastructure
Rebuild and update infrastructure to put Iowa in a position to grow
Create short-term good-paying jobs during the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.
In I-JOBS' first year, the goal was to get the money out quickly to communities that needed it.
Now in its second year, we have created a new report that increases transparency, and enables Iowans to readily understand how their money is being spent, where it is being spent, and how the I-JOBS funds have led to even bigger projects thanks to leveraging with local, state, federal and private funds.
The report shows that I-JOBS has:
Created 1,688 projects so far in all 99 counties in the state (through June 30, 2010)
Invested $705,355,935 toward flood mitigation and infrastructure projects, with more than half dedicated solely to recovery and mitigation.
Leveraged, through local, state, federal and private funds, $610,585,794.
To date, that means $1.32 billion of projects are either under way, committed or completed.
For the month of June [2010] alone, I-JOBS has created or retained 7,079 jobs. That number doesn't count indirect jobs created or retained (such as employees who make asphalt purchased for road projects) or induced jobs (such as a restaurant that benefits from a nearby I-JOBS project).

That job creation number is higher than I expected. Last year Iowa State University economics professor Dave Swenson estimated that I-JOBS would create about 4,050 jobs. Swenson also argued that I-JOBS shouldn't be evaluated solely in terms of job creation; in addition to funding "good jobs," the infrastructure projects are giving Iowa "very valuable social goods that will serve us for 20 years."

Republican talking points refuse to acknowledge any long-term benefits from I-JOBS: "temporary government make-work"; "once the money is gone, the jobs are gone"; "These projects will only last until the money runs out."

Following Republican logic, building the interstate highway system was just temporary government make-work in the 1950s. But the interstates boosted economic growth and productivity growth for decades.

Local governments and business leaders understand that infrastructure investments support the economy. The proof is in the I-JOBS report's Exhibit B, which runs from pages 93 through 101. It shows how I-JOBS grants have helped secure other funding, including private donations, for a range of projects. Private donors and local governments would not dig deep to pay for "temporary make-work." They anticipate long-term gains for their area. Here is one example, from page 95 of yesterday's report. About $5.3 million from the I-JOBS "disaster recovery and prevention" funds went to rebuilding the Chillicothe Bridge and Rock Bluff Road in Wapello County. I-JOBS contributed approximately half the funding for that project, which

will rebuild, grade and pave roadway, and replace the bridge across the Des Moines River, including an extension to cross railroad tracks at Chillicothe. Besides alleviating chronic flooding problems, the project will be an energy saver for highway users because it cuts 10 miles off a trip from Highway 63 to the primary retail area in Ottumwa. It will also be an economic benefit to the area - creating and retaining employment at Ottumwa Generating Station, the Iowa Bio-Processing Campus at Eddyville, and the Ottumwa retail community.

That's just one of nearly 1,700 I-JOBS projects. Yet Republicans claim with a straight face that Culver has done nothing for the private sector.

Republicans also cite current unemployment levels as proof that I-JOBS has failed. Of course, no one ever said I-JOBS would insulate Iowa from net job losses during the worst national recession in 60 years. Declines in employment would have been even worse if I-JOBS projects hadn't employed thousands of people during a slump in private-sector construction.

Meanwhile, Iowa Republicans are still exaggerating the I-JOBS repayment costs. Yesterday GOP state chairman Matt Strawn and Terry Branstad's campaign manager Jeff Boeyink again said I-JOBS will cost the state $1.7 billion. That was the original estimate, but the bonds were sold at a lower interest rate, which significantly reduced the repayment costs. Most media reports simply quote Republicans on the $1.7 billion figure, without fact-checking.

Griping about poor media coverage is a favorite hobby for political junkies, but I'm not trying to pin all the blame on journalists here. Culver should not have used overly optimistic job creation numbers when legislators were considering the bonding program in 2009. It's always better to underpromise and overdeliver.

For that matter, whoever thought of naming this infrastructure bonding program I-JOBS made a mistake. Calling the program I-JOBS opened the door for Republicans to declare the program a failure because bonding didn't prevent net job losses. Republican legislators and candidates should be on the defensive for denouncing I-JOBS without offering their plan for flood recovery and prevention. Instead, Republican-leaning journalists are now able to make the story about Culver not knowing exactly how many jobs his I-JOBS program created. That frame was already influencing media coverage last year, as in this September 2009 story James Q. Lynch wrote for the Cedar Rapids Gazette:

As its name implies, Iowa's $830 million I-JOBS initiative is about job creation.
So where are they?
At one time, Gov. Chet Culver's administration estimated 21,000 I-JOBS jobs over three years. It doesn't use that number any longer, because it was based on a study of spending on roads, bridges and infrastructure, said Culver spokesman Phil Roeder. In reality, I-JOBS projects are more diversified. [...]
Although job creation was a major selling point in winning legislative approval of I-JOBS, it counted for just 20 percent of projects' scores when it came to awarding grants. Of the 53 grants awarded, 21 scored 30 or higher out of a possible 40 points for jobs and economic impact. Energy efficiency and sustainability, financial feasibility, benefits for disaster relief and readiness to proceed were also weighed.

Kathie Obradovich's latest column for the Des Moines Register also highlights questions over how many jobs were created:

Iowa will borrow about $675 million for a program that Gov. Chet Culver insisted be called I-JOBS. He has made the I-JOBS program the centerpiece of his re-election campaign. But he can't nail down just how many jobs we're getting for the money. He should have called it I-(don't know how many)-JOBS.
Recipients of grants for I-JOBS projects weren't even asked to report on job creation during the first year of the program. Governor's spokesman Jim Flansburg said everybody was too busy getting money out the door as quickly as possible for flood recovery.
But that didn't stop Culver from using impressive-sounding job creation figures to sell the program. At one time, he was predicting as many as 30,000 jobs from the infrastructure projects. The governor's office used estimates from federal transportation projects to reach that number, but stopped using it when university economists started poking holes in it. [...]
Culver's staff argues, correctly, that the job numbers are not really the most important element of the program. I-JOBS has been useful at generating some sorely needed economic activity in Iowa as it struggles to recover after the recession. Some of the infrastructure created will spur more business growth. Some will add to Iowans' quality of life, which in turn is attractive to businesses. Much was necessary for recovery from the 2008 floods.
The fact remains that Culver emphasized job creation as a selling point for the program. He is paying now for the failure at the time the program was created to make sure everyone understood how it should be measured in terms of job creation and the return on the state's investment. Legislation and rules should have spelled out from the beginning how jobs would be defined and counted.

Disputes over the number of jobs created should not overshadow what we know with 100 percent certainty about I-JOBS. Without the state bonding, we would not have had the money to rebuild civic and cultural landmarks flooded in 2008. Without the state bonding, we would not have been able to secure $500 million in federal matching funds to rebuild the University of Iowa campus. Without the state bonding, Iowa would be doing little if if any flood mitigation work.

I-JOBS alone won't prevent future damage from flooding. Land use practices including building on floodplains in urban areas and increased drainage of agricultural land unquestionably contributed to the record 2008 floods. Climate change will probably increase the frequency of extreme weather in the U.S., and the Iowa State University Climate Science Program provides some frightening statistics about what's in store for our state. Todd Dorman is right: at some point we need to update our policies on watershed management.

But at least Culver recognized the need to use I-JOBS to fund flood mitigation projects as well as clean up after the 2008 disaster. Then-Governor Terry Branstad did nothing on that front after 1993's catastrophic floods and has "had little to say" about flood prevention lately "except that he doesn't favor restrictions on development in the 500-year flood zone." Branstad should explain why he didn't make flood prevention a higher priority in the 1990s and how he would have funded reconstruction efforts after 2008.

Branstad's running mate Kim Reynolds danced around a question on flood mitigation during a recent interview with Adam Sullivan of the Iowa Independent:

Reynolds avoided answering whether Culver's I-JOBS program has made the state better-equipped to deal with floods. But just like Branstad, she left her flood prevention plan vague.
"I think we need to take a comprehensive approach to [flood projects] and make sure that all parties are working on that," Reynolds said. "We need to be sure we're not piecemealing it and we're doing it right. It needs to be a holistic approach and we're all moving forward together."

Talk is cheap, Senator Reynolds. Who's going to implement that "holistic approach," and how will you pay for it? By the way, since you voted against I-JOBS, where would you have found the money to rebuild the University of Iowa campus?

Share any relevant thoughts in this thread.

UPDATE: Dorman's on my wavelength today:

Culver is in a numbers shootout he can't win, and he has himself to blame. He once bragged that I-JOBS would create 21,000 to 31,000 jobs, thus making an overinflated claim the main measuring stick for the program's success.
Culver's backers insist this debate should be about $328 million for flood recovery efforts. Sure. But maybe they shouldn't have named it I-JOBS. How about I-RECOVER or I-BUILD? [...]
Republicans love to smack I-JOBS, but have offered no ideas of their own on how to pay for Iowa's infrastructure needs. Believe it or not, Culver's $875 million doesn't come close to making all the repairs and replacement needs that piled up over years of underfunding and benign neglect.
If I-JOBS wasn't the right way to pay for flood recovery needs, what should the strategy be next time? It seems like the next 500-year flood is due any minute now. We'd love to see the plan.

More false numbers in new Branstad campaign video

desmoinesdem — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:27:06 GMT

Terry Branstad's gubernatorial campaign launched a new YouTube video attacking the I-JOBS infrastructure bonding program. Like other leading Iowa Republicans, Branstad continues to exaggerate I-JOBS costs. The video claims the state bonding will cost Iowa taxpayers $55 million per year for 23 years (a total of $1.7 billion). However, when most of the I-JOBS bonds were sold a full year ago, strong investor demand and Iowa's solid credit rating drove down the interest rate. The repayment costs are approximately $42 million yearly (from gaming revenue, not the general fund), and will add up to far less than $1.7 billion.

How long will Branstad get a free pass for math that doesn't add up and false claims about Iowa's finances? Your guess is as good as mine.

Branstad's new video also suggests that I-JOBS has created no jobs and nothing of value. I explained why that's wrong here and here.

UPDATE: Chet Culver's campaign responded to this web ad from a different angle:

BRANSTAD MOCKS FLOOD VICTIMS IN LATEST WEB AD
DES MOINES - Gubernatorial candidate Terry Branstad mocks recent flood victims in his newest web ad, in which he slams Governor Culver's I-JOBS program.
"A large part of I-JOBS money goes toward flood recovery and mitigation efforts, just ask the citizens of Cedar Rapids and Coralville who depended on aid from I-JOBS to help rebuild their cities and limit damage from future flooding. But Terry Branstad continually mocks I-JOBS; the web video is just the latest representation of that," said Culver/Judge Campaign Manager Donn Stanley.
Branstad has called the I-JOBS program a "folly." [1] The video, released by the Branstad campaign today, is goofy and is, at best, inconsiderate after this weekend's flooding around Lake Delhi given how critical I-JOBS funding has been in rebuilding from the 2008 floods.
Stanley continued, "Despite this weekend's flooding, the Branstad campaign continues to mock I-JOBS. It shows just how arrogant and out of touch Branstad and his campaign are. I certainly do not believe that mocking I-JOBS and the flood victims shows the kind of serious leadership Iowans need in tough times."
Source
[1] Iowa Press Citizen, 6/2/10.

Exploring Paul McKinley's fantasy world (part 2, w/poll)

desmoinesdem — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:14:15 GMT

Last week I highlighted the half-truths and misleading arguments that underpin Iowa Senate minority leader Paul McKinley's case against Democratic governance in Iowa. I wasn't planning to revisit the Republican leader's fantasy world until I read the July 16 edition of his weekly e-mail blast. McKinley claims to offer five "big ideas" to "make Iowa again a state where jobs and prosperity can flourish."

His premise is absurd when you consider that CNBC just ranked Iowa in the top 10 states for doing business (again), and number one in terms of the cost of doing business. Many of McKinley's specific claims don't stand up to scrutiny either, so follow me after the jump. There's also a poll at the end of this post.
McKinley correctly notes that the most important issue facing Iowa now is creating jobs and the overall health of the economy. He then tries to blame Governor Chet Culver and Democratic legislative majorities for our current economic struggles, as if the country didn't just experience the worst recession in six decades.

There has not been a plan to move our state forward when it comes to permanent private sector jobs. Instead, they've created an eye-popping legacy of irresponsible spending and generational debt now known as I-JOBS which has amounted to spending $1.7 billion dollars of borrowed money over 30 years to create temporary government make-work.

Yet again McKinley exaggerates the repayment costs for the I-JOBS infrastructure bonding program. $1.7 billion was the initial estimate, but that figure's been out of date since last summer, when strong investor demand and Iowa's solid credit rating drove down the interest rate on those bonds.

As I noted last week, Iowa's per capita debt is still quite low compared to most other states.

Let's take a closer look at what McKinley calls "temporary government make-work." The I-JOBS site lists the categories of infrastructure spending:

FUNDING FOR VETERANS HOME, COMMUNITY COLLEGES, AND OTHER PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS: $285 MILLION
* $185 million to improve public facilities across Iowa, such as the Iowa Veterans Home, correction facilities, and our community colleges.
* $100 million for further investments in state public infrastructure, including state parks.
DISASTER RECOVERY & PREVENTION AND LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE: $165 MILLION
* $118.5 million in competitive grants available for reconstruction of local public buildings and flood control prevention in communities hit by last year's disasters.
* $46.5 million in grants targeted for help to Linn County, Cedar Rapids, and to rebuild fire stations in Palo, Elkader, and Charles City.
IMPROVING IOWA'S TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE: $115 MILLION
* $50 million for the Bridge Safety Fund to be used for infrastructure projects relating to functionally obsolete and structurally deficient bridges on the Primary Highway System.
* $3 million for capital improvements and related studies for expanding passenger rail services in Iowa.
* $3.5 million for constructing and improving recreational trails within the state. Of the amount appropriated, $750,000 was allocated for the Principal Riverwalk in Des Moines and $500,000 for the trail system and bridge in the Pinicon Ridge Park in Linn County.
* $1.5 million for the Railroad Revolving Loan and Grant Fund. Of the amount appropriated, $1 million was allocated for replacement of the Union Pacific railroad bridge over the Cedar River in Waterloo, which collapsed during the 2008 flood.
* $750,000 for infrastructure improvement grants at general aviation airports within the state.
* $1,250,000 for deposit into the Public Transit Infrastructure Grant Fund.
* $10 million through the existing Revitalize Iowa's Sound Economy program, which is available to the cities and counties via an application-based program to fund road and street improvement to promote economic development in the state.
* $45 million was appropriated for formula distribution to all of the cities and counties in Iowa to be used for construction, reconstruction, repair, and maintenance of city streets or secondary roads. Forty-five percent of the funding will be distributed during the first year of the program (arriving July 2009). Fifty-five percent during the second year (arriving July 2010).
REBUILDING IOWA'S UNIVERSITIES: $115 MILLION
* $100 million to rebuild 10 buildings destroyed by flooding at the University of Iowa, which will allow the use of nearly $500 million in federal funds.
* $15 million to build a veterinary hospital lab at Iowa State University
IMPROVING OUR ENVIRONMENT AND WATER QUALITY: $80 MILLION
* $35 million to help construct sewers in communities under 10,000.
* $20 million in competitive grants for communities of any size for water improvement projects.
* $25 million to water-quality projects, including flood prevention, as well as soil conservation practices.
MEETING IOWA'S HOUSING NEEDS: $35 MILLION
* $20 million invested in affordable housing for elderly, disabled, and low-income Iowans.
* $10 million to construct or improve shelters for domestic abuse, emergencies, and the homeless.
* $5 million to repair homes damaged by last year's floods.
INVESTING IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND RENEWABLE ENERGY: $35 MILLION
* $25 million invested in improving access to technology throughout Iowa.
* $10 million to create a revolving loan program to support alternative energy projects to support both new jobs and energy independence.

To bring up detailed lists of projects funded by I-JOBS, go here and click the links for any of the categories.

McKinley dismisses all of the above as "temporary government make-work." Yet the long-term benefits of improving infrastructure go way beyond the number of jobs created during the construction period. As Bonddad noted recently, "The US economy grew at a solid rate in the 1960s. Why? A big reason was the US government building the highway system. Now goods and services could move between cities in a far easier manner. If you think that wasn't a big deal then you obviously don't get out much."

Here's an example that's closer to home. I-JOBS is contributing $9.5 million to a Davenport sewer diversion tunnel project. Once completed, the sewer improvement will open up economic development in a large area on that city's west side. Under the Republicans' preferred "pay as you go" approach, that project would never get done.

Let's go back to those CNBC rankings of the top states for business. CNBC's analysts evaluated all the states according to 10 criteria: Cost of Doing Business, Workforce, Quality of Life, Economy, Transportation & Infrastructure, Technology & Innovation, Education, Business Friendliness, Access to Capital, and Cost of Living.

Now look at the table showing each state's score in each of those 10 categories. As I mentioned above, Iowa was judged the best state in the country in terms of the cost of doing business. We're in the top 20 in all but three of the categories: transportation (we rank 32nd), technology and innovation (29th) and access to capital (36th).

Our transportation infrastructure is relatively poor compared to other states. How should we address that problem? Iowa Democrats chose not to raise the gas tax, which would be the most straightforward way to increase funding for road and bridge work. Instead, we've been able to invest more in transportation because of federal stimulus money, which Iowa has used well, and the portion of I-JOBS earmarked for transportation projects. Iowa Republicans unanimously opposed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (2009 stimulus) and of course I-JOBS. What was their plan for improving our transportation infrastructure? "Pay as you go" would ensure that we stay behind most other states in this area, which is important for business as well as residents.

Iowa's Democratic leaders addressed our state's lagging performance in "technology and innovation" and "access to capital" with several programs, such as the Demonstration Fund and the Power Fund. Some of the I-JOBS bond proceeds were also allocated to telecommunications and renewable energy. Iowa Republicans unanimously opposed those investments. Eliminating the Power Fund is a perennial Republican proposal when our legislature is in session. What's their plan to improve access to capital and investments in technological innovation?

Iowa Republicans rail against the supposedly high cost of doing business here, but an objective look at the data proves them wrong. We are not a high-cost state for business.

One more data point on the CNBC analysis is worth highlighting. Iowa isn't doing too badly on the "education" metric in 16th place, but there is room for improvement. Todd Dorman provides some useful historical context:

[T]he state's preschool effort was sparked by former Gov. Tom Vilsack, who convened a panel, including top Iowa business leaders, to determine how best to improve Iowa's education system with an eye on the future need for skilled workers. Quality preschool was the top recommendation.

Culver and the Democratic-controlled legislature have made expanding access to preschool a priority, even during very difficult budget years. As a result, more than 20,000 Iowa children are expected to benefit from the preschool program during the current fiscal year. That's a long-term investment not only for kids and their families, but also for Iowa businesses. McKinley and his fellow Republicans are eager to cut all state funding for the preschool program. That won't serve our business environment well.

Back to McKinley's memo of July 16. He bashes Culver for exaggerating how many jobs the I-JOBS program would create. Granted, the sales pitch for I-JOBS was flawed. But infrastructure investments aren't ever solely about short-term jobs. "Iowa is getting very valuable social goods that will serve us for 20 years," in the words of Iowa State University economist Dave Swenson.

McKinley cites the state's job losses of 2009 as proof that I-JOBS has "failed," as if there were some magic wand Iowa's leaders could have waved to protect us from a national recession. Unemployment is too high all over the U.S. At least Iowa has taken full advantage of extra federal funding available to extend unemployment benefits.

Moving on to fiscal issues, never McKinley's strong suit, he wrote on July 16,

Culver continues to be in denial about the health of Iowa's finances and fails to recognize that Iowa faces a billion dollar deficit next year. Our savings accounts have been depleted to dangerously low levels, our state debt has quintupled and property taxpayers face massive tax increases this fall.

I can't believe I have to keep writing about the so-called "billion dollar deficit" that doesn't exist. Furthermore, our state's savings accounts are nowhere near depleted. On the contrary: the latest projections show a higher than expected ending balance for fiscal year 2010. McKinley ignored those projections on July 9, he ignored them on July 16, and he'll probably keep ignoring them every Friday between now and the November election.

So, here are McKinley's five "big ideas" to improve Iowa's economy. I didn't get the numbers wrong, by the way--he has them all numbered "1" in his memo.

1. Stability and Commitment

In these challenging and uncertain economic times, Iowa employers, small businesses and entrepreneurs need stability and commitment from policymakers that they will not impose massive tax and regulatory changes that will substantially affect their bottom line. Simply put, they need to be confident that government will not "rock the boat" and imperil their financial security and ability to hire more people. Economic growth is dependent on certainty and we have not had that since Democrats took control.

Where are these "massive tax and regulatory changes" McKinley is talking about? We've had four years of a Democratic governor and Democratic-controlled legislature. This year the Iowa House and Senate passed modest business tax credit reform (too modest if you ask me). Businesses haven't been hiring enough because the recession reduced demand for their products. It's not a regulatory issue.

1. Responsible Budgeting

We cannot afford to continue to have more government than our economy can support. For four years, we have violated the state's 99 percent spending limitation by spending more money than our state has taken in. It leads to unbalanced budgets, record deficits, generational debt and higher taxes and fees. All of which stymie job creation. The record during the last four years under Governor Culver and legislative Democrats is a past we cannot afford to repeat.

Oh please. Iowa hasn't been running deficits. We've been using federal stimulus funds that were designated to support state budgets, and we dipped into our reserve funds following historic flooding during a severe recession. In McKinley's fantasy world, that is irresponsible budgeting. In reality, education, Medicaid and public services would have been decimated during the recession if Iowa had spent no more than 99 percent of state revenues.

Speaking of which, I'm still waiting to see Terry Branstad's alternative budget for the current fiscal year, which is balanced without using any federal money or funds from our state's reserves.

1. Property Tax Relief

Iowa already has some of the highest property tax rates in the nation and that is about to get much worse thanks to Governor Culver. His property tax increase will take effect in September will hit families and employers hard. Even if you rent property, it's a good chance your landlord will pass that added expense on to you. We believe we need real property tax relief to help stimulate job creation in Iowa.

Does Iowa have "some of the highest property tax rates in the nation"? Not according to any ranking I've been able to find. This site ranks property taxes by state according to various metrics. If you sort the table by "tax as percentage of home value," Iowa ranks 25th. If you sort by the average number of dollars homeowners pay in property taxes, Iowa is likewise around the middle of the pack. If you sort by property tax as a percentage of the median income, we're right there in the middle.

Of course, property taxes vary from county to county, so I looked on this very long list that Forbes.com compiled based on data from the Washington-based nonpartisan Tax Foundation. "Using statistics from the 2007 U.S. Census American Community Survey, it calculated, by county, median property taxes paid on homes, median home value, taxes as a percentage of home value, homeowner median income and taxes as a percentage of income." Forbes then ranked counties across the country on property taxes as a percentage of the median homeowner's income. The first Iowa county to appear is Polk at number 227. Johnson County is number 265, Black Hawk County is number 292, Scott County is number 268, Linn and Pottawatamie are numbers 373 and 374, and Dubuque is number 399. You get my drift. The U.S. counties with the highest property taxes are more than double Iowa's level in total dollars and in percentage of the average income. I'm not saying property tax relief isn't warranted in some parts of Iowa, but I see no basis for McKinley's claim that we have some of the highest property taxes in the country.

Property taxes are increasing for many Iowans this year. That's partly because of changes in the "rollback" calculation, which you can learn more about here. It's partly because many (not all) school districts have raised the tax levy to compensate for recent education cuts.

But it is false for McKinley and fellow Republicans to claim that Culver "forced" huge property tax hikes on Iowa. It's also ridiculous for Republicans to demagogue on the state "spending too much," then turn around and complain about property tax increases by school districts. Imagine how much more state aid to education would have been slashed if not for the federal stimulus education funding. Iowa would have seen much larger property tax increases if state legislators had spent only 99 percent of projected state revenues without dipping into reserves or federal stimulus money.

1. End the Anti-Jobs Agenda & Remove the Barriers to Job Creation

In this global economy, we are not just competing against our neighboring states - we are competing with countries from around the globe. Iowa must become more competitive but that will not happen if we adopt much of the anti-jobs agenda that has been discussed during the last four years. Whether it be the repeal of federal deductibility, radically changing our workers compensation system, altering collective bargaining or allowing a price-fixing prevailing wage, all of these ideas make Iowa less attractive. Even discussing these bills and others like them in the Legislature has sent the wrong message and had a chilling effect on job creation.

In four years, Iowa Democrats have failed to enact any significant element of organized labor's legislative agenda. McKinley illogically concludes that discussing some of these bills has hurt job creation. Generally speaking, there's no evidence that "uncertainty" over government regulations deters businesses from hiring.

In any event, unemployment didn't start rising immediately after the Democrats took over the legislature; it went up because of the national recession, as it has in every other state regardless of which party is in control.

The Iowa GOP's hobby horse about federal deductibility is laughable too. That "archaic holdover" serves no useful purpose. The only other states which have federal deductibility are Alabama and Louisiana, and they are both in the bottom 10 on CNBC's list of the best states for business.

1. Provide Immediate Economic Adrenaline and Plan for the Long-Term

We have offered a detailed three point plan that involves providing an immediate jolt of adrenaline to Iowa's economy by offering aggressive tax incentives for hiring more Iowans. We must also cultivate good ideas and encourage entrepreneurs to come forward to develop or expand their venture right here in Iowa. In addition, our plan includes putting together an extensive volunteer commission of business leaders and entrepreneurs from around that state that will be tasked with identifying the onerous barriers and regulations that are holding back growth, development, expansion and job creation in Iowa.

What if your commission of business leaders likes preschool funding, Senator McKinley?

But seriously, this "detailed three-point plan" is not a comprehensive job growth strategy. Perhaps a time-limited tax credit for every new job created is worth considering, but ultimately lack of demand is why businesses are not hiring.

If Iowa had turned down the federal stimulus money in the past two fiscal years, deep state budget cuts would have been inevitable, which would hurt private sector employment as well.

I can't decide whether McKinley believes his own propaganda or is simply confident his memos won't get fact-checked, so I'd like to hear from the Bleeding Heartland community. Please take the poll and share your thoughts on the economy or Republican messaging in this thread.

Exploring Paul McKinley's fantasy world

desmoinesdem — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:20:00 GMT

If Iowa Senate Minority Leader Paul McKinley believes the spin he serves up to journalists and the Republican Party faithful, he must have an active imagination.

I don't know which is most detached from reality: McKinley's take on Iowa's finances, his views on "state sovereignty" or his election predictions.
FALSE PROPHET OF FISCAL DOOM

McKinley tends to hit the same talking points in each of his regular Friday e-mail blasts. Here are some typical assertions from the most recent "McKinley's Memo" (July 9): "By First Learning to Crawl, We Can Begin to Walk and Run."

Because of too much spending during the last four years by Governor Culver and legislative Democrats, Iowa still faces a $1 billion dollar deficit next year.

Sorry, no. Iowa isn't facing any budget deficit, let alone a billion-dollar budget deficit. Like his fellow Republicans, McKinley is making projections about the fiscal year that begins in July 2011. It's way too early to know what state revenues will look like during the 2012 fiscal year, but we do know that when projections in November 2009 suggested a billion-dollar shortfall for the current fiscal year, Iowa Democrats made the adjustments necessary to adopt a balanced budget during the 2010 legislative session.

Also notice how McKinley's July 9 memo ignores the latest state revenue estimates from the fiscal year that just ended. Those projections came out at the end of June and suggest that Iowa will end FY 2010 with a larger-than-expected surplus.

A recent report by State Auditor Dave Vaudt shows why we are in the alarming predicament that we find ourselves. Prior to Governor Culver and legislative Democrats coming into power, the state was spending approximately $1.01 per $1.00 that was coming into the state. Since Governor Culver and his fellow party members have taken over, the state has been spending approximately $1.13 for every dollar coming in.

The extra spending in recent years has come from federal stimulus money, which was approved with the specific goal of supporting state budgets, as well as Iowa's reserve funds. Is McKinley saying Iowa should have rejected the federal stimulus money? Much of it supported education budgets, Medicaid and unemployment benefits. Is McKinley saying Iowa shouldn't have dipped into rainy day funds during a severe recession that began after this state suffered the worst flood damage in history? Remember, Democrats have maintained healthy reserve accounts in Iowa while many other states fully depleted their reserves during the recession.

Clearly Iowa does not have a revenue problem - we have a spending problem. During the last four years, we have seen the four largest spending budgets in state history. We have seen hundreds of millions of dollars in property tax increases and a quintupling of state debt.

Iowa is not suffering under a crushing debt load. Click here to view a list of all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, ranked by state and local debt as a percentage of state gross domestic product. Iowa ranks 48th on this list, with a debt load way below the national average, even taking into account the I-JOBS infrastructure bonding initiative.

Republicans opposed I-JOBS on the grounds that infrastructure projects should be funded only on a pay-as-you-go basis. However, GOP politicians never tell you where they would have found the money to rebuild flood-damaged facilities in Linn County or on the University of Iowa campus. The crumbling infrastructure and substandard sewers in many Iowa communities suggest that if anything, this state's leaders have been too reluctant in the past to borrow for capital investments. Iowa State University economist Dave Swenson has pointed to long-term benefits from the I-JOBS projects: "Iowa is getting very valuable social goods that will serve us for 20 years."

While Terry Branstad was governor, Iowa borrowed more (adjusted to today's dollars), and a large chunk of Branstad's state bonding was used to meet budget obligations in 1992. I-JOBS was entirely devoted to capital investment, not paying the bills for ongoing government programs.

UPDATE: McKinley also exaggerates the repayment costs for I-JOBS bonds.

Without fundamental and systemic reforms, Iowa could become like California with serious structural deficits.

Professionals who assess the states' financial condition have declared Iowa to be among the states "least like California" in terms of budget problems. Iowa would not be one of only seven states to have the highest bond rating from all three major agencies if we faced disaster without "fundamental and systemic reforms."

we must continue to take steps to trim the size and scope of state government and continue to remove the waste and duplication that exists. We should start by adopting the over $300 million in additional savings offered by Senate and House Republicans during the last two years.

About a third of that $300 million figure comes from flawed estimates of how much could be saved by cutting services to undocumented immigrants. Also, I doubt it would be practical to "combine the administrative functions" at the University of Iowa, Iowa State and the University of Northern Iowa. Republicans claim that idea would save about $62 million a year. Other proposed cost-cutting is questionable as well; privatizing the state vehicle fleet would not necessarily save taxpayers money, especially not in the long run.

McKinley has made even more ridiculous assumptions about the state budget. Last year he claimed Iowa could save $200 million to $300 million each year on special education "[i]f we taught [children] how to read in kindergarten and first grade." That concept was so implausible it didn't even make the Republican list of proposed spending cuts.

Iowans all over the state will see hefty property tax increases courtesy of Governor Culver this fall.

It's misleading to pin all the blame for property tax increases on Culver. Moreover, McKinley ignores the fact that local governments and school districts would have been much more starved for cash if not for the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The federal stimulus money McKinley cites as proof of Iowa Democrats "spending too much" helped prevent even larger property tax increases during the most severe recession in 60 years.

Creating an environment where small businesses and employers can thrive, succeed, grow and therefore hire more people is absolutely essential. Unbalanced budgets leading to higher taxes and the constant onslaught of anti-jobs legislation promoted by Governor Culver and legislative Democrats have not moved Iowa's economy forward and instead have held it back.

Reality check: Iowa has had a balanced budget every year for the past four years, and Democrats have not raised income or sales taxes. Also, many Democratic initiatives have aided job creation in Iowa. To cite just a few examples, the Power Fund, which Republicans opposed from the start and want to scrap, has awarded money to many Iowa businesses. The Iowa Demonstration Fund (also passed the first year of Culver's term) is specifically aimed at small and medium-sized businesses like these. During the most recent legislative session, Democrats approved a bill to increase the Research Activities Credit available for small businesses.

McKinley advocates the usual Republican one-two punch of cuts in public services to pay for corporate tax cuts, but that's not his only idea for making Iowa strong.

MISGUIDED WARRIOR FOR THE CONSTITUTION

McKinley has positioned himself as one of Iowa's leading crusaders for states' rights. He recently put together a video touting a state sovereignty resolution that would in his mind "re-assert the 10th Amendment."

McKinley started standing up for Iowa's "sovereignty" to resist federal mandates while pretending to run for governor during the summer of 2009. I say "pretending" because he was rarely seen anywhere gubernatorial candidates could be found at the time.

Last year the Omaha World-Herald explained why state sovereignty resolutions are just Republican political gestures with no legal weight. According to U.S. Supreme Court historian and Lucas Powe, the "nullification" movement (which holds that states can refuse to enforce federal laws) consists of "Nutcases, which is much more typical, and people who are losing at the federal level and resent the fact that they are losing."

Self-styled conservative constitutional scholars talk about the 10th amendment, which says "powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution [...] are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." But they are silent on Article VI, which includes these words: "This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding." So much for the idea that states can refuse to enforce federal laws.

History buffs might appreciate this post by Charles Lemos on the disturbing origins of the nullification movement in the United States.

Perhaps it's not fair to depict McKinley's state sovereignty efforts as part of a fantasy world. I don't know whether he is acting out of conviction or simply looking for a cheap and easy way to harness "tea party" energy for Iowa Senate Republican candidates.

CAMPAIGN ANALYST

Speaking of this fall's campaigns, McKinley is bullish on Republicans taking control of the Iowa Senate. Democrats hold a 32-18 majority but are defending 19 of the 25 seats on the ballot this year. Republicans are contesting 15 of the Democratic-held seats, and McKinley insists, "We have a real shot. We only need eight to come to a majority."

I get that the Senate GOP caucus leader has to be a cheerleader during campaign season. If he doesn't talk up his party's candidates, he will hurt future fundraising and recruitment. But McKinley would sound more credible if he talked about making gains that will help win back the Senate in 2012. It's not realistic to talk about a net gain of eight seats for Senate Republicans this year.

I'll write more about specific Iowa Senate races in the future, but the Republicans have only four strong pickup opportunities in the upper chamber: Senate districts 5, 9, 37 and 45. Even if you assume they sweep all four battlegrounds (a tall order), GOP candidates would have to defeat three more Democratic incumbents and take the open Senate district 1. Democrats still have a registration advantage of about 4,000 in district 1, according to the July 2010 voter registration figures. Senate district 13 is also open, but registered Democrats outnumber Republicans in that district by more than 8,000.

I won't say it's inconceivable that Republicans could pick up eight Iowa Senate seats, but it's highly unlikely even in a wave election. Some gain for the GOP is probably inevitable with Democrats defending so many of the seats up for grabs. Whether the Republicans make a net gain of 1-2 seats or 4-5 seats will affect their odds of winning back the Senate in 2012.

While we're on the subject, a few words about Louis Jacobson's statehouse rankings for the publication Governing last week. Jacobson gave the Iowa House a "tossup" rating and called the Iowa Senate "lean Democrat." I would give the Iowa House (where Democrats now have a 56-44 edge) a "lean Democrat" rating, although I understand why some might view it as a tossup. Jacobson is way off on the Iowa Senate, which deserves a "likely Democrat" rating.

Jacobson argued that Terry Branstad's lead over Chet Culver might help the GOP take over the legislature. Even if Branstad were to win the governor's race, Iowans have a history of splitting tickets. This state elected Democratic-controlled legislatures during Branstad's first two and a half terms and Republican legislatures during Governor Tom Vilsack's two terms.

Branstad himself doesn't appear to believe Republicans have a chance to win back the Iowa Senate this year. Just last week, he laid out a scenario for passing a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. He predicts a GOP takeover of the Iowa House but only "gains" in the Iowa Senate. Under Branstad's vision, the Republican-controlled House would pass a marriage amendment, and the Democratic-controlled Senate would then "have to debate it." (Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal continues to insist that he will never allow debate on "adding discriminatory language to the Iowa Constitution.")

Looking at the individual districts, it's easy to see why Branstad doesn't foresee a Republican-controlled Senate. The latest voter registration figures for Senate districts can be downloaded here. Senators representing the odd-numbered districts will be elected this November. Show me eight districts Republicans are in a position to win. I don't even think they'll knock off all four of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents.

Share any thoughts about Republican fantasies or this year's legislative races in this thread.

Branstad still pushing false claims, wrong priorities

desmoinesdem — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 19:00:00 GMT

One day after Terry Branstad won the Republican nomination for governor, his accountability problem was back on display. Speaking to the Iowa Association of Business and Industry's annual convention in Ames yesterday, Branstad told the audience, "I want to get rid of the present incumbent because he's driven the state into the biggest budget deficit in history."

In the psychological field, projection is "a defense mechanism that involves taking our own unacceptable qualities or feelings and ascribing them to other people." I'm not qualified to offer any professional diagnosis, but Branstad's the guy who really did keep two sets of books to hide illegal deficits. It's incredible to hear him keep making that false claim about Governor Chet Culver's administration. The governor and Iowa's legislative leaders haven't run up any budget deficit, let alone the largest deficit ever. If Culver were running deficits, Iowa wouldn't have a top-level credit rating or be considered one of the states "least like California" in terms of fiscal problems.

How long will Branstad keep getting away with making stuff up about Culver's record? Your guess is as good as mine.

In other news, Branstad promised the Association of Business and Industry crowd that if elected, he wouldn't allow key priorities of organized labor like the prevailing wage or collective bargaining bills to become law. I doubt ABI has to worry about that, since Iowa Democrats haven't delivered on those issues during the past four years.

Culver visited a Cedar Rapids preschool yesterday and blasted Branstad's "20th Century thinking" on preschool funding:

"This is an investment we cannot afford to not make in the future," Culver said about the preschool initiative. He said he budgeted $90 million this year for the program and $115 million next year. [...]
"While we want to continue to fund preschool ... Terry Branstad wants to take that away," Culver said. [...]
The fiscal 2011 funding will assist an additional 150 school districts and school district collaborations under the statewide voluntary preschool program, he said. It is projected that during the 2010-2011 school year about 21,354 four-year-olds will be served by the preschool program in 326 school districts across the state.

Many Iowa families could not afford early education for their children without the state program. Culver is right to pound Branstad for his screwed-up priorities. Culver also criticized the Republican for wanting to go backwards on state-funded stem cell research, women's reproductive rights and flood recovery funding for the Cedar Rapids area. Like everyone else in the Iowa GOP, Branstad has criticized the I-JOBS infrastructure bonding initiative but not explained how he would have paid for the flood reconstruction and prevention projects Iowa needs.

Branstad told Todd Dorman of the Cedar Rapids Gazette that he would not try to repeal the I-JOBS bonding, but "also compared I-JOBS to the Greek debt crisis." Give me a break. The professional investor community drove down the interest rate of the initial I-JOBS offering because of Iowa's solid fiscal condition and plan for repaying the bonds. In fact, I-JOBS was one of the top 10 "deals of the year" in 2009 according to Bond Buyer, the daily newspaper of public finance.

New Register poll finds record low approval for Culver

desmoinesdem — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 13:59:42 GMT

The latest Iowa poll by Selzer and Co. for the Des Moines Register finds Governor Chet Culver's approval rating at a new low of 36 percent. Only 34 percent of respondents said Iowa is headed in the right direction, while 57 percent said the state is on the wrong track. The poll was in the field from January 31 to February 3 and surveyed 805 Iowa adults, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent.

Culver's approval rating fell to 36 percent, with 53 percent disapproving. The Des Moines Register's Iowa poll from September had Culver in positive territory, with 50 percent approval and 39 percent disapproval. The Des Moines Register's November poll had Culver with 40 percent approval and 49 percent disapproval.

The Des Moines Register noted that since September, Culver's approval among Democrats has fallen from 72 percent to 57 percent, while Senator Tom Harkin's approval among Democrats was measured at 77 percent in both polls.

The economic recession is probably a major factor in Culver's slide. Although the state's eight leading economic indicators were measured in positive territory in December 2009 (for the first time since April 2007), employment remains weak. Iowa's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.6 percent in December 2009, and Iowa Workforce Development found,

Compared to last December, the Iowa economy has lost 40,100 jobs. Manufacturing still leads all sectors in terms of losses, down 19,900 over the year. Trade and transportation and construction followed with losses of 7,900 and 7,700, respectively. Education and health services remained the most resilient sector, adding 2,600 jobs since December 2008.

The slow economy has caused state revenues to fall below projections, which prompted Culver to make a 10 percent across-the-board cut in current-year spending in October. Spending cuts are rarely popular with anyone.

Side note: I wondered last fall whether the scandal surrounding Iowa's film tax credit, which broke in September, would hurt Culver. I was surprised to see that 61 percent of respondents in the Des Moines Register's poll think the film tax credit is "good for the state." The poll question didn't mention how much the film tax credit has cost compared to the economic impact. I agree with economist Dave Swenson, who thinks the program was flawed from the start.

The latest Register survey also polled Culver against the four Republican challengers. (This portion of the poll, like the approval numbers, is in the print version of the Sunday Des Moines Register but hasn't appeared on the website yet. I will update this post with a link when that becomes available. UPDATE: Here is the link.) The hypothetical matchups come from a subset of 531 "likely voters," producing a slightly higher margin of error: plus or minus 4.3 percent.

Former Governor Terry Branstad remains the strongest challenger, beating Culver 53 percent to 33 percent. Bob Vander Plaats leads Culver 43 percent to 40 percent. Strangely, Culver trailed Branstad and Vander Plaats by slightly larger margins in the Register's November poll, even though his approval rating was a little higher then. Culver barely beats the other Republicans, who are less well known. He leads State Representative Chris Rants 41 percent to 37 percent and State Representative Rod Roberts 41 percent to 36 percent.

Needless to say, it's never a good sign when an incumbent governor is below 40 percent approval and barely breaks 40 percent against any challenger. Culver needs to make up ground this year in order to be re-elected. The right direction/wrong track numbers show that voters under 35 were more likely than the overall population to think things are going in the right direction, but most of the electorate in November will be over 35.

Culver has chances to improve his standing this year. If the state's leading economic indicators continue a positive trend, the job market may improve. Also, spending on infrastructure projects supported by the I-JOBS state bonding initiative will pick up in the spring and summer. So far nearly $600 million in I-JOBS money has been awarded, but only $20.7 million has been spent. As the projects take shape, more Iowans will be employed and more people will see the benefits to their communities.

On the political side, Branstad hasn't received much scrutiny from the media yet, but when the gubernatorial campaign heats up, his accountability problem may become more apparent. A hard-fought Republican primary will exacerbate the rift between moderates and conservatives. Some conservatives have already vowed not to support Branstad if he is the GOP nominee. More focus on the inconsistencies between candidate Branstad and Governor Branstad may help Culver's standing with Democrats and independents.

Share any relevant thoughts in this thread.

UPDATE: The Des Moines Register's Kathie Obradovich says Culver may as well start shopping his resume around, but John Deeth argues that Culver is not dead yet.

SECOND UPDATE: The latest poll commissioned by The Iowa Republican blog and the Republican Concordia group found Branstad leading Culver 57 percent to 29 percent and Vander Plaats leading Culver 43 percent to 39 percent. I don't know much about the firm that conducted that poll, and I would put more stock in Selzer's numbers for the Des Moines Register.

THIRD UPDATE: The Iowa Democratic Party's statement on this poll is a bit odd. More on that after the jump.

To depressed Democrats out there, I offer six silver linings of a Branstad candidacy.

FINAL UPDATE: This poll prompted Swing State Project to change its rating of this race from tossup to lean Republican.
IDP statement from February 14:

The Iowa Poll released today shows candidate Terry Branstad has fallen by 4 points in the polls in the two weeks following the announcement of his attempted political comeback. Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Michael Kiernan released this statement:
"As Governor, Branstad horribly mismanaged state government, kept two sets of books, and raised taxes on Iowans. Now that he's a candidate, Branstad is flip-flopping on issues, including on taxes, to help him survive the Republican primary.
"Branstad should have gone up in the polls after announcing. The poll released today shows that when Iowans hear about the Two Faces of Terry Branstad, his numbers have only one way to go: down.
"The fact is Governor Culver is working on passing a balanced budget, fighting for policies that will help Iowa's hard-working families, and making the tough decisions that will continue to move this state forward. As always, he is focused on governing, not politics."

I understand the desire to put a positive spin on things, but the big story out of this poll is clearly not Branstad being down 4 points since November. Depicting this poll as bad news for Branstad is not credible.

It's good to remind people that Branstad has flip-flopped while Culver has made tough decisions in Iowa's long-term interests, but here are some additional messages Iowa Democrats could push: this poll was taken nine months before the election, Culver's numbers will improve as people hear more about his accomplishments, Branstad's numbers will go down as people are reminded of his record.

Don't believe everything Republicans tell you about I-JOBS

desmoinesdem — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:59:13 GMT

Iowa Republicans have been throwing around misleading talking points about the I-JOBS program since the Iowa legislature approved the infrastructure bonding initiative last spring. I'm still waiting for Republicans to address some basic questions, like where would they have found $45 million for flood recovery efforts in Linn County without I-JOBS? What was their plan for repairing ten flood-damaged structures at the University of Iowa, if they didn't want to issue $100 million in state bonds to leverage $500 million in federal funds to rebuild the campus?

Some Republicans have called for delaying infrastructure projects until we have enough cash to pay for them up front, but Iowa's worst-ever flooding hit the state during the most severe national recession since World War II. There was no realistic way to pay for flood recovery efforts without state borrowing. Even David Yepsen, a notorious skeptic about state spending, could see that. During the summer of 2008, Iowa State University economist Dave Swenson pointed out, "When you borrow money, that allows you to fix things as quickly as possible," he said. "You can't move as quickly on a 'pay-as-you go' basis." Yet every Republican in the legislature voted against borrowing money to repair the damage from the devastating 2008 floods.

In addition to the flood recovery funds allocated to Linn County and the University of Iowa, the I-JOBS program included $118.5 million for "reconstruction of local public buildings and flood control prevention," to be awarded by competitive grants. It wasn't enough to fully meet local infrastructure needs across the state; requests for that portion of the I-JOBS money totaled $333.6 million. But it was a good start.

Republicans recently seized on a new talking point: some I-JOBS money is supposedly being spent on projects unrelated to disaster recovery. By way of example, State Representative Pat Grassley mentioned the community center in the Des Moines suburb of Windsor Heights. I contacted Windsor Heights City Manager Marketa George Oliver about this allegation, and she forwarded a copy of a letter from Mayor Jerry Sullivan to Grassley. You can view the whole letter here, but the small print is hard to read, so here's the relevant excerpt (emphasis in original):

The City is currently constructing a new Community Center. The structure that used to be in [Colby Park] at this location was originally built in a flood plain and was repeatedly flooded. It sustained flood damage year after year and flood after flood. The new structure is being built out of the flood plain and protected from any future flooding, mitigating the effects of a natural disaster. The Center, once finished, will be a heating/cooling facility in the event of prolonged power outages, which is much-needed in our region. In the event of natural disasters, it will also be available as temporary housing. [...]
The I-Jobs program gave us the ability to make a substantial investment in mitigating and responding to natural disasters. The program was also able to support our efforts in a timely manner, unlike many other grants programs.

Oliver explained to me that a heating/cooling center is a place residents without power can go during a cold spell or dangerous heat wave.

Republicans will continue to attack the I-JOBS program during this year's campaigns for governor and state legislature. Democrats need to be ready to defend these infrastructure investments, because journalists will sometimes pass along ill-informed claims like Grassley's without providing context or an opposing view. In addition, some Republican candidates may falsely suggest that I-JOBS pays for ongoing spending programs instead of capital projects, like bridge and sewer repairs. Maybe they are thinking of Republican Terry Branstad, who borrowed money to solve the state's cash flow problems in 1992.

Year in review: Iowa politics in 2009 (part 2)

desmoinesdem — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:13:59 GMT

Following up on my review of news from the first half of last year, I've posted links to Bleeding Heartland's coverage of Iowa politics from July through December 2009 after the jump.

Hot topics on this blog during the second half of the year included the governor's race, the special election in Iowa House district 90, candidates announcing plans to run for the state legislature next year, the growing number of Republicans ready to challenge Representative Leonard Boswell, state budget constraints, and a scandal involving the tax credit for film-making.
July 2009

I reviewed some of the important laws that went into effect on July 1.

I encouraged Bleeding Heartland readers to get to know Bob Krause, the first Democrat to announce plans to challenge Chuck Grassley in 2010.

Debate raged over whether Governor Culver should call the legislature into special session to amend the fiscal year 2009 budget. Culver said he was "very confident" the budget was balanced.

A video of Chuck Grassley went viral after he told a questioner at a town-hall meeting to "go work for the federal government" if he wanted a health insurance plan like the one Grassley enjoys.

Iowa's smoking rate declined during the first year after the public smoking ban went into effect.

The Iowa Farm Bureau expressed confidence that the climate change bill would die in the Senate. It seems that they were right.

The Iowa Attorney General's office advised the Iowa Department of Public Health that a married lesbian who gives birth cannot list her spouse on the child's birth certificate.

After Christian Fong declared his candidacy for governor, I was struck by the way he borrowed from Barack Obama's playbook. I still wonder whether Fong could have gotten any traction in the GOP primary if Terry Branstad had stayed out of the governor's race.

The parent company of a firm that allegedly exploited mentally disabled workers claimed not to be subject to Iowa labor laws.

Chet Culver hired John Frew to be his new chief of staff and brought on Teresa Vilmain as a senior consultant to his re-election campaign. Meanwhile, a poll commissioned by The Iowa Republican blog found that Culver had decent approval and favorability ratings.

Iowa fully utilized federal stimulus funds aimed at extending unemployment benefits thanks to some steps taken during the 2009 legislative session.

The Government Accountability Office examined how 16 states were handling federal stimulus funds. Iowa got good marks for its "foundation of safeguards to help ensure the funds are being spent in the way that they were intended and to minimize the fraud, waste and abuse."

The Des Moines Register reported on a Mount Vernon grocer's lawsuit against the industry's top two wholesalers, charging they had conspired to keep food prices artificially high.

A Dubuque assisted living center exploited a loophole in order to evade government regulations for care of the elderly.

Bill Northey confirmed that he will not run for governor in 2010, but will run for re-election as Iowa secretary of agriculture.

Health Care for America Now and the Iowa Citizen Action Network created a "job application" for Iowans wanting to take Chuck Grassley's advice to "go work for the federal government" if they want good health insurance coverage.

A poll commissioned by The Iowa Republican blog showed Bob Vander Plaats with a commanding lead over other Republicans running for governor.

Strong investor interest and Iowa's high credit rating drove down the interest rate for the I-JOBS bonds, reducing future repayment costs.

The Des Moines rumor mill said Terry Branstad was thinking about getting back into politics, but I was still skeptical.

A report named State Representative Kerry Burt among a group of parents who didn't pay tuition fees to the University of Northern Iowa's Malcolm Price Laboratory School.

John Whitaker resigned as state representative in Iowa House district 90 in order to take a position with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

A bunch of teenagers got busted for underage drinking at the home of Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Marsha Ternus.

Christian Fong found a politically-correct Republican way to advocate discrimination against same-sex couples while sounding respectful and inclusive.

Governor Culver set September 1 as the date for the special election in Iowa House district 90.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation started looking into allegations that State Representative Kerry Burt failed to pay $37,000 in tuition costs for his children.

State Representative Rod Roberts joined the Republican race for governor.

I compared Chet Culver's and Terry Branstad's records on state budgets and flood recovery. I still think a central event in Branstad's tenure as governor was his 1994 Republican primary battle against then Congressman Fred Grandy.

The Iowa Board of Pharmacy refused to reclassify marijuana as a medication doctors can prescribe, but voted to hold public hearings on the issue.

Democrats and Republicans selected candidates for the special election in Iowa House district 90.

CNBC named Iowa the fourth best state for doing business.

The I-JOBS board awarded the first grants for infrastructure projects amid controversy over how many jobs would be created.

Representatives Bruce Braley, Dave Loebsack and Leonard Boswell helped negotiate new language in the House health care reform bill to change Medicare reimbursements.

Central Iowa business Republicans continued to search for a new candidate to enter the gubernatorial race.

Governor Culver rode a train through eastern Iowa to promote the expansion of passenger rail. Meanwhile, Representative Tom Latham tried but failed to replace $3 billion in high-speed rail funds with more money for roads in a transportation appropriations bill.

The RNC ran radio ads against Leonard Boswell on health care.

The Iowa GOP and Iowa Democratic Party agreed to hold the 2010 caucuses on Saturday, January 23 at 1 pm. I still think the caucus system needs serious reform.

Reports emerged that State Representative Kerry Burt dropped the governor's name in an effort to avoid a drunk-driving arrest.

Paul McKinley complained about Democrats blocking his time-wasting "state sovereignty resolution."

The Iowa Pharmacy Association filed a disclosure report on its February legislative reception five months late.

I dodged a teachable moment when Fred Phelps brought his Westboro Baptist Church clan to protest Jewish sites in central Iowa.

August 2009

Terry Branstad told the Des Moines Register that he was "not ruling out" running for governor in 2010.

The state Environmental Protection Commission considered new rules that would limit public input during the permit approval process for confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs).

Christian Fong announced ten campus coordinators to help attract the youth vote.

The Iowa GOP outsourced the House district 90 special election campaign to Iowans for Tax Relief and the Iowa Family Policy Center.

The National Republican Congressional Committee included Leonard Boswell (IA-03) on its list of 70 Democratic-held districts to be targeted in 2010.

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement discovered numerous late-filing disclosure violations by lobbyist groups during the 2009 legislative session, indicating that the Iowa legislature is unable or unwilling to enforce its own rules.

Iowa Republicans grew increasingly worried that Chuck Grassley might help Democrats pass health care reform, but I knew he wasn't working to improve the bill or its chances of passing.

The Senate confirmed Leach for that position in August.

I concluded that Iowa atheists have amazing power to make other people act like idiots.

I agreed with Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement about the need to stop subsidizing factory farms and overproduction of meat. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack denied the pork industry's request to buy excess pork in August but allocated money for that purpose later in the year.

Chris Rants bashed the Power Fund and missed the point.

Chuck Grassley played the "pull the plug on grandma" card.

Bleeding Heartland user blueback reminded us of the tv ads corporations funded through the Iowa Leadership Council in 2008. The ads targeted several Iowa House Democrats.

Iowa got the highest marks in the Work Loss Data Institute's 2009 state report cards on workers' compensation.

Bleeding Heartland user iowademocrat attended a Tom Harkin health care forum and declared, "Now I understand why war happens."

Leonard Boswell was vague about what he considered essential elements of a health care reform bill.

Republican Stephen Burgmeier's first tv ad in the House district 90 campaign focused on Governor Chet Culver and the I-JOBS state bonding initiative. The ad repeated the usual misleading Republican talking points against the I-JOBS borrowing.

Bleeding Heartland user iowademocrat posted some ideas on how to "defeat the health care forum bullies".

Bleeding Heartland user hei posted a first-person account from one of Representative Dave Loebsack's town-hall meetings.

The Iowa Democratic Party ran a tv ad in House district 90 focusing on how Republican candidate Stephen Burgmeier voted to raise his pay as a county supervisor four times in six years.

Guest poster Senate Guru advocated drafting Bruce Braley to run against Chuck Grassley, an idea I opposed.

Christian Fong promised that if elected governor, he would balance the budget every year without touching Iowa's reserve fund, prompting this post on the purpose of rainy day funds and the danger of cutting spending too deeply during a recession.

As some Senate Democrats floated regional health insurance co-operatives as an alternative to the public option, the New York Times noted that health insurance co-ops had already failed in Iowa.

Paul McKinley didn't even go through the motions of campaigning for governor.

The Republican Party and its candidate Stephen Burgmeier decided to downplay social issues during the special election campaign in House district 90, prompting an angry social conservative to run as a third-party campaign. A second social conservative also joined the race, and the two fringe candidates received more than 200 votes in the special election, which the Democrat won by 107 votes.

Iowa's budget picture continued to look bleak, with spending cuts increasingly likely to keep the current-year budget in balance.

Bob Vander Plaats bizarrely advocated taking Iowa out of the federal government-run Medicare and Medicaid programs.

The Iowa Civil Rights Commission voted unanimously "to formally support the Iowa Supreme Court's decision allowing gay marriage, and to formally oppose any constitutional amendment that would overturn the decision."

State Representative Kerry Burt received a fine and a year of probation after pleading guilty to drunk driving.

Rumors continued to circulate about a high-profile Democrat joining the race against Chuck Grassley.

Bleeding Heartland user iowavoter posted a first-hand account of a Grassley town-hall meeting.

I never did understand why State Senator Jerry Behn joined the Republican race for governor.

Christian Fong started running a statewide radio ad that made false claims about the I-JOBS bonding program as well as an ill-advised promise to "end the use of taxpayer money to fund lobbyists."

Bleeding Heartland user iowademocrat shared a personal story that fuels his commitment to health care reform.

Guest poster dopper0189 cross-posted a diary from Swing State Project on the concept of "Party Brand Index" applied to Iowa.

IowaPolitics.com published a disappointing "he said she said" piece on the story instead of investigating whether the ad's claims were true.

Anonymous hit pieces attacking Terry Branstad from the right popped up on Des Moines windshields and on YouTube.

Francis Thicke praised legislation in Illinois aimed at increasing local food production.

Steve King finally ruled out running for governor in 2010.

I chose not to attend an Organizing for America rally on health care reform.

Bleeding Heartland user iowademocrat, an early Obama supporter, lost patience with the president: "I refuse to work for his version of health care reform when he has no clear goal other than to pass something - anything - that may get through Congress, regardless of content."

Senator Ted Kennedy passed away, and his friend John Culver (former U.S. Senator, father of Chet Culver) made memorable remarks at the funeral.

The special election campaign in Iowa House district 90 heated up. The National Organization for Marriage spent heavily on television ads to help elect the Republican Burgmeier. Interest groups supporting Curt Hanson relied primarily on the ground game.

Fred Hubbell quickly quashed speculation that he might run against Chuck Grassley next year.

September 2009

Curt Hanson's narrow victory in the Iowa House district 90 special election was a pleasant surprise. When will Iowa Republicans learn how to run an absentee ballot drive?

I-JOBS grants were announced for 16 public shelters.

Survey USA found record low approval numbers for Chet Culver and Chuck Grassley.

The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released a report on how quickly states are turning around stimulus road funds, and Iowa scored quite well.

Attempts by marriage equality opponents to spin the House district 90 election as a success amused me.

I never believed the rumors that social conservatives were considering a primary challenge against Chuck Grassley.

The Iowa Policy Project concluded that "the state of working Iowa" is not good.

The year's school board elections brought no big upsets. I gave readers five reasons to vote in school board elections.

I discussed revised House race ratings by Larry Sabato, which put Iowa's second and third Congressional districts in the "likely Democratic" column.

Francis Thicke announced plans to run for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture in 2010 and responded to Republican name-calling.

Environment Iowa estimated that strong energy efficiency policies would create more than 6,000 jobs in Iowa while saving the average family $282 per year.

Chet Culver hired Andrew Roos to run his re-election campaign and Jesse Harris as deputy campaign manager.

Christian Fong claimed Culver hadn't done enough on flood relief, which struck me as odd since Fong (like fellow Republicans) opposed the I-JOBS infrastructure state bonding program. I-JOBS included $45 million in flood recovery funds for Linn County and about $100 million to help rebuild the University of Iowa campus.

Bob Vander Plaats promised not to balance his ticket with a less-conservative running mate.

Several Republican candidates for governor spoke at the Iowa Family Policy Center's fall event, but Terry Branstad was a no-show.

Tom Harkin held his annual steak fry, featuring Senator Al Franken of Minnesota. Harkin promised that health care reform containing a public option would pass by Christmas.

Jan Bauer, Sandy Opstvedt and Michael Kiernan gained new posts at the Democratic National Committee.

The Iowa Department of Transportation was developing new guidelines on passenger transportation. Meanwhile, the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization moved toward adopting a 25-year plan that, if completed, would increase vehicle miles traveled in our region by 33 percent.

I was disturbed by the failure of any prominent Republican to denounce political rhetoric of armed rebellion.

Ed and Lynn Fallon got a radio show on 98.3 FM in Des Moines.

The Des Moines Register's Iowa poll showed Culver's approval rating at 50 percent, down for the year but still in net positive territory. Terry Branstad had higher favorability ratings, but respondents were mixed on whether he should run for governor again.

The same poll indicated that Iowans are not eager to overturn marriage equality.

I was impressed by Dubuque's commitment to being a "sustainable city."

Iowa Department of Economic Development director Mike Tramontina resigned as news broke of major problems with Iowa's state film tax credit. Within days, Governor Culver fired the manager of the Iowa Film Office and named Fred Hubbell interim director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development.

Republican State Representative Kent Sorenson announced that he will challenge State Senator Staci Appel next year instead of running for re-election in House district 74. The campaign in Iowa Senate district 37 will be a race to watch, but I think Appel has a good chance to win re-election. Side note: Appel's husband, Brent Appel, is one of the Iowa Supreme Court justices who struck down our Defense of Marriage Act in the Varnum v Brien case.

Steve King decided same-sex marriage would lead to a "socialist society."

Rasmussen released an Iowa poll showing Chet Culver trailing Terry Branstad by 20 points and Bob Vander Plaats by 4 points.

The film tax credit scandal continued to make the news.

Iowa Democratic Party chair Michael Kiernan prominsed that a high-profile recruit would give Chuck Grassley "the race of his life" in 2010.

President Obama nominated Stephanie Rose and Nick Klinefeldt for the U.S. attorney positions in Iowa's northern and southern districts.

Asked about the Congressional vote he most regrets, Steve King said he couldn't think of any and pivoted to bragging about what he considers his "best vote": against the $1.5 billion aid package for Hurricane Katrina victims.

The growing questions surrounding Strategic Vision made me wonder whether their 2007 Iowa polls were fabricated.

In the wake of the film tax credit fiasco, I discussed some other bad bills that passed the Iowa legislature with little or no opposition.

Bleeding Heartland user American007 went home for Centerville's pancake day and shook Bob Vander Plaats' hand.

October 2009

Bleeding Heartland user BJazz sized up strong Democratic prospects for holding the Iowa Senate and concluded that "marriage equality is here to stay."

Francis Thicke argued that "we need to look beyond corn for biofuels."

Iowa Independent and ProPublica reported on high-end travel Representative Tom Latham enjoyed on the dime of his For America's Republican Majority PAC.

Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal said legislators see few benefits from the film tax credit.

I remembered Pope John Paul II's visit to Iowa 30 years ago.

With Terry Branstad looking increasingly likely to run for governor, I examined whether he might choose pro-choice former State Representative Libby Jacobs as his running mate.

Francis Thicke, Democratic candidate for Iowa secretary of agriculture, praised U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for becoming a champion for local foods.

Terry Branstad formed an exploratory committee for his gubernatorial campaign, shaking up the Republican field.

The Iowa Democratic Party responded that "some things should stay in the past."

I discussed the most likely lines of attack Branstad will face during the GOP primary.

Governor Culver ordered a 10 percent cut in fiscal year 2010 spending, and more details about the cuts emerged later in the month.

The Draft Branstad PAC, which is really a 527 group, apparently violated election law by advocating for Branstad after he filed paperwork forming an exploratory committee.

I wondered whether Iowa Republicans would seek out Sarah Palin's endorsement next year.

Dubuque conservative businessman Rod Blum announced plans to run against Bruce Braley in Iowa's first Congressional district (D+5).

Reverend Keith Ratliff, the head of the NAACP in Iowa and Nebraska, endorsed Bob Vander Plaats for governor.

I noted that by failing to pass campaign contribution limits during the past three years, Iowa's Democratic leaders enabled what is likely to be huge fundraising by Terry Branstad.

I was saddened to learn that State Representative Mark Kuhn won't seek re-election in Iowa House district 14.

Terry Branstad filed paperwork to explore a gubernatorial campaign and hired Iowa GOP Executive Director Jeff Boeyink as his campaign manager.

The Community Food Security Coalition held its annual conference in Des Moines for the first time ever, which inspired this post advocating that Governor Culver bring back the Iowa Food Policy Council.

On Blog Action Day I linked to a list of Iowa-based non-profit organizations helping to fight global warming.

Research 2000 polled Iowa for Daily Kos and found Chet Culver slightly trailing Terry Branstad but crushing Chris Rants and Bob Vander Plaats. The same poll showed Chuck Grassley barely above 50 percent against Christie Vilsack, Roxanne Conlin, Bob Krause and Tom Fiegen.

Terry Branstad announced plans to "fully explore" a gubernatorial bid and started hiring staff, as Chet Culver launched the first television commercial of his re-election campaign.

The same week that Steve King joined the right-wing crusade against White House "safe schools" official Kevin Jennings, Mike Denklau became the first Democrat to announce plans to run against King in Iowa's fifth Congressional district in 2010.

Christian Fong was the most prominent speaker at a rally of the Iowa Minuteman Civil Defense Corps.

I previewed the case Bob Vander Plaats will make against Terry Branstad in the GOP gubernatorial primary.

Inspired by ads New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine ran against overweight Republican Chris Christie, Bleeding Heartland user American007 pondered whether Chet Culver might be too big to win re-election.

I took another guess at how the likely Republican presidential candidates will do in the 2012 Iowa caucuses.

Roxanne Conlin told the Des Moines Register that "more likely than not" she will run against Senator Chuck Grassley.

State Senator Dennis Black's weak comments to an opponent of same-sex marriage inspired this post urging Iowa Democrats not to cop out when their conservative constituents press them on the issue.

Christie Vilsack ruled out running for U.S. Senate in 2010. She said, "never doubt I am committed to a life of service and to Iowa," leading me to suspect she plans to run for Congress someday when Leonard Boswell retires.

State Senator Brad Zaun and former Iowa GOP chairman Mike Mahaffey confirmed that they were thinking about running against Congressman Leonard Boswell.

I previewed what is likely to be a highly competitive race in Iowa Senate district 9 next year. First-term incumbent Democrat Bill Heckroth will face former Republican State Representative Bill Dix.

The governor announced more details about his mid-year budget cuts.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources formulated new rules on protecting Iowa's highest-quality waters.

State Representative Dick Taylor, a Democrat, announced his resignation, forcing a special election to be scheduled in Iowa House district 33. Later in the month, Democratic and Republican candidates were selected in special nominating conventions.

The Iowa Christian Alliance faced an FEC complaint over contributions allegedly run through West Hill United Methodist Church of Burlington.

November 2009

Democrats in Iowa and nationwide should not resort to sexist insults when mocking Sarah Palin.

I discussed the persistent rumor that Terry Branstad plans to pick insurance company executive Doug Reichardt as a running mate and analyzed what Reichardt might bring to the ticket.

I argued that it's a waste of time for journalists to speculate on whether Steve King will run for president in 2012.

I argued that Iowa Republicans must make their tent bigger in order to regain ground they've lost statewide and in former GOP strongholds like Scott County (Quad Cities area).

Chet Culver's re-election campaign started running a second television commercial, which I thought was quite good.

I reviewed some reactions to the off-year elections in Iowa, Maine, New Jersey and Virginia. In general it was a tough night for Iowa incumbents.

Some Iowa Republican bloggers talked down Brad Zaun for Congress.

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Stephanie Rose and Nick Klinefeldt's nominations for U.S. attorney in Iowa's northern and southern districts.

Iowa Senate minority leader Paul McKinley officially dropped out of the governor's race.

Steve King falsely claimed that the Democrats' proposed health care reform would cancel every private insurance contract in the country. King also missed a House Judiciary Committee hearing in order to participate in Michele Bachmann's Capitol Hill rally against health care reform. In so doing he helped doom several GOP-sponsored amendments to the PATRIOT Act.

The U.S. House narrowly approved a health care reform bill, and Iowa's representatives split on party lines.

Roxanne Conlin started putting together a campaign infrastructure and announced her candidacy for U.S. Senate with a two-minute biographical video.

I posted highlights from the Iowa GOP's big fall fundraiser, featuring an underwhelming debut by candidate Terry Branstad.

Leaders of AFSCME, the largest union representing state employees, reached a tentative deal with Governor Culver on concessions to avoid layoffs. The deal went to a vote of AFSCME members.

The Iowa-based conservative advocacy group American Future Fund asked the Federal Election Commission to overturn state bans on political robocalls.

Republican gubernatorial candidates Chris Rants and Terry Branstad continued to make misleading and hypocritical attacks on the I-JOBS infrastructure bonding initiative.

Republican Ross Paustian announced plans for a rematch against State Representative Elesha Gayman, who defeated him in 2008 in Iowa House district 84.

Iowa got good marks in a report by the Pew Center on the States on state budget problems. You'd never know that from listening to Iowa Republicans, however.

Crisitunity's Swing State Project post about vulnerable Democratic-held House districts suggested to me that the National Republican Congressional Committee is unlikely to invest heavily in Leonard Boswell's GOP opponent next year.

A feature article about Christian Fong got me thinking about ostensibly well-meaning bigotry in the Midwest.

The Des Moines Register's Iowa poll had very bad news for Chet Culver.

The Des Moines Register's Iowa poll indicated that Roxanne Conlin would have an uphill battle against Chuck Grassley.

Democrat Ed O'Neill stepped forward to run in Iowa Senate district 13 after two-term State Senator Roger Stewart announced plans to retire next year.

I viewed the upcoming GOP primary in Iowa's second Congressional district as a sign of the shrinking Republican tent. In a D+7 district long represented by Jim Leach, none of the potential GOP candidates is a social moderate.

Republican hypocrisy regarding the Obama administration's plans to try some terrorism suspects in the U.S. inspired this post.

Former Iowa State wrestling coach Jim Gibbons and State Senator Brad Zaun announced plans to run against Leonard Boswell in Iowa's third Congressional district. I wondered why so many Republicans are interested in this race. Even if a Republican defeats Boswell in 2010, he is likely to be thrown into a 2012 primary against Tom Latham in a redrawn IA-03.

After reading a report from Physicians for Social Responsibility, "Coal's Assault on Human Health," I suggested that it's misguided for some politicians to claim that climate change legislation would be "unfair" to residents of coal-dependent states.

Governor Culver announced more details about the planned review of Iowa's tax credits in the wake of the film tax credit scandal.

The U.S. Senate confirmed Stephanie Rose and Nick Klinefeldt to be the U.S. Attorneys in Iowa's northern and southern districts, respectively.

Several Iowa metro areas improved their rankings in the 2009 Milken Institute/Greenstreet Real Estate Partners Best-Performing Cities Index.

I enjoyed the Iowa Democratic Party's Jefferson-Jackson dinner, where Vice President Joe Biden gave the keynote speech. Before dinner I had a chance to meet Bill Maske, candidate for Iowa's fourth Congressional district. The same night I learned that two Democrats have announced plans to run against Steve King in Iowa's heavily Republican fifth district.

The USDA named five Iowa Farm Service Agency committee members, two of whom have strong ties in the sustainable agriculture community.

Bruce Braley said his constituents overwhelmingly support using the Thomson Correctional Center in Illinois to house some former prisoners from Guantanamo Bay. Iowa Republicans continued to hammer Braley on the issue.

Bob Vander Plaats said Terry Branstad shares responsibility for helping Democrats pass health care reform because he backed Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson in his 2000 campaign for U.S. Senate.

Democrat Kirsten Running-Marquardt easily won a special election to replace retiring State Representative Dick Taylor in Iowa House district 33.

State Senator Brad Zaun filed FEC paperwork to run for Congress in Iowa's third district.

Chris Rants and Jonathan Narcisse announced plans to hold a series of public debates around the state in December. It struck me as bad news for Governor Culver, since Narcisse had supported him in the 2006 Democratic primary. The debates didn't receive as much media attention as I had anticipated, however.

Former Iowa Senate Majority Leader Stew Iverson, who is also a former chairman of the Iowa GOP, announced that he may run in Iowa House district 9 next year against two-term Democrat McKinley Bailey. I was intrigued that Iverson doesn't seem to be considering running for his old Iowa Senate seat, which Democrat Rich Olive won by a narrow margin in 2006.

Two of Iowa's RNC members supported the so-called "purity test" designed to cut off GOP support for any candidate who strays too far from conservative dogma.

AFSCME and a smaller labor union representing state employees approved concessions in order to avoid layoff during the current fiscal year.

Democratic State Representative Wes Whitead announced that he will not seek re-election in House district 1. Next November Democrat Rick Mullin will face Republican Jeremy Taylor, who nearly upset Whitead in 2008.

Democratic Senate candidate Bob Krause, who chairs the Iowa Democratic Veterans Caucus, spoke out strongly against escalating the war in Afghanistan, while rival candidate Tom Fiegen called for a series of debates between the three Democrats competing to run against Chuck Grassley.

Mariannette Miller-Meeks announced plans to run against Dave Loebsack again in Iowa's second Congressional district. She faces more conservative Republicans Christopher Reed and Steve Rathje in the GOP primary.

Bruce Braley endorsed Roxanne Conlin in the Democratic primary to face Senator Chuck Grassley.

December 2009

December 1 was a bad day for incumbents as many Iowa cities held runoff local elections.

Christian Fong quit the Republican race for governor, citing "practical financial hurdles."

Andrew Roos departed as campaign manager for Chet Culver.

Governor Culver called for reforms to Iowa's budget process in a speech to the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation.

Iowa Senate minority leader Paul McKinley revealed his ignorance about special-needs education.

I previewed next year's campaign in Iowa Senate district 41, where a Republican and a Democrat intend to challenge GOP incumbent Dave Hartsuch.

State Senator Brad Zaun formally announced his candidacy in the GOP primary for Iowa's third Congressional district.

The executive director of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement published a good piece in the Des Moines Register about ending USDA loans that encourage construction of more factory farms.

Jim Gibbons' Congressional campaign's first attack against Leonard Boswell was pathetic, even by the standards of modern Republican campaigns.

Bruce Braley's House Populist Caucus and Tom Harkin advocated new Wall Street transaction fees to increase revenue and discourage "reckless speculation."

I speculated on whether Christian Fong should agree to be Branstad's running mate and whether Branstad should choose him.

I noticed that Iowa RNC Committeewoman Kim Lehman is still heading Iowa Right to Life, even though she promised a year ago to hand over the reins at that organization to someone else.

The Iowa GOP hired a new executive director to replace Jeff Boeyink, who left to manage Branstad's gubernatorial campaign.

The Des Moines metro area was rated the fourth-best U.S. city in terms of "bang for the buck."

Terry Branstad's campaign and its supporters engaged in some ridiculous revisionist history regarding his handling of the state budget.

A group of economists proposed reforms to Iowa's budget process.

Leonard Boswell turned up on a list of 17 House Democrats that the NRCC hopes to pressure into retirement.

I discussed the absurd overreaction by Iowa Republicans to former Lieutenant Governor Joy Corning's support for marriage equality.

I found confirmation of the rumor that ethanol baron Bruce Rastetter was backing Jim Gibbons for Congress in IA-03.

Cedar Rapids attorney Mark Seidl announced that he plans to run in Iowa House district 37, which Republican Renee Schulte carried in 2008 by just 13 votes.

The Iowa Legislature's Administrative Rules Review Committee unanimously approved new rules on regulating abuse and negligence in nursing homes, but I predict an attempt to overturn these rules during next year's legislative session.

Moderate Mark Rees became the fourth GOP candidate in the race against Leonard Boswell. Later in the month conservative Pat Bertroche would bring the GOP primary field to five.

The Obama administration announced its intention to move some prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to the Thomson Correctional Center in Illinois, but it may be years before the plan goes ahead.

Bill Maske declared his candidacy in Iowa's fourth Congressional district. He faces an uphill battle against eight-term Republican incumbent Tom Latham.

Jim Gibbons secured the backing of many heavy-hitter Republican donors in his race for the GOP nomination in IA-03.

Self-styled constitutional historian David Barton, a prominent conservative activist based in Texas, endorsed Bob Vander Plaats for governor.

I noticed that Terry Branstad has a big accountability problem.

After seeing the weak November fundraising numbers from the National Republican Congressional Committee, I predicted the NRCC will not spend heavily in IA-03 next year.

The Des Moines Rotary decided to review its approval process after 11 members rejected an application by a Planned Parenthood employee.

Second-tier candidate Jerry Behn quit the governor's race and endorsed Terry Branstad. I speculated on whether Chris Rants or Rod Roberts would be the next to go.

The National Republican Congressional Committee started a new robocall against Leonard Boswell three days before Christmas.

I launched a holiday haiku contest, and Bleeding Heartland readers submitted some good haikus inspired by the governor's race and the campaign in Iowa's third Congressional district.

A judge ordered a new trial for David Flores, who has spent more than 13 years in prison for murder.

The Census Bureau's last population estimates before the 2010 census confirmed that Iowa will lose a Congressional district during the next reapportionment.

Citing official statements by Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Grassley and Harkin, I previewed next year's campaign messages on health care reform..

Terry Branstad recorded a phone appeal targeting Iowa Democrats.

Steve King kept scaremongering about health care reform and the threat posed by moving terrorist suspects from Guantanamo Bay.

Culver appointed Bret Mills to run the Iowa Department of Economic Development and moved a housing program from IDED to the Iowa Finance Authority.

A review of state tax credits continued ahead of the 2010 legislative session.

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement was named most valuable grassroots advocacy group by John Nichols of The Nation.

I took issue with Environment Iowa giving Tom Harkin and Leonard Boswell perfect scores for their activities during the year.

Year in review: Iowa politics in 2009 (part 1)

desmoinesdem — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:08:56 GMT

I expected 2009 to be a relatively quiet year in Iowa politics, but was I ever wrong.

The governor's race heated up, state revenues melted down, key bills lived and died during the legislative session, and the Iowa Supreme Court's unanimous ruling in Varnum v Brien became one of this state's major events of the decade.

After the jump I've posted links to Bleeding Heartland's coverage of Iowa politics from January through June 2009. Any comments about the year that passed are welcome in this thread.

Although I wrote a lot of posts last year, there were many important stories I didn't manage to cover. I recommend reading Iowa Independent's compilation of "Iowa's most overlooked and under reported stories of 2009," as well as that blog's review of "stories that will continue to impact Iowa in 2010."
January 2009

In a Des Moines Register interview, Chet Culver evaluated his first two years in office and said he was aiming to be the best Iowa governor in history. His comments inspired this post on what kind of politicians make history, and what Culver would have to do to go down as one of the all-time greats.

The Iowa State Board of Education was considering new restrictions on junk food in schools.

I reflected on the Iowa caucuses on the one-year anniversary.

Jennifer O'Malley Dillon was named executive director for the Democratic National Committee. She had been John Edwards' Iowa campaign director before the 2008 caucuses and later served as director of battleground states strategy for Barack Obama's campaign.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources was wavering on new coal ash disposal rules.

Key investors pulled the plug on a proposed coal-fired power plant near Waterloo after a joint venture fell apart.

Bleeding Heartland user American007 offered nine predictions for 2009 and wasn't far off the mark.

I discussed the need to field a strong candidate against Chuck Grassley in 2010.

Hackers caused some big problems with Soapblox, the software that runs this blog.

Matt Strawn became the new chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa and vowed to improve the way the GOP communicates with voters. I argued that the Republicans' problem is what they say, not how they say it.

Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal and Senate President Jack Kibbie laid out their priorities on the opening day of the 2009 legislative session.

Governor Culver appointed Charlie Krogmeier as his new chief of staff after Patrick Dillon resigned from that position in order to move to Washington.

The Des Moines Register published a bizarre article claiming that Tom Vilsack had relatively few ties to agribusiness.

Bleeding Heartland user IowaVoter reported on problems with the audit logs of Diebold voting machines.

A state infrastructure bonding program was the highlight of Governor Culver's Condition of the State address to the Iowa House and Senate. I supported borrowing money for infrastructure, but only if money was spent on a "fix-it first" basis.

Guest poster Senate Guru wondered whether Chuck Grassley might retire, but Grassley's office quickly denied that he was considering retirement.

A bunch of well-connected Democrats expressed interest in the U.S. attorney position for Iowa's southern district.

Governor Culver's outgoing chief of staff, Patrick Dillon, was appointed White House deputy director of political affairs.

Mary Lundby, a former Republican Iowa Senate majority leader, passed away.

I considered whether Hillary Clinton or John Edwards could have won the Iowa caucuses, assuming Barack Obama ran the same outstanding campaign he ran. This was one of the longest posts I've ever written, and it got a mixed reaction on national blogs where I cross-posted it.

John Norris announced plans to leave the Iowa Utilities Board in order to serve as Tom Vilsack's chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Norris was Vilsack's chief of staff during his first term as governor.

Selling the lottery would have been bad policy and disastrous politics. Fortunately, Culver's chief of staff announced that the proposal was going nowhere.

Former Des Moines City Council member Archie Brooks was sentenced for his role in the CIETC scandal, and I supported taking his name off the south-side community center.

Bleeding Heartland user IowaVoter explained the need for campaign finance reform.

Governor Culver endorsed significant spending cuts and no tax increases as he prepared to offer his 2010 budget proposal.

I took an early look at Chet Culver's re-election chances and concluded that he was in reasonably strong shape, but faced some danger signs including a declining economy.

Governor Culver recommended Michael Kiernan to be the new chair of the Iowa Democratic Party.

Swing State Project determined that Iowa's 2010 Senate contast was a "race to watch" but presumed safe for incumbent Chuck Grassley.

Iowa moved back up to second place in installed wind capacity.

Bleeding Heartland user cman (now a blogger for the Des Moines Register) warned Republicans that they had better adapt or die as a party.

The Des Moines Register announced the 2009 RAGBRAI route.

The Republican National Committee elected Michael Steele as new chairman. Iowa's RNC reps backed South Carolina Republican Party Chair Katon Dawson instead.

Jim Paprocki made a strong case for implementing instant-runoff voting in Iowa. It probably will never happen, but one can dream.

Bleeding Heartland user IowaVoter attended one of State Senate President Jack Kibbie's town-hall meetings and reported that Kibbie "showed his progressive side."

February 2009

I finally signed up for Twitter, but it took a few months for me to become well and truly addicted.

Michael Kiernan became the new chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party and said he would make it a priority to keep newly registered Democrats in the fold. I argued that he won't be able to do that unless the Democrats in charge of state government deliver real, lasting change that improves people's lives.

David Yepsen announced plans to step down as political columnist for the Des Moines Register in order to become director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University.

The City Council of Sioux City passed a resolution (with no legal force) declaring marriage to be between a man and a woman. I urged Bleeding Heartland readers to get ready to make the case for marriage equality if the Iowa Supreme Court handed down a favorable ruling.

State Senator Staci Appel was selected to serve as Iowa State Director for the non-partisan Women Legislators' Lobby.

The Iowa Utilities Board delivered a long-awaited ruling on "ratemaking principles" for the proposed coal-fired power plant near Marshalltown. The ruling was not what the utility had hoped for, increasing the chance that investors would abandon the project.

Iowa showed slight growth in the number of small farms, according to the latest USDA survey.

Democratic State Senator Dick Dearden was still obsessed with dove-hunting for some reason.

The Iowa Commission on the Status of Women posted a diary about their legislative priorities. I'd like to see more organizations posting this kind of information during the legislative session.

State Treasurer Mike Fitzgerald said the proposal on leasing the state lottery would be a very bad deal for the government.

The Iowa legislature wasn't considering any of the campaign finance reforms this state needs most.

The Iowa Family Policy Center warned that homosexuals were "co-opting" Valentine's Day.

As the House approved the stimulus bill (with Iowa's representatives split on party lines) and Tom Harkin said he wasn't a "happy camper" in light of compromises made, I looked at what the stimulus bill would mean for Iowa.

The Iowa Senate passed a bill banning wage discrimination based on age, race, religion, gender and the other protected classes cited in the Iowa Civil Rights Act.

President Obama signed the stimulus bill, and I linked to various pages with more details about what the package allocated to Iowa.

The Iowa House and Senate approved the Natural Resources Trust Fund constitutional amendment, which was backed by a large coalition of environmental groups. The amendment is now subject to a public vote in November 2010.

A top legislative priority for organized labor, the prevailing wage bill, stalled in the Iowa House. Leaders kept the vote open for a whole weekend, hoping to find a 51st vote. I saw the episode as the price of the Obama campaign's flawed GOTV program in 2008, which produced smaller down-ticket gains than expected.

The Culver family adopted a shelter dog.

I reflected on my biggest health scare and how much worse it might have been if I didn't have health insurance.

As the Iowa House failed to pass the prevailing wage bill, I discussed who was to blame for the fiasco and how Democrats should proceed on labor issues.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee decided to keep Leonard Boswell in its Frontline program for vulnerable incumbents.

The Iowa Senate's state government committee approved a bill that would assign Iowa's electoral votes to the presidential candidate who won the national popular vote.

Because the food-stamp program produces more economic stimulus than any other form of government spending (and much more stimulus than any kind of tax cut), I looked at how Iowa compared to other states in terms of food stamp participation rates.

State Auditor David Vaudt advocated rejecting some of the federal stimulus funds available to Iowa.

March 2009

The Iowa Citizen Action Network announced its 2009 award winners, including Representative Bruce Braley.

Rival colleges Wartburg and Luther channeled their competitive energy into a contest to see which campus could conserve more and reduce utility bills.

More details emerged on the highway funds allocated to Iowa under the stimulus bill.

Governor Culver and Secretary of State Mike Mauro spoke out against a bill that would award Iowa's electoral votes to the winner of the nationwide popular vote, but I warned that saving the electoral college would not necessarily keep Iowa relevant.

Environmental groups asked citizens to send public comments to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources on key water and air quality issues.

The nonprofit organization Plains Justice asked Iowans to contact state legislators about energy efficiency bills.

I urged state legislators to show engaged citizens some common courtesy when they care enough about a bill to contact lawmakers.

Interstate Power and Light pulled the plug on the Marshalltown coal-fired power plant.

Governor Culver named Rob Berntsen chairman of the Iowa Utilities Board, replacing John Norris.

Comments by Elizabeth Dole's former campaign manager reminded me that it helps for incumbents to have some record to run on.

I wondered whether it would be politically smart for Representative Tom Latham to cooperate with President Obama.

Guest poster Nathaniel90 created a 2012 Congressional map for Iowa, which sparked a blog skirmish between Bleeding Heartland and Republican blogger Krusty Konservative over alleged gerrymandering and compact districts.

Iowa Republicans let their hypocrisy show in the debate over a bill that would have allowed employees to select their own doctor in case of a workplace injury.

Survey USA released a pretty bad poll for Chet Culver, leading Bleeding Heartland user American007 to ask, Is the Big Lug in trouble?

Howard Learner, executive director of the Chicago-based Environmental Law & Policy Center, urged Iowa to "be a leader in the rapidly growing green economy."

President Obama proposed reforms to the Congressional earmarking process, and I gave background on the failure of Democratic leadership that led to Tom Harkin's $1.8 million earmark for studying odors from large hog confinements (CAFOs) in Iowa. That earmark that became a poster child for Republican outrage over wasteful spending.

Tom Latham took credit for getting earmarks to fund Iowa projects in the omnibus spending bill he voted against.

Chuck Grassley posted my all-time favorite tweet by him, indicating that Iowa Republican lawmakers felt ignored by business lobbyists.

Tom Harkin recommended Stephanie Rose and Nick Klinefeldt for the positions of U.S. attorney in Iowa's northern and southern districts.

Steve King took credit for stimulus funds that will help widen U.S. Highway 20 in rural northwest Iowa, even though he voted against the stimulus bill.

On my 40th birthday I posted a list of 40 good bloggers over 40, though it turned out a few of them were younger than I realized.

Bleeding Heartland user ragbrai08 posted an outstanding piece analyzing Iowa's 2001 redistricting process and evaluating three possible Iowa maps with four Congressional districts.

The Iowa Global Warming Campaign noted that "Iowa residents and businesses could save over $690 million on their utility bills if utility companies cut demand for electricity by 15 percent and natural gas by 10 percent by 2020."

Iowa Democratic Veterans Caucus chair Bob Krause announced plans to run against Chuck Grassley in 2010.

One of Iowa's largest employers, the Principal Financial Group, announced pay cuts to affect all employees in lieu of another mass layoff (which Principal had enacted in December 2008).

The Iowa Revenue Estimating Conference had more bad news about the economy.

A bill that would allow some early ballots to be counted before election day concerned me.

Organic dairy farmer Francis Thicke announced that he was considering a bid for Iowa secretary of agriculture in 2010.

The Iowa legislature pretended to care about money in politics, passing a bill to close the so-called "Fallon loophole."

The White House held a regional forum on health care reform in Des Moines.

Bleeding Heartland user Iowan said Iowans need the large increase in clean water funding in President Obama's budget proposal.

The cover story for the Atlantic Monthly promped me to make my case against Hanna Rosin's case against breastfeeding.

The Rebuild Iowa Office announced smart growth assistance for five Iowa communities needing to rebuild after tornadoes and floods in 2008.

Food Democracy Now founder Dave Murphy made the economic case for healthy food.

I urged statehouse Democrats to pass key bills that would benefit Iowa women.

The Iowa Global Warming Campaign made the case for expanding passenger rail in our state.

Bleeding Heartland user Sean Flaherty posted an action alert about election reforms that passed the Iowa House unanimously but stalled in the Iowa Senate.

David Yepsen published his last column for the Des Moines Register.

I pondered why Iowa leaders don't do more to protect the environment.

April 2009

I was a respondent for a detailed Republican poll on the 2010 governor's race and wrote up what I could remember from the survey. I later learned that a 527 organization involving Doug Gross commissioned the poll. It marked the beginning of the effort to recruit Terry Branstad to run for governor again.

A new report from the U.S. Geological Survey indicated that Iowa contains 42 of the 150 watersheds that create the "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Iowa Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act. Advocates had expected that ruling but were surprised the seven judges acted unanimously. This post summarized early Democratic reaction to the court ruling, and this post summarized early Republican reaction.

Food Democracy Now advocated changes to current rules, which allow "large corporate farms to take advantage of [federal] subsidy loopholes that place independent family farmers at a serious competitive disadvantage."

I previewed the coming battle to amend the Iowa Constitution.

Opponents of marriage equality immediately funded robocalls to identify like-minded Iowans.

Bleeding Heartland user Elton Davis cross-posted Drake Law Professor Sally Frank's take on the Iowa Supreme Court ruling.

Four days after the Varnum v Brien decision was announced, Governor Culver said he would not seek to overturn the ruling, in part because it "reaffirmed that churches across Iowa will continue to have the right to recognize the sanctity of religious marriage in accordance with their own traditions and church doctrines."

Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal dared conservatives to push for a constitutional convention, saying "There's a lot of good, progressive issues that we could pursue: a woman's right to choose, guaranteed health care for all Iowa citizens, workers' rights - so if there are people that want to help us get to a constitutional convention, that's kind of my dream world."

A bar in West Burlington became the first business to lose its liquor license for failing to comply with the Iowa Smokefree Air Act.

Guest poster RDemocrat discussed child poverty in rural America.

Iowa House Speaker Pat Murphy blocked attempts by Republicans to bring a resolution to the floor on amending Iowa's constitution to ban gay marriage. Only two of the 56 Iowa House Democrats voted with Republicans on a key procedural motion.

Bleeding Heartland user sgarystewart wrote an open letter to his state senator about the real threat to Iowa marriages and his plans to marry his partner in Ringgold County.

Governor Culver confirmed that he is against passing a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, because "we have to be very respectful of the equal protection clause of the Iowa Constitution. This court in a unanimous decision has stated that it is discriminatory to deny people rights that they're given under the current Constitution."

Activists on the religious right confirmed that they will urge Iowans to vote against retaining the three Supreme Court judges who will be on the ballot in 2010.

Representative Steve King continued to speak out against same-sex marriage and recorded robocalls paid for by the National Organization for Marriage.

Chuck Grassley's public comments on same-sex marriage in Iowa enraged social conservatives, and I wished they would follow through on their threats to run a primary challenger against Grassley in 2010.

Guest poster The Electrical Worker wrote about efforts to help workers in the renewable energy manufacturing sector to join labor unions.

Democratic leaders kept trying to round up votes for the tax reform package that stalled in the Iowa House.

After Bob Vander Plaats and Bill Salier suggested defying the Iowa Supreme Court ruling, I wondered if any Republicans in this state understood the concept of judicial review.

My message to county recorders thinking about discriminating against same-sex couples: No one who applies for a marriage license needs your blessing.

On April 15 I posted some links related to the federal and Iowa tax systems as Mike Huckabee and Representative Steve King appeared at a "Fair Tax" rally in South Carolina.

With Iowa about to experience a wave of same-sex marriages, I posted some wedding planning advice here and here.

A harsh exchange of words between Ed Fallon and Governor Culver's staff prompted this post urging the governor to take his Democratic critics seriously.

Iowa House Democrats were unable to find enough votes to pass a tax-reform package, but the state bonding initiative remained alive.

Iowa Senate Republicans blocked the confirmation of three Culver appointees: Shearon Elderkin for the Environmental Protection Commission, Carrie La Seur for the Iowa Power Fund board, and Gene Gessow as head of the Department of Human Services.

I examined the best ways for interest groups to buy influence in the Iowa legislature.

Chuck Grassley's comments on how to address the Iowa Supreme Court ruling didn't please red-meat conservatives.

Iowa Republicans pushed legislation that would have allowed county recorders to refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Democratic leaders didn't let the idea go anywhere. The Iowa Attorney General's Office drafted a memo that the Iowa Department of Public Health sent out to all country recorders, confirming that "All county recorders in the state of Iowa are required to comply with the Varnum decision [...]."

I took another look at Chet Culver's re-election chances in light of the deepening recession and softening of his poll numbers. Several Bleeding Heartland commenters were more pessimistic about his prospects than I was.

State Senator Merlin Bartz used his official page on the Iowa Senate Republicans website to push a petition drive to pressure county recorders not to issue same-sex marriage licenses.

President Obama came to Newton for Earth Day.

One Iowa ran a pro-marriage equality tv ad in five Iowa markets.

Ed and Lynn Fallon filed an ethics complaint against State Senator Merlin Bartz, saying his actions violated the Senate Code of Ethics requirement for every legislator to "encourage respect for the law."

Visiting a friend in Pella, I was amused to find a flier from a national group opposing gay marriage. It compared Iowa Senate Republican leader Paul McKinley to a "chicken," because he "refuses to do what it takes to get a vote on the Iowa Marriage Amendment."

The Iowa legislature ended its 2009 session after several long days and late nights, and I recapped some of the most important bills that passed or failed to pass. Tax reform died, but the I-JOBS state bonding initiative survived.

I discussed the divisions among Iowa Republicans and concluded that the Iowa Supreme Court's ruling on same-sex marriage would make it even harder for moderates to reorient the party, downplaying social issues.

I posted links to my favorite online sources for Iowa news.

Governor Culver pulled a switcheroo by appointing Shearon Elderkin to the Power Fund and Carrie La Seur to the Environmental Protection Commission.

I discussed a few reasons to eat pork that's not factory-farmed.

Governor Culver named Charlie Krogmeier to head the Department of Human Services.

The Varnum v Brien ruling went into effect on April 27. There were protests outside county recorder offices in Des Moines and some other parts of the state, but I never heard of any couples being denied a marriage license.

Governor Culver said county recorders had a duty to comply with the court ruling, while Senator Tom Harkin predicted that one day marriage will be uncontroversial. Jefferson County supervisors led by Stephen Burgmeier passed a resolution demanding that state legislators take action to stop same-sex marriage. What seemed like pointless grandstanding (since the legislature had just adjourned until 2010) made more sense a few months later when Burgmeier became the Republican candidate in the Iowa House district 90 special election.

May 2009

The Iowa Democratic Party announced plans to induct former Governor Tom Vilsack, former First Lady Christie Vilsack and former Lt. Governor and IDP Chair Sally Pederson to the Hall of Fame.

Marshalltown considered banning non-biodegradable plastic bags.

The H1N1 flu continued to spread in Iowa. Marshalltown schools closed for several days.

I wrote about the joys of "sample Sunday" at three central Iowa farms.

The advance of marriage equality in Iowa and Vermont made it even more important to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

The long list of exemptions in a bill allowing individuals to sue businesses for fraud indicated the influence of lobbyists over the Iowa legislature.

I continued to wait for some Republican, any Republican, to explain the concept of judicial review to religious conservatives who refuse to accept the Iowa Supreme Court's ruling in Varnum v Brien.

Tom Harkin defended his decision to recommend Stephanie Rose for U.S. attorney in Iowa's northern district, even as the U.S. Supreme Court found that "federal prosecutors have inappropriately used aggravated identity theft laws to prosecute undocumented workers."

The USDA had some good news for organic and transitioning farmers.

Inspired by Woodbury County rural economic development director Rob Marqusee's "local food challenge," I suggested seven ways to eat more local food.

Terry Branstad ruled out running for governor again, and I said I doubted he would have a smooth ride in the GOP primary if he did run.

Survey USA found significant dips in the approval ratings of Chuck Grassley and Chet Culver during the month of April. I noted that Survey USA tends to find lower numbers for Culver than other pollsters.

Former Governor Terry Branstad and his onetime chief of staff Doug Gross went on record supporting the concepts of separation of powers and judicial review, even though they sometimes disagree with the Iowa Supreme Court's decisions. I took that as a sign that Branstad wasn't planning to run for governor again.

I wondered why Bruce Braley's Populist Caucus wasn't speaking up more on health care reform.

An Iowa Independent feature on carcinogens in coal ash made me thankful that two proposed coal plants in Iowa were shelved.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee kept Leonard Boswell in its "Frontline" program for vulnerable incumbents, but I argued that Boswell would not be vulnerable in 2010. (2012 is a different story.)

I posted links on the anniversary of the immigration raid in Postville.

A group of bar owners dropped their lawsuit against Iowa's public smoking ban, which went into effect in July 2008.

The Iowa Senate Ethics Committee voted unanimously to dismiss the ethics complaint against State Senator Merlin Bartz, who tried to pressure county recorders not to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Iowa Republicans pushed lots of misleading talking points about the I-JOBS bonding, and I tried to set the record straight.

On the anniversary of the immigration raid in Postville, Iowa, guest poster Frank Sharry profiled Steve King's extremist statements about the incident and immigration.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources considered lowering recreational use protections on 119 stream segments.

News emerged that the FBI infiltrated an Iowa City anti-war group in late 2007 and 2008.

Federal stimulus funds and revenues from the I-JOBS state bonding initiative will improve water quality in Iowa through sewer upgrades and other programs.

State Auditor David Vaudt ruled out running for governor in 2010.

Ed and Lynn Fallon blasted the "sham" hearing on their ethics complaint.

Several Iowa communities received stimulus money to remove lead from housing units.

Chuck Larson, a former state senator and U.S. ambassador to Latvia, said he didn't plan to run for governor in 2010.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey hired "high-profile staffers" in an apparent move toward exploring a gubernatorial campaign.

Yes, you can avoid mosquitoes without using DEET.

I advocated letting native plants take over your yard.

Appalling new details emerged about how mentally disabled workers were underpaid and exploited by a company with ties in Iowa and Texas.

The Des Moines Register profiled Iowan Dave Murphy, a founder of Food Democracy Now, and I liked his message about local foods strengthening rural economies.

When California's Supreme Court let Proposition 8 stand, I reminded Bleeding Heartland readers that Iowa recognizes all California marriages.

I took an early look at the 2010 Iowa Senate races and predicted at most three or four realistic pickup opportunities for Republicans.

There was good news for water quality in Culver's final bill signings, including an important line-item veto.

Howard Dean spoke in Des Moines about marriage equality and reflected on his experience after he signed a civil unions bill in Vermont.

Steve King recorded robocalls to identify and solicit donations from opponents of same-sex marriage rights. The National Organization for Marriage paid for the calls.

Governor Culver discussed gay marriage during an appearance on Iowa Public Television.

Iowa Workforce Development issued a huge fine against the company that allegedly exploited mentally disabled workers.

June 2009

I made the case for having Kate Gronstal, daughter of Iowa Senate Majority leader Mike Gronstal, on the I-JOBS board.

Grade A wingnut Bill Salier got into a public fight with Representative Steve King about the right way to oppose same-sex marriage.

I analyzed how the nursing home industry's political investments paid off, as the state legislature passed and Governor Culver signed a bill that will make it easier for nursing home owners to evade the law.

The I-JOBS board convened and adopted rules and a timeline for considering applications.

The Iowa Board of Pharmacy declined to reclassify marijuana in Iowa.

Iowan Jackie Norris departed as chief of staff to First Lady Michelle Obama to become a senior adviser to the Corporation for National and Community Service. Unnamed sources said she wanted out of the job.

Just for fun, guest poster possumtracker1991 wondered if it would be possible to gerrymander Iowa for four Democratic-leaning seats if we had politicized redistricting. Here's the map he came up with.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi came to Des Moines to raise money for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and Republicans responded with tired rhetoric and robocalls about taxes, Pelosi's liberal agenda and San Francisco values.

Former Iowa GOP chair Mike Mahaffey said he was considering running against Leonard Boswell in 2010. Boswell defeated Mahaffey in Iowa's third Congressional district in 1996.

The Republican Party of Iowa's revamped outreach strategy struck me as a new machine built to sell old ideas.

Chet Culver announced plans to crank up his political operation, saying, "I'm excited about it. I love campaigning."

A Supreme Court ruling related to a West Virginia Supreme Court judge made me grateful that Iowa did away with judicial elections in the 1960s.

Newsweek placed six Iowa schools on its list of the top 1,500 public high schools in the country. Bleeding Heartland readers pointed out some problems with Newsweek's methodology.

President Obama nominated John Norris to serve on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

The Interfaith Alliance of Iowa created an online petition for Iowans of faith and goodwill who support marriage equality.

Iowa Republicans continued to demonstrate that they didn't understand the point of the stimulus bill. They criticized Governor Culver and statehouse Democrats for using federal funds to "backfill" the 2009 budget, even though that was the express purpose of the state transfer funds included in the stimulus package.

Ed and Lynn Fallon announced that I'M for Iowa would recruit primary challengers to certain unnamed Iowa House Democrats, leading me to speculate about which "six-pack" members might be targeted.

The Project on Government Oversight reviewed state websites, looking for resources for those who want to report fraud, waste and abuse in how federal stimulus funds are being used. Iowa's website on the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act scored well in the report but wasn't in the top tier of especially whistleblower-friendly websites.

Some Iowa legislators weren't happy with the State Board of Education's new nutrition standards, so the legislature's Administrative Rules Review Committee voted to let state lawmakers review the nutrition standards during the 2010 session.

Francis Thicke argued that organic farming can employ cutting-edge technology and won't take us back to obsolete practices.

Former Iowa Democratic Party chair Gordon Fischer announced that he was permanently retiring from politics.

I wasn't pleased by the changes Leonard Boswell advocated in the climate change bill.

The official website for the I-JOBS infrastructure bonding program launched. It includes lots of charts and a search engine to help people track spending.

Des Moines School district administrators recommended against extending a controversial contract with a firm that managed construction projects.

Inspired by Rob Marqusee's local food challenge, I posted links to help people find locally produced foods in Iowa.

The Iowa Democratic Party hired Dena Gleason to be field director during the 2009/2010 election cycle.

Health Care for America Now ran tv ads supporting the public option in 10 states, including Iowa.

This post contained constructive criticism of the Cash for Clunkers program, for which Representative Bruce Braley was a lead sponsor.

I wasn't convinced by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack's creative analogy comparing climate-change skeptics with opponents of genetically-modified foods.

The Des Moines City Council took Archie Brooks' name off the community center on the city's south side.

Ed Failor Jr., head of Iowans for Tax Relief, likened Democratic economic policies to events in Nazi Germany in 1933.

Survey USA's May and June findings on Chet Culver's approval rating prompted this post.

Haley Barbour headlined the Iowa GOP's "night of the rising stars" fundraiser. I was struck by how much modern-day Republicans have embraced Herbert Hoover's approach to economic policy.

The Des Moines Register named Kathie Obradovich as its new political columnist.

Bleeding Heartland user American007 put early odds on the Republican race for governor.

I had good news and bad news about the Iowa Democratic Party's Hall of Fame event.

At its first meeting, the I-JOBS Board approved eight flood recovery projects totaling $45.5 million.

Smart Growth America released a review on how wisely states were spending transportation money from the stimulus bill. Iowa got good marks.

Revisionist history watch: Branstad budget edition

desmoinesdem — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:55:02 GMT

The editors of the conservative Fort Dodge Messenger are ecstatic about Terry Branstad's gubernatorial campaign, and they got a little carried away in this Sunday editorial:

Iowa must return to a pay-as-you-go approach to budgeting. Government spending should be carefully aligned with anticipated revenues. As governor, Branstad rigorously adhered to that philosophy. He pledged it will once again become central to state budgeting if he is elected.

Who are they kidding?

Branstad's sleight of hand on the budget was so notorious that as a three-term incumbent, he almost lost the 1994 GOP primary to Fred Grandy. That campaign centered on "the Mastercard governor" and his record of fiscal mismanagement, including keeping two sets of books to hide deficits.

As State Representative Chris Rants has noted, Branstad likes to take credit for budget reforms that were not his idea and were intended to prevent future governors from repeating his mistakes.

That's to be expected from a politician, but I expect more reality-based commentary from newspaper editors.

By the way, did you notice how the Messenger editors suggested that Iowa is no longer doing "pay as you go" budgeting? That Republican talking point is supposed to make people believe that Democrats have borrowed money to fund budget line items. In fact, the I-JOBS state bonding program was for capital investment projects. Investors understood that distinction. That's why the bonds were sold at lower interest rates, and the Bond Buyer daily rated I-JOBS one of the country's top 10 best financing deals for 2009.

Even after factoring in the I-JOBS program, Iowa's state debt per capita is low by national standards.

Republicans trying to have it both ways on I-JOBS

desmoinesdem — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:21:01 GMT

Attacking Governor Chet Culver's I-JOBS infrastructure bonding initiative continues to be a staple of Republican Party rhetoric. I've written about the GOP's misleading talking points before, but State Representative Chris Rants added a new twist at last night's fundraising dinner in Scott County. Not long ago, Rants altered his stump speech to complain about Sergeant Bluff receiving an I-JOBS grant while Culver's recent across-the-board budget cuts will cost the community a larger amount. Speaking to a crowd of 300 in Bettendorf, Rants put a local spin on this story:

Rants began his remarks by sharing the story about Lt. Governor Patty Judge coming to Sergeant Bluff, a town that Rants represents, to give them an I-Jobs grant to refurbish the city hall. Rants then told the audience, "What Patty Judge giveth, Chet Culver taketh away." Rants then told the crowd that Culver's fiscal mismanagement will force the Sergeant Bluff school district to increase property taxes by over $400,000.
Rants then asked if anyone in the room knew what Governor Culver's budget cuts were going to cost the property tax payers in the Davenport School district. Rants informed them that the cost will be $7.6 million. He also drove home the point that, while Sergeant Bluff received $250,000 I-Jobs grant to remodel their city hall, the city of Davenport has not received any I-Jobs money for its big sewer project. Rants' ability to talk about local issues played well with the audience. Of all the candidate speeches, Rants was the one candidate who grabbed everyone's attention.

It is clever for Rants to capitalize on local resentment about I-JOBS. Although entities in Scott County have received more than $5 million in I-JOBS grants, officials in the Quad City area have understandably been frustrated by the lack of I-JOBS support for Davenport's sewer and flood prevention projects.

What Rants glosses over is that without I-JOBS, unmet needs for infrastructure improvements would be even greater. The I-JOBS program includes $118.5 million for flood prevention and reconstructing buildings in communities affected by last year's flooding. But requests for that portion of the I-JOBS money totaled $333.6 million.

I-JOBS allocated $80 million for water quality improvements, including sewer construction and repair. Substandard and outdated sewer systems are a huge environmental problem in Iowa, as the Des Moines Register's Perry Beeman and Chase Davis chronicled last week here and here. Iowa has more than 500 unsewered communities. At least I-JOBS and the federal stimulus package will help make a dent in this problem.

Rants wants to have it both ways, criticizing Culver for borrowing while claiming the governor's program hasn't done enough for Scott County. If Republicans in Congress and the state legislature had had their way, Iowa cities and towns would not be getting any help this year for improving their sewage systems.

I have yet to hear Rants or any Republican candidate explain how they would have paid for flood recovery projects without state borrowing. For instance, I-JOBS included $100 million targeted for the University of Iowa, which unlocked $500 million in federal funding to help rebuild flood-damaged buildings on campus. How would Republicans have addressed this problem? Would they have turned down the federal funding, and if not, where would they have found $100 million to match the federal dollars?

Linn County received $45 million from I-JOBS for flood recovery. That's in addition to money raised from the local-option sales tax (which most Republicans opposed). How would Republican candidates have paid for flood recovery in the Cedar Rapids area without I-JOBS?

Terry Branstad's criticism of I-JOBS reaches a special level of hypocrisy. He asserted on Saturday night, "Too much debt is bad and those that create it should be thrown out of office." But while he was governor, Branstad used state bonding several times, and his total borrowing in inflation-adjusted dollars was larger than the I-JOBS program. After the jump I've posted a press release from the Iowa Democratic Party, which contains more details about Branstad's use of state bonding.

It's also worth noting that interest rates are currently near historic lows. That, coupled with Iowa's rock-solid bond rating, reduced the cost of the I-JOBS borrowing. I would wager that the state had to pay higher interest rates on bonds issued while Branstad was governor.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 9, 2009
BRANSTAD'S WORDS CONTRADICT HIS BORROWING PAST
DES MOINES, IA - Terry Branstad's rhetoric attacking the I-JOBS program stands in sharp contrast to his actions as Governor, when he put the state in an even deeper debt hole, Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Michael Kiernan said Monday.
"Branstad's attacks on the I-JOBS program ring awfully hollow given that Branstad's borrowing exceeded anything that's going on right now," Kiernan said.
At a Republican Party of Iowa fundraiser in Des Moines Saturday, Branstad took a swipe at Governor Culver's $830 million stimulus package. "...Too much debt is bad and those that create it should be thrown out of office," Branstad said, "We know that it doesn't have to be this way."
http://okhenderson.com/2009/11...
In fact, the Branstad Administration used public bonding, the same kind of debt Branstad now decries, to fund more than $613 million in projects between 1989 and 1994. Those projects included a state prison at Clarinda ($22.6 million); the Iowa Communications Network ($115 million) and the Underground Storage Tank cleanup program ($141 million). Details and source material may be found at www.iowaknowsbetter.com.
Adjusted for inflation, Branstad's borrowing totals nearly a billion dollars ($994.48 million), without including any of the interest Iowans were forced to pay on the four separate instances of major bonding Branstad conducted.
"To now hear Branstad attack I-JOBS is ironic to say the least," Kiernan said.
The I-JOBS program is a critical tool in helping Iowa endure the biggest economic downturn since the Great Depression, by creating jobs, rebuilding our state's aging infrastructure and helping Iowans recover from the devastating floods, storms and tornadoes of 2008, Kiernan said.
"Branstad appears to be joining the chorus of Republicans who would have done nothing to help our state through this recession," Kiernan said. "And in Branstad's case, that's not only wrong, it's disingenuous given his past decisions."

Iowa turning stimulus road funds around quickly

desmoinesdem — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:41:34 GMT

The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has been keeping track of how states are spending the stimulus funds allocated for roads. On September 2 the committee released a report ranking the states according to how much of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for highways and bridges had been put to work as of July 31. This pdf file contains the state rankings.

Iowa ranked second overall, having put 75 percent of its stimulus road funds to work by the end of July. Join me after the jump for more details from the report and analysis.
Of approximately $358 million Iowa received for highway and bridge projects, 85.1 percent was under contract and 74.9 percent was for projects already underway as of July 31. That's more than double the national average. Nationwide, about 40 percent of the stimulus road money was under contract and 32 percent funding construction that had already begun by the end of the July. Only 11 states had put even 50 percent of their stimulus road funds to work by that time.

Governor Chet Culver said in a statement,

"The Iowa Department of Transportation and our local transportation officials have been great partners in implementing the federal recovery program to improve our highways and bridges in Iowa. By moving quickly in using these funds, the DOT has accelerated several projects that will contribute to rebuilding and improving our state's infrastructure," said Governor Culver. "As a result, more Iowans are employed doing this important work as dozens of key projects around the state have been accelerated."

Speaking to the Des Moines Register,

Scott Newhard, vice president of the Associated General Contractors of Iowa, said the federal stimulus program has had an overwhelming positive impact on the state's road construction industry.
"This has meant that a lot of people have had good-paying jobs who would not have been able to come back to work this summer," Newhard said.
Slightly more than $1 billion was spent on city, county and state road construction projects for the 12 months ending June 30, which was a record, Newhard said. The next closest year for Iowa road spending was the 2006 budget year, when $678 million was spent, he added.

This page on the official site for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding in Iowa has more detail on how the stimulus money is being used.

Earlier this summer, a report from Smart Growth America showed that Iowa is wisely spending more than 90 percent of the stimulus road funds on repairing existing infrastructure rather than new road construction. This "fix-it first" approach makes economic sense:

While adding new roads or road capacity is often necessary, repair projects have been shown to provide greater benefits in the long run. Road and bridge repairs produce more jobs because more of the budget is typically devoted to salaries instead of equipment and land acquisition.

The I-JOBS infrastructure bonding program is also supporting road and bridge repairs this summer, which has probably helped Iowa put its federal stimulus funds to work quickly. In July $45 million from the I-JOBS program was awarded to Iowa cities and counties for road projects. Click here for more links on how the I-JOBS money is being spent.

Yesterday's report from the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee doesn't explain why some states have allocated their stimulus money faster than others. The states near the bottom of the list, which haven't even spent 20 percent of their stimulus road funds yet, may be hoarding the cash to help support their 2010 budgets. That wasn't the intended purpose of the stimulus.

Unlike many other states, Iowa has also fully utilized the stimulus funds available for unemployment benefits, helping thousands of people make ends meet. Extending unemployment benefits generates more economic activity ("bang for the buck") than tax cuts or most forms of government spending.

The stimulus bill wasn't perfect, but Iowa officials deserve credit for getting the recovery funds into the economy quickly.

16 public shelters receive I-JOBS funding

desmoinesdem — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:28:45 GMT

I saw on Radio Iowa's site that 16 shelters serving the homeless and victims of family violence will receive a total of $10 million through the I-JOBS state bonding initiative.

Grants will provide approximately half the funding to build new shelters in Des Moines, Iowa City, and Sioux Center. The other grants will pay for almost all of the renovation costs at 13 shelters in Muscatine, Dubuque, Mason City, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Waverly, Boone, Davenport, and Burlington. Click here for more details about the 16 shelter projects.

According to the governor's office,

Last year, more than 17,000 people sought help at Iowa's shelters. Nearly 8,000 of these clients were members of families, and close to 40% of them were children.

The need is greater this year, probably because of the recession and growing number of foreclosures. From the Radio Iowa report:

Tim Wilson, executive director of the shelter in Cedar Rapids, says there is an increased demand for services. "We have been very full from the spring through the summer on the men's beds and particularly the family units. Lately, we've been turning away many more people than we can actually accommodate," Wilson said.

Iowa Republicans keep bashing the I-JOBS program, but their false advertising and misleading talking points aren't doing a thing to help the thousands of Iowans who need shelters during these tough times.

Fake objectivity in action

desmoinesdem — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Disappointing stuff from Lynn Campbell of IowaPolitics.com:

Republican gubernatorial candidate Christian Fong has refused to take down his statewide radio ad, despite complaints and threats of legal action by the Iowa Democratic Party.
"We have no intention to take down the ad," Marlys Popma, Fong's campaign manager, told IowaPolitics.com today. "We're very confident that everything in the ad is completely accurate."
Fong on Monday launched the 60-second ad called "Iowa Dream" that focuses on introducing himself and outlining his story for Iowa Republicans, but also says: "We have a state government that borrowed almost a billion dollars to pay its bills." Popma said the $830 million I-JOBS program will actually cost the state about $1.4 billion by the time it's paid off.

Campbell goes on to quote Iowa Democratic Party chair Michael Kiernan's statement calling the ad "materially false and misleading." Finally, Campbell quotes Popma as saying the Fong campaign hasn't heard directly from the Iowa Democratic Party.

This is a perfect example of bogus "objective" journalism that offers readers nothing but "he said/she said." If Campbell has spent even 10 seconds wondering whether the state of Iowa is borrowing a billion dollars to pay its bills, you'd never know it from her story.

Yet Fong's claim can be disproved by minute or two of online research. The I-JOBS program is funding special infrastructure projects, not line items from the budget. If Iowa were borrowing money to meet ongoing spending commitments, the state would not have a AAA bond rating, and the I-JOBS bonds would not have a AA rating.

For whatever reason, Campbell makes this story about Republican confidence and Democratic "complaints" instead of about the accuracy of Fong's ad.

I recommend that the folks at IowaPolitics.com read this piece by Philip Meyer on "The Next Journalism's Objective Reporting." Excerpt:

True objectivity is based on method, not result. Instead of implying that there is an equal amount of weight to be accorded every side, the objective investigator makes an effort to evaluate the competing viewpoints. The methods of investigation keep the reporter from being misled by his or her own desires and prejudices.

Iowa Republicans still wrong on the economy and I-JOBS

desmoinesdem — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:13:20 GMT

The business network CNBC threw a wrench in the Republican sound bite machine yesterday by ranking Iowa the fourth best state in the country for doing business. Click the link to read Iowa's scores for 2008 and 2009 in the ten different categories CNBC considered in compiling these rankings. (Iowa ranked ninth overall in 2008.) You can also watch the CNBC segment here.

Iowa improved in almost all of CNBC's categories from 2008 to 2009. The biggest improvement was in the "economy" category, where Iowa went from 29th in 2008 to 4th in 2009, even as the national recession deepened. While the recession is hurting Iowa along with every other state, we are doing reasonably well under the circumstances. CNBC also moved Iowa up quite a few notches under "technology and innovation" and "transportation and infrastructure." We have a ways to go to reach the top-ranked states in those areas, which is why the Culver administration is smart to be investing heavily in our infrastructure with the I-JOBS bonding program.

Speaking of I-JOBS, now that most of the bonds have been sold, money is starting to be awarded:

Every city and county in Iowa will receive a portion of $45 million in additional funding under I-JOBS for local street and road projects. These funds will begin being distributed to cities and counties starting next Tuesday.
In addition, $50 million in I-JOBS funds will improve 55 state highway system bridges in 29 counties across the state. Projects in the metro Des Moines area include two I-35 bridges over the Iowa Interstate Railroad, the Iowa 17 bridge over the Des Moines River, and U.S. 69 bridge over Scott Avenue.

Scroll to the bottom of this page to find links to pdf files containing a "list of I-JOBS road funding amounts for all Iowa cities and counties, as well as bridge projects."

Meanwhile, Iowa Republicans continue to proudly oppose the I-JOBS program. Today Senate minority leader Paul McKinley and others are triumphantly Twittering about an article in the Des Moines Register: Economists question impact of I-JOBS plan. My response is after the jump.
Des Moines Register reporter Jason Clayworth's article quotes three economists on I-JOBS:

"For the most part, what you're probably doing here is moving projects forward, which isn't a bad thing because this is where you have unemployed workers," said Dean Baker, co-director for the Center for Economic Policy Research in Washington, D.C.
However, Raymond Keating, chief economist for the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, said the plan is likely a negative because it increases government spending. A more productive economic stimulus would be to lower taxes for businesses, said Keating, whose group has more than 70,000 members across the nation.
"The bottom line for Iowa is this: In the best-case scenario, it won't make any difference. In the worst case, it's going to make things worse," Keating said.
Culver and his staff have projected various estimates of how many jobs the plan would create, largely based upon changes done to the proposal as it made its way through the legislative process. The latest projection is 22,000 jobs to be retained or created by the program.
Iowa State University economics professor Dave Swenson estimates the number would be closer to 4,050. While he agreed with Baker that the plan will likely help Iowa on some level, he doesn't believe it's to the extent that I-JOBS advocates have projected.
"This promises to make a dent in unemployment, but it's an extremely small dent," Swenson said.

Baker is only partly right. The road and bridge money from I-JOBS will move forward projects that would otherwise have been done in future years. Ask anyone in the construction industry whether it matters to them that projects are being put on a faster track. Construction employment has suffered badly because of the housing slump and the tough times for businesses that would otherwise be remodeling and expanding. If we refused to borrow to move some of these projects ahead, the employment situation would be worse.

What Baker may not realize is that a lot of the I-JOBS money will fund projects that probably wouldn't ever happen without this borrowing. Where would we find $45 million in state, county or city budgets for flood reconstruction projects? How would we pay for installing sewer systems or securing federal funds to expand passenger rail in Iowa? If we adopted the "pay as you go" approach Republicans advocate, buildings damaged last year in Cedar Rapids and Linn County would not have the money for reconstruction. Iowa would continue to have 550 unsewered communities as well as outdated sewer systems dumping unnecessary levels of pollution into our waterways. Our extreme aversion to borrowing (Iowa ranked 48th in public debt per capita before I-JOBS, 46th after) is one reason our infrastructure is in such bad shape now.

Keating works for a conservative organization that promotes lower taxes for business as the solution for every problem. He is completely wrong to claim that lowering business taxes would be more effective economic stimulus than government spending. Don't take my word for it; read this analysis by Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody's.

I greatly respect Swenson and will assume for the sake of argument that his job creation estimate for I-JOBS is in the ballpark. Focusing on the short-term job creation numbers, Clayworth's article does not acknowledge the long-term benefits of doing some of these projects. It's like BruceMcF wrote in this piece; good infrastructure investments can help generate economic activity many decades after the fact.

Compare I-JOBS to the Republican-approved economic development plan of Governor Tom Vilsack's administration: the Iowa Values Fund. I doubt the hundreds of millions of state dollars we spent on that corporate welfare ever created or saved even 4,000 jobs. Nor do we have lasting improvements in infrastructure to show for the program. There's not even much evidence that Values Fund money influenced corporate decisions on employment in Iowa. At least with I-JOBS we know what the money spent will accomplish.

It doesn't pay to listen to the modern-day "Party of Hoover" on economic policy.

Comparing Branstad and Culver: budgets and floods

desmoinesdem — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:46:02 GMT

I stand by my prediction that former Governor Terry Branstad will not seek his old job again, but I can't resist responding to these comments by Republican blogger Constitution Daily:

Now back to Branstad, his credentials as a governor are amazingly good. He governed during the farm crisis and floods of 1993, all while balancing a budget and even having a surplus. [...]
Branstad against Culver will be a great campaign. Culver has shown no leadership skills even within his own Party. The flood will be a defining issue. Branstad led us through that with ease where Culver still has us wading through the muck. Culver has no excuses and no one to shift blame to. This is a big advantage for Branstad.
Also with Culver, the budget is massively in the red. Whether or not you agree, the perception is that Branstad always had a balanced budget and didn't grow government. That is what people want and dream of returning to. Can you imagine the debates between the two? How would Branstad not come out smelling like a rose not just on rhetoric but actual experience?

If Constitution Daily is old enough to have been politically aware during Branstad's tenure, he is suffering from serious memory loss. I'll explain why after the jump.
The key to examining Branstad's record as governor is his 1994 Republican primary battle against then Congressman Fred Grandy. As I wrote last week, it's unheard of for a three-term incumbent governor to face a strong challenge from his own party in the absence of a personal scandal. I'm not aware of anything like it happening elsewhere.

Why did Grandy run against Branstad in 1994 instead of waiting for him to retire, and why did Branstad barely win the primary by a 52-48 margin? Branstad's fiscal mismanagement had become too much for many Republicans to stomach.

Commenter saraf posted a couple of blasts from the past in this thread at The Iowa Republican:

"Grandy calls Branstad 'MasterCard governor'"
Friday, April 1, 1994
DES MOINES (AP) - Republican candidate for governor Fred Grandy has renewed his assault on Gov. Terry Branstad's handling of state finances, labeling him "the MasterCard governor."
"Terry Branstad has been cooking the books for years," said Grandy. "That's how he managed to run up $1 billion in deficits, despite a balanced budget amendment and a line-item veto."
Grandy pointed to new figures showing a larger-than-expected deficit in the state's fiber-optic network.
He also cited criticism by State Auditor Richard Johnson of Branstad's management as fresh evidence the governor should be replaced.
"The Mastercard governor pays his debts months late, borrows to pay off last year's bills and keeps two sets of books," said Grandy, in a statement.

And this one:

"Auditor: Grandy has the better fiscal plan"
Wednesday, April 27, 1994
Author: Rod Boshar
DES MOINES - State Auditor Richard Johnson , acknowledging a "strained" relationship with Gov. Terry Branstad , broke his neutrality Tuesday to endorse U.S. Rep. Fred Grandy's bid to unseat Branstad in June's Republican primary.
The announcement drew an immediate rebuke from Brian Kennedy, Branstad's campaign manager, who said the auditor has been "attacking" Branstad on Grandy's behalf and has "long been rumored" to be the Sioux City Republican's choice for lieutenant governor.
Johnson said he made the unsolicited endorsement out of concern that new budgeting practices passed in the just-completed legislative session may not be fully implemented without a change in the state government's top leadership post.
The Sheldahl Republican added that his decision to take sides also was spurred by "a trend toward distorted information, a trend toward not being completely honest with the public" in the GOP gubernatorial campaign during recent weeks.
"I think it would be unfair to my family and my grandkids if I didn't take a public stand on something that I feel very strongly about," said Johnson, in praising Grandy's straight-forward approach to the issues most important to Iowa's future.
"I consider myself a fiscal conservative. The plan that Representative Grandy has presented as a candidate is a very conservative plan," said Johnson, an outspoken critic of state budgeting and borrowing practices that rolled up a $408 million deficit and delayed bill payments in recent years.
"If we look at practice and look at the amount of public expenditures and the amount of tax increases that we've had over the last 10 years, I think that's less than a conservative record that's been placed before us," he added.
Grandy said Johnson's assertion that fiscal mismanagement practices have forced him to break his neutrality are a repudiation of "out of whack" budgeting and structural deficits that grew out of a "bidding war" between Branstad and former House Speaker Don Avenson in the 1990 governor's race.

The current Republican line against "Debt Culver" is that he has mismanaged Iowa's finances. Branstad himself has misleadingly suggested that Democrats are digging this state into a hole.

It's natural for Democrats and Republicans to disagree over appropriate spending levels for government programs, but Wall Street analysts can tell when governors are cooking the books like Branstad did in his day. They see that Iowa has a healthy reserve fund, which we did not have during the 1980s and early 1990s. They know the difference between a state borrowing to meet ongoing budget obligations and a state borrowing to make capital investments.

Culver's I-JOBS infrastructure bonding program is different from the borrowing some other states are forced to do this year to keep paying the bills. That's why our state is one of just 11 to have earned the AAA bond rating from Standard and Poor's. That's why investors were lining up to buy Iowa's bonds for lower interest rates than what they would accept on bonds issued by many other states.

Not all borrowing is the same. Taking out a $15,000 home equity loan to renovate my home may add more than $15,000 to its value, depending on how I spend the money. But it would be stupid to take out a $15,000 home equity loan to pay for a fancy vacation or support unsustainable monthly spending on essentials. My ability to repay the loan and overall debt load also factor into this equation. The I-JOBS program will fund capital improvements across Iowa. The state's gambling revenues are sufficient to cover the $42 million in annual repayment costs for the I-JOBS bonds. In fact, our strong credit rating helped reduce the expected repayment costs for these bonds by 24 percent. Even with all the I-JOBS borrowing, Iowa's per capita debt load ranks 46th among the 50 states, according to the State Treasurer's Office. That's not the crushing burden Republicans make it out to be.

Now let's consider the two governors' responses to record-breaking floods. Culver's I-JOBS program includes a lot of money for flood rebuilding projects, including $45 million for Linn County alone. I am still waiting to hear how Republican critics of state borrowing would fund these flood recovery projects.

I wasn't living here in 1993, so I don't have first-hand memories of those floods, but let's assume that Branstad did fine in the immediate aftermath of the flooding. His leadership at that time wasn't enough to deter Grandy from challenging him the following spring. It didn't stop a sizable number of Iowa Republicans from voting for Grandy either.

More important, Branstad did nothing to help prevent or reduce future flood disasters in Iowa. Common land use and watershed management practices contributed to last year's record flooding in many ways. Branstad 1985 reorganization of state government eliminated the Department of Planning, moving us backward in terms of land use policy. Nor did Branstad propose any new watershed management regulations in the five years he was governor after the 1993 floods. State Senator Rob Hogg of Cedar Rapids was right to point that out:

"What happened after 1993? What did Gov. (Terry) Branstad and the Legislature do after 1993? Nothing," said Hogg, who was elected in November of 2002. "Fifteen years later, we had the biggest disaster in Iowa's history. That could have been averted if Gov. Branstad and the Legislature had acted." [...]
"I think you're going to have to remake the way we govern and manage our watersheds," Hogg said. "It just has to happen or else we've basically committed to having this happen again."

Culver has not done much on the prevention front yet, but he still has an opportunity to lead on policies to mitigate future flooding. Branstad's record of inaction is clear.

Like I said, I doubt Branstad has any interest in leaving his current position as president of Des Moines University. If I'm wrong about that, Iowa voters will need to consider the reality of Branstad's tenure as governor, as opposed to the airbrushed Republican version.

I-JOBS bonds sold well, will cost less to repay

desmoinesdem — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:56:47 GMT

Most of the bonds that will fund the I-JOBS program were sold this week, and Iowa's solid credit rating fueled strong investor interest. According to State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald,

investor enthusiasm and high market demand for the Iowa bonds helped drive down the interest rate to 4.31 percent, which resulted in a $42 million yearly payback for the state and a roughly $12 million annual savings over what originally was budgeted to repay the borrowing. [...]
"Investors were impressed with the state of Iowa and put their money on the table to show it. There was strong support for the bonds from Iowans and from national institutional investors," he added.
"This is where our balanced budget, our surpluses that we have and our history of running the state - we're not California or even Minnesota or Wisconsin or New York right now. All those states are having trouble and we're doing well," the state treasurer said. "In fact, one of the investment bankers said Iowa is a refreshing contrast to the other states that have been coming to the market."

Over $600 million of the I-JOBS bonds have now been sold. Another $115 million of bonds will be issued in 2010.

Speaking to me by phone today, Fitzgerald explained that the I-JOBS bonds are rated AA (a notch lower than the state of Iowa) because they will be repaid out of gaming revenues. We would have had to issue A-grade bonds if Iowa were like other states, which have exhausted their reserve funds and are borrowing simply to meet budget obligations. Investors liked the fact that the I-JOBS bonds will fund capital improvements and not ongoing government spending, Fitzgerald said.

Republicans like Iowa House minority leader Kraig Paulsen and Iowa Senate minority leader Paul McKinley have discounted the importance of Iowa's AAA bond rating. It's clear today how wrong they were. If Iowa's overall financial condition were not strong enough to warrant the AAA bond rating, repaying the I-JOBS bonds would cost $55 million annually instead of $43 million.

A press release from the governor's office noted that Iowa is among just 11 states that have a AAA bond rating. I've posted the full text of that release after the jump.

Once the proceeds from the I-JOBS bonds come through next week, funds will be available for various infrastructure projects, from renovating the Iowa Veteran's Home in Marshalltown to rebuilding flood-damaged facilities to upgrading sewer systems around the state. Those projects will create jobs while improving the quality of life in many communities.
Press release from the governor's office:

Thursday, July 16, 2009
Culver, Fitzgerald: I-JOBS Bond Sale Saves Iowa Millions
DES MOINES - Governor Chet Culver and State Treasurer Mike Fitzgerald announced today that the sale of $601 million in bonds for I-JOBS has been completed, and the result will save the State of Iowa millions of dollars each year. These bonds represent the largest portion of funds for the $830 million I-JOBS initiative.
The State budgeted $55 million annually from existing gaming revenue to finance the I-JOBS bonds without a tax increase. However, due to Iowa's AAA bond rating from Standard & Poor's, overall strong financial position, and the structure of the bonds, the annual debt service on the bonds will be approximately $43.2 million, which is funded by existing state gaming revenues.
Iowa is one of only 11 states in the nation with a AAA bond rating. Standard & Poor's re-affirmed Iowa's rating on June 30.
"Iowa's strong fiscal management means we can take steps to create jobs and improve our economy that few other places across the nation can do," said Governor Culver. "And thanks to our strong fiscal management, it means we can take bold action to move our state forward while saving Iowa taxpayers millions of dollars in the process."
"This underscores the importance of maintaining Iowa's strong credit rating," added Treasurer Fitzgerald. "Investors are impressed with the state of Iowa and put their money on the table to show it. Investor confidence drove the interest down."
Proceeds from the bond sale will be transferred to the State on July 22 in order to begin the effort of creating and retaining jobs and improving public infrastructure projects throughout Iowa.
The Culver/Judge I-JOBS program will invest $830 million over the next two years to create and retain jobs, strengthen the economy, recover from last year's natural disasters, and improve Iowa's infrastructure. The funds will be used to upgrade Iowa's roads and bridges, invest in renewable energy projects, improve water quality, and upgrade public facilities such as the Iowa Veterans Home. I-JOBS is funded with existing gaming revenue, meaning no increase in taxes.
For more information about I-JOBS, visit www.ijobsiowa.gov

How would Iowa Republicans fund these projects?

desmoinesdem — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:34:07 GMT

The I-JOBS Board met in Cedar Rapids today and awarded money for the first time, approving eight flood recovery projects worth $45.5 million. All of the projects are in Linn County except for $500,000 awarded to help the city of Elkader build a new fire station. More details are in this press release from the governor's office, which I have posted after the jump.

Attacking the I-JOBS bonding program has become a staple of Iowa Republicans' speeches and newsletters (see also here and here). I would like Republicans to explain how they would pay for flood recovery projects like the ones approved today. Or would they prefer "small government" that doesn't repair public libraries or build new county offices and fire stations?

Monday, June 29, 2009
I-JOBS OKs Projects To Create Jobs, Further Recovery Efforts
I-JOBS Board Approves First Projects Today
CEDAR RAPIDS - Making its first approvals today, the I-JOBS Board met and gave the go-ahead to more than $45 million in projects that will help rebuild communities damaged by last year's severe weather as well as strengthen the state's economy by creating in jobs and investing in Iowa's infrastructure. The eight projects were approved at the Board's meeting in Cedar Rapids, one of the hardest hit communities during the floods of 2008.
Governor Culver said: "Today's action is one more sign that I-JOBS is moving forward. Just one month after being signed into law, I-JOBS has made its first awards. This is only the beginning, and I look forward to working with all Iowans as we rebuild this state, create good-paying jobs, and build a brighter future for all Iowans."
In total, the Governor's I-JOBS program will invest $830 million in Iowa's aging infrastructure over the next two years. The funds will be used to further Iowa's disaster recovery efforts, improve Iowa's roads and bridges, and invest in public works and buildings.
The I-JOBS Board oversees the Local Infrastructure Program which includes $165 million for disaster recovery and prevention and local infrastructure. Of that, $46.5 million is reserved for specific entities that suffered damages during last year's historic storms and floods. Today's applicants are part of that pool. The statute identifies these entities and the maximum amount of funds each can receive. The remaining $118.5 million in the Local Infrastructure Program will be available on a competitive basis. Applications from those funds will be available beginning July 1.
Jeff Pomeranz, Chair of the I-JOBS Board, said that the projects awarded funds today will benefit many Iowans: "Not only will these projects provide immediate jobs for Iowans, but they will provide top-rate facilities for our citizens for years to come. Making our state a better place for our residents is what I-JOBS is all about."
Additional information about the I-JOBS program, including applications, is available at www.ijobsiowa.gov.
The following projects were approved by the I-JOBS Board:
City of Cedar Rapids, Cedar Rapids Public Library ($5 million)
The Cedar Rapids Public Library was more than 50 percent damaged during last year's floods. I-JOBS funds will help the library rebuild its main facility and expand the library's Westdale Mall branch.
City of Cedar Rapids, Paramount Theater ($5 million)
I-JOBS funds will help repair the historic Paramount Theater, returning it to its original condition. Additional renovations include enhancing the sound system, expanding the backstage area and adding a pre-function bar/café.
City of Cedar Rapids, Public Works Building ($5 million)
The city of Cedar Rapids will use I-JOBS funding to rebuild the Public Works Building, including its mechanical and electrical systems.
City of Cedar Rapids, Steam System Customer Relief ($5 million)
The floods of 2008 rendered Cedar Rapids' steam system inoperable and extensively damaged the steam distribution system. Temporary boilers and rudimentary repairs meant customers were able to take advantage of steam service through the winter but at a drastically increased cost. I-JOBS funds will help steam system customers convert to more affordable individual heating or steam supply systems.
City of Elkader ($500,000)
The city of Elkader will use these funds to build a new fire station. Their existing fire station has flooded several times - including in 2008 - and has fallen into disrepair. A new fire station will be built on donated land outside the flood plain and will include adequate space for equipment and training, a helo-pad, a tornado shelter, a post-disaster shelter and room for possible expansion.
Linn County, Human Services Campus ($10 million)
The floods of 2008 displaced several nonprofit service organizations in Cedar Rapids. I-JOBS funds will be used to build a new Human Services Campus in downtown Cedar Rapids that will provide space for seven to 10 nonprofit organizations that provide services to more than 13,000 people annually.
Linn County, Options Building ($5 million)
Last year's floods meant Linn County lost 80 percent of its county infrastructure, including the Options and Witwer Buildings that housed several public services. I-JOBS funds will be used to construct a new building to replace the two that were damaged. The new building will house Linn County Community Services, General Assistance, Mental Health and Developmental Disability Services, Veterans Affairs, Home Health and Youth Services.
National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library ($10 million)
The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library in Cedar Rapids will use I-JOBS funds to build the museum's operations. The project includes four components: restoration of an historic building in the Czech Village that will serve as administrative offices, restoration of two historic homes, construction of an exhibition center and research library and construction of a permanent exhibit that focuses on the Czech and Slovak American immigrant experience.

How you can track I-JOBS spending

desmoinesdem — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:32:02 GMT

The official website for the I-JOBS infrastructure bonding initiative launched yesterday. It's easy to navigate and includes, among other things:

*the rules for applying for I-JOBS money;

*details on how the bonding money will be directed to various types of infrastructure (transportation, disaster recovery and prevention, environment and water quality, telecommunications and renewable energy, and housing);

*a page where citizens can submit any question about the I-JOBS program;

*an interactive map on the main page which, as I-JOBS money starts to be awarded later this year, will allow users to click on any Iowa county to find out which projects affect that county's residents.

You can receive updates on the I-JOBS program on Twitter as well.

The only thing I couldn't find on the site is a link for reporting waste and abuse of I-JOBS money. If that's not on the site, it should be added, and if it's already there in an obscure location, it should be moved somewhere easier to find. The official page on the use of federal stimulus funds in Iowa has a link for reporting stimulus fraud right on the main page. Perhaps the I-JOBS webmaster could follow that example, or at least put a link for whistleblowers in the "helpful links" section.

Republicans will be looking for any slip-up in the use of I-JOBS money to bolster their misleading talking points about the infrastructure bonding initiative. It should be easy for Iowans to report any problems they see in their communities.