IowaPolitics.com BlogWatch

Former Governor Terry Branstad announced the dates and the cities of
his announcement tour yesterday. Branstad will formally enter the race
on January 19th. Branstad served four terms as governor from 1983 to
1999 and is now running for an unprecedented fifth term. Branstad's
four day announcement tour will take him to seventeen counties all
across Iowa. He plans to visit Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs,
Davenport, Denison, Des Moines, Fairfield, Harlan, Mason City, Mt.
Pleasant, Muscatine, Orange City, Ottumwa, Pella, Sioux City, Spencer,
Storm Lake, and Waterloo. The tour is set to begin in Des Moines. Last
October, Branstad retired from Des Moines University in order to spend
more time talking to Iowans and evaluating his potential political
comeback. A number of polls, including a poll conducted by
TheIowaRepublican.com, have shown that Branstad would defeat Governor
Culver handily in a head-to-head matchup.

Labels: Chet_Culver, Terry_Branstad

LOSERS ... Chet Culver/Ted Strickland: A cold chill almost certainly
went down the spines of the governors of Iowa and Ohio when they heard
about Ritter's retirement. Both Culver, in Iowa, and Strickland, in
Ohio, find themselves in positions similar to Ritter -- once
considered unbeatable they have seen their state's faltering economies
(and their responses to it) erode their popular support. Do one or
both men reconsider their re-election plans as a result?

Labels: Chet_Culver

"Tactical Distortion" will be used as Chet Culver's last hope to
survive a first term that at best can be described as "incompetent."
It's already happening. HR was the first to profile Chief of Staff
John Frew last June and nothing's changed; expect a dirty campaign
that will be hard fought and well funded by big labor and special
interests. Frew is an expert at attacking the messenger. In fact,
back in 1983 he taught a political workshop sponsored by the Iowa
Freedom Foundation titled: "The Art of Dishing It Out." Show Me the
Money: The first salvo is likely to be fired off January 20th when the
campaign disclosure reports have been revealed. Much like the Food
Network Series Chopped, you can expect at least one gubernatorial
candidate to be declared irrelevant, even if he stays in the race.
More important however, will be the shakeout that naturally occurs and
the anointing of the "front-runner" which isn't a reflection of
organizational strength or polling support, it's all about the money.

Labels: Chet_Culver

This oughta wake you up today: It's all George W. Bush's fault that
Chet Culver is our governor! After all, it was President Bush who
signed the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) into law in 2002. Designed to
quell the 2000 election controversy from the infamous "hanging chads,"
Chet Culver found his office flush with cash...and how he spent this
money is highly instructive of the man that would one day become
Iowa's 41st Governor. The Inspector General conducted an audit of the
HAVA act and found multiple concerns regarding how Chet Culver managed
our tax dollars. ... Fast forward to 2009 and we find a state in need
of fiscal triage. Are you surprised? There are two stories being told
in Des Moines right now: 1) The Governor, now in full blown campaign
mode, would have you believe it's all George W. Bush's fault.

Labels: Chet_Culver

Emails obtained by TheIowaRepublican.com between Governor Chet
Culver’s communications staff and two Des Moines Register reporters
show that the Governor's office threatened Des Moines Register
political reporter Jason Clayworth after he publishing unflattering
photos of Governor Culver while Culver participated in a triathlon.
Clayworth's blog appeared on the Des Moines Register's political page
for less than an hour on the afternoon of November 18th. ... The email
exchange clearly shows the Governor's office purposely intimidating a
reporter in hopes to get the story removed from the Register's
website. It is obvious that Clayworth took Seidler's threat to black
list him very seriously. If he would have refused to give into
Seidler's demands, Clayworth might have put his own job in jeopardy.
As a political reporter, it is imperative for him to have the ability
to ask the Governor's office for information and comment, Seidler's
threat essentially would have made it impossible for Clayworth to do
his job.

Labels: Chet_Culver

Despite the reality of the world around him, Governor Chet Culver
always seems to find a way to be optimistic when talking about the
condition of the state or his campaign. When the state ended the FY
2009 budget year with a $161 million deficit, Culver remained calm and
refused to call a special session to deal with the unbalanced budget.
Instead, Culver opted to transfer $45.3 million from the state's
economic emergency fund and withheld paying $30 million in corporate
tax refunds until the next fiscal year to balance last year's budget.
When the Revenue Estimating Conference met at the end of the fiscal
year in July, Governor Culver ignored the warning signs in hopes that
revenues would rebound in the second half of the year. They didn't,
and since Governor Culver once again failed to call back the
legislature to deal with the state's overspending, he was forced to
implement a reckless ten-percent across-the-board budget cut.

Labels: Chet_Culver, Iowa GOP

Is it just me, or has Lt. Governor Patty Judge been acting weird
lately? On November 4th, Judge told the Omaha World Herald, "I am
assuming he [Culver] will run. I think everyone in Iowa would be
surprised if he doesn't run." At the time that Judge made that
comment, the Culver Committee had been running TV ads across the
state. I thought that Judge was being coy about Culver's reelection,
but then she made a strange comment at the Democrats' big Jefferson
Jackson dinner. Judge told the crowd, "People keep ... asking me, 'Are you
running with Chet again?' Well, that's Chet's choice, but I will tell
you that if he wants me on the ticket for another four years, I'm
going to be there." So, what's going on here? Why hasn't Culver asked
Judge to stay on as his Lt. Governor?

Labels: Chet_Culver

Last Wednesday, Governor Chet Culver said he "expected" to hear from
state unions by today on whether they would agree to re-negotiate
contracts to save jobs of state workers. This was his quote,
"Unfortunately, we do not have an endless amount of time in which to
reach an agreement and to have it ratified by each respective union. I
expect to know by Friday, November 6, whether we will move forward in
discussions with the unions or implement the layoff plans." Earlier
this week, Culver's spokesman said today was only a "goal". The office
did not say today whether the unions made the "goal". Apparently, the
governor has returned to the state. The office sent out a release late
this afternoon to say Culver would be in Spencer tonight for a
pheasant hunt.

Labels: Chet_Culver, unions

If you thought that Governor Culver was clueless, wait till you read
what Lt. Governor Patty Judge told the Omaha World Herald. No
timetable has been established for when -- or if -- Iowa Gov. Chet
Culver announces a re-election campaign, Lt. Gov. Patty Judge said
Wednesday. "I am assuming he will run," Judge said while visiting
Council Bluffs. "I think everyone in Iowa would be surprised if he
doesn't run. We haven't set a timetable yet." Now Patty, don't tease
me and get my hopes up that Chet could call it quits. I think most of
us assume that he is running for reelection because he is running
campaign ads on TV. ... In Culver's latest ad, it shows the words
"Culver Deserves Credit," but credit for what? I looked up the article
and found that Culver deserves credit for working with Republican
Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey. Read the article, it's mostly
about Northey not Culver.

Labels: Chet_Culver

While you're waiting for tonight's election returns, check out the
television commercial Governor Chet Culver's campaign launched today.
Like the commercial Culver ran last month, this ad emphasizes that the
governor cut spending and his own salary in order to balance the state
budget during this recession without raising taxes. I think the ad is
well-crafted in terms of script and visuals, but like Bleeding
Heartland users IowaVoter and dricey, I am concerned when Democrats
rely heavily on Republican anti-tax messaging. Culver may be
reinforcing conservative frames and limiting his future policy options
if he does win re-election. ... Republicans are already blaming
Democrats for the property tax increases many Iowans will experience
next year. Their outrage is hypocritical, because the state cuts
affecting education and local governments would have been far more
severe if not for the federal stimulus bill, which included aid to
state governments.

Labels: Chet_Culver

The Des Moines Register is already commending Governor Chet Culver for
putting a hold on the staff reductions for the Departments of
Corrections and Public Safety. Governor Culver has asked AFSCME
Council 61, the union that represents the largest share of state
workers, to reopen their contracts and agree to pay reductions in
order to prevent the loss of jobs in these two departments. Culver
made his demands known to AFSCME on Tuesday afternoon and has set a
November 6th deadline for the union to respond. While it is good for
Governor Culver look for ways to lessen the effect of his 10 percent
across-the-board cuts, given the length of time it will take to
renegotiate union contracts, it seems odd that the Governor said there
wasn't time to call the legislators back for a special session.

Labels: Chet_Culver, unions

Where were you last Saturday night, say around 9 p.m.? Unless you were
sleeping, you were probably one of about 3 million other Iowans who
heard the collective "gasp/roar" in the closing two seconds of the
Iowa / Michigan State game. Here's some head scratching math that will
stop you in your tracks today... Iowa Governor Chet Culver leads a
team of bureaucrats with a budget nearing $6 Billion dollars and earns
$130,000 dollars per year. (I'm being generous folks, I just gave him
a 10% raise) Working about 50 weeks per year at 40 hours per week,
that computes to $65 per hour. Sure, throw in free housing and a few
perks, but all in all, we're not borrowing any money to pay the
Governor. It's no secret that Kirk Ferentz earns $3.02 million dollars
per year and if you break this down to the bare bones, that's $250,000
per hour for each of 12 regular season games, each lasting 60 minutes
as the scoreboard clock goes. (Stay with me here) Now it's fair to say
there's a lot of extra time that goes into each of their jobs
respectively.

Labels: Chet_Culver

Iowa's unemployment rate remained at 6.7 percent this month. The
report from the Iowa Workforce Development office showed that the
state lost 1,200 jobs in the month of September. Some might find
comfort that the unemployment rate didn't increase for the first time
in 2009. However, the news came on the day when state government
agencies announced that 1391 jobs would be eliminated as a result of
Governor Culver's 10 percent across-the-board cuts. That's right, more
jobs were lost yesterday than were lost in the entire month of
September. The hardest areas hit by Culver's cuts were the Department
of Human Service, which cut 228 positions and the Department of
Corrections, which cut 777 positions. A large portion of the job cuts
could have been prevented had Governor Culver taken recommendations
from his department heads and Republican legislators who combined to
offer $392 million in proposed cuts and cost saving measures.

Labels: Chet_Culver

Is being overweight a political handicap? That's the big question
posed by Daniel Engber in a very interesting piece this week at
Slate.com. At issue, the contentious Corzine-Christie race in New
Jersey and a weighty issue that has developed between the two men.
Namely, the issue of weight. You see, Corzine (D), the incumbent
governor, is an average-to-fit 62. He considers himself a "health
nut". He runs marathons. For a man who was very nearly killed in a car
accident two years ago, he is in excellent health. His opponent,
Chris Christie (R), is an obese 47-year old. He considers himself "a
Jersey guy, with a Jersey gut". He jokes about his weight. He says
that he has been heavy since his teenage years, and has tried to lose
the weight several times, to no avail. The controversy all started
with this ad...

Labels: Chet_Culver

In the opening moments of the 2010 media campaign for Terrace Hill, our own Governor commits a US Flag "faux pas" by breaking protocol and placing the stars and stripes to the "speakers left" instead of the obligatory "speakers right." ... "When on display, the flag is accorded the place of honor, always positioned to its own right. Place it to the right of the speaker or staging area or sanctuary. Other flags should be to the left." From a positioning standpoint, it's much better strategy to attack than to defend so it's not surprising that Culver & Campaign Inc. have embarked on this expensive media strategy early on. Attempting to "define the argument" will fail however, since Culver has already been judged by the Iowa taxpayers who now rate him at an all time low since his inauguration as Governor.

Labels: Chet_Culver

"Kicking the can down the road" ... There's a saying from investment
circles that comes to mind this morning as I reflect on the events of
the past few days..."You can't drive your car looking into the rear
view mirror without crashing." This is, metaphorically speaking,
exactly what Governor Culver has done with our states fiscal policies.
What if Governor Culver had conducted this very same press conference
last spring, imagine just how different our state's financial
condition would be today? In the video posted above, you'll note in
Culver's opening statement an immediate "dodge" when he refers to
"failed policies from the previous administration and Wall street." A
ten percent across the board cut is also evidence of a weak governor,
who has neither the courage or clout to address specific cuts of
varying degree in a manner that reduces expenditures without depleting
programs with priority status.

Labels: budget, Chet_Culver

Chet Culver has twice now invoked his solution for the state budget
shortfall. 10% cuts across the board, no exceptions. This presumes
that all budget items have equal weight. This is a fallacy. If human
services are cut 10%, this has a multiplier effect to those who are
already in the most need. If this is applied to staffing child abuse
or elder abuse investigators or to provide aid for mentally ill
persons, these funds are already spread too thin. Why not take a
harder view on how tax dollars are being spent or not being collected?
Tax abatement is an example of how government provide "welfare" to
corporate entities with the promise that jobs and revenue will be
created through their largess with our tax dollars. Clearly job
creation is not going well, so why provide the "out" when we need the
income?

Labels: budget, Chet_Culver

As expected, political columnists and Republican leaders are taking shots at Gov. Chet Culver today for the 10 percent, across-the-board budget cut he ordered yesterday. But for all the bellyaching, it's important to remember that the political implications of slashing state spending aren't really so bad. Right now, critics are arguing that the cuts were only necessary because Culver and Democratic leaders in the Legislature spent too much in their Fiscal Year 2010 budget. But on Election Day next year, voters who don't pay as much attention to the barrage of press releases Republicans send out at the end of every legislative session bemoaning increases in spending won't see it that way. Here's how Democrats will tell the story on the campaign trail: Democratic leaders passed a budget at the end of the 2009 legislative session that ended up being too big, based on estimates that were released half a year later.

Labels: Chet_Culver, IDP

If you thought that Governor Chet Culver's polling numbers were bad, they are nothing compared to the devastating revenue projections that the Revenue Estimating Conference (REC) released yesterday. Before yesterday's adjustment, the REC predicted state revenues of $5.843 billion. That number was adjusted downward at the meeting by a whopping $415 million, or a negative 8.4 percent. Holly Lyons, one of the three members of the REC said, "It's dire. It's severe. It's probably the worst I've seen. What looked like a mild Iowa recession has turned into a significant and severe recession for all states." The sobering news has also forced Governor Culver to change his tune. For most of his time in office, Governor Culver has ignored warnings from State Auditor Dave Vaudt that state spending is way out of line with revenues. Instead, Culver has remained optimistic that the state's economy would roar back to life due to an infusion of cash provided by the Obama administration’s state stimulus plan and his own version of a stimulus package, I-Jobs.

Labels: budget, Chet_Culver

Now it's all starting to make sense... Our Governor cancels all public
appearances and disappears to Washington D.C. under the guise of
defending the interests of "flood victims" and returns home with some
very "delayed" flood aid as he once again postures his role as the
"champion of flood recovery." (Story for another day) It's more likely
the "adults in the DNC" summoned Culver to DC on the eve of the
release of a "Final Report" by the US Election Assistance Commission
which includes a lengthy and detailed audit by Clifton Gunderson LLP.
... The smoking gun reveals what many will consider the origin of
Governor Culver's incompetence to manage anything larger than an
inter-department budget as evidenced by the results of this audit and
the terrible train-wreck that's about to occur in our state finances
with a $1 Billion dollar shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year.

Labels: Chet_Culver

Actor Tom Arnold (and Iowa native) told Channel 13 news he took part
in a conference call Monday with Governor Chet Culver about the film
tax credit fiasco. Arnold said he talked about the frustration of a
couple "knuckleheads" from the film industry that caused the problems.
He also said he supports tax credits and thinks they have been very
beneficial to Iowa. He wants them restored. Arnold said he knows of a
dozen film projects that are now planning on filming outside of Iowa
because of the uncertain future of the tax credits. Channel 13's Sonya
Heitshusen talks exclusively with Arnold.

Labels: Chet_Culver

By Rep. Rod Roberts ... Over the past week Iowans have discovered how
some self-interested film producers exploited a state program that was
intended to boost the state's economy. Film producers claimed tax
credits for purchasing expensive luxury vehicles, such as Mercedes and
Range Rovers. Some film producers inflated their production costs to
receive larger-than-deserved tax credits, while others didn't even
bother to provide receipts for their purchases to substantiate their
tax-credit claims. The State Auditor and Attorney General are only
beginning to learn about the scope and extent of this egregious tax
fraud, and I am anxious to hear the conclusions of their
investigations so Iowans can get to the bottom of what went wrong.

Labels: Chet_Culver, Rod_Roberts

It's day one for John Frew today. Welcome to our nightmare...
Governor Culver's new Chief of Staff will have his hands full to say
the least. Back in July when the appointment was announced, Chet
Culver had formidable challenges ahead and in just weeks since, our
chief of state has been rocked with a series of significant political
and administrative setbacks. ... In only 8 months, Chet Culver's
approval rating has plummeted by 37%. Even Democrats are getting
tired of his incompetence and COS (Chief of Staff) Frew won't have the
luxury of a honeymoon in his new position. In fact, many Iowans would
vote to take our governor to "divorce court" if such an option were
available to us right now. Although John Frew is considered a
political "heavyweight" by senior party officials, I'm not sure he can
reverse the damage path and prevent the inevitable consequences that
lie ahead for the Governor.

Labels: Chet_Culver

Mike Tramontina was removed from his post as the Director of the Iowa
department of Economic Development because some movie producers used
state money to purchase a Land Rover and Mercedes. His replacement,
Fred Hubbell, lives in a million dollar house and probably drives has
a Land Rover and has Mercedes in the garage collecting dust. Hubbell
will probably use his new state gig to give him a little spending
money to throw around. With the embarrassment of the IDED scandal,
it's safe to assume that Governor Culver is going to keep a close eye
on the department. In fact, Culver is so serious that he tapped his
good neighbor, Fred Hubbell, to run it. Hubbell basically lives in the
backyard of Terrace Hill. He bought the property in January of 2007,
the same time that Culver took office.

Labels: Chet_Culver

I'm sure you've heard of the idiom, "It's only the tip of the
iceberg." Certainly, Iowan's have every right to be concerned when we
learn of systemic corruption in government. Governor Culver was
backed into a political corner in the past few days with no options
available other than to demand the immediate resignation of DED
(Department of Economic Development) Director Mike Tramontina. To be
blunt, Culver should have fired Tramontina in lieu of his resignation.
... I propose to you that the real story yet to be revealed is the
billions in waste, mismanagement and fraud that is built into our
state budget and in some cases, cleverly and deceptively hidden deep
within the bowels of state government by a combination of incompetent
or corrupt department managers.

Labels: Chet_Culver

Earlier this summer, Michael Kiernan, the chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party, warned Iowans to be weary of polls that were conducted by TheIowaRepublican.com and the Iowa First Foundation. Kiernan said, "They ask loaded questions to get desired results." Kiernan made this statement in an effort to diminish the coverage of the polls by traditional media sources. The polls by TheIowaRepublican.com and the Iowa First Foundation were both conducted by reputable pollsters who have been involved in numerous races all across the country. For the most part, the Iowa First Foundation's poll echoed the findings of TheIowaRepublican.com poll, yet Kiernan, and some in the media, discredited the polls because of who commissioned them. This past weekend, the Des Moines Register released the results of its poll, which was conducted between Monday and Wednesday of last week.

Labels: Chet_Culver, IDP, polling

Every Governor goes around talking about how many jobs he has created.
Some actually do focus on economic development and create an
environment where private companies can thrive and create new jobs.
Then there are Governor's like Chet Culver. Culver thinks that jobs
are created when we repave the street in front of my house or put in a
new sewer line. Sure it takes someone to build it, but it doesn't
create any full time permanent jobs. If you don't believe me, just pop
open the manhole cover and go down there and look for the dude working
in that sewer line. I would not be telling the truth if I didn't admit
that Culver hasn't created any private sector jobs. He is staffing up
for his re-election campaign. Unfortunately, if you are an Iowa
political operative you need not apply. Instead of putting Iowans back
to work, Culver is filling positions with out of state political
hacks.

Labels: Chet_Culver

Governor Chet Culver held a town hall meeting of sorts yesterday morning at the Cub Club at Principal Park in Des Moines. The event, called "Coffee & Conversation with Governor Chet Culver," was an informal meet and greet event in which Governor Culver worked the room while attendees sipped on coffee and juice and enjoyed a muffin or fresh fruit. The meeting was not supposed to be a campaign event. It was organized, staffed, and paid for with taxpayer money. Governor Culver was escorted around the room by an aide and Jim Larew, Culver's Chief Legal Counsel, who also seems to serve as the governor's political lawyer.

Labels: Chet_Culver, Terry_Branstad

I might be channeling the late Governor Ann Richards of Texas who
quipped a very memorable moment at the 1988 DNC convention: "Poor
George, he can't help it... he was born with a silver foot in his
mouth!" Today, the flagship of the MSM (New York Times), ran a feature
story on the slow flood recovery in Cedar Rapids ... Poor Chet, he
can't help it, he governs with a sand bag in his mouth! This is indeed
a very bad day for Chet. Someone on team Culver is popping Excedrin
right now and don't be shocked if another lamp wasn't swept off the
floor deep within the bowels of the Governor's office today.
Metaphorically speaking, it appears that Governor Culver has
sandbagged himself into a corner with regards to his miserable
performance on flood recovery issues. Politics 101: This will be in
textbooks very soon. "What not to say to the New York Times."

Labels: Chet_Culver

Less than a week after a group calling itself "Iowans for Truth and
Honest Government" distributed fliers around the Des Moines area and
at the Iowa State Fair assaulting former Gov. Terry Branstad's 16
years in office, an anonymous Web ad along the same lines has emerged.
The video, titled "Terry & Chet: What's the Difference," is the only
video posted by someone using the name "TerryAndChet." It runs through
a series of issues and compares the current and former governor's
stances, eventually drawing the conclusion that Branstad is not a true
conservative. The ad hit on several of the same themes as the fliers,
including sales tax increases, nominating the Supreme Court Justice
that authored the same-sex marriage decision and increasing state
spending.

Labels: Chet_Culver, Terry_Branstad

With a sitting Governor who is extremely vulnerable, there's no doubt
that the IDP and team Culver will be invoking "Rule 11" from Saul
Alinsky's book, Rules for Radicals, published in 1972. In fact,
forget the prediction, it's already happening... Rule 11: Pick the
target, freeze it, personalize it, polarize it. Don't try to attack
abstract corporations or bureaucracies. Identify a responsible
individual. Ignore attempts to shift or spread the blame. Yesterday,
IDP Chair Michael Kiernan immediately attacked the statewide radio ad
unveiled by GOP gubernatorial candidate Christian Fong. ... For all
the valid criticism directed by the Republican party at Governor
Culver, you can expect Frew to immediately attack and challenge the
messenger.

Labels: Chet_Culver, IDP

In a recent poll conducted by Hill Research Group for the Iowa First
Foundation, former Governor Terry Branstad beat current Iowa Governor
Chet Culver in a head-to-head match-up by 19 points. Branstad was
supported by 53% of respondents, while Governor Chet Culver only
garnered 34%. Branstad was the only prospective Republican general
election candidate who beat Governor Culver in a head-to-head matchup.
The results of the Iowa First Foundation poll validate the findings of
TheIowaRepublican.com poll that was conducted in early July. In
TheIowaRepublican.com poll last month, Branstad beat Governor Culver
in a head-to-head match-up by 53% to 37%. The troubling news for
Governor Culver and his re-election team isn't that a potential GOP
candidate beats him by nearly 20 points, it's that Culver's polling
numbers continue to slide.

Labels: Chet_Culver, Terry_Branstad

Leadership is in demand Iowa. For a state that is so desperately trying to recover from devastating floods, how is it that we suffer too from a "drought of leadership?" It became obvious to me yesterday when I noted the press release from the Governor's office showcasing the trip by Governor Culver to Eldora today to tour and view the storm damage. This is where those who are paid to handle the Governor's leash are fatally flawed in their perspective and what it informs us of is their utter disdain for the spirit of the Iowa people. You see, we don't show up with press releases (designed to have media and cameras in place), we just show up!

Labels: Chet_Culver

If your widget factory produces too many widgets, you will be stuck
with extra inventory, affecting your bottom line. In contrast, if your
factory farm contributes to excess production of pork, high-level
elected officials will ask the federal government to bail you out. I
learned from Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement today that last
week nine governors, including Chet Culver, "requested $50 million of
taxpayer money from the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) to buy
over-produced pork off the market. This follows similar requests made
by the National Pork Producers Council in early May and Iowa Secretary
of Ag Bill Northey in June." ... There's no reason to exempt
corporate agriculture from basic laws of supply and demand. Taxpayers
already pay too much to subsidize factory hog farms.

Labels: agriculture, Chet_Culver

When Chet Culver ran for Governor in 2006, he told Iowans that he was
a man of "deep religious faith." He ran television ads showing his two
children on his lap reading the Bible, and he also ran a series of ads
on a number of Christian radio stations across the state. Culver's
faith seemed authentic. He was the only candidate in the Democratic
primary to openly oppose gay marriage, a position that he continued to
advance after winning the primary and being elected to office. ...
Culver's strong position on marriage lasted until the day the Iowa
Supreme Court issued its decision that allowed gay marriage in Iowa.
Where did that man of deep religious faith go to? Now that months have
passed since the Courts ruling, Governor Culver is once again publicly
talking about his faith.

Labels: Chet_Culver

I'm With Stupid. We are all with stupid. It's because we elected
stupid as our Governor... Governor Culver is all excited because the
state's revenue for July 2009 was $4.7 million above what it was at
the same time last year. While gross tax receipts are up 1.2%, the
non-partisan Legislative Services Agency says that net receipts are
down 6.1%. The LSA also says that the increase in sales tax receipts
was due to the change from a local option school infrastructure tax to
a statewide school infrastructure tax. Governor Culver, who is
responsible for creating a $1 BILLION budget gap for next year's
budget, did acknowledge is his press release that the state continues
to have a negative growth rate.

Labels: Chet_Culver

Last week, TheIowaRepublican.com poll showed that 53% of Iowans are
ready to give someone else the opportunity to lead the state as Iowa's
Governor, while only 36% of those surveyed feel that Governor Chet
Culver deserves to be re-elected. Today we delve a little deeper into
the voters. dissatisfaction with Iowa's current governor, Chet Culver.
... In November of 2006, Chet Culver defeated Nussle with 54% of the
vote. Now, just two and a half years into his first term, Culver's
winning margin has evaporated over the opponent that he beat by 10
points. It is also important to note that Nussle served as President
Bush's Budget Director from the summer of 2007 to the end of Bush's
term earlier this year. Nussle has been out of the public eye in Iowa
since losing to Culver, yet he's statistically tied with the Governor.

Labels: Chet_Culver, Jim Nussle, polling

60% of the Midwesterners surveyed in a recent Washington Post-ABC News
poll think that President Obama's $787 billion stimulus plan is crap.
I'm not surprised. This is what happens when government gives billions
of taxpayer dollars to huge corporations, and does nothing for the
little guy. Seriously, give me one example of how these stimulus
dollars have helped you? That's right, you can't. On a more local
level, the state of Iowa received over $600 million in stimulus, which
Governor Culver has already used. That money wasn't used to stimulate
the economy here in Iowa; it was used to make sure state spending
could continue at its historically high levels.

Labels: Chet_Culver

It's not an Official re-election announcement, but an email from
Governor Chet Culver's campaign committee landed in in-boxes this
morning announcing a campaign swing via train through the western end
of the state tomorrow. The vehicle, of course, has been a Democratic
icon since way before Joe Biden. Harry Truman rode the very same
tracks in his upset 1948 win. One of his major speeches of that
campaign was in Dexter, where he unveiled the new definition of the
GOP acronym as "gluttons of privilege," which Tom Harkin loves to
quote. Culver isn't inviting such direct comparisons. He's stopping
one town before and two stops after Dexter. But he is playing offense
with this trip.

Labels: Chet_Culver

Much has been written and said about the vanishing act South
Carolina's governor pulled over the weekend. Lest you worry about
Iowa's governor, his staff issued a statement late yesterday
announcing Governor Chet Culver would be going to St. Louis today for
a conference on biotechnology and life sciences hosted by the
Democratic Governors Association. ... "The event is closed to press,
but we wanted to make sure you were aware he is attending this
conference where he will tout Iowa's leadership in renewable energy
and biotechnology, as well as learn what other states are doing in
these important fields. The conference will be attended by governors
of six other states." According to his staff, Culver will be back in
Iowa "late" this afternoon.

Labels: Chet_Culver

Krusty Konservative and others are pointing to new poll numbers from Survey USA that show Gov. Chet Culver's approval rating sitting at just 42 percent. His disapproval rating in the poll is 51 percent. The poll of 600 adults has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percent. And for Dems, the survey yields a few troubling numbers. Culver's approval rating among Democrats is a paltry 62 percent, and only 36 percent of respondents ages 18-34 approve of his performance. He does best with voters over 65, who are split 48-48 approval/disapproval. One piece of good news for Culver is that 54 percent of respondents who described themselves as "moderate" approve of his performance. So is Culver vulnerable in 2010? Sure, but with a lousy economy and a budget mess you really didn't need a poll to tell you that. And again, vulnerability matters only if Republicans nominate a quality candidate with broad appeal. That's a big if at this early date.

Labels: Chet_Culver

A special session may be needed in order to balance Iowa's budget for
FY2009, which ends July 1, according to a report by the nonpartisan
Legislative Services Agency (LSA). But Gov. Chet Culver Press
Secretary Troy Price told the Iowa Independent it is too early to
consider a special session as "the decline in revenues may be nothing
more than typical month-to-month fluctuations." In an interview with
The Cedar Rapids Gazette's James Lynch, LSA fiscal analyst Jeff
Robinson said based on his projections, and because of a downturn in
tax receipts, the state could spend all of the $45 million left as a
balance after the legislative session ended in April as well as the
$50 million the governor has the authority to transfer from reserves
and still be in the red.

Labels: Chet_Culver

Only in state government can a freeze on salaries mean a 4.5% increase
in pay. In February, of this year, the Governor agreed to give a $120
million pay increase to state employees. But wait, the headlines were
screaming that a pay freeze was going into effect for the upcoming
fiscal year. While private employers and employees in Iowa are
struggling to keep their doors open the Governor and legislative
Democrats continue to spend and spend and spend. Following the
announcement the Governor's team and his big labor buddies were
crowing that this was a contract both sides could be proud of. It was
also stated that this new contract reflected the current economic
realities facing the nation. Well that $120 million dollar pay
increase would go a long way to solving the nearly $1 billion budget
gap the Governor and legislative Democrats have created by their
reckless spending.

Labels: Chet_Culver, Legislature

"You're hearing the same partisan rhetoric from the Republicans
whether it's their chairman or the Republican leaders. It's doom. It's
gloom. It's despair." ... It's not doom and gloom Governor, it called
reality. GM and Chrysler are closing dealerships in Iowa. Principal
Financial Group is letting go 140 Iowans. John Deere whacked 700 jobs,
most of them in Ottumwa. The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
is making cuts. The list could go on and on. What have Governor Culver
and the Democrats done to help these people? Nothing. Culver borrowed
$830 million; money that he believes will help pull the state out of
this bad economy. All that Culver's bonding plan will do is create
some temporary construction jobs.

Labels: Chet_Culver

The issue of gambling is back in the news. The Iowa Racing and Gaming
Commission is about to determine whether or not Iowa can "support"
more casinos in the state. The frontrunner to receive a new gaming
license is Lyon County, which has a population of less than 12,000
people. It shouldn't surprise you that the person who wants to build
the casino in Lyon County is Chet Culver's buddy Dan Kehl. Trust me on
this one, if it looks as if another casino could bleed some money from
South Dakota, Minnesota, and the 11,234 people who live in Lyon
County, Culver's going to make sure that it gets done. Culver is
desperate for cash, and I'm sure, in his mind, he would love to find
$60 million more in state gaming revenues to pay for his new bonding
proposal, so when the crap hits the fan, he can use those revenues to
bailout his state budget.

Labels: Chet_Culver, gambling

When Governor Chet Culver took final action on the last two dozen bills from the 2009 legislative session, my biggest disappointment was his decision to sign Senate File 433, a bill that "eliminates a broad range of fines against Iowa nursing homes that fail to meet minimum health and safety standards." Governors rarely veto bills that pass out of the state legislature unanimously, as this one did. However, when Culver didn't sign Senate File 433 right away, I hoped he was seriously considering the advice of the Iowa Department of Elder Affairs and the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals. Both of those state agencies opposed the bill. Instead of listening to the public officials who have the most in-depth knowledge of nursing home regulations and violations, Culver sided with a corporate interest group.

Labels: Chet_Culver, health_care

Iowa Republicans are bashing Governor Chet Culver for appointing Kate Gronstal to the I-JOBS board, which will decide how to spend $118.5 million of the $830 million in I-JOBS money. Kate Gronstal is the daughter of Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal. Iowa GOP chairman Matt Strawn slammed what he called "political nepotism" ... Since Culver "declined to respond" to Strawn's allegation, I want to lay out the case for putting Kate Gronstal on this board. 1. She is qualified for the position as a professionally trained structural engineer. It's not as if the governor put a well-connected person with no relevant experience on the board. 2. By all accounts she is smart and highly capable. People born into political families have certain doors opened for them. I'm sure Marcus Branstad had a leg up on the competition when he was starting his career in Iowa Republican circles. Who cares as long as he is good at what he does? 3. Kate Gronstal's presence on the board will subject its award process to a higher level of scrutiny. That's good.

Labels: Chet_Culver, Mike Gronstal, RPI

Governor Chet Culver signed more than two dozen bills on May 26, the
last day he was able to take action on legislation approved during the
2009 session. Two of the bills made up the last piece of the I-JOBS
program, four more are aimed at helping veterans and Iowans on active
duty, and the rest cover a wide range of issues. Some good news for
water quality was buried in the long list of bills and veto messages
signed on Tuesday. ... Culver signed Senate File 432, which regulates
the application of manure on frozen and snow-covered ground.
Environmental groups were up in arms about this bill when it passed
the Iowa Senate, because it was intended to "circumvent Iowa
[Department of Natural Resources] rule-making regarding the winter
application of manure on frozen ground."

Labels: Chet_Culver

It is unfortunate that the Governor sided with bureaucrats and
business as usual instead of the taxpayers and transparency this week
when he used his line item veto authority on the budget this year. He
struck cost saving measures that would have provided at least some
transparency. While the Governor struck cost saving measures he did
sign into law the largest budget in Iowa's history that leaves the
taxpayer staring at a $900 million hole for next year, according to
the nonpartisan Legislative Service Agency. This is reality and
unfortunately the Governor and his Democratic allies at the Capitol
this year stuck their collective heads in the sand like an ostrich
hoping good times will come again.

Labels: Chet_Culver

Gov. Chet Culver wielded his veto pen just before a midnight deadline
last night to take final actions on the work product of the 2009
legislative session. The press release popped on my BlackBerry around
midnight. ... One item that Culver vetoed would have provided more
transparency into how state tax credits for businesses are being used
and whether we.re getting any bang for our bucks. We would have gotten
a list of companies that receive $500,000 in research and development
credits. We could have followed our money. But Culver says that would
prompt a court challenge from companies that want to remain secret
recipients. The governor also signed legislation that will slice
nursing home fines for facilities that self-report errors and make
changes. Advocates for the elderly opposed the legislation.

Labels: Chet_Culver

In his latest financial disclosure this past January, Governor Chet
Culver raised just over $1 million for his reelection campaign. The
year before, Culver raised a similar amount, and he currently has just
under $1.5 million in his campaign bank account. Those in the
traditional media have made a big deal out of the Governor's
fundraising ability. This past Sunday, Charlotte Eby began her article
about potential Republican candidates for governor with the following
sentence, "Challenging an incumbent governor who's led Iowa through a
historic natural disaster and who is a prolific campaign fundraiser
might seem like a daunting task." Prolific fundraiser? Really? An
incumbent Governor should easily raise $1 million per year, and that
is also the number that Republican challengers should aim for by the
end of this year.

Labels: Chet_Culver, Iowa GOP

Gov. Chet Culver will be in Iowa City on Thursday to sign job creation legislation into law. I-Jobs is an $830 million, three-year plan to create jobs, strengthen the state's economy and rebuild state infrastructure. The initiative will be directed toward transportation projects, improvements to the Iowa Veterans Home and community colleges, flood recovery projects not covered by federal funding, water quality improvements and alternative energy infrastructure. "I-JOBS will help us work our way out of this recession by putting Iowans back to work and revitalizing our state's aging infrastructure," Mr. Culver stated in a press release.

Labels: Chet_Culver

Survey USA recently released new polling numbers for Iowa, and it
wasn't good news for Governor Chet Culver. Senator Chuck Grassley's
approval was at a multi-year low in the same poll. ... SUSA found
Culver's approval rating at 42 percent, with 50 disapproving. In
February and March, SUSA found that 46 percent of Iowans approved of
Culver's performance as governor. If you look at the graph of SUSA's
numbers for Culver since he took office, you'll see that 42 percent is
the lowest approval number SUSA has ever recorded for him. For most of
his tenure, his approval has been in the 50s. He dipped into "net
negative territory" (with disapproval exceeding approval) from
February through April 2008, then bounced back above 50 percent for
the rest of last year.

Labels: Charles Grassley, Chet_Culver, polling

A new Survey USA poll is out and it delivers more bad news for
Governor Chet Culver. Only 42% of those surveyed approve of the job
Governor Culver is going, while 50% disapprove. 78% of Republicans,
31% of Democrats, and 50% of Independents all disapprove of the job
Culver is doing in leading the state. 50% of people making less than
$50k a year disapprove, and 52% of those making more than $50k
disapprove. Yikes! Making matters worse for Culver is that David
Yepsen isn't around to help manage the damage by reminding Iowans how
voters turn to Democrats in tough economic times. It's pretty clear;
Iowans have had enough of Chet Culver, and are willing to give a new
person a chance. Maybe it's time for Terry Branstad, again...

Labels: Chet_Culver

Barring a special session the Iowa legislative session has come to a
close. Now Iowa Republicans can turn their attention toward rebuilding
the party in anticipation of the 2010 election cycle. This cycle will
be critical for all Iowans as it will determine whether the state
continues to be saddled with the financially irresponsible incumbent
Chet Culver or if the voters of the state choose to replace him. The
2010 election cycle has already begun with two candidates having
already announced their candidacy. One of which is a Governor Culver.
The other is Republican Bob Vander Plaats. As I see it there will be
several issues that I think will play a role in determining who the
next chief executive of Iowa will be.

Labels: Bob Vander Plaats, Chet_Culver

Gov. Chet Culver has appointed his chief of staff to serve as director
of the state's Department of Human Services after the Iowa Senate
rejected his nominee. Charlie Krogmeier, whom Culver called a "veteran
public servant," was tapped to lead the DHS. With 5,700 employees, DHS
is the state's largest agency and oversees programs that include
Medicaid, welfare, food stamps, child protection and child support
collections. The Iowa Senate refused to confirm Gene Gessow as the
department's director when Republicans withheld their support. They
complained about Gessow's handling of a case in Atalissa where
mentally retarded men were found living in substandard housing.

Labels: Chet_Culver, Iowa GOP

I love it! Governor Chet Culver announced four appointments today:
Shearon Elderkin for the Iowa Power Fund board; Carrie La Seur for the
Environmental Protection Commission; John Mathes as the Interim
Commandant of the Iowa Veterans Home; and Tomas Rodriguez as Iowa's
State Public Defender. ... Earlier this month Iowa Senate Republicans
blocked Elderkin's appointment to the EPC and La Seur's appointment to
the Power Fund board, despite both women's strong qualifications. I
appreciate the governor's commitment to giving these women the chance
to continue their volunteer public service. Republicans also rejected
Gene Gessow, Culver's nominee to head the state Department of Health
and Human Services. It will be interesting to see where Gessow lands.

Labels: Chet_Culver

Iowa Governor Chet Culver often reminds audiences that he is a former
teacher and coach. Bob Vander Plaats was a Republican candidate for
governor in 2002 and 2006; he was the GOP's lieutnenant governor
nominee in 2006 and he is a likely candidate for governor in 2010.
Vander Plaats is also a former teacher and coach. (Vander Plaats also
played on the first boy's basketball team from his high school
(Sheldon) to reach the state tournament.) Today, Vander Plaats held a
statehouse news conference to again urge Governor Chet Culver to issue
an executive order on the gay marriage issue. Culver's deputy chief
of staff, Phil Roeder, issued a statement in response. Governor
Culver, during an improptu news conference following a bill signing
ceremony in his office, had this to say in response to a question
about Vander Plaats' statements today.

Labels: Bob Vander Plaats, Chet_Culver

Last week it was just Crazy Ed, but this week: "House Majority Leader
Kevin McCarthy blamed the governor as activity ground to a halt in the
House, days before the Legislature was expected to adjourn." ... So
Liebercrat Kevin McCarthy is saying roughly the same thing as Ed
Fallon. That pretty much covers the whole spectrum of the Democratic
Party (with the exception of DINO's Geri Huser and Dolores Mertz).

Labels: Chet_Culver, Ed_Fallon, Kevin McCarthy

Governor Culver is on a legislative "fishing trip" and when it comes
to his Republican "catch," the stringer is very, very empty. Thanks to
the real-time technology afforded by Twitter, your publisher was aware
of the communications breakdown between the Governor and Democrat
leaders almost 48 hours before this information hit the state's news
outlets, newspapers and blogs. I reported on this early yesterday and
then the story broke wide open in the Des Moines Register. Leadership
is a uniting principle between groups of disunited interests. It
provides vision, clarity and true leaders have a unique ability to
cast "visions" and then build coalitions of support.

Labels: Chet_Culver, Legislature

In January I went over some of Governor Chet Culver's strengths and
weaknesses looking ahead to the 2010 campaign. Click the link for the
analysis, but to make a long story short, I saw three big pluses for
the governor: 1. He's an incumbent. 2. Iowa Democrats have opened up a
large registration edge since Culver won the first time. 3. He has at
least $1.5 million in the bank. I saw his problem points as: 1. The
economy is lousy and could get worse before 2010. 2. The first midterm
election is often tough for the president's party. 3. Turnout will be
lower in 2010 than it was in the 2008 presidential election. 4.
Culver's campaign had a high burn rate in 2008, so may not have a
commanding war chest going into the next campaign.

Labels: Chet_Culver

Last Friday, I had a little fun with Ed Fallon and Governor Culver's
public tiff. Today I want to give that situation a more serious look.
There is something very serious going on between the Governor and his
former primary foe. Many people, including the Governor's staff, blew
Ed off by saying the guy just wants a state job. There is a good
chance that could very well be the case, but is that any way to treat
a guy who got almost 26% of the vote in a three-way primary with
almost no money just a few short years ago? It's not like Governor
Culver is some tower of invincibility. Culver is responsible for a
huge budget mess, tax and fee increases that hurt small business,
while at the same time, he has doled out millions of dollars to
out-of-state corporations like IBM, Microsoft, and Google in hopes
they will locate here.

Labels: Chet_Culver, Ed_Fallon

In the small world of Iowa politics and journalism, "Chet Culver's not returning my calls" is not a unheard-of sentiment. What's unusual is that someone said it on the record. But what's not unusual was that the person who said it on the record was Ed Fallon. In a release issued to his email list and all media Thursday, Fallon denounced and detailed the governor's lack of responsiveness. ... Ed's many sins, if you want to call them that, are all variations on the same theme: he doesn't play ball. That's both his strength and his weakness. ... People either love Ed for that kind of stuff or hate him for it. It gets you a base between 26 and 40 percent in a primary, but it doesn't get your calls to the governor returned, and during his legislative tenure Fallon was one of the least popular members under the dome. ... But Fallon's uncompromising progressive streak is symbolic of a big chunk of the Democratic base that's often forgotten and needs to be part of the dialogue, whether that's in the person of Fallon or not.

Labels: Chet_Culver, Ed_Fallon

... I'm not privy to the conversations Fallon and Culver had, but I would encourage the governor's staff not to brush off Fallon's criticism as the outburst of a man who wanted a Terrace Hill job. You don't have to look hard to find Iowa Democrats who are disappointed with what's been achieved since Culver took office. Many labor activists feel the governor hasn't been supportive enough of their priorities. I don't think the governor is solely to blame for last year's mess surrounding the collective bargaining bill, and it's definitely not Culver's fault that there haven't been 51 votes in the 56-member Iowa House Democratic caucus to pass good labor bills this year. But rightly or wrongly, many people in the labor movement feel Culver hasn't been the champion they were looking for. By the same token, I've heard environmental-minded Democrats (not just Fallonistas) complain that Culver's office is less accessible than Governor Tom Vilsack's was. Some of these people prefer Culver's overall record to Vilsack's, but they don't meet as regularly with the governor or his staff, and they often don't know where Culver stands on a given issue.

Labels: Chet_Culver

Former State Rep. Ed Fallon (D-Des Moines) has released a statement
through I'M For Iowa, his for-profit advocacy business, lashing out at
Gov. Chet Culver for not listening to his concerns. Culver defeated
Fallon in the Democratic primary for governor in 2006. The I'M For
Iowa press release alleges that Fallon and his group have contacted
Culver's office several times without responses, and that he has only
gotten to meet with the governor once. Fallon makes no mention of a
possible primary challenge to Culver in 2010, and it is not clear what
other means of leverage he might have on the governor. Still, he is
probably the highest-profile Democrat to make his concerns about
Culver public in such a direct way.

Labels: Chet_Culver, Ed_Fallon

They're piling up Gov. Chet Culver's failed nominees like chord wood
at the Statehouse today. Before I even had my lunch, DHS director
nominee Eugene Gessow and Iowa Power Fund board nominee Carrie La Seur
of Mount Vernon had been shot down by Republicans who denied them
needed votes. Yesterday, Environmental Protection Commission nominee
Shearon Elderkin of Cedar Rapids failed to get the 34 Senate votes
needed for confirmation. Democrats control the chamber 32-18, so you
need a couple of Republican votes to make it. But La Seur also got a
pair of no votes from Democrats.

Labels: Chet_Culver, state Senate

Governor Chet Culver's silence following the Iowa Supreme Court's ruling that marriage is an equal opportunity institution spoke volumes. Those troubled by the Court's decision would do well to listen to that silence. When he broke silence, the governor acknowledged that he personally believes marriage is between a man and a woman. When a lifelong, deeply held and seemingly incontrovertible belief is confronted-unanimously-by a bench of our most respected and distinguished judges, the only responsible thing to do is slow down and take another, conscientious, look. That is what Governor Culver did. And that's why Chet gets it.

Labels: Chet_Culver, marriage

After four days of reflection, Gov. Chet Culver has a statement on the
Supreme Court's ruling in Varnum v. Brien. ... I appreciate how the
governor articulates a separation between his personal beliefs and the
content of laws that impact all Iowans. I'm just not sure why it took
several days for his folks to think that up. It's the very same
concept that lies at the core of the Supreme Court ruling. Of course,
Culver will be ripped up and down by many for not trying to impose his
personal beliefs on the state constitution, but none of his harshest
critics would vote for him even if he supported a ban. He also has no
formal role in the amendment process, at least no more than any other
Iowan who shows up to vote.

Labels: Chet_Culver, marriage

O.K., I guess this doesn't count as breaking news. But... I was
talking to Governor Chet Culver about all that happened last night at
the Iowa Statehouse when House Speaker Pat Murphy evicted about 500
people. … Anyway, the Governor told us Republicans deserve some of the
blame for what happened last night since they helped bring some of the
people there. He said they need to realize the election ended last
November. But then he told me this (I think this is the first time he
has really said this publicly) ... "Well have a very spirited election
next year. In fact, I'll be on the ballot. I look forward to getting
out there myself next year. For now, we gotta take care of the
people's business and lower the tone and focus more on solving
problems."

Labels: Chet_Culver

By the end of this week, Governor Chet Culver is required to submit a
new budget to the legislature based on the most recent projections
from the Revenue Estimating Conference (REC). Governor Culver's
original FY 2010 budget totaled $6.2 billion, the largest in Iowa's
history, but the REC estimates revenues for 2010 to only be $5.7
billion, meaning Culver will be forced to increase taxes or scale back
his original budget. Despite the news of government workers on
furloughs and legislators making budget cuts, Governor Culver and
Democrats will spend more money than ever in fiscal year 2010. First,
there is the federal stimulus money which will total $600 million, and
second, they are poised to borrow $750 million to spend on various
projects around the state.

Labels: Chet_Culver

In the "Tower of Invincibility," Republicans think they have found an
exploitable weakness in Gov. Chet Culver's big bonding plan. Instead,
they're showing empty-headed, inch-deep partisan politics. The tower
is a 12-story office building planned by folks in Vedic City, the
southern Iowa town built on the principles of transcendental
mediation.The governor's office told communities to submit any and all
ideas for using a potential $750 million pot of infrastructure money.
Vedic City sent in its tower. Once the list became public, Republicans
eager to shoot down the Democratic governor's signature legislative
proposal swiftly wielded the "Tower of Invincibility" as a weapon.

Labels: Chet_Culver, Iowa GOP

Just a little over two weeks ago, Governor Chet Culver told Iowans he
would VETO any form of a gas tax increase if it hit his desk. In
making his statement Culver told Iowans he refuses to increase taxes
during a severe economic recession. Now Culver and the Democrats are
on the verge of passing a $600 million tax increase by eliminating
federal deductibility. But what about not raising taxed during a
"severe economic recession" Governor? Since the stock market is
inching closer to the 8000 mark, does that mean now is the time to
raise taxes?

Labels: Chet_Culver, taxes

It was inevitable. Gov. Chet Culver would ask Iowa communities to submit proposals for how to spend $750 million in infrastructure bonds. The list would come out, a few projects would seem a little goofy, and Republicans would race each other to call the whole thing pork. The Des Moines Register plays its fateful role in this narrative by leading its story on the bonding wish list with the "Tower of Invincibility" proposed by the folks in Vedic City. Locals say the $8 million to $12 million 12-story tower would be a big attraction, with restaurants and office space etc.

Labels: Chet_Culver

When your act is not quite ready for Broadway, you see how it plays in Peoria. This week the Governor took his Bonding Play to stages around the state. The lights dim, the curtains part. The Governor rushes on stage. The set is the Capitol rotunda. The Governor is dressed in Sunday's best. The temperature is warm. He is sweating as he excitedly runs across stage, his right hand held high above his head, a credit card in hand. "I've got a higher limit, we can spend more he says to those assembled. We don't have to accept that Senate baby bond bill of only $175 million. It is not enough. We can do more."

Labels: Chet_Culver

Governor Chet Culver's $750 million bonding proposal is has met
serious objections with Democrats in the House and Senate. Legislative
Democrats want to change everything in Culver's proposal from what the
money would be used for to the types of bonds that will be used to
fund the program. The news of the dissension from fellow Democrats
comes as Culver is on a statewide tour trying to build support for his
proposal. Democrat lawmakers are offering a different $700 billion
dollar bonding plan that would not provide one dime for bridge and
road repairs.

Labels: Chet_Culver, gas_prices, transportation

O. Kay Henderson at Radio Iowa brings news of Democratic state
lawmakers rebuffing Gov. Chet Culver's push for a bill to make it
easier for him to spend money from the state's reserves in the event
of a natural disaster. He wants to give the Executive Council, which
he chairs, the power to spend up to a third of the economic emergency
account. Dems are balking: "Senator Bob Dvorsky, a Democrat from
Coralville, says the bill's dead for the year." ... Where were these
separation of power concerns while leadership stood by and watched
Culver make $40 million in transfers without any legislative
authorization?

Labels: Chet_Culver

Gov. Chet Culver is once again sparring with the media over open
records laws. The governor has told the Des Moines Register it will be
charged $630 for a state lawyer to determine whether e-mails relating
to the Atalissa scandal can legally be kept confidential. ... The policy
started at the end of the 2008 legislative session. Culver announced
that state agencies can charge residents for the time it takes
government attorneys to review public documents requested under the
state’s open-records laws. That "reasonable" fee is estimated at $25
to $35 an hour. The Iowa Attorney General's Office has reviewed
Culver's policy and said it is legal. However, open-record advocates
have said they worry the new policy will institute a costly barrier to
openness throughout state government.

Labels: Chet_Culver

... According to Governor Culver his proposal would create approximately 30,000 new jobs across Iowa. Unfortunately the majority of these positions would come from the construction field where they would experience an artificial boom created by the massive public works program. They would be temporary in nature created by an artificial construction boom with a finite time span. I Jobs does very little to create real long term jobs. There is no sustainability in it. Financing this bloated bill will cost the State of Iowa more than the advertised $750 million. Add $420 million on to that number and you will get a true representation of the monetary cost the state will have to endure with this plan. ... Instead of looking for ways to encourage business and individuals success Governor Culver has decided to follow the same road he has for the last two years. Spend.

Labels: Chet_Culver

A year ago, it was well reported that Chet Culver and the labor unions
were at odds with each other. The major dust up back then occurred
when Culver vetoed one of the labor unions' top legislative
priorities: open-scope bargaining. Since then, it seems as if Governor
Culver and the labor unions have made up. The following is a list of
labor groups that contributed to Culver in 2008. Great Plains Laborers
District Council - $70,000.00; Iowa State UAW - $47,500.00... The
$227,900.00 that the labor unions donated to Culver makes up almost
22% of the total dollars his campaign committee took in for 2008.

Labels: Chet_Culver, unions

Rumors of Gov. Chet Culver's temper are nothing new, but according to Cityview gossip columnist Civic Skinny, the recent discovery of worker abuse at Henry's Turkey Service in Atalissa has pushed that temper into overdrive. The newspaper received an e-mail from "a friend under the Golden Dome" detailing a testy exchange between Culver and U.S Sen. Tom Harkin. Apparently Culver was upset at Harkin's comments at last week's hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee wondering how state inspectors had allowed the Atalissa situation "to go on year after year after year."

Labels: Chet_Culver, Tom_Harkin

There's a batch of poll data out from SurveyUSA, and it's bad news for the Big Lug. Governor Culver doesn't break even in the poll of 600 adults. 47% of voters surveyed said they disapprove of Gov. Culver's performance as governor, with 46% approving, and 7% not sure. What's particularly troubling is that Culver only has support from 59% of Democrats surveyed and 41% of self-identified independents. Separate polls found that Sen. Grassley edges out Sen. Harkin as the state's most popular politician. Grassley carried a 71% approval rate, with Harkin ten points behind at 61%.

Labels: Charles_Grassley, Chet_Culver, Tom_Harkin

Both Governor Chet Culver and Secretary of State Mike Mauro have now
come out against a bill that would award Iowa's electoral votes to the
winner of the nationwide popular vote. Their opposition in effect
kills any chance of the bill advancing. Although it has been voted out
of committee in the Iowa Senate, it may never come to a floor vote
there or a committee vote in the Iowa House. I don't know what so many
people have against one person, one vote for president, just like we
have for every other elected office. ... If the governor wants to buy
into Republican propaganda about this bill, fine. But let's not
pretend Iowa is bound to be a swing state forever.

Labels: Chet_Culver, elections, Mike_Mauro

There has been a lot of people up in arms over the proposal backed by
some Democrats to mandate that all of Iowa's electoral votes go to the
winner of the nation-wide popular vote. I heard a very interesting
discussion of this issue the other day on a certain local talk radio
program, you know the one... the one no one admits listening to, but
everyone does. Anyhoo, some of the callers argued that the Democratic
proposal really wouldn't change much. If we go with the new proposal,
Iowa's say in the presidential general election will be based on
population. It's really not that different from the old electoral
college system, with which Iowa's say was based on population because
our number of congressional representatives is based on population.

Labels: Chet_Culver, elections, Mike Gronstal

After two years of thumbing his nose at open records advocates Iowa
Governor Chet Culver has finally succumbed to the pressure. For the
first two years of his term Culver and his lieutenant governor Patty
Judge refused to use their state provided email accounts for
government business. Instead the terrible twosome opted to use private
email accounts for all of their business, both state and personal.
Finally Culver and Judge are going to start regularly using their
state provided email accounts to conduct official business. According
to the Des Moines Register Iowa law forbids state computers and email
to be use for political and personal. Supposedly this is the law that
Culver and Judge were using their private email account to avoid
violating.

Labels: Chet_Culver

Allowing a proposed increase to the state's fuel tax to come to the
floor of either chamber of the legislature would be a huge mistake,
Gov. Chet Culver said Monday. Culver said the money Iowa would receive
from the recently passed federal stimulus bill, estimated at about
$358 million, makes a gas tax increase an even worse idea. "So I think
[legislators are] going to have a very tough time making the case to
average Iowans that, given the recession and given the fact that we
just received $358 million for road projects, that we need to raise
the gas tax right now," he said.

Labels: Chet_Culver, taxes, transportation

Back in September, I wrote a post chronicling Gov. Chet Culver's somewhat contentious visit with The Gazette editorial board. It was the session where he testily asked us, after repeated questions about not calling a special legislative session, "What is it you don't understand?" Fast forward to today. The Iowa Progress Project, a conservative group critical of Culver, used an open records request to get its hands on a ton of e-mails sent by the governor's staff. They found one mentioning me and sent it along. The September post I mentioned above was included in a daily packet of press clips e-mailed to Culver's staff.

Labels: Chet_Culver

Gov. Chet Culver has been out selling his plan to float $700 million
worth of bonds to pay for infrastructure projects. And a big part of
that sales pitch has involved traveling the state to dangle the
possibility of big bucks for hometown projects in front of wide-eyed
local leaders. He's been to Council Bluffs and the Quad-Cities, CR and
elsewhere. Today, he dropped by a Board of Regents planning meeting in
Ankeny to suggest that money from his fund could help replace
flood-damaged Hancher Auditorium. There's nothing wrong with the
governor selling his plan. It is the centerpiece of his legislative
agenda, after all. But we should all remember that $700 million can't
buy everything.

Labels: budget, Chet_Culver

There's been a lot of talk about Chester's budget press conference yesterday during which he threw a temper tantrum and tried to claim that others weren't taking Iowa's budget situation seriously. When David Yepsen (who has been doing a much better job at being a real reporter lately) had the audacity to ask Buzz if there was still going to be more cuts in the current fiscal year, Buzz went off on an irrational tirade about the 6 1/2 percent cuts in future budget years rather than answer the simple question about this budget year. Here's what I think happened. Chet Not Stupid just wasn't bright enough to understand the question. Chet Not Stupid then had to revert to the fall-back line one of his staffers had given him to use if he thought a reporter was getting a little too cute or snarky. The problem was, Yepsen wasn't being cute or snarky, he was just asking a legitimate question.

Labels: Chet_Culver

Last night Governor Chet Culver announced that his budget proposal
will cut most state programs by 6.5%. The governor said that he wanted
to spare public safety, workforce development, human services,
disaster relief, the teacher quality program, and early childhood
education from a full 6.5% cut. Why? Just because a program is popular
or worthy of funding doesn't mean there is no wasteful spending
occurring in it. For example, I've been in support of immediate flood
relief; you know a package that funds the rebuilding and recovery
process; not sneaks things like forced unionization language in the
bill. The Culver and the Democrats have been good at making promises,
but they have also been good at dragging their feet. People are still
waiting.

Labels: Chet_Culver

The state of Iowa is facing a budget deficit, but it's our Governor
who is trying to pay off his "debts." This lottery episode is an
argument for public financing of election campaigns. When rich donors
drop $25,000 or so into a candidate's pocket, an implicit IOU has just
been created. The best way to pay off these "debts" is with public
money, either tax cuts for the donor class, state contracts for the
contributors personally (see Bill Richardson), or sale of state assets
like the lottery. The common objection to public financing for
elections is "We don't want tax dollars going to politicians." This
myopic argument forgets that politicans gain control of ALL the tax
dollars once in office and too often use those dollars to pay back
their "investors" (see Bernie Madoff).

Labels: campaign finance, Chet_Culver

Iowa is in the midst of a scandal. There is no better word for it. And nobody cares. Yepsen writes a must-read column today regarding the sale of the Iowa Lottery. The title -- "Lottery giveaway seems a done deal" -- should make you shudder. It IS a done deal, and it's the stupidest, most outlandish thing we've seen in a long time. What in the world could Chet Culver, Mike Gronstal and Patrick Murphy be thinking? They would give up nearly three BILLION dollars for a one time shot of $200 million this year - that's the cost of selling the lottery. That's the cost of getting re-elected in 2010 which, as Yepsen notes, when you inject federal dollars, they will have "solved" the budget problem and sailed to victory in 2010. The scandal? The guy buying the lottery gave Culver $25,000 in campaign contributions!

Labels: Chet_Culver

It was hangover day yesterday on the Hill. That goes for you, too, darling pols. You know who you are. Some of you even moved the daily staff meeting an hour later because -- well, you know why. So here are some Inauguration tidbits that we have not blogged: At the Creative Coalition party Tuesday, Sting -- once again -- introduced his song of the Inaug, "Brand New Day," by saying he wrote it for the millennium but it was about "eight (effing) years too late." The crowd roared. Also seen at the Creative Coalition bash, after being on TV all day long: Norah O’Donnell. The governor of Iowa, Chet Culver, was spotted double-fisting at the Recording Industry Association of America party at Ibiza.

Labels: Chet_Culver

Yesterday Governor Chet Culver's 2008 campaign disclosure finally
showed up on the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board. There are
a couple different aspects that require discussion. I'm going to start
with the easy stuff first. Culver raised $1,037,791.00 last year.
Culver spent $546,292.49 in an off year. Since his election he has
raised $2,519,789.11, and spent $1,027,517.49 or 40% of what he has
raised. That's a big number if you ask me. One would have thought that
Culver would be building a war chest; instead he is paying
out-of-state consultants at a hefty clip and leaving himself wide open
for a serious challenger in 2010. In looking at his expenditures
besides the out-of-state consultants one thing strikes me as out of
place. Culver is renting a condo for $800 bucks a month and the Park
Place Condos in Des Moines.

Labels: campaign finance, Chet_Culver

Governor Culver gave his annual State of the State address today,
primarily focusing on disaster relief in Iowa. He even showed a
dynomite video to illistrate the disaster hardships Iowans have faced.
This professional piece of videography leaves us scratching our heads
as to how it was paid for. Hopefully some secret donor was nice enough
to cough up the cash, but that's doubtful. So as some Iowans will
never live in their houses again or see their businesses rebuilt, they
can rest assured that a fancy video documenting their hardships was
made for posterity. Money well-spent, no doubt... Culver also placed a
lot of blame. He blamed the feds for getting us into this economic
mess and in the next breath advocated for teamwork and consensus from
both parties in 2009.

Labels: Chet_Culver

After listening to Governor Culver's Condition of the State speech
I've had a very simple question stuck in my head. How many families
out there are sitting around the kitchen table at night talking about
building a huge addition onto the house as a way to combat our bad
economy? We all know that isn't happening. Everywhere you look Iowa
families are cutting back on their spending, yet our Governor refuses
to do just that. Yesterday Governor Culver proposed borrowing $700
million bucks that would be used for infrastructure projects. The
press lauded him for the "bold" proposal, and his Democrat colleagues
were quick to endorse the idea as well, meaning it's probably going to
happen.

Labels: Chet_Culver

Just twelve days into 2009, we already have four Senate Republican
retirements, including two in the last week. And there may still be
more to come. With Florida's Mel Martinez, Kansas' Sam Brownback,
Missouri's Kit Bond, and now Ohio's George Voinovich all out, who's
next? My money is on Iowa's Chuck Grassley. Let's re-visit the
prescient words of The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder from December 3, 2008:
"But... more Republican retirements are expected, including at least
two in blue states (Chuck Grassley of Iowa and George Voinovich of
Ohio. (A Voinovich spokesperson denies the retirement rumor.)" ... In
fact, it's particularly interesting that, after reporting that the
retirements of both Grassley and Voinovich were "expected," it was
noted that a Voinovich spokesperson denied the retirement rumor. Of
course, this suggests that Grassley's office did not deny the rumor.

Labels: Chet_Culver

... Iowa is only getting $11 million in federal flood relief out of the $24 billion that Congress allocated for disaster relief in approximately 19 states last year. It seems that Congress did not address how the money would be divvied up on the legislation itself, so it was left to administrative agencies (i.e. bureaucrats) to determine the formula for dividing the money amongst the states. These bureaucrats decided that they would simply divide it up based on each state's total population. This ignores the fact that some states, such as Iowa, were hit much harder than other states in terms of cost of damage done and number of people affected. ... And then the bomb dropped. According to the report, one of the bureaucrats responsible for formulating and implementing this messed-up distribution formula is Congressional OMB head (and former Iowa Congressman) Jim Nussle. ... Then the Machiavellian part of my brain started working, and an evil theory emerged. What if Nussle, not caring what anyone in Iowa thinks of him anymore (after all, we turned our backs on him by not electing him), is using his position to screw over Culver.

Labels: Chet_Culver, Jim Nussle

The Des Moines Register ran a piece on New Year's Day called Culver resolves to leave as premier Iowa governor: ... I don't know a thing about Horace Boies, but the piece got me thinking about what Culver would have to do to go down in history as the best governor Iowa ever had. What makes a governor, or any elected official, memorable in a good way for decades after leaving office? Some politicians make history instantly by being the first something-or-other to reach a particular position. Whether Barack Obama turns out to be a great president or achieves as little as Millard Fillmore, he'll be remembered for centuries as the first black man elected president. Culver's not going to be remembered for being the first of anything. Some politicians are good at winning elections but don't leave much of a legacy. Terry Branstad never lost an election and served four terms as governor of Iowa, but he's not going to make anybody's "best governors ever" list. ... If Culver does an adequate job governing Iowa through a difficult economic stretch, he should be able to win re-election. But if he wants to be remembered 50 or 100 years from now, he's going to have to do something big to change business as usual in this state.

Labels: Barack_Obama, Chet_Culver

Chet Culver, like Solomon, has said he will cut the state budget by
1.5% across the board. That's fair, right? No one gets special
treatment, everyone has to tighten his or her belt -- that's the Iowa
way, eh? With respect to my fellow Iowans, equal is not fair. If we
have state departments that are underperforming, should they receive
equal budget consideration as those that are performing well? How
about those agencies that have the ability to receive funding in ways
other than the budget? Should entrepreneurship not be encouraged? And
finally, what about those agencies whose primary purpose is to keep a
safety net under those Iowans who are laid off, ill, hungry, or
homeless? Usually during economic hardship, the need for aid to human
service agencies increases, shouldn't this be considered?

Labels: Chet_Culver

I have a quick question for our readers. What do you do when the state
that you govern carries approximately $500 million in debt? I would
hazard a guess that a large majority of us would dramatically cut
spending, but not so for our governor Chet Culver. Last week during a
taping of Iowa Press our lovely Governor Chet Culver made the
following comment: "If we want to modernize our infrastructure-our
sewer treatment facilities, our water treatment facilities-I don't
know how bonding can stay off the table." That's right, with over $500
million in debt Culver wants to send the state even further into the
hole to fund his pet projects. Culver completely disregards the hard
facts that most Iowans face on a daily basis.

Labels: Chet_Culver