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Northey on “Iowa Press”

January 29, 2010 By

Bill Northey, the Spirit Lake farmer who was elected Iowa Ag Secretary in 2006, is the guest on this weekend’s “Iowa Press” program on IPTV.  During this morning’s taping, Northey discussed the governor’s budget plan for his agency. He predicts 50 jobs will be eliminated in the coming year through a combination of outright layoffs, attrituion and some retirements. 

Will Iowans notice?

“Generally, most folks will still not necessarily see that something is not safe,” Northey said, referencing a reduced number of inspectors, like that those oversee ag feed and fertilizer dealers, for example.. “But the challenge is at what level does that risk become high enough that it starts to impact regular Iowans?”

Northey, a Republican, intends to seek reelection in 2010.  He did ponder running for governor, but decided against it last year.

“Did you know that Terry Branstad was (going to run) and that’s why you decided against it?” I asked Northey about 18 minutes into the show.

“No, I didn’t know and I didn’t know who was going to be in or out and certainly some folks have left since then,” Northey said.  “…For me, it just wasn’t the right time…I’m certainly glad and appreciate the field that is out there and that race is very, very important to the state of Iowa.”

I followed up with this: “You appreciate the field of people who are running for governor on the Republican side.  Do you intend to endorse one of them before the primary?”

Northey gave a self-deprecating answer.  “I haven’t said that I won’t, but I doubt that I will…First of all, I don’t think anybody is holding their breath to see what I feel about it anyway.  I don’t think it makes any difference what I feel, but I like the field and I will certainly be there for the nominee.”

Northey also talked in depth about the closure of the John Morrell meatpacking plant in Sioux City and the decision Tyson made to lay off about a third of the workers at its meat packaging plant in Council Bluffs.  Northey addressed the state of the ag economy and he talked about the prospect of paying farmers to allow their fields to flood in order to prevent flooding in urban areas.

Filed Under: Politics, State Government Tagged With: , ,

A debate about debates

January 28, 2010 By

“Nothing good happens after midnight.” 

I’m sure many of us got that advice/warning/prophecy from our parents when we were teenagers.  State Representative Peter Cownie, a Republican from West Des Moines, didn’t mention that sage advice this morning, but he did lead a debate in the Iowa House about debate in the Iowa House.

Specifically, Cownie proposed a sort of forbidden zone (of time).  Cownie suggested that the House be barred from debating and voting between the hours of midnight and eight a.m. For those of us who went to work at 4:30 a.m. this morning, sorry.  This was JUST for legislators, by the way.  The rest of us who work those kind of weird hours would not be covered by Cownie’s proposal.  He failed to convince enough of his colleagues to support his idea, by the way, so the House is free to debate between midnight and 8 a.m.

I’m sure Cownie will propose this again.  If he’s successful, maybe he’ll move on to other work limits.  How about a 30-hour work week?

Filed Under: Politics

Culver budget unveiling

January 27, 2010 By

Governor Chet Culver, a Democrat, held a 23-minute news conference this afternoon to unveil his state budget outline.  Click here to listen to that news conference and read the Radio Iowa story.  The entire file Culver presented to lawmakers is also available at that link.

Democratic leaders in the legislature issued a joint statement shortly after Culver concluded his remarks to reporters.  (It seems less than a full endorsement, eh?)  Read it below:

JOINT STATEMENT FROM LEGISLATIVE LEADERS ON GOVERNOR’S 2010 PLAN

Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, House Speaker Pat Murphy, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Senate President Jack Kibbie:

“It’s important to remember that everything the Legislature is doing this session is under the cloud of a lingering national recession. Just as middle-class Iowans, small businesses and other employers have been hit hard by the recession, the state of Iowa is continuing to tighten its belt.
 
The plan outlined today by Governor Culver responds to the concerns of middle-class Iowans who want a responsible state budget that doesn’t raise taxes but focuses our limited resources on creating good-paying jobs, maintaining quality schools and ensuring quality health care for more Iowans.

The Legislature will examine the plan closely in the weeks ahead and we look forward to working with Governor Culver to approve a plan that will help middle class families.”

The top two Republican leaders in the legislature issued separate statements.  Senate GOP Leader Paul McKinley’s came first. (Note the headline is just three words shorter than the quote itself.)  Read McKinley’s brief statement below:

McKinley Comments on Release of Governor’s Proposed Budget
Three years of fiscal mismanagement and higher taxes have put Iowa in a serious fiscal predicament

DES MOINES, IA  – Senate Republican Leader Paul McKinley (R-Chariton) today released the following statement regarding the release of Governor Culver’s proposed budget for FY2011:

“Senate Republicans are not interested in supporting a state budget that merely shifts the tax burden onto property taxes.”

House GOP Leader Kraig Paulsen’s statement came a minute later:

Paulsen Releases Statement on Governor’s Budget Proposal

(DES MOINES)—Today House Republican Leader Kraig Paulsen (R-Hiawatha) released the following statement on Gov. Chet Culver’s recent budget proposal:

“The governor’s budget spends more money than it takes in and will increase the burden on property taxpayers.  Once again, decisions in Des Moines are going to drive up property taxes across the state.  It’s irresponsible and will be costly for Iowans. 

 “House Republicans will dive into budgets, ask tough questions, and identify savings and government waste while being responsible with taxpayers’ money.”

The only statewide elected official to issue a statement was Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey, a Republican. Northey’s statement counters Culver’s assertion that the budget plan he outlined would not lead to state worker layoffs.  Read Northey’s statement below:

A statement by Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey regarding the budget proposal released by Iowa Governor Chet Culver follows here:

“The Governor’s proposal would mean that it is 1994 for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship once again.  The Governor’s proposed $16.8 million general fund appropriation is the same level of funding the Department received in 1994.  Unfortunately, costs have increased significantly since 1994 and spending for the rest of state government has grown 48 percent in that time.

“Due to built in increases that the Department has no control over, we are actually looking at $3.29 million budget gap that needs to be filled.  These built in increases include two previously negotiated salary increases, increased health insurance costs, replacing one-time funding sources that we were directed by the Legislature to use in the current fiscal year, and replacing the savings that resulted from the five furlough days taken by AFSCME covered employees.

“In addition, the Governor’s proposal to reduce the Environmental First funding the Department receives by $1.87 million will not only impact the number of conservation projects we will be able to assist farmers with, but will mean a $187,000 cut to fund the staff that are on the ground helping farmers design those practices.

“The Department has already experienced 5 layoffs and has 44 open positions, which is over 10 percent of our workforce.  If the Governor’s proposal is implemented we will need to reduce staffing by approximately another 50 positions.”

(Where have I heard that “it’s like 1994 again” phrase before?  Anybody?  Anybody?)

Filed Under: Iowa Caucuses, Legislature, Politics Tagged With: , ,

Senator slips, cracks ribs, punctures lung

January 27, 2010 By

State Senator Jack Hatch (D-Des Moines) fell on the ice outside the statehouse outside his home or a church Tuesday.  Here’s an email dispatch to Hatch’s senate colleagues from Eric Bakker, Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal’s senior administrative assistant:

All,

Senator Hatch fell and slipped on the ice yesterday, cracking a few ribs and has a small puncture in his lung. He was taken from the Capitol to the hospital last evening but is doing fine and expects to be here today. So tell those spreading rumors about his demise that they are premature.

When checking in on him last eve, he said via text “isn’t ironic that on the day we expand health care to Iowans, I’m laying in the ER that is not available to everyone- something needs to change”.

Eric

Filed Under: Politics

In Memoriam: Greg Shanley

January 27, 2010 By

Greg Shanley, the long-time news director of KUNI — the public radio affiliate in Cedar Falls, died last night in the University of Iowa Hospitals in Iowa City.  He was 49 years old. Shanley most recently had been a producer for Iowa Public Radio’s talk shows and host of ”Talk of Iowa.”  

I first met Greg in person in 1994.  He had a good laugh and a winsome smile — and he ran an award-winning newsroom.  Greg is a past-president of the Iowa Broadcast News Association. His father was a broadcaster, too, in Greg’s home state of Ohio.

On behalf of my Radio Iowa colleagues, our sympathies to his family and friends.

UPDATE — From his friends at Iowa Public Radio, here is Greg’s obituary:

Greg Shanley (1960-2010)

Greg was an Ohio native, born in Toledo and raised in the Cleveland suburb of Parma Heights.  Broadcasting was literally in his blood.  His dad Gib Shanley worked as a television sports anchor in Cleveland for more than 20 years  He also did the play-by-play for the Cleveland Browns.  Greg had planned to follow in his father’s footsteps and go into sports, but found it boring in between games, and preferred covering news. Greg received a B.S. in Broadcast Journalism from Ohio University.  Shortly after graduation, he followed the woman that would become his wife (Sonya) to Okeechobee, Florida where she had a teaching job.  They married, and the couple moved to Shelby, NC (where son Evan was born) and then to San Angelo, TX (where daughter Leigha was born).  Greg was interested in returning to the Midwest and trying public radio, so he applied to work at KUNI, and was hired in 1987 as a Producer/Reporter, and was quickly promoted to the local host of Morning Edition and then News Director.  He had planned to only stay “a couple of years”.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Politics

Iowa’s US Senators: a “no” and an “undecided” on fed chair

January 26, 2010 By

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s nomination for a second term as chairman will be considered by the U.S. Senate this week (his current term expires this weekend).  There’s been some discussion as to whether he might not be confirmed by the Senate. 

U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-Cummings, Iowa) is “opposed” to Bernanke’s nomination according to a Harkin spokewoman.

“I’ve had it with being told that some bank is too big to fail and I’ve had it with being told that someone, some person is so important that we have to have that person in this position.  That’s nonsense,” Harkin says.  “No one’s irreplaceable.  No one’s indispensible around here.  There are plenty of qualified people to take over The Fed besides Mr. Bernanke.”

Iowa’s other U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-New Hartford, Iowa) says he’s undecided as to whether he’ll vote to confirm Bernanke to another term as chairman of the Federal Reserve.

Filed Under: Congress, Politics Tagged With: ,

Haiti fundraising in Iowa House

January 26, 2010 By

The clerks in the Iowa House — the people who act as administrative assistants/secretaries to member of the House — raised exactly $5000 for the American Red Cross in the past week, money that will be forwarded to Haiti relief efforts.  “What a neat thing we did,” Representative Mike May said, leading everyone in the House in applause as the money was presented to a Red Cross representative.

Filed Under: Politics

Today’s main event

January 25, 2010 By

“So, here we are.”  — Governor Chet Culver, January, 25, 2010.

The governor’s staff billed it this way in a media advisory:  “Governor Culver will hold the first of his weekly press conferences of the legislative session.”

So, this morning at 9:30 a.m., a group of statehouse reporters and photo journalists were waiting for Culver to arrive in the Kennedy Conference Room on the ground floor of the statehouse.  Culver was a few minutes late, as he was just “finishing some things upstairs” according to Troy Price, Culver’s press secretary.  (The “upstairs” would be Culver’s formal office in the statehouse.)  Once Culver got things started in the Kennedy Conference Room, the event lasted just over 31 minutes. 

In minute number 30 of the news conference, Kathie Obradovich of The Des Moines Register asked Culver a two-part question: “Governor, I understand you’re going to try to meet with us on a weekly basis from now on.  Why are you making that change now and what do you hope to achieve?”‘

Culver gave a 27.3 second response:  “I’ve always tried to regularly communicate with all of you, whether it’s formally or informally, I’ve had press avails throughout my tenure as governor.  It was,  after talking with a number of my friends in the press corps, they thought the idea of a Monday morning press conference was ideal during the legislative session, so, here we are.”

Just in case you’re wondering, I am not one of the ”friends in the press corps” Culver consulted.  

Culver started this morning off by saying he’d brief reporters about three things: the ice storm, his budget and the job situation in Council Bluffs & Sioux City where two meatpacking plants will close in a few weeks, putting more than 2000 people out of work. Here and here are a couple of Radio Iowa stories on that last topic. 

Also, read more about this morning’s war of words between Culver and the mayor of Carroll.  That spat was fueled, in part, by Culver issuing a Gary Hart-esque* declaration. “The mayor apologized to me last night,” Culver said this morning. “He admitted that he did not have all the facts and he did not have all the information and so you might want to check with him today.”  So we at Radio Iowa did, with the help of KCIM Radio news director Jeff Blankman in Carroll.

*In case you don’t get the Gary Hart reference, Gary Hart issued a challenge to reporters in 1984:  “Follow me around.  I don’t care.  I’m serious.  If anybody wants to put a tail on me, go ahead.  They’ll be very bored.”  And that, boys and girls, is how the Donna Rice/Monkey Business story was born.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: ,

Culver, Carroll’s mayor in spat

January 25, 2010 By

Read and hear more about it here.  The short version?  At about 9:45 a.m. this morning Governor Chet Culver said Carroll Mayor Jim Pedelty apologized for some weekend comments, complaining about the state’s response to Carroll’s plight in the aftermath of the ice storm.  At about 10:30 a.m., Pedelty was making no apologies during an interview with KCIM Radio in Carroll.  (If you click on the link above, you’ll see and you can listen to both Culver’s & Pedelty’s comnments this morning.)

UPDATE:  Just in case you were wondering, the mayor of Carroll is a Democrat, as is Culver.

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With:

Harkin to try end run around filibuster

January 22, 2010 By

Senator Tom Harkin (D-Cummings, Iowa) is joining with Senator Joe Lieberman (I-Connecticut) to sponsor legislation that would change the filibuster rules in the U.S. Senate. 

This is not a new issue for Harkin.  He’s been a long-time critic of the filibuster.  The U.S. Senate’s website describes the filibuster as an “informal term for any attempt to block or delay Senate action on a bill or other matter by debating it at length, by offering numerous procedural motions, or by any other delaying or obstructive actions.”

That same website describes “cloture” — which is a related term — as “the only procedure by which the Senate can vote to place a time limit on consideration of a bill or other matter, and thereby overcome a filibuster. Under the cloture rule (Rule XXII), the Senate may limit consideration of a pending matter to 30 additional hours, but only by vote of three-fifths of the full Senate, normally 60 votes.

The bill Harkin and Lieberman are co-sponsoring would keep that 60-vote margin in force on an initial vote on a potential filibuster.  But they have a declining scale for future votes:

Two days after an initial vote where bill backers fail to get 60 votes to pave the way for a roll call vote on a bill, 57 votes would cut off debate

Two days later, 54 votes would cut off debate

Two days after that, 51 votes would cut off debate

The Huffington Post has obtained a copy of a January 4, 2010 letter Harkin wrote on this subject (that means he wrote the letter before the Massachusetts special election). 

As of 5:24 p.m. today, there had been no reply to Radio Iowa’s email messages to Harkin’s staff asking for more information on this subject.

Filed Under: Congress, Politics Tagged With:
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