Three questions on the initial review of Governor Culver’s FY 2010 Budget
Does the Governor’s Budget Spend Less than the State Takes in?
No. In addition to general fund appropriations of $5.32 billion, the Governor uses $387 million in one-time money to increase spending:
- $207.5 million from the Cash Reserve Fund
- $37.7 million from the Senior Living Trust Fund for Medicaid
- $48 million in stimulus money for education and general purpose
- $94.2 million in stimulus for Medicaid expenditures
Total spending on general fund items is $5.707 billion
Does the Governor’s Budget Raise Taxes?
Yes. The Governor claims to fund 2 percent allowable growth for K-12 education at $333 million. This is $233 million from the general fund and $100 million from the Cash Reserve Fund. LSA estimates that 2 percent will cost $514 million in FY 2011. Therefore, he underfunds the 2 percent by $170 million. Since the spending authority remains, the $170 million can be made up within property tax increases. The Governor also proposes other property tax increases by funding the property tax credits below last year’s level and funding the State Patrol out of the Road Use Tax Fund. Both will increase property taxes. Federal deductibility may also be on the line to make the budget numbers balance for the majority party.
How much is the reorganization savings and is it real?
Unclear. The Governor plugs in $341 million in reorganization savings. Some of the things (IT consolidation, reducing the fleet, eliminating phantom employees) were House Republican ideas from last year, but the Government Reorg bill comes nowhere near the projected $300+ million in savings. Some of the ideas like increasing unclaimed property and federal grants appear to be dubious at best. Also, $50 million of the savings is for shifting the State Patrol into the RUTF and that is unlikely to happen.
From Rep. Dwyane Alons newsletter dated January 20, 2010
One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million who are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.
From 545 Legislators to the 300,000,000 citizens of the United States of America:
Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table
At which he’s fed.
Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.
Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for peanuts
Anyway!
Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.
Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.
Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.
Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries
Tax his tears..
Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.
Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won’t be done
Till he has no dough.
When he screams and hollers;
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He’s good and sore.
Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he’s laid.
When he’s gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax.
“Compromise, (No)! That’s what has happened to us all down the line– and that’s the very cause of our woes. If freedom is right and tyranny is wrong, why should those who believe in freedom treat it as if it were a roll of bologna to be bartered a slice at a time.” Jesse helms 1921-2008 writing on compromise in politics.
This stinks no matter what you call it. Congress’ health care takeover will tell private health insurance plans they must cover abortion but they call the killing of unborn babies different names. It’s been called “choice”; “right to privacy” “women’s rights issue” ”reproductive health care”; “in-clinic procedures” and an amendment approved by Senate could now classify abortion as “preventative health services” for women. Planned Parenthood calls the RU486 / abortion pill “medication” . Really? A pill that aborts a baby is called medication? Worldnetweb defines medication as something that treats or prevents or alleviates the symptoms of a disease. What really is the disease here? The baby?? Or is it the evil that seeks to destroy life, a deliberate disobedience to the will of God.
Iowa’s Right to Life Resolution – “We believe human life is a sacred gift from our Creator and is an inalienable right as outlined in the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence whereby its value cannot be decided by a legislative body or a judicial branch. This right is innately valuable from conception to natural death. This includes the unborn, the elderly, the terminally or chronically ill, and the mentally or physically handicapped. No human life should ever be diminished, or arbitrarily taken. Therefore, the government and its people must restore this right to life which was intended to protect all its citizens, including the child in the womb.”
“This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Written on the walls of the rotunda at Iowa’s state capitol, these words come from President Abraham Lincoln’s address at Gettysburg. It is a beautiful rotunda and these are beautiful words. Remembering the men who fought and died at Gettysburg for freedom is sobering, the sacrifices made that we would have a government of the people, by the people and for the people must not be taken lightly -not by politicians and not by we the people. Let ’s live free.
Taken from “Great Preaching on Patriotism” edited by Curtis Hutson page 212
Abraham Lincoln left us guidelines to help us in maintaining the framework of democracy in this nation of free men:
l. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
2. You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.
3. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
4. You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
5. You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich.
6. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.
7. You cannot further brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
8. You cannot establish security on borrowed money.
9. You cannot build character and courage by taking away man’s initiative and independence.
10. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.
TOMORROW, January 23 is your county caucus at 1:00 PM. O’Brien County ’s caucus will be at Primghar South O’Brien Elementary School; Sioux County will be at Sioux Center High School. The purpose of the caucus is to elect representatives to the county central committee; elect delegates to the county convention scheduled for March 9 and to allow participants to have input in forming the County Republican Platform.
1-12-10 State of the State
January 12th, 2010
Governor Culver gave his State of the State address today. He sent most of his speech defending the past policies and reassuring Iowa that these past policies worked. He seemed like a man that was trying to keep his job. I applaud him for the effort, it was very passionate. However, in politics, it’s always good to tell the truth. Below are a few his comments in bold and my remarks challenging his comments.
“I didn’t raise taxes last year and will not raise taxes again this year.”
I reject this political rhetoric. Governor Culver and the majority party raised taxes last year and will do it again this year by; creating higher property taxes by reduced funding to schools and local governments, eliminating tax credits, and raising government fees on many items. These are tax increases.
“Let’s end the confusion! Here are the facts. Today, the budget is balanced. And it has been balanced every single day since I’ve been Governor.” “I’m proud of the fact that on my watch we’ve earned the highest possible bond rating for good fiscal management. I’m proud of the fact that we’ve balanced the budget three years in a row, without raising taxes!”
Well, a balance budget is a mandated law. We will always have a balance budget. However, you can bond all the money want, the $180 million bond from last year will be paid for over 25-years. This is not balancing the budget when you spend more than you take in.
“Additionally, because of our cost savings initiatives, the budget today is “smaller” than it was on the day I took office. But this didn’t happen by accident. It happened because we made tough choices. We managed the budget responsibly and effectively.”
This current budget is the second largest budget ever in the history of Iowa. Even after the Governor’s across the board reduction this is the 2nd largest budget ever. FY 09 was the only one larger.
-SFY08 is 5.856 billion
-FY09 was 6.1 billion
-FY10 after 10% ATB is 5.867 billion
“In the short term, I-JOBS is creating jobs.”
Governor Culver claims that a yes vote for his I-Jobs program was a vote for rebuilding Iowa’s economy. It was actually a vote to double the state’s debt that has temporarily employed less than 5,000 people. Frankly, if you ask any local or county governments, you will find that they used the money on projects that were already planned to be completed. (no long-term full-time jobs were created)
Government gets a bad name when a politician uses rhetoric to make themselves look good. If I ever do this, call me out on it. You are the judge!
Royd Chambers
STATE REPRESENTATIVE
Fifth District
As the 2010 legislative session opens, I send greetings from Des Moines. It is very good to be back in this seat of service after missing last session while on military deployment. Thanks to all my constituents who allow me the privilege of serving you in the Iowa House. This session I will be serving on the Economic Growth, Education, Labor, Veteran’s Affairs and Education Appropriations committees.
As you know, the state’s budget situation will be the major issue this year. It was absurd to hear the governor call for more spending in his State of the State speech on Tuesday. Despite the spin from the governor, the state budget is more than one billion dollars in deficit. The budget is not balanced as claimed. The legislature needs to create a budget that does not spend more than the state receives in revenue. It is law that the state is not to spend more than 99 percent of yearly revenues, yet the majority party last year authorized nearly 70 loopholes to allow continued spending. Unfortunately, as with Congress, we have members of the Iowa legislature who have forgotten that they are handling the people’s money. In my view, they are doing a mighty poor job of it. My goal is to bring some sanity back to this process.
There was disappointing process in committee already this week with bills being brought up for votes with such short notice that the public had no chance for public comment. For a while I thought I was in Washington not Des Moines. I hope that practice is not a sign of how the session will proceed. Iowans have a right to transparent government and to be able to participate in the legislative process.
OK, so what is my approach? If legislation is offered by the majority party that truly helps to streamline government and allows Iowans to keep more of their hard earned money, I will be supportive. If legislation is offered that truly creates long term private sector jobs, I will be supportive. If proposals are offered that truly offers methods to improve education, I will be supportive. If legislation is offered that allows Iowans to vote on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as between a man and a woman, I will definitely be supportive. But legislation that offers the opposite, I will stand strongly against.
In other news, Veterans Day at the capitol is January 21. Many of Iowa’s honorable veterans will be in attendance and I look forward to veterans from Northwest Iowa being in attendance. In addition, some Northwest Iowa FFA Chapters will be at the capitol next week, which is always a treat.
Track what is going on at the legislature by going to http://www.legis.state.ia.us/
Contact me any time in the Iowa House by calling 515-281-3221 to leave a message, or by e-mail at royd.chambers@legis.state.ia.us Royd Chambers of Sheldon represents House District 5, which consists of O’Brien, Osceola, the rural parts of Clay, and 4 townships in Sioux County.