Recent editorials published in Iowa newspapers
Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. Jan. 16, 2015.
Despite new life, straw poll relevancy still questioned
In recent years, the Iowa Straw Poll has become a point of ridicule for national pundits and editorial cartoonists who follow the presidential election developments.
One of the legitimate criticisms of the poll is it does not accurately measure the sentiments of party members, which prompts some top contenders to simply ignore it.
Over two years ago, Gov. Terry Branstad told the Wall Street Journal he supported dropping the Ames event in favor of a regional system of fundraising events for GOP presidential candidates. More recently he stated he would support a statewide Republican fundraising event in Ames where GOP presidential hopefuls are invited to speak - as long as no vote is taken.
There had been some concern that Iowa could face possible sanctions that could cost delegates to the 2016 Republican national convention for conducting a poll in advance of the state's caucuses that could violate new party rules.
However, the Iowa Straw Poll will remain intact.
Apparently Jeff Kaufmann, chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa. secured an assurance from the Republican National Committee - with a few caveats - that the straw poll does not break party rules and threaten the Iowa caucuses.
"The significance is to get Republicans at the grass-roots level to be excited about being Republicans in a family-like atmosphere. So as long as we have candidates there, it's going to accomplish those goals," Kaufmann said.
The straw poll had been showing signs of being outdated and therefore was becoming an easy target for many national political pundits who impress themselves by taking shots at the Hawkeye State.
Just twice in its 35-year history has the straw poll winner been the same as the eventual Republican nominee. Lately, the straw poll doesn't even provide a complete cross-section of viable candidates.
The winner of the 2011 straw poll, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, finished sixth in the Iowa caucuses. Rep. Ron Paul came in second at the straw poll. Neither candidate had a realistic shot at gaining the party's nomination.
The leading GOP presidential candidates in the past two election cycles have bypassed the event. Candidates buy tickets for their supporters and bus them to Ames. More money buys a more prominent spot for candidates to place a tent.
We would have rather seen some of Branstad's suggestion take hold, mostly because we still believe the straw poll is becoming more of a sideshow than a reliable gauge of where candidates stand.
That said, there's no harm in having the event, if it does not interfere with Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses. The individual candidates can make their own decisions on the relevancy of the event - and any vote that is taken.
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Telegraph Herald. Jan. 18, 2015.
Our opinion: 'Retirement' an opportunity for a rebuild
According to the press releases coming out of Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad's office, Teresa Wahlert decided to retire as Iowa Workforce Development director late on a Friday and to make her departure effective two days later. The announcement came in the middle of a Sunday afternoon.
All right. Sure. This happens all the time: A senior official gives two days' notice, and the announcement occurs mid-afternoon on a Sunday. And does someone really "retire" from a job held just four years?
Anyway, whether you believe the official line on Wahlert's departure or not, believe this: Iowa Workforce Development needs development. It needs a rebuild. After Wahlert's time in leadership, a major makeover is in order.
When this department makes news, it should be about Iowa's job growth, job training initiatives and helping Iowans. Instead, we have been treated to a steady stream of headlines about lawsuits, pressure on adjudicators to show bias toward employers in employment cases, closure of field offices (a Branstad initiative), workplace harassment and retaliation.
Just two days into "retirement," Wahlert, a Dubuque native, was named in yet another lawsuit. This one was from an administrative law judge, who hears unemployment appeals, alleging that she was suspended for criticizing management and that, among other things, Wahlert "interfered with the bureau's work, attempting to turn a fair and impartial administration of unemployment benefits into a process that is biased in favor of employers over employees."
That complaint mirrors others, aired during the summer, that Wahlert was pressuring those deciding unemployment benefits cases to side with businesses over their (former) employees.
All this makes one wonder why the governor didn't ask (or ask earlier) for Wahlert's "retirement."
Obviously, the first order of business for Wahlert's successor is to work toward restoring the credibility of the department in how it handles unemployment benefits appeals. Iowans must have confidence that the cases are decided impartially and fairly.
Credibility also comes through an accurate depiction of Iowa's labor landscape. So start by getting rid of the "Gross Over-the-month Employment Gains" line in the department's official monthly report. It only counts new hires and never counts job losses. That might look impressive in news releases, but it's smoke and mirrors. It's like only recording the deposits into our checking accounts but never subtracting for the checks we write. We might like the looks of the "balance," but it's inaccurate.
Most of all, Iowa needs a better plan, not made-up numbers, to build and improve the state's workforce. The challenges will be harder, not easier, in a state whose population is among the nation's "oldest." How is Iowa going to retain and attract young people to replace its retirees? If Iowa has a plan, it isn't working.
Whether the departure was her idea or the governor's matters little. Wahlert is gone. And so the governor has an opportunity to get the healing and rebuilding started by making a solid appointment. It won't be easy.
Help wanted: A fair-minded, creative and visionary leader who enjoys challenges.
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Sioux City Journal. Jan. 15, 2015.
Keep fighting the good fight for Highway 20
Iowa State Sen. Rick Bertrand, R-Sioux City, deserves credit for continuing to push completion of the Highway 20 four-lane project.
In an interview with the Journal's Des Moines bureau following Gov. Terry Branstad's Condition of the State speech on Tuesday (a speech in which Branstad said increased funding for roads and bridges is one of his priorities this year), Bertrand shared frustration about lack of state commitment to Highway 20.
Last year's 2015-2019 Department of Transportation five-year plan contained money for the completion by 2018 of four-lane work between Moville and Correctionville, but the plan contained no new money for additional four-lane work on Highway 20 between Correctionville and Early. Once the Moville-to-Correctionville section is done, the 29 miles between Correctionville and Early will remain the last two-lane stretch of Highway 20 in the state.
"The idea that we're not going to finish ... because it just has fallen off the radar is not acceptable," said Bertrand, who pledged to use his Senate leadership position to advocate for Highway 20.
In the 2013 legislative session, Bertrand and State Sen. Bill Anderson, R-Pierson, co-sponsored an amendment to include $25 million of additional Highway 20 revenue in an infrastructure bill, funded largely by gambling profits (the amendment was defeated). In November 2013, Bertrand generated pre-2014 legislative session attention for Highway 20 by writing a letter to Branstad (the letter was published by the Journal and other Iowa newspapers as a guest column) in which he proposed the investment of surplus money in the state budget - $90 million each year for four years, or a total of $360 million - to complete Highway 20 (Branstad didn't endorse Bertrand's funding proposal).
Those proposals didn't produce desired results, but by pressing the issue in high-visibility ways and offering specific ideas for funding, Bertrand generates attention for and dialogue about the project. In our minds, keeping the profile of Highway 20 high is half the battle for securing the money necessary to finish the project.
In a year when increased funding for transportation infrastructure appears to have momentum, it's time for the state to make an expedited, final push to Highway 20 completion.
To this end, we encourage Bertrand - and the many other supporters of Highway 20 in Northwest Iowa - to keep fighting the good fight.
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The Messenger. Jan. 17, 2015.
It's out of the headlines - for now: Ebola and related killers still deserve our careful attention
Remember Ebola? For a few weeks last year, the disease was the big story in the news. It has become an afterthought for many Americans, however.
U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., probably reinforced that attitude after returning from a trip to Liberia, one of the West African hot spots for Ebola. The epidemic has been reduced to "a few embers," Coons said recently. U.S. efforts to fight the disease, including the 2,400 American troops sent to Liberia, should be re-evaluated, the lawmaker said.
It is time to take another look at U.S. reaction to the Ebola outbreak - but not, as Coons seemed to be implying, to conclude the disease has been beaten.
As of Jan. 5, the outbreak that began last summer had killed 8,153 people in West Africa, according to the World Health Organization. And, WHO officials added, Ebola is still an enormous threat.
That is definitely true.
It and other "exotic" diseases are exceedingly dangerous - and will only grow more so as travel throughout the world increases.
While U.S. officials may want to cut back on the emergency reaction to the initial Ebola outbreak, they need to take the long view that we and other developed countries need to do more to battle exotic diseases. Ebola may be last year's headline - but it and related killers could well be headlines in the future, too.