Meet City and County Officials at FAIR! Budget Teach In 2/7/09

In my capacity of FAIR! Chair, I sometimes neglect to use my blog to remind people of events in Johnson County that they can take action and participate in. A week from today, Saturday Feb. 7th, FAIR! is sponsoring our 4th annual Budget Teach In: “Making the Hard Choices: Providing Services During an Economic Downturn” at the Coralville City Hall from 10 am to 12 pm.

Speakers will include Johnson County Board of Supervisor, Rod Sullivan; North Liberty City Administrator, Ryan Heiar; Iowa City Council Member, Michael Wright, Coralville City Council Member, Mitch Gross; and Coralville City Administrator, Kelly Hayworth.

With the economic downturn and effects of the flooding of last year FAIR! thought it would be educational to discuss how budget decisions are made in light of these uncertainties (e.g., will services be affected, are taxes likely to increase, etc.). Additionally, we thought it would be important for county residents to hear how you view the move at the state level to shift some additional taxing authority to local government. If time permits, we'd also like to hear how communities are cooperating with each other on plans or services.

As in the past, we like to give attendees ample opportunity to address these decision makers about their concerns. For those of you who need extra incentive, there will be a casual coffee hour from 9 am to the beginning of the forum (which, just in case you can't make it, will be recorded for later playback) where you will be able to chat with the speakers informally.

Loebsack, Dvorsky, Sullivan, and Champion Make Appearance at Shelter House Fundie

Congressman Dave Loebsack made an appearance at a Shelter House (Johnson County's general shelter) benefit on Saturday night. Also there were State Senator Bob Dvorsky and his effervescent wife, Sue who shared her experiences at President Barack Obama's Inaugural. County Supervisor Rod Sullivan and his wife, Dr. Meliisa Fath were in attendence, as was Iowa City council woman, Connie Champion who is also a part of the capital campaign committee to raise funds for building the 70 bed shelter.

Thanks to the largesse of owners Jim and Maureen Mondonaro who footed the bill for all the incredible food and spirits that were enjoyed by the crowd in their newly renovated Mondo's Sports Cafe on the Coralville strip. The Mondanaros were among the many business owners who were flooded out of their location last June and chose to celebrate their new "home" by having a Grand Opening at which 100% of the funds went to the local shelter. A total of 370 people helped to raise over $18,000 for the capital campaign to build the new shelter facility on Southgate Dr.

Obama: Yes We Can--Close Guantanamo

President Barack Obama wasted little time delivering on his campaign promise to close Guantanamo by making an executive order that it be completed in one year. This commitment, along with executive orders that commit the CIA and other interrogators to use the Army Code of Conduct procedures to interview prisoners are two signs that an Obama administration will be markedly different from his predecessor.

If he will use the same diligence to consider the closing of the "Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation"--formerly known as the School of the Americas, perhaps we will have a better shot at effective democracy in this part of the world in our lifetimes.

More: A story about a protestor at the SOA by Susan Greene.

MLK- ing It for All It's Worth

I, like most Americans, am very glad for the adulation that Barack Obama is being heaped with in the media and by the public and believe that he can live up to the hype. However, having lived through part of the civil rights movement and remembering exactly where I was when Martin Luther King was murdered, I take some exception to the easy comparisons between these two men. Martin Luther King's legacy is sealed while Barack Obama's is still being formed.

These men are both exceptional, but, for those who don't know, Martin Luther King entered college at the the age of 15 and graduated seminary at the age of 19. He completed his PhD studies at Boston College at the age of 26. Barack Obama, was the editor of the Havard Law Review and graduated Havard at the age of 30, after having been a activist in Chicago for three years.

Martin Luther King was 26 when he joined Rosa Parks and became the spokesperson for the Montgomery Bus Boycott and by 27 formed the Southern Christian Leadership Council that continues even today. By the time that Barack Obama was elected to the Illinois State House at the age of 36, Martin Luther King had visited Mohatmas Gandhi to study his method of non-violent activism, wrote his famous letter from the Birmingham, Alabama jail, helped form CORE, led numerous protests, been named Time's Man of the Year, and received the Nobel Peace Prize.

He also lived long enough to see his work attacked by Malcom X, segregationists, and to be called "the most dangerous and effective Negro leader in the country" by the FBI (who also had him under constant surveillance).

After the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were passed, he turned his attention to the Vietnam War and on poverty and racism. Poverty and a living wage were his cornerstone issues at the time he was assassinated in April 1968.

Certainly President Barack Obama has the opportunity to use his power to address the poor, who are still seeking justice from bad educational opportunities, higher unemployment and incarceration rates, and limited affordable housing. Perhaps he will turn to the teachings of King who said "Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love. And this is what we must see as we move on."

Barack Obama can be a transformational figure in American life, but legacies are formed by the actions that are taken and the wisdom of those actions in uncertain times. Dr. Martin Luther King rose to those times with actions that had a sure-footedness to them. Hopefully, as a politician, Obama will be able to stand firm on those issues that bring justice to those who have been long denied. If he is able to do this, his legacy will be secured.

Just the Facts: Inauguration Firsts

We all know that Barack Obama will be the first African-American to be sworn in as POTUS, but here are some other inaugural firsts that you may not know about:

Presidential Inauguration “firsts” (from InfoPlease and the Senate web-site):

- George Washington’s first inaugural address was 135 words in length.
- John Adams was first to receive the oath of office from the Chief Justice of the United States
- Thomas Jefferson's inauguration was the first held in Washington, D.C.
- James Monroe was the first President to take the oath of office and deliver the Inaugural address outdoors; ceremony took place on platform in front of the temporary Brick Capitol (where Supreme Court now stands).
- John Tyler was the first Vice President to assume Presidency upon the death of the President.
- Abraham Lincoln was the first to include African-Americans in his parade.
- William Taft's wife was the first one to accompany her husband in the procession from the Capitol to the White House.
- Women were included for the first time in Woodrow Wilson's second inaugural parade.
- Calvin Coolidge's was the first inaugural address broadcast on the radio.
- Warren G. Harding was the first President to ride to and from his inauguration in an automobile.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first President Inaugurated on January 20th, a change made by the 20th Amendment to the Constitution; first time the Vice President was Inaugurated outdoors on the same platform with the President.
- Harry Truman's inauguration was the first to be televised.
- Lyndon Johnson was the first (and so far) only president to be sworn in by a woman, U.S. District Judge Sarah T. Hughes.
- Gerald R. Ford was the first unelected Vice President to become President
- Jimmy Carter's inaugural parade featured solar heat for the reviewing stand and handicap-accessible viewing.
- The first ceremony broadcast on the Internet was Bill Clinton's second inauguration.

Will Obama Get Us to Step Up Our Game?

The stakes for President-Elect Obama's stay at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. are exceptionally high, as are the expectations of this nation. We are in the crossroads. On the one hand, we are are in dire economic straits, embroiled in wars that challenge us, and have an environmental crisis that demands our full attention; on the other hand, we have seen history made and have the leadership and opportunity to build a legacy that lives up to promise of a free people.

It is fitting irony that Barack Obama will begin his job the day after fallen Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King's life is celebrated. To say that Obama is standing on the shoulders of a giant is not crediting either his own accomplishments or ours as a nation. And, without Martin Luther King, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, there could not have been a President Obama. Nor without Abraham Lincoln, John Kennedy, and Lyndon Johnson could we shed our oppressive past.

But there is much to do and very little time to reflect on our past. The Inauguration is heralded as historic, and rightly so. However, it is historic not only because of what has happened before, but because it marks what will be and what must come next.

And what will come? Congress has got to act decisively to pass legislation that helps people back to work, to keep their homes, to take care of their kids, and to improve the global environment. It must work with President Obama to roll back the damage done from the excesses of both the Clinton and Bush eras. The petty nature of politics has to be challenged to produce results.

And then, will we as Americans and world citizen's also do our part. Will we forego our lesser needs to address those huge needs that loom ahead? Will we move past our consumer-based view of government and participate in our democracy by fixing those things that government can't and supporting those things that government can?

We can not expect that any one person can make things better for the rest of us, if we don't join the march. If history teaches us anything, it teaches us that it wasn't the time that King spent in the Birmhingham jail that made the change to civil rights or the march on Selma, it was Rosa Parks, the Freedom Riders, and the good acts by millions of nameless people that were inspired by King that caused the walls to tumble down. Now come the time to build up.

Iowa Tax Reform or All My Axes Live in Taxes

As the legislature goes back to work this week, they will have the opportunity to consider a report by a state task force looking at changing property tax structures in Iowa headed by Iowa City's state senator Joe Bolkcom. Cities and counties generate more than 80 percent of their budgets from property taxes and the system, to many, is outdated. The issue pits local governments and property owners against anti-tax groups that want government to cut costs rather than expand sources of revenue. Death and taxes may be for sure, but fighting to the death over taxes is "for sure-er."

The report has taken a step in either opening the biggest can of worms that Iowa perhaps has ever seen or potentially addresses the inequities of taxation that have plagued the state for years. According to Bolkcom, “This is a billion dollar problem that has been more than 30 years in the making. ” Bolkcom, who is the chairman of the tax-writing Senate Ways and Means Committee, also said "We're proposing a menu of ideas for local governments. I think the revenues would be there to recover from last summer's [tornado and flooding] disaster."

The group has recommended that localities have more control over taxation such that the disparity of commercial property taxes are addressed.

The committee offered a three part proposal:

One, the Legislature should consider giving cities and counties alternatives to property taxes. The committee listed nine different alternatives including an income tax, cigarette tax, impact fees on new development and collecting money from nonprofit groups, which are currently tax exempt.

Two, 75% of the money raised by these alternatives must go to reducing commercial and residential property taxes.

Three, the remaining money must go to essential services, which may include rebuilding after last year’s natural disasters and public safety.

But will this help? I'll show both sides of the coin. But first a little discussion of how property taxes work in iowa.

How Do Property Taxes in Iowa Work?

The following is from the Iowa League of Cities:

Beginning in 1978, residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural classifications have been subject to an assessment limitation order, or “roll back,” that limits annual growth in property values to 4 percent. However, there is a further restriction in that the growth of residential property cannot exceed that of agricultural property. In essence, the growth of residential
property is capped at 4 percent or the growth in agricultural value, whichever is less. Since the law’s inception, residential property has always been rolled-back from its full valuation to comply with the law. The limitation can also be applied to industrial and commercial property when necessary.

Revenue Property Class in 2009 are:

Residential: 44.0803%

Commercial: 99.7312%

Agricultural: 90.1023%

Industrial: 100%

A Special Report with more detailed information on Iowa’s Residential Property Tax Rollback is available at www.iowaleague.org.

Property Tax Levies
Cities may levy up to $8.10/$1,000 of the taxable value on residential, commercial and industrial property and up to $3.00375/$1,000 on the taxable value of agricultural property
for their general fund (Code of Iowa Section 384.1). If a city is unable to meet the essential costs for services within the $8.10/$1,000 levy limit, there are several other levies available.

• A city may levy for the city’s contribution under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA), the Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System (IPERS), the Municipal Fire and Police Retirement System of Iowa (MFPRSI) and certain otheremployee benefits. On the state budget forms, these are levied in the special revenues fund column of the Revenues Detail (Form 631.B).

• Insurance premiums, including workers’ compensation, necessary for the operation of the city and the costs of self-insurance or risk pools may also be levied outside the $8.10/$1,000 limit. The levy rate is the actual cost of the premiums divided by the total property tax base. Insurance costs on projects or improvements covered by revenue bonds and insurance on proprietary fund activities may not be levied, as these activities should fund themselves. These revenues are typically credited to the general fund even though they are restricted.

• An emergency levy rate of $0.27/$1,000 of taxable valuation that can be used for any
govermental purpose (Code of Iowa Section 384.8). This is a special revenue that is
required to be transferred to the general fund for expenditure prior to the end of the fiscal
year.

• A city may levy to cover principal and interest payments on general obligation bonds under debt service. Provided proper procedures were followed on lease-purchase or loan agreements, the annual principal and interest payments may also be levied under debt service. The debt service levy is the dollars needed to cover the annual debt obligations divided by the total property tax base.

Code of Iowa Section 384.12 lists several other levies available to the city for specific purposes, some requiring a referendum. Non-voted levy activities include funding for the operation and maintenance of a publicly owned transit system, liability, property and self-insurance costs, a joint county-city building lease and rent, operation and maintenance of a city-owned civic center. Activities requiring a voted levy include funding for instrumental or vocal music groups, memorial buildings, symphony orchestras, cultural and scientific facilities, aid to public transportation companies, library services and emergency medical districts.


Heads: Can of Worms?

The plan offered by the task group would give counties and municipalities the ability to tax locally. If you have ever been to Illinois, you will find local sales taxes varying wildly because of this. What this does is to give localities the option to increase some kinds of taxes while reducing others. In the formula offered by the task group, the majority of relief would go to those paying commercial property taxes and to a much lesser extent, residential homeowners and helping localities pay for flood recovery.

This plan seems to favor larger cities where commercial properties are predominately located. Will this help rural communities? I don't see how it can, as it would be a zero sum gain for those communities to replace one kind of tax with another and might actually hurt the smaller communities by residents shopping in other communities where the local taxes are lower.

For larger communities, this may help them to increase their tax revenues overall, but at the expense of hurting non-profit organizations and perhaps homeowners to spur local economic development. Remembering that many human service non-profits exist in county seats or higher population centers, taxing these groups would decrease the services that could be provided. Often non-profit groups voluntarily pay fees for police and fire protection.

Also, in communities like Iowa City where there is a very high level of commercial properties, the result could be a net loss of revenue, as the state could continue to rollback property tax rates and the city would be required to rebate tax money on top of that.

Taxpayers may opt to live in outlying communities that strategically decide to not have additional income taxes and this could lead to a lessening of growth for larger communities. Again, this would lead to a zero-sum gain for those communities who opt for alternative taxes. Also, anti-tax groups see this as another way for the state and localities to tax income rather than look for ways to reduce what they see as unneeded taxes.

Tails: Idea Whose Time has Come?

Because commercial property owners pay at the second highest tax rate and to be competitive with other states for new business development, the argument is that commercial taxes in Iowa are out of line with neighboring states and should be lowered. Iowa, compared to other states, is in the top five states with respect to commercial property rates. Lowering the tax rate for commercial properties will allow for more economic development in rural communities as well as more urban areas.

Additionally, by creating more tax equity, all taxes in Iowa can be lowered by spreading taxes to all consumers of state and locality services and by implementing an income tax or other taxing options that will allow communities to address their local infrastructure and other service needs. This will actually create tax efficiencies and reduce general taxation.

Localities who have "home rule" would actually have more control over their tax bases. As it stands now, each community holds its breath to see what the state tax revenue picture is shaping up to be and then rushing to put a budget together that fits the picture. This is hardly a way for a city or county to be proactive in planning for its future needs. By giving localities more authority, it gives more flexibility to them and also for those residents who want to lobby their elected officials to figure out what to spend or not to spend these taxes on, in addition to whether to collect them or not.

In conclusion, the debate on reforming property taxes in Iowa will be, no doubt, a heated affair as individuals and groups lobby for and against changes to the tax code (and the parties draw their lines in the sand) , but it will be valuable to follow and educate yourself about because whether it happens in this session or not, there will be changes.

The Skinny on the Fat

There is a boogeyperson in town and apparently he or she is eating us alive. Beginning in 1996, government officials like C. Everett Koop, the then U.S. Surgeon General began to combat "The War On Obesity". In 2006, Surgeon General Richard Carmona stated that "Obesity is a greater threat than terrorism." and said it could "dwarf 9/11 or any other terrorist attempt" in the number of lives that could be lost to the effects of overweightedness.

We have seen the enemy and he is us (more of us than we'd like). But, not so fast (and not so fasting), there is more to the obesity problem than meets the eye. According to Mother Jones News writer Kiera Butler in her article The Waistland, apparently obesity can be "attributed to low-fat foods, lack of sleep, ear infections, intestinal bacteria, pollution, plastics, poverty, air conditioners, socializing with obese people, your mom's age when you were born, and your maternal grandmother's diet."

And it doesn't help that the way that obesity is measured "body mass index" has been changed so that "Overweight" (as defined by the World Health Organization's Obesity Task Force) is defined as a body mass index (bmi) of 25 or more, down from 27.8. I suppose I should mention that this case of less is more may have a non-scientific causation: 70% of the Obesity Task Force's funding comes from the two drug companies that make the popular weight-loss pills Xenical, Meridia, and Reductil.

Nonetheless, according to Butler, "In 1998, the US government adopted the new bmi standards, spurring fears of an "obesity epidemic." That move was hailed by the American Obesity Association, a lobbying group that's received funding from Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig."

So we are fighting an enemy that we should be able to see and we should be very scared, right?Apparently weight kills, but not in the way you'd think. Active obese people are almost 50% less likely to die of heart disease than sedentary thin people. Statistically, persons over 220 pounds are less likely to die in car crashes. Persons who are underweight are in equal danger of dying than their chubbier cousins.

Despite some uncertainty about the effects of obesity, it's gotten so bad that schools in states like Pennsylvania, Delaware, South Carolina, and Tennessee send "obesity report cards" to parents. Even locally there is a desire to replace beverages and snacks in school vending machines with "healthy choices."

Over on the Big Fat Facts site , they caim that "the obesity industries, including commercial weight-loss programs, weight-loss drug purveyors and bariatric surgery centers, will likely top $315 billion this year, nearly 3 percent of the overall U.S. economy."

Remembering drugs like Ephedra, Fen-Phen and many others have been linked to death, as have bariatric treatments, perhaps encouraging healthy diets, exercise, and a positive self-concept might be a better treatment plan.

The Plant is Dead, Long Live the Coal-Fired Power Plant?

The coal-fired power plant planned for Waterloo, IA has been put on hold, but is it a permanent hold or just until the economic climate gets better? Thanks to the efforts of activist groups like Sierra Club and local grassroots efforts, Dynergy and LS Power have called off their joint venture which would have included the Waterloo plant. Bruce Williamson, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Dynegy Inc., said in a statement on 1/2/09 “Today, the development of new generation is increasingly marked by barriers to entry including external credit and regulatory factors that make development much more uncertain."

This climate may not change in the near future, however, the Houston Business Journal reports that "LS Power will acquire full ownership and developmental rights associated with various “greenfield” projects under consideration in Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan and Nevada, as well as other power generation and transmission development projects not related to Dynegy’s existing operating portfolio of assets. It will also receive about $19 million in cash during the first quarter for assets exchanged." While it appears for the forseeable future that the plant is off-line, it may be too soon to call the project entirely D.O.A. and meanwhile, there is still the matter of the plant in Marshalltown.

I Gotta Eat More Corn

The American Corn Growers Association who, by their own admission "is America’s leading progressive commodity association, representing the interests of corn producers in 35 states" is having their 22nd annual meeting in Coralville and has invited Jim Hightower to deliever the keynote speech. The Blog for Iowa had this first, so a tip of a ten gallon Resitol hat to them for that.

Other than being a certified Texas treasure, Jim Hightower can deliver the progressive and populist goods when he is carrying on about the things that excite him. If you have $125 to pony up, you can have breakfast with him and the ACGA, but if not, you can attend their conference for $30 bucks ($20, if you are a certifiable student) and learn a ton about El Maiz Grande.

According to the ACGA press release, Jim Hightower has spent three decades battling the Powers That Be on behalf of the Powers That Ought To Be - consumers, working families, environmentalists, small businesses, and just-plain-folks. As keynote speaker at the ACGA 22nd Annual Convention, on January 16, 2009, Hightower will bring a hard-hitting populist viewpoint that rarely gets into the mass media. In all of his work he keeps his ever-ready Texas humor up front, practicing the credo of an old Yugoslavian proverb: "You can fight the gods and still have fun."

I haven't read his newest book (with Susan DeMarco) "Swim Against The Current: Even A Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow”--but from his columns and earlier books, I'll bet it will be great. I notice there is even a chapter on "clean elections"--so it's on my reading list.

One of my favorite Hightowerisms: "The only difference between a pigeon and the American farmer today is that a pigeon can still make a deposit on a John Deere. "

Richardson Out Before He's In

In an apparently preemptive move, President-Elect Obama has pulled the plug on Bill Richardson's nomination for Secretary of Commerce bid, as Richardson has some ethical questions to address in New Mexico. Team Obama is looking to reduce the distractions on the confirmation process for his cabinet and his ability to govern coming out of the gate.

While this is a blow to Bill Richardson, he is understanding of the politicas at play and was contrite in removing his name from consideration. According to CNN, in a statement Sunday, Richardson said he asked Obama "not to move forward" with his nomination now.

"I do so with great sorrow. But a pending investigation of a company that has done business with New Mexico state government promises to extend for several weeks or, perhaps, even months," the statement reads. "Let me say unequivocally that I and my Administration have acted properly in all matters and that this investigation will bear out that fact. But I have concluded that the ongoing investigation also would have forced an untenable delay in the confirmation process. Watch why Richardson bowed out »

"Given the gravity of the economic situation the nation is facing, I could not in good conscience ask the President-elect and his Administration to delay for one day the important work that needs to be done."

New Year's Resolutions? Go to Camp Wellstone

As a New Year's resolution, let me suggest Camp Wellstone to you. I am a "graduate" and two other area graduates ran for and were elected to local offices (90+ graduates have won local, state, and national offices). For anyone who is interested in progressive change in politics, I highly recommend the camp, both because it works, and because you meet really great people there.

There are three tracks at CW:

• Electoral Campaigns: Tools and Tactics for Success
• Citizen Activism: Grassroots Advocacy and Organizing
• Being a Candidate: How to Run and Win a Progressive Campaign

The next Camp Wellstone is in St. Paul later this month. Watch this video for more information:

New Year, New Look for Popular Progressive

I got tired of the old look, so I've updated the template for the blog. I will likely keep tweaking at it until I like the totality of it. Let me know what you think.

Gark

My Exclusive Interview with the Baby New Year

As a serious blogger, I look for the stories that no one else is covering. Occasionally I get lucky. Today I am sitting down with Baby New Year 2009 for an exclusive interview.

Gark: Welcome Baby New Year! Thanks for making the time in your busy schedule.

BNY2009: Glad to be talking to the two or three people out in the Blogosphere who are likely to read this. By the way, technically, I'm "Baby New Year-Elect"--there's only one Baby New Year at a time.

Gark: Good point. Speaking of Baby New Year 2008, as the incoming New Year's baby, have you sought advice from him?

BNY2009: Actually "he" is a "she". I wish you bloggers would check your facts.

Gark: You're right. My mistake.

BNY2009: Anyway, I spoke to her--Priscilla is her name. You know you could have bowled me over when she told me we almost had a Vice-President from Alaska. It's amazing how far we have come.

Gark: Because there was almost a Vice-President who was a woman?

BNY2009: No, I meant an elected official from Alaska that wasn't under indictment.

Gark: Funny stuff. Speaking of how far we've come, are you concerned about the state of world that you are inheriting tonight?

BNY2009: Well, to be the New Year's baby, you have to be ready on day one. My transition team has been working hard with "08"--as I call Priscilla--to move into the executive crib. We are watching the situations in the Gaza, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Darfur, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, South Africa, Ghana, Cameroon, Peru, Georgia, Nepal, and New York.

Gark: I wasn't aware there was anything to worry about in New York.

BNY2009: Are you crazy? They will be going nuts at Times Square tonight when they drop the big lighted ball.

Gark: New Year's baby 2009, most of my readers are from Iowa. Do you have anything you want to tell them?

BNY2009: Iowa you say? I thought you were from Ohio or one of those other e-i-e-i-o states.

Gark: Now you're just being mean.

BNY2009: Well my diaper is full of--

Gark: This is a family blog.

BNY2009: Sorry, but my diaper is kind of smelling like a CAFO. Seriously, to the good people of Iowa I'd like to say Happy New Year and don't get too attached to your homes.

Gark: Why? Will there be flooding and tornadoes again in 2009?

BNY2009: No, I am talking about housing foreclosures.

Gark: Do you have anything encouraging to say?

BNY2009: Yes, with your former Governor Vilsack running the Agriculture department and your Senator Harkin heading the Senate agriculture committee, it should be a good year for your farmers--you do still have farmers don't you?

Gark: Of course we do.

BNY2009: I mean other than Archer Daniels Midland, Cargill, Monsanto, Pioneer, and so on.

Gark: You do have a point. I know you have things to do before you take the oath of New Year's baby; I mean besides changing your diaper. But before you go, can you give us an idea what your administration of the New Year will be like?

BNY2009: Well, as you know I am like to reach across the aisle and throw up my food at the babies on the other side.

Can I hit a baby thirty feet away with my mashed peas?-- Yes, I can.

Gark: That's just disgusting. I was hoping you could tell me what you plan to accomplish this next year.

BNY2009: I have a plan for world peace, a plan for cleaning up the environment, and a plan to end the economic mess that the world is in. There's only one problem.

Gark: What is it?

BNY2009: You people are going to have to go. I'm just kidding. I love people--for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. No, seriously, I wish everyone out there a Happy New Year.

Gark: Thank you, New Year's Baby 2009.


And thank you readers of Popular Progressive.

The Crystal Ball: State Legislator's Top 9 Issues for 2009

With 2009 just around the corner, who doesn't enjoy a little prognostication? The National Conference of State Legislatures has proposed its top 9 issues of 2009. My read on how they will play out in Iowa are below each issue.

Issue #1 - State Budgets Gaps
Money will be the No. 1 issue for states in 2009. It is the starting and stopping point for virtually every state program and service. That's why the current fiscal crisis is so alarming. Shrinking state revenues will squeeze every area of state government. More bad economic news is reported almost daily, so, short of a dramatic and unexpected turnaround, state fiscal conditions are expected to continue their downward slide. New programs in a majority of states are likely to be shelved as lawmakers focus on essential state services. Even high-priority programs could get pinched. In this dire fiscal climate, flat funding may be considered a victory. The bottom line: States are battening down the hatches and bracing for the worst fiscal storm in decades.

What this means in Iowa: As we have already heard, the Governor wants to make a 1.5% across-the-board cut to the state budget, as we have about a $450 million gap between the income we expect and the services the state provides. We have also heard that a committee is considering a move to allow municipalities more leeway to put a local income tax in place. This will be tough to resist for cities who are starving for cash, but will likely bring odd bedfellows together on the taxpayer's side. Couple this with the aftermath of last year's floods and it will be tough to pass big ticket legislation.

Issue #2 - Transportation and Infrastructure
The continuing gap between transportation needs and available funds is the key transportation issue for 2009. Revenues for transportation at all levels of government continue to flatten or diminish. Maintaining crumbling infrastructure, fighting congestion and meeting burgeoning demand for public transportation is straining transportation budgets. Gas tax receipts, the mainstay of transportation for the last 50 years, no longer meet the nation's growing needs due to inflation, less driving and more fuel-efficient vehicles. To keep pace, at least 15 states will consider raising the state gas tax and/or motor vehicle fees. Others are looking at tolls and public-private partnerships, though tight credit has slowed consideration of these approaches. With an eye to the future, a number of states including Oregon, Idaho and Minnesota are studying the per mile vehicle fee to eventually replace the gas tax and pay for infrastructure maintenance and new transportation facilities.

What this means in Iowa: If gas prices stay down, it is possible that the state will remove the gas tax subsidy for blended-ethanol gas products, as taxpayers have been saving 2 cents per gallon over non-blended gasoline. The two cents per gallon could make a big difference for road projects and alternative energy which mean jobs to Iowans.

Issue #3 - Higher Education Affordability
In today's world, where a college degree is necessary for most jobs, should states ensure the opportunity for everyone to attend post-secondary education? If the answer is "yes," states will need to make sure in 2009 that funding for higher education is adequate enough so all students, not just the wealthy ones, can afford college. Higher education is often one of the first areas to be cut during tough fiscal times. In response, state universities and colleges typically tend to raise tuition to make up for these lost revenues, which is an additional financial burden on families. During 2007 and 2008 most states were able to increase their budget appropriations for higher education but this is not likely to be the case in 2009 with bleak economic conditions.

What this means in Iowa: With yet another increase in tuition in 2008, Iowa will likely not make any headway in making higher education more affordable. Iowa currently rates an F and won't likely change this year, particularly for Pell grant funding for lower-income students.

Issue #4 - Health Costs and Reform
Health costs keep rising at the same time that state budgets are in trouble. An immediate challenge for states in 2009 will be to maintain and retool current health programs, especially Medicaid and diverse programs aimed at covering the uninsured. As the numbers of unemployed increase, Medicaid rolls will grow. State legislatures will face competing demands such as helping those without health insurance coverage, investing in prevention and wellness, and adopting health information technology such as exchangeable electronic medical records and “e” prescribing. States already striving to provide near-universal health care coverage, Massachusetts and Vermont, worry that shrinking state revenues will become a real obstacle. At the same time others with future health reform proposals, including California, Pennsylvania and New Mexico, may have to defer action due to budget constraints. Meanwhile renewed federal funds for children’s health (SCHIP) and “stimulus” funds for Medicaid are important to states, while they also seek a strong voice in the national discussion of comprehensive reform.

What this means in Iowa: More poor kids and the elderly are likely to be affected by an across the board cut to state programs including healthcare that the Governor has proposed. Whether the the legislators will summon the will to challenge Culver is anybody's guess with his re-election bid around the corner.

Issue #5 - Clean Energy and Alternatives
Developing and using alternative energy will be a top issue for legislatures across the country. State legislatures will be looking for solutions to a host of energy challenges in the coming year, and integrating renewable energy (generated by wind, solar, geothermal and biomass) with existing energy resources will be at the top of their agenda. Roughly 30 states have now enacted some sort of standard for renewable electricity. Some state leaders see renewable energy as having many benefits, such as encouraging local job growth and economic development; reducing the volatility of energy prices; and meeting new growing energy needs without increasing greenhouse gas emissions. In 2008, nine states passed new or strengthened existing standards. Continued activity is expected during 2009. Policymakers will also be exploring how new technologies can generate clean energy from America's vast coal resources and how they can assist the development of these technologies.

What this means in Iowa: As my environmentall-friendly friend Mike Carberry says, "Green is the new black" and the state is likely to legislate to invest in those companies that will develop renewable, greener energy and will create new jobs.

Issue #6 - Sentencing and Corrections
Without change to current corrections and sentencing policies, by 2011, state prison populations are projected to grow by nearly 200,000 inmates at a cost to states of $27.5 billion. Bipartisan efforts in a growing number of state legislatures seek to alter this destiny with actions aimed at safely supervising certain offenders in the community and reducing crime with mental health, substance abuse and other rehabilitative programs. Strained state budgets make cost-effective corrections options and policies an even greater priority in state legislatures in 2009. Ten states indicated they are considering cuts to corrections in NCSL's State Budget Update. Four states exempted corrections in their budgets. States such as Texas and Washington are expanding capacity for offender treatment and community supervision; and similarly Connecticut, Kansas, Pennsylvania and others are improving probation and parole supervision, including use of evidence-based practices.

What this means in Iowa: Don't count on the legislator's to be pushing for more places to incarcerate folks, but localities to put up bond issues to address their local needs. Could be a tough sell in 2009.

Issue #7 - Homeownership
More states are looking at ways to help residents afford to purchase a home during these tough financial times. States are also helping halt foreclosures by creating emergency assistance programs and changing foreclosure processes and procedures. California, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oregon, Virginia and Washington have regulated foreclosure consultants so they cannot take advantage of desperate homeowners. With the high number of foreclosures across the country, several states have established protections for tenants who are renting homes facing foreclosure.

What this means in Iowa: With 1 out of every 2,256 homes in foreclosure (a national ranking of 39 out of 50), the state should be concerned about public policy in this area, but it is will likely be left to FEMA and local banks to sort out rather than any meaningful legislation.

Issue #8 - Working Families
One-third of families in this country has no net worth, or is in debt; and the looming recession is about to make things worse. In this climate, state legislatures have an opportunity to think long term and encourage families to build up their own financial foundations, which have become fragile. Today, 20 percent of Americans are asset poor, meaning they lack the resources to live above the federal poverty level for more than three months after losing their income. Already strapped, working families are increasingly worried about daily expenses and apprehensive about long-term goals, such as college tuition and retirement. Hamstrung by tight budgets, states have a chance to create incentives for families to invest in the key components of a strong financial future -- savings, education and, when the time is right, homeownership -- assets that pay dividends over time.

What this means in Iowa: Iowa has been somewhat resilient compared to the national trends. However, when services are not available, the working poor seek greener pastures. Human service agencies and Non-profits will likely be challenged in 2009, particularly as their budgets are trimmed.

Issue #9 - Unemployment
Unemployment rates are on the rise and state unemployment compensation funds are experiencing shortfalls due to an increase in claims for unemployment benefits and a decrease in revenue from payroll taxes. Indiana, Michigan, California, New York and Ohio have less than three months of reserves on hand to pay unemployment benefits. Eight other states have reserves of less than six months and it's recommended that states have at least a year of reserves on hand to see themselves through a recessionary period. Close to 4 million unemployed workers are currently receiving unemployment benefits, a level not seen since 1983. State governments levy payroll taxes on employers to pay for unemployment insurance benefits. Many states are going to have to address shortfalls in their unemployment accounts.

What this means in Iowa: Iowa's unemployment rate in november rose .5% compared to the national average of 2%. To maintain the tax-base, keeping Iowans working will be a goal for the legislature. Building trades should be kept busy with the replacement or repair of homes and businesses that were destroyed by floods and tornadoes last year, but this will mean that insurance dollars and FEMA/SBA monies are getting to those home and business owners.

One issue that won't likely see much sunlight:
- VOICE: Voter Owned Iowa Clean Elections, the Democratic House and Senate leadership sees it as a dog that doesn't hunt.

Old Clean Coal?

After reading about the coal "fly ash" disaster in Tennessee where a billion gallons of coal slurry from a coal-fired power plant(along with its by-products arsenic and mercury) was washed into the Tennessee River after a retaining wall holding it back in a storage tank collapsed, I question whether there is anything clean about coal. Coal-burning plants currently produce about half the electricity in the United States.

This spill is affecting two tributaries of the Tennessee River. The Tennessee is a major river system and a drinking water source for millions of people downstream in Chattanooga, plus Alabama, west Tennessee and Kentucky. The EPA claims that the drinking water in the area is safe, but the arsenic levels in the river water itself are at dangerous levels for fish and aquatic life. Water from other sources that are not normally treated, such as private drinking water wells or springs, may be contaminated if impacted by the release of the fly ash. These sources of water should not be used for drinking, cooking or bathing until they have been evaluated. EPA and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation continue to sample drinking water wells, municipal water, soils, river water and river sediment.

Two environmental activists were detained by TVA police Friday as the utility stepped up security around the site of the ash spill at the Kingston Fossil Plant.
"All we are doing was taking pictures," David Cooper, with the non-profit environmental group United Mountain Defense.

Cooper and another activist, Matt Landon, say that's when TVA officials confronted them. "There was a little pull-off on the road and we pulled over and we were immediately accosted and told they would be arrested," Cooper said. The two men say they were then detained by police on a portion of road is now blocked off by an increased presence from TVA police.

According to Coal is Dirty, fly ash is is collected in coal plant smokestacks, stored on site and often is recycled into construction material. Before pollution controls, the ash simply spewed into the air. Now it's placed in retention ponds or in dry storage. There is three times as much coal ash as municipal solid waste generated in America every year. ( "Big Coal," Jeff Goodell page 123). About 130 million tons of coal ash and power plant scrubber sludge are generated annually. "Coal ash contains heavy metals like mercury, arsenic, and lead. An article in Scientific American magazine dated Dec 13, 2007 states that coal ash is more radioactive than nuclear waste."

We need green energy: geothermal, wind, wave, and solar. The transition is underway, but we need to invest in the infrastructure so that coal plants can be phased out as soon as possible. The best part is it will create new jobs as well as reduce green- house gases dramatically.

Who's Going to Catch the Midnight Decider?

With George Bush's Administration getting ready to leave time, you'd think it would be hard to get anything done if you were a lobbyist. The video below by the American News Project says not so. It is truly Christmas time in the city.

Look What Obama Gets for Christmas

A CNN poll reports that 75% of those polled won't miss George W. Bush when he leaves office. However there is one man in the U.S. who will, Barack Obama. You see the problems that President Bush leaves behind will be a adeptly handed off to Obama with the skill of Minnesota Viking's QB Tarvaris Jackson last weekend (for the non-footballers, that's not good).

Stepping into the breach, President-Elect Obama will likely see Israel sending troops into the Gaza to take on radical Palestinian's who are launching Katuscha rockets from the territory. He will find Pakistan sending their troops to the border of India. All this and two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a crumbling economy here at home, and so on.

Fortunately, Obama brings hope and change and a pretty good cabinet to takeover for the miserable failures that will be left behind when George W. and Laura take their last Texas two-step out of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. If you believe in the power of prayer, heads down, prayers up.

Bad Seed Toussie?

Apparently the President, like me, learned that one of his pardons the other day might not have been warranted. CNN reports:

President George W. Bush on Wednesday ordered one of 19 presidential pardons granted earlier in the week to be re-examined before making a final decision.
President Bush ordered the pardon of Isaac R. Toussie to be re-examined.

President Bush ordered the pardon of Isaac R. Toussie to be re-examined.

The pardon was for Isaac R. Toussie, a 36-year-old New York developer who pleaded guilty in 2001 to making false statements in a Long Island mortgage fraud scheme.

Toussie and his father, also a developer, had previously been accused of conspiring with lenders and others to build and sell substandard homes -- a charge they denied.

According to a senior Bush administration official, the White House learned new information about Toussie's case Tuesday night -- only hours after announcing his pardon.

Specifically, the White House learned, according to the official, "additional information about the nature of fraud [Toussie] carried out."

The White House also learned Toussie's father made numerous contributions to leading Republican politicians.

In 2008, Toussie's father donated almost $40,000 to Arizona Sen. John McCain, Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman, Oregon Sen. Gordon Smith, and Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor.

"Based on information that has subsequently come to light, the president has directed the [Justice Department's] pardon attorney not to execute and deliver a grant of clemency to Mr. Toussie," White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said in a written statement.

Con-passionate Conservativism?

President Bush, who is not known for his generosity in granting pardons or commutations issued a couple of surprising one's today. Bush has received 8,071 petitions to commute a sentence during his term and granted eight, according to the Pardon Attorney Web site of the Justice Department. The president has received 2,228 requests for pardons and granted 171, according to the site. During his eight years in office, President Bill Clinton pardoned 396 people out of 2,001 petitions.

The following are yet more examples of the bipolarity that George Bush has exhibited throughout his two terms as President. Meet the just pardoned Isaac Robert Toussie:

He and his father, Robert (According to Ben Smith at Politico, "did give $28,500 to the RNC this year") were developers that lured low income buyers into substandard housing in the late 1990s. 200 buyers filed a suit in federal court against the Toussies, but it was thrown out after failing to qualify as a class action. In May, 2001, Issac Toussie pleaded guilty to fraud in federal court on Long Island for illegally obtaining federal housing loans. On Sept. 25, Robert Toussie's lawyer, Richard C. Hamburger of Hamburger, Maxson & Yaffe LLP in Melville, N.Y., said his client was so confident of the quality of his houses that he offered to buy back three buyers and pay their moving expenses and $5,000.

Isaac Toussie pleaded guilty in two unrelated cases, one involving HUD mortgage frauds mainly in Gordon Heights and one involving the county's purchase in 2000 of the Chandler estate in Mount Sinai, allegedly for several million dollars more than it was worth.

Toussie could have faced 50 months in prison and millions of dollars in restitution and fines. But U.S. District Judge Denis Hurley sentenced him in July to five months in prison and five months of home detention, and yesterday, after several hearings on whether Toussie should pay the potentially large restitution, he imposed none. In the case of the mortgage fraud, prosecutors said the relevant records were lost in the collapse of the World Trade Center.

While the younger Toussie served semi-hard time, his father has bought up millions of dollars of properties in New York's Suffolk County at bargain basement prices. The elder Toussie is quoted as saying he "never had to pay a dollar in fines or restitution because I’m on the right side of the issues and I’m a good person." I guess the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree.

Now meet Reed Raymond Prior:

In 1995, a University of Iowa graduate, Reed Prior was arrested with 869 grams of methamphetamine, a scale, other drug paraphernalia, and $17,690 in cash in Des Moines. As a three time convicted (though non-violent) felon, Prior would serve a mandatory life sentence on federal drug trafficking (Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute)charges if convicted. Prior appealed his conviction to the U.S. 8th circuit Appellate Court and lost his appeal.

Prior (now in his late fifties) while in prison, assisted over 100 inmates obtain their GED so as to better prepare them for when they are eventually released from prison. He has taught subjects such as history, English, math, and courses in the U.S. Constitution. Currently, he runs the prison library.

After almost thirteen years in a federal penitentiary in Illinois, the President commuted his sentence from life to being put on supervised parole in February of 2009for an additional ten years more years.

His story