Coralville Courier

With Democrats running the show, money is spent like it's growing on trees

JOHNSON COUNTY, IA. -- Not ever having a reputation of being careful stewards of the public treasury, the all Democrat Board of Supervisors have spent money like drunken sailors.  Spending over the last four years has skyrocketed 56%.  The budget for fiscal year 2007 was $53.8 million; the budget for FY 2010 is more than $84 million. That's a problem.

Instead of exercising fiscal sanity, the all Democrat board has taken reckless spending to a frightening new level. 

There are plenty of examples out there demonstrating wasteful county spending. 

Perhaps the most overlooked is the county auditor's office and the money spent for elections.  How many times have you walked into a polling place, to see seven or eight poll workers there processing just two voters at a given time?  Auditor Tom "DUI" Slockett, an entrenched Democrat, spends FAR too much money on election day wages.  He callously tosses $56,000 - taxpayer money - on overstaffing polling places when fewer people and $30,000 would more than adequately do the same job.

Building new buildings in overkill and to excess is wasteful spending.  The new Health & Human Services building was overdone, large spaces remain unused.  Earlier this year in fact, a proposal was made to use the entire 3rd floor for housing the homeless.  The floor has 30,000 square feet of unpartitioned space and with the exception of storing some personnel files, the vast space collects dust.

County spending has gone up 56% in the last four years. Has the county population grown by that much? No, not even close. Did the county plan for a rainy day? No, the all Democrat board arrogantly thought the area economy would always be cream and honey. Are we as a county playing 'catch up' because existing services were sub-par? Hardly. In fact, Johnson County Supervisor Rod "F___ You" Sullivan boasts about how good services are, ranking it one of the best in the state.  Yes Rod, create a handout situation and the people will come......  Say, homeless people being told they can have a whole floor of a warm county building to themselves?

Giving pay raises to the likes of Tom "DUI" Slockett and Rod "F___ You" Sullivan during lean economic times is not a prudent use of taxpayer money.  But that's what Janelle Rettig recommended as a member of the county compensation board.  She has no problem with spending taxpayer money, and has a record of doing just that serving on various commissions and comittees over the years. 

On top of an overkill $84 million budget, the county had the gall to ask Johnson County residents for an additional $20 million to buy some unspecified lands for unspecified uses last year.  An all Democrat panel consisting of Janelle Rettig, Supervisors Rod Sullivan, Sally Stutsman, Terrance Neuzil, and Conservation Director Harry Graves (collusion?) got together and pushed a vague, "in the name of green space" agenda down taxpayer throats.  Never mind that Johnson County already has the second highest amount of acreage in parks, trails, wetlands and set-asides in the state and that acreage continues to grow from non-profit and private enterprise work.  Funny how the liberal county officials neglected to mention that huh?  And never mind that this tax hiking land grab by the county came on the heals of the worst flood in the state's history hitting us and a souring economy to boot!

And so when driving down a county road and you still see that big pothole needing attention from two years ago, that's because the all Democrat leadership isn't managing things well.  It's not because they didn't have the money to address the problem, it's because their priorities are out of whack. 

Yes, let's ignore the potholes, and make the county website purdy!

You might be a Johnson County Liberal if.........

You didn't say boo over the last four years as the county increased its budget 56% (from $53+ million in 2007 to $84+ million in 2010), but are crying foul now about spending $75,000 on a special election with a fiscal conservative looking to take a seat on that liberal county board.....

And never mind that the county auditor Slockett''s figure of $75,000 for the cost of this special election should be questioned, it shouldn't cost NEARLY that much.  He likes to waste taxpayer money on wages, overstaffing polling places, posting 8 people to process 2 voters at any given time....

Jim Mondanaro advocates kicking people out of homes to relocate Hancher

University of Iowa officials remain undecided about the future site for Hancher Auditorium. 

Devastated by the 2008 flood, the U of I has identified a two-block downtown site as a possible location to rebuild Hancher, a plan that is being pushed by local restauranteur Jim Mondanaro.

Mondanaro's vision for a downtown Hancher would financially benefit him, as the owner of Joseph's Steakhouse (downtown), The Bread Garden Market (downtown), Givanni's (yep, downtown), Bonehead's, (you guessed it, downtown) and Mickey's Pub (downtown - imagine that!).

There's a problem with that plan however, a large portion of that land is occupied by the Pentacrest Apartments and owner Jim Clark has no intention of selling.  Other properties standing in the way of Mondanaro's self-serving influence include a convenience store, two banks and an auto repair shop. 

Mondanaro has advocated the use of eminent domain.

In an interview with the Iowa City Press-Citizen, the man seemingly bent on greed said the following about Pentacrest Apartment owner Jim Clark and the use of eminent domain:   "I am not sure if he is going to have any choice in whether they sell or not."

It seems Mondanaro wants to displace people to get what he wants. 

So Jim, you want to displace some long-standing businesses in the Iowa City community, those entreprenuers don't have a right to ownership free of your unjust influence?  Employees don't need jobs?  People don't need a place to live?

Mondanaro's urging for displacement hardly seems like a liberal thing to do.....  Ironic then, how he's such a supporter of the Shelter House.  Emotional guilt trip?

Newsflash:  Eminent domain exists to serve the public good, i.e., the building of highways, provide utilities, or redevelop a blighted area.  It is NOT to be used to serve the needs of a restauranteur and Jim Mondanaro's urging to move Hancher downtown completely fails to meet legitimate eminent domain criteria.

Does Mondanaro deserve your business? 

City Offices Holiday Schedule 2009

CORALVILLE, IA. -- The next Council Meeting will be held on the regularly scheduled date of December 22 at 7:00 pm at City Hall.

Offices will be open regular business hours unless otherwise noted (see below).

Coralville City Hall and Coralville Police Department
Dec. 24..........Closed at noon
Dec. 25..........Closed
Dec. 31..........Closed at noon
Jan. 1............Closed

Coralville Recreation Center
Dec. 24 & 25..Closed
Dec. 26..........8:30 am - 9:00 pm
Dec. 31..........7:00 am - 5:00 pm
Jan. 1............Closed
Jan. 2............8:30 am - 9:00 pm

Coralville Recreation Center Indoor Pool
Dec. 24 & 25..Closed
Dec. 26..........Opens at 8:30 am for lap swim
Dec. 31..........Opens at 11:00 am for lap swim
Jan. 1............Closed
Jan. 2............Opens at 8:30 am for lap swim
See the indoor pool schedule for specific lap and open swim times.

Coralville Public Library
Dec. 24.........10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Dec. 25.........Closed
Dec. 31.........10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Jan. 1............Closed

Coralville Transit
Dec. 24..........Saturday route and schedule
Dec. 25..........No service
Dec. 31..........Regular schedule ending at 10:00 pm
Jan. 1............No service

Coralville Water, Wastewater, Solid Waste, Parks, and Streets Departments
Dec. 25..........Closed
Jan. 1............Closed

Garbage & Recycling Pickups
Dec. 25..........Will be picked up on Dec. 28
Jan. 1............Will be picked up on Jan. 4
All other routes remain the same.

White goods will be picked up on Thursday and Friday, December 17 and 18.

City Snow Removal

CORALVILLE, IA. -- The Streets Department works to make streets clear, drivable and safe during winter weather. Streets are cleared within 24 hours after snowfall ends and are plowed within 24 inches of the curb, unless restricted by parked vehicles. Salt and/or sand is spread when the City determines the streets are in a hazardous condition. Street parking is not permitted during snow removal unless the street has been plowed and the snowfall has stopped; street parking is prohibited between 2:00 am and 6:00 am, regardless of weather conditions.

Streets are cleared in the following priority order (exceptions may be made for emergencies):
1. Arterial streets
2. Transit routes
3. School area streets - a three-block radius around all public schools
4. Remaining residential streets
5. Cul-de-sacs

City sidewalk regulations require that residents remove snow and ice from sidewalks within 24 hours of accumulation. The City may clear the walkway and assess the removal costs against the property owner for sidewalks not cleared within the allotted time.

We appreciate your patience and safety during winter weather events. Additional information is available online or by calling 248-1740.

All power is inherent in the people - not government

"We established however some, although not all its [self-government] important principles. The constitutions of most of our States assert, that all power is inherent in the people; that they may exercise it by themselves, in all cases to which they think themselves competent, (as in electing their functionaries executive and legislative, and deciding by a jury of themselves, in all judiciary cases in which any fact is involved,) or they may act by representatives, freely and equally chosen; that it is their right and duty to be at all times armed." -- Thomas Jefferson, letter to John Cartwright, 1824

Iowa City Transportation Services: Service Notice for Christmas Holidays (Dec. 24 to 27)

IOWA CITY, IA. -- Thursday, December 24: Iowa City Transit will operate an abbreviated Saturday schedule. The last buses for the day will depart the downtown interchange at Clinton and Washington streets at 5pm. The Transportation Services offices will be closed. Ramp and on-street parking will be free of charge.

Friday, December 25: No bus service. Ramp and on-street parking will be free of charge. Administrative offices will remain closed.

Saturday, December 26: Iowa City Transit will operate a normal Saturday schedule. All parking ramps and on-street parking will operate normally.

Sunday, December 27: Iowa City Transit is closed. Parking facilities will operate a normal Sunday schedule.

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An End of Session Review of Federal Finances

Washington, D.C. - On the last day of the First Session of the 111^th Congress, the House passed two bills that are indicative of the overall state of federal finances.  First, the House passed legislation to increase the national debt limit by $290 billion (the fifth such increase since January 2007).   This vote was followed soon thereafter by a vote on the Democrats’ second “stimulus” bill of the year, which would add $150 billion to the nation’s debt.  Below are some of the highlights of federal finances as the First Session of the 111^th Congress comes to a close. 

 

A Record Deficit:  Since the Democrats took control of Congress, the federal deficit has increased from $162 billion (FY 2007), to $459 billion (FY 2008), to $1.42 trillion (FY 2009).  This is an increase of $1.3 trillion or 774.7% in just two years.   Last year’s deficit was the highest in U.S. history in nominal terms.  It beat the previous record—the $459 billion FY 2008 deficit—by $958 billion or 208.7%.  The FY 2009 deficit was 9.9% of GDP, the highest level since World War II.   

 

FY 2010 Starts Off Worse Than FY 2009:  In just the first two months of FY 2010, the federal government has run up a deficit of $292 billion.  In only five years in U.S. history (all of them during this decade) has the U.S. run a higher deficit for a year than what the FY 2010 deficit equals through just two months.  The deficit through the first two months of FY 2010 is actually $11 billion higher than the same period of FY 2009. 

 

Federal Spending Is Soaring:  In FY 2009, the federal government spent the record amount of $3.5 trillion. This was an increase of $532 billion or 17.8% compared to the previous year.  FY 2009 federal spending was 24.7% of GDP, which is also the highest level since World War II. 

 

Climbing Debt Burden:  The national debt exceeds $12.1 trillion ($39,500 per U.S. citizen).  Since Democrats took over Congress less than three years ago, the national debt has crossed the $9 trillion, $10 trillion, $11 trillion, and $12 trillion marks.

 

Habitual Debt Limit Increases:  In order to accommodate all of this new debt, in less than 3 years, the Democrat-controlled Congress has increased the debt limit five times, from $8.97 trillion in January 2007 to $12.39 trillion today—an increase of $3.4 trillion or 38.2%.  Even with the most recent increase, it is expected that the debt limit will have to be increased yet again in the spring. 

 

Growing Interest Payments Threaten Rest of Federal Budget:  During the current fiscal year, CBO projects interest payments on the debt will amount to $196 billion ($536 million per day).  According to CBO, if the budget is put on automatic pilot over the next decade, this figure grows to $722 billion in 2019 ($2 billion per day). 

 

Unsustainable Borrowing Outlook:  The public debt increased from 40.8% of GDP to 53.8% of GDP in FY 2009.  The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget projects that it will reach 85% of GDP by 2018, 100% of GDP by 2022, and 200% of GDP by 2038 (the record is 109% of GDP at end of World War II). 

Iowa Senator Paul McKinley: Big challenges for Iowa

It is often in the midst of our biggest challenges when we find our biggest opportunities. As the new legislative session commences next month, Iowa faces an enormous challenge: a deficit of nearly one billion dollars as a result of too much spending. Given this enormous deficit challenge, Senate Republicans believe we have a fantastic opportunity to enact real efficiencies and bring about long-term restructuring to state government, save the taxpayers money and reduce the overall size and scope of state government.
 
Earlier this week, Governor Culver signed an Executive Order ordering some minor management changes to some of the bureaucracies in state government. Yet, the governor’s plans, prepared by a $300,000 out-of-state consultant, were accompanied by tens of millions of dollars in new ways for the state to find more revenue.
 
Iowa’s fiscal problems do not exist because we have a revenue problem – they exist because we have a severe spending problem. Governor Culver and legislative Democrats have sky rocketed state spending by nearly twenty-five percent during the past three years. The focus of the Culver administration has been spending taxpayer money and it should come as no surprise that many of the recommendations Governor Culver identified are not actual savings but ways for the state to find increased revenue.
 
While Senate Republicans did not vote in support of the biggest budget, the most spending or the most borrowing in the state’s history, we believe Iowans expect all parties to offer real and tangible solutions to get Iowa’s fiscal footing back on solid ground. Just as Republicans offered over $300 million dollars in common sense cost savings during the last session, we will continue to work to offer even more immediate savings even if our previous suggestions were ignored by the Democrats.
 
But unlike many of Governor Culver’s suggestions which are short term and rely heavily on more revenue rather than real systemic government reorganization, Senate Republicans have offered both immediate solutions and a long-term vision for a leaner and more efficient state government. If implemented, the Senate Republican plan would keep government living within its means, protect taxpayers from the kinds of future spending sprees that we have witnessed during the last three years and ensure a more efficient delivery of necessary public services.
 
First, Senate Republicans propose and support an amendment to the Iowa Constitution to limit state spending to no more than 99 percent of state revenue. The current budget limitation law does not work and, just last year, Democrats authorized nearly 70 loopholes in the current law to allow their unsustainable spending increases. Only an amendment to the Iowa Constitution can stop lawmakers from creating record setting budget deficits and searching out loopholes to spend more of your hard earned money. Limiting spending to 99 percent of revenue ensures a balanced budget and the annual deposit of money into a rainy day fund. Amending the Iowa Constitution takes a few years so in the meantime, Iowa Republicans pledge not to give approval to any budgets that exceed the 99 percent limit.
 
Secondly, Senate Republicans propose requiring a two-thirds supermajority vote of both houses of the Legislature to authorize new state borrowing. Never again should one party have the sole authority to create these long-term debt burdens. At the local level, a 60 percent vote of the people is required to adopt new public debt to ensure there is widespread community support for the projects to be funded. At the state level, a two-thirds supermajority vote of the Legislature will help guarantee the same kind of broad support for similar taxpayer funded efforts.
 
Next, Senate Republicans propose a systematic process wherein every program funded by state government will be sunset (de-authorized) by a date certain unless the governor and Legislature reauthorize that program or policy. This important process will force a thorough top-to-bottom review of every existing program funded by your tax dollars to determine whether the program is an effective and efficient use of tax dollars. Many of the programs implemented in recent years were accompanied substantial expectations and huge promises and they simply have not delivered. Those programs that have not delivered are wasting taxpayer dollars and must be cut out.
 
Senate Republicans understand that we must get Iowa’s fiscal condition back on solid ground and stop the overspending. We must grow our economy and get more Iowans into sustainable jobs. To accomplish that important goal, Senate Republicans know that a stable fiscal condition with reasonable tax levels and regulatory provisions are what our small businesses, employers and entrepreneurs are looking for when they decide to start here, move here, invest here or expand here.
 
Let me be crystal clear, Iowa has an incredibly bright future and ample opportunity to come out of this economic malaise with a government that is leaner and more efficient and with an economy that is growing, prosperous and creating jobs. We are indeed facing a serious challenges but every challenge provides an opportunity. Lets not miss this opportunity to change our government, grow our economy and give our citizens the economic opportunities and jobs that they deserve.
 
As always, I welcome hearing from you and can be reached by phone at 515-281-3560 or by e-mail at paul.mckinley@legis.state.ia.us
 
Paul McKinley
Senate Republican Leader