The Legislature will now get to work to determine the fine details of the budget.  I will not support any bill which will ask for more from any taxpayer.  We need to rein in government spending, set funding priorities, and place Iowa on a strong financial path once again.  Employed and unemployed Iowans are counting on us to help improve the state of Iowa’s economy, not enact more regulations and taxes to pay for other programs.

Private business will be the real engine for economic recovery.

I am also calling on the majority party to set aside several job-killing bills.  The Legislature has already wasted too much time on efforts to repeal Iowa’s Right-to-Work law and to allow doctor shopping in worker’s compensation claims.  Again this week, a bill was introduced to repeal federal deductibility, which would be a huge tax increase as it would force us to pay a state tax on the dollars we send to the federal government.  Any of these bills would be bad for business and workers.

Do not be misled by claims that this is just a revenue problem.  Rather than point fingers at external causes, we must come to grip with the fact that a big part of our current budget shortfall is runaway state spending.

(Numbers on the chart from the non-partisan Legislative Services Agency.  The dark blue and light blue bars indicate general fund expenditures (light blue for one-time federal stimulus money).  The green bar indicates Gov. Culver’s recent 10% cut)

Last week, I had the privilege of attending the 11th annual Iowa Christian Academy Celebration.  A very special thank you to Charles Croyle and his wife Lisa, who invited me to attend as their guest.  The evening featured several wonderful presentations by ICA students, a dramatic presentation by Mr. Michael Ernst as Charles Carroll (the last living signer of the Declaration of Independence), and capped off by a speech by Bryan English of the Iowa Family Policy Center.

Iowa Christian Academy an independent Christian school in West Des Moines.  Their mission statement reads:  “Founded in 1999, Iowa Christian Academy (ICA) is an independent, interdenominational school meeting the educational needs of preschool through 12th grade students. ICA is an accredited college-preparatory school that provides academic excellence in a nurturing Christian environment. ICA works in partnership with families to help students become all that God intended them to be.” It was clear from the evening’s celebration that they executing this mission well.

The central theme of the evening’s program was on American history, government and civic responsibility.  It was encouraging to see future leaders of our country who understand the proper role of government in society.  Three students stood together to recite the Gettysburg Address from memory, while others presented portions of the Declaration of Independence.   It was a challenge to me that I need to go back and re-read some of our founding documents again.

I particularly enjoyed Mr. Ernst’s dramatic interpretation of Charles Carroll.  Mr. Ernst’s organizaion called “His Men Revealed” .  From their website:

His Men Revealed is the drama ministry of Michael J. Ernst, which includes a series of presentations, programs and workshops. Mike makes characters come alive to present Christian messages and reveal men who have shaped our faith.  His Men Revealed offers personalized programs for churches, schools and community organizations.

Mr. Ernst treated us to a history of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the founding principles upon which our country was built.  Mr. Ernst’s work was very much appreciated, and I look forward to seeing him again in the near future.

The evening was capped off by Bryan English’s speech.  Through his work with IFPC, Bryan has become a leader in the movement to allow the people of Iowa the right to vote on a constitutional amendment defining marriage in Iowa.  Bryan understands very well that our state and our country are at a crossroads, and that our country needs great young people like the students at ICA.  The students at ICA are clearly going to be future leaders in our country, and that is a very good thing.

Hours:
Opening Night, Wednesday September 9th 4:00 p.m. -9:00 p.m Admission: Adults $5.00 (To use a book scanner $10.00) Children 17 and under FREE

Free Admission all other days:
Thursday, Friday and Saturday: 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Closed Sunday
Monday: 9:00 AM -6:00 PM

If you would like to volunteer your time or have books to donate, click here.

This is a great event for a terrific cause. Iowa Right to Life is an organization that my family is proud to support. Iowa Right to Life has been fighting for women in the wake of the 1973 Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court case, providing information on resources available in Iowa for women who are considering abortion and resources on healing and comfort for women who suffer from post abortion syndrome.

Amanda and I make sure we visit this book sale every year. This time, we’re going to be stocking up on more children’s books for Owen. Right now, his favorite book is Rough and Tough Diggers and Dumpers, but I keep thinking that one of these days, he’s going to be ready to move on.

I hope that you’ll take the opportunity to visit the booksale, and support the very important work of IRLC.

There are plenty of tickets remaining for the game, and the price is a real bargain. Not only do you get an evening of baseball, but you get the tailgate/picnic before the game. We’re going to take our 20 month-old son Owen along; the kid loves baseball. He’ll be decked out in all his Cardinals gear, because he’s loyal to the Redbirds.

The current members of the board:

Mark Lyons, President
Terry Tobin, Vice-President
Barbara Burnett
Jill Hansen
Susan Moritz
Tom Suckow
H. Milton Cole