The Legislature was put into overdrive last week, as we faced the first of two “funnel” deadlines where bills had to be voted out of committee in order to be eligible for further debate. Several high-profile bills managed to make it through, and now will be placed on the Calendar for consideration on the House [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Spending’
State Auditor’s Review of the 2011 Budget
State Auditor David Vaudt completed his audit of Governor Culver’s FY 2011 budget this week and the results were troubling. Auditor Vaudt used numbers from the non-partisan Legislative Services Agency, and found that the Governor’s budget may be as much as $400 million out of balance. Auditor Vaudt’s review also indicates that this budget exceeds [...]
Newsletter – January 15th 2010
As the session begins, there is not only an atmosphere of excitement, but also one of trepidation. It is no secret to most of you that Iowa faces many challenges, but as public servants I believe we should be here to meet those challenges head-on, rather than try to hide them or pass them along [...]
Newsletter – December 30, 2009
“…And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.”
– President Obama, Inaugural Address, January 20th 2009.
Friends and neighbors,
Over the past [...]
Newsletter – December 2nd
Greetings! With the 2010 legislative session quickly approaching, it is time to begin my regular newsletters once again. Over the next several weeks, I want to provide a preview of the upcoming session, so we can work together to address the concerns which are ahead for Iowa.
These are difficult financial times across the country, with [...]
Owen’s Tax Dollars at Work in Windsor Heights
My wife Amanda and my son Owen went out for a walk today, and ended up at Colby Park here in Windsor Heights. Amanda sent me a picture message from her phone of a new sign in front of the job site for the new community center:
I suspect that the Culver Administration thinks that this [...]
Impact of Culver’s 10% Across-The-Board Cut
Yesterday, October 8th, Governor Chet Culver responded to the state of Iowa’s $415 budget gap for FY 2010 by issuing an executive order imposing a 10% across-the-board (ATB) spending cut. Although the Governor tried to blame the budget gap solely on the national economy, he conveniently ignored huge increases in spending during his first [...]
Iowa State Auditor Budget Update
State Auditor David Vaudt released his review of the FY 2010 budget today. The following is a YouTube video discussing the state’s budget situation. This is an updated summary of the presentation that he has been delivering around the state. Auditor Vaudt does a terrific job of providing a clear, sobering look [...]
