Jan 15 2010
….aaaaand We’re Back.
Well that was interesting. We have been battling a minor database issue and service may remain intermittent until further notice.
Thanks for your patience!
Nov 24 2009
Warning signs for Chet Culver
Add Iowa Gov. Chet Culver to the list of Democratic governors seeing their approval numbers in free-fall, with the economy continuing to struggle in states throughout the country.
Culver has seen his approval rating dip to a new low and he now trails two prospective Republican opponents, including his leading challenger by 24 points, according to a newly-released Iowa Poll commissioned by the Des Moines Register.
Iowa voters are clearly taking their economic anxieties out on the governor. A 57 percent majority of voters believe the state is headed in the wrong direction, while only 34 percent believe it’s headed on the right track.
Culver trails former Iowa governor Terry Branstad, 57 to 33 percent, an ominously low number for a sitting governor who’s not dealing with any personal scandals. He also trails conservative businessman Bob Vander Plaats by seven points, 45 to 38 percent.
Nov 23 2009
Register Poll: State Republicans like what they see in Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin could expect a lot of support in Iowa’s Republican caucuses if she launched a campaign for the 2012 presidential nomination, according to The Des Moines Register’s Iowa Poll.But the rising national figure, who is scheduled to stop in Iowa next month on her national book tour, would also have to contend with a lot of doubts about her — unlike her potential rivals, the poll found.
The first public poll to test Palin’s favorabilty in the leadoff nominating state found 55
percent of all Iowans hold an unfavorable opinion of Palin a little more than a year after the last election. Only 37 percent feel favorably about her.And those feelings are intense: The percentage of Iowans who view Palin very unfavorably is more than twice as large as the percentage who view her very favorably.
But more than two-thirds of Republicans like what they see, making her a credible candidate for the 2012 caucuses should she decide to run for president, strategists say.
Palin fares well against possible rivals
Sixty-eight percent of Iowa Republicans view Palin favorably. That’s close to the 70 percent who hold favorable views of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who won the 2008 caucuses, and it’s higher than the 66 percent who view former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich favorably. Palin’s number is also higher than that of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, runner-up in the 2008 caucuses, who is viewed favorably by 58 percent of the state’s Republicans.Huckabee, Romney and Gingrich are considered 2012 presidential prospects.
“With those kind of numbers, if she were to become a candidate, while it’s not a sure thing, she would be starting out in a very good position,” said veteran Iowa GOP strategist David Roederer, who ran McCain’s 2008 Iowa campaign.
Nov 13 2009
Rep. Steve King Dicusses WH Advisor Valerie Jarrett
This will make Steve King no friends in the White House. Rep. King has been increasing his visibility lately and, as a result, has become a favorite target of the left. Much like Michele Bachman
Washington News Observer interviewed Congressman Steve King (R-IA) on Obama’s senior advisor – Valerie Jarrett.
Ms. Jarrett has known President Obama for several decades and moved to Washington, DC following the successful election of her candidate. Currently, Ms. Jarrett is is a senior advisor and assistant to the president for Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs.
Nov 03 2009
NYT: In Iowa, Second Thoughts on Obama
From the NYT [Video at Link is worth a watch]:
The bloom is off the rose. Some Iowans are evidently learning that Obama is not quite the transformative political figure the media made him out to be. Turns out he wasn’t the Messiah after all, just a Chicago politician. Lack of leadership, too eager to play the blame game, Iowans have soured on Obama
One year after winning the election, Mr. Obama has seen his pledge to transcend partisanship in Washington give way to the hardened realities of office. A campaign for the history books, filled with a sky-high sense of possibility for Mr. Obama not just among legions of loyal Democrats but also among converts from outside the party, has descended to an unfamiliar plateau for a president whose political rise was as rapid as it was charmed.
Interviews with voters across Iowa offer a window into how the president’s standing has leveled off, especially among the independents and Republicans who contributed not just to his margin of victory in the caucuses here but also to the optimism among his supporters that his election would be a break from standard-issue politics.
In Iowa, Ms. Pauline McAreavy, retired school nurse and Obama supporter, fears that the president’s health care plan will shortchange her Medicare benefits and mean infrequent mammogram examinations. She worries that his decision on Afghanistan will mean that her son, a member of the Iowa National Guard, will return to the battlefield. And she believes that too many of Mr. Obama’s actions are rooted in Democratic politics.
“All my Republican friends — and independents — are sitting back saying, ‘Oh, what did we do?” Ms. McAreavy said. “I’m not to that point yet, but a lot of people are.”A social studies teacher who saw Mr. Obama on his maiden visit here wonders whether momentum from the election is gone forever. A retired electrical engineer who became a Democrat to support Mr. Obama believes that the president too often blames others for his troubles. And a teacher who voted for Mr. Obama because she was fed up with President George W. Bush does not trust this administration any more than the previous one.
As a candidate, Mr. Obama soared, several people said in interviews, but as a president, he often has come across as cautious, tentative and prone to blame his troubles on others.
Oct 29 2009
Iowa Stimulus Projects Detailed - Ames, Iowa
The Obama administration has slammed a report from The Associated Press alleging the government had overstated by thousands the number of jobs it has created or saved with federal contracts under President Obama’s $787 billion recovery program. Below are details from a specific project based in Iowa.
All data below is from Recovery.gov
Recipent
HDR Architecture, Inc.
City
Ames
Award Description
Architect-Engineering Services to replace roofs on large animal buildings 3 & 4, and utility building 155.
Award Amount
$62,243
Project Description
Activities completed during this reporting period are initial contract set-up and preliminary project review.
Job Creation Comments
This ARRA funded task has impacted the following employees: Project Controller, Senior Architect, and Project Manager
Number of Jobs (Saved or Created) Claimed
0.03
Cost per job
$2,074,766.67
Oct 29 2009
Iowa Stimulus Projects Detailed - City of Council Bluffs
The Obama administration has slammed a report from The Associated Press alleging the government had overstated by thousands the number of jobs it has created or saved with federal contracts under President Obama’s $787 billion recovery program. Below are details from a specific project based in Iowa.
All data below is from Recovery.gov
Recipent
COUNCIL BLUFFS, CITY OF (INC)
City
Council Bluffs
Award Description
This grant will be used to purchase equipment, training, and information and technology. These purchases will allow all agencies to continue to be progressive which will assist in officer retention and recruiting.
Award Amount
$541,500
Project Description
None
Job Creation Comments
N/A
Number of Jobs (Saved or Created) Claimed
0
Cost per job
Div by Zero Error!
Oct 29 2009
Iowa Stimulus Projects Detailed - C3T, Inc Iowa City
The Obama administration has slammed a report from The Associated Press alleging the government had overstated by thousands the number of jobs it has created or saved with federal contracts under President Obama’s $787 billion recovery program. Below are details from a specific project based in Iowa.
All data below is from Recovery.gov
Recipent
C3T, Inc
City
Iowa City
Award Description
Renovate Inpatient Medical/Surgical Ward 7 East
Award Amount
$1,912,000
Project Description
No work has begun.
Job Creation Comments
No jobs created.
Number of Jobs (Saved or Created) Claimed
7
Cost per job
Disregarding the “No jobs Created” comment. We’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and go with 7:
$273,142.86
Oct 29 2009
Iowa Stimulus Projects Detailed - BNSF Railway Burlington
The Obama administration has slammed a report from The Associated Press alleging the government had overstated by thousands the number of jobs it has created or saved with federal contracts under President Obama’s $787 billion recovery program. Below are details from a specific project based in Iowa.
All data below is from Recovery.gov
Recipent
BNSF RAILWAY COMPANY
City
Burlington
Award Description
Note that this is not a federal award contract, grant, or loan; thus the above reporting information section is not applicable to this report. The recovery funds reported herein are reimbursement of the federal share of the expenses accrued by Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Company for altering BNSF Bridge over the Upper Mississippi River in Burlington, Iowa under the provisions of Truman-Hobbs Act.
The existing bridge was declared by the Coast Guard to be unreasonably obstruction to navigation. The Coast Guard issued Order to Alter to BNSF requiring BNSF to replace the swing span of the existing bridge with a new lift span that provides wider navigation opening necessary in order to render navigation through and under the bridge reasonably free, easy, and unobstructed. The alteration of the draw span is conducted by BNSF personnel and through contracts between BNSF and contractors / consultants. All construction activities, expenditures, and contracts executed under this project are monitored by the Coast Guard.
The project received $36,445,756 through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 that leveraged $26,778,889 of previously obligated funds appropriated to the project and created $63,224,645 (amount of award) simulative [sic] impact on construction industry. Prior of receiving the recovery funds, $1,200,000 was spent from the previously obligated funds to complete the design of the bridge.
Award Amount (ARRA Received)
$63,224,645 ($305,610.34)
Project Description
For 3rd quarter 2009 - Contractor has mobilized to site, mussel relocation work is complete, all permits are in hand, drilling core samples at the new drilled shaft foundation locations in under way, review of RFIs and shop drawings, ordering some of the construction material.
Job Creation Comments
4 FTE created, 6 FTE retained. Three of the jobs were operating engineers and the last new job was a carpenter position.
Number of Jobs (Saved or Created) Claimed
10
Cost Per Job
Using the $36,445,756 figure from the award description: $3.6 Million per job
Oct 28 2009
An Appeal to Help Bring Sarah Palin to Iowa
UPDATE: No can do. And manufactured controversy put to rest.
She’s not coming, but would like to in the future. She’d also come for free.
We extended our invitation knowing she would be in the middle of her book tour and the chances of her being able to accept any invitations were extremely slim.
From TeamSarah.org:
We have an opportunity to support Sarah Palin DIRECTLY and to promote the values she represents.
The Iowa Family Policy Action center needs to raise $41,000 in order to have Sarah Palin come to speak on November 21, 2009. They have raised $59,000 already, but they need to know there is enough to coming in to ensure that they can pull this off.
As you know, we at Team Sarah have supported efforts to raise money for Sarah Palin’s PAC and for the Legal Defense Fund, but this effort will actually help her and her family directly and enable her to have resources she directly controls to take care of all the things she needs to do as she launches her national effort to restore the core values of our Conservative movement.
I am appealing to you DIRECTLY to ACT NOW and support raising the remaining $41,000 so ensure that Sarah Palin can come to this event, and to show Sarah Palin that she has no better friend and ally than Team Sarah!
We have set up a donations page you can go to, 100% of this money will towards raising this money to have Sarah Palin come and speak. When she speaks, we will also ask our members to help promote the event and work with our promotions teams to ensure that her message gets out LOUD AND CLEAR throughout the whole internet.
We have 74,000 PLUS members, and are still growing, and I am convinced that there are AT LEAST 8,000 of us who can send in at least $5 to support this effort.
Will you help?
Use this URL to make a donation today! URL: www.sba-list.org/iowa
Thank you all,
Bill Collier
Team Sarah Community Governance
Update IFPC Press Release
10/27/09 Pleasant Hill, IA – In response to media inquiries, Iowa Family Policy Center ACTION President Chuck Hurley responded today to questions concerning a potential appearance by former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin at an upcoming IFPC Action event.
According to Hurley, “We have reached out to Governor Palin through both official and informal channels and extended an invitation for her to keynote our annual fundraising event.” He went on to say, “We are not yet ready to confirm the specifics, but are hopeful that all the details can be worked out for her to come.”
IFPC Action began soliciting financial support for the event this week in anticipation of the Governor’s potential visit. Responding to questions raised by preliminary fundraising for the event, Hurley said the event, scheduled for November 21st, would be “on a much larger scale than our banquet last November,” and that “we are preparing now to make sure the Governor’s visit is a huge success should she accept our invitation.”
IFPC Action welcomed Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal on his first trip to Iowa when he spoke at last year’s event. Previous IFPC Action speakers include Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, and Family Research Council President Tony Perkins.
Should Palin accept the invitation, her appearance at the IFPC Action event would mark her first trip to Iowa since she traveled the state as the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee.
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