I thought I would take the opportunity to comment on a few things that have been happening in politics …

Truth Bill Dead
Republican leadership in the Iowa House has given up on a truth in
campaigning bill when it comes to political campaign ads. This bill
would have fined candidates for lying about their opponents in campaign
ads.

Luckily, this bill went nowhere. However, there was at least one
interesting quote that came out of the limited discussion this idea
received.

House Majority Leader Chuck Gipp, R-Decorah, said, “The problem you
have is you always have constitutional rights and freedom of speech
issues …” Yes, Representative Gipp, that pesky Constitution gets in the
way again.

I believe in truthful campaign ads as much as the next guy but if an
incumbent claims he or she is pro-education, and their opponent finds
an instance or two where the incumbent voted against additional funding
for education, should this issue come before a judge? And I always
thought it was the Republicans who complain about lawyers and their
frivolous lawsuits.

Representative Ed Fallon Announces for Governor
While I appreciate Representative Fallon’s commitment to a clean
campaign void of any special interest money, I honestly think he’s
shooting himself in the foot. He mentioned in his announcement speech
that he saw election reform as his number one goal. That’s admirable,
but to be honest, I’m not sure that it is the people of Iowa’s number
one concern.

The people of Iowa want economic growth and I don’t think that
necessarily means more casinos. They want this growth in all parts of
Iowa and they want this growth to be something that they can celebrate.
Economic growth based on celebrating our small communities and
returning a quality of life to Iowa that has long been forgotten. Hell,
I don’t know, maybe that’s just what I want.
 
At this point in the game, my only advice to Representative Fallon
would be to reconsider his self-imposed limits on accepting PAC money.
I think that change can come about but I think the system has a much
better chance of being changed from within. So I would encourage him to
raise as much money as he can, forget the limits, get elected, and then
go to work. Oh, and he’ll need a good reason for supporting Nader in
2000, he will get asked that a lot.

Seed Bill Signed, Sealed and Delivered to Corporate Ag
In yet another example of an attack on Iowa’s Home Rule, the Iowa House
and Senate have both passed legislation that will pre-empt local
governments from controlling the types of agricultural seeds that are
planted in their counties and municipalities. Unfortunately, Governor
Vilsack has signed this piece of legislation. Why?

House Talks Tough on Sex Offenders
The Iowa House talked tough last week on sex offenders, passing
legislation for tougher penalties, new money for increased prison
terms, and increased monitoring of released sex offenders. All of this
sounds great, and all of it will cost additional money. Unfortunately,
money wasn’t appropriated. According to House Democratic leader Pat
Murphy, the legislation requires the Attorney General’s office and the
Department of Public Safety to find $3.6 million dollars in their
existing budgets to pay for these new laws. My guess is that these
departments aren’t delighted to have to find this extra money in their
already strapped budgets. State troopers are at a 40-year low and we’ve
laid off prison guards while increasing prison populations. In the Iowa
House, talk is cheap, literally.

Social Security and Iowa’s Tom Latham
In a piece of propaganda, I mean, literature distributed by Tom
Latham’s office on Social Security, Representative Latham says he “will
continue to fight for reforms that protect the current benefits and
needs of current retirees and those nearing retirement. This includes
absolutely opposing any plan to privatize Social Security.”

But in a town hall meeting just a few weeks ago here in north Iowa,
Representative Latham was asked directly, “Do you support private
accounts as part of Social Security?” He said that he does
support private accounts and went on to use the standard the sky is
falling scare tactic. The questioner then asked why his literature said
one thing and he said another. Representative Latham explained that
when he says he opposes any plan to privatize Social Security, he means
getting rid of it all together and privatizing the whole thing, but
that he is not opposed to privatizing parts of it.

My suggestion to avoid such confusion about what the guy says in the
future is to do what my wife did to that last slick mailer he produced.
Mark it, “RETURN TO SENDER” and put it in the corner mailbox. It may
not do any good, but it might make you feel better.

Bankruptcy Bill
It’s gone through the U.S. Senate and it’s likely to sail through the
House tomorrow. Our federal government is about to make it harder for
people to file for bankruptcy protection. The bill does a host of other
favors for the already booming credit card industry and sticks it to
the little guy plain and simple.