Well, Terry the Terrible is at it once again. Looking down the barrel of not being quite the governor that luminaries such as Scott Walker and Bobby Jindal are, Branstad pulls a tax cut for businesses out of nowhere. Being a founding member of ALEC carries with it a lot of responsibility to turn everything over to the profiteers and bankrupt the government. It’s embarrassing to see upstarts stealing your thunder.

Sometimes a Governor just has to go it alone and screw the laws and rules about how government is supposed to run. That stuff just gets in the way. It slows down the profits you know. Makes a governor look weak.

When a juvenile home needed shutting, Terry did it without listening to anyone; when the mental health hospitals needed to be shut down, Terry did it, damn the laws; when a business needs a couple of bucks or maybe $110 million, Terry ponied up our money; when there’s some money to be made scamming the Medicaid system through administrative costs or bogus co-pays, Terry can do it; declaring poverty when faced with funding schools or helping out food banks for the poor, Terry is there with the sad story of a poor state.

If he can’t do it himself he enlists a duke — er — I mean an appointee like Bruce Rastetter to do the job. Wrecking Iowa’s University system? On its way. That’ll teach for graduating folks like Branstad and Rastetter!

The one big target, I mean goal, is to dismantle the public unions. That is probably on tap for next year. Once dismantled, Branstad can step aside and give the throne to Kim Reynolds. That way she will be an incumbent for the 2018 election. That way the people of Iowa will keep electing her just like we reelected Branstad over and over. Iowans hate to change politicians no matter what they do or how bad they are for our state. Just look at Chuck Grassley.

Branstad scoffs at the legislature. Who do they think they are anyway? Representatives of some group of people or something. Branstad acts as if he is more than just a governor – more like a king, beholden to nobody. If Iowans don’t hold him accountable for his outrageous actions by dismissing him at election time or calling him on his actions, he might as well act as the king he seems to think he is.

Kings seldom act in the best interest of the people but act in the best interest of other nobles like themselves. A group of Americans recognized this in the 18th century. But if we don’t keep a wary eye on our leaders they will grab every advantage they can.

From Iowa Rep. Mark Smith (D – Marshalltown):

Next Tuesday, October 13, the Legislature’s Administrative Rules Review Committee will consider this issue. The committee can delay or reject the proposed change.

Here’s how you can help keep valuable and limited tax dollars available to invest in local schools: Send a public comment opposing ARC 2178C.

1) Send an email message with the subject line: “Public comment on ARC 2178C”

2) Address it to: victoria.daniels@iowa.gov of the Iowa Department of Revenue and jack.ewing@legis.iowa.gov of the Legislative Services Agency.

3) Explain why you oppose this effort to massively cut corporate taxes without a vote by the Legislature. Points you might address include:

a. Why have a Legislature if the Governor can give away almost $40 million without vote.
b. How will education ever be affordable if the priority is corporate tax cuts.
c. The economic benefits of strong local schools.
d. Crowded class sizes, teacher layoffs, and reduced course offerings due to lack of investment in local schools.

Your comments will become part of the official record and will shared with every member of the committee.

Let me add that if you could, please sign this petition calling for the legislature to stop Branstad’s unilateral move.