Category: Political
News from the Hill…
This week another step in the budget process was taken. The House Republicans and the Senate Democrats released their respective budget targets. For Fiscal Year (FY) 2014, which is the budget we are working on, there is $7.1822 billion available to spend. However, of that amount only $6.5377 billion is an on-going revenue stream. To spend all the projected available dollars in a high revenue growth year to grow government, sets future budgets at risk for across the board cuts. I simply will not use one-time money for an on-going expenditure. I will spend less than what the state collects and will not balance the budget with smoke and mirrors to deceive the tax payers of Iowa just to spend more money. Growing government is not a priority of mine. Growing jobs, building personal family monetary strength and opportunity is a priority of mine. We are proposing to spend $6.4139 billion, which is an increase of 3 percent over last year’s level. Our proposal spends 98% of on-going revenue or 89.55% of available revenue for FY 2014. This budget leaves a projected ending balance of $840.7 million at the end of the Fiscal Year 2014. While revenue growth is currently ahead of projections, there is so much uncertainty about future revenue due to the on-going drought conditions, slow economic growth and the federal budget situation.
Our budget proposal continues the practice we implemented two years ago of aligning spending with revenue. The budget continues to make state commitments a priority. The budget proposal fully funds property tax credits, funding necessary to maintain our commitment to education; including the funding necessary to allow the Regents universities to freeze tuition, $10 million to the community colleges and a two percent increase in supplemental state aid for our local schools.
The Senate Democrats budget targets were released 30 minutes after the House and they take a completely different road. They spend $6.9010 billion in the state General Fund which is an eleven percent increase over last year. Senate Democrats are proposing to spend $1.05 for every dollar of on-going state revenue. This simply does not make sense and places future taxpayers at risk. To sustain this amount of spending would require 6.2% growth in revenues for FY 15. The Revenue Estimating Conference is projecting revenue growth of 3.3 percent in FY 13 and for FY 14 to have growth of 3.4%. Historically revenue growth over the last twenty years has averaged 3.34 percent. To spend more than the average growth is simply fiscally irresponsible. While details of their budget were not released it is apparent there are big differences between the two budgets and the two caucus’s philosophical views.
Funnel week approaching…
We are one week away from being half way through session. Policy bills need to be out of their respective committees by March 8 or they are dead for the year. There will be a substantial mount of bills that will no longer be eligible for debate after next Friday. The term “funnel” was established because many bills will be funneled out of circulation. Bills in the Ways and Means Committee and the Appropriations Committee are funnel proofed and eligible for consideration throughout the entire session. While the policy committees are slowing down, our work load will be picking up. There are a certain amount of policy bills every year that may have a tax or a fee included in them that forces them to come to the Ways and Means Committee. Usually when they come to my committee we only spend time discussing the fee or tax portion of the bill and not the entire bill. This same approach applies to the Appropriations Committee if there is an appropriation in a policy bill. Both of these two committees are on call all session long.
“To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society.”
– Theodore Roosevelt
For more information on these and other bills: www.legis.iowa.gov
-Tom Sands
Falcon:
Here’s another behind the scenes waste of money by the Obama administration. The Obama administration always says one thing while constantly doing just the opposite just as all those before him. Democrats always lie about what they are actually doing which can be summed up as, “Do as I say, not as I do.” It’s all about control with the democrats.
Report shows luxury jets were used to taxi around Attorney General Eric Holder, his two predecessors and FBI Director Robert Mueller at a cost of $11.4M — though some was reimbursed, one lawmaker calls the expense ‘ludicrous. Holder is one of the worst AG we’ve ever had but what he thinks of himself and what he is are two different things.
The Obama administration is still allowing numerous government departments to fly employees all over the country to attend so called meetings that are nothing more than vacation trips at taxpayer expense. We’re talking about millions of dollars spent on foolish meetings just like the GSA held a year or so ago and got caught.
House report says ‘big-ticket’ conferences cost taxpayers $340M | Fox News
It’s just sickening what our government waste on lavish parties while calling them conferences.
Government running amuck at our expense when there is more than enough conference rooms in the D.C. area without going to Hawaii or Las Vegas. Most of these conferences are nothing more than vacations at taxpayer expense, promoted by nothing more than false self worth, coupled with government ineptness and lack of fiscal restraint.
JS
News from the Hill…
This week the Iowa House passed HF 215 which is a bill on education reform. We started around 6:30 in the evening and the debate had concluded by midnight but the floor manager did not have time to give his closing remarks on the bill. A couple of years ago we passed a rule that no vote could be taken after midnight. So the debate was temporally deferred until 8:30 the next morning. At that time the closing remarks were given and the bill passed 52 voting aye, 44 voting nay and 4 absent or not voting. I voted for this bill.
This is a record investment in Iowa schools and teachers, at full implementation it will be an investment of $157 million. Supplemental State Aid (formerly known as Allowable Growth) will provide an additional $69 million in Fiscal Year 2014 and $43 million in Fiscal Year 2015. With that, the bill promises the state will pick up the resulting property tax increase of around $8 million in each of the next two years, protecting property tax payers. This bill creates career pathways for teachers and provides incentives for teachers in high-needs fields. Through the new changes implemented, we are heading towards a system where teacher and administrator evaluations will mean something and be based on a number of factors. Communities will be able to see quantitatively how their local schools are performing. We know that every school district across the state has different needs and faces different challenges. In this bill there is flexibility built in which allows local districts to implement innovative systems that best fit their own district. We are investing in a strategy that brings the best practice of high-performing school districts to all of our schools.
Property Tax…
The Governor’s property tax bill was assigned and we had our first subcommittee meeting this week. The bill addresses the high property taxes that Iowa companies have to pay and sets up a plan to lower their taxes. The bill while doing this, does not shift the burden on other property tax payers. There is language in the bill that is a standing appropriation for the state to replace the potential dollars that local governments may loose. The bill also addresses the high property tax dollars Residential and Ag land have to pay by lowering their cap on taxable growth. This bill, HSB 150 and HF 2, which I am the lead sponsor on, are the only two bills protecting all property tax payers. The House Republicans with Governor Branstad are committed to protect the property tax payers of Iowa. I have assigned myself as the floor manager of both of these bills.
Expanding Medicaid is not the answer…
In a country that has a record deficit and is dysfunctional at the federal level, entering into an agreement that is primarily funded in federal dollars is not very fiscally intelligent. Actuarial reports estimate that it will cost the state of Iowa between $171.2 million and $536.6 million total from FY 2014 to FY 2020. If the Federal government chose to go to a blended rate or to reduce their match on Medicaid dollars, Iowa taxpayers would have to pick up the balance. In 2004 the Federal governments share of Medicaid was 63.8%, for fiscal year 2014 it is estimated the Federal match will be 58.4%. This means over the last ten years, the state has had to pay $192.5 million in additional Medicaid benefits that the federal government had previously paid for. The taxpayers of Iowa cannot afford any more so called help from the federal government. To quote President Reagan, “We should measure welfare’s success by how many people leave welfare, not by how many are added.”
Medicaid is a welfare program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states. This should not be confused with Medicare which is a national social insurance program, administered by the U.S. federal government and that guarantees access to health insurance for Americans ages 65 and older and younger people with disabilities.
“It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.”
– George Washington
For more information on these and other bills: www.legis.iowa.gov
-Tom Sands
This weeks Forum Topic is, “Taxes”
8:30 – 10:00
Saturday, February 23
Iowa Wesleyan College, Mt. Pleasant
Mr. President,
As a student who was shot and wounded during the Columbine massacre, I have a few thoughts on the current gun debate. In regards to your gun control initiatives:
Universal Background Checks
First, a universal background check will have many devastating effects. It will arguably have the opposite impact of what you propose. If adopted, criminals will know that they can not pass a background check legally, so they will resort to other avenues. With the conditions being set by this initiative, it will create a large black market for weapons and will support more criminal activity and funnel additional money into the hands of thugs, criminals, and people who will do harm to American citizens.
Second, universal background checks will create a huge bureaucracy that will cost an enormous amount of tax payers dollars and will straddle us with more debt. We cannot afford it now, let alone create another function of government that will have a huge monthly bill attached to it.
Third, is a universal background check system possible without universal gun registration? If so, please define it for us. Universal registration can easily be used for universal confiscation. I am not at all implying that you, sir, would try such a measure, but we do need to think about our actions through the lens of time.
It is not impossible to think that a tyrant, to the likes of Mao, Castro, Che, Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, and others, could possibly rise to power in America. It could be five, ten, twenty, or one hundred years from now — but future generations have the natural right to protect themselves from tyrannical government just as much as we currently do. It is safe to assume that this liberty that our forefathers secured has been a thorn in the side of would-be tyrants ever since the Second Amendment was adopted.
Ban on Military-Style Assault Weapons
The evidence is very clear pertaining to the inadequacies of the assault weapons ban. It had little to no effect when it was in place from 1994 until 2004. It was during this time that I personally witnessed two fellow students murder twelve of my classmates and one teacher. The assault weapons ban did not deter these two murderers, nor did the other thirty-something laws that they broke.
Gun ownership is at an all time high. And although tragedies like Columbine and Newtown are exploited by ideologues and special-interest lobbying groups, crime is at an all time low. The people have spoken. Gun store shelves have been emptied. Gun shows are breaking attendance records. Gun manufacturers are sold out and back ordered. Shortages on ammo and firearms are countrywide. The American people have spoken and are telling you that our Second Amendment shall not be infringed.
10-Round Limit for Magazines
Virginia Tech was the site of the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history. Seung-Hui Cho used two of the smallest caliber hand guns manufactured and a handful of ten round magazines. There are no substantial facts that prove that limited magazines would make any difference at all. Second, this is just another law that endangers law-abiding citizens. I’ve heard you ask, “why does someone need 30 bullets to kill a deer?”
Let me ask you this: Why would you prefer criminals to have the ability to out-gun law-abiding citizens? Under this policy, criminals will still have their 30-round magazines, but the average American will not. Whose side are you on?
Lastly, when did they government get into the business of regulating “needs?” This is yet another example of government overreaching and straying from its intended purpose.
Selling to Criminals
Mr. President, these are your words: “And finally, Congress needs to help, rather than hinder, law enforcement as it does its job. We should get tougher on people who buy guns with the express purpose of turning around and selling them to criminals. And we should severely punish anybody who helps them do this.”
Why don’t we start with Eric Holder and thoroughly investigate the Fast and Furious program?
Furthermore, the vast majority of these mass murderers bought their weapons legally and jumped through all the hoops — because they were determined to murder. Adding more hoops and red tape will not stop these types of people. It doesn’t now — so what makes you think it will in the future? Criminals who cannot buy guns legally just resort to the black market.
Criminals and murderers will always find a way.
Critical Examination
Mr. President, in theory, your initiatives and proposals sound warm and fuzzy — but in reality they are far from what we need. Your initiatives seem to punish law-abiding American citizens and enable the murderers, thugs, and other lowlifes who wish to do harm to others.
Let me be clear: These ideas are the worst possible initiatives if you seriously care about saving lives and also upholding your oath of office. There is no dictate, law, or regulation that will stop bad things from happening — and you know that. Yet you continue to push the rhetoric. Why?
You said, “If we can save just one person it is worth it.” Well here are a few ideas that will save more that one individual:
First, forget all of your current initiatives and 23 purposed executive orders. They will do nothing more than impede law-abiding citizens and breach the intent of the Constitution. Each initiative steals freedom, grants more power to an already-overreaching government, and empowers and enables criminals to run amok.
Second, press Congress to repeal the “Gun Free Zone Act.” Don’t allow America’s teachers and students to be endangered one-day more. These parents and teachers have the natural right to defend themselves and not be looked at as criminals. There is no reason teachers must disarm themselves to perform their jobs. There is also no reason a parent or volunteer should be disarmed when they cross the school line.
This is your chance to correct history and restore liberty. This simple act of restoring freedom will deter would-be murderers and for those who try, they will be met with resistance.
Mr. President, do the right thing, restore freedom, and save lives. Show the American people that you stand with them and not with thugs and criminals.
Respectfully,
Severely Concerned Citizen, Evan M. Todd