Iowa’s race for governor, pummeled into submission.

1. Vander Walker Texas Ranger — Chuck Norris is opening up a big can of  Texas fundraising tonight (Friday) on behalf of Republican candidate for governor Bob Vander Plaats.

Covering Iowa Politics has blow-by-blow detail:

More than three dozen Iowans are heading to Texas to rub elbows with action movie star Chuck Norris Friday evening

They’ll also be contributing $5,000 per couple to Bob Vander Plaats’ campaign for the Republican nomination for governor.

Norris, who has endorsed Vander Plaats, offered to host an event for the Sioux City businessman at his ranch at Navasota, Texas, about 30 miles south of College Station. Vander Plaats spokesman Eric Woolson said about 40 people are expected to attend.

For that kind of scratch, attendees should at least walk away with a brand new Total Gym.

Will the Norris endorsement help Vander Plaats deliver a right-wing roundhouse to the crowded GOP field? Who knows?

But odds are none of his rivals will have the support of someone who can fight off an attacking grizzly. And that could be pivotal. Yes it could.

2. Chet Shrinks — Gov. Chet Culver’s office says there’s now less of him to love. And, apparently, Iowans love him less.

Culver lost 25 pounds training for a Florida triathlon he competed in last weekend. And he’ll probably compete in more events. Good for him.

Also last weekend, the Des Moine Register released an Iowa Pollpegging his approval rating at a troubling 40 percent and showing him trailing Republicans Terry Branstad and Vander Plaats in hypothetical match ups. Branstad led Culver by 24 points. Not good for him.

Culver’s problems are obvious enough – economic woes, big budget problems, missteps galore and public dissatisfaction with all things incumbent. I’ve also heard rumors that the governor doesn’t always tackle tough issues head on, which makes voters think he’s a big weather vane. Can’t confirm.

But at least his staff is keeping its sense of humor. Ok, not really.

When pictures of Culver competing hard in his triathalon inevitably made their way around the Internets, including some of a shirtless chief executive, Culver’s staff intervened.

Covering Iowa Politics was among several sites that posted pix of an uncovered governor. Culver spokesperson Troy Price sprang into action:

We saw you had up a blog yesterday with a photo of the Governor at the triathlon. The Governor finished the triathlon, and he did a pretty good job – especially on the swimming. So, I guess my question is — do you think the only news to come out of this is that the Governor didn’t have a shirt on? And if so, why is that news?

The same question could be asked about gubernatorial weight loss and triathloning and 98.6 percent of everything on the Internet. And of course the long answer to Price’s query is “Meh.”

This would have been the perfect chance for the governor to crack wise with some self-depreciating humor. Think Tom Vilsack in a Winnie the Pooh suit.

But when you’re in defensive mode on so many fronts, it’s tough to get out.  Budgets, jobs, film tax fiascos, polls, shirts, skins etc. Frown. React. Repeat. Same snit, different day.

It wasn’t all bad for Culver this week. Once piece of good news is the governor has ordered a review of state tax credits in the wake of the film-making tax credit debacle.

It’s welcome and long-overdue. Good for him.

3. Terry’s Gas Tax Dance is a Rants, Rants, Rants – Some guys in Decorah told Republican candidate for governor Christopher Rants that Terry Branstad told them he’d raise the gas tax.

Rants then gave a speech to Republicans in Dubuque and told them the whole harrowing  tale:

“It was an uncomfortable meeting when you tell a lot of people in a room something that they don’t want to hear. At the end of the meeting we were surrounded by these folks who want the gas tax raised. I told them, if they were looking for someone to raise the gas tax, I’m not their candidate. I also told them that you are not going to find a Republican candidate who will tell you what you want to hear. That same gentleman told me, ‘That’s not true; Terry Branstad will raise the gas tax.”

Democrats also really liked Rants’ story. Go figure.

But Branstad told Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson that he’s really not a big old gas-tax-raiser. Honest:

“I don’t think we need a gas tax increase and I wouldn’t support a gas tax increase,” Branstad said. “In fact, I think what we need to do with the Department of Transportation — what we need to do with all state and local government — (is) look at how can we eliminate some of the administrative costs and some of the inefficiencies so more of the user fees, which is the gas tax (and) your vehicle registration, that that goes for what it’s supposed to go to: roads and bridges.”

Oh, see, it’s all just a big misunderstanding.

What’s easy to understand, though, is that regardless of which one of these political profiles in courage gets elected, our roads and bridges will continue to deteriorate. Culver has already ducked the issue. Shocker.

If you don’t want to raise the gas tax, fine, but don’t pretend that you can close a huge gap between needs and resources by finding “efficiencies.” Instead, explain why you think avoiding a tax hike is more important than transportation infrastructure repairs and improvements. I have yet to hear that explanation from any candidate.

4. The Poll.

Several Republican candidates for governor are urging Iowans to vote “no” in 2010 on retaining Iowa Supreme Court justices because they ruled in favor of allowing same-sex marriages.

I’d argue that retention was never intended to toss out judges simply for issuing rulings we don’t like. But clearly, you can vote however you want and for whatever reason.

So how will you vote on Chief Justice Marsha Ternus and justices Michael Streit and David Baker? Retain or throw ‘em out?

I read recently that Linn County Public Health is seeking some federal bucks to help save us from ourselves.

The agency is seeking federal stimulus dollars to get new health initiatives running, in part, because so few of us are capable of running. The agency’s new director, Curtis Dickson, came all the way from North Carolina to convince us to swear off MoonPies and RC Cola before our health goes south.

And if federal money comes, behavior modification could follow.

There’s talk of requiring calorie counts on local menus so we’re aware that the bacon cheeseburger we’re craving would feed a small village. Fine by me, so long as I can request a “special occasion” menu a couple times a year when I really, really don’t want to know. Please nutri-nannies, don’t spoil my birthday.

We may ban the dreaded trans fat, just like they did way out in New York City. Although I really don’t see why that’s necessary if those deadly grams are already mocking us on our menu.

It’s also possible we could see a ban on the sale of cigarettes at pharmacies, where struggling ex-smokers might be tempted to blow nicotine patch money on a pack of menthols. I seriously doubt any smokers are going to be shocked by more restrictions.

But there’s one possible new rule that I think crosses a line. And that’s banning candy from the grocery store checkout line. I just find it hard to swallow. Maybe that’s because my mouth is filled with nougat.

For one thing, cherished childhood memories would melt away. The checkout aisle was a kid’s primary objective on a trip to the grocery store. Sure, there were skirmishes in the cereal aisle near the Lucky Charms, and perhaps near the ice cream freezer, but the candy aisle was Begging Central.

Please, oh, please can I get a Marathon Bar, a blow pop, a Pixie Stix and baseball cards?

The usual answer? “Forget it.” Awww. Dang.

Which brings me to my second point.

Kids need to hear “no” now and again, so if public health is trying to save me from parenting in the presence of candy, just skip it.

Unless you’re also going to come to our house and turn off Sponge Bob and shove them kicking into a bath and screaming into bed and then explain why they can’t have pumpkin pie for breakfast, you’re not really doing us much of a favor. You’re just bothering business owners who have enough to worry about already.

So don’t fret none ’bout us, we the veterans of the sugar wars. I’m sure public health has bigger fish to fry.

OK, OK, grill.

Contact the writer at (319) 398-8452 or todd.dorman@gazcomm.com

I was deleting some stuff from my BlackBerry when I came across some curious, forgotten memopad files. Essentially, they’re electronic sticky notes.

Often, when I’m contemplating a column, and I’m standing somewhere waiting for coffee or a beer or bail, I’ll tap a stream of brainstorming consciousness into my BlackBerry. I save it and look at it later when it’s time to write.

I’ve never gone back and read any of them until now. And their resemblance to some sort of bad, mangled poetry made me laugh.

So, for fun, I thought I’d share one, along with the column that resulted.

Warning: the free form jazz BlackBerry odyssey that comes first  is wholly unedited and includes  typos etc. Enjoy.

Overgrown, green and golden. Hazy, like a painting. Bursting peak. Tomato plants sagging with fruit. Corn, zucchinis, Missed out on the heat Miss living in the country. Mornings this time of year, coffee, barefoot. Dog run free accross huge yard.

Garden out by the road had been fallow. Tomatos grew over my head. Few people stopped to ask what I did. Planted was pretty much all I could say.

Sweet corn coons. Electric fence deployed in time to save about a dozen ears.

Frogs, owls, cattle. Neighbor stood on my patio and called in his herd to our fence with a martini glass I his hand. Come boss.

Gregarious guy who liked a strong drink. Irish family with 19 kids, three mothers. Dad was gregarious too.

Pulled a calf.

Road drifted shut

So cold in the living room during a party we could stack beer in the nw corner. It stayed ice cold Summer miss the most.

Couldn’t see our house from the road, shaded by huge oaks.

Screen porch

No insulatioin. Propane line snaked like a slinky across the ground. Made me nervous.

Mice. Raccoons lived in the porch roof, behind our bedroom wall. They were nocturnal. We were not. Conflict ensued Dead squirrell in the furnace Lit fires for warmth Banker from Chicago built. Baby on the way. Fear of it being carried off by mice. Moved to town, house on busy steet. Postage stamp yard. Dog must have cursed us every day.

And from that, came this, published July 28, 2009:

This is the time of year when I most miss living in rural Iowa.

I was reminded of this while driving over the weekend to see friends and visit my parents, who still live in the home where I grew up on a gravel road a few miles from Belmond.

Summer has reached its peak. The countryside is overgrown in dark, late-July shades of green. Farm fields are bulging at their barbed wire and gardens are sagging under the weight of tomatoes and zucchinis. Late in the day, when a low sun cuts through summer’s haze, the landscape goes from photo to painting.

It made me think back to the couple of years my wife and I rented a farmhouse in rural Story County. It was just Katherine and me and our dog. Nothing against our lovely children, but this is the sort of pre-child stuff that occurs to you around, say, hour two of a long road trip. Maybe after 62 rousing, youthful renditions of “John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt.”

We lived in a house tucked so far into a grove of oaks that you couldn’t see it from the road. The oaks opened onto farmland beyond the long lane. Behind the house, a hillside led to a creek.

We lived one full summer there, the first after we got married. We spent a lot of mornings walking in the grass barefoot with a cup of Joe while our dog ran free around the massive yard. We spent a lot of nights sipping beer and listening to music on the screened porch. There were sounds all around you don’t hear as well in town — frogs, locusts, owls and our neighbor’s cattle.

Our neighbor/landlord once called his whole herd to the fence beside our house, while tipsily holding a dainty martini glass. “Come boss, come boss,” he yelled between gin hiccups.

But let’s face it. It wasn’t all Currier and Ives. The house was mouse-central. They stored dog food in our shoes and left presents in every drawer. Raccoons lived in the porch roof behind our bedroom wall. They were nocturnal. We were not.

A small propane stove was supposed to heat the whole place. Not even close. It wasn’t unusual to awake in winter to a main floor temperature in the 40s. Good news: Beer stacked in the living room stayed ice-cold. Bad news: The pipes often froze. And we probably could have lived without knowing what it smells like when an unlucky squirrel falls down the stove chimney.

When we found out child No. 1 was on the way, it was time to leave our shack/Shangri La. We moved to a busy street in town. I don’t think our dog has ever forgiven us. I don’t blame her, especially this time of year.

So now you know where columns come from. And that I would be jobless without spell check.

The placards are back.

Yes, that’s right, it’s time for more city open houses showcasing more options for rebuilding flooded city facilities. We need some more public input, starting at 4 p.m. today at the Crowne Plaza Five Seasons Hotel.

And what high-quality “public input” it is. Take August’s open houses, where people submitted a whopping 150 comment cards, more than one-fifth filled out by city employees, as The Gazette’s Rick Smith reported over the weekend. And 56 of those cards indicated support for a brand new city hall, making it the public’s “preferred option.” Ta-Da.

Hello, Inch? The city says you’re now a Mile. Congratulations.

I don’t mean to knock these curious gatherings, which combine “open,” as in open to the public, and “house,” as in “I would much rather be at my own house than anywhere near a city open house.”

I concede they have some value. There is a lot of good information, if you can navigate the maze. Still, I think it’s an incomplete process.

There are people and information, but are people actually being well-informed? There are comment cards, but are residents’ voices really being heard? And is this really providing valuable direction to our elected leaders? I’m skeptical on all three.

I’m also old-fashioned in my affection for public debate in public. I’ve never understood why we can’t have an hour or two of placard gazing followed by an hour or two of public Q and A with our elected leaders. It’s the best of both worlds. People might learn something from their neighbors.

Instead, we get speed dating. “Hi, I’m a

$50 million city government campus. Wanna grab coffee sometime?”

The cynic in me suspects open debate wouldn’t lead to the sort of outcome the placard-pushers are seeking. For instance, your average city council member facing a room filled with people telling him or her to forget about a new city hall just might forget about it. While an open house makes it much easier to get a “preferred option.”

And instead of providing direction, open houses make it too easy for officials to hide out in the placard maze with hopes a stacked deck of comment cards will relieve them from having to stick their necks out.

Fortunately, open houses have not replaced old-fashioned elections like the one we just had. And in that election, the guy who was squarely and publicly against building a new city hall won by a landslide over a champion of the open house process. And even if you can’t read the placards, the writing on the wall is pretty clear.

Comments: (319) 398-8452; todd.dorman@gazcomm.com

You say “backyard chicken” and I say “grab some barbecue sauce and a pint of potato salad.”

But that’s not what Citizens for Legalization of Urban Chickens, or CLUC, is talking about. They’re Cedar Rapids residents who want the City Council to allow them to raise a few living, egg-laying chickens in their backyards.

CLUC, in case you didn’t know, is only one small battalion in a national poultry putsch. People in cities all across the nation are asking for permission to raise backyard chickens. Anxiety over food safety, revulsion over food processing and a recessionary streak of self-reliance has plopped fresh eggs on many a city council’s plate.

So far, the Cedar Rapids council isn’t saying much. It’s hardly a top priority. But it is a fascinating study in government.

In every community, government wields power on behalf of a conformity majority. And often that’s a good thing. I can’t turn my front yard into an auto salvage lot or raise longhorn cattle in my garage or operate a coal-fired manure thrower while listening to Metallica at 120 decibels at 4 a.m. We expect everyone to live by some rules to keep things orderly.

But government must be careful not to go too far. Most of us would hate to see laws that required every house in town to be white, fronted by four symmetrical bushes and adorned with one regulation concrete gnome. Too much conformity.

In the middle of this tug of war between government and a desire for sameness is a gray area inhabited by people who want to do things just a little differently, who have slightly different take on the pursuit of happiness. And boy, do those people get under some people’s skin. That’s where, I think, CLUC finds itself.

I tend to root for those quirky grays. And on this issue, I’m laissez-fowl. All I’m saying, at the risk of having egg on my face later, is give chickens a chance. Pass a small-scale poultry pilot and see what happens.

I lived in Ames, which allows chickens, for six years. There was a coop down the street, and other than fascinating my kids, I saw no real impact. Judy Parks, assistant city attorney in Ames, says her department has received zero complaints. Dogs, yes. Chickens, no.

Still, neighborliness counts. I think any ordinance that allows chickens should require consent from neighbors. I have a feeling some friendly explanation and a promise of free eggs would go a long way.

Just think, neighbors talking to neighbors, solving problems. Heck, barbecues might even break out.

Comments: (319) 398-8452; todd.dorman@gazcomm.com

Iowa’s race for governor, cooked over a wood fire.

1. Joy of Arc– Joy Corning committed robo-heresy. Terry Branstad hesitated to condemn it. And now Christian conservatives have ordered a stake with all the trimmings.

Do you smell something burning?

First, the heresy. Corning, who served as Branstad’s lieutenant governor/running mate in 1990 and 1994, recorded a robo-call expressing her support for gay marriage. Sources say the issue is somewhat touchy.

“Hi, this is former Lieutenant Governor Joy Corning,” the recording begins. “Iowa has a well-deserved reputation for being open-minded and fair. That’s why I’m proud to be a supporter of One Iowa. Our Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of civil marriage for committed gay and lesbian couples, continuing Iowa’s tradition of protecting the civil rights of all Iowans. Please join with me to ensure that Iowa continues to move forward as a leader for fairness and equality.”

Branstad, who is preparing a comeback run for governor in 2010, picked Corning to be his mate at a time in Republican history when it seemed entirely reasonable to expand your ticket’s appeal by pairing up with someone who didn’t agree with you on every issue. This sort of behavior led to “winning” and “governing.”

Nowadays it’s lockstep, baby, 100 percent, or you find out what the underside of a bus looks like. Purity beat Pragmatism 82-0 in the GOP Bowl. And it wasn’t as close as the score indicates.

Still, Branstad’s forces didn’t get the memo:

“What’s remarkable is, despite disagreement on this fundamental issue, Joy is willing to put that aside to support Governor Branstad,” (Branstad spokesman Tim) Albrecht said. “This is just another example of Governor Branstad’s unique ability to put together a broad coalition in support of his goal to fix what is broken in Iowa government.”

Coalition?  Broad? No, no, no. It’s like this:

“Joy Corning has given us another clear example of just exactly why as Christians and conservatives we should no longer sacrifice our convictions for perceived political victories,” said Chuck Hurley, president of IFPC. “When we elect people like Joy Corning, we elevate and advance the destruction of the family.”

And she seems like such a nice lady.

Branstad signed a gay marriage ban into law. Not some fantasy-based, illegal executive order, but an actual law. A bad law struck down by the courts, but a real one nonetheless.

Not good enough. The fact that one of his supporters, a woman he served with 12 years ago, now disagrees with him on this emotional issue makes rival GOP hopeful and political gumshoe Bob Vander Plaats wonder just what the heck is going on here:

“Terry Branstad enters the governor’s race on Saturday night without stating where he truly stands on the issue and on Tuesday night his lieutenant governor does an automated call urging Iowans to support same-sex marriages. All of that takes place not too long after his former chief of staff wrote an opinion piece saying the Republican Party needs to nominate a candidate with ‘centrist’ views on social issues,” (Republican candidate for governor Bob) Vander Plaats said.

Just to cover all the bases, let’s send some mustache samples down to the boys in the lab to see what they can come up with.

And just what are these “centrists” trying to hide with all their talk of ”pocketbooks” and the ”economy” and “jobs?”

“We’ve heard ‘it’s the economy, stupid,’ but the very word ‘economy’ is derived from the Greek word for ‘household.’ This isn’t just a social issue.” (Iowa Family Policy Center’s Chuck) Hurley continued, “Because the Iowa Supreme Court opinion regarding homosexual ‘marriage,’ has not been challenged by our current Governor or Legislature, all 500,000 public school children in Iowa will be forced by the government to be taught that sodomy is acceptable.”

So it’s the sodomy, stupid. And a winning general election slogan is born.

Branstad is clearly against same-sex marriage. Of all the many issues his GOP rivals could criticize him on, this one seems like a dead end.

But his detractors can’t resist playing the guilt-by-association game. After all, it helped President John McCain win in a landslide, so who can blame them?

We now know that Branstad served with Corning and has openly hobnobbed with his former chief of staff, Doug Gross, who duped Republicans into nominating him for governor in 2002 by focusing on economic development. Both are known domestic establishment types.

I also swear I saw Branstad on the same stage with known RINO Fred Grandy in 1994. Sure it was a debate between primary rivals, but still. And who was that at Branstad’s inaugural in 1983? Bob Ray! There are photos.

Perhaps the Republican Party of Iowa can convene its Un-Republican Activities Committee to get to the bottom of exactly who Branstad spent time with during his 16 years as governor. We demand names. And stakes.

For all the things that divide us these days, I know of one issue that unifies us.

Bring it up in polite conversation, and people become emphatic and animated. Men and women, Rush-loving conservatives and Pelosi-hearting liberals, night owls and morning people, meat-eaters and vegans, cat people and dog lovers all agree something has to be done about it. Pronto.

It’s texting while driving. Tweeting in traffic. Thoughtless thumbs have us linked arm-in-arm in outrage.

It’s nothing to LOL about.

All the ingredients are there for universal societal angst. It’s so obviously stupid, selfish and dangerous that no one can defend it, not even cell phone companies. Everyone has an outrageous story to share.

Like, for instance, a couple of weeks ago, when I was so appalled by a woman texting while driving next to me that I nearly ran into a truck in front of me.

See how dangerous it is?

And on top of all that, we have stacks and stacks of science. Texting while driving, depending on which one of 6,000 news stories you read, makes you anywhere from four to 23 times more likely to have an accident. Evidently we needed countless studies to determine that not looking at the road is an unsafe driving strategy.

Nineteen states have banned texting while driving and more are on the way.

In Iowa, Marshall County is considering a ban, hoping to nudge the Legislature to pass a statewide prohibition. It might be the only chance for bipartisanship next year under the gilded dome.

“You wouldn’t think we’d have to be talking about this. You’d think common sense would win out,” said state Sen. Tom Rielly, D-Oskaloosa, chair of the Transportation Committee. Good one, senator. He wonders why something so reckless isn’t already covered by existing reckless driving laws.

I wonder if passing a new law can make stupid people smart.

Still, we need a proper punishment to match our revulsion. A medieval approach might call for thumb removal, but we’re not savages. Perhaps iron thumb shackles on each side of the steering wheel. Or, we could be boring like the Brits, who toss accident-causing texters into the slammer for years.

And your one phone call is on a rotary dial land line. Take that.

Maybe we could do what we often do with dangerous behaviors that achieve a high level of condemnation, such as smoking, etc. We could tax the daylights out of texting. A penny for your thoughts, every one.

The budget just might be balanced for the next generation, so long as its members keep clicking away.

Contact the writer at (319) 398-8452 or todd.dorman@gazcomm.com

Cedar Rapids’ mayor-elect has made it clear that the idea of a commuter wheel tax is flat, a local payroll tax deserves a pink slip and the curtain will never go up on a city entertainment tax.

Revenue diversification, in the eyes of Ron Corbett, doesn’t include new taxes. But it could include gambling.

Corbett says if the Iowa Legislature moves to revive TouchPlay video lottery games next year, Iowa’s local governments should get a cut of the action.

“If for some reason the Legislature decided to allow TouchPlay, which we’ve seen a couple of trial balloons float on that, that could be a source for counties and cities to share,” he said, while insisting that flood recovery needs will top the city’s Statehouse wish list.

Corbett concedes that TouchPlay trial balloons have been of the leaded variety thus far. But having served as speaker of the Iowa House, he knows a few things about the legislative process.

He knows that legislative leaders who say “absolutely not” today may be singing an entirely different tune as the session nears its end and the budget needs balancing. Dead ideas can be revived in a hurry, especially with lawmakers staring down a nearly $1 billion budget hole in the next year.

Corbett also knows that it takes plenty of horse-trading to get a gambling bill through the Legislature. Throwing a financial bone to cash-strapped local governments, perhaps in exchange for property tax relief, could attract some votes.

Some lawmakers say they’re interested in allowing video lottery games in establishments where you must be 21 or older to enter, such as bars or fraternal halls. Touch Play lottery games, which lawmakers banned in 2006, were installed in not only taverns but grocery and convenience stores. “Slottery” saturation sparked public outcry and legislative angst.

Still, its revival is a long shot.

A lot of Iowans don’t want to see a comeback, and neither do existing casinos who fear the competition or anti-gambling forces who think there’s more than enough gambling already. Video lottery opponents in both parties argue that the machines are a regressive tax on poor Iowans. It’s also not a popular idea among Corbett’s fellow Republicans seeking the GOP nomination for governor.

I doubt the issue will see the light of day.

But you can’t blame Corbett for thinking about the possibilities. He campaigned against new taxes and won by 26 percentage points. And yet you still need resources to run a city trying to recover and grow. Occasionally, long-shots pay off.

Contact the writer at (319) 398-8452 or todd.dorman@gazcomm.com

So, as Rick Smith reported Sunday, Cedar Rapids Mayor-elect Ron Corbett and City Manager Jim Prosser met at the Spring House Restaurant Saturday morning to get acquainted. Hunting for a column, I gave them each a call to get their impressions.

Let’s get the important stuff out of the way first. Corbett ordered two eggs, over-easy, and hash browns, extra-crispy. Prosser stuck with iced tea. He had breakfast earlier in the day.

And this was not necessarily the most important political event in Spring House history. The restaurant’s Web site has pictures of a visit by George W. Bush, sitting in a booth with U.S. Sen Chuck Grassley. I didn’t see any photos of Saturday’s summit.

Corbett and Prosser said the two-hour meeting was courteous and friendly and useful. They talked about broad brush concepts, such as the relationship between the city manager and City Council, but didn’t get into specific city issues. They broke the ice and chewed the fat and sipped the tea.

“I think it was a good introductory meeting,” Corbett said Monday. “We didn’t get into any specific issues. We talked a little bit about policy, and he believes that the council should set policy and feels that he is carrying out the council direction.

“I want to make sure the City Manager is getting clear direction,” Corbett said.

Prosser concurred.

“Mayor-elect Corbett was, I would say, very clear in expressing what he expected my role to be and what he expected his role to be,” Prosser said Monday. “I saw no inconsistencies in those expectations between what he expected and what I believe my role to be.

“Mayor-elect Corbett indicated his intent to be a strong public and political leader for this community, to establish the priorities for the community. And my commitment to him is it’s going to be my job, once those priorities are established, to work with the council to make sure those priorities are achieved,” Prosser said.

City manager? Mayor-elect Corbett? I guess we’re not cozy enough for Ron and Jim yet.

I didn’t get much sense from either summiteer that there was any tension, even though it’s no secret some people who supported Corbett last week want to bid adios to Prosser.

Corbett said they touched on the 90-day performance review the new mayor is planning for the city manager. Corbett now knows, for example, that if Prosser is let go without cause, his contract dictates that the city pays him a year’s salary and health benefits.

But much of the policy landscape, taxes, city buildings etc., was left largely unplowed.

“We didn’t get into any of the heavy stuff,” Corbett said. “Exchanging pleasantries and talking about the general public and what the electorate may have said or didn’t say on Tuesday.

“ I think (Prosser) just feels he’s a cog in the machinery of the city and he’s there to make the machinery work as well as he possibly can. If the city council directs the machinery in a different direction, that’s what his role and objective will be,” Corbett said.

But can a cog still come up with ideas and recommendations?

“I didn’t hear Mr. Corbett ever indicate that he wanted me to hold back on recommendations or ideas,” Prosser said. “ I’m not expecting he will.”

Corbett said there was also some small talk, about the Hawkeyes etc. And when they were finished, Corbett got a taste of the difference between policy and operations.

“We got out in the parking lot and a couple of ladies cornered us and wanted to talk about a sewer problem. He ended up giving them his phone number,” Corbett said.

Monday thoughts on the weekend that was.

BlackBerry Curve (August 2008 – November 2009) – My smart phone became a dead phone while I stood in Kinnick Stadium during the first half of Iowa’s crushing loss to Northwestern.

So what, you say. But my phone’s abrupt transformation into a paperweight made it impossible for me to send an in-game text to my buddy in Chicago predicting the Hawkeye’s downfall. I sent such premature, pessimistic assessments for three straight weeks, only to be happily proven dead wrong.

It had become a double reverse superstitious ritual. For Iowa to succeed, I had to predict failure. I didn’t, and look what happened.

Stupid, stupid phone.

Yeah, yeah, well, if you’re a fan, you understand.

Christmas Lighting – Seems like every year we get one of those great November weekends perfect for putting up Christmas lights. Inevitably, I miss that golden window and end up hanging lights when it’s 10 degrees and raining shards of ice and there’s an eclipse or something.

Anyway, it’s usually less than perfect.

This year is different. By the end of the day Sunday, our house was fully decorated for the holiday season. Sanity dictates that we will not turn on the lights until Thanksgiving weekend. But they’re ready.

Still, the lighting process was not without mishap.

I purchased a long pole device that’s supposed to help you effortlessly affix both lights and clips to gutters and under shingles without leaving solid ground. I don’t own a good ladder, and am averse to heights anyway, so I bought into these absurd claims.

Let’s just say after two solid hours, I had managed to hang exactly two strings of LED twinkle lights with this magical/maddening device. And its flimsy construction and general lack of functionality made me say some things that really aren’t very Christmassy.

But at least I have one more useless tool to shove into my shed. A bargain at $14.88.

Have a fine week.

We get a lot of catalogs this time of year. Most of them are flimsy and filled with clothes or overpriced housewares.

And, really, who needs catalogs when you can shop online with so little effort. Insolvency was never faster or easier.

Still, I find myself missing the big ’ol Christmas catalog.

I’m talking about those 5-pound, 4-inch-thick chunks of retail heaven that came in late summer from the likes of Montgomery Ward, Sears, etc.

The ones with everything from awful, boring ski sweaters to the Star Wars Death Star playset with working elevator, trash compactor and that big gun that could blow up planets. Whole planets, folks.

At a catalog’s arrival, all after-school activity ceased. It was hauled immediately to a couch or other comfortable locale and studied with a strict attention to detail befitting such a sacred dispatch. This was the declaration of toy dependence, a blueprint for the months of skillful Christmas begging that lay ahead.

By Thanksgiving, the once-proud, glossy catalogs were ripped, folded, creased and shredded.

Hopeful ballpoint pen circles swirled around coveted items.

Of special note was the catalog from Montgomery Ward, a proud old retailer that still exists as an online outlet. Wards had a catalog store in my hometown — a small storefront where orders could be made to a real human and picked up. It was sort of the giant company’s official consulate in my small town.

In December, Santa would show up at the store to hear our wishes, which, we assumed, would then be passed on to the helpful order clerks behind the counter. We also received a paper sack filled with peanuts, a candy cane and a handful of that hard ribbon candy that everybody used to buy back in the day but nobody ever really ate.

For all its genius, the catalog-to Santa-to-underneath-my-tree system was not perfect. One Christmas, I asked for a Space Shuttle replica with a detachable external fuel tank and booster rockets.

NASA had just launched Columbia and I was pretty sure that astronaut was the career for me.

Sadly, Wards was fresh out of shuttles. As a replacement, they sent me a Dukes of Hazzard playset. I was a fan of the Duke boys, but the General Lee was no Space Shuttle. Do not question the wisdom of Wards.

Christmas catalogs do still exist in a less ambitious form. I ordered one from Sears. Still waiting.

But if you really want a trip back in time, there’s wishbookweb.com, an online site where you can page through catalogs from the ’30s through the ’80s. Sorry, no ribbon candy.

■ Contact the writer at (319) 398-8452 or todd. dorman@gazcomm.com

Iowa’s campaign for governor, where rubbin’s racin’

1. Meeting Yields Multiple Issues for Terry Tap Tap– It’s been eons since gubernatorial explorer Terry Branstad’s closed-door sitdown late last month with Iowa’s top social conservative activists. It was apparently a disaster, and we’re still picking through the debris.

How bad was it? Well, consider the various surviving narratives.

Area Retiree Puzzled by Internets — Branstad didn’t seem to fully understand that nowadays, “private meeting” means an event that yields multiple blog postings with sharp commentary and full audio of the proceedings. OTR? LOL.

Branstad has no idea what to do about the budget mess — Asked if he has a plan for fixing the black hole jumble that is our state budget, Branstad said “OK, well, I don’t.” That’s exactly what I would have said!

Branstad is insensitive to blind people — The ex-four-term governor quipped that lawmakers failed to pass a government reorganization plan in 1986 involving the commission for the blind “because the Legislature just couldn’t take the heat from the tap-tap-tap of the white canes.” Get it? Blind people use canes. State Democratic Party Chair Mike Kiernan, who, to be fair, has deafened people with shrillness, pounced on the little joke.

Branstad isn’t conservative enough — Branstad failed to show adequate outrage about gay marriage and had the stones to suggest that it’s “not going to be a central issue” in his campaign. He suggested that Republicans “not wear our conservatism on our sleeve” and admitted to having associated with Doug Gross, a known GOP establishment type.

Conservative bloggers Shane Vander Hart and Mike Demastus were there and were decidedly unimpressed.

The problem here is that Branstad thought his experience, winning track record and electability would appeal to these folks. Good one. They could care less about winning. They’re more interested in cleaning every last squishy moderate/RINO out of the party once and for all.

Talk the right talk Terry, or you’re next.

So what will Branstad do? Will he stick to his guns and play it his way, win or lose? Oh, man, another good one. Stop it.

Nope, Branstad will change before our eyes. Here’s what I think he’ll do.

Announce that, if elected, he will issue an executive order making liberals illegal in Iowa. Top that BVP.

Second, he’ll seek a constitutional amendment reconfiguring the supreme court as follows: 2 members from the state Republican central committee, 2 justices from the Iowa Family Policy Center, 2 seats from Iowa Right to Life, 2 seats auctioned off at a tea party and one spot for the winner of the Iowa Republican Presidential Straw Poll. That ought to take care of the reckless activism.

Third, he will give away thousands of long-sleeve campaign T-Shirts with “Conservatism” printed on the sleeves.

Fourth, he will not have another meeting like that, ever.

2. Rod Roberts Readies for Retention Rejection — Republican candidate Rod Roberts says he won’t vote in 2010 to retain three Iowa Supreme Court justices who gave marriage rights to gays and lesbians. And neither should you.

“We need to send a message to the Iowa Supreme Court that they are accountable to the people of Iowa,” Roberts said in a statement. “The problem with judicial activism is that it thwarts the will of the legislature and of the people of Iowa. Next November, it is our duty as voters to let these justices know what we think of their judicial activism.”

Now hold on a minute, I thought the marriage ruling was tyranny delivered by a pack of  non-elected judges. Now you’re telling me that these judges can be voted out of office? This is confusing.

3. The Lt. Gov. is always the last to know — Lt. Gov. Patty Judge told the Omaha World-Herald this week that she’s pretty sure Gov. Chet Culver is going to run for re-election.

No “timetable” has been set. Two campaign ads are on the air, but that doesn’t really mean anything. Officially.

“I am assuming he will run,” Judge said while visiting Council Bluffs. “I think everyone in Iowa would be surprised if he doesn’t run. We haven’t set a timetable yet.”

Reached for comment later, everybody in Iowa said, “Oh yeah, he’s definitely running. I mean, come on, who are they kidding?”

Why don’t we pay governors more like football coaches?

Now, I’m not saying I think Gov. Culver should take home $3 million like a certain 9-0 coach around these parts. But I do think there’s one aspect of Kirk Ferentz’s sweet, sweet comp package that could be applied to guvs – bonuses tied to performance.

Ferentz makes more loot if he wins the Big Ten, leads his Hawks to a BCS bowl, ends up the season ranked among the nation’s elite teams, etc.

So why not pay Culver more if, say, Iowans’ household income jumps substantially or the population increases faster than the 10-year average or Iowa‘s position in a selected index of economic/quality of life rankings rise. Better test scores for students or if the state’s reserve funds are flush?

Maybe we could even cut a little scratch for the dang AAA bond rating he won’t clam up about.

Start with base pay at $100,000 with $100,000 in possible bonuses. And if the state goes into the tank, we turn off the heat at Terrace Hill.

Kidding.

Why does everyone keep saying government has no money?

All you read lately is about big budget cuts and layoffs and furloughs and services being cut to the bone.

But there are green shoots in government. Yes siree.

Just look at the Linn County Board of Supervisors’ 3-2 vote Wednesday allowing county department heads to give managers pay raises of up to 3 percent based on performance reviews. I smell recovery.

Super Vets Jim Houser, Lu Barron and Linda Langston voted yes. Super Newbies Ben Rogers and Brent Oleson voted no.

Oleson argued that department heads should use “zero-based budgeting,” which requires them to build budgets from zero and justify every dollar spent. Langston said these harried managers simply don’t have the time between now and Dec. 18 to do something that difficult.

I certainly hope that’s noted in their performance review.

Why does Gov. Culver’s new campaign ad look to Fort Dodge for an attaboy on his flood response?

I raised this issue on Twitter earlier this week. The governor’s latest TV ad shows  flood photos and uses a quote from the July 16, 2008, Messenger saying that “Culver deserves credit…” for his flood response.

I just wondered why you’d tout praise from Fort Dodge when the most severe, widespread flooding happened in Eastern Iowa. There was some flash flooding in Fort Dodge, but nothing like what happened here.

Just seemed odd.

Turns out the editorial quoted in the ad was praising Culver and Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey for helping flood-impacted farmers.

Here it is, thanks to the kind folks at The Messenger:

Iowa’s state government has done an excellent job thus far in helping the state’s farmers cope with the aftereffects of this year’s devastating floods. Gov. Chet Culver deserves credit for coordinating the response.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey also deserves praise for his tireless efforts to identify ways the damage to the state’s farm economy can be alleviated.

While Northey now heads an important segment of the state government, he’s spent most of his life growing corn and soybeans. As a fourth-generation Iowa farmer, the secretary has the kind of perspective on the rural economy that one only gains by living on a farm and being immersed in farm life.

That may be part of the reason Northey has shown great insight into the ways government can be of quick assistance in a world changed mightily by nature’s fury.

A case in point was his call for Culver to open state lands for haying and grazing to assist livestock producers struggling with high feed costs.

“I understand that this isn’t a silver bullet that helps all producers, but the more feed we have available the better,” Northey said in a statement released by his office July 7. “Pork producers have been hurt badly by the record feed prices and while this won’t necessarily help them directly … if we can give cattlemen another option for their animals we can help prevent the two from competing against each other for feed.”

Northey and Culver also joined forces to urge U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer to release Conservation Reserve Program acres for haying and grazing as well.

Schafer moved quickly to make those areas available for grazing in counties as designated Presidential Disaster Areas.

It’s commonplace in our complicated 21st-century world to bemoan the failure of government to respond to real-world problems promptly and with flexibility. Sadly both elected officials and bureaucrats often let us down. Culver, Northey and Schafer are demonstrating, however, that government can be both innovative and speedy in responding to a crisis.

Actually, the editorial offers most of its praise to Northey. But Culver’s campaign got the quote correct. Congrats.

Here’s the ad:

Mr. McFeely

So I was on WMT radio on election night with former Cedar Rapids Mayor Paul Pate. He mentioned some sage advice for candidates seeking office: It’s best to under-promise and over-perform.

I thought about that as I was driving to Ron Corbett’s victory party. Meanwhile, the radio was telling me how national Republicans made gains in Tuesday’s off-year elections, dealing a blow to President Obama.

Just a year ago, we watched history make people misty-eyed in Chicago’s Grant Park. They waited in the cold to see Obama the victor, to cheer the guy who promised to clean up the culture of corruption in D.C. and create jobs and kick-start the economy and make us forget about the unpopular regime he’d be replacing. Seems long ago.

I got to Corbett’s shindig at the IBEW hall. OK, it was no Grant Park.

But Springsteen was blaring and Coors Light was flowing and there were free hot dogs. Nobody was misty-eyed, that I could tell, but lots of people were nudging in to get a few minutes with the guy who promised to end the culture of delay and create jobs and kick-start the local economy and make us forget about the unpopular mayor he’s replacing. Then the DJ played “Free Bird” and I lost my train of thought.

Oh yeah. I was thinking about how almost no candidates actually take Pate’s advice. Over-promising is all the rage, no matter how big or small the political stage.

People started getting impatient with The One before his inauguration trash was bagged up. I wonder how much time Corbett will get to prove he can walk the walk after talking the talk for eight months? In this instant-gratification age, the over-under is not much.

Swift political disillusionment? There’s an app for that.

Corbett is a coalition candidate, elected with support of business, labor, flood-affected residents, anti-tax activists, Democrats, Republicans etc. But the same coalition that hoists you on its shoulders election night will soon be yanking you in 10 different directions once an oath of office is administered. Big tents can make a fine setting for big fights.

Then there are those pesky factors beyond the new mayor’s control — the global economy, the glacial pace and unpredictable whim of the federal government and the inherent weaknesses of the officially part-time office he’s filling.

The good news for Corbett is there will be chances to prove his mettle early. A tough budget process awaits. Recovery continues. A city manager will be evaluated. It promises to be interesting.

Contact the writer at (319) 398-8452 or todd.dorman@gazcomm.com

Winners

Business Leaders – Winning mayoral candidate Ron Corbett gave his opponents the business Tuesday with the help of strong backing from business leaders. Corbett tapped their anger over the pace of city hall decision making. Now Corbett has to deliver on his promises to end the “culture of delay.” Fast.

Unions – Corbett celebrated his victory Tuesday night in a union hall and had plenty of labor backing. Some nice political bridge-building for the former Republican House speaker. But unions will now be expecting Mr. “Buy Local” to deliver the goods.

Flood-affected Residents – Corbett promised to do more to speed up recovery and to spend local option sales tax proceeds on rebuilding. “We’re going to take care of people. That’s what a government is for,” Corbett said in his victory speech Tuesday. But can he make the federal government fast and efficient? Good one.

Veterans Memorial Building – Almost every candidate running Tuesday sang the historic building’s praises as a local landmark, and the vast majority want at least some city functions to be headquartered there. Corbett has been among the most vocal advocates of moving city hall back to May’s Island. Perhaps he’ll take his oath of office there.

Football Metaphors – We’re going to hear a lot of from Mayor Fullback. We’ll be breaking huddle and moving the ball and running a budgetary bubble screen. So snap your chinstraps.

Republicans – Corbett’s victory is another gold star on a pretty good political resume. So in 2014, if this Branstad thing doesn’t work out…

Losers

Fans of nice, short and cheap local election campaigns for part-time jobs – Corbett’s campaign stretched eight months, cost more than $100,000 and was every bit a textbook political campaign crafted with the help of consultants from Victory Enterprises. So much for sparing the voters until August.

City Manager Jim Prosser – Corbett says he’ll give the city manager a chance and plans a 90-day assessment of Prosser’s performance. But Corbett won running against some of the very same revenue diversification ideas that are the foundation of Prosser’s plans for the city’s fiscal future. That fundamental disagreement could be a flash point, among others.

Young Voters– Second-place finisher Brian Fagan was seen as a next generation candidate supported by young voters. Judging by his lopsided loss, too few of them showed up. Corbett had a 20-point lead in our poll among voters over 56.

Young Candidates– Aaron Saylor lives on to fight in an at-large runoff against Don Karr, but Nick Duffy, Tim Pugh and Ryan Russell all lost council bids. Fagan, 37, lost to Corbett, 49.

New City Hall/Campus/Taj Mahal — It’s pretty clear after watching the fall campaign that virtually no one favors building an expensive new city hall, or at least is willing to say so publicly. A surprising co-location agreement between the city and county might revive the idea, but that’s a long-shot.

Consultants– They took a beating during the campaign. So did Fagan, the mayoral hopeful who staunchly defended the use of pricey outside experts.

District 3 Council member Jerry McGrane– McGrane tried to win with last-minute negative ad blitz against fellow council member Pat Shey. But McGrane didn’t deliver a fatal blow, and now faces Shey in what promises to be testy runoff. Sometimes, what doesn’t crush a candidate makes them stronger.

Civic Engagement – 27 percent voter turnout was  better than 2007, but still pathetic in the big scheme of things. Where were the other seven in 10 people?

Norman Rockwell's "Election Day" CR Museum of Art

On this blessed day when bickering yields to voting, I offer praise to the office-seekers. By now, they could use it.

No, I didn’t hit my head. I’m just putting cynicism on hold for 24 hours.

It takes guts to put your good name on a black and white ballot, where it will be embraced or flatly rejected by your neighbors and members of your church and the people standing in line at the grocery store. It’s a very big risk too few people are willing to take in this democratic republic. And frankly, our institutions have suffered for our timidity.

So here’s to the candidates, with their desire to help and to serve, mixed with healthy parts of ego and crazy. They’ve knocked on our doors, grabbed our hands and looked us in the eye, tempting rejection and H1N1. They took tough questions in public forums and gave their views in the open to be picked at and dissected.

Not everything they said was smart, shrewd or even reasonable. But they didn’t shout insults from behind a veil of online anonymity, like some of their detractors. They stuck out their real live chins and took punches.

Lord knows I’m rough at times on politicians and officeholders. But never let it be said that I don’t respect these folks for getting their hands dirty. And if they respect our expectations that they play it straight, value our tax dollars and keep the faith with our unshakable right to know exactly what they’re up to, we’ll all get along just fine.

I think most local candidates I’ve met this fall get that. Regardless of how things turn out, we’ll be represented by some serious, committed folks who have good intentions. It will be our job to watch how those intentions survive the realities of governing.

Late tonight, the losers will need consoling. But save a little sympathy for the winners. Their lives will remain or become more complicated.

Until Cedar Rapids City Council District 3 combatants Jerry McGrane and Pat Shey started fighting over their meeting attendance records, I hadn’t given much thought to the time commitment of a part-time council member. There are regular meetings, work sessions, brown-bag lunch sessions, briefings and budget meetings. Dozens and dozens of meetings. And that doesn’t count all the work in between meetings. Throw in a massive natural disaster, and you’ve got a job that most people wouldn’t want.

But hey, they asked for it, begged for it and campaigned for it. Some of them know full well what they’re getting into. Others will find out in a hurry. Before they get what they deserve, they deserve our thanks.

n Contact the writer at (319) 398-8452 or todd.dorman@gazcomm.com

It’s moment-of-truth time in the race for mayor.

Will Ron Corbett, a candidate for four seasons, lead the City of Five Seasons? Is Brian Fagan the comeback kid? Or can P.T. Larson win enough votes to keep the city shopping for a new mayor past Black Friday?

Polling isn’t much help. A Gazette poll of 404 likely voters shows Corbett leading 42 percent to 34 percent, with a whopping 24 percent saying they don’t know or won’t answer. And the margin of error is plus or minus 4.9 percent.

I’ve been talking to a lot of folks of all stripes in recent days, and most believe Fagan, the current mayor pro tem, has gained ground in the closing weeks. He’s been passionate and skilled in making his central argument: His experience in the trenches has earned him a hot seat at the center of the council table.

Corbett, running since March, is pounding his “change and action” message with commendable discipline. He’s got strong support from business and labor and remains the favorite. Still, he’s been out there for eight months, and if our poll is right, a lot of voters still aren’t sold on Mayor Corbett.

Here are a few factors that could have an impact Tuesday:

Voter anger — The once intense anger aimed at city government, postflood, has cooled. Resentment remains but at a lower volume. Our broader survey of 533 registered voters paints the town beige — the city’s flood response gets a “fair” or “good” from 68 percent, 44 percent think the city is idling in neutral between right track and wrong track and 47 percent have “some confidence” in city government. Not exactly peasants with pitchforks.

Still, disgruntled voters show up. The content of ten stay home.

Jim Prosser — Is the city manager a factor? Corbett has made Prosser Fagan’s running mate, arguing that the council doesn’t move unless Prosser gets a consultant to say how high.

Fagan insists Prosser is performing well. But do voters care? Prosser’s approval rating in The Gazette poll is just 25 percent. But 40 percent didn’t have an opinion.

Seniors vs. Kids— Corbett, 49, leads by 20 points among voters 56 and older. Fagan, 37, leads by 14 among 18- to 35-year-olds. The generation that turns out wins.

Party Politics — He downplays it, but adding mayor to his resume would make Corbett very attractive for Republicans seeking a future candidate for governor or Congress. That has to make a few Democrats in this town uneasy.

Runoff — If neither Fagan nor Corbett gets 50 percent of the votes plus one, we’ll have a December runoff.

■ Contact the writer: (319) 398-8452 or todd. dorman@gazcomm.com

A major step forward in Legislative ethics was taken Wednesday. And I’m ethically bound to admit that’s not true.

The House Ethics Committe  wants the Legislature to consider a measure creating an online list of Statehouse lobbyists who break ethics rules.  And it would be all public and stuff. Take that. 

From The Des Moines Register:

“This is kind of like the scarlet letter,” said Chief Clerk of the House Mark Brandsgard. “We think, to a large extent, this will force compliance because no one wants to have an ethics complaint against them.”

Dozens of special interest groups this year have failed to file reports after they held functions during the legislative session and invited all legislative members. Reports are to be filed within five days of a reception, according to state law.

Brandsgard outlined seven suggested changes that would require all lobbyists to file reports electronically and would automatically post online the names of lobbyists who fail to file reports on time

So how many Scarlet letters can an average lobbyist wear?

I mean, you get one big red “L” from society at large just for being a lobbyist in the first place. And maybe you also represent tobacco companies or polluters or heartless insurers etc., so there’s a few more marks. But hey, it’s a living.

At what point do multiple scarlet letters cease being a punishment and instead become a fashionable necktie pattern?

In other words, this “ethics reform” is a funny ha, ha.

This whole thing came up because the Iowa Pharmacy Association threw a reception for lawmakers in February and failed to file a timely report. We know this only because one guzzler of liquid freebies, state Rep. Kerry Burt, D-Waterloo, was arrested later that night for driving drunk in Ankeny. Shhhhh. He was drinking with the governor.  

The pharmacy association was just one among many special interest groups who blew off the filing rules. Groups spent $260,000 last session wining and dining legislators. They just do it for fun. They don’t expect anything in return. Honest.

So Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement filed an ethics complaint, which was “addressed” Wednesday by the ethics committee.

From Radio Iowa:

A spokesman for Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement sees hopeful signs in the group’s push to get better oversight of groups which lobby the Iowa Legislature. Adam Mason is state policy organizing director for Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement. “We were encouraged by the House Ethics Committee review today. They were very thorough in their review of our ethics complaint,” Mason says.

“They acknowledged that not only the Iowa Pharmacy Association had filed their function report late, but a number of other groups had also done that and that without our complaint they would not have had the authority to review these late filings.” The Ethics Committee in the Iowa House today decided to send a letter to the lobbying group, outlining its failure to disclose details of its legislative reception in February until news reports of the evening were linked to a lawmaker’s drunken driving arrest.

But the panel stopped short of issuing any sort of reprimand of the Iowa Pharmacy Association.

Essentially, the pharmacy association will get a strongly worded letter and ICCI gets free tickets to a place called Hope. And maybe, someday, there will be a website viewed by tens of Iowans.

Instead, here’s what I want.

Any group that blew off the reporting requirements should be barred from holding a legislative reception in 2010.

And here’s what those reporting requirements should include:

Standard info about the reception, sponsor, location and date etc.

An itemized breakdown of what was spent and exactly what the money was spent on. I don’t want “food.” I want “prime rib and petit fours.”

A list of legislation that the sponsor group is lobbying on or monitoring.

A list of lawmakers and other state officials who attended, when they arrived and when they departed. Surely they won’t mind checking in and out.

Really, all I want to do is be able to pick up the newspaper and read a sentence like this:

“Sen. Fatso strenuously insisted that his vote against tighter pollution regulations had nothing to do with the four hours he spent eating prime rib and petit fours with the Iowa Association of Polluters Tuesday night.”

A little more accountability. A few more connected dots. Let the scarlet letters fall where they may.

Lawmakers need to pay their own way to these receptions. It can come out of their wallet or out of their political hide. They need to choose.

Hawkeye Point, Osceola County, 1,670 ft

Gov. Chet Culver stepped in it again this week. But this time, I felt his pain.

On Saturday, Culver’s office sent out a news release praising Iowa for its football victory over Michigan State, which gave the Hawks an 8-0 record for the first time in school history. I was still hyperventilating after Marvin McNutt’s touchdown grab when my BlackBerry buzzed with the governor’s gushing.

Trouble is, Culver failed to congratulate Iowa State on its surprising win over Nebraska earlier in the day, the first Cyclone victory in Lincoln since the Carter administration. Oops.

By Monday, Culver was backpedaling like a cornerback, trying to deflect ISU ire. He proclaimed his deep love for Cyclones, Hawks and Panthers. And he promised to cheer, in person, at any and all bowls or playoff games. Now that’s what I call making lemons into luxury boxes.

At least he didn’t do something rash, like issue an executive order changing the name of Iowa’s highest point, now Hawkeye Point and pictured above, to Cyhawkpandog Point, or Pander Mountain for short.

Still, I sympathize with the Big Lug.

I started my career as a small town sports editor/photographer/reporter/towel boy. And in that capacity, I ruined the lives of countless young people. At least that’s what their parents said.

I failed to run their kids’ photos when they were named special honorable mention all-conference. Photos I did print often failed to capture their child at his or her best. I failed to adequately laud heroics and I mentioned errors with disregard to the deep psychological damage such disclosure would surely cause. Why did I cover that? Why did I not cover this?

One reader got out a ruler and proved that basketball column inches eclipsed wrestling inches. In essence, I was an Olympic-sized dispenser of disrespect.

The only thing we love as much as the accolade is complaining about the slight. Luckily, in the long run, none of that matters.

Culver’s snub reminded me of 21 Octobers ago when I was a senior in high school and my cross country team earned a surprise trip to state. In my hometown, it was custom to give state-qualifying teams a fire-engine-escort welcome back to town, so my coach called ahead to ready the sirens.

Trouble is, our volleyball team also was coming home from a game that night. Its bus got to town first. Confused firefighters rolled out and bemused volleyball players got an unexpected salute. When we got to town, no fire trucks.

Maybe we felt slighted. I can’t remember. All I recall is being proud and happy and enjoying the ride.

Contact the writer: (319) 398-1452 or todd.dorman@gazcomm.com

Cedar Rapids City Council and mayoral candidates have been using (and using and using) a wide array of insider terms, political lingo and catch-phrases as they seek to curry favor with you, the voter.

With Tuesday’s vote fast approaching, I’ve compiled a helpful*glossary of some of the most frequently used campaign jargon. Definitions are based on what I’ve heard from the candidates.

No, no. No need to thank me. (*Not really helfpful)

Buy Local – 1. Reasonable effort to give local businesses a bigger share of local government business. 2. A panacea that will pave the way for smooth streets, safe neighborhoods, low taxes and a new era of happiness. 3. A political gimmick.

Co-Location – 1. Locating city, county and school district administrative functions in a convenient single facility with the goal of sharing costs and resources. 2. The answer to all of your difficult, politically dicey questions about the future of public facilities.

Consultant – 1. Individual or firm hired by the city to provide invaluable expertise on a complex issue or process. 2. Out-of-state company paid big bucks to do what smart local people could have done. 3. Savior who helped bring us federal riches. 4. Cossack who made off with our treasury. 5. Hero. 6. Scapegoat.

Council-Manager Form of Government (See also Manager-Council form of government) — 1. It works. 2. It doesn’t work. 3. Improving. 3. Hapless. 4. Professional. 5. Deferential. 6. Methodical. 7. Plodding. 8. Thoughtful. 9. Timid.

Crime – 1. Is down 22 percent. 2. Is rampant. 3. Fork over the wallet and no one gets hurt.

Culture of Delay – 1. Shorthand for frustrations over slow progress by the City Council on flood recovery and other key issues. 2. The topic of an upcoming nine-month fact-finding effort aimed at speeding up city decision-making.

Downtown – 1. Economic and social core of the city. The focus of critical redevelopment efforts vital to the health of the whole community. 2. Giant hole where bags of money stolen from neighborhoods is piled and burned to provide the heat needed to froth milk for rich people’s lattes.

Growing the Pie – 1. Expanding the city’s tax base through economic development and job creation efforts. 2. Literally baking massive, delicious pies in an effort to attract new businesses and residents.

Leadership – 1. Something we need. 2. Something (insert name of candidate) can provide. 3. Whatever.

Political Expediency – 1. My opponent wants to take the easy way out instead of following the correct but more difficult path. 2. My opponent just scored mucho points by promising to do something people actually want, and I’ve got to say something.

Prosser – 1. The last name of Cedar Rapids’ city manager, a well-trained professional who oversees day-to-day city operations. 2. Second only to “the” among words uttered by candidates for city office this fall. 3. A creature from Norse mythology that draws its immense power from the indecision of weak mortals.

Revenue Diversification – 1. Reasonable effort to lobby state lawmakers for permission to collect revenue from sources other than property taxes, such as local sin taxes, wheel taxes, income tax etc. 2. An issue that deserves discussion within the framework of comprehensive state tax reforms. 3. A secret city plan to build a mobile revenue machine that grabs citizens by their ankles and shakes money out of their pockets into a giant dump truck.

Sustainability – 1. Development strategy that values long-term environmental, economic and social benefits, even if that requires higher up-front costs. 2. A money-eating, tree-hugging fad, like climate change etc. 3. No connection to Bud Light’s “Drinkability.”

Taj Mahal – 1. The name of an Indian landmark everyone wants to see. 2. Nickname for a new, pricey city hall in Cedar Rapids that apparently nobody wants to build.

Please, feel free to add your own entries.

Traditionally, newspapers deliver a “get out and vote” message on Election Day. But I’m nagging you a week early.

That way, you have ample time to plan.

Make some space in your schedule a week from today to cast a ballot. And in the meantime, carve out some time to get informed.

There’s no shortage of information in the paper, on TV, on the radio and online about the candidates. Heck, this is a local election, so call up candidates and bend their ears if you want. Trust me, they’ll take the call. Every vote counts.

It will be especially interesting to see how many people show up to vote in Cedar Rapids. After all that’s happened in the past 17 months to shine a hot spotlight on the importance of local government, low turnout will be disheartening and disappointing.

Bottom line: It matters who we put in charge of the cities and towns where we live.

Maybe there was a time when we didn’t really give a hoot who filled the potholes, passed the boring budget and cut the ribbons. But we certainly know better now. At least I hope we do.

The flood was Exhibit A in the case against perpetual apathy. Government retains its authority whether you and I care about it or not. And when bad things happen, that authority suddenly becomes very important, life-or-death important. The ribbon-cutters, it seems, have more impact on our lives than we thought possible.

The “leadership” debate in this town started before the waters receded and hasn’t let up. I’ve heard a lot of big talk and loud complaints. So I’m expecting a big load of ballots to back it up.

Maybe you want to throw the bums out and make a change. Maybe you want to deliver a vote of confidence in the people who have led us this far. Maybe you want to throw out some bums and keep some around. It really doesn’t matter if you don’t show up.

Oh, and there’s the future, which is really what elections are about. In Cedar Rapids, the next mayor and council will make decisions that could shape this town for decades. High-profile, high-dollar, high-impact stuff.

Public buildings will be repaired or rebuilt. Mountains of federal money will roll in. Flood mitigation plans taking shape could remake the heart of the city. So you might want to take part in an election that decides who will be the deciders.

And if you don’t live in Cedar Rapids, don’t think you’re off the hook. Chances are that every community will face circumstances that demand solid, steady leadership. Don’t stay home and take your chances.

 Contact the writer: (319) 398-8452 or todd.dorman@gazcomm.com

Gazette Photo by CRYSTAL LOGIUDICE

Once again Sunday, I sat in judgment over a broad field of competitors hungry for glory, and maybe some kibble.

My fellow judges and I sized up the contenders carefully, but in the end, there could be only one champion.

It’s like the BCS, except it’s for pets in costume.

It is “Pet-O-Ween.”

The Cedar Valley Humane Society asked me to help judge Pet-O-Ween for the second year in a row. My kids love the event, so I gladly accepted. And having one contest under my belt, I was not wowed by the glitz and glamour swirling all around us at the epicenter of  Theisen’s Home, Farm and Auto store, next to the fertilizer.

We watched 74 entries get walked, dragged or carried across the stage. I saw a cat dressed as a doctor, a Doberman dressed as Michael Jackson, a Yorkie dressed as a skunk and a domesticated skunk dressed up as Santa Claus.

Yes Virgina, there is a Santa Skunk.

I saw dogs named Puddles, Lupe, Snowcone, Gizmo, Sassy, Zeus, Muppet, Glacier, Gladys, Linus, Mabel and McDuff.

The judging, which took place in a shopper-free aisle where a guy could buy equipment to make his own jerky, was tough. But consensus came quickly.

We swiftly answered the critical question at hand – “Who’s a good boy?”

In the end, the title went to Oscar (pictured proudly above), a dachsund dressed up as an ostrich. He was a crowd favorite and an easy choice for No. 1. He carried himself like a champion.

The Humane Society raised $926 from the contest, and that ain’t bad. Congratulatons to Oscar, Linus, Mabel, McDuff and all the competitors.

There are more great photos here.

Hundreds of state employees are on the brink of having their jobs washed away in a wave of budget cuts.

State troopers, prison guards, you name it. But there’s one group of state employees that has remained untouched.

That group is the 150-seat Iowa Legislature. Even after taking a 10 percent funding cut, the Legislative branch budget is $31.9 million.

That’s a lot of dough. A little nip here and tuck there and we could save millions. And what do you want, folks, prison guards or politicians?

To our west, Nebraska has a unicameral legislature that’s all Senate and no House. It was created by voters in the midst of the Great Depression in 1934 to save scarce dollars. The Unicameral was on the ballot alongside measures repealing prohibition and allowing parimutuel betting. Thirsty drinkers and gamblers love small government.

Sure, I know what you’re thinking. Since when do we take cues from Nebraska?

Actually, I’m taking my cue from Gov. Chet Culver. Two years in a row, Culver has delivered a one-man vote of noconfidence in the Iowa Legislature. Last year, he decided the worst natural disaster in state history was no reason to call a special legislative session. This fall, he’s decided, so far, to handle a massive budget crisis all by his lonesome. He can move mountains of money, dip into reserves and cut across the board, all without legislative oversight or input. He won’t call them back, no matter how bad it gets.

Evidently he thinks we elected them to be on standby.

So the governor can wrestle huge challenges with a branch of government tied behind his back. The judicial branch can shake the nation with its far-reaching rulings. The Legislature can pass resolutions honoring Everly on the occasion of its quasquicentennial.

Where would you cut?

An Iowa unicameral would take some getting used to, admittedly.

Downsizing the Legislature could send economic shock waves through the commemorative lapel pin, soft-serve ice cream, bad coffee and American flag necktie industries.

Lobbyists would have an easier time hunting a smaller herd of lawmakers.

On the plus side, championship basketball teams, Miss Iowa, visiting dignitaries and that member of Irish parliament who shows up around St. Patrick’s Day would need to be honored only once. Pella could bake Dutch letters for just one chamber. Ditto for Cedar Rapids’ kolaches.

The state could rent out the empty chamber for special events, weddings, state employee farewell parties, etc.

■ Contact the writer: (319) 398-8452 or todd. dorman@gazcomm.com

Iowa’s governor’s race. You can’t win if you’re not all in.

1. Nussle was Right! —  Three years after Republican candidate for governor Jim Nussle accused rival Democrat Chet Culver of having a “secret plan” to revive TouchPlay video lottery games, the scheme has been ripped wide open. And Culver said Nussle was “crazy.” Ha!

The Des Moines Register reports that some “key” lawmakers say a TouchPlay rebirth may be on the 2010 agenda, now that the budget is busted:

This time around, video gambling could be resurrected under a tighter, more restricted framework limiting the games to adult-oriented establishments serving alcoholic beverages, several lawmakers said this week. The potential for video gambling to quickly generate additional revenue to help close massive budget shortfalls can’t be ignored, officials said.

“I think it is a live round to be discussed,” said House Speaker Pat Murphy, a Dubuque Democrat. “The big question is whether or not you can get enough votes to pass it. But I think you have legislators who may have said no a year ago who all of a sudden may say yes now.”

So here’s what we know about Culver’s secret plan at this point:

Step 1 – Fall 2008 — Spark a global economic meltdown.

Step 2 – Spring-Fall 2009 — Bring the state budget to its knees, push it into a fiscal chasm, then drop in a boulder. Slash state spending across the board. Make the guarding of inmates in state prisons optional.

Step 3 – Revive TouchPlay, preferably in the chaotic final hours of a shortened 80-day election-year legislative session when you can’t figure out any other stinkin’ way to make the budget balance.

It’s so diabolical, it just might work.

So now that the cat’s out of the bag. Let the debate begin.

On the pro side, reviving video lottery games could bring in a whole load of dough to  pay for all sorts of things, like state troopers or other government stuff that comes in handy.

And frankly, if we could go back in time, to the fateful moment just before former Iowa Lottery chief Ed Stanek decided to put slottery games in every nook and cranny of Iowa, this is what a sane video lottery program would have looked like. Terminals in bars, where adults do adult things.

On the con side, a curious coalition that helped beat TouchPlay in 2006 – big casinos and anti-gambling Christian conservatives – will have something to say about a 2010 revival. Casinos still don’t want competition in every tavern. Conservatives are worried about the negative social impacts of gambling, and that you might have fun.

(One possible compromise that could gain the support of religious conservatives would involve the passage of  a constitutional ban on same-sex gambling. After all, marriage is a crap shoot.)

But seriously, I doubt Republicans are all that interested in helping Culver and his Democratic pals out of the budget mess they made. So expect them to point and scoff at any attempt by Ds to line up votes.

If I were in Fort Dodge, Ottumwa or any of the five communities hoping for a casino license, I’d be worried. If lawmakers approve video lottery games regulated by the Racing and Gaming Commission and not the lottery, chances that the commission will also approve new casinos shrink even more. Commissioners are already skeptical that new gambling is needed.

2. T-Paw party in DMI with the Notorious TEB — It will be two election cycles for the price of one at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on Nov. 7.

Minnesota Gov. Tom Pawlenty is headlining the Republican Party of Iowa’s fall fundraiser. Pawlenty is considered a possible presidential contender for the GOP in 2012.

But wait, there’s more.

You also get speeches from six 2010 Republican candidates for governor, including cagey candidacy explorer Terry E. Branstad. You may remember him from his four terms as governor during the 80s and 90s.

Branstad has been invited to several smaller joint appearances. But he’s saving it up for the big stage. C-Span will be there.

3. Branstad Entry Sparks Interest in Iowa History – Branstad’s rivals are becoming real history buffs. Good for them.

Republican hopeful Bob Vander Plaats told The Register that Branstad’s 16-year record will be fair game.

Like, do you remember that one time Branstad hosted a fundraiser for Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson’s U.S. Senate campaign in 2000. Yeah, Vander Plaats is totally going to talk about that.

Another GOP contender, state Rep. Christopher Rants, is collecting ancient printed tablets called “newspapers” with wondrous stories about Branstad’s terms 1983-1999 PG (Pre Google).

Rants is putting the tablets on the Internet for study. The samples tell of how Branstad raised taxes, was liberal and governed a whole state without a BlackBerry. Amazing.

4. Sacrificial Math – Gov. Culver promised to take a 10 percent pay cut in solidarity with all the folks in state government being sheared by budget reductions. His $130,000 annual paycheck would be sliced by $13,000.

But then, when the numbers hit the fan Wednesday, it showed a $7,000 cut. Even reporters know that’s not 10 percent of $130,000.

Hilarity and outrage ensued. Culver’s staff said his pay cut would not be retroactive to the start of the budget year on July 1, so the pay cut is actually 5.4 percent. Even Republicans know that 5.4 percent is not 10 percent, so they eagerly whacked the guv.  

On Thursday, the governor announced that he will take a $13,000 cut, so quit your grousing.

Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson has a recap of the pay cut three-step.

5. The Poll

City council candidate Chuck Swore said he nearly had a “heart attack” when he heard a new public library might cost $45 million. That’s some pretty dramatic sticker shock.

“We don’t need the same kind of library,” Swore said at a candidate forum. “The Gazette can tell you that. People don’t read the same way they used to read. They go online. You can go online and get about any book you want.”

Swore’s right about the fading fortunes of newsprint. But he’s wrong about the fading relevance of libraries.

I don’t like picking on Swore. I know he wants to spend tax money wisely. So do I.

We can have a debate on how much needs to be spent on a new facility to replace the flooded central library, on top of state and federal bucks. We can argue locations, timelines, amenities and parking.

But I hope we steer clear of arguments that we should downsize our ambitions because libraries are somehow a less-than-necessary, bygone relic.

In fact, I’d argue that in this dazzling, dizzying digital age, they’re more important than ever.

Earlier this month, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation released a sweeping report titled “Informing Communities — Sustaining Democracy in the Digital Age.” It argues that the health of America’s democracy and communities rests on plugging troubling gaps between the nation’s information haves and have-nots. Access to broadband Internet, for example, is a luxury for most low-income households. And that access gap leaves many on the political, social and economic sidelines.

Libraries, the report contends, should become vital centers for digital and media training. They should also serve as highquality online access hubs and central sources for civic information.

“Digital access is essential to first-class citizenship in our society,” said Alberto Ibargüen, Knight Foundation president and CEO. “If a job application at Walmart or McDonald’s must be made online, how can we pretend that we have equal opportunity if significant portions of our communities don’t have access? Libraries can be part of the solution.” Unlike newspapers, circulation at libraries is steadily growing. Between 1998 and 2008, visits to Iowa libraries rose 41 percent and the number of cardholders jumped 22 percent.

Roughly 2 million Iowans have active library cards.

Although numbers for the fiscal year that ended June 30 are still being compiled, State Librarian Mary Wegner said all evidence points to more increases. Iowans are voting with their feet. Candidates should take note.

■ Contact the writer at (319) 398-8452 or todd. dorman@gazcomm.com

Gov. Chet Culver has released preliminary plans for cutting $565 million from Iowa’s nearly $6 billion state budget.

You can read Culver’s thoughts and dig into the numbers here.

When times are good, and government hums along, we don’t usually think much about it. But when revenues plunge and the axe falls, we get a glimpse of everything the state does, big and small.

Of course, the big stuff makes headlines. Hundreds of layoffs, for instance. It’s got to be a nightmarish day for state workers. I feel for them.

The cuts make for some sobering reading.

It’s disquieting to read through the Department of Corrections’ list of reductions and see the phrase “significant reduction in essential security activities” repeated multiple times.

There’s the Department of Education’s gloomy math lesson — that cuts in local school aid are the equivalent of 4,000 teachers statewide, if you calculate using average salaries. Actual reductions may vary.

Humans Services will have less money to protect children. The Department of Natural Resources will be doing less monitoring of our water quality and fewer field staff will be watching livestock confinements.

Public Health cuts mean, according to department estimates, that 457 Iowans won’t get drug treatment, 4.300 meth users won’t get extended treatment and 400 people won’t get help for problem gambling.

What ’s also big is the amount of federal funding that could be lost. Numerous proposed cuts would result in the loss of federal matching funds. For example, cutting the state’s share of school lunch funding could mean fewer federal bucks and reduced assistance.

That’s all big, important stuff.

But I’m also  fascinated by the stuff that gets less attention.

Like the fact that the State Library of Iowa is going to stop putting Iowa’s weekly newspapers on microfilm. So there will be a gap in Iowa’s journalistic archives.

And it sound like the gift shop at the Iowa Historical Building is closing. (How many nearly forgotten, last-minute gifts did I buy there when I covered the capitol? Many.)

Iowa Public Television will now  go off the air and midnight, which will cut overnight programs recorded by educators for use in class.

Inflated amusement device inspections will cease. Tobacco compliance checks will happen with less frequency. It will take longer to get a civil rights case resolved.

The Iowa Department of Economic Development’s “State Fair giveaway” program has been cancelled. And the “Stretch Your Fun” campaign has been postponed, so the department can stretch pennies.

Big and small, we’re going to feel these cuts.

And I don’t want to pile on Culver, but I can’t help but think there’s got to be a smarter way to do this without, for example, a “significant reduction in essential security activities.”

Perhaps the final plan released next week will be tweaked. Regardless, there’s going to be a lot of political fallout, and a lot of pressure on public employee union members to re-open their contract for concessions.

I know the governor doesn’t want to call lawmakers back to have a look at the ailing patient, but I think a consult might do some good. And it’s about time he spreads the responsibility around.

We know what we’re up against, this year and next. And it’s bad, very bad.  Why should we wait until January to get started? At the every least, key budget subcommittee members should come back to the Statehouse and start digging through the rubble.

And if they so come back early, no mileage checks, no per-diem payments. Sacrifice, folks. At least until we can once again inspect inflatable amusement devices.

Newsroom of the Future?

The NY Times‘ Maureen Dowd suggests that vice might be just the tonic needed to save newspapers.

One idea - allow newspapers to take bets on sports:

Self-described print press “fanatic” Mortimer Zuckerman, who owns The Daily News and U.S. News & World Report, proposed to Forbes that the federal government could save newspapers by allowing sports betting on newspaper Web sites.

“It would take Congressional legislation and the willingness on the part of the government to confront gambling and casino interests that have blocked this,” he said. “Newspaper owners have never gotten together to lobby for this because they have always been quite profitable. Those days are behind us.”

I tracked down Zuckerman in Jerusalem on Tuesday to ask him about it. “Newspapers are so critical for public dialogue and holding public officials responsible,” he told me. “And who’s going to be able to afford original reporting in the next five years? Very, very few.”

Zuckerman goes on to point out that British newspapers make big bucks by sponsoring betting games. I suppose we could also consider Page 3 girls.

I’m all for getting creative, but this may be a stretch.

Could “The Independent Newspaper Serving Iowa’s Technology Corridor” ever become “The Independent Newspaper With The Hottest Action This Side of Vegas?”

Maybe my blog could become “24-Hour Dorman’s Stone-Cold, Lead-Pipe NFL and College Football Locks.”

I’m betting that’s unlikely. You wanna piece of that action?

Last night, during a forum for  five candidates running for two at-large seats on the Cedar Rapids City Council, the hopefuls were asked who they support in the hotly contested race for mayor.

Three candidates, Chuck Swore, Donald Karr and Nick Duffy said they support Ron Corbett.

Swore said he’d love to have Corbett’s top rival, council member Brian Fagan, as his own ”son,” calling him “a peach.” But he wouldn’t support his “son” for mayor.

I predict some awkward moments at hypothetical Thanksgiving.

Karr provided an even more, uh, enthusiastic endorsement of Corbett. “Ron Corbett has a big tool box, almost as big as mine,” Karr said.

Robert Bates said he’s “tired of Corbett” but did not endorse his rivals, Fagan or P.T. Larson. At-large candidate Aaron Saylor said he could work with either Fagan or Corbett.

After Saylor’s attempt at political diplomacy, someone in the audience yelled “Typical politician.” Ouch.

Frankly, it’s none of our business who will get their secret ballot. But that hasn’t stopped us from asking,

It’s a question we’ve asked every city candidate who stopped by The Gazette’s editorial board. So far, “none of your business”  is in the lead.

Six candidates declined to say who they support, including District 3 candidates Pat Shey and Kathy Potts, at-larger Saylor and all three hopefuls in district one - incumbent Kris Gulick, Tim Pugh and Ryan Russell.

Most answered the question like Shey, who said both Corbett and Fagan have leadership ability and would do a fine job.

Four support Corbett – Swore, Karr, Duffy and current District 3 City Council member Jerry McGrane. McGrane said Fagan is a “nice guy” but the city needs a change. (Just not in his district.)

No candidate said they back Fagan, although some of the no-sayers may indeed be in his camp. Corbett also said during his meeting with the board that he has the backing of current council members Monica Vernon and Justin Shields. Vernon is not on the ballot and Shields is unopposed.

Does any of this matter?

Well, if election night breaks for Corbett and his backers, he could come into office with a significant voting block initially on his side. And that could have a significant impact on the future direction of city policy and management. Ditto is Fagan comes into power alongside the diplomats.

But there’s also risk in tying your own candidacy to someone else’s wagon. If they have a bad night, you might wish you hadn’t.

So I don’t blame the candidates who declined to weigh in. Politics sometimes becomes “typical” because it’s also smart.

Another wheel tax proposal. This time it’s roulette.

Cedar Rapids City Council member Justin Shields made headlines by suggesting that we revive the idea of casino gambling in Linn County and prepare for a vote in 2011. Shields believes revenue from a gambling/entertainment facility could help give the city’s downtown area a shot in the arm. He’s not alone.

Gambling was defeated 53 percent to 47 percent in Linn County in 2003. But casino dreamers say things would be different now. Gambling is more accepted, less controversial. Maybe they’re right.

I can’t blame Shields and others for wanting to roll the dice. State leaders have pretty much left cities with a three-item revenue menu: prosperity-punching property taxes, a regressive penny sales tax or a fleet of slot machines. And, really, what are the odds of getting comprehensive property tax reforms out of the Legislature anytime soon? Diddly-squat.

I’m surprised it took this long for a public gambling discussion to start. It’s an inevitable offshoot of all the Dubuque-envy we’ve been hearing around these parts from public officials and candidates.

Gambling-fueled riverfront revitalization helped convince IBM to lavish 1,300 jobs on Dubuque. It’s natural to see the path to prosperity paved with poker chips.

Far be it from me to discourage dreaming. But I fear our riverboat has already sailed.

In 2003, studies showed the Cedar Rapids area was a big, fat casino market ripe for the picking. Local voters balked. Now, the gambling world is very different.

Newish casinos are located to the north in Waterloo and to the south at Riverside. The Quad Cities market still pulls from the east. Things are pretty crowded.

Iowa has 17 state-licensed casinos and racetracks regulated by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, which has the power to grant new licenses.

But Iowa’s casino cartel has made it crystal clear that new competition is not welcome. I don’t expect the commission will bite the hands that feed the state giant piles of tax revenue.

Five communities will submit license applications this month, including Ottumwa, Fort Dodge, Tama County, Franklin County and Lyon County. It’s a good bet Lyon County, in far northwest Iowa, will be the only winner. Other applicants would take business away from the cartel. So scram.

That’s what Cedar Rapids would be up against. Casino towns that already gobbled their slices of the gambling pie will scream “saturation,” and the commission will listen.

We can still grab a fork and get in line. But the casino buffet is down to its last crumbs.

Contact the writer at (319) 398-8452 or todd.dorman@gazcomm.com

Cedar Rapids’ own Republican candidate for governor, Christian Fong, gave a speech to the Iowa Minuteman Civil Defense Corps on Saturday in Des Moines. The Des Moines Register was on the scene:

Chinese communists swept to power in the last century without mentioning plans to nationalize businesses or institute forced abortions, Republican gubernatorial candidate Christian Fong told supporters of the Iowa Minuteman Civil Defense Corps on Saturday.

“They came in promising hope and change,” Fong said. “Sound familiar?”

Fong, a Cedar Rapids businessman who described himself Saturday as the son of a Nebraska farm girl and “a legal immigrant” from China, told a crowd of roughly 30 onlookers at a Minuteman rally that he should be “allowed to take this a little more personally as the son of someone who had to do it the right way.”

That sort of raised a red flag. So I called Fong, who inists he’s not trying to revive the Red Scare.

Fong said he used communist China in the mid-20th century as an example of a place where one party consolidated its power without facing credible opposition. And he says Republicans can’t be a credible opposition party now if they just sit around and wait for Democrats to fail.

“If the Republican Party turns into a party that doesn’t offer effective ideas, effective counters, then, over 10 to 15 years, the priorities of the Republican party will be lost to an entire generation. That’s the comparison,” Fong said.

“But no, I do not believe that President Obama is a communist,” Fong said.

Sure, but could he have made that same argument without dragging the commies into it? Of course.

But it wouldn’t have packed the same punch, and I guess punch is what counts most when you’re trying to stand out in a crowded, six-way GOP primary.

Speaking of that primary, Fong says he’s sticking with it, even though it looks like Terry Branstad is comingout of retirement to run for a 5th term. Branstad has to be considered the favorite.

“I have continued to say I will stick this out until the end. But is the end in June or is the end sooner, that’s up to Iowans to decide,” Fong said. He didn’t explain exactly what “sooner” means.

“It is good for the party to have a primary. You always add voters in a rigorous primary,” Fong said. “It’s also just good for Iowa. There are good ideas floating around.”

This arrived a short time ago in my inbox. 

For immediate release.

 Corbett Says Massive Yard Sign Theft Won’t Slow Campaign

 Cedar Rapids – Responding to the theft of hundreds of his campaign yard signs over the weekend, Cedar Rapids mayoral candidate, Ron Corbett, said today that his campaign will not be slowed or intimidated by this deliberate effort to hurt his candidacy.

“Yard signs use a lot of time and money in a campaign, that’s why it’s so disappointing to see that hundreds of our signs have been stolen from yards during the dark of night,” said Corbett. “We don’t know who did this, but our message is simple: this campaign will not be slowed by those who think they can prevent the voice of the people from being heard.”

After dark friday, vandals took to the streets to remove Corbett for Mayor signs from yards all over town. The campaign estimates that between 200 and 300 signs were taken, about 1/3 of the posted signs.

“We are asking for people to keep an eye out for the signs so that we can recover them if possible. We are hoping that a business or homeowner will find them disposed of somewhere and if so, we may be able to salvage some of them,” said Corbett.

Anyone who finds the signs are asked to call 319-573-5050 or visit the campaign Web site at www.RonCorbett.com to send a message.

“The most disappointing part of this is that for many citizens, hosting a yard sign or putting up yard signs is one of the ways people participate in the election process. It’s too bad that vandals would want to take away this small part of democracy,” concluded Corbett.

Paid for by Corbett for Mayor

So was it political skulduggery or teenage mischief, or both? Yard sign thefts happen every election season, but this looks like a biggie. Although these things are subject to inflation. Gasp. In politics?

The thieves - kids, cranks, elite political commandos, whoever – need to give the signs back.

Years ago, at a Terrace Hill Christmas party hosted by Gov. Tom Vilsack, I marveled at a copy of “Main Street” by Sinclair Lewis.

It was a rare edition, illustrated by Grant Wood. Christie Vilsack said it’s among her favorite books. Her column in the Mount Pleasant News borrowed the title. The Vilsacks truly lived on Main Street.

It’s the story of a young, sharp woman, Carol Kennicott, who graduates from college in the Twin Cities and marries a doctor from Gopher Prairie, Minn. She hopes to shake up his sleepy, rustic town with literature and culture. Things don’t exactly work out.

At one point, Carol takes off for Washington D.C.to catch a break from Gopher Prairie.

Now, Christie Vilsack is in D.C. while her husband serves as secretary of agriculture, the post he got after things didn’t exactly work out for his presidential ambitions.

But she may soon be returning to Hawkeye Prairie to shake up Iowa’s political history and try to grab a U.S. Senate seat away from the rustic Republican Chuck Grassley.

“I’m well-qualified to serve, so time will tell,“ Christie Vilsack told WHO-TV this past week when asked about her plans. It reminded me of what she said in Denver a year ago.

“The one thing I learned over the past 10 years is that I could,” she said. “I know how to do all this stuff. I know how to give a speech. I know how to raise money. I could do that.”

But is she, in fact, “well-qualified?” By her husband’s standards, perhaps not. He served as a mayor and state senator before seeking statewide office. Still, she was a very active and outspoken first lady who clearly loved campaigning. And the heft of a resume’ she’s written may not be as important as the history she could make.

For all of the gold stars on Iowa’s political history — first-in-the-nation caucuses, civil rights victories, talented Iowans in the highest reaches of power — a black mark remains. Iowa has never elected a woman to the governor’s office or Congress. Iowa and Mississippi are the only ones left in the error club for men.

Vilsack’s desire to make that history is palpable. The former journalist knows a big story. And she might just be able to bring a lot of voters along for the ride. She’d have to win a Democratic primary first.

Grassley remains very formidable, but he’s also never been more vulnerable. This is going to be a tough election for incumbents of all stripes. Polls suggest Grassley won’t skate if he gets a worthy opponent. Vilsack has name recognition, a network of political pros who will work for her and a good knowledge of Iowa.

It could be a great race. It might even make a good book.

■ Contact the writer at (319) 398-8452 or todd. dorman@gazcomm.com

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• Grassley May Get Top Tier Challenge (politicalwire.com)
• IA-Sen: Could get interesting (dailykos.com)

1. Local Retiree Plans to Travel – So former four-term Gov. Terry Branstad said definitively this afternoon that he plans to be less than definitive for a while longer. Flirt.

“I’m humbled by thousands of people who have contacted me and told me to run for governor,” Branstad said, after announcing his retirement as president of Des Moines University. He said he plans to “fully explore” the idea of running for a fifth term as governor. He served from 1983-1999. His exploration shouldn’t take nearly as long.

Humbled, to be sure, but not enough to stop milking his theatrical indecision for every last drop of media fawning he can get. So watch him explore a while longer, hacks. He’s hitting all 99 counties. Try to keep up.

For a moment, sitting and watching Branstad on TV made me feel 13 again.Or 16 or 20 or 24. But those graying locks and his futuristic headset microphone reminded fast me that this is Terry 5.0, 2009-style.

(Still, I wonder if it was that iTerry headset that ruined the audio and killed the KCRG simulcast just when it was getting good. I said bad words. I admit it.)

Branstad made his points. He’s experienced. His Republican rivals are fine folks, but woefully unknown.

Democratic Gov. Chet Culver has presided over a “fiscal debacle.”

And his own budgetary snafus were oh so long ago that they hardly matter, especially when considered alongside his bold tax cuts. Come to think of it, those were a long time ago too.

Democrats peddling “TerryLovesTaxes.com” T-shirts beg to differ.

2. Budgetagedden It  – Gov. Chet Culver spent the week dealing with the fallout from his 10-percent across the board state budget cuts. He dropped the big one to fill a $414 million budget chasm in the current year. But a $1 billion canyon is on the horizon in 2011. Ugly.

But, hey, this is why the governor makes the big bucks. Except for the 10 percent pay cut he took this week. He’s now making roughly one-30th of Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz’s take home. But hey, who is having the better year?

The court system will struggle to dispense quick justice, the dept. of  human services doesn’t have the resources it needs to protect all the humans who need protecting, there’s never a trooper when you really need one and the Legislature won’t work for an entire scheduled session. Then the budget cuts will kick in. Ouch.

Cuts will be felt everywhere.

Even at Belmond-Klemme, my alma mater. On you Broncos, buck and rear and slice.

Republicans are giddy/outraged. Years ago, majority Republicans cut a mere $60 million from aid to local governments, inspiring city council members and mayors all over Iowa to run for the legislature as Democrats. They set the stage for a Democratic majority. Now, Republicans are hoping outrage will help them back into power.

GOP warriors charged that across-the-board cuts are ham-handed and irresponsible.It would have been better, they contend, if Culver had called lawmakers back to wield scalpels instead of hatchets. Hard to argue.

But then House Minority Leader Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, called for an across-the-board pay cut for state workers. Hmm.

Krusty Konservative called him on it:

Here is an honest question to the House Minority Leader. Kraig, if across-the-board tax cuts are irresponsible, lazy, and devoid of leadership, why aren’t across-the-board pay cuts irresponsible, lazy, and devoid of leadership? I think we would both agree that state government is too large, so why not seek out the duplication and waste in each department and eliminate those positions rather than just slicing everyone’s pay?

Republican candidate for governor Bob Vander Plaats mocked our governor:

“I’ve said it before: I don’t mean any disrespect to my 12-year-old son, but he could make an across-the-board cut.”

Wow. not only does Vander Plaats think he’ll have the power to veto supreme court rulings, he’s going to give his kids the power to slash the state budget. Alarming.

2. LugTV is on the Air — Gov. Culver is on the air with a new TV ad, depicting him as the decisive guy at the desk where the buck stops and the budget gets cut. And it’s launched the same day Terry B is making his news. Eerie.

Culver’s ad quotes a Gazette editorial that credited him with a “Swift, decisive” response to the latest revenue plunge. It doesn’t mention that we also criticized him for not listening to months of warnings and urged him to reconsider calling lawmakers back now. Oh, well, he only has 30 seconds.

Word is another ad is planned. The theme: “The last two governors had big budget problems and still got re-elected. Now I’m in big trouble. What the $%&# folks?” Just a rumor. Can’t confirm.

4. BVP NAACP — Vander Plaats received the endorsement this week of Iowa-Nebraska NAACP President Keith Ratliff Sr. The Rev. Ratliff and Vander Plaats got to be pals while spewing fire and brimstone at evil gays and lesbians who want normal lives and stable families. Now they’re BFFs.

So, a top leader in a pro-civil rights organization throws his support behind the Republican candidate who would move the most aggressively to deny civil rights to gay Iowans. Makes sense. Ratliff also said something about disliking Culver’s record on minority hiring practices in state government. This is an issue so close to Vander Plaats’ heart that he hasn’t been able to bring himself to utter a word about it. He’s overcome with passion.

This will not doubt help Vander Plaats in his assertion that issuing an illegal exective order to stop marriage equity would make him just like Abe Lincoln issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. Warning – you must mix irony that strong with some rocks and water before you try swallowing it. I don’t know about you, but BVP talkin’ Lincoln makes me want to drink like Grant.

But I think this will open the door for other endorsements:

The Committee for Fuzzy Political Cuddliness will endorse Christopher Rants.

Movie Lovers for Strong Budget Oversight will back the governor.

City Slickers International has its eye on Jerry Behn

The Senior Luddites of America will use a rotary dial telephone phone to inform Christian Fong of its full, solid-state support for his campaign. Please respond by telegraph. Stop.

NextGenPAC will endorse Branstad. Oops. Too late.

5. Survey Says — More polling is out. A Research 2000 poll commissioned by the liberal Daily Kos blog has some better news for Culver than some ugly polls of late, most commissioned by Republicans, for Republicans.

Bleeding Heartland has a summary:

In a head to head matchup, Branstad led Culver, 48 percent to 43 percent. That’s not as big a lead as some Republican-commissioned polls have found. The Research 2000 poll is still good news for Branstad, as it shows him ahead of a sitting governor who crushes the other Republican competition. Research 2000 found Culver leading Vander Plaats 55 percent to 33 percent, and Culver leading Rants 58 percent to 28 percent. The Republicans who recruited Branstad to enter the race had good reason to do so.

So that’s why so many in the GOP want TEB back in the saddle.

The Illinois Senate sent Gov. Pat Quinn a constitutional measure that could allow Illinois voters to recall legally-challenged governors.

Yes, even in squeky clean Illinois, that can happen occasionally. From the Tribune’s Clout Street blog:

Under the measure, voters would be asked on the November 2010 ballot to approve a constitutional amendment allowing recall.

If voters approved next year, they would permit Illinois citizens to launch a petition drive to recall a future governor. But several additional hurdles must be cleared, including getting authorizing signatures from as many as 10 senators and 20 representatives.

Sponsoring Sen. Michael Noland, D-Elgin, said it is time to “empower the people” who did not have the chance to launch a petition drive to recall Blagojevich.

In Iowa, state House Minority Leader Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, filed legislation that would have allowed recall of local elected officials. It was a shot fired during the Linn County Board of Supervisors’ pay hike fiasco. It didn’t move an inch in the Democratic Legislature.

I know recall carries dangers, but I think voters who put these folks in office ought to have a way to take them out early if they really screw up. The recall bar voters must cross to force a vote should be set very high, so that it’s only used at appropriate moments.

Illinois also approved new, tougher government transparency laws earlier this year, while changes in Iowa were shelved yet again.

A Building Plan Not Being Considered by Local Government

Apparently, co-location is being held in an undisclosed location.

Sure, everybody’s talking about it — dreaming of a ribbon sliced with oversized scissors in front of a new facility housing both Cedar Rapids and Linn County government. Maybe even the school district joins in.

But in the 16 months since the Cedar River swamped City Hall on May’s Island, the county’s Administrative Office Building and school district headquarters, talk is all we’ve heard. Will they ever get together?

Last winter, the county killed co-location. Then, after the state denied its application for $8.8 million to super-size the administrative building, they dragged co-location’s carcass out and propped it up again. See, it’s not dead, it’s just sleeping. Sort of like “Weekend at Bernie’s” with open house placards.

Most city poobahs don’t want to return to the island. But they’re even less willing to admit they’d like to build a new, pricey building. So they wield co-location as a shield to deflect pesky questions about what they actually plan to do, with an election looming.

City Council member Jerry McGrane said as much this week. “I don’t think anybody wants to take a stand,” McGrane said. He sees no sign that co-location will happen.

Mayoral candidate Brian Fagan doesn’t want to go back to May’s Island and likes the idea of co-location, but details beyond that are fuzzy. His top rival, Ron Corbett, wants to move back to the island, but is sidestepping questions about the building’s long-term shortcomings. He says co-location stalled because no one led the charge. Good point.

Following this issue is like trying to grab a cloud.

I don’t think a new facility, either a city hall or co-located center, will happen. I think a voter-altered City Council and public sentiment will combine to make “new” old news. If local government changes addresses, or shacks up together, it will be in an existing building that’s remodeled to fit government needs. Westdale, Econofoods, a downtown building to be named later? I can’t say.

Some city functions will return to May’s Island, making it a ceremonial hub of government.

And once talk of a new government edifice dies, the way will be cleared for a new, top-shelf public library. I think the public will support a library, but not if it also has to pay for a new city hall. And the library, which will benefit the entire community, young and old, wealthy and struggling, could be a symbol of the city’s recovery, is clearly the better project.

After an election, more meetings and miles of open house placards, we’ll find out if I’m right.

Contact the writer at (319) 398-8452 or todd.dorman@gazcomm.com

LEFTOVERS – Stuff I couldn’t fit in my 420-word print column.

County Didn’t Leap or Look – Truthfully, it’s not surprising that Linn County didn’t leap at the idea of co-location. For one thing, county residents outside Cedar Rapids may not be crazy about the idea of seeing their government swallowed into a Cedar Rapids city enterprise. They already feel issues important to them get lost in Cedar Rapids’ shadow.

What’s odd is that the county’s process for determining its future home, a place that lots of people actually visit for many services, has been so much more sloppy than the long city process for city hall, where most citizens hardly ever go. The county really should have been more careful, and listened to citizens at the front end, not after months of stumbling.

Somewhere between the county’s approach — shoot first and ask the public questions later — and the city’s process — gather public input endlessly and then delay some more — there is a perfect strategy. Perhaps it’s not too late to find it.

Society has changed — There may have been a time when most people wanted local government buildings to be sweeping, noble expressions of civic ambition. I’m just afraid those days are gone.

Sure, Americans still admire architectural ambition, even excess — office buildings, arenas, stadiums, museums etc. They just like it a whole lot better when they don’t have to pay for it.

We’ll still pay for schools, usually, and perhaps libraries, as investments and expressions of our hopes for the future.

Otherwise, we want four walls, a roof and a place to park. Short lines would be nice also. If it’s in an historic building, great. If it’s in a dying shopping mall, that’s OK too. Just get me in and on my way.

That’s why new government buildings, especially now with the economy tanking, are a tough sell. Perhaps that’s unfortunate, but it’s the reality facing our decision-makers.

Trashmore Center for Government– Hey, maybe, we could build a new, methane-powered  government building atop Mount Trashmore. It would be green. It would be infill. It would be impressive, towering over the land. It would be easy to defend against barbarians.

It’s also a joke.

Just trying to lighten things up. Tought to resist. Sorry.

I watched last night’s mayoral candidate forum from my sick bed. (Rick Smith has excellent coverage here.)

But I managed to summon the strength to scratch a few notes.

1. News-Sports and Weather - There were a few times I thought I was watching the nightly news.

First News. City Council member and mayoral candidate Brian Fagan broke news that FEMA says the central library can’t move back to its original location in the flood zone. That means a extra $4 million in federal bucks and allowed Fagan to argue that much-derided expert consultants made it happen. Ka-ching.

Next, sports. Former Iowa House speaker and current trucking executive Ron Corbett rolled out with his favorite sports metaphor, arguing that the current council has stayed in a huddle for 16 months and refuses to run any plays. He’ll “break huddle” and run plays.

That led Fagan to argue that both of his opponents would have “dropped the ball” and allowed money to slip away without expert consultant help in “maximizing the rate of return” on disaster aid.

Not to be outdone, P.T. Larson then asked the age-old question, “What about Kurt Warner, Brian?” Larson argues that Master’s champion Zach Johnson got a street named after him here and NFL MVP, Super Bowl champ Warner waits. Larson says the country club types made it happen.

“You dropped the ball and didn’t step up to the plate,” Larson said. Yeah, and he missed a three-point goal. Or something.

Next, weather. The candidates took a question about snow removal. Fagan got the last laugh. “As mayor, I’m going to eliminate winter,” he said.

2. Turnabout is fair play – Fagan landed a nice punch when he pointed out that Corbett’s campaign ads are created by an “out-of-town consultant,” namely Victory Enterprises in Davenport.

But Corbett returned a decent jab at Brian “Sustainability” Fagan when he said he’s worried most about the city’s “unsustainable” budget.

3. Hold on a Second – Both candidates misplaced some blame.

Fagan smacked Corbett for failing to reform Iowa’s property tax system or rewrite its highway funding formula to benefit urban areas. Never mind that these are two of the toughest, unsolved issues facing state government that have confounded leaders in both parties for decades.

Corbett repeatedly tried to hang the unpopular concept of a wheel tax on incoming commuters around Fagan’s neck, even though Fagan was not one of the council members who proposed it. Fagan, however, didn’t refute the charges as clearly as he should have.

4. Translation, please. - Fagan referred several times to “duplication of benefits.” I know what it means. Flood-affected residents know all too well. But it’s not exactly a term you can throw around without explanation. He did explain near the end, but not clearly.

I’m glad Corbett met his wife in France and that his kids are bilingual, but I’m still not sure how that answers a question about diversity in the community. To be fair, his fellow combatants didn’t do much better.

When Corbett got into the weeds on city policy, he would often fall back on  his charge that the city is sitting on local option sales tax money. He spent those bucks several times.

5. Winner? - I think all three did what they set out to do. Corbett got his points and punches across on why he thinks the city is off-track. Fagan got a chance to defend, passionately at times, the council’s record on laying the groundwork for future progress.

And Larson made the point that he’ll be a full-time mayor, not a “moonlighter” with another job likes his rivals. The debate ended in laughter at his P.T.will not stand for part-time line

Did any of them move the needle? Tough to tell. We’ll know three weeks from today.

The Cedar Rapids mayor’s race reminds me of one of those cop movies, with the partners who can’t get along.

You’ve got City Council member Brian Fagan, the ambitious, no-nonsense guy who plays it straight and by the book. Without the rules, the process, the system, there would be chaos in the streets. He never mixes policy with operations.

Then you’ve got Ron Corbett, who vows to get results even if it means tossing out the book and dumping the process. He can’t wait for the system to work. He’s crossing the policy-operations border and you can’t stop him.

Fate has thrown them together. And this city isn’t big enough for the both of them. Imagine the crackling dialogue.

“I got a call from a ticked-off guy who says the city’s gonna cut down some nice trees,” Corbett says. “I’m on it.”

“Hold on, renegade,” Fagan says. “Clearly, this is operations, not policymaking. You should refer him to the sub deputy director of botany affairs. We can’t get involved. You’re crossing the line. Read the charter!”

“You read the charter. I’m gonna rattle some bureaucrat’s cage,” Corbett retorts. “I’m breaking the huddle and I’m calling an audible. Try to keep up, Deputy Delay.”

“You have no bench marks. You have no organizational framework. You have no process for public engagement,” Fagan says. “It’s failure city, dead ahead, professional politician.”

(P.T. Larson plays a desk sergeant passed over for promotion again and again who delivers timely nuggets of wisdom.)

Clearly, Corbett and Fagan would be very different mayors. Fagan’s experience has led him to embrace City Manager Jim Prosser’s methodical, process-centric style of government, with a council that sets a direction and stays out of the way. Respect the process and good things will happen, slowly, but surely.

Fagan says when he gets a call from a constituent, he fights the urge to call city staff on his or her behalf. Instead, he tells them who to contact. To do otherwise would be meddling in operations.

Corbett is betting voters are process-weary. So he’s selling an old-school, hands-on, call-me-and-I’ll-see-what-I-can-do model. He sees meddling in operations as part of the mayor’s job.

Fagan needs to better understand voters’ desire for elected officials to be their advocates, not just policymakers and option-pickers. And Corbett needs to understand how frustrated he’s going to be if he wins and tries to assert his will on a system that doesn’t give him much power.

It’s fascinating drama. I can’t wait to see how it ends.

Contact the writer at (319) 398-8452 or todd.dorman@gazcomm.com

IOWA CITY — Finally, the kid in the red sweat shirt boiled it down.

I was at a public hearing on medical marijuana. I heard four hours of testimony. Passionate, painful testimonials. Evidence sprinkled with medical jargon. A history of the federal war on drugs since the Big Bang. It was overwhelming.

The kid said it didn’t have to be. He said if people faced with awful, debilitating pain get relief from using marijuana, then we should find a legal way to get them some.

Yeah, we should.

The Iowa Board of Pharmacy is holding hearings on a request to take marijuana off a list of Schedule I controlled substances that are illegal to use or prescribe. That would be a big step toward allowing its medical use, although the Legislature has the last word.

Don’t hold your breath. Neither the board nor lawmakers seem interested.

Inaction will be tough to swallow for many who testified, folks with spinal chord injuries, fibromyalgia, glaucoma and chronic pain caused by accidental injuries. You could hear anguish in their voices. They say cannabis helps them cope with excruciating pain, and yet they must break the law to get relief.

We heard from doctors and other experts who said there is evidence out there that pot can be helpful to some who suffer. Adverse effects of the drug certainly exist but are generally not serious, especially when compared with the side effects of other potent prescription drugs. And we’d probably know a lot more about marijuana if its prohibition wasn’t inhibiting research.

“Medical marijuana deserves a rational debate in our medical community. The ones who lose are our patients,” said Dr. Deborah LeBeau, an obstetrician-gynecologist from Dubuque.

Sure, I understand the sincere concerns of people who have committed their lives to fighting drug abuse. They argue that allowing medical marijuana will send a bad signal to kids and make the drug easier for them to get. Just say no. Period.

But I’m not sold on the overused slippery slope. We’re talking about allowing physicians to prescribe marijuana, doctors who already are allowed to prescribe drugs that are far more powerful, addictive and dangerous.

Advocates for change are not talking about complete legalization. They just want the state to carve out a small, legal refuge from the crossfire of the war on drugs.

Skittish lawmakers will, of course, be scared of how cannabis compassion might look in a campaign brochure. They’ll likely take a stand against dangerous, mind-altering substances, just before heading off to the next reception with free booze.

n Contact the writer: (319) 398-8452 or todd.dorman@gazcomm.com

1. Why was I up at 5:45 a.m.? My daughter, Tess, is into science. It’s her favorite subject, at least for now. She wants to be a vet.

Or own a chcolate shop. She’s 7, and has a while to decide.

Tess was sort of jazzed about NASA’s mission this morning, smacking the moon with a couple of probes in  a search for water. So we got up and watched it on the NASA channel.

Mission control narrated in its normal mix of radio chatter and calm explanation. The moon got closer and closer before the screen went white at impact. We didn’t see any massive plume of blowed up moon, as was advertised by NASA animation, which was sort of disappointing to my small inhabitant of planet Nickelodeon.

But it was still cool, spending some quality time with Tess, explaining how finding water on the Moon would make it easier to explore the solar system. Oxygen to breathe, hydrogen for fuel etc.  She seemed interested in what I had to say, which is always remarkable.

Her younger sister, Ella, was also up, but this was still too much for her attention span. She did manage to jump on me at a crucial moment in the mission, forcing a scalding plume of coffee to land on my belly. Yow. Houston, we have a first-degree burn.

2. Why did Barack Obama win the Nobel Peace Prize? That was one question my daughter asked this morning I couldn’t quite answer.

Very few things sneak up on us in the this hyper-connected world. This did. And I’m pretty sure you can hear the debate from the moon.

Basically, I don’t think he deserves it. I’m not trying to bust on him, but the Nobel should be about landmark achievement, about long years of hard work. And for all his strengths, Obama has neither. Maybe someday, but not today.

I hope it provides inspiration and motivation, but he’d better deliver or it’s an Olympic-sized asterisk in Nobel history.

Andrew Sullivan posted several reactions. A couple good ones.

Joe Klein:

I’m as relieved as anybody that the Bushian gunslingers have been given the gate and, as regular readers know, I’m a big fan of patient, rigorous diplomacy–and there’s a certain lovely irony to any prize that brings the Taliban and the neoconservative Commentary crowd together in high dudgeon–but let’s face it: this prize is premature to the point of ridiculousness. It continues a pattern that holds some peril for Obama: he is celebrated for who he is not, and for who he might potentially be, rather than for what he has actually done. If he doesn’t provide results that justify the award, this Nobel will prove a millstone come election time.

And Matt Welch at Reason Mag:

Among many other things, this selection illustrates the United States‘ way-too-oversized role in the world’s imagination. And it shows how people–almost touchingly–remain suckers for likeable politicians who replace guys they hated, investing in them a kind of faith mere mortals usually don’t merit. As Chili Davis famously (and presciently) said about Dwight Gooden, “He ain’t God, man.”

Honestly, I like the U.S.’s oversized role in the world’s imagination.  But writing about the Nobel prize and quoting Chili Davis. Impressive.

3. Why will Iowa beat Michigan? Because I will smoke a meteorite-sized slab of pork Saturday to perfection and offer it as a sacrifice. How can the gridiron gods refuse such a generous, tasty gift?

Iowa 31, Michigan 13.

Halloween has become a big deal, as evidenced by the giant spider now parked in my front yard. (Pictured above devouring my daughter Tess).

It doesn’t seem like all that long ago that Halloween meant simply carving a pumpkin and picking out a costume.

Your two costume choices were: A. a flimsy store-bought costume sold in a cardboard box with a cellophane window. It lasted all of eight minutes and you really looked nothing like a storm trooper. Or B. a homemade costume.

Dad’s old Army uniform – presto, you’re a soldier, with an eye-liner mustache.

Maybe somebody had a party. Maybe you bobbed for apples. Big doings.

Now, we have lights in our bushes and spider lights around our door and a lighted spider web in the window and the aforementioned giant spider dominating our yard. Catalogues arrive in our mailbox peddling three-figure costumes.

What are the most popular costumes this year? Just put the word “sexy” in front of any noun, such as “Sexy Prisoner” or “Sexy Nun” or “Sexy Pastry Chef.” What about “Sexy President” or “Sexy Microbiologist?” Where are the role models? Sad.

One of our local big box home improvement stores, where our spider was obtained, has several aisles of Halloween finery. The aisles were crowded, despite the gloomy economy. My wife and kids ooohed and aahed and grabbed.

We might have cleaned them out. But then we saw the Christmas decorations. If we’re going to get animated musical bells to put along our sidewalk and lighted plastic Noel candles, we’d better save up.