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Two parties nominate gubernatorial foes for fall

June 17, 2006 By

The two leading candidates to be Iowa’s next governor kicked off the general election campaign this weekend by formally accepting their parties’ gubernatorial nominations.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Nussle used the word “energized” seven times in his short speech to GOP delegates, saying Iowans can no longer sit on their hands and do nothing. Nussle invited the delegates to share their ideas for improving the state on-line at www.99iowaideas.com. “Friends, this has to include you. We can’t do it ourselves,” Nussle said. “I think good ideas need to be heard. You know too often I think politicians and people in government think that they’re the vestige of all the good ideas. I don’t think that’s true.”

Nussle also ridiculed the last eight years of Democrat Governor Tom Vilsack’s leadership. “I’ve got to ask you Iowa, have you had enough?” Nussle asked the GOP crowd. “Our great state cannot afford any more let’s-just-keep-our-fingers-crossed-and-hope-things’ll-get-better. I am not satisfied with an average Iowa and I don’t think you should be satisifed with average Iowa leadership.”

Nussle’s runningmate, Bob Vander Plaats, reinforced that message, saying their Democratic opponent Chet Culver “wants Iowa to be average” and has little to offer for the state’s future.

It was a passing of the reigns over at the Democratic Party’s state convention, with Governor Tom Vilsack reflecting on his seven-and-a-half years as governor. “We have changed the landscape of our state. We have built a solid foundation,” Vilsack said. “But there is more work to do.” Before ceding the convention floor to Culver, Vilsack talked about what he called the “Nussle Hustle.”

“Do not let your friends and neighbors be fooled. Go back to the 99 counties, all four corners of our great state and make sure that every friend, every neighbor, every co-worker knows about the Nussle Hustle because we’re not going to get hustled in November,” Vilsack said. Vilsack then handed Culver $500,000 in campaign contributions from the Democratic Governors Association and Vilsack’s Heartland PAC.

“Governor Vilsack, you’re a tough act to follow. Great speech. I think that Nussle Hustle thing is going to stick,” Culver said. “I think we might be talking a little bit about Harry Truman in this campaign, something about givin’ ‘em heck.”

Patty Judge, Culver’s runningmate, said the state cannot be turned over to someone who’s been part of the GOP crowd in Washington. “If Nussle and Vander Plaats try to run a Karl Rove-style slash-and-burn campaign with us, I promise you we will be ready with something they are not used to: the truth about their record,” Judge said.

Culver ridiculed Nussle’s record in Congress, especially Nussle’s work as House Budget Committee chairman because the federal budget went from a $230 billion surplus to a $400 million deficit. “My opponent used to say and I quote: ‘I believe in the principle that you cannot spend more than you take in’…You don’t think my opponent has gone Washington on us, do ya?” Culver asked the partisans. “It’s the record, not the rhetoric that really matters to Iowans.”

For a behind-the-scenes, minute-by-mine look at the conventions, read Radio Iowa news director O. Kay Henderson’s blog.

Related web sites:
Nussle campaigns 99 ideas website
Radio Iowa blog

Filed Under: Politics & Government

Chevy Cavalier most-stolen vehicle in Iowa

June 17, 2006 By

A new analysis of national insurance and crime reports seems to show Iowa’s thieves are a thrifty bunch — rather than high-powered, high-priced luxury or “muscle” cars, our felons steal more economy models. Instead of Lexus or Honda, the make and model stolen most often in Iowa is the Chevy Cavalier, a humble compact. Department of Public Safety spokesman Jim Saunders says owners have a lot of options to fend off auto theft. “Don’t be fooled by the fact that we have a low theft rate in Iowa,” Saunders says. It doesn’t mean you can’t become a victim and he points out leaving the keys in it or leaving the car unlocked will make it easy for somebody to take it. If you can oafford it, more costly devices offer even more security. There are a lot of car alarms on the market, and services like Onstar and other GPS tracking devices, while more expensive, have helped law enforcement officers locate and recover stolen cars within hours or even minutes of the theft. Council Bluffs and Des Moines were the two cities in Iowa which reported the most auto thefts.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Do a Dad-check this Father’s Day

June 17, 2006 By

Health care advocates say Iowans should use Father’s Day weekend to check on their dads’ health. Kim Downs, with the Iowa Foundation for Medical Care, says you can show you care by inquiring about his health, whether over the phone or during an in-person visit. “We want to make sure fathers are getting the best possible preventive health care, especially for heart conditions,” Downs says. She says the nation has seen an “epidemic increase” in heart failure and related hospitalizations between the 1970s and 1990s, and the increase affects more men than women. She says some dads will evade fully answering questions about their health and may need a little friendly badgering. Downs, the Foundation’s senior director of quality improvement, says Families “may need to probe a little bit more and make sure their dads are getting in for regular check-ups and making sure they’re following a good heart-healthy diet including exercise and activities. If there are symptoms of heart problems, seek medical care promptly to make sure those symptoms don’t get worse.” Downs says recent studies find many men avoid going to the doctor until a health problem becomes serious. She says that can certainly happen with men, but it also happens with women, and she stresses that prevention is the area of focus. Down says consumers can consult a couple of websites to see how their local hospitals stack up for cardiac care. You can compare how well health care providers are actually providing the recommended care for people who’ve had heart attacks or other ailments. Downs recommends “medicare.gov” or “www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov” or you can call 800-MEDICARE.

Related web sites:
Health & Human Services website comparing hospitals

Filed Under: Health & Medicine

Fire school in Ames

June 17, 2006 By

The Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Fire Service Training Bureau summer school for firefighters is underway in Ames. Bureau chief Randy Novak says some 500 firefighters are taking part. They’ll use personal protective and breathing equipment with classes such as interior fire attack, vehicle extrication, tractor rollover, vehicle firefighting and handling LP gas. Novak says the classes give the firefighters some real life training that will help them on the job. According to Novak, preparation is the key to anything and the training allows firefighters to learn skills that they hopefully won’t have to use, but will have just in case. Novak says many of the classes cover the tried and true aspects of firefighting, but he says there’ve also been changes. He says they have to incorporate some of the newer concepts and training that have come into use since 9-11. Novak says it will be more like summer school than summer vacation for the firefighters. The students have choices of half-day workshops, a one day class or two-day class. He says they’ll walk away tired, but will also have learned some things. Novak says 90-percent of the state’s firefighters are volunteers and the majority of the firefighters at the school are also volunteers. This is the 82nd annual summer fire school.

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters

New Hampshire reaction to Tom Vilsack

June 17, 2006 By

As Iowa’s governor ponders a presidential run, the activists in key states like New Hampshire are quickly alligning themselves with other candidates in the mix. “My name’s Diane Swasey. I’m chairwoman of Ward 3 Democratic City Committee here in Manchester and I’ve been a volunteer here for the party for 30 years and I enjoy it so much,” she told Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson this week. “Now that I’m retired I’m involved in three campaigns.” Swasey pronounces her last name just like the actor Patrick Swayze but tells those she meets that she and the movie star are not related. She is one of those sought after activists who do the grunt work of campaigns — filling the envelopes, making the phone calls, putting up the yard signs. While the 2008 presidential election is two-and-a-half years away, Swasey has already committed herself to working for a candidate. Well, actually, two but Tom Vilsack’s not one of them. She’s working for John Edwards and Mark Warner. Governor Vilsack sent Swasey a free ticket to a Wednesday evening banquet in New Hampshire where he served as the keynote speaker, but Swasey wasn’t too impressed with what she’d read about Vilsack earlier that day. Swasey, who is 73 years old, was on-line Wednesday afternoon, reading a Manchester Union-Leader story that suggested Vilsack wasn’t supportive of New Hampshire’s First-in-the-Nation Primary. “So I’m curious about that,” she said. Vilsack was a curiosity to many of the folks Radio Iowa talked with in New Hampshire this past week. “He’s the governor of Iowa. I think he’s a Democrat. Beyond that, I’ve heard his name but I can’t say why I’ve heard it or when I’ve heard it,” one man said. “Haven’t met him yet. Is he a good lookin’ guy, is he?” one woman asked. “He seems to be a very competant, successful governor, so I’m anxious to hear more,” another man said. One woman laughed when asked about Vilsack — as she waited for him to appear at a breakfast. “My first impression is he’ll fit in well in New England since he’s late,” she said.

Filed Under: Politics & Government

Parties hold state conventions today

June 17, 2006 By

The state’s two major political parties will hold their state conventions today (Saturday) in Des Moines. Delegates at the Republican state convention will have an opportunity to meet four potential presidential candidates. Virginia Senator George Allen, Kansas Senator Sam Brownback, New York Governor George Pataki and Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney will all be there. Pataki just this week unveiled his leadership team in Iowa and it includes former Iowa Senate Republican Leader Stewart Iverson who announced this past Monday that he wouldn’t seek re-election. It also includes former State Representative Loras Schulte who has been a long-time party activist. Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Nussle is scheduled to speak to GOP delegates shortly before 11 o’clock today. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chet Culver will address his party’s delegates at about two o’clock this afternoon. Governor Tom Vilsack will introduce Culver but there are no other Democratic presidential hopefuls in the state this weekend.

Filed Under: Politics & Government

Harkin to hold hearing during Special Olympics National Games

June 17, 2006 By

Iowa Senator Tom Harkin says he’ll hold a special hearing next month as the first Special Olympics National games open in July.

Harkin says he’ll conduct a field hearing of the Labor Health and Human Services appropriations subcommittee of which he is the ranking member. He says the hearing will focus on the “status and well being of people with intellectual disabilities.”

Harkin says he’s having several experts testify,as they’ll hear from Doctor Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Special Olympics National Games run from July 2nd to the 7th in Ames.

Filed Under: Politics & Government