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Retiring state workers concerned with ethics of gifts

June 19, 2010 By

State ethics officials say they’re hearing from an increasing number of state workers with concerns about the legality of accepting retirement gifts in their official capacity. The legislature approved an early retirement program touted by Governor Culver this year in an effort to help with a state budget crunch.

Charlie Smithson of the Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board says he’s getting questions as many workers prepare to leave later this month. “We’re seeing people who have worked in government for many years, who know a lot of people who want to give gifts, so this has been a heightened area of concern of late,” Smithson said.

Since the early 1990s, $3 has been the limit for most gifts accepted by state workers. But Smithson says the rules loosen up as state employees approach retirement. “The thought being…the closer you are to your retirement date, the less likely you could assist someone in getting something from state government,” Smithson said. “So, our enforcement policy has kind of been if you’re getting it close to your retirement date, we’re probably not going to view that as an illegal gift.” Smithson says anyone with questions should contact his office.

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With:

RAGBRAI “Dream Team” program rolls next month

June 19, 2010 By

When RAGBRAI rolls across Iowa next month, a group of disadvantaged and at-risk youth will be pedaling along the route, hoping to earn the donated bikes they’re riding to keep as their own.

Tim Mulcahy, one of the organizers of RAGBRAI’s Dream Team program, says it’s a mentoring program to get youth involved in cycling by building relationships through cycling and other activities. The kids go through a intensive workout schedule that starts in mid-February. They train three days a week and the bikers will have up to 1500 miles on their cycles heading into the statewide adventure that goes from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River one week every July.

Mulcahy says if the kids complete the training and the RAGBRAI ride, they get to keep the bike they ride, along with all of the gear.  Ccycling is not a cheap sport, so Mulcahy says they get donations of bikes and equipment. 

Mulcahy says it’s a rewarding experience to see the youth complete their training and their trip across Iowa as a lot of the kids at the start don’t understand what they’re going to accomplish and it’s a “neat feeling” to see the kids work hard and eventually dip their front tire in the Mississippi River at the end of the ride.

For more about the Dream Team program, you can find a link at www.ragbrai.com.

(Reporting by Bob Fisher, KRIB, Mason City)

Filed Under: Human Interest, Recreation & Entertainment

Congressman King heads to Colorado

June 19, 2010 By

Republican Congressman Steve King is making two appearances in Colorado today, but not at events where he was invited, then “disinvited” to speak. 

This past Monday, King was on Gordon Liddy’s nationally-syndicated radio program and King accused President Obama of having a “default mechanism” that “favors the black person.” King accused U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who is also black, of failing to pursue some vote fraud and voter intimidation cases because those accused are minorities.

A Republican congressional candidate in Colorado then cancelled King’s appearance at a fundraiser in Colorado this weekend. The Northern Colorado Tea Party “disinvited” King at its event, too.  On Tuesday, King talked with Radio Iowa about his comments.

“I have no regrets about what I said,” King said.  “I stand by what I said.”

A woman in Loveland, Colorado who heard about the cancellations involving King invited him to speak to her “9-12 Project Liberty Circle.” She’s now organized a rally to show support for Arizona’s new immigration law and former Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo is also scheduled to speak there. 

This morning, King is scheduled to speak at a school in Elizabeth, Colorado. He’ll be speaking  at the June meeting of the Elbert County, Colorado Tea Party. 

Earlier his week, after King saw other invitations to speak in Colorado rescinded, King told Radio Iowa the “professional hyper-ventilators” have been trying to “twist” his statements about race.

“You’ve got the whole left over there,” King said. “I mean this is John Podesta, George Soros. They’re funding this thing. They’re driving this and the DCCC has also indexed in with them.” 

That’s the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.  John Podesta was chief of staff for President Bill Clinton and is the founder of the Center for American Progress, a liberal-leaning think tank.  George Soros is the Hungarian-born billionaire who has donated to the Center for American Progress and other organizations which have worked to elect Democratic candidates.

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