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Potential 2020 presidential candidate Castro says people ready for new generation of leaders

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Julian Castro

Former San Antonio Mayor and possible 2020 presidential candidate Julian Castro today said it’s time for a “blueprint for the future” rather than the “backward” path he says GOP leaders in Washington, D.C. are pursuing.

“I believe that the goal of this country should be to become the strongest, the smartest and the safest country in the world,” Castro said. “…As we become smarter, we become stronger. As we develop our alliances around the world, instead of tearing them down, we become safer.”

Castro spoke on The Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair early this afternoon. Castro is a former Obama Administration official who is making it clear he’s considering a run for president in 2020.

“I’m going to make a decision after November and before the end of the year and based on that, if I decide to run, then I’ll make an announcement shortly after,” Castro told reporters. “…I believe that the 2020 race is wide open. I’m convinced that people want a new generation of leadership.”

During his speech to fairgoers, the 43-year-old laid out policy goals, including some form of “Medicare for All,” universal preschool, at least two free years of college and criminal justice reform.

“Because everybody counts in this country,” Castro said, to applause. “We can’t waste anyone.”

Castro served as U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Obama Administration. Castro Castro’s twin brother is a Democratic congressman representing the San Antonio area in the U.S. House.

Calling husbands the old fashioned way at the Iowa State Fair

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Rose Beauregard calling her husband.

A 65-year-old eastern Iowa woman is the Iowa State Fair’s Husband Calling Champion.

Rose Beauregard of Center Point cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled into the microphone on the Pioneer Hall stage at the State Fair.  Beauregard told reporters it helps to have a husband with the two-syllable first name of Clifford.

“I do practice on my husband, but I do more practing on my grandson and my camping club,” she said. “We camp every month.”

Beauregard began entering the contest in 2003 and this is the first time she’s won.

“I just wanted to win one time,” she said. “The older I get, the harder it is to take that deep breath.”

Rose Beauregard talks about her win.

Now that’s she’s won 2018 Iowa State Fair Husband Calling Contest, Beauregard is retiring from the annual competition, but not the private practice of husband calling.

Like most couples, she and her husband have cell phones and she uses hers to reach him, but Beauregard said there are still times at home when a good yell out the back door is needed.

“Our kitchen opens up to our backyard,” Beauregard said, “and when you’re in the backyard, you usually don’t have your cell phone anyway.”

Beauregard beat 10 other competitors, including a first-time contestant who is a newlywed and another competitor who’s entered the contest for more years than she can remember.

Congressman Young says Trump’s trade talk understandable, but nerve-wracking

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David Young

Republican Congressman David Young says he doesn’t question President Trump’s intentions to strike better trade deals for the U.S., but Young says he and “lot of a people” in his congressional district are nervous about Trump’s trade threats.

“As a leverage tool, I understand what he’s doing,” Young says “But as a policy, we cannot allow this to go on a whole lot longer and have this become pure policy.”

Young spoke with reporters today after delivering a speech on The Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair. Young said if Trump is able to renegotiate NAFTA and resolve trade and intellectual property disputes with China, the impact on Iowa’s economy will be “pretty incredible.”

Young also touted the impact tax cuts passed by congress and approved by the president have had on the economy.

“There’s an economic renaissance going on in Iowa and this country,” Young told the State Fair crowd, “and we have to make sure it continues.”

Young is seeking a third term in the U.S. House representing Iowa’s third district. Political analysts have rated his race with Democratic challenger Cindy Axne as a “toss-up.” Vice President Mike Pence appeared at a campaign fundraiser for Young Wednesday and later told reporters this Iowa’s third district race may decide which party controls the U.S. House in 2019.

Bullock says ‘dark money’ is corrupting government

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Steve Bullock

Montana Governor Steve Bullock says “dark money” and unlimited corporate spending on elections have fundamentally changed how our government works.

“Think about this recent tax cut that happened — $1.9 trillion in debt onto our kids and grandkids. Senator Graham said: ‘We have to do this to…appease our donors,'” Bullock said today on The Des Moines Registers’ Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair.

Bullock filed a lawsuit this summer challenging the IRS decision that certain political organizations known as 501(c) groups will no longer have to reveal who their donors are to the IRS.

“Think about this: now, truly a Russian couuld write a check and influence our elections. We would never even know,” Bullock said. “…This rule had been around since 1971. Richard Nixon wasn’t exactly the model of good government and transparency.”

And Bullock argued none of the big issues facing the country can be addressed until money “is no longer allowed to corrupt the system.”

Bullock spent the past couple of days campaigning with Iowa Democrats and visiting with State Fair-goers. Bullock said during his “Soapbox” speech that Democrats need to figure out how to connect with Trump voters at the local level. Bullock is the only Democratic governor who was reelected in a state Trump won in 2016.

“The Democratic Party didn’t necessarily change,” Bullock said. “We just haven’t been able to figure out the ways to be speaking to people off of the coasts and if we can’t speak the language of the people of Iowa and Michigan and Wisconsin and others, even if you can get an electoral majority, you’re never going to have a governing majority.”

Bullock, though, isn’t ready to talk about whether he’ll run for president in 2020. The two fairgoers who asked the governor questions during his “Soapbox” appearance both asked about his 2020 intentions.

“I do have a story of how I’ve been able to bring people together and I think that’s, in part, what our country desperately needs,” Bullock said and many the crowd applauded. “…Right now, what I’m doing is listening and that’s honestly as far as it goes.”

Another out-of-state Democratic office-holder visiting the fair yesterday gave a strong answer to the “will you run?” question.

“I’m not running for president,” Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said, with a laugh. “No, I’m not.”

Walsh said he came west to help Iowa Democratic Party candidates who’re on the 2018 ballot.

Reynolds hopes details of HBAs, cheap alternative to insurance, out soon

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Governor Kim Reynolds.

Governor Kim Reynolds today said she hopes details of the “health benefit” plans the Iowa Farm Bureau and Wellmark will offer Iowans who do not qualify for ObamaCare subsidies will be released sometime next month.

Reynolds indicated that will give Iowans time before the sign-up period starts in November to review traditional insurance versus these alternative plans for 2019 which will be cheaper because they will not meet all Affordable Care Act guidelines.

“We want Iowans to be able to see and have ample time make the decisions and move forward,” Reynolds told reporters, “so I’m just excited that we do have some options and I was proud of the legislature working in a bipartisan manner to get that done.”

In April, Reynolds signed a bill into law that allows the sale of “health benefit arrangements” that have lower premiums because things like pre-existing conditions, mammograms or pregnancies are not covered. Critics say Iowans who fall ill may be surprised when their condition isn’t covered, but Reynolds said these plans are similar to what was available and purchased by thousands of Iowans before the Affordable Care Act took effect.

Website used for Mollie Tibbetts search may be model for future missing person cases

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The state-run website set up Monday to collect tips about the disappearance of University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts could be a prototype for similar missing persons cases in the future.

Governor Reynolds says the state has added another computer server to deal with the volume of traffic to Findingmollie.iowa.gov.

“It seems like they’re getting a lot of tips and there’s a lot of people going on the site…and we should do whatever we can to really help in the efforts to find her and bring her home,” Reynolds says.

The governor says in today’s world, people need to be aware of their surroundings and report suspicious behavior and a website may help investigators deal with tips about human trafficking and missing persons. As of this afternoon, the state has 377 names on its list of missing persons. Some of the cases date back to the 1970s.

Three ‘Idea Summits’ planned to discuss key rural issues

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Governor Kim Reynolds.

“Idea summits” will be held in September as three new “Empower Rural Iowa” task forces examine ways to elevate rural leaders, boost broadband access and make more housing available in rural Iowa. Nearly 180 Iowans applied to participate and about half were appointed by the governor.

“With the governor’s appointments today, our work can begin in earnest,” acting Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg said during a news conference at the State Fair. “…There are ways for the public to get involved, even if they’re not on the task forces.”

Iowans may submit ideas online  or testify at one of the three “summits.” The first is scheduled for September 6 in Holstein and will focus on connecting more Iowans to broadband service The second will be held September 7 in Mount Pleasant and explore ways to spark strategic planning and development of new leaders in rural Iowa. The third will be held in Earlham on September 14 and focus on getting more investment into rural Iowa, particularly in housing.

Sandy Ehrig, chair of the Iowa Rural Development Council, is a co-chair of the initiative. She said task force members will be asked to come to the summits with at least one written idea on how to address the topic.

“We need everybody,” Ehrig said. “It takes all of us.”

Empower Rural Iowa Executive Council

Christopher Ball, Bloomfield

David Barker, Iowa City

Sue Cosner, West Des Moines

Dave Duncan, Clive

Steve Gilbert, Leon

Hollee McCormick, Harpers Ferry

Emily Schmitt, Clear Lake

Jenae Stokesbary, Pella

Jim Thompson, Ankeny

Investing in Rural Iowa Task Force – Ex-Officios

Sec. of Ag., Mike Naig

Sen. Mark Lofgren

Sen. Tod Bowman

Rep. David Kerr

Rep. Wes Breckenridge

Investing in Rural Iowa Task Force

David Barker, Iowa City

Joanie Bond, Earlham

Hunter Callanan, Clear Lake

Jude Conway, Adel

Sue Cosner, West Des Moines

Shannon Erb, Leon

Steve Gilbert, Leon

Lisa Houser, Monroe

Kiana Johnson, Primghar

Bob Josten, Clive

Stephanie Larscheid, Livermore

Vickie Larson, Mount Pleasant

Nathan Katzer, Cumming

Joshua Merchant, Storm Lake

Chuck Morris, Clarinda

Seth Moulton, Ankeny

Wayne Pantini, Creston

Mark Reinig, Elkader

Terri Rosonke, Prairie City

Nick Sorensen, Jefferson

Sarah Thompson, Radcliffe

Bret Wedemeyer, Casey

Growing Rural Iowa Task Force – Ex-Officios

Sec. of Ag., Mike Naig

Sen. Annette Sweeney

Sen. Amanda Ragan

Rep. Bobby Kaufmann

Rep. Amy Nielsen

Growing Rural Iowa Task Force

Kathy Anderson, Johnston

Whitney Baethke, Montezuma

Stacy Besch, Algona

Jennifer Crall, Ankeny

Rob Denson, Ankeny

Effie Hill, Fort Dodge

James Hoelscher, Cedar Falls

Philip Jones, Waverly

Caleb Knutson, Hubbard

Christian Lutz, Independence

Ashley Moyer, Birmingham

Jason Neises, Dubuque

Ron Reischl, Manning

Emily Schmitt, Clear Lake

Gerry Schnepf, Johnston

Jenae Stokesbary, Pella

Sharon Stroh, Ottumwa

Mike Taylor, Adel

Jim Thompson, Ankeny

Justin Wagner, Harlan

Bethany Wilcoxon, Des Moines

Rick Young, Jewell

Connecting Rural Iowa Task Force – Ex-Officios

Sec. of Ag., Mike Naig

Sen. Jake Chapman

Sen. Kevin Kinney

Rep. Jane Bloomingdale

Rep. Phil Miller

Connecting Rural Iowa Task Force

Bill Anderson, Pierson

Barb Baker, Grinnell

Christopher Ball, Bloomfield

Ryan Boone, Sioux Center

Sandee Buysse, Riverside

Josh Byrnes, Osage

Kevin Cabbage, Stanton

Dave Duncan, Clive

Stacie Euken, Wiota

Dennis Fraise, Burlington

Caleb Housh, Seymour

Billi Hunt, Urbandale

Linc Kroeger, Des Moines

Katherine LaBree, Aplington

Danna Larson, Odebolt

Deb Lucht, Minburn

Patricia Manuel, Olin

Hollee McCormick, Harpers Ferry

Grant Menke, Ankeny

Tom Petersen, Cedar Rapids

Steve Simons, Larchwood

Stacey Stewart, Cedar Rapids

 

 

 

Applishus Apple Eggroll wins Iowa State Fair best new food prize

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The 2018 “People’s Choice” for best new food at the Iowa State Fair is the Apple Eggroll.

“We’re using the same filling that we used in our apple tacos last year, only we’re dicing the apple instead of slicing it…People are getting a change to taste the really good caramel that we’ve had for over 30 years,” says Connie Boesen, the owner of the four Applishus stands on the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

Her products are not frozen, but made fresh in each stand. She was in one of the stands early this morning, teaching new employees how to roll out the egg roll crust since she anticipates a boost in business due to winning the “best new food” competition.

“We have a huge repeat business for all of our product,” she says. “It’s great to see the reaction. Now, we’re just hoping we can keep rolling, keep up with it.”

Boesen’s father, Ken Fulk, was the long-time manager of the Iowa State Fair and she grew up on the fairgrounds. After running the Applishus business for more than three decades, Boesen says she still likes apples — well, a specific type of apple.

 “The reason I started this is I do not like caramel apples that were with red apples,” Boesen says. “I love Granny Smith — the tart with the sweet — and in order to come into the fair, I wanted something different, so I slice the apple, so it’s easier to eat and I found a candy company that makes a tremendous caramel.”

State Fair officials say the Brown Sugar Pork Belly on a Stick from the Iowa Pork Tent and the All Iowa Belly Up Burger from The Rib Shack were “stiff competitors” in the best new food competition.

The Apple Eggrolls are sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and deep fried, then served with caramel sauce. The price? Five dollars for two Apple Eggrolls, with caramel on the side for dipping.

State treasurer and GOP challenger cite priority projects

By

Mike Fitzgerald

A former Ames City Councilman is challenging the longest-serving state treasurer in the country in this year’s General Election.

Michael Fitzgerald is seeking a 10th term. “The treasurer’s job is to keep the money safe, kind of the banker for the State of Iowa and we have kept the money safe,” Fitzgerald says.”…You know, all the times I’ve been treasurer — I’m a Democrat — there’ve been Republican auditors and there’s never a criticism of how we’ve managed the money.”

Fitzgerald says if he’s re-elected, he’ll continue lobbying Iowa legislators to create a state-managed retirement savings plan like the College Savings Iowa program.

“We have a retirement crisis in this state. If you’re in IPERS or have a pension plan, that’s great, but also there’s a lot of folks — about half the people don’t have anything when they’re 55 years of age, (they) have nothing.”

Seven other states have established state-run retirement plans that are not run with state tax dollars, but the investment portfolio is managed by state officials.

Jeremy Davis

The Republican who’s challenging Fitzgerald in 2018 is Jeremy Davis, a former aide to Congressman Steve King who served one term on the Ames City Council.

“The state treasurer is the chief revenue officer of the state,” Davis says, “but when’s the last time he reached out to Iowans and asked: ‘How do you feel your money is being spent? Is it being spent appropriately by the legislature? Is the governor introducing the type of budget that meets the needs of all Iowans?'”

Davis says if he’s elected treasurer, he’ll launch a task force to identify duplication and wasteful spending that should be eliminated at the three state universities.

“We, as the state leadership, need to make the hard discussions and the hard decisions that will ultimately help either stabilize or bring down the cost of higher educaiton in this state,” Davis says.

Davis is floating one idea already: create one financial accounting platform for all three universities.

Davis and Fitzgerald made their comments during speeches on The Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair.

Vice President Pence says David Young’s race may decide control of congress

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Vice President Mike Pence at an appearance in Des Moines.

Vice President Mike Pence today said there is “progress and energy” in the U.S. economy, including “better” trade deals with countries like Vietnam and Argentina. During a speech in Des Moines, though, Pence sought to allay trade war concerns in farm country.

“I’ll promise you we will never stop fighting until American farmers win like never before,” Pence said.

Pence spoke at an event sponsored by “America First Policies.” The group was created in early 2017 to promote President Trump’s agenda. Pence ran through a litany of Trump Administration actions, including “rolling back red tape,” appointing U.S. Supreme Court justices and negotiating the return of Korean War soldiers’ remains before turning to trade. Pence told the crowd the Trump Administration is fighting for a “level playing field.”

“We’ve confronted countries that frankly for too long have taken advantage of America on trade,” Pence said, “and we’ve unprecedented progress on trade deals that are free, fair and reciprocal, that put American workers and American families first.”

Pence specifically mentioned bilateral deals with Vietnam which has agreed to buy U.S. corn and wheat and for American pork sales to Argentina.

Vice President Pence talking with reporters.

“We’re working with Canada and Mexico on a re-negotiated North American Free Trade Agreement. We we’re making real progress, Iowa, I’m here to tell you,” Pence said. “We’re actually in negotiations already with Japan about a new and better trade relationship and the European Union was in just a few days ago to start the same conversation.”

Screens flanking the stage periodically flashed the message that “tax cuts to put America first” as a crowd of about 300 waited for Pence to arrive.

After his speech, Pence spoke briefly with reporters. Pence said NAFTA negotiations are “very close” to reaching a conclusion.

“As the president’s said many times, as I said today, this president, this administration are going to continue fighting for American workers and American farmers 100 percent,” Pence said.

Pence was in Iowa in July to help Republican Congressman Rod Blum of Dubuque raise money. Pence headlined a private fundraiser today for Republican Congressman David Young of Van Meter. Pence told reporters Young’s race against Democrat Cindy Axne has national significance.

“There’s no quetion that Congressman Young’s district and that election may be one of the elections that decides control of congress,” Pence told reporters. “And for Americans who like what we’ve been able to do…we need Congressman David Young back in Washington, D.C. to continue that agenda.”

The Iowa Democratic Party held a news conference about two hours before Pence’s public appearance in Des Moines. They accused the Trump Administration of sacrificing farmers’ finances to a trade war that “is about to destroy our state.”