lifestyle for Iowa residents.  The less money Iowa families spend on electricity, the more money they have to spend on health care, improved housing and nutrition and many other factors to improve health and longevity.

State Salaries Increase Above National Average
Iowa’s top officials get an average 23% pay increase for 2009

The very last bill passed in the 2008 Legislative Session was the Standings bill.  Typically, this bill is riddled with pet projects, tacked-on legislation that didn’t pass earlier in the year and funding allocations for various state budgets.  This year, the bill had a gift for Iowa’s top elected officials : a double digit pay raise. 

The bill establishes the following salary rates for elected officials beginning July 1, 2008:
·Secretary of Agriculture - $127, 530, current salary is $103,212, increase of $24,318 or 23.56%.
·Attorney General - $137,330, current salary is $123,926, increase of $13,404 or 10.82%
·Auditor of State - $127,530, current salary is $103,212, increase of  $24,318 or 23.56%
·Secretary of State - $127,530, current salary is $103,212, increase of  $24,318 or 23.56%
·Treasurer of State - $127,530, current salary is $103,212, increase of  $24,318 or 23.56%
·Lt. Governor - $127,530, current salary is $103,212, increase of  $24,318 or 23.56%
·Governor - $142,570, current salary is $130,000, increase of $12,570 or 9.67%

These officials claim they did not ask for any sort of salary increase and totals were established based on cost of living increases, but the bottom-line is that the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives and Senate pushed for this to happen.  Not one Senate Republican voted for the Standings bill.  Senate Republicans work for a fiscally responsible budget for Iowa as well as not expanding government and keeping it in check.  Providing pay raises to government officials who reside in the state ranked as the 13th lowest for cost of living is not spending Iowan’s money responsibly.

Senate Democrats and Republicans clearly do not have the same priorities when it comes to spending
your tax dollars. Senate Republicans will maintain the focus on cutting taxes, leaving more of your tax dollars in your pockets, reducing spending, and limiting the size and scope of government. A vocal minority that offers a clear distinct alternative creates a healthy dialogue in our democratic process.  Senate Republicans will continue to be that vocal minority highlighting the differences between the parties with distinction and respect.
Report Shows State Not Saving Much
Consulting firm paid exorbitant amount with few results

This week State Auditor David Vaudt spoke out against state payments to an international consulting firm, A.T. Kearny.  The firm was hired by the state to find at least $10.6 million in savings in Iowa’s budget, yet the firm found only a fraction of that.  This is the second year in a row that the firm was faulted in Vaudt’s finding, yet they remained working for Iowa until recently.

Iowans are used to seeing results for their money.  Generally when a contract is signed and expected results are not seen, money is not doled out.  Over the past two years, the state paid A.T. Kearny a total of $4.5 million in addition, the Iowa Department of Administrative Services also approved three amendments to A.T. Kearny’s contract including one that allowed the company to find fewer savings for Iowa than originally stated.

The state auditor’s office reassessed the contract this year and released a report stating that the consulting firm did not live up to their contract or stated goals.  In fact, they fell far short of finding the promised $10.6 million in savings by only finding a little more than $2.5 million. 

Last year, Governor Culver suspended payments to A.T. Kearny after they were not able to find the predicted savings.  For reasons not yet known, the contract remained and was then amended by unelected bureaucrats.  Common sense would dictate that once promises are not delivered and a contract is broken, services would be terminated.  As we now know, thanks to the state auditor’s report, that didn’t happen. 

Moving into the future, state officials remain hopeful that additional savings can be found in various areas not yet examined over the long term.

This is just another example of how the Democrat-controlled Iowa Legislature disregards Iowan’s tax dollars and abuses Iowan’s money to grow government.  Thinking that they know how they can spend Iowa tax dollars better than you, they will continue to make these decisions.

For more information, please visit our web site: www.iowasenaterepublicans.org.
Have you forgotten
how it felt that day?
9/11/01
Never Forget!
Contact Ron:  Mail Ron @ Iowa State Capital, DesMoines, Ia. 50319  Phone Ron @ 515.281.3371  E-Mail Ron @ ron.wieck@legis.state.ia.us

(Updated May 9,  2008)
Coal Plant Approved in Marshalltown

Last week, the Iowa Utilities Board approved Alliant Energy’s application to build a coal-burning plant in Marshalltown.  The new plant is set to be built near the old, less efficient plant.  The plant will bring hundreds of new operating jobs to the area and service up to 472,000 homes.

Along with the approval, the Iowa Utilities Board has instituted mandates on the project.  Among them:
·At least 10 percent of Alliant's power generation mix must be wind energy by the time the plant opens in 2013. Alliant now derives about 4 percent of its electricity from wind and is expected to add another 3 percent by 2010. After 2013, the utility would have to increase its wind energy capacity by 1 percentage point a year for 15 years. 
·5 percent of the fuel for the plant would have to be biomass within two years of the 2013 opening, and 10 percent by the fifth year of operation. 
·The utility also would have to pay any costs of carbon emission regulations if it misses either of those goals.  And they could order the utility to capture and store all carbon emissions, if that technology ever becomes feasible.

Nearly 80 percent of the electricity used in Iowa is produced by American coal.  The state has among the lowest energy costs in the nation, due in large part to the state's reliance on coal.  Access to low-cost electricity from coal is a huge economic driver in Iowa.  According to a peer-reviewed study from Penn State University, electricity from coal contributes more than $21 billion to the state's economy, including nearly $7 billion in household income.

Many claims are made about power plant emissions and health concerns.  These same claims can be made against cars, industrial boilers, agriculture emissions, pollen, dust etc.  The fact is there are many things in this environment that affect the quality of the air we breathe. 

Air quality is better than it has been in a generation and one reason is cleaner coal-based power plants.  Great strides have been made by the clean coal electricity industry over the past 35 years to reduce emissions and make coal generation as clean and efficient as possible.  In fact, today’s coal fleet is 70 percent cleaner than it was in 1970 thanks to the more than $50 billion that has been invested in clean coal technologies. 

Keeping energy costs affordable by using low-cost options like coal helps promote a healthier
It is the Veteran

It is the VETERAN, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion.  It is the VETERAN , not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.  It is the VETERAN , not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.  It is the VETERAN , not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble.  It is the VETERAN , not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.  It is the VETERAN , not the politician, who has given us the right to vote.