Hamerlinck’s Observations Week 7

It’s What We’re Not Talking About
How to see through a politician

When a politician is asked his/her opinion on an issue or on the progress of a piece of legislation a safe answer is often the phrase, “I don’t know yet.” Often, this quick response is accompanied by a shrug of the shoulders and a small shake of the head. If you really catch a politician in a difficult question, look for him/her to accompany this entire process by letting out a deep breath of air as if to avoid the impending punch to the gut.

In my short time in the State House I have learned the phrase, “I don’t know,” means one of three things: the politician is in the minority and is honestly wondering what the majority party is doing, the person does have an answer but they want to avoid the difficult discussion which will follow if they confess, or the person is using it as an aversion because the vote was embarrassing. Too often the combination of the shrug, head nod and phrase has allowed politicians a back door retreat.

I have also noticed politicians are unlike any other creatures on earth. Back any animal into a corner, even the family dog who is believed to be mans best friend, and the creature will instinctually employ a fight-or-flight response with the aggressor. The act of standing one’s ground or fleeing for protection has assisted in establishing the social hierarchy for years.

The politician lives by completely different rules. It diverts the unfixable, twists the malleable and absorbs the positive.

This week the State Senate set the 2011 allowable growth rate at 2% for public schools without knowing or caring where the money would come from or how much the budget growth would mean in actual dollars. Allowable growth refers to the set percent public school funding will grow. The problem begins with our current budget. In December, Governor Chet Culver cut school funding for 2009 by $33 million with his 1.5% across the board cut. In the 2010 Budget, Governor Chet Culver set allowable growth at 4%, however he only funded it with state dollars up to 2%. This will force local school districts to raise local taxes if they want the other 2%. The gap between 4% and 2% in 2010 equals $93 million.

Yesterday, the vote was split and the majority party in the State Senate approved a 2% allowable growth for 2011. There is a problem with asking where this 2% comes from? Will we fund 2009 fully at 4% or stick with 2.5%? Will we backfill funding for the full 4% in 2010? If so, this is 4% growth of which number used in 2009? Most importantly, 2011 is 2% of what mark set for 2010? When I asked these questions in the Senate’s Education Committee we were repeated told, “I don’t know.” When we asked on the Senate Floor how we can make an appropriation for a number that doesn’t exist the sponsor said she didn’t know and the bill passed anyway.

The State of Iowa will receive $387 million to use towards education from the federal stimulus package. When I asked if the Governor would use this money for allowable growth, we were told that he did not know yet. What we do know is that when the majority party passed the 2% allowable growth for the 2011 budget they raised your property taxes by another by $53 million.

Thank you for the opportunity to take on these issues at the State Capitol. Feel free to contact me on any issue. As always, common sense can go a long way in government.