Vander Plaats, Independent Candidate for Governor?

VP Staying Out: If Sioux City business consultant and 3-time Republican candidate for governor, Bob Vander Plaats, is about to announce he is running for a fourth time, it would surprise the Republicans I talked with today/tonight. Vander Plaats has said previously he would consider running as an Independent. He released a second brief news release tonight saying he would have an event Friday morning at 10:30 at the Iowa Judicial Courts Building. Here's the release:

VANDER PLAATS NEWS CONFERENCE ADVISORY

Bob Vander Plaats will hold a news conference in front of the Iowa Judicial Building, located at 1111 E. Court Ave., at 10:30 a.m., Friday, Aug. 6.

Here are the two biggest questions I kept hearing: After losing three times already, where would he find the new support he needs to win a race for governor this fall? Where would he find the money that it would take?

Perhaps, he is going to announce that he is endorsing Republican Terry Branstad's campaign? If that's the case, Branstad's campaign has said nothing about a joint appearance tomorrow. Surely, Branstad would stand alongside Vander Plaats if he is getting the endorsement, right?

Perhaps, the location is a clue, since we are just days removed from the California court ruling against Proposition 8, the state's ban against same-sex marriage. Could Vander Plaats be helping to lead an effort against the Supreme Court justices whose ruling legalized same-sex marriages in Iowa? Voters decide in November whether to retain them (that includes Chief Justice Marsha Ternus, Michael Steit and David Baker).

What do you think?

Mauro Money: Iowa Secretary of State Mike Mauro released a report on his office's work over the past year. The budget keeps getting cut since Chet Culver became governor (he used to be sec. of state before becoming gov). But the office report shows it is accomplishing more with less. In light of that, will taxpayers think the budget-whacking has actually been a good thing? Here's the release:

SECRETARY OF STATE MAURO ISSUES FISCAL YEAR 2010 REPORT
Spending is down, revenue is up in the Secretary of State’s Office

Des Moines – The Office of the Iowa Secretary of State spent fewer taxpayer dollars, brought in more revenue to the state, processed more transactions and employed fewer people in the fiscal year that ended June 30, Secretary of State Michael A. Mauro reported today in his annual report to the citizens of Iowa.

Secretary Mauro reported that his office spent $3,523,448 in Fiscal Year 2010, down from the $3,806,932 spent in Fiscal Year 2009. At the same time, Mauro reported that in the latest fiscal year the office took in $5,886,594 in fees which is up from $3,107,163 a year earlier. Mauro also reported that his office now employs 30 full-time workers, down from 38 a year ago and from 35 when he took office.

"I'm proud to report that we have continued to be responsive and accessible to all Iowans and Iowa businesses while operating with fewer people and less money," Mauro said. "We've dug in and done more than our share while handling hundreds of thousands of transactions for Iowans."

The Office of the Secretary of State oversees elections as well as processes business filings. Mauro noted that his office saved the state $300,000 to $500,000 annually by bringing the state's voter registration database in-house. He also said the office worked to save communities more than $1 million by working with the Legislature to move school elections to every other year. In addition, he noted, during his term he worked with the Legislature to set an election calendar that consolidates dates of special elections, again saving communities a significant amount of tax dollars. Mauro further said that his office has secured $3,316,103 in federal money in the past three years that was used to help make polling places accessible to all eligible voters, maintain Iowa’s voter registration database, and train local election officials.

"We have fought – and continue to fight – to create real savings for Iowa taxpayers while generating increased revenue for the state treasury," Secretary Mauro said. "This annual statement to Iowans demonstrates that over the past three years we've been able to continue to provide high quality services with fewer resources."

The following is a summary of key statistics over the four most recent fiscal years.

BUDGET (state appropriation plus refunds and reimbursements)
Fiscal 2007: $3,164,839
Fiscal 2008: $3,418,868
Fiscal 2009: $3,806,932
Fiscal 2010: $3,523,569

REVENUE GENERATED / FEES COLLECTED
Fiscal 2007: $3,463,357
Fiscal 2008: $6,180,315
Fiscal 2009: $3,107,163
Fiscal 2010: $5,886,594

FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES
July 1, 2007: 36
July 1, 2008: 38
July 1, 2009: 38
July 1, 2010: 30

FILINGS PROCESSED
2007: 77,020
2008: 170,413
2009: 67,210
2010: 140,686 (first six months only)

Vander Plaats for Governor

Campaign Calls: I don't know who is making them yet, but apparently someone or some group is calling up Iowans and asking how they would vote in a three-person race for governor. Three person, you say? Yep, Terry Branstad, Chet Culver...and drum roll, please...Bob Vander Plaats. That's not the only question. A person who received the call told me the caller also asked whether he would vote to retain supreme court judges who are up in November and his opinion on same-sex marriages. Hmmm...sounds like someone is still thinking about running as an Independent, doesn't it? I checked out teamvp.com, what had been Vander Plaats' campaign website. It is still up, but I don't see anything new on it. So, no hints on another run there.

(Update: I wanted to clarify what one person who received the campaign call said. He said the caller asked which of the three people he would support for governor and the caller wanted to know if he would vote to retain the supreme court judges whose term expires in light of the court's decision on same-sex marriage.)

LeBron Loonies: Let me get this straight. LeBron James leaves Cleveland for a ton of money and for the chance to play with two other studs to try to win an NBA title in Miami. Afterwards, some genius Cleveland fans set fire to their LeBron merchandise. Some people even got arrested for their stupidity. Good move. That'll show LeBron.

Vander Plaats, Independent Candidate for Governor?

So, Terry Branstad and Bob Vander Plaats held their secret meeting. Sure wish that it weren't a "secret", don't you? That video would have been priceless! As first reported by theiowarepublican.com, the two men met in Sioux City on Monday. A Republican source confirms to me much of what Craig Robinson reported at theiowarepublican.com that the meeting did not go well between the two men. Vander Plaats wants to be Branstad's running mate and when Branstad said he isn't likely to go that way again (Jim Nussle picked Vander P in 2006 and then lost to Chet Culver/Patty Judge), Vander Plaats talked about running as an Independent.

Vander Plaats, according to his former spokesman, Eric Woolson, isn't talking to the media about what is going on. Woolson did say Vander Plaats texted him and he forwarded part of that message to me. Vander Plaats said, in part, that his "immediate goal is to unite the party and beat Chet Culver and ensure leadership for Iowa."

What do you make of this? Vander Plaats has run and lost three times already. Will he really run a fourth time? And would enough Iowans support him to give him a chance to win or have voters already decided he has had his chance again, again and again? Would his candidacy kill Branstad's chances of beating Culver? Would this anti-establishment, anti-incumbent voter outrage push Vander Plaats to victory? What do you think?

The topic was a huge one in this week's "Channel 13's Insiders" show. You can watch this Sunday morning at 9:30. Hope to see you then:)

Vander Plaats Polls

Today, Republican Bob Vander Plaats' campaign combined a few, different polls to try to show he is the candidate moving up in the polls. Is this o.k. with you to try to show that Terry Branstad isn't the only candidate who could beat Governor Chet Culver or is this mixing apples and oranges for a misleading fruit salad? Read the release and decide for yourself.

RASMUSSEN POLL: VANDER PLAATS LEAD OVER CULVER
GROWS, BRANSTAD LEAD SHRINKS

DES MOINES – Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats leads Gov. Chet Culver by six points in the latest Rasmussen Poll, which is an increase of 3 percent from an Iowa Poll published earlier this month.

Vander Plaats leads Culver 46 percent to 40 percent among a survey of 500 likely voters contacted by the Washington, D.C., polling firm on Thursday. He led Culver 43-40 percent in the Iowa Poll. Meanwhile, Terry Branstad’s lead over Culver in the Rasmussen Poll is 53 percent to 37 percent, down from the 53-33 percent margin in the Iowa Poll.

Only 41 percent of Iowans approve of Culver’s job performance while 57 percent disapprove, according to the Rasmussen Poll.

Vander Plaats, a Sioux City businessman, said the latest poll continues to dispel claims by Branstad’s campaign that the former governor is the only candidate who can defeat Culver.

“The Republican primary is going to come down to the wire and I believe we’re going to prevail because voters want the clearest possible contrast between our nominee and Chet Culver. They want an energetic leader for the future – and that’s what our campaign represents,” Vander Plaats said. “What the Rasmussen Poll says to anyone who has been told that they have to nominate Terry Branstad if we’re going to beat Chet Culver is that that’s just not true. We can move the Republican Party forward in June and defeat Chet Culver in November – and that’s just what I’m going to do.”

Kiernan Blasts Vander Plaats' Entrance into the Race

If you are up for a little word-watching, you'll want to check these out. Bob Vander Plaats officially announced he is running for governor. There hadn't been much doubt that Team VP was "all in" for this one. But he made the official announcement in his hometown of Sheldon. He will re-announce (or in this case, that would be...re-re-re-announce, since he has run two other times already) Michael Kiernan, the Chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party, then continued his last few weeks of aggressive responses to the day's news/announcements/etc. Here are the releases:

Vander Plaats

SHELDON – Speaking before a crowd in the town where he grew up, Sioux City businessman Bob Vander Plaats today formally announced his candidacy for the 2010 Republican gubernatorial nomination by pledging to pay down the enormous debt generated by Governor Chet Culver, improve Iowa’s tax and regulatory climate to draw new companies to Iowa, create a 21st Century communications infrastructure and take action to allow a statewide vote on the definition of marriage.

Vander Plaats set a goal of repaying by the end of his first term the long-term borrowing Governor Chet Culver and legislative Democrats approved to create the short-term I-Jobs program. The $750 million they borrowed will require the state to pay $1.8 billion in principal, interest and fees if the state takes the entire length of time scheduled to repay the debt.

“Our state is too great to allow it to continue to waste away, as it has under Chet Culver’s watch. The first step any turnaround CEO takes is to stop the bleeding. We need to pay off the debt Chet Culver has saddled us with so we can start investing in the future instead of leaving our kids to cover the millions of dollars interest on his credit card,” Vander Plaats said during a noon event at City Park. “A turnaround CEO also brings in the best and brightest people from the public and private sector to lead an organization. I’ll do that.”

Vander Plaats vowed to reassert the governor’s authority and a proper balance between the judicial, executive and legislative branches in the wake of the Iowa Supreme court’s opinion earlier this year to same-sex marriages are legal. He pledged to sign an executive order on his first day in office to stay future same-sex marriages until Iowans have an opportunity to vote in a statewide referendum on the definition of marriage.

“We call it the Foundation Proclamation because it will defend key foundations of our society and government – the family and the separation of powers,” he said.

He added, “I will be a governor who stands up for true conservative principles. I will work to reduce the tax burden on Iowans instead of increasing it. I will oppose the drumbeat of expanded gambling. And I will be a governor who supports a culture of life from conception to natural death, and I’ll appoint a lieutenant governor who is as passionate about that foundation of society as I am.”

Noting his commitment to “open Iowa for business,” Vander Plaats said, “I want to make sure Iowa will be a bridge to anywhere – a place where the top companies in the world, large or small – want to locate, grow and thrive. We cannot afford to have hit-and-miss cell phone coverage across parts of the state and internet service that’s 10 years behind the times. Just as we need our roads and airports to be up to standard, we need a reliable 21st century communications infrastructure. ”

Vander Plaats’ administration will remove the public school system’s "model core curriculum" and aggressively reform education through the setting of international standards, simplified funding, accountability and transparency.

“I want Iowa to lead the United States and the world and the only way to do that is to have high standards in math, science, communication, technology and authentic American and world history. To reestablish Iowa as an educational leader, we need less federal interference and we must get rid of Chet Culver’s one-size-fits-all approach,” he said. “I will create an environment where resources are directed towards student achievement, where districts learn from the successes of others, where all districts are held accountable for results and where they report those results in the most transparent and accessible manner.”

Vander Plaats said his campaign is “about leadership and freedom” and he is not running to be a governor who defends the status quo or tinkers at the margins.

“I’m in this race to be a transformational governor who limits the size of government, reforms our tax structure to make Iowa far more competitive, sets our education system on course to be the international standard and demands excellence from every dollar we spend on public services,” said the Sioux City businessman, who also had a scheduled appearance in Kalona on Tuesday evening as part of a week-long statewide tour.

Vander Plaats, 46, is a former high school teacher and principal, former president and chief executive officer of a nonprofit rehabilitation facility for people with brain injuries and the Republican Party’s 2006 nominee for lieutenant governor. He is the president of MVP Leadership, a consulting firm that helps business executives hone their leadership and strategic skills. Vander Plaats and his wife, Darla, live in Sioux City. They have four sons. Their third son, Lucas, was born with a severe brain condition. He inspired Vander Plaats to write the book “Light from Lucas,” published by Focus on the Family.

Here's the response from Kiernan:

DES MOINES – "Bob Vander Plaats opened fire on Iowans today. The candidate who said President Obama has been good for only two industries – guns and ammunition – not surprisingly started off by going negative on his home state.

"Vander Plaats repeatedly said Iowa wasn’t economically competitive, though we have the 4th best business climate in the nation, and the 8th fastest growing economy among states. He called the I-JOBS program which is creating jobs, stimulating the economy and replacing our aged infrastructure, a 'credit card.'

"If all that weren’t insulting enough to Iowans, Vander Plaats chose labor day -- the day we celebrate the hard work of generations who built this state -- for his announcement. And let's be clear: Bob Vander Plaats is no friend of the working men and women of this state. He opposed virtually every piece of pro-worker legislation that has been debated in recent years.

"The Vander Plaats announcement also provides further evidence of the deep divide in the GOP. Vander Plaats epitomizes the uncompromising right-wing fringe that would rather have a candidate with whom they agree on all the issues, than one who can win. Vander Plaats’ announcement is proof this will be a tough, bruising primary – no matter who else runs.

"I welcome him to the race."

Vander Plaats for Governor

We called it a "Republican Roundup" on my Internet radio show "Purple Matters" (that's a lot of "quotation marks" in one sentence, huh?) We had six possible candidates for the Republican nomination for governor next year in Iowa. Sioux City Rep. Chris Rants, Sioux City businessman Bob Vander Plaats, Carroll Rep. Rod Roberts, Cedar Rapids economist Christian Fong, Boone Senator Jerry Behn and Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey all joined us. Chariton Senator Paul McKinley, Ankeny businessman Jeff Lamberti and Western Iowa Congress Steve King all cited scheduling conflicts, so they couldn't take part.

What did we find out?

Bob Vander Plaats--ALL IN, except for official announcement. Team VP doesn't look at this campaign (his third for governor) as a "third time is a charm". He said the other two runs showed he was right. VP said he will wait until the end of the summer or early fall to announce his run. The only thing that will stop him from running, he said, would be health problems in someone in his family.

He talked to us from Fort Dodge, where he just finished an interview with the Fort Dodge Messenger.

Here is the full interview on "Purple Matters" on www.macsworldlive.com

Vander Plaats Condemns McCoy Death Threats

Likely (probably more than just "likely") Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Bob Vander Plaats just sent out a release condemning the death threats against the Iowa legislature's only openly gay lawmaker. Here it is...

VANDER PLAATS: DEATH THREAT AGAINST SENATOR MCCOY
“DEPLORABLE, WRONG WAY TO OPPOSE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE”

DES MOINES – Bob Vander Plaats released the following statement today in response to a report that state Sen. Matt McCoy, an advocate of same-sex marriages, received a death threat on Monday:

“Matt McCoy and I fundamentally disagree on the same-sex marriage issue and other issues, but I deplore anyone who would make a death threat against him or anyone else under any circumstance. Such action is morally wrong and, in fact, illegal. The same-sex marriage issue is probably the most emotionally charged public policy issue in the past 40 years but threats against any individual or group are absolutely the wrong way to express opposition to it or the Iowa Supreme Court’s April 3 opinion. I want to make it clear in the strongest possible language that I will never condone threats of violence against another person. Anyone make such a threat such be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Anti-Same Sex Rally, Rants Tax Plan

More than 200 Iowans rallied in the rain at the Iowa Statehouse against the Iowa Supreme Court's recent ruling that permitted same sex marriage in the state. The conservative group, Everyday America, sponsored the gathering. During the rally, Bob Vander Plaats, a likely Republican candidate for governor in 2010, challenged Governor Chet Culver to issue an executive order that would stay the court's ruling. Vander Plaats wants Culver to delay implementation of same sex marriages until Iowans have a chance to vote on a constitutional amendment that would ban same sex marriages. Vander Plaats told the crowd, "On my first day in office (if he is elected governor), I will issue an executive order that puts a stay on same sex marriages until the people of Iowa vote."

Vander Plaats also mentioned his mother told him his dying father's only regret last week was that same sex marriage is now permitted in the state. He said that's not what his father, who was a World War II veteran, fought for years ago.

Governor Chet Culver's office says he will not issue an executive order on the matter of same sex marriages. Culver's spokesman, Troy Price, issued a statement. It said, "Governors in Iowa do not have the ability to prevent or overturn a decision of the Supreme Court through an executive order. It's disappointing that some people, especially politicians who should know better, would try to mislead the public into thinking that Governors do have such power."

Drake University's Constitutional Law Center Director Mark Kende agreed that even if Culver wanted to issue that order, he "doesn't have that authority." Kende compared the matter to the fight in the 1960s when southern governors tried to stop segregation efforts. He said the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against them.

The same sex marriage debate could also get infused into Iowa Democrats' efforts to overhaul the state's tax system. Democrats are working on a proposal that would eliminate federal tax deductibility. They say they would use the additional state revenue to lower the overall income tax rates of Iowans. The proposal would lower taxes on some Iowans and raise taxes on others. Monday afternoon, Christopher Rants, a Republican state representative from Sioux City (and possible GOP candidate for governor next year), offered an amendment that aims to lead to a debate on same sex marriage. Rants believes if lawmakers debate changes to Iowa's tax system, then they will have to debate the legal definition of "husband" and "wife". Rants said, "Sort of marry the issues together (tax changes and same sex marriage). If we're going to give a tax benefit to married persons...to husbands and wives that are filing their tax returns...I think we need to define what is a husband, what is a wife, what constitutes married persons for the purpose of the iowa code."

Iowa house Democrats had no immediate reaction to Rants' amendment Monday afternoon. Earlier in the day, they had scheduled debate on federal deductibility changes for Tuesday afternoon. But aides say Speaker of the House Pat Murphy is out of town tending to a family matter. As of 7pm Monday, it was uncertain whether he would be in Des Moines to preside over debate on tax changes. Aides say it is possible debate could be delayed until later in the week. Iowans for Tax Relief has already announced it plans to bring members to the Iowa statehouse Tuesday to lobby lawmakbers to oppose the tax changes.