Tramontina’s luck runs out; Guess who didn’t vote
Just for the hell of it, Skinny made a list of public officials and one or two others and asked Polk County Auditor Jamie Fitzgerald if they voted in the school-board election the other day. Here’s the list: Polk County legislators Janet Petersen, Matt McCoy, Jo Oldson, Jack Hatch, Wayne Ford, Ako Abdul-Samad, Bruce Hunter, Dick Dearden and Rick Olson. Des Moines City Council members Chris Coleman, Bob Mahaffey, Michael Kiernan, Tom Vlassis, Christine Hensley, and Brian Meyer. Mayor Frank Cownie. Council candidates Cyndi Chen, Skip Moore, David Adelman and Leisha Barcus. Partnership boss Martha Willets and Register political editor Carol Hunter. Gov. Chet Culver and First Lady Mari Culver. School board winners Margaret Buckton, Patty Link, Teree Caldwell-Johnson and Connie Boesen. Holdover school-board members Jeannette Woods, Virginia Strong and Dick Murphy, and departing member Jon Narcisse.
You should be proud. In an election in which only 7 percent of the electorate turned out, all but one of those folks voted.
The non-voter: Mari Culver. ...
The hurried “resignation” of Iowa Economic Development Director Mike Tramontina surprised folks who have watched his career. A lifelong bureaucrat, Tramontina had a survivor’s instinct almost unparalleled in the state. The single biggest screw-up in the not-very-many-screwups administration of Tom Vilsack was the hiring — for millions of dollars — of A.T. Kearney to find efficiencies in state government. It was ill-conceived and badly implemented, and it accomplished little if anything. Tramontina, who was then running the Iowa Department of Management, was “driving that bus,” in the words of one guy who followed it closely, but when the shooting and the shouting were over, it was Mollie Anderson of the Department of Administrative Services who eventually left.
Most folks assumed Tram would leave at the end of the Vilsack reign — the Culver people have little use for anyone associated with Vilsack — so it was a surprise when Tramontina ended up with the plum $145,000-a-year job at Economic Development. He wasn’t the first choice — UNI’s Randy Pilkington, and perhaps others, were sounded out — but he got the job, and Culver called him “a proven leader.” It was under Tramontina’s watch that the IDED was roundly criticized by the state auditor for failing to monitor, verify and assess a jobs-training program the community colleges run to help lure and keep businesses. It was fraught with, at best, sloppiness — at worst, negligence. But he sidestepped that one, too. Last week, the nimble Tramontina did his best to shift blame in the mess over film tax credits that led to his resignation late Friday. On Wednesday, he sent a cover-your-ass memo to his board and the Governor’s office noting that he had discovered these irregularities and laying out his plan of action. But it was too little, too late. By Friday evening, he was toast.
The lesson, says one pol: “If you’re going to fuck something up, don’t do it in an election year.” Even if you’re Mike Tramontina.
Meantime, Culver’s message to the film industry — still on the IDED Web site — takes on new meaning. “The Iowa Film Office is a great place to start planning the success of your next project,” it says. “...Iowa is here to assist you. You will see why Iowa truly is life changing.” Especially if you need a new state-financed Mercedes or Land Rover for your personal use.
The film thing is a mess right now, but it will turn into a scandal. Monday, Deputy State Auditor Warren Jenkins said — ominously — that “criminal charges” are a possibility. It all plays into the hands of Republicans seeking to unseat Culver, and they aren’t going to leave it alone. Lax oversight. Misuse of scarce state funds. Sending hard-earned tax dollars out of state. That kind of thing. It’s made to order for the acerbic Chris Rants or for Terry Branstad’s buddy Doug Gross. They won’t let it die. The Governor — who got more bad news Sunday with the Register’s dismal Iowa Poll numbers for him and the high ones for Branstad — is in full campaign mode, holding fund-raisers and cutting ribbons daily, trying to avoid talk about the economy and the billion-dollar shortfall the state faces. Now he’ll have yet another subject to avoid. ...
Back to films. An East Village person e-mails: “On Friday, I saw what appeared to be a film crew doing a shoot at 223 E. Walnut St. Skinny might be interested in finding out who owns that piece of property.” Well, it’s owned by a corporation called MSL JCL of 504 East Bloomington St. in Iowa City. Skinny has no idea who MSL or JCL are, of course, but James C. Larew, the governor’s top aide, runs a law office out of 504 East Bloomington. His wife, Mary S. Larew, is a doctor at the University of Iowa.
Enough politics. ...
This just in — though it might be old news by today. Ray Stewart, Chairman of the Board of Glen Oaks, wrote in a letter to Glen Oaks members, homeowners and management: “As you are aware over the course of the last several weeks, the Board of Directors, in conjunction with counsel, have attempted to come to some type of resolution or other accommodation to resolve the foreclosure action filed by West Bank. These efforts have not been fruitful. The foreclosure process will go forward and it is anticipated by month’s end legal title to the real estate (the golf course and clubhouse) and the equipment of Glen Oaks Country Club Inc. will be vested and titled in the name of West Bank. At that time, Glen Oaks Country Club Inc. will turnover operations of the course and the clubhouse to West Bank. It is our understanding that West Bank may, through a management company or themselves keep the golf course and the club house operational. How West Bank decides to operate the golf course and clubhouse will be solely within their discretion. West Bank will be calling a membership meeting to answer any and all questions. Until then, and hopefully beyond, we ask you to keep supporting the Club and making your dues payments on time so we do not miss payroll. This will ensure an orderly transfer of ownership. Thank you for your patience and understanding in this matter which has been difficult for all.” ...
Des Moines Register readers have been willing to pay for the news, but they now apparently have to pay for the ads, too. A Register subscriber tells Skinny that his subscription cost him $1.86 more this time around. When he called the circulation department to inquire, he was told that the extra charge was for the delivery of the Thanksgiving Day edition, which tends to be the largest paper of the year due to increased advertising. The charge, he was told, is to offset the additional delivery costs, leaving Skinny to wonder if subscribers will receive a credit for the other days that now have very little advertising.
Like every Monday.
And Tuesday.
And... CV
