By Shane Goodman shane@dmcityview.com

The honeymoon is over

Gov. Chet Culver inherited what most politicians could only dream of when taking the helm of the state of Iowa. Previous Gov. Tom Vilsack left our state in strong financial shape and had gained respect from many Democrats and Republicans. Well, Dorothy, we are not in Kansas any more. With the Democrats in full control, many expected change. And they got it. The surplus is gone, the economy is troubled, and the current governor is taking heat from both sides of the table, despite the recent awkwardly loyal comments from Sen. Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, Senate President Jack Kibbie, Speaker of the House Pat Murphy and others. Meanwhile, Gov. Culver is proud of his accomplishments: a statewide ban on public smoking, a statewide 1 cent sales tax for school infrastructure repairs, expansion of bargaining rights for public employee unions and expansion of health care for children, to name a few.

Cityview reporter Jason Hancock secured an interview with Gov. Culver to gain his insight on the successes and failures of his administration so far. And with Republicans standing to lose more seats in the legislature, we can expect more of the same. At least until 2010.

Thanks for reading.

Comment on this story | Return to top