IOWA INSIDER

Officials anticipate they will keep state parks open this year despite steep cuts in funding, although they say visitors might notice a longer time between mowing and the cleaning of facilities.

DNR Director Richard Leopold said he is proud the DNR has kept all of Iowa’s state parks open despite budget cuts.

“We have a state park within 50 miles of every Iowan. A lot of Iowans are, in this tough economic time, are staying closer to home, the ‘staycation’ kind of thing, and we want to provide that for Iowans,” Leopold said.

Like most areas of state government, the DNR has seen cuts to their operating budget.

Fewer dollars have meant fewer employees, as the seasonal workers that help run the DNR’s park system have been reduced from 300 to 32.

“We’re seeing a drastic decrease in staffing levels at these parks that will mean that some of the services will be cut back quite a bit,” Leopold said. “We’re looking at everybody to try to help us with this.”

Leopold said they have been able to keep up most operations in parks.
After a mower broke at the Lake of Three Fires near Bedford, a donor gave them a mower and gas for the whole season because the DNR didn’t have the money to fix it.

The DNR also didn’t have money for a portable toilet at an equestrian area, Leopold said, and a local restaurant owner paid for it.

“We are experts at leveraging local friends’ groups and volunteers and everybody else, and we made it through last year,” Leopold said.

Pat Boddy, DNR deputy director, said visitors might notice the DNR is slower in maintaining the $260 million of infrastructure they take care of in state parks.

“Whether we’re slow on mowing or cleaning up a restroom, people will start to notice some of those differences, unfortunately. We’ll do our best to make sure it’s kept to a minimum,” Boddy said.

Boddy said they saw a record number of visitors to parks last year, and say they may see a new record this year.

“People are staying at home and appreciating the resources that they have access to, and that is of course, their state and county parks,” Boddy said.

Boddy said the department already has an extensive volunteer program they will expand as much as they can.

“When folks volunteer, we’re going to be prepared to find a good place for them to do their work,” Boddy said.

People interested in volunteering at Iowa’s state parks can contact Dawn Stohs at 515-281-0878 or Jane Mild at 515-242-6004. More information is available here

Plans to offer early retirement for state workers, the sale of state assets and the merger of state government agencies are all being bounced around as possible ways to slash millions of dollars in state spending.

I will be hosting a live chat Monday at noon to talk about the Iowa Legislature’s state government reorganization efforts. I’ll be joined by other journalists and State Rep. Mary Mascher, D-Iowa City, and State Rep. Erik Helland, R-Grimes, who served on a commission studying reorganization ideas.

Please join us at www.wcfcourier.com to share your ideas, comment or ask questions.

Colleague James Q. Lynch was on the scene this morning for the formal announcement of former GOP governor Terry Branstad’s comeback bid (not to be confused with the launch of his exploratory committee or the announcement of his announcement schedule on Twitter).
Lynch’s report below:

DES MOINES – Are you ready for a comeback?

Terry Branstad is and he’s ready to lead the way, the four-term Republican said Tuesday as he kicked off his – and Iowa’s – comeback tour.

“I truly believe Iowa is poised for a historic comeback,” Branstad told more than 100 supporters on hand at the State Historical Building in Des Moines to hear him officially begin his campaign for governor. “Together we can bring Iowa back to the greatness we know we have in us.”

Branstad made no mention of the race he faces for the GOP nomination to be the party’s challenger to first-term Democrat Gov. Chet Culver. Instead, Branstad, 63, contrasted his results as the state’s longest serving governor with Iowa’s current condition. He promised restore fiscal responsibility in state government, create 200,000 new jobs, lift family income by 25 percent and provide children the best education in the country.

“How are we going to do it?” asked Branstad, surrounded by his wife, Chris, their children and grandchildren. “The way we have always done it. Setting ambitious goals. And we won’t stop working until we get them done.”

Before joining Branstad’s comeback, however, Iowans might want to ask themselves whether the Branstad years were as good as the former governor makes them sound, said Iowa democratic Party Chairman Michael Kiernan.

Iowa Democrats kicked off their “Terry vs. Terry” tour upstairs in the State Historical Building, highlighting what they call inconsistencies between Branstad’s record as governor and his record as a gubernatorial hopeful.

Kiernan said Branstad for raising taxes, followed policies that led to a $431 million deficit and bonded for $1 billion in today’s dollars.

“I agree with Terry Branstad on one thing: he made mistakes as governor,” Kiernan said. “Iowans cannot afford him to make more, and we’ve learned some things over the past 12 years: we’re better off without him and his mistakes.”

Branstad, however, contrasted the state’s $900 million surplus when he left office with Culver’s projected $1 billion deficit.

“So, balancing the state budget and restoring fiscal discipline to government is our highest priority,” Branstad said. “When we get that done the rest of our dreams and goals are possible.”

He’ll approach the job with the same kind of “personal, hands-on” approach that worked during his tenure as governor. He set a goal of achieving those goals in five years – not to suggest he would run for a sixth term, but because a five-year plan makes sense, Branstad said.

Before he can lead Iowa’s comeback, Branstad has to make it through a four-way primary that looks to be a fight for control of the Republican Party. Social conservatives are lining up behind Bob Vander Plaats of Sioux City and have indicated they won’t support Branstad if he is the nominee. Former House Speaker Chris Rants of Sioux City and Rep. Rod Roberts of Carroll also are seeking the nomination.

Regardless of who the nominee is, Kiernan expects Iowans will prefer Culver’s continued leadership and his focus on “moving the state forward” and balancing the budget without raising taxes.

He said the election will be a choice of how to solve Iowa’s problems.

“If you want to raise taxes to solve the state’s problems, then you probably want to vote for Terry Branstad,” Kiernan said.