Cut It Out

“Governor Culver announces he is cutting his salary by 10 percent.”

When is a 10% pay cut not a 10% pay cut?

When the mathletes, like the Big Lug Nut and posse, work the figures.

Culver's annual salary to be cut only 5.4 percent, not 10 percent

These dumbasses have 0% credibility and the scientific community is united in that fact!

Because Culver’s salary is set by law, his pay cut will take the form of a reimbursement. He will collect his full pay, but write a check to the state.

I'll believe that when I see the copy of the cashed check.

I would call them inapt, but that means at some point they were apt.

Tuesday Afternoon

Terrible (to quote Charles Barkley)

That might be the word to use the kind of day the Big Lug Nut had.

First, the focus was on $576,000 the U.S. Election Assistance Commission says he misspent as Secretary of State.

Iowa Voters has a different angle on the scandal.

the real scandal was the money that was “properly” spent on touchscreen voting machines that have since been scrapped. If anyone wants to criticize then SoS Chet Culver, it should be for that foolish purchase

The BLN brags that its only a half a million dollars, and in the scam of things it is only a drop in the bucket when compared to his $875 million (plus interest) I-JOBS program.

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

Which leads us to the second part of Sweaty Chetty's Terrible Tuesday.

Dave Price, WHO HD, questioned the BLN on how many jobs have been created by his borrowing scam, it's a quest they began two months ago (No Controlling Authority?) and the Culver Crew still can't come up with an answer.

"We've now invested in 1500 projects. If you're talking about one job per project, you're talking about 1500 jobs. 10 jobs per project, you can do the math." Channel 13 had hoped Culver or his staff had done the math.

The Liter has pointed out previously that this administration contains no Mathletes.

It was just last month during Culver's campaign kickoff that a lost briefing book showed

In Story County, I-JOBS spent $40 million, while unemployment climbed to 5.4% from 4%. In Marshall County, the state spent $24 million and watched unemployment rise to 8.5% from 7.2%.In Johnson County, the state spent $155 million while unemployment rose to 4.8% from 3.7%.

Earlier this year Culver declared --

"And I guarantee you by late spring and summer, we're going to have a record amount of job creation and economic development in the state."

Just like Charles Barkley, Chet Culver is a Dumbass!

Here It Goes Again

I mentioned last week what Mathletes the Big Lug Nut and posse were with their 30,000 jobs created quickly falling to 22,000.

Now the Ragister wonders...

Do numbers add up in Culver's jobs plan?

Turns out it's a resounding NO!

The BLN's staff now has the job figure down to 21,000.

The reality is considerably less and the scientific community is united in that fact.

The Ragister cites an Iowa State University economics professor who estimates the jobs number closer to 4,050.

Although previously that same professor had the figure closer to 11,175 (1,490 jobs per $100 Million).

BLN spokesperson Phil Roeder says...

"Whether or not $100 million creates 1,500 jobs, 4,000 jobs or somewhere in between, the bottom line is it's going to create a lot of jobs."

My "ciphering" has it at 540 jobs per $100 Million Jethro Bodine.

Even after bursting the Big Lug Nut's bubble, the Ragister is all on board with Iowa borrowing $750 Million, not including $420 Million in interest...

Even if the governor's job-creation estimates from the bonding plan are exaggerated...

David Yepsen, who's moving to Illinois shortly, says...

The governor and the Legislature appear likely to take a more enlightened attitude toward public debt in Iowa.

Easy for him to say since the enlightened one won't be here and neither will his kids.

Remember when he used to whine because the state didn't do enough to keep his kids here and now he goes and leaves, Good luck in Illinois!

Yepsen also tries to equate the state borrowing with Iowa families and businesses borrow money to buy or repair homes, farms or businesses...

Except David, most Iowan's don't go further into debt by borrowing when their income keeps getting cut (Iowa’s sinking revenue projections plummeted another $400 million).

That's the kind of thinking that has helped spawn this whole financial crisis to begin with.

Good Job!

Culver's Job Numbers

I've documented numerous times about the considerable math skills of the Big Lug Nut and the Lug-ettes (Mathletes).

The number he gave, during Tuesday night's debate, for new job creation in Iowa since December -16,000 - called those skills into question for me again.

At first it seemed high, but when you take into consideration that I-JOBS has allegedly created 7,000 new jobs (apparently in July alone) that doesn't really seem like a lot and the scientific community is united in that fact.

I can't help but wonder why Culver can create 16,000 jobs in a matter of months, but it will take two more years for that total to possibly top 23,000.

Why has it taken three years for the state Economic Development Board and the Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED) to create nearly 21,000 jobs in Iowa?

Why will it take Terry Branstad five years to create nearly 13,000 jobs?

I thought I'd ask the experts, so I e-mailed Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) for more information about the 16,000 new jobs.

IWD responded that they are only able to track new jobs after they are created and individuals have begun working.

But, these 16,000 jobs have been created since December.

They also referred me to the Governor's Office as they have a tracking mechanism for the jobs created through I-JOBS.

I haven't done that because, Culver never claimed them to be I-JOBS and his office doesn't have the best history in responding to people.

We'll have a new Governor before they'd get back to me, which would make the query moot, as I believe Culver makes up numbers to try and make himself look good.

I contacted IDED and was told my request was forwarded to two other people and I have yet to hear back from either of them.

To be continued?

Beautiful Sunday?

I'm surprised the Ragister is trickling out its endorsements this early, I thought that was a statewide Sunday paper sort of thing.

I haven't caught any comments on blogs about their endorsements.

It seems to me they'll have less effect, than the little they currently have, this way and the scientific community is united in that fact.

So far the Ragister's true to form as they've endorsed CONgressmen Bruce Braley and Dave No Sack...err Loebsack.

I expect they'll continue their endorsement of incumbents with Leonard BOZO-well and Tom Latham, but will support Matt Campbell over Steve King.

I'm torn, but I believe they'll pick Rozanne, err Taxanne Conlin over Chuck Grassley.

I think it's a sister thing for the women of the editorial board, even though Conlin's shown no improvement from the June primary when the Ragister backhandedly endorsed one of her opponents stating none is an especially impressive choice for the job of U.S. senator and We have reservations about all three candidates.

I have no doubt they'll support the Big Lug Nut over Terry Branstad because their coverage has been so over the top for Governor Culver.

Expect endorsements for Attorney General Tom Miller over Brenna Findley, Dave Vaudt for State Auditor over Jon Murphy, Secretary of State Michael Mauro over Matt Schultz, Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald instead of Dave Jamison and Bill Northey rather than Francis Thicke for Agriculture Secretary.

Not being one of the Mathletes, I have the Ragister supporting 3 Republicans and 9 Democrats.

I Think I'll Just Stay Here And Drink

What is the Big Lug Nut drinking?

Culver predicts revenue growth this year

The National Governors Association says State revenues probably won't hit bottom for several more years.

The BLN's predicition puts him at odds with a key Dummycrat supporter.

State Senator Staci Appel-sauce for brains, is telling constituents..."It's unlikely that revenues will turn around by the time the Legislature reconvenes in January..."

She also stated, "We need to start planning now for more budget cuts", whereas BLN sees no need for more across-the-board cuts.

Was he hungover when he "misspoke" telling the press the state’s actual ending balance will be more than twice what a nonpartisan state agency estimates for this fiscal year.

Maybe, but it's just as likely the press is finding out what I mentioned in March, the Culver administration is not full of mathletes.

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

BLN also says lawmakers cut actual state spending for the fiscal year beginning July 1, the Ragister finds In total, the budget in the fiscal year that begins July 1 will grow by almost $187 million to $6.3 billion.

Of course the BLN believes a tax increase is just tax reform.

BLN also believes that he's already paid the $899 million in interest and costs for his borrowing scam by securing $500 million in federal funds.

“We paid for that in one day.”

See what double-fisting does.

Mathletes?

I don't know what the problem is with the Big Lug Nut and his posse, but they have trouble with numbers.

As I've pointed out previously his borrowing scam was originally $700 Million then jumped to $750 Million, without an explanation I've ever seen.

He also said it would create 30,000 jobs, but within a day someone on his staff had that figure down to 22,000.

Yesterday, spokesperson Phil Roeder said the White House Forum on Health Reform would cost the state $30,000 and now the BLN himself says it's $40,000.

Figures don't lie, but liars figure and the scientific community is united in that fact.

That's sad for a former school teacher, so we at Iowas Newz Liter have found a few extra dollars in our budget and hired him a tutor to make him a math wizard.



This is very serious stuff.

Learn Ed?

As a onetime government/history teacher, the Big Lug Nut should know better...

Civil War or World War II?

O. Kay Henderson relates how the BLN mentioned the upcoming deployment of up to 3500 Iowa National Guard soldiers, Culver said it was “the largest deployment since the Civil War.” I have heard Guard leaders describe it as the largest deployment since World War II, when the more than 6000 soldiers in the Iowa Guard were mobilized.

Mathletes?

The BLN isn't one of them and the scientific community is united in that fact.

What DED The Governor Know?

When DED he know it?

The Big Lug Nut said he didn't know anything, no surprise there, about I DED:The Motion Picture until September 15th.

E-mail records may prove otherwise

Records show Culver was notified about film office trouble in August

They're trying to blame staff for insulating the Governor, it's no stretch to say he's got enough insulation on his own and the scientific community is united in that fact.

But I digress...

Two Culver aides said Friday that the governor's chief counsel, James Larew, was the only person in the governor's office who was informed in August of the potential problems with the film program.

Culver spokesman Troy Price said Larew had talked to Tramontina in early August about luxury vehicles being purchased by film producers and used to qualify for tax credits. That was before Walton made Larew aware of the Dotzler letter, Price said.

Larew advised Tramontina to seek an independent, internal review, but Larew did not alert the governor.

"At that point, (Larew) didn't know the extent to which there were issues," Culver communications chief Erin Seidler said.

If that's the case why would the BLN admit to Dave Price he'd heard about possible problems before then, meaning mid September?

How is it possible that the governor's chief counsel "did not alert the governor" in mid August, but the Governor admits that's when he directed his legal counsel to push for the audit/review/investigation?

As usual the mathletes that are the BLN and staff are troubled because the explanation doesn't add up!