The Price Is Right?

The Big Lug Nut's spokesperson, Troy Price, actually called his bosses spending practices "frugal".

BUZZ--WRONG!

Spending your way into the red and then borrowing $830 Million, with an additional $899 Million (interests & costs), is the antithesis of frugal.

Frugal and The Fat Man have never met and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Price also shows what a fool he is by stating that the Department of Management doesn't guess "at numbers before we know what they are".

Check their web site, estimating (or guessing) is exactly what they do.

Price immediately followed that up with this guess, " But it is quite unlikely we will have a shortfall requiring a special session.”

For the record, Culver's budget shortfall of $58 million is a guess too.

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!

Price Less

That was my reaction to the Big Lug Nut's spokeswienee Troy Price trying to show up State Auditor David Vaudt.

Vaudt urged the Dummycrats in charge to consider taking corrective budget action now to avert deeper spending cuts later.

Price said the BLN is taking “a more responsible and prudent approach” by waiting.

Really?

Then why pay a consultant $300,000 to recommend budget cutting ideas for the 2011 budget year?

I offered the BLN an idea (No Charge) already and here's a couple more.

Cut the number of boards and commissions in Iowa.

I know your consultant doesn't agree, but do we really need 178 boards and commissions with a total of 1,388 members?

You would probably have to work with the Legislature on this, but now is a good time as they've set up a State Government Reorganization Commission (your buddy Staci Appel-sauce for brains is a chair).

What is within you power is the appointments, and the scientific community is united in that fact, as of this writing there are only 18 openings since you just appointed four more Iowans.

According to your boy Bo Berntsen, those commissioners and boarders(?) receive anywhere from reimbursement for travel and lodging, to a $50 per diem, to an annual salary.

Lastly, flush any fool that needs to change the name of his department in the times of a recession, because you know there's some major money spent on new signs and stationary.

Your site still refers to it as the Department of Elder Affairs, making the change DOA not IDA.

Alms For Iowa

It looks like the Big Lug Nut is going to need to use his stein as a tip jar...

Iowa faces largest budget gap in state history

A projected shortfall of $1.07 billion!

What's the BLN's reaction?

His spokeswienee Troy Price noted this is simply an estimate and that a more solid look at the budget will be available after new revenue projections are made on Dec. 11.

He's right, it could get much worse and the scientific community is united in that fact.

The BLN's boy Troy also said, "Culver has done the hard work and made the difficult decisions to keep our budget balanced.”

Culver's hardest work has been lifting his fat ass off the couch and squeezing into his spandex to do a triathlon.

Maybe the BLN can get the Iowa Department of Revenue,which has the truest web site url (Iowa.gov/tax), to take donations like the U.S. Treasury.

They're tax deductible.

Queen Of Denial?

You know things aren't going well for the Big Lug Nut, when you have to deny the latest desertion rumors.

Seidler still on job as Culver’s communications chief






Erin Seidler, Gov. Chet Culver’s communications director, hasn’t quit and remains on the job

That's per spokesmonkey Troy Price.

The response though was a little odd, “Erin has not submitted a letter of resignation to the Governor, and she is still an employee of the Governor’s Office. Those are the facts.”

That sounds like something that is stated for legal reasons when there are personnel issues.

Plus, he didn't say she's still the communications director.

Time will tell, after all Abby Curran denied she was leaving a few weeks prior to her resignation.

One has to wonder when the BLN's dog, Buck, will hightail it out of there and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Although, he's probably a lot like Culver in the fact that he'll stay where there's free food and drink.

Freeze Frame?

It may seem cold hearted, but last week we opined that the Big Lug Nut should be ashamed of himself for adding staff during a time of eliminated open jobs and a hiring freeze.

What's cool is the Ragister has found

State has added 752 during hiring freeze

Chilling to state employees is the fact it's nearly the number of state workers initially pegged for layoffs to meet Culver's order of a 10 percent across-the-board budget cut.

The BLN has acted decisively in protecting his turf and justifies his staffing with cold, hard facts?

"The governor and lieutenant governor have a responsibility to manage state government effectively, and these positions are critical to helping (them) do just that."

So said spokeswienee Troy Price

"During difficult times, each position in the governor's office is needed to effectively communicate with other state agencies and manage the entirety of state government so that Iowans continue to receive essential services."

I get that they think Iowans should just chill, but he comes across as an Icehole!

The Ragister notes one of the BLN's new hires responsibilities is as correspondence coordinator.

I've documented how well that's worked and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Now is the winter of our discontent!

Round And Round

The Big Lug Nut, having just figured which end of the pen to use, can write off two more staff members.

Troy Price, who tried to convince Iowans that the BLN was "frugal", and Erin Seidler.

I'm trying to figure out if it's funny or sad.

BOTH

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

James Flansburg, or as O.Kay Henderson posts it Flansberg, aborted his job as Director of Communications for Planned Parenthood of the Heartland to join Culver's crew.

Flansburg's other claims to fame included News(?) Director at KDSM TV and having a daddy with the same name who wrote for the Ragister.

One does have to wonder if the BLN has turned his staff desertions into a double-fisting drinking game yet.

The Sky Is Falling

My first thought after seeing this article, Panel to discuss retention vote's effect on judiciary, is that will be a balanced discussion and the scientific community is united in that fact.

The panel will consist of Iowa Supreme Court Justice David Wiggins; Drake University Law School Assistant Professor Ian Bartrum; Troy Price, the political director of the state gay rights group One Iowa; and Ben Stone, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa.

Digging a little further you'll find that the sponsor, The American Constitution Society, describes itself as a liberal progressive legal organization.

Can't wait to read the “intellectual capital” that comes from these Turkey Lurkey's.

Winning?

President Obama's Iowa campaign opened their new headquarters Sunday.

In what could be a good sign, the building previously was headquarters to Mitt Romney's caucus campaign.

Obama coming in second to Romney would be nice and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Consider also that Obama's Iowa campaign is filled with former staffers for the Big Lug Nut, Troy Price as Political Director and Erin Seidler as communications director.

That worked out well.

CommieTommie Harkin was on hand for the grand(?) opening and he believes, “We've got a heck of a story to tell and we shouldn't be unafraid to tell it.”

Harkin says Obama's biggest accomplishments as President are the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, the Health Care Reform Act, and the success of American auto companies after the bail out.

Let's see the one company that didn't take a bailout, Ford, is planning to give raises to 20,000 white-collar employees, in addition to contributing more to their 401(k)s.

Ford has repaid more than $21 billion of its $23 billion in private loans.

Taxpayers could lose about $14 billion from the auto bailout with GM, and now they're taking a jolt in their sales of the Volt.