Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.
The chairman for Herman Cain’s Iowa effort says the campaign “relied more on the word of farmers than Washington regulators” in deciding to run an ad containing claims the Environmental Protection Agency says are false.
The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
Former Des Moines school board member Jonathan Narcisse criticized Gov. Chet Culver and the Republicans hoping to unseat him in 2010, but remained coy about whether he will challenge the governor in a Democratic primary.
Jonathan Narcisse
Narcisse was speaking to Dave Price, reporter for Des Moines NBC-affiliate WHO-TV, on his Internet radio program Tuesday. The Des Moines Democrat is preparing to set off on a series of debates around the state with former House Speaker and Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Rants next week. And while he was highly critical of Rants’ GOP rivals, as well as the Democratic governor, he refused to say whether he has decided to run against Culver.
“Speculation can be a wonderful thing,” he said, later adding: “If I were going to run, why would I not get the maximum bang out of announcing it in the proper format after a proper build up. And if I’m not going to run, the speculation drives certain interest and helps us advance an agenda.”
Narcisse pounded Republican candidates Terry Branstad, Christian Fong and Bob Vander Plaats, saying none of them has a plan to fix state government. But he saved his most scathing critique for Culver.
“He has been a disaster for this state,” he said.
He said the governor’s recent 10 percent across-the-board budget cut will destabilize government at every level and lead to property tax increases.
“He’s a wrecking ball,” Narcisse said. “I would love to see a [former Democratic Lt. Gov.] Sally Peterson or a [former Iowa Department of Economic Development Director] Mike Blouin step forward. I would love to see us go to the Great Ape Trust and have someone run against him.”
Instead of focusing on solutions for the problems plaguing the state, “the political class in this state has traditionally focused on six areas: staying in power, attacking, fending off attacks, pandering to cronies or contributors and on the rare occasion, discussing real issues,” Narcisse said.
A registered Democrat who campaigned for Culver in 2006, Narcisse served one contentious term on the board of the Des Moines School District. He owns and publishes several publications, including the Iowa Bystander.
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