Criminal charges filed in film office scandal; political charges leveled, too

Read the story here.  You’ll find a statement from the brother of the former film office director.  He attacks Attorney General Tom Miller.  The court documents can also be downloaded as pdf files. 

Another twist:  former Iowa Democratic Party chairman Gordon Fischer is the Des Moines attorney representing Tom Wheeler, the fired film office manager who is now charged with misconduct in office, a serious misdemeanor.

Iowa native to lead the NY National Guard

Patrick Murphy is in the news.  No, not Iowa House Speaker Patrick Murphy, a Democrat from Dubuque.  Brigadier General Patrick Murphy – a Dike, Iowa, native who graduated from Iowa State University in 1982.  That Pat Murphy has been named the adjutant general of the New York  National Guard.  Our friends at the Iowa National Guard passed along a news release from the New York State Division of Military & Naval Affairs.  It is copied below, complete with the misidentification of a company located in Johnston, Iowa.  The folks in New York have apparently never heard of Pioneer Hy-Bred.  (But a funny thing happened in a Google search — when you type the New Yorkers’ mistaken reference to a company called “pioneer high-bed” the #2 link offered is Pioneer Hy-Bred International.) 

Former Iowa National Guardsman to Lead New York National Guard

Brig. Gen. Patrick Murphy To Take Over Nation’s Eighth Largest National Guard

LATHAM, NY (02/03/2010)(readMedia)– A former Iowa National Guardsman has been named the 52nd Adjutant General of New York by Governor David A.
Paterson.

Brig. Gen. Patrick Murphy, currently serving as Assistant Adjutant General and the Director of Joint Staff for New York, will replace Major General Joseph Taluto when Taluto retires on Feb. 14 after 44 years of service.

“Brigadier General Murphy is an outstanding officer who brings with him a wealth of experience integrating the National Guard and active military components into State emergency and security planning, homeland defense, and anti-terrorism activities,” Governor Paterson said. “He has played a critical role in the New York National Guard’s response to flooding in Western New York, providing emergency aid to other states, and refocusing the National Guard’s Joint Task Force Empire Shield into a more capable security force in New York City.”

Murphy, a 32-year veteran of the Army National Guard has been responsible for the New York National Guard’s State emergency and homeland security operations.

“I am honored by Governor Paterson’s decision to select me to replace Major General Taluto,” Murphy said. “I appreciate his confidence in me, and I look forward to working with the men and women of the New York Military Forces to continue to improve our abilities to respond when called upon by the people of New York and our nation.”

As Adjutant General he will be responsible for ensuring that the 16,500 members of the New York Army and Air National Guard are prepared to deploy in combat zones on federal missions and prepared to respond to State emergencies. He will also oversee the 2,500 members of the New York Naval Militia and the 700-member New York Guard, a State-only volunteer force.

To be appointed Adjutant General of New York an officer must be capable of becoming a federally recognized two-star Major General. Murphy was promoted to his one-star rank in February 2008.

Murphy, age 52, joined the Iowa Army National Guard as an enlisted soldier in 1977 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry in 1979.

As a traditional National Guard soldier, serving part-time while pursuing a civilian career as a sales and research agronomist and then a sales manager with Pioneer High-Bed International of Des Moines, Iowa, Murphy held a variety of Army National Guard leadership positions.

He served in Iowa’s 1st Battalion 133rd Infantry as a Rifle Platoon Leader, Weapons Platoon Leader, Company Commander, S-1, S-3, Executive Officer and finally the battalion commander from 1995 to 1998. He also became a helicopter pilot during his service as a company grade officer and served as an aero scout team leader in the 1st Battalion 194th Air Cavalry Squadron from 1983 to 1985.

Murphy served as executive officer of the 2nd Brigade, 34th Infantry Division in 1999 before attending the Army War College at Carlisle Barracks as a full-time student in 1999 and 2000.

After graduation from the war college, Murphy served on active duty as the Antiterrorism/Force Protection Officer of the United States Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, Virginia, responsible for advising the commander on counter terrorism measures and developing and implementing command programs and polities.

He spent two months as chief of planning for Joint Forces Command, overseeing the development of 14 plans that address homeland defense issues and military support to civil authorities before becoming the director of operations for Joint Task Force – Civil Support, based at Fort Monroe, Virginia.

As the task force director of operations Murphy was responsible for coordinating department of defense capabilities to respond to a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosives incident in the United States. He was responsible for coordinating with other federal agencies and response organizations and for overseeing the commands operation center.

Murphy was promoted to Colonel in 2002 and in 2003 in became Chief of Civil Support Plans for United States Northern Command, at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. At Northern Command, which had just been established to coordinate military activities in Canada, Mexico and the United States, Murphy was responsible for developing and refining plans for supporting civil authorities with military assets in an emergency.

In November 2004, Murphy deployed to Kuwait where he served as Assistant Chief of Staff for National Guard Affairs for the United States Third Army at Camp Arifjan. He was the commander’s principle advisor on National Guard affairs and worked to integrate National Guard units and soldiers into military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He visited units throughout the combat zones to assist in ironing out administrative and logistical difficulties and over saw a program that allowed National Guard Adjutants General and their senior enlisted soldiers or airmen to visit their units in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait.

After leaving Kuwait in June 2007, Murphy joined the New York Army National Guard where he served as Director of the Joint Staff and Assistant Adjutant General.

He was recruited by Major General Joseph Taluto because of his experience in homeland defense and security. Taluto felt that New York, and especially New York City was a likely terrorist target, and he wanted the New York National Guard to be ready.

Since then Murphy’s role has been to ensure that contingency plans are in place to deploy New York Military Forces assets in support of State and domestic emergencies, oversee the National Guard’s role in State Homeland security efforts, and manage joint Army and Air National Guard functions within the State’s Joint Forces Headquarters. He has been responsible for coordinating with other State agencies, federal organizations and industry.

Murphy’s individual awards include the Bronze Star, three awards of the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Army Superior Unit Award, the Expert Infantryman Badge and the Army Aviation Badge.

He and his wife Cherie live in Clifton Park, Saratoga County. The Adjutant General’s State salary is $120,800 annually.

GOP candidate emerges to challenge Miller

A Republican candidate announced late this morning she is in the “exploratory” phase of a campaign for the statewide post of state attorney general.  Brenna Findley, a Republican who grew up near Dexter, has worked on Iowa Congressman Steve King’s staff since 2003.  It’s not clear from the campaign news release (which you can read below) what her home address is. 

Attorney General Tom Miller, a Democrat, is expected to announce he intends to seek reelection in 2010, to a seventh term in office.  Miller was first elected attorney general in 1978.  He ran for governor in 1990 rather than seek reelection, but Miller lost in a Democratic primary to eventual Iowa Democratic Party gubernatorial nominee Don Avenson (who lost to Terry Branstad).  Miller worked in private practice for a few years, then sought reelection as attorney general in 1994 and has been in office ever since.   Miller was born in August of 1944, which means he’s 65 (information you may need as a reference in the copy below.)

Read Findley’s press release below.

Brenna Findley Announces Attorney General Campaign
 
DEXTER – Brenna Findley, an attorney from Dexter, launched her campaign for Iowa Attorney General today by filing the statement of organization for her exploratory campaign committee, Findley for Iowa.  Findley is running an innovative, grassroots campaign and promises to be an energetic and accessible legal watchdog who stands up for Iowans and our Constitution. 
 
Raised on a farm near Dexter in southwest Dallas County, Findley, 33, attended Drake University in Des Moines and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History and minor in Russian with honors. After Drake, Findley attended the University of Chicago Law School. While at the University of Chicago, she served as Symposium Editor of The University of Chicago Law School Roundtable, a law journal, and worked for small business clients in the Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship to help entrepreneurs start their own businesses. Upon graduation from law school, she worked in private practice. 
 
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“Kitchen sink” on Iowa Press

The State Government Committees in the Iowa House and Senate are panels which deal with a wide variety of topics, so wide that some legislators use the old phrase “everything but the kitchen sink” to describe the committees’ jurisdiction.

Representative Mary Mascher, a Democrat from Iowa City who is the chair of the House State Government Committee, and Representative Doug Struyk, a Republican from Council Bluffs who is the ranking Republican on the same committee, were the guests on this weekend’s “Iowa Press” on IPTV.  The opening questions were about the state government reorganization plan and early retirement incentives advancing at the statehouse.  The two also discussed gambling legislation, the future of the Iowa Communications Network, redistricting and limits on corporate contributions to campaigns.

Kim Lehman leaves IRTL post

Republican National Committeewoman Kim Lehman is leaving her role as leader of the Iowa Right To Life Committee to work with an Iowa City-based adult stem cell research facility.

Read the announcement below:

Kim Lehman Takes New Position with John Paul II Stem Cell Research Institute
 
Des Moines, IA–Kim Lehman, President of Iowa Right to Life, is leaving to take a new position with the John Paul II Stem Cell Research Institute in Iowa City. 
 
Lehman is transitioning this week to John Paul II Stem Cell Research Institute (JP2SRI) and will be responsible in helping the non-profit fulfill its mission in advancing adult stem cell research while promoting medical ethics in regenerative medicine.  The organization is focused on finding cures to diseases like cancer, diabetes and rare diseases that plague so many people.  
 
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Two long-time state managers confirmed to new posts

The Iowa Senate has unanimously confirmed two men to two jobs in the Culver Administration.  On a 47-0 vote, the Senate confirmed Charlie Krogmeier as director of the Iowa Department of Human Services.  The vote was a 180-degree swing from last year’s rejection of Gene Gessow to be D.H.S. director.  Gessow is now working in Arkansas.

On another 47-0 vote,the Iowa Senate also confirmed Bret Mills as the new director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development. Mills took over from interim director Fred Hubbell.  Hubbell was called in after the film office flap that became public in September. Former D.E.D. director Mike Tramontina resigned in mid-September.

Data drop on state employee numbers

Today the Iowa Senate gave final legislative approval to a package of early retirement incentives for long-time employees in the executive branch of state government.  Read the Radio Iowa story. About 2200 workers would be eligible for the incentives; officials expect about half of them to agree to the early out plan.

Just so you know, there are about 53,000 full-time employees in the executive branch of state government.  About half — 26,880 — work at the state-supported universities (the University of Iowa, Iowa State University & the University of Northern Iowa).

There are 1730 full-time employees in the judicial branch of government.

The legislative branch has 187 people on the payroll who are full-time and work year-round. (There are a number of part-time employees in the legislative branch who just work during the legislative session, which this year is scheduled to end March 31, 2010.)

Yes, Virginia, there are three branches of state government and the bill which is now on its way to the governor for his approval would extend the early retirement incentives to workers in the executive branch only.

FCTDLR016

Narcisse, sort of “in” the gubernatorial race, as an Independent

The Iowa Independent reports former Des Moines School Board member Jonathan Narcisse has filed the paperwork to form an exploratory committee for governor.  Narcisse won’t be joining the ranks of the Republicans who’re engaged in a primary battle for the GOP’s 2010 nomination, nor will he directly challenge Governor Chet Culver in a Democratic Primary.  Narcisse’s paperwork (the DR-1 Statement of Organization) shows that after “Political Party” Narcisse has listed himself as an ”Independent.”

Braley to be on MSNBC show tonight

Congressman Bruce Braley (D-Waterloo, Iowa) will be a guest on “The Ed Show” on MSNBC in a few minutes to talk about bonuses for AIG executives.

UPDATE:  If you watched, you learned Braley is against the bonuses.  He backs a plan that would see a new federal tax of 50 percent on bonuses worth more than $50,000 that are paid to employees at firms which received bailout bucks.  It would help AIG “learn a lesson,” according to Braley.  Braley also backs a proposal that would reinstate a transfer fee on excessive stock trading would raise $150 billion and Braley would use that money to “make Wall Street pay for Main Street’s rehabilitation.”

Culver’s latest executive order

Governor Chet Culver, a Democrat, spoke to the Iowa State Building and Construction Trades Council convention this morning.  He used the occasion to sign an executive order which requires project-labor agreements on most large-scale, state-government-financed construction projects.  Think Hancher II in Iowa City.  Here’s the Radio Iowa story, complete with the audio of the 15-minute speech Culver delivered this morning.  There’s also audio there from the five-minute Question-and-Answer session Culver had with a handful of reporters after the speech. 

Here’s a transcript of Culver’s exchange with reporters:

William Petroski of The Des Moines Register: “How important is labor support going to be for your reelection campaign?”

Governor Culver: “I’m proud of the fact that I’m fighting every day for hard-working Iowa families.  I’m going to continue to do what I can as governor to support them and proud to get as much possible support as possible in my reelection.”

Petroski: “Is Iowa going to eliminate the Right-to-Work Law under your administration?”

Culver: “I don’t believe we’re going to do that.  I mean it’s, there’s a lot of exciting things on the table at the statehouse. It’s unclear now in terms of what particular steps we might take to help hard-working families, but I know that the Democratic Party is interested in fighting for those families and making some progress in terms of helping those families out, especially during these tough economic times.”

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