What Happened to Hope and Change?

What Happened To Hope And Change?

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PROMISE: After Winning The 2008 Iowa Caucuses, Obama Said “Change Is Coming To America.” OBAMA: “We are choosing hope over fear. (Cheers, applause.) We’re choosing unity over division and sending a powerful message that change is coming to America. (Cheers, applause.)” (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks In Des Moines, IA, 1/3/08)

• Obama: “Our Time For Change Has Come.” “You have done what the state of New Hampshire can do in five days. You have done what America can do in this new year, 2008. In lines that stretched around schools and churches, in small towns and in big cities, you came together as Democrats, Republicans and independents to stand up and say that we are one nation. We are one people. And our time for change has come.” (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks In Des Moines, IA, 1/3/08)

BROKEN: Obama Admitted Washington Is Stuck With “More Of The Same,” And “Maybe A Little Worse.” CNN’s WOLF BLITZER: “When we spoke here end of 2008, ‘hope and change.’ You know what I see in Washington still to this day? OBAMA: “More of the same.” BLITZER: “The same old same old.” OBAMA: “Yeah.” BLITZER: “A lot of bickering, backstabbing.” OBAMA: “Maybe a little worse.” (CNN’s “ The Situation Room,” 8/16/11)

• Obama: “What I Said To Them Is You Deserve Better Than You Have Been Getting Out Of Washington Over The Last Two And A Half Months, For That Matter For The Last Two And A Half Years.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks At $35,800 Per Person Fundraiser, New York, NY, 8/11/11)

HOPE AND CHANGE OBAMANOMICS DIDN’T WORK FOR IOWA

While Iowans Continue To Suffer, Obama’s Proposed
Tax Hikes Will Hurt Iowa’s Economy Even More

Obama’s Plan To Raise Taxes Would Cost Iowa 8,000 Jobs. (Drs. Robert Carroll and Gerald Prante, “Long-Run Macroeconomic Impact Of Increasing Tax Rates On High-Income Taxpayers In 2013,” Ernst & Young LLP , 7/12)

• Obama’s Plan To Raise Taxes Would Cost Iowa $2 Billion In Lost Economic Output. (Drs. Robert Carroll and Gerald Prante, “Long-Run Macroeconomic Impact Of Increasing Tax Rates On High-Income Taxpayers In 2013,” Ernst & Young LLP , 7/12)

According To The Iowa Policy Project, One In Four Iowa Families Are Already Failing To Keep Up With The Rising Costs Of Living. “Nearly one in four Iowa families are failing to keep up with the rising costs of living, and the Iowa City metropolitan area ranks among the state’s most expensive places for families to live, according to a report issued Thursday.” (Josh O’Leary, “Report: One In Four Iowa Families Failing To Keep Up With Cost Of Living,” Iowa Press Citizen, 5/31/12)

• Twenty-Three Percent Of Iowa’s Working Households Are Earning Incomes Below What Is Needed To Meet Their Basic Needs. “Twenty-three percent of the state’s working households are earning incomes below what is needed to meet their basic needs, according to a study conducted by the Iowa Policy Project, an Iowa City-based group which bills itself as a non-partisan research group. That’s nearly twice the percentage of Iowans who fall below the federal poverty threshold, the researchers said.” (Josh O’Leary, “Report: One In Four Iowa Families Failing To Keep Up With Cost Of Living,” Iowa Press Citizen, 5/31/12)

• Co-Author Of The Iowa Policy Project Peter Fisher: “The Study Highlights The Inadequacy Of The Government Standards Used To Determine The Eligibility For A Number Of State And Federal Programs.” “Co-author Peter Fisher said with the research showing almost double the number of Iowa families unable to meet basic costs of living than fall below the federal poverty threshold, the study highlights the inadequacy of the government standards used to determine eligibility for a number of state and federal programs.” (Josh O’Leary, “Report: One In Four Iowa Families Failing To Keep Up With Cost Of Living,” Iowa Press Citizen, 5/31/12)

Between 2008 To 2010, 35,588 More People In Iowa Fell Into Poverty. (“Poverty: 2007 And 2008,” U.S. Census Bureau, 10/11; “Poverty: 2009 And 2010,” U.S. Census Bureau, 10/11)

• Since Obama Took Office, The Number Of People In Iowa Receiving Food Stamps Has Increased By 44 Percent. (“Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program: Number Of Persons Participating ,” Food Research And Action Center, Accessed 8/10/12; “Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program: Number Of Persons Participating,” USDA Food And Nutrition Service, Accessed 8/10/12)

51,000 Iowa Children, Or 7 Percent, Have At Least One Unemployed Parent. (The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Kids Count Data Center, Accessed 10/18/11)

• In Iowa, The Percentage Of Children In Poverty Has Increased From 14 Percent In 2005 To 16 Percent In 2010. “The percentage of children in poverty has increased from 14 percent in 2005 to 16 percent in 2010. An increasing percentage of Iowa children are living in poverty and a quarter of the state’s children have parents who lack secure employment, according to a national study released Wednesday.” (Mary Stegmeir, “Child Poverty Is Growing Across Iowa, Report Finds,” Des Moines Register, 7/26/12)

• “The Percentage Of Children Living In Households With A High Housing Cost Burden Increased From 25 Percent In 2005 To 27 Percent In 2010.” (Mary Stegmeir, “Child Poverty Is Growing Across Iowa, Report Finds,” Des Moines Register, 7/26/12)

OBAMACARE DIDN’T WORK FOR IOWA EITHER

ObamaCare Comes With A Big Price Tag In Iowa

Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Is Imposing A 9.3 Percent Increase On Individual Policyholders’ Premiums Who Are Under The Age Of 65. “Iowa has approved a 9.3 percent rate increase by Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield for individual health insurance premiums. Iowa Insurance Commissioner Susan Voss approved the request last week. The decision means rate increases of up to $45 a month beginning April 1 for 86,000 individual Wellmark policyholders ages 65 and under. Wellmark insures about 1.8 million Iowa residents, most through employers. The Des Moines-based company proposed the increase, citing rising health care costs.” (“State Approves 9.3% Rate Increase For Wellmark,” The Associated Press , 1/3/12)

• Wellmark Notes “The Primary Reason For The Increase In The Base Rate Is The Projected Growth In Health Care Expenses.” “Is this increase due to health care reform? Health care reform does include increased benefits for some policies, unless the member is on a grandfathered plan. However, the primary reason for the increase in the base rate is the projected growth in health care expenses.” ( Wellmark, Accessed 3/28/12)
• Wellmark Is “Iowa’s Largest Health Insurance Provider.” “Iowa’s largest health insurance provider wants to raise rates 9.35 percent for Iowa individual policyholders under 65, high enough to trigger a review under state law.” (Dave DeWitte, “Wellmark Asks 9.35% Individual Health Insurance Rate Hike,” Business380.com, 10/17/11)

ObamaCare Has Also Harmed Iowa Businesses

Des Moines-Based American Enterprise Group’s Decision To Stop Providing Individual Insurance Due To The “Widespread Anxiety Among Insurance Companies Over The Raft Of Regulation Resulting From The Health Care Overhaul Bill” Cost 40 Iowa Jobs. “Des Moines-based American Enterprise Group announced Thursday that it will exit the individual major medical insurance market, making it the 13th company to pull out of some portion of Iowa’s health insurance business since June 2010. The move means 110 employees will lose their jobs over the next three years — 40 in Des Moines and 70 in Omaha. It also underscores the widespread anxiety among insurance companies over the raft of regulation resulting from the health care overhaul bill.” (“Iowa Insurer Exits Some Individual Health Policies,” Des Moines Register, 10/20/11)

Iowa’s Largest Manufacturing Employer, John Deere, Took A $150 Million Charge Because Of ObamaCare. “Deere & Company, Iowa’s largest manufacturing employer, said in a statement this morning that the recently-passed health care legislation will cost the company $150 million after tax this year… Golden said Deere and other companies warned congress in a letter last December that the imposition of a tax on the prescription costs would force publicly-traded corporations like Deere to publicly account for the extra costs. Deere said the impact of the legislation had not been included in its forecast for a profit of $1.3 billion for this year.” (Dan Piller, “Deere Says Health Care Bill Will Cost It $150 Million,”The Des Moines Register’s “Green Fields”, 3/25/10)

Bettendorf, IA Mayor And Small Business Owner: ObamaCare Has Kept His Company From Hiring. “Freemire said he could have added another employee at Results Integrated Marketing and Freemire Enterprises if not for the health care law.”(Jennifer Jacobs and Adam Belz, “President Touts Jobs, Knocks Cynicism,” Des Moines Register, 6/28/11)

• The Mayor Also Expects Health Care Costs To Continue To Grow “Exponentially Greater.” “Bettendorf Mayor Michael Freemire, a Republican, said the federal health care law meant 18 percent in additional costs last year to his two small businesses, which together employ 19. The law will add 17.5 percent this year, and he expects it to get ‘exponentially greater.’” (Jennifer Jacobs and Adam Belz, “President Touts Jobs, Knocks Cynicism,” Des Moines Register, 6/28/11)

OBAMA’S DEFENSE BUDGET DIDN’T WORK FOR IOWA

Obama’s Proposed Defense Cuts Target Des Moines Air Force Base

Obama’s FY 2013 Defense Budget Cuts Would Eliminate 492 Positions At Des Moines Air Force Base. “The U.S. Air Force today asked Congress today to eliminate 492 positions with the Des Moines-based 132nd, a 39 percent reduction in staffing, according to U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa.” (William Petroski, “Air Force Recommends Cutting 492 Positions At Des Moines Air Force Guard Unit,” Des Moines Register , 3/6/12)

Obama’s Budget Seeks To Retire 21 Jets Operated By The Air National Guard 132nd Fighter Wing in Iowa. “Rep. Tom Latham’s office confirmed Monday that President Barack Obama’s $3.8 trillion budget for next fiscal year includes an Air Force plan to retire the 21 jets operated by the Air National Guard’s 132nd Fighter Wing.” (Tony Leys, “President’s Budget Would Pull Air Guard F-16 Jets From DM Airport,” Des Moines Register , 2/13/12)

• Action Would “Cost Approximately Half” Of The Base’s 1,000 Full And Part Time Jobs. “The Air Force recommended recently that the F-16 operation be replaced with a unit that would operate unmanned drones. Latham’s office has been told the change would cost approximately half of the Air Guard base’s 1,000 full- and part-time jobs.” (Tony Leys, “President’s Budget Would Pull Air Guard F-16 Jets From DM Airport,”Des Moines Register , 2/13/12)

Democrats In Iowa’s Congressional Delegation “Decried” Obama’s Proposed Cuts

Iowa’s Congressional Delegation “Decried The Proposal.” “James Carstensen, Latham’s chief of staff, said Latham will examine later documents specifying the expected savings and job cuts before deciding what action to take. Latham and the rest of the Iowa delegation decried the proposal when it was unveiled earlier this month. Carstensen expressed disappointment that the proposal was included in the president’s budget.” (Tony Leys, “President’s Budget Would Pull Air Guard F-16 Jets From DM Airport,” Des Moines Register , 2/13/12)

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) Doesn’t Understand Why The Air Force Is “Targeting Des Moines.” “‘Though the proposal to decommission the 132nd’s F-16s is not final, the Air Force still cannot provide an adequate explanation for targeting Des Moines, the cost-effectiveness of decommissioning this unit, or the impact it will have on the local community,’ Harkin, a Democrat, said in a statement.” (Jennifer Jacobs, “Iowa Lawmakers Grill Air Force Leaders About Plan To Cut 500 D.M Jobs,” Des Moines Register , 2/9/12)

Rep. David Loebsack (D-IA) “Will Continue To Fight” For The Des Moines Unit.“Loebsack, a Democrat from Iowa City, in a statement said ‘The 132nd Fighter Wing is one of the finest in the country. … The Air National Guard, including the 132nd Fighter Wing, has played a critical role in defending our states here at home as well as our nation overseas, and I will continue to fight for them.’” (Jennifer Jacobs, “Iowa Lawmakers Grill Air Force Leaders About Plan To Cut 500 D.M Jobs,” Des Moines Register , 2/9/12)

• Loebasck: “The Proposal To Move The F-16’s Out Of Des Moines Was Short-Sighted.” “‘I am very proud to offer this amendment. The men and women of the 132nd Fighter Wing have proven time and again they are some of the hardest working and most experienced in the National Guard. Their performance is second to none. The proposal to move the F-16s out of Des Moines was short-sighted and wasn’t a good deal for taxpayers or our national security. I am pleased the other members of the House Armed Services Committee agree and I strongly encourage the passage of this amendment,’ Loebsack said.” (William Petroski, “Loebsack Seeks Bipartisan Support To Keep 132^nd Fighter Wing In Des Moines,” Des Moines Register , 5/9/12)

OBAMA’S ENERGY PRIORITIES DIDN’T WORK FOR IOWA

Obama’s Environmental Regulations Didn’t Work For Iowa’s Electricity Rates

Iowa’s MidAmerican Energy Raising Rates “For The First Time Since 1995” By 4 Percent In 2012 And 2-3 Percent In 2013. “For the first time since 1995 MidAmerican Energy is raising rates. The company is asking the Iowa Utilities Board for a 2 year rate increase. For 2012, the company is raising prices by 4%, which is about a $2.33 monthly increase for the average homeowner. In 2013, the company is asking for another 2%-3% increase, for the average homeowner that’s about $1.30 more per month.” (Erika Cervantes, “Iowa MidAmerican Rates Increasing,” KWQC News, 2/29/12)

• MidAmerican Energy Cites EPA Mandated Improvements As Reason For Rate Hike. “MidAmerican’s president says it’s because the EPA is mandating environmental improvements to their plants. The company has to improve the pollution system at their coal fired power plants. Also, freight is costing the company more. A long term coal transportation contract is about to expire and MidAmerican expects the rates to increase dramatically.” (Erika Cervantes, “Iowa MidAmerican Rates Increasing,” KWQC News, 2/29/12)

Obama’s Green Energy Funds Didn’t Work For Iowa, But They Worked For Two Utility Companies In Spain

Spanish-Based Ibderola Renewables, A Company That Has Operations In Iowa, Said It Created 15,000 Jobs With Its $1.5 Billion In Stimulus Funds, But It Laid Off 50 Employees And Now Only Has 850 U.S. Employees. “Iberdrola Renewables Inc., the U.S. arm of a Spanish energy giant, received more than $1.5 billion for its wind and solar projects. In January, it laid off 50 people, leaving about 850 U.S. employees, according to spokeswoman Jan Johnson. The company takes credit for creating more than 15,000 jobs, based on economic models that count staff, suppliers, temporary construction jobs, as well as employment generated by the money workers spend on food, hotels and other purchases.” (Ianthe Jeanne Dugan and Justin Scheck, “Cost Of $10 Billion Stimulus Easier To Tally Than New Jobs,” The Wall Street Journal, 2/24/12)

• Iberdrola Collected $294.8 Million In Green Energy Funds From The Stimulus, An Overwhelming Majority Of The Total Of $502 Million In The First Round Of Grants. “Companies began applying for the grants, outlined in Section 1603 of the stimulus bill, at the end of July. The Energy Department and the Treasury Department, who are jointly administering the program, began announcing grant winners on Sept. 1. In the first round, $502 million was awarded with $499.9 million going to wind developers. Of that, $342.6 million went to two foreign companies – the renewable energy subsidiary of Spanish utility Iberdrola ($294.8 million) and the American subsidiary of Portugese utility EDP Renováveis ($47.7 million).” (Russ Choma, “Overseas Firms Collecting Most Green Energy,” Investigative Reporting Workshop , 10/29/09)

• Iberdrola Got An Additional $250.9 Million In The Second Round Of Grants, Making The Total Awarded To The Firm $546 Million, Accounting For 57 Percent Of All Green Energy Grants In The Stimulus. (Russ Choma, “Overseas Firms Collecting Most Green Energy,” Investigative Reporting Workshop , 10/29/09)

Spanish Company Acciona Installed 136 Turbines Under The Grant Program, Despite Having Opened Only 1 U.S. Facility In Iowa And Later Laying Off One-Third Of Its Workforce. “Acciona , (Spain) which installed 136 turbines under the grant program, has a turbine assembly facility in West Branch, Iowa. Lured to Iowa with $4.8 million in incentives, the Spanish company opened its only U.S. facility in 2008. The plant employed roughly 150 workers, with the average worker making about $15 an hour, but earlier this year laid off about one-third of its workers and battled rumors the facility was to shut down. Acciona declined the Workshop’s interview request.” (Russ Choma, “Foreign Money Controls Wind Manufacturing,” Investigative Reporting Workshop , 2/8/10)