Page 8 The Advocate News (Wilton-Durant, Iowa) Thursday, February 9, 2012

OpiniOn
Chalk one up for David at this year's INA convention
David winsFor a few years now, I would each top three finish and the paper with the write in this space about attending the annual most points wins the Excellence category. The Northwest Iowa Review Iowa Newspaper AssociaMuscatine County Fair results inside, pages 14-21 wins it constantly. It is still tion (INA) convention and Goliath, but it now knows trade show, noting that we exist. competing for annual On a side note, it already awards was like David vs. knew we existed due in Goliath. A day to remember large part to Jeff Grant, a Daily papers are broRAGBRAI XXXIX former intern at the North ken into two categories Scott Press, who currently and weekly papers are works there. separated into three. The The INA also names a separations are due to Newspaper of the Year, circulation. Because of the most prestigious of our strong readership, we awards that is given to are in Class III, the highone paper that stands atop est class of the weekly all classes. To give some papers (based on circulaperspective, the Northwest tion of 2,161 and higher). Iowa Review has won Therefore, we battle every that award 17 times since year for awards with very 1970. strong weekly papers such *** as the Eldridge North Scott Scholarship has benPress (our parent paper), efited many, including the Iowa Falls TimesCitizen, the Altoona Herald-Index and the meLast week, I wrote about the communilargest Goliath of all, the Sheldon Northwest ties of Durant and Wilton coming together to help raise awareness for wonderful causes. Iowa Review. I enter a wide variety of great articles, The Green Out game we chronicled is just editorials and pictures from our staff each one example of how one, or both of our comyear and if we get selected in the top three munities make significant impacts through in any category, we are notified. Second and wonderful fundraising and/or philanthropic third place finishers are awarded with certifi- exercises. Another very interesting philanthropic cates while first place winners receive wooden venture, particularly involving Wilton, is the plaques. This year, Im proud to announce that the Harry J. and Nellie B. Griffith scholarship fund. I wonder how many of our readers Advocate News are familiar with this. Many I assume. I also only made the wondered how many former WHS grads were top three in one given the chance to further chase their dreams category: Best of a college education thanks to this particular Front Page. We scholarship. made it count by I know I did. When I got to the University taking home the of Iowa in 2004, the in-state tuition was $4,995 papers first ever and if I remember correctly, I received a Griffith plaque (pictured) scholarship for around 50 percent of tuition with our front for the two years I was there working on my page (also picbachelors degree. My memory is already a tured) depicting bit hazy but its safe to say that I received RAGBRAI ridan amount between $1,500 and $2,500 per ers coming into Wilton in July, 2011. Not only was it great to year. break through, while third place in the category Thanks to Thelma Nopoulos and Deb was the North Scott Press, runner-up went to Marolf, who tracked down some valuable the Sheldon Northwest Iowa Review the information about the life of the scholarship paper that went on to win first place in the fund, I now know quite a bit about the GrifGeneral Excellence category for Class III fiths gift and how it keeps on giving. weeklies. The papers receive point totals for Harry Johnston Griffith (1894-1988) graduThursday, August 4, 2011 Wilton, Iowa Vol. 117, No. 31 28 pages $1.00

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ated from Wilton High School in 1913. He results was done two weeks later, it was found married Nellie Bryant (1890-1984) in 1920. that Santorum received more votes (34 more) In 1921, Harry graduated from the Cincinnati than Romney and Strawn had to make another College of Embalming and then joined his announcement. Ive read and heard father in the furniture a lot of commentary and funeral business in about the blunder. Wilton. Some are wondering if In 1989, with the that was the last chance help of Nopoulos, who for Iowa Caucuses. has continuously served I say no way! Id be as the scholarship fund shocked if Iowa lost its coordinator, a gift of first in the nation status roughly $937,445 was By Derek Sawvell over this. Yes it was a split between four Iowa black eye for the state institutions in Harry and Nellies name. Since then, Scott Commu- and the party, but it could have happened to nity College, Muscatine Community College, the Democrats too. Id definitely be suspicious or more disappointed had the race not the University of Iowa and been close. But when we are talking dozens Iowa State University have of votes, human error happens. grown the endowment and The only man wondering what if is have helped several Wilton Santorum. What if he had actually been destudents along the way. clared the Iowa winner on that night? Could I recently received some his path to this point in the nomination have information about Griffith been altered? Perhaps. Scholarship gift totals from Strawn was elected party chair after the 1989 through the 2010-2011 2008 campaign. According to reports Ive read, school year. Approximately Harry Griffith he was named one of the 50 politicos worth $1,432,119 has been given to roughly 1,176 students at the four institu- watching by Politico in 2009. As I previously tions over the past 22 years. Thats roughly wrote, he visited my office in 2009. I felt he was a young, breath of fresh air for the party $208,000 at Scott Comand there is a part of me that is sad to see him munity College, $283,000 go. at Muscatine Community *** College, $520,000 at the Strike a poseI didnt have much doubt that University of Iowa and the Giants would win the Super Bowl. Im just $420,000 at Iowa State mad at myself for not picking it in the paper. University. I made the Packers pick based on statistics According to the criinstead of my gut which said New York teria, students must be all the way. Wilton High School gradu- Nellie Griffith I thought Madonna did a great job performates and the award can be given for up to four years for undergraduates ing at halftime. She mixed in old with new pursuing their first bachelors degree. Students hits and had a grand entrance that only she also must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA. This could pull off. Sure she stumbled once and truly is a wonderful gift that keeps on giving. her movement was slow and very careful. Shes 53, wore high-heeled boots and the sets Im living proof of it! were so full of steps and changing levels that *** Strawn goneIt was reported last week it was like a maze for her to move around and that Republican Party of Iowa chairman Matt perform. All things considered, I thought she was great. Strawn is resigning, effective Feb. 10. Rapper M.I.A should be ashamed of herThe decision came in the midst of the party receiving a ton of lip service due to the self for the finger gesture she flashed the Iowa Caucuses, which were very close this camera. Instead of trying to gain attention, she year. In the moonlight hours of Caucus night, should have spent her time on stage bowing Strawn declared Mitt Romney the winner of to Madonna for the opportunity for millions the Caucuses by just eight votes over Rick to get to know who she actually is. Santorum. Turns out, when a review of the

Case in Point

'Path of finding common ground'

Work at the Capitol continues at a very rapid pace. We expect floor debate next week on property tax reform, and TIF reform hearings begin this week. I will be a part of both. Education reform discussion continues. I have been criticized for not supporting the entirety of the Governors plan and on the extreme left for not knowing the issues of education (despite over two decades as an educator and a past president of a school board). I will continue to follow a path of finding common ground and ignoring partisan extremism that generally ends in no positive change. Next week, I will give you the results of literally hundreds of messages on traffic cameras. Thank you so much for sharing your opinion. I never forget that in the end, you all are my boss. One of the primary functions of the Legislature is to prepare a budget for the following fiscal year. Although this budget can be amended, supplemented, or revised, it still forms the basic roadmap for revenues and expenditures for that year. The process actually begins in December when the REC (Revenue Estimating Conference) sets the amount of revenue expected for the following year. By law this is the number that the Legislature must use for budgeting. The process is a negotiation. This year, for example, House Republicans have announced targets around $6 billion. Senate Democrats are at $6.2 billion and the Governor is slightly below that. Senate claims that it is below the Governor are suspect since it deliberately did not count over $100 million in tobacco tax dollars and underfunded, once again, the property tax credits. I believe that our most important achievement last year in the House was to end most of the poor budgeting pracBy Rep. Jeff tices of the past. You have heard me caution against the use of one-time dollars for ongoing expenses many times. That practice ends in the House budget. Another common gimmick to claim a balanced budget was to deliberately underfund a high dollar item like Medicaid or the property tax credits, claim a balanced budget, then come back the next session to pass a supplemental bill that completes the funding. The House also stops this practice. This Senate budget continues this practice. The political risk in a truly balanced budget without gimmicks is partisan attacks of not enough spending. In reality the poor budget practices of the past end in unsustainable promises. In the past, promises were made and

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then when the dollars werent there, acrossthe-board cuts occurred. This is a problem that ends up being much bigger than a sustainable budget with less money. I will not be a part of budget gimmicks and short-sided budgeting promises, regardless of the attacks. One final area of budgeting is the amount of money left in reserves and the ending balance. It is irresponsible to talk about spending Kaufmann our reserves and rainy day fund on general fund expenditures. I will not be a part of any budget that does not have a full emergency fund. We do not know when the next disaster may happen.

In regard to the unspent balance, I have no problem debating where ongoing revenue should go. We can discuss areas needing more resources (e.g. public safety, infrastructure, and education) and areas where tax relief can be used strategically to enhance a job creation environment, like property tax reform. A strong economy with vibrant job creation solves most of our budget issues so that should be the overriding goal of any legislature. Listening Post Schedule: Feb. 11, 9 a.m., Tipton Farm Bureau Office; 1 p.m., Dittos Restaurant, Stanwood. Capitol Visitors: Betty, Chelsea, and Sophie Blake, Clarence; Jon Bell, Tipton; Del Frick, Tim Reimers, Durant. Contact Information: Write: State Capitol Des Moines IA 50319. Email: jeff.kaufmann@legis.state.ia.us. Call: 515-281-3221.

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