We learned last week that the Central Iowa Employment Training Consortium (CEITC), an agency operating in the Des Moines area, abused the public trust by providing excessive salaries to a few key employees. Fortunately, we have been assured that other regions of the state, including our own, have been operating in an honest and accountable manner.

A whistle blower in the Department of Workforce Development notified both the U.S. Department of Labor and State Auditor of his suspicions, and those suspicions turned out to be accurate. The public should be grateful to this state employee for protecting taxpayer dollars from abuse. Governor Vilsack has assured workers that no retaliation will be taken against any worker who comes forward because of concerns regarding the way a state agency is operating.

As a result of these discoveries, the Governor asked for and accepted the resignation of the Director and Deputy Director of Workforce Development. Various investigations are now probing into the situation. The federal government sent in Department of Labor investigators last Friday. The Attorney General and the Iowa Department of Criminal investigation are also thoroughly investigating.

In addition, the bipartisan Legislative Oversight Committee is looking into allegations regarding the exorbitant salaries at a publicly funded job-training agency. A state audit raised questions about whether the Iowa Department of Workforce Development had failed to properly oversee spending by CIETC, a job-training agency where three top executives received salaries and bonuses totaling more than $1.8 million in the past 30 months.

I will continue to support the ongoing bipartisan legislative investigation into this misuse of tax dollars and I will work for full accountability. We insist that all money paid for salaries and bonuses beyond what is reasonable must be returned to the state, in order to assist the unemployed and those working to become self-sufficient for whom the money was intended. We must make honesty, integrity, and accountability central to every single decision that is made on behalf of Iowans.

On a more positive note, the House passed the infrastructure and capitals budget bill last week. This bill contains money for air and rail improvements, economic development, and other major investments across the state. Only a small portion of this money comes from the general fund. Most of the money comes from taxes on gaming facilities (casinos and racetracks) and tax-exempt bond proceeds from the tobacco settlement agreement with the tobacco companies. According to rules established by the IRS, the money from the tax-exempt bonds must be spent on items with a depreciable value (construction, equipment, etc.).

Most notable appropriation for those of us in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Corridor region is $36 million, over a three year period, for the construction of a new Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa. This was one of my highest priorities from the beginning of the session, as it was for most of the delegation from the Corridor. This laboratory is responsible for the testing of newborns for specific diseases, animals for rabies and other illnesses, water quality, and health related diseases or viruses that could have harmful effects in Iowa. This laboratory is the front line of defense in case of bird flu pandemic or another anthrax scare, and yet the lab is currently housed in the old tuberculosis sanitarium at Oakdale. The old building is totally outdated and inadequate to keep Iowans safe.

The Governor and legislative leaders are negotiating some unresolved issues in an attempt to adjourn on time. Primarily, the issues are budget matters and they are some of the most significant decisions of this session. They include teacher compensation; social security and pension tax relief, tobacco tax increase, assistance to counties for their overburdened services to people with disabilities, and early childhood and pre-school funding.

Although many would like the end of session to happen before Easter week-end, we will take as long as needed to make sure that the state’s budget is balanced, responsible and meets as many needs as possible. You can write me at the State Capitol, Des Moines, IA 50319; call me at 515/281-7328 or e-mail me at ro.foege@legis.state.ia.us.

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