Vilsack's legacy over eight years debated
By Bret Hayworth Journal staff writer | Posted: Sunday, November 26, 2006
When Tom Vilsack first began his run for governor in 1997, he was a state senator from Mount Pleasant not widely known in the Hawkeye state. In his own words, "Nobody knew me."
Vilsack won a 1998 party primary, but summer polls showed him to be down at least 20 percentage points in the fall race with former Republican Congressman Jim Ross Lightfoot. Vilsack surged to that win, then another in 2002, and now has spent eight years as the first Democratic Iowa governor since Harold Hughes of Ida Grove, who served 1963-1969.
As Vilsack prepares to leave office -- and run for the White House in 2008 -- many are debating his legacy, the imprint he left on Iowa.
Vilsack told the Journal's editorial board a few weeks ago he's proud of an improving Iowa business climate and that Iowa is moving "in the right direction." He touted the economic development tools of the Vision Iowa and Iowa Values funds that were created during his terms, and pointed to advances in education, more access to health care, creation of the Senior Living Trust, new power plants and a growing renewable fuels industry.
Siouxlanders pigeonholed Vilsack from a political moderate to liberal, with many saying he is a savvy campaigner and an accomplished public speaker.
Lori Sokolowski of Holstein, who founded the Iowa Farmers Union Siouxland chapter in 2002 and was a Republican until becoming a Democrat in 2003, said Vilsack "has been a good governor and done an excellent job for Iowa. He's been a governor who has worked well with both parties and compromised to get things done."
John Hamm of Sioux City, president of Northwest Iowa Labor Council, said Vilsack was helped in his first run in 1998 by being "a centrist" and remains "middle of the road" today.
Don Kass, a livestock farmer and 14-year Plymouth County Republican Party chairman, said Vilsack was "a fairly liberal guy," and "he was known as a big spender and still is."
Kass contended Vilsack "hasn't helped with any tax reform, he has basically fought that tooth and nail." Added Kass, "All in all, the economy is good, and Tom Vilsack was there to watch it, but he didn't make it happen."
Vetoes, court battles
Vilsack's tenure certainly had more than a dollop of controversy.
He wasn't shy about using the line-item veto on budget items he didn't agree with, vetoing 61 sections in 1999, 68 in 2001, 35 in 2003 and 65 in 2004, and in that year turned back attempts to limit publicly funded abortions and legal assistance.
Vilsack, as executive officer of the state, was sued a few times by lawmakers, including by Steve King, now Iowa's 5th District congressman, who led the legal fight against Vilsack's executive order regarding sexual orientation and gender identity.
Republican King found fault with Vilsack's executive order that people in the executive branch could not discriminate against employees based on classification, including sexual orientation. King, holding that Vilsack had given "preferential treatment to homosexuals, transsexuals and transvestites," within 24 hours sued the governor in what he called a "precedent-setting case for the separation of powers." A Polk County District judge ruled with King and declared the order unconstitutional.
In 2002, Vilsack disgruntled many in his Democratic Party base by signing a state English as Official Language law, which he later said he regretted.
And this year, he vetoed a law that limits the power of local governments to seize private property, but the Legislature overrode the veto in a June special session. Kass said "vetoing of the imminent domain protection, that was grossly irresponsible."
State Rep. Clarence Hoffman, R-Denison, said if Vilsack had any action he could redo, it would likely be the veto of the imminent domain bill. "I think he got bad advice on that piece of legislation," Hoffman said.
Also this year, Republican legislative leaders felt double-crossed by a line-item veto of a pay-for-performance study of teacher salaries, particularly since elsewhere in the education bill, they had given the $210 million Vilsack had sought to increase teacher pay over three years.
Vilsack, GOP often on different page
Steve Gifford of Melvin, a Northwest Iowa Community College instructor and a political independent until registering as a Democrat in 2002, said "it took guts" to stand up to Republican legislators who were threatening to override vetoes. "Had it not been for Tom, for his ability to stand up and veto," the small government Republicans "would have had their way."
Gifford noted Vilsack never had a Democratic majority in either statehouse chamber, which hampered his ability to achieve more of his goals.
"If he wouldn't have had the roadblocks, he would have gotten more done," Gifford said, before adding, "I think he did a lot of things well, had a good set of priorities in education and service to help people... He just seems to take common sense approach, and he doesn't get too radical."
Matt Pearson, a Web services specialist who lives in Storm Lake and heads the Buena Vista County Democratic Party, said Vilsack "represented the state very well in the National Governors Association. He has been a strong advocate for education and health care for children."
Said Pearson, "Aside from a few times where he said 'this is the way it is going to be,' most of the time he worked with the legislators to compromise to get his point across while not stepping on the toes of those who disagreed with him. He is diplomatic."
Hoffman, a freshman legislator the same year Vilsack became governor in 1999, said Vilsack had a honeymoon with statehouse Republicans until maybe the third year, when dealings became a bit more "tense." Hoffman said he'd probably rate the Vilsack governorship higher than most Republicans, giving him a grade of "A" or "B."
"I think he made a lot of efforts to reach out to us and to work with us," Hoffman said. He added that Vilsack was well served by his wife, Christie, who was "gracious," and who "reached out to both parties" as well.
Education governor
Gifford recalled the three tight budget years from 2001-03, including when Vilsack announced a mid-year across-the-board cut of 4 percent. That was tough for educational institutions to deal with in the middle of a budget year, Gifford said, and slowly "over the last four years, we've recovered from that."
In spite of that, education was the key issue of the Vilsack years, Gifford said.
"As both a citizen and an educator, I am grateful that he was governor," or education funding wouldn't have been as plentiful, Gifford contended. He said Vilsack knew "throwing money at something doesn't fix the problem, but he's advocated for teacher certification and quality" improvements as well.
Regarding economic matters, Gifford said Vilsack "was very fiscally responsible," and that "our overall tax structure here in Iowa compared to other states is not oppressive."
Vilsack couldn't get a tobacco tax increase enacted, nor was he able to push through a minimum wage increase.
Labor leader Hamm said Vilsack "did the best he could do, when he had a Republican controlled House and Senate," but the foremost failing of Vilsack's tenure was the inability to get the hourly minimum wage increased from $5.15.
Hoffman mentioned a meeting early in Vilsack's second term where the two got together to discuss their philosophies, with the upshot being the determination to focus on areas where they could work together. A positive outcome was the Iowa Values Fund, which Hoffman had a hand in moving over the objections of some Republicans.
Hamm said lots of union workers in the building trades got "a lot of work out of the Vision Iowa and Values Fund around the state, and I know that was one of the things (Vilsack) wanted to be part of his legacy."
Kass said he recognizes "a lot of people have a positive view" on the Vision Iowa and Iowa Values funds that Vilsack embraced, that the reality is that such corporate welfare tools are needed in the 21st century. "I'm not sure where I stand on that," Kass said.
Pearson said "I love the Vision Iowa program," but was critical of Vilsack for "slashing the state tourism budget in half when it should have been growing."
Sokolowski said the Iowa Values Fund is a nice tool in getting away from the prior practice of the state economic development department "begging for money" to entice firms to move to or expand in Iowa. However, she said, "I could see more equal funding coming (from the Iowa Values Fund) to the rural areas, rural businesses."
Sokolowski also broadened that topic, saying Vilsack could have done more to help rural communities. "I always felt that the infrastructure with Highway 20 was critical to Northwest Iowa," especially in drawing more business, she said, but that the Iowa Department of Transportation Commission members Vilsack appointed didn't see that as a priority.
Water, air quality a Vilsack focus
Sokolowski lobbied in Des Moines on agriculture issues for years and said Vilsack walked a good line between advocating for ag and maintaining a clean environment. She noted he worked with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to get tougher water quality standards.
"We haven't gone as far as we could," Sokolowski said, "it is hard to please everybody."
Kass said Vilsack gave direction to IDNR to have too much bureaucratic control.
"As far as regulation, he has not been kind to agriculture," especially the livestock industry, Kass said. He said some of the IDNR endeavors were not so much for the benefit of the environment as claimed, but "more politics." Kass was particularly critical of the attempt "to put air quality standards in that were far more stringent than what the federal government would do."
Hamm said he's glad he worked so hard to get Vilsack elected in 1998, even when it appeared the odds were well against the Democrat winning.
When Hamm thinks back on Vilsack the man, he recalls, "when you just sit and talk to the guy personally, not politics, he is an easy individual to sit and talk to."
Hoffman spoke similarly, saying whether Vilsack was speaking to a teachers' or a business group, "he was just an impressive speaker in front of almost any audience, and he did it with little, if any, notes. Whenever he was anywhere to speak on behalf of the state of Iowa, we were never embarrassed. He spoke like a governor that you could feel good about."
Democrat Chet Culver becomes the 40th Iowa governor in January. Pearson said he is OK with Vilsack leaving the gubernatorial post after eight years.
"Really, two or three terms seems about right to me. Self-imposed term limits are good," Pearson said.
Bret Hayworth may be reached at (712) 293.4203 or brethayworth@siouxcityjournal.com
Read more in Hayworth's Politically Speaking blog at siouxcityjournal.com/blogs
Vilsack won a 1998 party primary, but summer polls showed him to be down at least 20 percentage points in the fall race with former Republican Congressman Jim Ross Lightfoot. Vilsack surged to that win, then another in 2002, and now has spent eight years as the first Democratic Iowa governor since Harold Hughes of Ida Grove, who served 1963-1969.
As Vilsack prepares to leave office -- and run for the White House in 2008 -- many are debating his legacy, the imprint he left on Iowa.
Vilsack told the Journal's editorial board a few weeks ago he's proud of an improving Iowa business climate and that Iowa is moving "in the right direction." He touted the economic development tools of the Vision Iowa and Iowa Values funds that were created during his terms, and pointed to advances in education, more access to health care, creation of the Senior Living Trust, new power plants and a growing renewable fuels industry.
Siouxlanders pigeonholed Vilsack from a political moderate to liberal, with many saying he is a savvy campaigner and an accomplished public speaker.
Lori Sokolowski of Holstein, who founded the Iowa Farmers Union Siouxland chapter in 2002 and was a Republican until becoming a Democrat in 2003, said Vilsack "has been a good governor and done an excellent job for Iowa. He's been a governor who has worked well with both parties and compromised to get things done."
John Hamm of Sioux City, president of Northwest Iowa Labor Council, said Vilsack was helped in his first run in 1998 by being "a centrist" and remains "middle of the road" today.
Don Kass, a livestock farmer and 14-year Plymouth County Republican Party chairman, said Vilsack was "a fairly liberal guy," and "he was known as a big spender and still is."
Kass contended Vilsack "hasn't helped with any tax reform, he has basically fought that tooth and nail." Added Kass, "All in all, the economy is good, and Tom Vilsack was there to watch it, but he didn't make it happen."
Vetoes, court battles
Vilsack's tenure certainly had more than a dollop of controversy.
He wasn't shy about using the line-item veto on budget items he didn't agree with, vetoing 61 sections in 1999, 68 in 2001, 35 in 2003 and 65 in 2004, and in that year turned back attempts to limit publicly funded abortions and legal assistance.
Vilsack, as executive officer of the state, was sued a few times by lawmakers, including by Steve King, now Iowa's 5th District congressman, who led the legal fight against Vilsack's executive order regarding sexual orientation and gender identity.
Republican King found fault with Vilsack's executive order that people in the executive branch could not discriminate against employees based on classification, including sexual orientation. King, holding that Vilsack had given "preferential treatment to homosexuals, transsexuals and transvestites," within 24 hours sued the governor in what he called a "precedent-setting case for the separation of powers." A Polk County District judge ruled with King and declared the order unconstitutional.
In 2002, Vilsack disgruntled many in his Democratic Party base by signing a state English as Official Language law, which he later said he regretted.
And this year, he vetoed a law that limits the power of local governments to seize private property, but the Legislature overrode the veto in a June special session. Kass said "vetoing of the imminent domain protection, that was grossly irresponsible."
State Rep. Clarence Hoffman, R-Denison, said if Vilsack had any action he could redo, it would likely be the veto of the imminent domain bill. "I think he got bad advice on that piece of legislation," Hoffman said.
Also this year, Republican legislative leaders felt double-crossed by a line-item veto of a pay-for-performance study of teacher salaries, particularly since elsewhere in the education bill, they had given the $210 million Vilsack had sought to increase teacher pay over three years.
Vilsack, GOP often on different page
Steve Gifford of Melvin, a Northwest Iowa Community College instructor and a political independent until registering as a Democrat in 2002, said "it took guts" to stand up to Republican legislators who were threatening to override vetoes. "Had it not been for Tom, for his ability to stand up and veto," the small government Republicans "would have had their way."
Gifford noted Vilsack never had a Democratic majority in either statehouse chamber, which hampered his ability to achieve more of his goals.
"If he wouldn't have had the roadblocks, he would have gotten more done," Gifford said, before adding, "I think he did a lot of things well, had a good set of priorities in education and service to help people... He just seems to take common sense approach, and he doesn't get too radical."
Matt Pearson, a Web services specialist who lives in Storm Lake and heads the Buena Vista County Democratic Party, said Vilsack "represented the state very well in the National Governors Association. He has been a strong advocate for education and health care for children."
Said Pearson, "Aside from a few times where he said 'this is the way it is going to be,' most of the time he worked with the legislators to compromise to get his point across while not stepping on the toes of those who disagreed with him. He is diplomatic."
Hoffman, a freshman legislator the same year Vilsack became governor in 1999, said Vilsack had a honeymoon with statehouse Republicans until maybe the third year, when dealings became a bit more "tense." Hoffman said he'd probably rate the Vilsack governorship higher than most Republicans, giving him a grade of "A" or "B."
"I think he made a lot of efforts to reach out to us and to work with us," Hoffman said. He added that Vilsack was well served by his wife, Christie, who was "gracious," and who "reached out to both parties" as well.
Education governor
Gifford recalled the three tight budget years from 2001-03, including when Vilsack announced a mid-year across-the-board cut of 4 percent. That was tough for educational institutions to deal with in the middle of a budget year, Gifford said, and slowly "over the last four years, we've recovered from that."
In spite of that, education was the key issue of the Vilsack years, Gifford said.
"As both a citizen and an educator, I am grateful that he was governor," or education funding wouldn't have been as plentiful, Gifford contended. He said Vilsack knew "throwing money at something doesn't fix the problem, but he's advocated for teacher certification and quality" improvements as well.
Regarding economic matters, Gifford said Vilsack "was very fiscally responsible," and that "our overall tax structure here in Iowa compared to other states is not oppressive."
Vilsack couldn't get a tobacco tax increase enacted, nor was he able to push through a minimum wage increase.
Labor leader Hamm said Vilsack "did the best he could do, when he had a Republican controlled House and Senate," but the foremost failing of Vilsack's tenure was the inability to get the hourly minimum wage increased from $5.15.
Hoffman mentioned a meeting early in Vilsack's second term where the two got together to discuss their philosophies, with the upshot being the determination to focus on areas where they could work together. A positive outcome was the Iowa Values Fund, which Hoffman had a hand in moving over the objections of some Republicans.
Hamm said lots of union workers in the building trades got "a lot of work out of the Vision Iowa and Values Fund around the state, and I know that was one of the things (Vilsack) wanted to be part of his legacy."
Kass said he recognizes "a lot of people have a positive view" on the Vision Iowa and Iowa Values funds that Vilsack embraced, that the reality is that such corporate welfare tools are needed in the 21st century. "I'm not sure where I stand on that," Kass said.
Pearson said "I love the Vision Iowa program," but was critical of Vilsack for "slashing the state tourism budget in half when it should have been growing."
Sokolowski said the Iowa Values Fund is a nice tool in getting away from the prior practice of the state economic development department "begging for money" to entice firms to move to or expand in Iowa. However, she said, "I could see more equal funding coming (from the Iowa Values Fund) to the rural areas, rural businesses."
Sokolowski also broadened that topic, saying Vilsack could have done more to help rural communities. "I always felt that the infrastructure with Highway 20 was critical to Northwest Iowa," especially in drawing more business, she said, but that the Iowa Department of Transportation Commission members Vilsack appointed didn't see that as a priority.
Water, air quality a Vilsack focus
Sokolowski lobbied in Des Moines on agriculture issues for years and said Vilsack walked a good line between advocating for ag and maintaining a clean environment. She noted he worked with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to get tougher water quality standards.
"We haven't gone as far as we could," Sokolowski said, "it is hard to please everybody."
Kass said Vilsack gave direction to IDNR to have too much bureaucratic control.
"As far as regulation, he has not been kind to agriculture," especially the livestock industry, Kass said. He said some of the IDNR endeavors were not so much for the benefit of the environment as claimed, but "more politics." Kass was particularly critical of the attempt "to put air quality standards in that were far more stringent than what the federal government would do."
Hamm said he's glad he worked so hard to get Vilsack elected in 1998, even when it appeared the odds were well against the Democrat winning.
When Hamm thinks back on Vilsack the man, he recalls, "when you just sit and talk to the guy personally, not politics, he is an easy individual to sit and talk to."
Hoffman spoke similarly, saying whether Vilsack was speaking to a teachers' or a business group, "he was just an impressive speaker in front of almost any audience, and he did it with little, if any, notes. Whenever he was anywhere to speak on behalf of the state of Iowa, we were never embarrassed. He spoke like a governor that you could feel good about."
Democrat Chet Culver becomes the 40th Iowa governor in January. Pearson said he is OK with Vilsack leaving the gubernatorial post after eight years.
"Really, two or three terms seems about right to me. Self-imposed term limits are good," Pearson said.
Bret Hayworth may be reached at (712) 293.4203 or brethayworth@siouxcityjournal.com
Read more in Hayworth's Politically Speaking blog at siouxcityjournal.com/blogs
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