Big Ideas for Iowa - Part Two - Government

Restructure Government to Improve Efficiency
TERRY E. BRANSTAD, governor of Iowa from 1983 to 1999, is president of Des Moines University.

During the 1980s farm crisis, Iowa established a sister state with Hebei Province, China. In a 1984 visit, our delegation learned that the Chinese symbol for crisis and opportunity is one and the same.

In normal times, the size of government tends to expand in response to the demands of various interest groups and constituencies. Cutting budgets and reducing or eliminating programs and bureaucracies are not possible in good economic times. Those who work for or depend on government programs are always going to lobby for more employees and more spending.

In times of economic crisis, private businesses and individuals cut spending and eliminate unnecessary overhead. Private-sector jobs are cut.This economic crisis provides an opportunity to change the size and structure of all levels of government in Iowa, improving efficiency and delivery of services.

At the depth of the farm crisis in 1986, we passed a massive restructuring and downsizing of state government. At the time, 38 Iowa banks had closed, and the value of Iowa farms had decreased by 63 percent. The result of our action was a smaller, more efficient and accountable state government. We went from more than 80 state agencies to 25 and got more accountability by having all department heads appointed by the governor and confirmed by two-thirds of the Senate. It saved more than $60 million annually and established stronger spending and program oversight through the

Department of Management.

There has not been a restructuring of government since.It is long overdue.



Be Really Radical: Reduce the Size of Government
FRED GRANDY, a Sioux City native and an Iowa congressman from 1987 to 1995, is host of "The Grandy and Andy Morning Show," 630 WMAL, Washington, D.C.

I first asked the editor for clarification about implementing the bold moves of the Emanuel Doctrine: "Are we talking about Iowa or Iowans?"" Iowa," I was assured. Custodians of the public sector, the governor, the Legislature, the mayor of Humboldt. As opposed to private individuals, who when left unregulated and under-taxed, inevitably grow up to be Bernie Madoff or George W. Bush.

OK, I'll play by those rules. If government is the end, I respectfully propose:
Gov. Chet Culver should quietly mobilize the Iowa National Guard and other quasi-military units at his command and without provocation attack South Dakota. (I have nothing against South Dakota, but of all states bordering Iowa, these guys would clearly be easiest to beat.)

The purpose is not to achieve military victory but to provoke intervention by the federal government and the following sequence: stern warnings to rebellious leaders in Des Moines, protracted negotiations, a fragile cease-fire and major infusions of foreign aid to placate Iowa from going rogue again. This strategy has worked like a charm for North Korea, Iran and now the Palestinian Authority.

The other option is for public officials in Iowa to go in the opposite direction of the new administration and drastically cut taxes, deregulate business and industry, reduce the size of government and in so doing make Iowa an oasis for investment and growth amid a vast national desert of spending and debt. A kind of Obama-Free State. But some ideas are just too radical for serious consideration.

Build Consensus About How to Govern Better
ROBERT RAY was governor of Iowa from 1969 to 1983.

No governor or any citizen of Iowa wants a crisis to be the catalyst for doing "the right thing," but nothing brings more consensus on "the right thing" than the necessity of the moment.

Turf battles, partisanship and bureaucratic inertia are more easily left at the door when people sit down at the table to figure out new ways of doing things. Reorganizing, streamlining, whatever you call it, is done when the need is obvious.

During the energy crisis in the late '70s, a period of double-digit inflation, we saw the value of looking at state government structure to see how well it was meeting expectations. The Governor's Economy Committee found many ways to make government better. We mobilized support to make changes because the value of better government was more evident during a stressful time.

Government grows in good times and must reduce and reshape when things go the other way. Times change, bringing us better tools of governance, such as information technology.

The worrisome demographic changes forecast by the Iowa 2010 Council nearly a decade ago and today's national economic crisis of historic proportion are unfolding in front of us.
Iowans are a fair people, and the notion of shared sacrifice is respected, if not welcomed. When the economy turns upward, and it will, Iowa's demography and slow growth will remain our challenge.

Iowans should ask, "How can we be better?" It's a rare opportunity to build consensus on how we can better govern ourselves.

Big Ideas for Iowa - Part One - Business

Support Entrepreneurs; Recruit; Tell Iowa's Story
JACK EVANS, a former CEO of SCI Financial Group, is president of The Hall-Perrine Foundation, Cedar Rapids, and a member of the Iowa Board of Regents.

We in Iowa are fortunate. Common sense has kept our state finances in reasonable shape. Good judgment has kept our commercial banking industry healthy. Education and health care in Iowa are the envy of other states.

Iowans are also realistic. Although our unemployment rate is well below the national average, we know we're in a recession. What can we do?
- Insist our elected leaders create an environment conducive to entrepreneurial development. Finding the next Maytag, Collins or Deere is vital.
- Go out more. Attend local events, particularly at institutions of higher education. See that play, enjoy the ball game. Interaction with others is healthy and intellectually stimulating.
- Recruit. When visiting with out-of-state friends and family, tell Iowa's story. Describe our schools, and stress our quality of health care. Take notes; relay the information to local economic-development professionals.
- Volunteer. It's often said, "You make a living by what you get; you make a life by what you give." Make a life by volunteering.
- Walk. A healthy state is a better state. Walking gives you time to think, time to evaluate progress on your personal goals. Pick up litter along the way to keep Iowa beautiful.
- Take pride. Iowa has wonderful communities and world-class colleges and universities. Celebrate their successes and nurture their growth.

We in Iowa have a great story to tell. Let us all accept cheerfully our responsibilities. We Iowans are loyal and happy to help influence our destiny. Together, today's challenges will become tomorrow's opportunities.


Support Growth of the Private Sector
PAUL SCHICKLER is president of Pioneer Hi-Bred, Johnston, and DuPont vice president and general manager.

As Gov. Chet Culver and our state legislators face tough choices ahead to manage the state's budget through the recession, they must continue to do what has proven to drive growth over time - support private-sector investment and emphasize Iowa's strengths.

Current policies have encouraged Pioneer to increase its investment in Iowa by more than $100 million over the last five years. At a time when unemployment is reaching record levels, Pioneer has added more than 120 new employees in Iowa so far this year.

Now is the time to put policies in place that will stimulate business growth. Private investment, combined with a focus on our agricultural base, will carry us through this recession.

CoWorking in Central Iowa

With the opening of the “Impromptu Studio” by our friends and fellow NIEC members Daniel Shipton and Abbie Shipton, there is quite a buzz around Central Iowa about the concept of “Coworking”. The Des Moines Business Record published a feature article just recently that you can find in the “Files” section at www.new-iowa.biz.

This trend in use of shared office spaces is a relatively new practice where individual workers or even very small companies with only a handful of employees rent office space that is shared with other individuals in similar situations.

Rather than enduring the isolation of a home office or guiltily sipping lattes while draining free Wi-Fi at a local coffee shop; small business owners working out of a home office, freelancers and other telecommuters can rent inexpensive office space by the month (and sometimes the day) with full access not only to a range of office services, but also a community of other people just like themselves.

So, is this a concept that has market appeal here in Greater Des Moines?

With this question in mind, we constructed a survey that will help us to evaluate the Central Iowa market for “coworkng” and answer some of our basic questions.

Please take a few minutes and give us your responses to the survey.

Just click on the monkey!