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Courtesy: Des Moines Register - November 10, 2005

 

Yepsen: Election results give energy boost to Democrats

David Yepsen, Register Political Columnist

 

 

The results of Tuesday's elections are nothing but bad news for Republicans as they head into the 2006 elections.

Losing the governorship of Virginia — a red state — in a race President Bush personally campaigned in was bad. Losing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's ballot initiatives in California was another setback. Republicans couldn't crack Democratic New Jersey, despite the corruption there.

Those defeats reflect a GOP unable to attract swing voters and core supporters without passion.

Closer to home, former Democratic state representative Kay Halloran of Cedar Rapids was elected mayor of Iowa's second-largest city. Even though candidates don't run under partisan labels, her victory is a psychological boost to Democrats because she replaces Paul Pate, a Republican and former Iowa secretary of state who did not seek re-election.

While there is always a danger in reading too much into the tea leaves of a few elections, Tuesday's results give Democrats new energy and will encourage potential 2006 candidates to enter races and donors to give more.

Some other observations about Tuesday's elections:

• Public or privates? There were 32 communities voting on whether their cities should pursue a role in providing telecommunications, cable TV and Internet services by creating "fiber utilities." Iowa voters rendered a split decision. The measure was approved in 17 communities and defeated in 15.

One of those defeating the proposal was Marion, home of telecommunications entrepreneur Clark McLeod. He was a leading promoter of the idea but was unable to sell it to people who know him best.

Approval doesn't mean local governments are going to get into the communications business, although many will. The close vote means Iowa will still be having the debate over whether government takeover is appropriate for what has largely been a private-sector enterprise.

• Obsessively, relentlessly at your service: One place the capitalists won and the socialists lost was in Iowa City, of all places. That's one of Iowa's most left-of-center communities, yet voters there still overwhelmingly rejected the idea of having local government take over the facilities and service of MidAmerican Energy.

• Obsessively, relentlessly gobbling up land: Voters in Des Moines and some surrounding areas voted to annex those areas. Folks in Des Moines figured out the annexation will net the city about $90 million. That money could be used to lower property taxes but, this being Des Moines, will probably be used to expand government or pay the sweet benefits packages of city employees. Folks in unincorporated areas are sore, but the fact is they've benefited from living close to Des Moines without paying for it.

• Bruised fruit: Des Moines City Councilman Mike Kiernan beat fringe candidate Edwin Fruit to win re-election. Councilwoman Christine Hensley ran unopposed. Local political hacks had threatened to find them tough opponents last year when they backed mergers of local services.

So much for that bluster. The merger was rejected, the hacks still have their jobs, and, well, not that many people want to put up with the hassle of serving on the Des Moines City Council, despite the great health insurance.