A stateman whom more politicians should emulate

Clarence Hoffman has been the Iowa State Representative from the 55th District, a sort of dog-legged shape district that stretches across southern Woodbury, all of Ida, the western half of Crawford and the northeast corner of Monona counties. He has served in the Iowa House of Representatives since 1998.

Hoffman received his BS from South Dakota State University and taught high school for a while before starting the Hoffman Agency in Charter Oak. He has since built his business into a successful independent insurance brokerage with offices all over western Iowa.

Hoffman currently serves on several committees in the Iowa House - the Commerce committee; and the Local Government committee, He is the ranking member of the Economic Growth committee. He also serves on the Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee.

Anyone who knows him knows that it has been important to him to advocate for the economic development of western and rural Iowa.

I went to college with sons John and Louis. When I first met him, he enthusiastically talked about the importance of supporting local businesses, and the importance for anyone in business to show care and concern for their customers. Looking out for others will is always in your best interest. People will support you, if you support them.

That must have left an impression on me, because I remember it almost twenty years later. I think it may be part of what made me interested in reading Dale Carnegie and Norman Vincent Peale even though I wasn’t in business or sales.

We consider Clarence and his wife Lynn dear family friends. They were an important part of our church and the community back when they lived in Charter Oak. Especially when we were in college, I watched them sacrifice to invest in lives of a number of young people.

It will be obvious to regular readers of this column, that I lean well to the left of Clarence on many political issues, but it has been my experience that unlike many of his colleagues (in both parties) Clarence has always striven to serve with both intelligence and integrity.

His support of the continuation (not addition) of the one cent sales tax for schools, even in the face of pressure from his own party is just one example of his intelligence and his integrity. His desire that the revenues of that tax be shared on a per student basis with rural schools and not just hoarded by the regions with a larger tax base is an even greater example of his integrity.

Frankly, wish that his Dad would run for Congress and unseat his fellow Republican Steve King. But you can't always get what you want.

So, as he finishes his final term I wanted to recognize him and thank him for his character and service to our district. There's a reason he's run unopposed for so many years, and it's not because the Dems can't field a candidate, nor is it because the district is just so overwhelmingly Republican (although, let’s face it, those have probably helped) – No, it's because people know Clarence and they trust Clarence. They know him because he goes out of his way to get to know them and be available and approachable, which has gone a long way in building trust with them too.

Whoever succeeds him would do well to follow his example. He’s leaving some mighty big shoes to fill.

Letter to the Editor

To the editor:

By the end of this month, Representative Clarence Hoffman (my father) will retire after 10 years of service to Iowa and the people of District 55. As his son, I admit that my opinion is biased; yet, I hope that this brief story of the events of April 9, which I was able to witness, will prove meaningful and maybe even inspirational to the readers of your paper.

First, let me provide a little context. The day began with nearly 4 hours of debate over the local options sales tax bill. Ten years ago, Clarence was one of three Republicans to break with his party to pass this legislation and on April 9, he again broke with his party to renew the bill for the next 20 years. In addition to granting needed property tax relief, the bill provides for the continuation (not addition) of one penny of sales tax for schools. The proceeds of this tax from across Iowa are pooled and then distributed to schools equally on a per student basis. What that means is that Iowa’s retail centers do not get to keep all the tax revenue for their local schools; it means that more dollars come into rural community schools to make sure that every child in the state of Iowa has an equal opportunity to get the best education…an Iowa education. Passing the bill was a victory for rural Iowa, but it came at the price of unusually harsh criticism directed toward Representative Hoffman from party leadership.

Directly following the passage of this bill, Representative Hoffman was invited to give his farewell speech to the members of the House. Some in the Republican leadership were so angry that they left the room; they missed a rare moment. Clarence went around the room thanking Republicans and Democrats by name for their various forms of support and friendship over the years, and he called them to continue to trust one another being Iowans first, Republicans and Democrats second. He even thanked, by name, the very members of party leadership who had moments earlier so harshly criticized him for breaking with the party line.

When Representative Hoffman finished, he received a long, sustained standing ovation. Moments later, a line stretched half way across the house chamber with members of both parties waiting to say thank you and farewell. I spoke with more representatives than and I can remember and several, members of both parties, noted that Clarence’s had been the longest ovation they had witnessed in as many as 12 years in the House.

Am I proud of my dad? You better believe it. But in that moment, I was also overwhelmed with pride to be an Iowan and an American. I’ll admit that I have often been tempted to give up on the partisan, cut-throat politics of winners and losers that so often characterizes our system of government. However, on April 9, I saw a rare moment of reward and recognition for a man who has endured working in the crossfire of politicians far on the right and on the left in order to create a better Iowa, and I will forever be changed for the better because of it.

Sincerely,
John Hoffman

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I went to college with John and his brother Louis. We consider Clarence and Lynn dear family friends. They were an important part of our church and the community back when they lived in Charter Oak. Obviously we're going to have some political differences, but it has always been my experience that unlike many of his colleagues (in both parties) Clarence has always striven to serve with both intelligence and integrity. So this standing ovation was well deserved. I told John that I just wish that his Dad would run for Congress and unseat his party's embarrassing Steve King. But you can't always get what you want.

The Hoffmans have lots of reason to be proud of Clarence and I would like to recognize him and thank him for his selfless and charactered service to Western Iowa. There's a reason he's run unopposed for so many years, and it's not because the Dems can't field a candidate, nor is it because the district is just so overwhelmingly Republican - it's because people know Clarence and trust Clarence.

That's why when John asked me for the email addresses of some of the local newspaper editors around here, I asked him if it would be alright to post this to my blog as well. Of course I don't know how much Clarence will appreciate me posting it just above where I accused a bunch of Republicans of being war criminals, but hey, that's the joy of friendships in small towns- you let some things go and overlook others because it's what's in their hearts that truly matters.

Thank you for being such a great example Clarence.

"Well done, good and faithful servant" ~Matthew 25:23

Values Fund could be a bi-partisan legacy

The State Legislature has about a little less than a month left. Will they revive the once lauded Iowa Values Fund? Our friend Clarence Hoffman has been working hard to make sure they try.

Our own Representative, Republican Clarence Hoffman was one of 11 members of the original Values Fund board. The Values Fund granted $56 million to 36 projects statewide in 2004. Those investments have helped create or keep more than 14,000 jobs in Iowa. Better paying jobs than average.

When it was created in 2003 the Fund didn’t really have a permanent source of funding. $100 million came from the federal government that Democratic Senator Tom Harken helped finagle for economic stimulus. That was a great start. But without permanent funding, some Senate Republicans were leary.

Gov.Tom Vilsack signed it but line-item vetoed parts of the bill that Republicans wanted to use to relax business regulation and reform taxes. The Iowa Supreme Court ruled that he miss used his line-item veto and that the surviving bill was void. In September, a special session of the legislature came up with some temporary funding.

Hoffman and fellow Republican Representative Chuck Soderberg from LeMars along with two Democrat; Reps. Donovan Olson of Boone and Roger Thomas of Elkader proposed a new version of the Values Fund bill. This bill has fewer opponents according to some newspaper and journal reports, and seems to have bi-partisan support.

Hoffman chairs of the House Economic Growth Committee and has been leading the charge to bring back the Fund and make it an enduring program.

The House plan promises $500 million over five years for grants to businesses to come to or expand here in Iowa. Research at Iowa's universities, job training at community colleges and other economic development programs would also benefit.

Once again, funding remains the biggest challenge. The Denison Bulletin reported that Hoffman is leaving the source of funding to the leadership and the governor.

Senate Republicans are proposing tax credits to companies who create new jobs. They also want to freeze property tax rates for seniors. But the Senate is split evenly between 25 Republicans and 25 Democrats. The Democrats hope to clean-up Iowa's waterways, and want to keep Republican tax cuts in check.

The Senate tie, the first since the 1930s, could be a good thing for Iowa. Legislators on both sides of the aisle can reach across and cooperate, even if it means a compromise or two. If they succeed, they will be setting an example that the U.S. House and Senate would do to emulate. I think that plenty of Americans are growing weary of bitter partisan battle.

It will be a big job. Lawmakers want to come through on their Values Fund campaign promises. Both the House and the Senate have to work together and both parties will have to work together. And they’ll all have to come up with something that will make it past the governor’s veto pen. Since he’s not running for a third term, he has nothing to lose by vetoing a bill if he thinks legislators are trying to sneak a broader regulatory and tax reform agenda by him again, hidden in the greater good of the Fund itself.

Some legislators have thought about of issuing bonds for a couple years worth of temporary financing until money starts coming in from new casinos that the state gaming commission might be okay. Casino licenses could mean $30 million in new state revenue every year.

However they pay for it the Iowa Values Fund, it will be a boon to our economy. It will also help plug a hole in the wall to help prevent Iowa’s “brain drain,” by providing careers for young Iowans who otherwise might leave the state after college.

If they follow Clarence Hoffman’s bi-partisan leadership and restore the Values Fund, it will be a tremendous legacy for him and vicariously for Charter Oak.

Plant Dirt, Harvest Mud

Let me get this straight- a Senatorial candidate held a private strategy meeting where he and his supporters were venomous, angry, and full of malice toward his opponent. It’s a shame that hatred would be what motivates you to run for office, but big deal, we’d expect a candidate to be full of venom and malice toward their opponent, I suppose.

Someone secretly tape-recorded this meeting. That’s not cool. Remember all the trouble tape recorders got Richard Nixon into? Oh, and lemme see if I remember this right… some how or other a transcript of this tape recording was got into the hands of this candidate’s opponent (the incumbent Senator). Wow.

On top of all this, someone from the incumbent’s camp leaked a copy of this transcript to the press. Big surprise there. Were they hoping that the public would be outraged and offended by the things that were said at the meeting? It seems like instead focus is on how unscrupulous it was to leak the transcript and how suspicious it is that the incumbent received a copy to begin with.

At first it was thought that the person who did the recording was an invited guest, later it was suggested that the recorder was a long time friend of the incumbent.

Sound like a bad episode of NBC’s "The West Wing?" Don’t I wish. This is what’s happening right here in Iowa, between candidate Greg Ganske and Senator Tom Harkin.

Now at the risk of losing the respect of many of you I’ll admit something to you….My name is Ted Mallory, and I’m a registered Democrat. I didn’t have to say it as if I were at a twelve step meeting before George Bush Sr. made it into a dirty word back in his run for President in 1988, you know, "the L-Word."

The reason I tell you this is to lend credence to this next confession- I’ve never been a big Harkin fan. I can’t put my finger on it, there’s just something about him that doesn’t set right. Not a good reason, my fellow Democrats will probably say, but what can I say? I try to weigh information heavier than intuition when I vote, but it’s still there, and it nags at my gut.

Mind you, I in no way see Ganske as a hero or a victim in this scenario. Politics, like war, is Hell, I guess. And, like in war, both combatants are equally covered in the mud, blood, and filth. Only for one of the first times since I first cast a ballot, I don’t have a side to root for.

The gubernatorial race isn’t much better. My Republican friends had pretty well convinced me that Governor Vilsack was too urban, too influenced by partisan politics on the National level, and bad for education. Then their candidate came on TV with negative campaign commercials. What can I say about them? They’re gross. They grossly oversimplify the issues. Gross, gross, gross.

Okay, you’re right, it’s not fair to make fun of a guys name. But my point is this; We know who you’re against, but what are you for? I would have thought that of any state in the Union, Iowa would be a place where political candidates would be practical, plain spoken and positive. I consider what we’re going through a leadership drought. The field isn’t producing a decent crop of leaders. All we have are reporters dishing up dirt and candidates slinging mud.

I don’t know anything about Democratic Congressional candidate Paul Shomshor. What I know about Republican candidate Steve King is that some Republicans I respect thought of him as their second or third choice in their Primaries. It’s hard to jump ship when the gruel’s just as tepid in the other crew’s galley.

Back in June I interviewed Crawford County Democratic Party Chairman Les Lewis for a story about the Primary elections. He had high praise for our neighbor Clarence Hoffman, he said Clarence was "more of a rural representative than a Republican representative."

There’s what we need, bi-partisanship, post-partisanship, and concern for and focus on your constituents, rather than on winning at all costs. Stop the attacks and dirty tricks. Stop the negative ads. Start telling us what you plan on doing for us.