Thanks to all the great folks in Polk County! The minimum required number of petition signatures, which is approximately one thousand, have been obtained from our state's largest county!

Of course, like all the completed counties, we continue to gather more signatures to add to our overall required statewide number.

We could still use your help petitioning as we enter the final two weeks until we have to file. http://www.tomhoefling.com/petition-forms.html

Shoot us an email if you're gathering signatures, so we can coordinate our efforts with yours: tomhoefling@gmail.com

Please include a phone number and we'll call you back.

Nomination petition forms are HERE.

Scroll down to find your County, and find the minimum number of signatures needed to make your County count !

The primary filing deadline is on Friday, March 14th.

So please, try to complete this just as quickly as possible, and mail the sheets in to:
Tom Hoefling for Iowa
!PO Box 77
Lohrville, IA 51453

Email tomhoefling@gmail.com with any questions!
Thanks!

From a prominent progressive Iowa site:  

bleedingheartland.com

Via Radio Iowa I learned that Tom Hoefling is collecting signatures to run for Iowa governor as a Republican. Looking on his campaign's website, I see he announced his candidacy in early December. I've posted some background on Hoefling after the jump. This guy seems drawn to hopeless causes; he is a former supporter of Alan Keyes for president, but he appears to have become disenchanted with the Republican Party sometime during the last decade. In 2008 Hoefling and "many stalwart Reagan conservatives from across the country" founded the "America's Party." He ran for president in 2012 as the America's Party nominee. It's anyone's guess whether Hoefling will manage to qualify for the GOP primary ballot. He needs to submit nominating petitions with at least 3,654 valid signatures, spread across at least ten Iowa counties, by the end of business on March 14.

Read this story at bleedingheartland.com ...

Third-party presidential candidate in 2012 plots ’14 primary challenge of Branstad

February 24, 2014 By O. Kay Henderson

A man from northwest Iowa who was the “America’s Party” candidate for president in 2012 hopes to challenge Governor Terry Branstad in the Iowa Republican Party’s 2014 Primary.

Tom Hoefling of Lohrville has been traveling the state since December, hoping to collect the roughly 3600 petition signatures he needs in order to qualify for the June 3 Republican Primary ballot.

Read this story at radioiowa.com ...

WOI-TV Des Moines

By STEVE PEOPLES and KEN THOMAS
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - The explosive politics of health care have divided the nation, but America's governors, Republicans and Democrats alike, suggest that President Barack Obama's health care overhaul is here to stay.

Read this story at woi-tv.com ...

From tonight's Republican round table event in Altoona.

Photo courtesy of Monte Goodyk.

thefederalistpapers.org

By Steve Straub

This presentation explores the new government mandated Common Core standards being implemented in public schools, private schools and homeschool curriculum. Dr. Pesta and Mrs. Black offer an in-depth look at Common Core, its long-term impact, and why American’s should be concerned about these standards.

Click here to read the story and watch the video ...

Thanks to all the great folks in Webster County! The petitioning is done there, and we have about twice the number of signatures needed!

"As bad as money corruption in politics is, there is a corruption that is far more dangerous and destructive, which is the corruption of principle, of morals, of the sense of the absolute religious obligation to fulfill the sacred oath of office to support and defend our constitutions."

-- Tom Hoefling

Tom Hoefling:

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people."  -- The Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

Those who see the corruption and abuse of power that permeates Washington, DC, while ignoring the corruption in our state capitals, are making a terrible mistake.

Tenth Amendment supporters need to take the time and effort to extend the crucial principles and the indispensable logic of that great amendment to the state level. If powers are not granted by We the People to our state governments via our state constitutions, those powers do not legitimately exist. For the states to claim and exercise them is a lawless usurpation and tyranny.

One last thing: No government, national or otherwise, has any legitimate power to violate the God-given, unalienable, equal rights of the individual person. In the case of those rights, governments - all governments - possess only the absolute, imperative duty to defend. Nothing else. Because the fulfillment of that duty is the primary reason all governments, and all government offices, exist.

That assertion is the foundation stone of our national political creed:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..." -- The Declaration of Independence

Must read:

Common Core Debated in the Iowa House

From Marcia Hora:

PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO YOUR CONTACT LIST(S)

The subcommittee meeting for HF2140 to STOP Common Core that never got off the ground on Wed. has been rescheduled for this coming Monday(Feb. 17), 11:00am in room 102 at the Capitol.

Here's my take on what happened on Wednesday...

Message to Iowa Legislators: I'm just not that stupid.

I attended 2 subcommittee meetings Wednesday at the Iowa Capitol in support of bills to STOP Common Core education. The scheduled allotted time for these meetings is one(1) hour. At the first subcommittee meeting, the “procedure” (remember that word for later) normally would have begun with the Chair introducing the 3 Representatives of the subcommittee (2 Republicans and 1 Democrat), then introducing the witnesses there to testify. Then testimony begins, followed by a vote of the subcommittee on the particular bill.

That “procedure” never got off the ground. It was hijacked from the git-go. As the Chair, Republican Rep. Sandy Salmon, introduced the other members of the subcommittee, Republican Rep. Josh Byrnes boldly announced his vote before any testimony was given. I'm a NO vote he said. He then announced that he had to leave the meeting now to attend an event in Northern Iowa. In his explanation for his No vote, he said he was a former teacher, had talked to many teachers about this issue who support Common Core; he'd also talked to a number of businessmen who support Common Core. It was at that moment, it occurred to me that his allegiance just might be to the teacher unions (NEA/ISEA/ATF and the Chamber of Commerce, both of whom had lobbyists at these subcommittee meetings to oppose these bills) So, perhaps, the fix was in. Regardless, we were not going to move this bill forward. Byrnes...oh, my apology...”Representative” Byrnes (apparently one of the other representatives took offense while visiting with one of the expert witnesses later in the morning because he referred to him as Byrnes, not “Representative” Byrnes. How disrespectful...<sigh>) But I digress. Republican Rep. Byrnes then continued to explain his vote, taking up valuable testimony time from the STOP Common Core experts who had traveled from Georgia, Illinois, and Nebraska. Upon Republican Rep. Byrnes' exit, Democrat Rep. Cindy Winckler then continued with her own long winded diatribe of why she is in support of the Common Core. During this long explanation for Winckler's NO vote, a Republican representative who wants to repeal Common Core and who was attending the meeting as an observer, I feel recognized the shenanigans taking place in the room. Several times, he called out “Who is 'in charge' / "Who's the chair of this meeting”, reminding and encouraging support of the Chair, who constantly was trying to allow the experts witness to testify. By now, valuable time had been lost.

So here we all were. The votes had been cast before even a word of testimony and information shared. So much for that word “procedure”. (Hold onto that word. It'll be used again in the seconding subcommittee meeting). Once the proceeding continued, the witnesses gave excellent testimony to what's wrong with Common Core and the assessment consortium Smarter Balanced; there was also a brief time allowed for Q & A. But valuable time was wasted on a strategy by one Republican and on Democrat to squash the concerns we all have with the Common Core. Obviously, they don't want this information reaching any other legislators or the public in general. They did everything they could to squash it.

Meeting adjourned.

Message to Legislators: I'm just not that stupid.

Next up. It's now 9 AM, and our group of concerned citizens and the expert witnesses had been invited for an informal discussion to share our concerns with other legislators behind the Senate Chamber in room 206. Brad Zaun (I don't think he'll mind my informal use of his first name) introduced a Stop Common Core bill last Thursday. Just as we were gathering in the room with a few legislators, word was received that Republican leadership had called for an unscheduled caucus meeting of all legislators. They are required to leave and attend these caucus meetings.

Everyone leaves. Coincidence? I don't know. You be the judge.
Message to Iowa Legislators: I'm just not that stupid.

Next up. The second subcommittee meeting at Noon to push forward another stop Common Core bill. It got a late start, when Rep. Sandy Salmon announced that there would be a delay. The Democrat leadership had now called a caucus, so the Democrat members of this subcommittee would be a few minutes late, possible 10-20 minutes. Somewhere around 12:20-ish, Rep. Salmon decided to move forward with the meeting, even though the Dems hadn't arrived. One of the witnesses, Jane Robbins, was just a couple of sentences into her testimony, when Republican Rep. Greg Forristall (a member of this subcommittee) interrupted her testimony. He stated that he felt it inappropriate or improper to continue the testimony and meeting without the Democrat rep. He said it was against proper “procedures”. A discussion ensued from the floor between committee members, other legislator observers in the room, witnesses, and general public observers. Rep. Forristall was insistent that there had been problems in the past when they broke from “procedure”. One of the witnesses asked if it was “a rule” or “a procedure” that was in question. Rep. Forristall said it was procedure, but then continued to insist the testimony not be continue til Dems arrived. Since it didn't appear they were coming, here's what happened. The hearing would/could/might be “re-scheduled”, but the witnesses could give their information “off the record” anyway. At 12:35, the 3 witnesses each had 5 minutes to give their now condensed testimony. DOE (Dept. of Ed.) official was given 5 minutes to respond. That's it. An hour of testimony was now “off the record” and in less than 20 minutes. Wasted time, resources, and efforts by our paid representatives, witnesses who had traveled from Georgia, Illinois, and Nebraska, witnesses and observers who had traveled from across the state of Iowa at expense to stay overnite to enable them to attend the 7:30 meeting, and others who had traveled from as far away as NW Iowa in a morning snowstorm for the noon meeting.

What happened next was icing to the cake. The proceedings were wrapping up, but continuing when both side doors of the meeting room flew open. Representatives for the next meeting, without knocking or regards to what was happening in this room, stormed the room, some with pointer fingers in the air signaling us to “wrap it up” and get out. They barged into the room (which is tight quarters with people and chairs) and basically pushed us all aside to take their place in the room. How rude can you get. And yes, they included Republicans...

Message to Iowa Legislators: I'm just not that stupid.

Message to Iowa Citizens: The inmates are in charge of the asylum.

In closing,

Poking a bear is stupid. Poking a Mama Grizzly Bear is stuck on stupid.
Marcia Hora
IaGRC – STOP Common Core

**Additionally, you may want to take a look at Shane Vander Hart's report on all this which includes video at this link: http://caffeinatedthoughts.com/2014/02/common-core-debated-in-the-iowa-house/

Now what do I have to do to convince you to come and stand in support of this bill? This will be our only chance this session. WE NEED YOU THERE!!!

Because we filled the room on Wed. and had witnesses to the antics of our legislators, the Chair, Rep. Sandy Salmon has been able to get a second chance for HF2140. So I can't thank the following people enough for being witness to the Wed. subcommittee meeting: Boyd & Norma Halverson (Laurens), Don & Alice Child (Clear Lake), Karen Campbell (Mason City), Jeanne & Susan Jennings (Johnston), Mary Coll (DSM) Heather Stancil & Ernie Rudolph (Earlham), Jeff Moorman & Kelly Crow (Ankeny), Michele Crystal (Adel), Leslie Beck (Waukee) who admins for Stop Common Core Iowa FB page; Tamara Scott & Denise Bubeck from CWA, and others from CWA, (who did I forget?)

Now, can we get you to come back again, and bring some friends? And what about the rest of you? Send this to your contacts. Talk to each other. For Pete's sake, form a carpool and get yourself down here on Monday. I'm expecting standing room only, with overflow outside the room. What do ya say?? Is this possible? Or are we just all talk???

LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE COMING, PLEASE!

If your not hopping mad after you read my take on what happened on Wednesday by Reps from our own party, then I'll just save my breath, throw in the towel, and stay at home.
--Marcia

Thanks to all the great folks in Hamilton County! The petitioning is done there, and we have about twice the number of signatures needed!

Lohrville Republican works to obtain nomination petition signatures

The Daily Freeman-Journal

Anne Blankenship

A Calhoun County Republican is hoping collect enough signatures so he can challenge Gov. Terry Branstad in the primary June 3.

Tom Hoefling of Lohrville said he's been circulating petitions around the state to get his name on the ballot.

"We've got to get at about 3,600 signatures from at least 10 counties," he said. "We are on track to get it done."

He was in Webster County Wednesday and Hamilton County Thursday working to garner more signatures. He also spoke to the Hamilton County Republicans Thursday night.

Read this story at freemanjournal.net ...

Fort Dodge Messenger

Bill Shea

A Calhoun County man who describes himself as a ''straight up the middle Reagan conservative'' is trying to challenge Gov. Terry Branstad in this year's Republican primary election.

''If you're tired of the Republican status quo, let's look at doing something different,'' Tom Hoefling, of Lohrville, said Wednesday during a visit to Fort Dodge.

''I know a lot of conservatives who aren't happy with Branstad,'' he added. ''They're looking for someplace else to put their vote. A lot of people are angry with what's happening to the country and they blame establishment Republicans.''

Hoefling said he is now trying to obtain the roughly 3,600 petition signatures needed to get his name on the ballot for the June 3 primary. He said he is ''on track to get it done.''

Read this story at messengernews.net ...

Branstad eyes multi-state health exchange

Quad-City Times

By Ed Tibbetts

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad raised the prospect Wednesday of creating an online health insurance marketplace with three other Midwest states.

In a meeting with Quad-City Times reporters and editors, the governor said he plans to speak with the governors of South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas about the matter.

"It seems to me it would be worth exploring ...," he said.

Branstad has been critical of the Affordable Care Act and its web portal, HealthCare.gov. But unlike some other Republican governors, he compromised with the Obama administration and legislative Democrats to allow for an expansion of Medicaid in the state. He also agreed to have the state partner with the administration on aspects of its online marketplace.

Late last year, Iowa got a $1 million federal grant to begin planning for a transition to a state-based exchange by 2016.

Read this story at qctimes.com ...

"I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny."

--Thomas Jefferson

February 10, 2014

(Des Moines, Iowa) – State Auditor Mary Mosiman,
in fulfilling her duty as the “Taxpayers’ Watchdog”
to report directly to the people of Iowa
on the condition of the State’s finances, has
completed her review of Governor Branstad’s Fiscal
Year 2015 proposed budget.

Proposed Budget Continues to Reduce Reliance on
One-time Monies

Auditor Mosiman said, “Though we continue to shift
ongoing General Fund costs to other funds, we
are making improvements. The Fiscal Year 2014 adopt
ed budget reduces the reliance on one-time
monies to just $36 million – a huge improvement over
past years. The Governor’s Fiscal Year 2015
proposal further reduces the amount to $29 million.”

However, Auditor Mosiman added, “We continue to have
significant transparency-related shifts –
shifting ongoing General Fund revenues and expenses
to other funds. These types of shifts distort
comparisons with previous years. This budget proposal
decreases shifts that impact transparency by
$66 million, so this is a step in the right direction.”

Spending Gap and Long-Term Planning

Auditor Mosiman said, “Don’t spend more than you take
in. My predecessor championed that simple,
common-sense rule, and I do as well.” The proposed
Fiscal Year 2015 budget calls for a spending gap
of $144 million. Mosiman said, “The proposed budget
does not include significant spending on new
programs, so nearly all of the spending increase in
the proposal is focused on honoring commitments
made to existing programs.”

Specifically, Mosiman noted two ambitious new laws
which begin to have substantial fiscal impacts in
Fiscal Year 2015 – the property tax reform law and
the education reform law. Auditor Mosiman had
previously noted provisions in each law have a
delayed fiscal impact followed by multi-year
accelerating commitments. “The impacts of these two
laws alone will exceed $150 million in Fiscal
Year 2015 and will increase in future years.”

Mosiman said, “Long-term planning is essential to
ensure Iowa stays on a path of fiscal sustainability.
.When our state officials plan for the long term,
they can impact the future instead of simply reacting
to it.” For years the State Auditor’s office has
emphasized long-term planning as a good budgeting
practice. Mosiman said, “Because the proposed
budget is based on a long-term plan, it is critical to
maintain fiscal discipline over the term of the plan.”

Noted Items and Challenges Ahead

Mosiman noted the proposed budget potentially under
funds Medicaid by $19 million. Mosiman said,
“I realize Medicaid spending is a moving target,
but it is a good budgeting practice to use the best
estimate available. This budget falls at least $19
million short of the best reported estimate for
Medicaid.”

Salary and benefit cost increases are not separately
funded in the proposed budget, which means
agencies will have to absorb any increased costs
within their existing appropriations. If enacted,
this would be the sixth consecutive year salary and
benefit cost increases have not been separately funded.

Auditor Mosiman said, “If this practice continues without
offsetting agency efficiencies, these salary and benefit
cost increases could affect the level of service agencies
can provide.”

There will be considerable pressure on revenues and
spending in Fiscal Year 2015 and beyond. Mosiman
noted, “The State is essentially an equal partner with
the Federal government in terms of delivering services
to Iowans. As the Federal government makes its fiscal
decisions, we can reasonably expect a change in
Federal dollars coming to the State. When that
happens, we need to be prepared.”

Tom Hoefling:

"So, I'm told that certain Iowa GOP leaders are peddling the idea that I'm not a 'real republican.' Somehow, considering some of the candidates they've put forward in recent years, I'm thinking that they're not real clear in their own minds on the meanings of the words 'real' or 'republican.'

For the record, the words of Abe Lincoln below express the heart of what I believe real republicanism to be. If it's something else, perhaps they can explain it to me, and to you."