Vote For Brett Blanchfield (L)
Tuesday, November 7
Tired of voting the same way…
…and getting the same results.
Stand with Brett Blanchfield
to protect your rights and freedoms.
You may be a Libertarian if: You want to keep what you earn, raise your kids with your values and think that you – not government – are the expert on yourself.
Demand Change! Vote your issues on Tuesday!
Improve Schools – by keeping class sizes small and control local for grade schools and by not accepting the excuses of school boards for why the educational gap still exists.
Cut taxes - To expand opportunities for both large and small businesses within our communities.
Promote community – by giving $500 tax credits for gifts to local charities and encouraging personal interest in and responsibility for our neighborhoods.
Return power to the people – by letting people keep more of what they earn and take more personal control of their lives.
Brett Blanchfield for Iowa House of Representatives, District 66
posted by Brett Blanchfield @ 2:45 PM,
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Register ignores facts in weakly endorsing Ako
Friday, October 27, 2006
The DM register slighted all the candidates in an attempt to feel better about endorsing Ako, supposedly on the issue of education. Apparently the only issue that they were looking for was someone that would guarantee education spending would grow at 2-3 times inflation. There are other more pressing issues with our education system that an expanding government check will not cover. Below is a recent letter to a concerned citizen in district 66 that lays out my plans for improving education and closing the achievement gap for minority students.
Dave writes: "The question I lay before you is do you agree that we need to upgrade our education program to maintain a higher retention rate? If you agree what exactly will you do to maintain the education level to a higher standard and maintain a higher graduation rate for the city of Des Moines ? Does this also include a pay raise for the educators, and also better equipment to teach the students. Drop outs are my main focal point and being able to get the kids to maintain there interest in school to finally graduate without a GED. Let me know what points you agree with and disagree with?"
I agree with you that education is a foundation for excelling and a lack of an education especially some form of high school equivalency sets people up for a much more difficult road in life and is linked to many of the problems that we see in district 66. I believe that the key to maintaining better retention rates in our high schools is to teach the fundamentals of reading and math in grade schools. To this end I support small class sizes, especially for grades k-4 when early fundamentals are taught and children may be learning at different rates and learning disabilities can most readily be identified and remedied.
As you know the DM school board recently voted to close downtown grade schools. The reason given was poor performance. This speaks to two major problems that I believe need to be recognized by the state. First we need to decentralize these large school systems and give the power back to the families that are in direct contact with the teachers and students at these schools. The families in these neighborhoods are sick that their children will now have to travel farther to attend larger classes with teachers that the parents do not know. The second issue that needs to be raised is that the only option given for improving these schools was to close them. There is no option under current rules to fire poor performing teachers and inspire high achieving teachers.
As a Libertarian, I believe that educating people is freeing people. Throughout the history of the United States, if you could read you had a chance to be free. Abraham Lincoln credits the person that taught him to read. Over and over again, the key to success for slaves that were yearning to be free was learning to read. If you can read, you can teach yourself, if need be, to do math, understand the law, evaluate science, write and inspire your fellow man. The current achievement gap for minorities is the greatest weakness in our educational system and gravest threat to our democratic system of government.
As you rightly show, the effects of these problems show up as dropout high rates in high-school and have caused an increase in the number of people relying on further education in order to take a high school equivalency exam. I believe firmly in the benefits of a GED to for any student, but especially those that grow up in conditions that I find utterly unbelievable due to the effects of drugs, crime and poverty. The GED lets these young people lift up their heads, knowing that they have achieved an education and a diploma. It lets them consider other options available to them besides the life of crime and drugs and depression that many of them came from. To this end, I believe that we should require our young men and women that fall into the jail system, to achieve the GED before they are eligible for early parole. Many youths that do not fully understand the need for education and see crime or gangs as an opportunity, end up in jail, only to come out of jail 2-3 years later when all of their peers have finished high school or even junior college and they have only learned more skills in drug running and crime. We need to help them break the loop of poor education, poverty and crime that they are living within.
As to the level of teacher salaries and equipment in our schools, I believe that it is important that we are able to attract talented people and give them the tools that they need. I also believe that throwing money at the problem without giving power to local districts does little to improve the system. Government is not good at handling money; it can be good at setting standards and demanding excellence. This is too important of an issue for the children currently in grade school and high school to just sit back and hope that opening a checkbook will take care of the issues. The teachers that I know personally, do their job because they love working with children, they want to excel and they want their students to excel, now is the time to provide leadership and to find ways to reward excellence.
Thank you to you and your family for your commitment to education.
Sincerely,
Brett Blanchfield
posted by Brett Blanchfield @ 7:45 AM,
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Blanchfield On KCCI News
Monday, October 23, 2006
Posted by Jake PorterThis morning, KCCI news channel 8 had Libertarian candidate, for Iowa House District 66, Brett Blanchfield on as a guest.
You can watch the interview on the Internet by clicking here.
posted by Jake Porter @ 10:46 AM,
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Here is a recent DM Register article following the candidate forum on 98.3 FM.
Hot buttons hit in District 66 forum
Candidates offer their prescriptions for area's social ills
By LYNN CAMPBELL
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
October 18, 2006
Forget political correctness.
Radio talk show host J. Michael McKoy on Tuesday steered the four candidates for Iowa House District 66 in Des Moines through a frank discussion of hot-button issues ranging from prostitution to gay marriage to illegal immigration to TouchPlay.
"Everyone knows that District 66 is a pit of drugs, prostitution and homeless people," McKoy said during a three-hour candidate forum on the talk show "Mac's World" on 98.3 KWQW-FM.
Democrat Ako Abdul-Samad, 55; Libertarian Brett Blanchfield, 31; independent Jeff Johannsen, 44, and Republican Jack Whitver, 26, are vying to represent the district in the heart of Des Moines. The seat is open due to Rep. Ed Fallon's unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination for governor.
The candidates acknowledged problems in the district and called for more drug treatment, job training, education and neighborhood collaboration to tackle problems. Highlights of Tuesday's forum included:
- Gay marriage: Only Blanchfield said he would support gay marriage. He said government does not have a right to be the one to "split hairs" between same-sex marriages and civil unions, or to tell churches which couples should be recognized. "The state should not get involved with that," he said.
- Cigarette tax: Only Whitver said he would increase the state's cigarette tax. He expressed frustration at House Speaker Christopher Rants blocking the effort earlier this year. "That tax had a wide amount of support," he said. The other three candidates said they do not support raising taxes.
- CIETC: Blanchfield questioned Abdul-Samad's ability to oversee taxpayer spending. Abdul-Samad is a former board member of the Central Iowa Employment and Training Consortium, which is under investigation for using taxpayer money to pay excessive salaries. He's also founder of Creative Visions, which was recently audited but cleared of wrongdoing. "Creative Visions has been exonerated," Abdul-Samad said. "As for CIETC, I am not being accused of mismanaging any money."
- Homeless shelter: Although it's not an issue for the Legislature, none of the candidates favored moving the Churches United homeless shelter to the proposed location south of Interstate Highway 235 and east of Keo Way. Blanchfield called the move "irresponsible," while Abdul-Samad said it was too close to children in the Homes of Oakridge.
- TouchPlay: All candidates voiced opposition to TouchPlay, the Iowa Lottery devices that looked like slot machines and were banned by the Legislature this year. Only Johannsen indicated a willingness to bring them back to some degree, but not in areas such as grocery stores that are frequented by children.
- Illegal immigration: Candidates voiced support for fining businesses that employ illegal immigrants. However, Johannsen, who's president of a catering and vending business and has had immigrants work for him, said government needs to do its job keeping up with the paperwork on the issue.
- Campaign finance: Whitver spoke most vehemently about not accepting money from political action committees, and said he turned down money from U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley's PAC. "It does make it tough, but it's the right thing to do," he said. Blanchfield said limiting PAC money is a slippery slope. "Money is a form of free speech," he said. "It is a limitation of free speech to say you can't send your money to this."
- Experience: Johannsen, a co-founder of the Downtown Neighborhood Association, criticized Whitver for his lack of experience and for moving into the district within the last two months. "Pay your dues," he scolded. Whitver, a businessman and former Iowa State University football player, shot back that he shouldn't be attacked for being one of the youth who chose to stay in Iowa.
- Priorities: If elected, Blanchfield said he would lower taxes and bring power away from government and back to communities. Johannsen would address poverty in the district. Whitver would address the "education crisis" by investing more in the classroom, while Abdul-Samad would remove drugs, address the homeless and put education on a level playing field.
Democrats outnumber Republicans among the district's registered voters, 54 percent to 14 percent. McKoy downplayed the importance of party affiliation in the race. "I'm not sure that the donkey and the elephant are going to matter as much as individual ideas and people who are running," he said.
House District 66 includes downtown Des Moines and areas surrounding it: Sherman Hill, King-Irving Park, River Bend, Capitol Park and some of the south side. District boundaries include 28th Street on the west, East 18th Street on the east, Jefferson Avenue on the north and Park Avenue on the south
posted by Brett Blanchfield @ 10:08 AM,
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Iowa taxes
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Thought you may be trying to research exactly how much the government is trying to take out of your pocket. Listed below are some of the taxes that you get to pay for the priviledge of having them tell you what you can and can't do. To note, Iowa has the 3rd highest income tax in the country even though numerous studies show that the lower the income tax the greater the economic growth including FL, NV, & TX which eliminated state income tax and are ranked in the top 10 in new job creation.
IOWA
Sales Taxes
State Sales Tax: 5% (food and prescription drugs exempt); local option taxes can add up to another 2%.
Gasoline Tax:: 21.7 cents/gallon
Diesel Fuel Tax: 23.5 cents/gallon
Gasohol Tax: 21.7 cents/gallon
Cigarette Tax: 36 cents/pack of 20
Personal Income Taxes
Tax Rate Range: Low - 0.36%; High - 8.98%
Income Brackets: Lowest - $1,269; Highest - $57,106
Number of Brackets: 9
Personal Tax Credits: Single - $40; Married filing jointly - $80;
Dependents - $40; 65 years and older - $20
Standard Deduction: Single - $1,610; Married filing jointly - $3,970
Medical/Dental Deduction: Federal amount
Federal Income Tax Deduction: Full
Retirement income Taxes: Social Security is exempt for incomes under $25,000 (individual filers) or $32,000 (married filing jointly). Taxpayers 55 and older or disabled may exempt $6,000 (individual filers) or $12,000 (married filing jointly) of pension income. No more than 50% of Social Security benefits are taxable. Out-of-state government pensions qualify for exemptions.
Retired Military Pay: Up to $12,000 can be excluded for joint filers and up to $6,000 for all other filing statuses for those 55 and older, disabled or surviving spouse of qualifying person.
Military Disability Retired Pay: Disability Portion - Length of Service Pay; Member on September 24, 1975 - No tax; Not Member on September 24, 1975 - Taxed, unless combat incurred. Retired Pay - Based solely on disability: Member on September 24, 1975 - No tax; Not Member on September 24, 1975 - Taxed, unless all pay based on disability and disability resulted from armed conflict, extra-hazardous service, simulated war, or an instrumentality of war.
VA Disability Dependency and Indemnity Compensation: Not subject to federal or state taxes
Military SBP/SSBP/RCSBP/RSFPP: Generally subject to state taxes for those states with income tax. Check with state department of revenue office.
Property Taxes
Iowa has more than 2,000 taxing authorities. All property is assessed at 100% of market value. Most property is taxed by more than one taxing authority. The tax rate differs in each locality and is a composite of county, city, school district and special levies. A property tax credit is available to residents whose total household income is less than $17,590 and are age 65 or older. A homestead tax credit is given to residents who live in the state for at least six months of each year and actually live on the property on July 1. For more details, call: 515-281-4040.
Inheritance and Estate Taxes
The Iowa inheritance tax ranges from 1% to 15% depending on the amount of the inheritance and the relationship of the recipient to the decedent. The surviving spouse's share, regardless of the amount, is not subject to tax. Click here for details. The estate tax is the amount by which the allowable federal credit for state death taxes exceeds the inheritance tax due from the estate.
For further information, visit the Iowa Department of Revenue & Finance site or call 800-367-3388.
posted by Brett Blanchfield @ 7:25 PM,
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On the campaign trail
Friday, September 22, 2006
See below for what I am submitting to the Des Moines Register as i attempt to gather an endorsement from them for this race.
Hello, My name is Brett Blanchfield, and I am running for the Iowa House of Representatives from District 66. I grew up on a
farm, 3 miles outside Churdan, a town of 300 people in northern Greene County, Iowa and graduated from Paton-Churdan High. I have a degree in Agricultural Economics. I am an agricultural and commercial appraiser by trade. I have been married for five and a half years to my wife, Vanessa. We recently received our first child, Ethan, through adoption from Korea.
We relocated to Des Moines and District 66 going on 2 years ago. We first lived in Brown-Camp Lofts downtown and have been excited by the new developments and growth in the downtown district. With the arrival of our son my wife and I moved into a larger home in Sherman Hill Neighborhood.
I am excited to meet all my neighbors in this district, to listen to their concerns and work with them to discover new ways to work towards solving the problems of this district. We do not have to accept that just because problems have been in place for a long time that they will continue, that new opportunities are only available for new communities and neighborhoods, or that the people and parties that have represented us in the past necessarily have the best plans for our future.
My education as an economist and my work as an appraiser will serve this district well as we need someone that effectively monitor the financial books of our great state. Through my work, I have become intimately familiar with the powers asserted by government through eminent domain and seen the lives of people affected by powers out of their control. While living, working and playing in our district, I have seen neighborhoods pulling together to improve their situation and the future for their children. I have also seen much of surrounding neighborhoods in this district miss out on the economic boom seen in downtown and all around the Des Moines Metropolitan Area. I will bring a new focus and plan to the House of Representatives, will break up the bickering between the two older brother parties in place and will work toward bringing real benefits to the district in the form of better education, more and better paying jobs, clean water for drinking and recreation, protection of property rights and individual freedoms. I am running a campaign based on the principals of smaller government, Individual Freedoms, and Personal Responsibility.
I am committed to:
Education--- I believe that a quality education is the basis not only for a person’s future economic prosperity but is vital to maintaining our form of government. I believe that the role of government in education is to be a leader in setting standards that will allow the people of Iowa to compete not only for jobs here at home but anywhere in the world. I believe that the local communities that have a personal interest in each of the children in the school should handle the implementation of policy and procedures.
Healthcare--- I believe that the growing burden of healthcare expenses and cost of insurance is damaging to individuals, families and businesses, small and large. I believe that people should be allowed to join groups in neighborhoods or with large corporations for the purpose of improving healthcare coverage. It is also an important function of government to watch over the interests of the people and protect consumers from price gouging and runaway costs.
Environment--- I will work to maintain clean drinking water, rivers and streams of this state. Current state law has allowed the poor management decisions of a few, pollute the water for the rest of us. Much of Des Moines takes its drinking water from the Raccoon River and the surface irrigation of manure by a few large scale confined animal feeding operations as well as the dumping of waste directly into the water supply by smaller communities threatens the health of the people. I will change the rules regarding manure management plans to follow sound scientific and public health guidelines. I will also work to protect the air and land through support of ethanol, biodiesel and other alternative energy sources.
Alternative Energy--- I believe it is in the best interest of all Iowans to promote renewable fuels. We cannot allow the whims of foreign governments dictate the future of the new industries of ethanol and biodiesel in this state. We cannot afford to continue to pay the huge “tax” to foreign governments in the form of high fuel and natural gas prices. I will work to promote Iowa grown renewable fuels across the country and here at home.
Charities and Public Service Agencies--- While recent events have shown in a very clear light, the inefficiency and lack of transparency and government control of agencies such as CIETC and Creative Visions, the list of mismanagement of public funds neither begins nor ends with these names. I believe the proper role of government is as a watch dog over these agencies and as a conduit for transparency so that the people whose tax dollars are being spent can know what is being done with their money. I will move to have every agency of government that receives tax dollars show the percentage of the money that they spend that goes to the community they were designed to serve.
Tax Credits for Charitable gifts--- I want to encourage and teach people to take a personal interest and personal responsibility again for the poor and those in need in their communities by giving tax credits for donations to charities. Individuals take more of an interest in how charities spend their money if they personally write the check rather than rely on the government to take care of the less fortunate in our neighborhoods. This can be a much more efficient way of supporting our neighborhoods as it can be required that this money is used 100% for the people whom the charities are set up to help.
Property Rights I want to make the laws and the constitution of the state of Iowa stronger with regard to protecting property rights. Recent use and threats of use of eminent domain to take property from private individuals and give it to developers threatens the foundations of freedom. When government believes that it knows what is best with your land, your money, your choices, none of us can be free.
Equality Under the Law--- I will work to ensure that our justice system truly is blind to superficial differences between us such as race, gender, social status, amount of money in your bank account, sexual orientation, or religion. The ability of people with more wealth and power to garner different outcomes for the same offenses as people with less money and power reduces the confidence of all citizens in our legal system. The use of the legal system to push or limit religious views or to stop or limit the actions of homosexuals and people with alternative lifestyles stretches the proper role of government far beyond its proper bounds and its constitutional authority.
posted by Brett Blanchfield @ 4:42 AM,
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This can also be found on the Secretary of State's site athttp://www.legis.state.ia.us/Redist/hjpg/h-66.jpg
posted by Brett Blanchfield @ 9:52 AM,
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Brett Blanchfield - Iowa House District 66
Hello,
Welcome to my Blog. Welcome to the future for District 66 in Des Moines.
There is a lot to be done in a little time, but Des Moines is yearning for a leader that they can be proud of. That is proud of them. And that will help to find new solutions for old problems as well as see a vision of new growth for our district.
Hi, I am Brett Blanchfield and I am running for Iowa House District 66 - see map to find where you are in the district - I am the Libertarian candidate and I am running for smaller government and greater personal freedoms.
Basic beliefs and Goals:
I think that we should be able to drink unpolluted water
I think that we should be able to be proud of our representatives
I think that the best solution for poverty and homelessness isn't expanding government programs or ending welfare, it is in getting the people to notice their neighbors, to help each other and to take an active interest in the charities and organizations involved in our neighborhoods.
I think Iowa should take the lead in providing food and fuel to the world and especially to America. We are the most densely agricultural state - What does that mean for downtown Des Moines? We are surrounded by thousands of tons of food and fuel and when tapped will make this state the most profitable state in the Union, in the world. That is good for everyone in the state.
I think that we need to protect our most precious resource - the minds and lives of our future. We can't allow political differences force our kids through the cracks of public schools. We can't say that only those that can afford private schools will receive the best education. We need to have neighborhood control of neighborhood schools, keep class sizes small, and use resources of video and internet to provide the best education in the world again. We need to make sure that if people want to get a college education, one is available - at a price that they can afford.
We need to make sure that people have access to healthcare. The best option is through strong employers that we are blessed to have here in Des Moines. For those that do not have this available, individuals need to have group coverage available, either to sign on as part of the large group policies available from these employers or through neighborhood associations.
Government needs to stop worrying about where people are sleeping and start minding their books.
Recent news has put our district in a bad light by being associated with scandal ridden people. These scandals, the loss of millions of our tax dollars, the lack of help that these organizations were supposed to provide to the neediest in our midst, show that it would be better if the people had more control over their own money, rather than large government agencies.
Stop back for expanded comments on each of these topics and reply with your visions for the future of Des Moines and Iowa.
Thanks for stopping by,
Brett Blanchfield
Candidate for House District 66
posted by Brett Blanchfield @ 8:50 AM,
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The Authors
Brett Blanchfield
I'm Brett Blanchfield From Des Moines, Iowa, United States Hi, I have a background in agricultural economics and currently work for Principal in commercial appraisal review. My wife vanessa also works downtown and we recently welcomed our first child, through adoption from South Korea - Ethan. We just moved out of the downtown lofts and into a house in Sherman Hill.
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