Surely the hate mail over this lawsuit will drive the U.S. Postal Service into the black. This past week the gloves came off when the Iowa Industrial Commissioner (Chris Godfrey) personally sued Governor Terry Branstad (and others in his administration) for discrimination, defamation and harassment over the Governor’s reduction in Godfrey’s annual salary by nearly $36,000. It left me wondering how any of this serves the people of Iowa.

The Govna wanted Godfrey to resign claiming inter alia that Godfrey's actions were getting in the way of job creation in Iowa. Essentially the claim is that he wasn’t doing a good job; a claim which is seriously flawed to the point of being frivolous. (On this point you need only read how the Iowa Economic Development Authority sells this state to the business community.) Iowa’s workers’ compensation program is heralded as one of the best run programs in the country. Godfrey’s suit says if I am doing a good job what else is left but a right-wing attack on my sexual preferences? 

"Iowa’s workers’ compensation costs are among the nation’s lowest. The average cost of workers’ compensation insurance for manufacturers in Iowa is 16 percent lower than the national average. Iowa law provides for employer choice of doctor." (Actuarial and Technical Solutions, 2009) - quote from Iowa Economic Development Authority, Iowa's Business Advantages LINK

I'm not sure in Iowa I've seen this level of dirty politics being played with the Iowa Industrial Commissioner position. As someone who is a registered Republican and who has practiced before the commission for over 30 years I have to say Chris Godfrey is doing an excellent job. His decisions find balance and frankly the Commission under his administration hasn't favored the injured workers. There is a balance struck that favors no one side. He sticks to the law. His decisions are as fair to the employers as they are to the injured workers. The facts seem to dictate the outcome and if I had to pick a side I'd say the Commission favors the employers. So come on Govna what the heck are you doing?

Beyond the personal attack on Godfrey there is a more important issue at stake here. The industrial commissioner's position was not supposed to be an appointment where a newly elected Governor got to play political football with the appointment. The term of the industrial commission was purposefully set and staggered in a way that a newly elected Governor could not simply remove him/her. When workers are out of work due to being injured they depend on the weekly benefits to put food on the table. Predictability of how the law looks at their claims was considered a hell of a lot more important than a politician's ability to play politics with the agency's decision makers. The Governors were not supposed to make this position one of term politics. But that's exactly what Governor Branstad is trying to do. Will this same thing happen when the Democrats get elected. This is bad politics and bad public policy that in the past 30 years we've been able to avoid, until now. In essence what Governor Branstad is trying to do has more serious consequences than he or his administration realize or perhaps care about.  But I do because my clients are those injured workers with family's at home to feed.  

So who can hear their bank account going ka-ching?

According to the Des Moines Register’s Blog the State of Iowa is paying lawyers $325 per hour to defend the Governor’s actions. Wow George how does one get that kind of coin? According to the Register blog George LaMarca agreed to reduce his hourly rate to $210 per hour and to charge only $75 an hour for legal clerks. Most of Iowa’s downtown defense legal community will be thinking, “Where do I sign up for this gig?” But this isn’t the first time; according to the Register’s blog the Govna hired the Nyemaster Law Firm at $275 an hour to defend him back in September. For a guy that hates lawyers he sure seems to need them quite often. Both are excellent firms and of course Roxanne is no push-over when it comes to civil litigation that gets downright uncivil. See Rush Niget on the Microsoft litigation of which Roxanne Conlin was lead counsel.

What is a citizen to do while the political left and right waste our tax dollars?

You can sit on the sidelines and ignore the shenanigans or else you can publicly speak up. For me the future for my children and grandchildren is more important than just accepting the wasting of government resources to tell people who they can and can't sleep with or love. Frankly that's their business. For me it's more important to speak up than to allow the egos of politicians, left or right, to use the government for their own personal beliefs. 

My suggestions:

• The two of you knock it off.
• The Govna immediately and retroactively reinstate Godfrey’s pay.
• The Govna publicly apologize to Godfrey.
• Godfrey dismisses his lawsuit.
• The Govna knocks off the personal animosity towards Godfrey so the people of Iowa can be served in a way that advances the image of the people of this state and improves the business climate along with creating jobs; rather than chasing them out of this state.
• We tell George "thanks but no thanks." and we all save a bunch of money, a lot more than dismissing Godfrey would ever save.

Just my two cents.

RESOURCES

• Godfrey vs Branstad State Appeal Board Claim Form
• Godfrey vs Branstad Tort Claims Against State Employees
• Godfrey vs Branstad Petition at Law and Jury Demand
• Godfrey vs Branstad Tort Claims Against the State
• Iowa Economic Development on the Iowa Workers' Compensation Commissioner's Job Rating
• Office of the Governor of Iowa
• Follow the Govna on Twitter or on Facebook
• Iowa Industrial Commission Website
• Iowa Advocate
• Huffington Post – Iowa Governor slapped With $1 Million Discrimination Lawsuit By Openly Gay Commissioner
• Historical Suicide - Disgracing Your Family's Reputation by Opposing Gay Marriage, Posted by Steve Lombardi on April 26, 2011