Iowa Politics

As you well know, most of the Lockergnome bunch is located in the heartland of America. With the exception of Chris, we all live and work in Iowa. That’s sometimes comes as a surprise to people, as Iowa is associated with hogs, corn and soybeans more often than with technology. Let’s face it - the stereotype of an agricultural state just doesn’t leave much room for anything other than tractors and chores.

I don’t make any claim at all to be a politico. If I have political leanings, they tend more toward individuals than business, the underdog rather than the big guy, and using the overwhelming power of government to make sure everyone gets a fair shake. I don’t spend much time discussing or even thinking about politics, preferring instead to put one foot in front of the other in (to quote Jackson Browne’s “Pretender”) ” … the struggle for the legal tender.” All in all, I think I fall pretty squarely in the middle of road when it comes to political philosophy.

Like most folks, though, there are political issues that fall so close to the tree that I simply can’t ignore them. One of those issues, as you might have guessed, is the backwoods image of Iowa. Specifically, it’s the ability of political figures to influence a change in that longstanding image. First and foremost, the image is flat wrong. And, if it can be changed by those who possess the bully pulpit, everyone in my beloved home would stand to benefit greatly.

Our governor, Tom Vilsack, has had a longstanding technology initiative, intended to achieve precisely the goal I’ve spoken of - changing the image of Iowa from a rural backwater to one that can compete, using existing technical and human resources, for a slice of the technology pie. He’s talked long and hard about the need to retain technologically savvy workers in our state. He’s proposed incentives to do just that, looking to draw tech workers back to the state who have left for lucrative offers in other areas of the country. He’s pushed to further update and enhance the state’s technology infrastructure. He’s emphasized technology education in the schools. All in all, he’s managed to put a better face on technology in Iowa than we might have expected. Set aside the fact that he’s from my hometown. Overall, I’ve liked his attitude toward advancing our technology image.

Call me gullible. The Governor has recently made a decision that calls into question the confidence I’ve had in his ability to paint a much truer picture of Iowa’s technological capabilities. In a decision that’s left everyone scratching their heads, Governor Vilsack has outsourced his re-election website to an out-of-state firm.

I first got wind of this development via a note from a Lockergnome subscriber. Quite honestly, I was shocked and angered. How could that decision be made when there are literally hundreds of small companies in Iowa that could provide the same skills and services as any company outside our borders? It cast a far different light on the sincerity of the Governor’s public position on advancing technology in Iowa.

So, I made a call to the Governor’s office this morning, looking for verification and clarification. According to Joe Shanahan, the Governor’s Press Secretary, the Governor’s official site is maintained by the State of Iowa IT Department. That’s a plus. But he couldn’t comment on the campaign site, as it’s not the official state site. Instead, he referred me to Travis Brock, the spokesperson for the People for Vilsack/Pederson campaign. Despite trying throughout the day, I was unable to get a response from Brock. And, at this time, there’s still no campaign site online.

Now, I understand that many of our Penguin Shell readers are from somewhere other than Iowa. In fact, many of you are from somewhere other than the US. Thanks, in advance, for your patience. If, in fact, you’re from Iowa, I’d encourage you to hold our governor to his technology initiative. Please take a few minutes to express your thoughts on keeping technology in Iowa by sending the governor an email here.

In the meantime, I’ll keep you posted on further developments.