Iowa lacks the ‘capacity’ in so many ways

Gov. Kim Reynolds sent a letter this past week to President Joe Biden seeking federal help in dealing with the aftermath of the tragic apartment building collapse in Davenport.

And she didn’t refer to him as a “radical socialist” even once. The restraint is admirable.

The building, where three people died and another tenant had to have a leg amputated to be freed from the rubble, will have to be torn down. It remains a structurally unstable threat to public safety. Because of the building’s age, the governor points out that asbestos is likely to present a challenge.

That and covering other expenses are going to be a costly endeavor, with estimates as high as $5 million.

Still, it was jarring to read a couple passages in the letter.

“The emergency measures required as a result of the severity and destructiveness of this major structural building collapse are beyond the capability of the state of Iowa and affected local governments to perform, or to contract for, thus requiring federal assistance,” Reynolds wrote.

She repeats this argument in the letter’s summary.

Given the size of Iowa’s multibillion-dollar state budget and the fact lawmakers approved a budget for 2024 that socks away a $2 billion surplus, that’s an astounding claim.

Of course, the primary responsibility for the building collapse falls squarely on the building’s owner. There’s also the city of Davenport, which ignored a series of complaints and warnings about the building’s worsening condition, as well as contractors hired to inspect and fix the structure. Multiple lawsuits have been filed in the wake of the collapse.

But swift government funding can get the job done faster than waiting for the landlord or others to pony up.

And before anyone flies off the handle, I’m not blaming Reynolds for the collapse. And although the Republican Legislature has approved plenty of edicts yanking authority away from local governments, I don’t recall a bill directing local officials to ignore warnings about the failing structural integrity of apartment buildings.

But that “beyond the capacity” stuff is ridiculous. Although it’s hardly surprising.

The state lacked the capacity to accept a $3 million federal grant intended to help Iowa create a climate change action plan. We were one of only four states to turn down the money. The Reynolds administration claimed there were “strings attached,” maybe such as acknowledging climate change is a problem worth addressing. The decision means Iowa won’t be eligible for a share of $4.6 billion in implementation grants

Last fall, we lacked the capacity to provide a $3 million match that would have brought Iowa $30 million to fund efforts helping families afford child care. A lack of accessible, affordable child care is a big problem in Iowa, but apparently $3 million was a bridge too far.

We don’t have the capacity to extend coverage under Medicaid to pay for postpartum care for new moms from 60 days to 12 months. Nearly 40 states have done so, but not Iowa.

We lacked the capability to more aggressively demand that the owners of C6-Zero in Marengo disclose information on their manufacture process and the dangerous chemicals they used before an explosion in December 2022 injured 20 people and left an EPA superfund cleanup site in its wake. C6-Zero had the capability to hire a connected Republican lobbyist.

Adequately funding state universities and public schools, providing a mental health care system that meets the needs of Iowans, inspecting nursing homes, cleaning up our dirty water and staffing state prisons are all, seemingly, beyond our capacity.

But there’s always room for more tax cuts. Surely, they’ll attract people to Iowa, hopefully the sort who don’t have to live in broken down, structurally deficient apartment buildings. A big chunk of the budget surplus will go to the Taxpayer Relief Fund, money meant to patch budget holes caused by tax cuts.

We also had the capacity to hand out $100 million in pandemic relief for Destination Iowa tourism attraction grants, including $6 million for a Field of Dreams TV show. Sadly, that grant was rescinded when the show failed to find a streaming home.

If you think we lack capacity now, just wait until Republicans repeal the state income tax.

This week marks the 15th anniversary of the 2008 floods. Cedar Rapids should be thankful that, back then, we didn’t have a state government that lacked the capacity to respond. Then-Gov. Chet Culver took a political risk in using bonding, paid for with gambling proceeds, to fund tens of millions of dollars in recovery projects in Cedar Rapids. “Big Debt Chet” paid the price in the 2010 election, losing to Terry Branstad, but Cedar Rapids continues to reap the dividends.

If the state truly lacks the capacity to do what needs to be done in Davenport, the problem isn’t money, it’s priorities.

(319) 398-8262; todd.dorman@thegazette.com

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