So Ernst is a true Republican, her dad suddenly awarded numerous gov contracts when she took office

[marym625]

Last edited Thu Jan 22, 2015, 01:57 AM - Edit history (1)

Montgomery County records reveals that Culver Construction – a construction company owned by Ernst’s father, Richard Culver – received $215,665 in county contracts during Ernst’s tenure as auditor. The six contracts, all awarded between 2009 and 2010, included five totaling $204,794 from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for such projects as road and flood damage repairs.

County supervisors approved FEMA contracts for Culver ranging in size from an $8,960 grant in December 2010 for the repair of three flood-damaged sites to a $63,501 contract for secondary road construction in August 2009. Supervisors also approved FEMA contracts for Culver of $32,425, $40,428, and $59,480.

http://m.dailykos.com/story/2014/10/07/1334824/-IA-Sen-Contracts-Awarded-To-Joni-Ernst-s-R-Father-Raise-Conflict-Of-Interest-Questions

Why am I not surprised?

[BlueCaliDem]

1. Big government for me! Not for THEE!

Typical hypocritical Republican who wants it all for them, even if they have to take it from the poor and working poor in this country.

[marym625]

3. What a horrible woman

Last edited Wed Jan 21, 2015, 10:05 AM - Edit history (1)

Horrible human being

On edit: changed to not hurt people sensitive to words.

[BlueCaliDem]

5. I know how you feel, marym625. I know exactly how you feel. eom

[pnwmom]

7. Please amend your post

so it doesn't get alerted on. I can't stand her either, and I assume you're female, but both your subject line and the other implied slur are sexist and don't belong here.

We wouldn't call Ben Carson, for example, the comparable slur, even reduced to an initial ( as you did here).

[marym625]

10. I am female

And I would call Ben Carson many things, including what I think of her.

I don't want to be alerted on, obviously, but I am also a feminist and have been fighting for equal rights for women my entire life. Even had a letter to my representative published in the local paper in 7th grade. Was in the newspaper in freshman year trying to get the ERA ratified. And I haven't stopped, still working to get the time limit changed so the amendment can be ratified.

I don't agree with the rhetoric about the word. I know many very strong, vocal women that are nothing but feminists, that use it. Even those with large followings of other feminists. I actually resent that I am being dictated to about using it. I know the arguments against it and I see where they are coming from but I disagree.

It's not unlike, to me, telling women that they shouldn't wear revealing clothes or pose nude because it demeans women. If a woman wants to show off her body or sell it, as long as it is her choice to do so, that's her business and her power.

However, so as not to offend those with sensitivity to words they don't like used about women, I will edit.

"Slang is a language that rolls up its sleeves, spits in its hands and goes to work " Carl Sandburg

[pnwmom]

17. Thanks, marym625.

It would have been a shame if the post had gotten alerted on, since so many here share your feelings.

[marym625]

18. No problem.

Thank you

[Nye Bevan]

15. Thanks for editing (nt)

[Blue Owl]

2. One might say they know which side the bread is buttered on

n/t

[marym625]

4. hee hee n/t

[world wide wally]

6. Sounds like she shares some background with Paul Ryan

[marym625]

11. It does!

Maybe they were neighbors.

[ND-Dem]

8. They start stealing early. But you know, it;s understandable, because she was SO DAMN

POOR!!!! Surely the girl can funnel a little money to dad, his construction company, the farm, whatever...

so poor, so poor...

she worked for dad's construction company and got two college degrees on time.

[marym625]

12. All the while,

Walking 20 miles, uphill, both ways, to school everyday. Well, to the bus stop anyway.

I wonder if she had student loans. Or did the military pay for her education? Or was it daddy?

[marym625]

13. exactly!

I hate that we can't use that term here without fear of a hide. I hope you are not alerted, or me and others for agreeing.

[Avalux]

14. So she really IS the new Michele Bachmann!

Michele and her husband have been living off government handouts for years.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/43570552/ns/politics-decision_2012/t/bachmanns-husband-got-medicaid-funds/

[marym625]

16. Bachmann with a Palin twist

What a frightening combination!

Thanks for the link : hi:

[Munificence]

19. The article clearly states:

"As county auditor, Ernst did not have a vote in approving contracts for Culver Construction or any other contractors. Still, the state code’s conflict of interest provision calls for contracts to be voided if any county “officer or employee” has an interest in the contractor.

I'd personally like to see the facts vs providing a knee jerk and will wait for the details to emerge as I have an extensive background in business and contracts.

The rules are: “[a]n officer or employee of a county shall not have an interest, direct, or indirect, in a contract with that county.” The provision applies if 5 percent of a company’s outstanding stock is owned by either a county employee or an immediate family member – including a parent – of an employee." $5 says that at least 90% of us here have no clue of what issuance of stock percentage there is and who owns "what". I know I once owned a business and I issued stock, at one point I did not own any outstanding stock for 3-5 years.

So who owns the stock? Do you realize that some companies have no stock? "The Provision applies if 5 percent of a company's outstanding stock is owned...".....we do not know. There are rules in place for a reason and most have no clue of these rules and from my view point look like idiots without knowing the facts.

We tried to use this in her senate campaign and it went nowhere...if this is all we have then we really have nothing, as if we had something we would have exposed it.

This is not to defend her, but instead this was to show that we just don't know but yet we like to try and correlate the two just cause "it must be" but we do not know the facts.

The lack of understanding how a business and contracts work runs rampant here - through ignorance, not stupidity.


I am sure I will be called a "defender" and chastised, when all I am trying to do is shed some light on how business works. All we know as a fact is that the company received some contracts, her father may own 5% of the stock and he may not. Ernst was employed by the county and had absolutely nothing to do with the awarding of contracts.

I will dig deeper and look for info and pass judgement at that point.

Edit to add:

To the OP: You should really change the title as the title itself is a lie.

[marym625]

20. The title itself is a lie.

Nice. Couldn't be an honest error in wording. Has to just be a lie. You are correct that it should have been worded better. However, there's no doubt that her father gained because of her status.

Yes, I am well aware of how businesses work. Funny how you posted this as I filed yet another Annual Report for a foreign corporation and just after I registered a different corporation with the State of Delaware. Thanks for the lesson though.

I understand the legalities behind the issue. I linked and quoted the article. There is no misunderstanding for me. The company has only common stock and the only officer listed is not her dad but someone named Heidi Culver. Whether he owns any stock or not, he obviously benefits from the contracts. He was never awarded these contracts prior to her position in the county.

Even if the letter of the law was followed, which I highly doubt, the facts are her family gained greatly when she took the auditor position. Her family was not awarded government contracts for the construction company prior to her being in office.

They also gained greatly from farm subsidies prior to the construction contracts http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026116515

I edited the title of the post because technically, it was wrong. But I don't believe for a second it was untrue. Impropriety abounds.

By the way, if you want to make people more aware of contract and business law, maybe do it without being condescending and nasty. You might get farther

[JustAnotherGen]

21. Thanks for linking to this

Very interesting information.

[marym625]

22. No problem

And thank you

[Munificence]

23. Great post by the way

and I appreaciate the response.

Oh, believe me, I was attacked first.

Thanks for the info on the "contracts" I looked into that a bit and did not find the info you did that discusses "stock issuance, board, etc.

Now something I seen in the contracts was that some of this stiff was issued by FEMA during the flood. Now I am not defending crap here, but something tells me that we should see if there was even resources available to help in "podunk" Iowa where the family lives. I'd really like to know if it was a "Damn it we are flooded and we need all the help we can get" and this was awarded to nearly all local contractors in the area? I do not know of his contractor "dealings" or busines, however I'd like to just see if there was something that came up in the flood and they "had to use her father". Now don't hammer me for that, I am just curious as they may have their ass covered here with something like that.

At the end of the day the amount of money that her immediate family got in subsidies that fly around Iowa each year is very small compared to most. To "us" it might sound like a lot, but the "norm" is a lot higher.

One can't go into something all dogmatic, instead one should be able to understand both sides of the argument. If you truly understand both sides of the argument then maybe you can find a crack to expose.

Good to see you in the "business world". I sold one a few years back and retired at the ripe old age of 40. Looked at myself and said "Damn you didn't do anything from the day you started your business in the garage for the next 12 years". So I decided to quit, use the proceeds to help me with a down payment on a farm and check the fuck out from society.

I'm only a half ass farmer, relying on things my father taught me from age 5-6 to age 16 or so. But I do know enough to know that making money at it is very hard to do, so I only "half-ass" it so I only lose a little each year vs going in full tilt and losing a lot.