In 2006, Brett Blanchfield ran for Iowa House District 66.

Wake Up Government!

Hello, I am Brett Blanchfield and I am running for the Iowa House of Representatives, District 66.

Before moving to Sherman Hill, my wife, Vanessa, and I lived in Brown-camp lofts by Principal Park, both in District 66. We have gotten to know our neighbors through the Downtown Neighborhood Association, and have seen the growth and growing pains of our city. As we anticipate the arrival of our son, I hope to help make District 66 a better place for all of us to live. Property rights are endangered through eminent domain abuse. Air and water pollution caused by bad government policy causes conflicts between neighbors in the counties. When I walk around my neighborhood I see people pass by the poor and poverty stricken without another look, believing government has handled that problem, "We paid at work, the government took their share first." We can do better.

I hope to run a campaign based on the ideas of a smaller, focused government, personal responsibility and individual freedoms.

There are a lot of challenges in my district. We have the highest poverty rates of any district in the state, high crime rates and a bunch of politicians working here - or did I repeat myself.

I have new ideas for some of the old problems facing our district as well as the new opportunities available to us in this state. We need to continue to promote and support the ethanol, bio diesel and other alternative energies as a way to reduce the large "tax" paid to foreign governments and ensure a stable price of energy - especially for those on fixed incomes; protect private property by stopping government policy of taking "underutilized" private property and giving it to wealthy private developers; protecting the rivers, streams and our drinking water from pollution by manure from large confinement operations caused by current government policy actively discouraging incorporation of hog manure and favoring surface irrigation; encourage and teach people to ake a personal interest and personal responsibility 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. This is compared to agencies in the news that use state and federal money, have yet to set up adequate or required oversight and cannot show that they helped the people they are supposed to help.

I am glad to see that many of my neighbors and acquaintances in the district are also waking up to the idea that government shouldn't be given so much of our money or trust, that it is time to reel in some of the rope that we have handed out and demand greater transparency. I hope that my background as an agricultural economist, farmer, commercial appraiser for eminent domain cases, investors, and tax appeals, can help me as I work with the other parties to come to new solutions for our district, monitor our financial books and stop spending so much governments focus on where and with whom people sleep.

As this campaign is building support, I will be in contact with each of the 15 neighborhood associations in the district and will be holding "meet and greets" at public parks and restaurants around town. I am looking forward to meeting all of you, talking with you about your ideas for the future, and enlisting your support as we try to Wake up Government! Please contribute your ideas, hands and donations to:

Blanchfield for 66
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Visit my blog at blanchfield66.blogspot.com

My wife Vanessa, adopted son, and his foster mother in Korea on 7 September 2006.