State of Iowa made secret settlements with workers

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald-AP

DES MOINES (AP) — Iowa Democrats on Sunday demanded that Gov. Terry Branstad explain why six former state employees were given secret settlements to quit their jobs — mostly, the former workers say, because of their Democratic Party ties.

The state of Iowa has paid more than $282,000 in secret settlements to the six over the past three years.

All were asked to sign confidentiality agreements that would have kept the settlements out of public view, according to the Des Moines Register.

The newspaper obtained the documents through Iowa's open-records law.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://www.omaha.com/article/20140317/NEWS/140318745/1016#state-of-iowa-made-secret-settlements-with-workers

[jwirr]

1. It appears we need to investigate all these rethug governors. Iowans are not going to like being

compared to New Jersey.

[TRoN33]

2. Yet we're keep hearing from the Republicans that...

They are all for individuals' rights. They're fucking cherry picking their preference of individual's rights.

[Wellstone ruled]

3. What the hell is going on here

How many more states are using this tool to gut the Democratic Party? Got a feeling there are many many Rethug run states doing this crap. As long as there are Judges willing to seal files,this crap will continue. Is this a ALEC tool,sure sounds like it.

Notice how these issues are happening in the Mid Western States. Gutting the Heartland.

[okaawhatever]

4. K & R nt

[progressoid]

5. Here's the Register's story:

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20140316/NEWS14/303160065/Register-Investigation-State-makes-secret-payouts-ex-workers

QUOTE: “These efforts reek of cronyism and violate Iowa’s longstanding system of merit based employment.” — Statement in Ibsen’s May 4, 2012, filing before the Iowa Public Employment Relations Board.

QUOTE: “The Iowa Department of Public Health laid off Ms. Deichmann because of her party affiliation and the opposition of Republican leaning organizations like the Iowa Healthcare Collaborative and the Iowa Hospital Association to Ms. Deichmann’s public health work over the last three years.” — Statement in Deichmann’s Oct. 25, 2012, brief before the Iowa Public Employment Relations Board.

QUOTE: “The way that they treated people was unbelievable. They thought they were gods and could get away with anything.” — Statement last week in an interview with the Register.