· Recapping January 21 - 27, 2014

· Cities & Schedule for: January 28 - February 2, 2014

· Campaign Analysis: Why did the Des Moines Register ignore its own polling data when declaring an inevitable nominee?

SCHEDULE: January 28th - February 2nd

After an aggressive trek across Eastern Iowa the Jonathan Narcisse for Governor campaign will shift its focus to Western Iowa beginning today.

On Tuesday (Jan 28) the campaign kicks off a three-day western Iowa trek starting in Mason City. From there it is onto Algona, Emmetsburg, Spencer, Storm Lake and Sioux City.

On Wednesday (Jan 29) the campaign will begin in Sioux City and then visit Council Bluffs, Red Oak, Shenandoah, Clarinda, Atlantic, Harlan, Denison and Carroll.

On Thursday (Jan 30), the Narcisse for Iowa Governor team will start in Fort Dodge and then onto Webster City, Boone, Perry, Adel, Winterset,  Indianola and Carlisle.

The campaign will take a break for the weekend in order for Narcisse to participate in the celebration of his mother's 80th birthday before returning to Eastern Iowa and Waterloo on February 3^rd.

RECAPPING: January 20th - 27th Campaign Trail

Monday, January 20th

Narcisse launched his campaign in Cedar Rapids with a call for an unrelenting campaign to end poverty in Iowa. "We have the means now we must have the will," stated Narcisse. Following the presentation Narcisse visited his Cedar Rapids office which will open in February.

Narcisse then stopped in Iowa City for an interview with the Iowa City Press Citizen, in Newton for an interview with the Newton Daily News and concluded the day in Des Moines with an interview on WHO 1040 AM's Simon Conway.

Throughout the day Narcisse stressed his day one actions:

1. Empower a process to protect Iowa's public pension systems especially following a recent ruling by a federal judge. "The men and women who ran into burning buildings, made our streets safe, taught our children, plowed our streets must know that we will honor our word to them. Our public pensions in Iowa must be honored, actuarially sound, sustainable and most of all be protected from a political class in Iowa that has raided, without replenishing, other funds such as the Senior Living Trust and the Tobacco Trust" stated Narcisse.

2. Order the head of the Division of Criminal Investigation to return with a plan in 30 days to begin forensic audits of state and local governments. "As a member of the Des Moines School Board we had a contractor who billed us for time that didn't exist, who billed us for things like bottled water and cell phones. In other governments we have evidence of bid rigging, embezzlement and graft. Iowa's taxpayers deserve efficient, honest and frugal government and this measure will not only shed light on past practices but it will put in place protections to restore integrity to governance in Iowa," stated Narcisse.

3. Opt out of No Child Left Behind and Common Core. "Perhaps the single greatest failure of Iowa's political leaders this past decade has been the failure to end our Public School System's thralldom to No Child Left Behind. No Child Left Behind has wrought havoc and desolation on our public schools. It has perverted the delivery of education in Iowa and it has harmed our communities, our good schools, our dedicated and outstanding teachers, and, most of all, harmed the educating of our students. Common Core mandated curriculum and unfunded testing is on the horizon in Iowa, too. Iowans are more than capable of establishing their own standards. The only responsible thing for the next governor of Iowa to do is opt out of the Common Core, too," stated Narcisse.

Tuesday, January 21st

Narcisse started the day with interviews with the Marshalltown Times Republican and KFJB/KXIA News Director Chuck Schockley. From there he visited Grundy Center, Waterloo and Dubuque.

In Waterloo he met with the Courier, KWWL, KBOL and KBBG. Narcisse hosted various radio shows on KBBG for more than a decade. Narcisse also attended the Black Hawk County caucus where all the county's precincts met at the union hall. Bruce Braley was the keynote speaker.

From Waterloo, Narcisse went to Dubuque where he experienced one of Iowa's hidden treasures - Turkey and Dressing sandwiches at the party's post caucus celebration at Happy's Place. He demonstrated profound gubernatorial restraint limiting himself to only four of the treats.

Wednesday, January 22nd

Narcisse started the day with an interview with the Dubuque Telegraph Herald and then spent the rest of the morning visiting past local allies he made there while conducting Statewide Education, Health and Justice hearings. Narcisse has also been the keynote speaker at several Dubuque gatherings such as the Martin Luther King Annual Celebrations and the NAACP Annual Banquet.

Narcisse concluded his Dubuque visit by stopping at Cremer's Grocery Store. A video of his conversation with the owner of the local establishment is on NarcisseForGovernor.com.

Narcisse then stopped in Davenport where he published for more than a decade. While there he was interviewed by the Quad City Times and secured his eastern Iowa staging location for distribution of campaign materials and to host key staff and volunteer meetings.

Narcisse then stopped in Wapello and enjoyed wall-eye fish at Johnny B's. He spoke with the owner and a waitress at the establishment about their concerns for Iowa. The videos are available on NarcisseForGovernor.com.

Narcisse then spent the rest of the evening in Burlington reconnecting with supporters there.

Thursday, January 23rd

Narcisse started the day with an interview with the Fort Madison Daily Democrat. He then stopped in Burlington where he was interviewed by the Burlington Hawkeye and the Mike Savage Show on FM KQ92 radio.

His next stop was in Fairfield where he was interviewed on KRUU's Generation whY with Andrew Tint and then he met with past supporters and allies in the community.

He concluded the day with a stop in Oskaloosa where he was interviewed by the Osky News.

Friday, January 24th

Narcisse focused on campaign maintenance including hiring two additional staffers bringing his campaign paid staff to five. He also secured the services of Community CPA based in Des Moines to oversee all financial operations and campaign reporting under the direction of Dr. Billy W. Young, his campaign treasurer.

Saturday, January 25th

Narcisse visited supporters in Mahaska and Keokuk counties. He also toured a county bridge that was purported to cost several hundreds of thousands to replace by county officials, but ended up costing less than $25,000 to repair by the owner of the property the bridge is on. The owner paid for the repairs to avoid costly delays by the bridge being removed with no alternatives available. It took him a week to fix it and it is considered one of the best and safest bridges of its kind, in the county. Narcisse received a tour of the bridge from the property owner's son-in-law.

Monday, January 27th

Narcisse had a light schedule Monday visiting Pella, Oskaloosa and Knoxville before returning home for campaign staff meetings.

While on the trip he had interviews at the Pella Chronicle, the Oskaloosa Herald, KBOE 104.9 FM/740 AM in Oskaloosa and the Knoxville Journal Express.

Campaign Analysis: Why did the Des Moines Register ignore its own polling data when declaring an inevitable nominee?

Words from Narcisse

Attached is a photo of the Iowa Poll released by the Des Moines Register on December 16th.

The Polk County machine, aided by Polk County media, has been promoting the narrative of the inevitability of Sen. Jack Hatch, as the democratic nominee to challenge Governor Branstad. Even on the day the poll was released a Register columnist named Sen. Hatch the only viable candidate left in the race despite Bob Krause outperforming Hatch.

Jack Hatch has been a colleague of mine, he introduced me in 2005 when I ran for the Des Moines School Board and he was quoted earlier this month in the Register as saying I'm a man of courage and conviction.

If Jack Hatch defeats me on June 3rd I will be honored to support his candidacy against Gov. Branstad. Defeating our five term incumbent is task one regardless who the party's nominee is. The facts, however, do not support the assertion that Sen. Hatch has already secured the nomination. This race is far from over!

Senator Hatch, after spending nearly $200,000 and running for governor since May of 2013, achieved very little name recognition statewide according to the Des Moines Register's Iowa Poll. He failed to outpoll Bob Krause in the Iowa Poll despite Krause raising no money.

These facts are according to the Register's own Iowa Poll. A poll that the Register and Register columnists continue to ignore.

Jack Hatch is a good guy but he is not a political juggernaut. The facts are I was elected in a much more diverse and larger district than he was. I especially dominated blue collar Democratic districts despite running against established and prominent local Democrats.

I have better statewide name recognition than Senator Hatch has and I've proven I can get votes in every county and nearly every precinct in Iowa, while he hasn't. His only campaign outside of Polk County resulted in a severe thrashing from political newcomer Connie McBurney in their 1996 Congressional contest showdown.

Since the 2010 election, I've completed two 99 county tours, engaged tens of thousands of Iowans at a very popular booth location in the Varied Industries Building at the Iowa State Fair across from the Iowa Lottery and the restrooms. Through our gas card drawing and candy stations we built a massive statewide email distribution list.

It's no event I would wish on even my opponent, but my name recognition grew in a significant and positive ways after my wedding balloon crash in San Diego, for a moment, the nation and world's biggest story and one that continues to air to this date.

While defeating Sen. Hatch is not guaranteed, the facts - especially the Iowa Poll - savage the narrative of the Polk County Political Machine. A machine that has too often forced losing candidates upon the rest of Iowa Democrats resulting in Republican victories that have often hurt the broader ticket.

All we ask during this primary campaign is the media report the story and not manipulate it, or worse, manufacture it. And while this will be challenging to Polk County media, especially a Des Moines Register that has already proven it will ignore its own scientific data, we trust the rest of Iowa's media and political leaders outside Polk County will be fair and objective during this primary campaign.

For more information visit www.NarcisseForGovernor.com

Email: info@narcisseforgovernor.com

Contact Campaign Scheduler Paul Smith at 515-991-8516.

Contact Jonathan Narcisse directly at 515-770-1218 or NarcisseForGovernor@gmail.com.

Calls for War on Poverty

On Monday, January 20th Jonathan R. Narcisse, an editor and publisher, former Des Moines School Board Director and former Co-Chair of the Polk County Democratic Party, announced his entry into the 2014 Democratic Party gubernatorial race.

Narcisse, affirming his love of Iowa and faith in Iowans, called for bold action throughout his announcement.

Invoking images of Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty Narcisse announced it would be the highest priority of his administration to end poverty in Iowa. "We have the means to end poverty in this state what we have lacked is the will" stated Narcisse.

To accomplish this Narcisse again invoked images from Johnson's historic speech including embracing the principles of "efficient, honest and frugal government." Narcisse stated by eliminating waste, creating greater efficiencies and ending the fraudulent practice of funding students that do not exist, resources would be freed up to invest in education - especially vocational and technical education, early childhood education and post-secondary education.

Narcisse also stressed the importance of restoring integrity to governance in Iowa and justice to working class Iowans.

"Last night at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration in Des Moines Pastor Bobby Young recalled attending court and observing a profound disparity in justice. An affluent youth caught with a half-pound of dope was fined $3,000. An urban youth with a joint was sentenced to a year.

This type of disparity in justice is common place and the price tag is crippling. Narcisse pledged to make the restoration of justice for all Iowans a high priority.

Narcisse also stressed the importance of ending crony capitalism and white collar welfare, shifting instead to the rebuilding of our economy the right way. This includes moving towards full employment, dignity and ending the practice of taxing working Iowans to hand the money over to political allies and cronies.

Narcisse shared the story of a young woman working at Hardees in Des Moines he encountered at 3:47 a.m. in April of 2010. She discussed having to buy a prom dress for her eldest daughter, her infant daughter and having to go to her second job at 8:00 a.m.

"Why should we tax her overtime, or raise her gas taxes when she's barely making it especially when we are going to turn around and give the money to film credit schemes or an Orascom to create jobs that cost a million dollars each? Instead of raising her taxes and giving it the well connected we should be discounting her taxes and the taxes of all Iowans" Narcisse stated.

"Let her keep her money and she will build the economy the right way as will other Iowans," said Narcisse.

Narcisse did share two actions he would take his first day in office. The first would be to empower a process to save public pensions in Iowa. "The ruling by a federal judge in Detroit is very telling. We must act now to fix the public pension system in Iowa especially IPERS. We must make it actuarially sound, sustainable and honor our commitment to the men and women who served us faithfully including those who taught our children, ran into burning buildings and made our streets safe.

The second would be to restore trust in governance by ordering a process be created within thirty days to initiate forensic audits of state and local government. "When I was on the school board we had a contractor billing us for time that didn't exist; we were paying for their bottled water and cell phones. This happens throughout Iowa. Corruption is a problem. The lack of accountability is a problem. My administration day one would make divesting in corruption and restoring accountability a top priority.

Narcisse concluded by stating he doesn't have all the answers. "My job as governor is not to have all the answers but to surround myself with people smarter than me regardless of their political affiliation who will place the interests of taxpayers, our citizens, our families and especially our children above personal and political ambitions and agendas."

For more information contact Jonathan R. Narcisse at 515-770-1218, or visit www.NarcisseForGovernor.com.

For three decades, Jack Hatch has been a strong progressive voice fighting for a better Iowa. Jack is an independent thinker who's not afraid to challenge his own Party. Whether the fight is about creating jobs, getting rid of tax breaks for big corporations, expanding health care coverage or defending civil rights, Jack puts Iowans first.

His work in the private sector is equally impressive, and Jack has overcome all kinds of obstacles to build affordable housing in neighborhoods where it's desperately needed.

Today, I'm endorsing Jack Hatch for Governor because he's a strong leader with a solid track record and the determination to move Iowa beyond the failures of Terry Branstad. And I'm convinced he can win, so I'm putting my money where my mouth is and donating $100 to his campaign. Please consider doing the same. Speaking as one who ran for Governor, I assure you that it will make a difference.

Monday, Dr. Charles Goldman joins me to discuss medical marijuana. Charles writes, "Evidently it is hard to get a seat on a plane heading to Denver, as marijuana tourism takes off in the Centennial State. Here in Iowa, it is unlikely that we will see marijuana emporiums any time soon, but isn't it time Iowa joined 20 other states and Washington, DC in formulating a humane state-regulated medical cannabis program? In advance of tonight's program, you might want to view the video of Dr. Steven Jenison, who ran the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program, at http://youtu.be/qYtxwPoAzwM.

Tuesday, Ambassador Ken Quinn of the World Food Prize joins me to discuss Howard Buffet's "40 Chances: Hope for a Hungry World" exhibit, now on display at the WFP headquarters in Des Moines.

Wednesday, Michael Dietrick with the NRDC discusses climate change and the upcoming Citizen Advocates meeting in Des Moines.

Thursday, State Rep. Dan Kelley shares what's happening at the Iowa Statehouse.

Join the conversation live Monday-Thursday from 6:00-6:30 pm. Listen and watch online at www.fallonforum.com. Call-in at (855) 244-0077 to add your voice to the dialogue. Podcasts available after the program. And catch the Fallon Forum on KHOI 89.1 (Ames) Wednesdays at 4:00 pm and KPVL 89.1 (Postville) Wednesdays at 7:00 pm.

Whitepaper details first component in five point plan for job growth

WEST DES MOINES - U.S. Senate candidate Mark Jacobs today released "Strengthening Education, Our Workforce, and America's Economy," a white paper focused solely on his first priority for job growth: emphasizing community colleges and vocational schools to close the skills gap.

Jacobs said decisions about K-12 education are best made at the local level. However, one area where the government can make proactive investments is in addressing the skills gap - a disconnect between the types of skills the job market needs and the skills the workforce possesses.

"The availability of jobs is only part of the problem. The fact is that workers don't have the proper skills to fill many of the jobs that are currently available. However, we can begin closing the skills gap by providing community colleges and vocational schools with the resources they need to train our workforce and by supporting those individuals who wish to improve their skills so that they can get a better paying job," said Mark Jacobs.

Connecting American workers with the opportunity to learn necessary skills has obvious benefits to the economy. Workers with training and skills can expect to see an increase in earnings, better job prospects, and are able to support the economy through higher levels of disposable income.

"It's clear to me that the recession is not over. We need to empower American families through education, so that they can get a better job, opportunities, accelerate economic growth, and break the cycle of poverty," he said.

Jacobs detailed his vision for job growth through education by offering three concrete steps towards closing the skills gap:

• 1) Consolidate and simplify current workforce training programs. The non-partisan Government Accountability Office identified twenty-six duplicative programs in a 2011 report. In the business world, effectiveness and efficiency are high priorities. Applying these business principles to our current workforce training regime would free up funding to do what it is meant to do - help institutions and individuals meet the needs of today's job market.
• 2) Provide funding to the states as block grants. Bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. should not be passing "one size fits all" policies and pushing them at the states with little regard for the nuances and demands of each diverse state's job market. Instead, my belief is that decision-making should take place as close as possible to the local level. Local community colleges are vital players in an effort to close the skills gap, and block grant funding would allow them to partner with government and industry in their immediate regions. Block grant funding provides these partners with the flexibility they need to truly understand the needs of the local job market and make real opportunities available for workers in those communities.
• 3) Offer pragmatic incentives and empower individuals to build skills. Congress could make a number of adjustments to already existing programs that would make enrolling in skill-building programs dramatically more attainable for millions of Americans. Congress can empower workers by: a) Extending Pell Grants to summer classes for students who enroll year-round; b) Extending Pell Grants to one-year skill certificate [and non-certificate] programs and part-time enrollment; and c) Extending tax credits to part-time students.

Jacobs said, "The bottom line is that high school graduates in Iowa and around the nation do not fully meet the demands of our state's labor market, and that leads to losses in productivity and economic opportunity. Congress should view the "skills gap" as a real issue, and accordingly invest in America's workforce with thoughtful, pragmatic legislation and programs so that we can effectively create opportunities and get our country back to work."

To view or download "Strengthening Education, Our Workforce, and America's Economy," please click here.

###

To learn more about Mark Jacobs, please visit: www.jacobsforiowa.com

LIKE Mark on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JacobsforIowa
Follow Mark on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MarkJocobsIowa

About Mark Jacobs

A life-long Republican, Mark previously served as president and CEO of Reliant Energy, a Fortune 500 electric power company. During his time at Reliant Energy, he played an integral role in the turnaround of the company. Mark is the founder of Reaching Higher Iowa, an organization advocating for improved public education. Mark graduated from Roosevelt High School in Des Moines in 1980. He holds a bachelor's degree from Southern Methodist University and an MBA from Northwestern University. Mark and his wife, Janet, have three children: Clark, Christy, and Sam. The family resides in West Des Moines.