We've got GOFNOBs and MVPs

Amortized, as a result of some left-brain hip check thing, has become a word that I have been having trouble with lately. I just can’t get it out right. It comes out ‘Amorticized” every single time. I think I tried to use the word about 10 times on the way home from The Capitol in Des Moines Friday night.
It could have had something to do with me hanging out with the southeast Iowa contingency at the special session called by Governor Kim Reynolds Friday. She actually called for the rare event after President Donald Trump had her, and other Iowa officials, to the White House where he announced that a deal, a “done deal” more specifically, had been reached with Mesabi Metallics and it’s Mumbai-based parent company Essar Group.
The deal could bring a $15 billion steel production facility to Lee County along with about 6,000 construction jobs that would likely last up to five years and then 1,750 full-time jobs paying, on average, $48/hour.
The incentive package approved by both the Iowa House and the Iowa Senate on Friday evening, and then signed into law by Reynolds in a small ceremony following the Senate passage of SF 2508, will spread out $1.4 billion over 10 years in tranche payments. The incentives are, according to Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority, triggered by accomplishments of the project. Construction deadlines, employment deadlines, and other project progress is what triggers the state incentives. The county is still working with Mesabi officials, with the help of BrownWinick out of Des Moines, and the Lee County Economic Development Group to negotiate local property tax incentives.
So the bills were passed Friday and signed into law Friday to allow the incentives to flow when agreements are signed.
But what needs to be talked about are the 35 or so people from southeast Iowa who made the trip and spent about five hours in a hurry and wait mode for their chance to speak to subcommittees of the House and Senate.
Matt Morris from Connection Bank spoke about raising his family in Fort Madison. He grew up here, went to college in Iowa and then worked in metro areas before moving back to his hometown to pick up where his father left off in helping people build dreams in Iowa.
His GOFNOB approach to the Mesabi project, a philosophy he assuredly uses in his family and professional life, amounts to a Good Old Fashioned NO-Brainer. He said bringing the steel facility to Lee County, with the incentives structured the way they are, is that NO-brainer.
Other speakers included K.C. Fleming of Burlington, Kerry Klepfer of Lee County Economic Development Group, Pat Jones of Jones Contracting, who told the subcommittees to “Grow or Die”, and Ryan Nagrocki of Midwest Realty who pounded tables lightly telling the subcommittees it’s time for Iowa to “Be Bold”.
One person who has spent close to 18 months talking about the project was inconspicuously quiet and found her way to the back of the room most of the day and into the night. She took a small curtain call when Gov. Reynolds signed the bill at around 9 p.m. Friday night.
Emily Benjamin, CEO of LCEDG, had praise heaped on her by State Rep. Matt Rinker during his floor speech on the bill in the House. And as people meandered through the halls of the Capitol, the appreciation of some pretty heavy hitters was bestowed. There’s still work to do. The county has work to do, but regardless of the outcome, Lee County is on the map.
And Benjamin may just be 2026’s MVP.
She’s been an iron gate with information. We know. We’ve been buzzing the tower for more than a month and she stood fast and quiet with information citing LCEDG policy on commenting on public projects.
Although we believe in transparency here and the power of it, a $15 billion project is unfathomable to most. Several elected officials signed Non-Discloser Agreements and those aren’t necessarily to keep the public out of the equation, but to keep competitors out of the equation and that benefits Lee County.
I’ll say right here, that I’m not sure the last two months the closed-mouth approach helped the process, but a policy is a policy and we need Benjamin right where she is. So, if I’m not irked about her loyalty to the process, I’m not sure others should be either.
If this project becomes a reality, the state has set it up so IEDA monitors all progress and releases incentives based on progress. These are not up front payments. To me, it seems state officials, including State Sen. Jeff Reichman, ushered this plan in the appropriate way and stood his ground as fellow Republican  State Sen. Dan Dawson  (R-Pottawattamie) railed against the big state spend on the Senate floor saying the move was dangerous for the state, and not good faith with the original intent of MEGA.
Mariannette Miller-Meeks was at the Oval Office when the President announced the new deal and has worked for close to a year on the project as well.
But we do have to be careful with what happens with property tax exemption discussions. This will be a game changer if and when it begins, but from what we saw in Des Moines, we have a good team on the job. As the heavy lifting begins locally, pay attention to what’s happening, and if you engage, engage in a productive fashion. Let’s, just this one time, think as one group and examine all sides, and maybe put the polarization of politics aside.
That’s a big ask with our mailboxes full of posturing – But that’s Beside the Point.
Chuck Vandenberg is editor and co-owner of Pen City Current and can be reached at Charles.V@PenCityCurrent.com.