Archive: News Clips
July 22, 2010
In only her second year as a state senator in the Iowa Legislature, Kim Reynolds got a chance to floor manage a bill that will make it easier for the state’s county treasurers to collect outstanding debt from state residents.
She said when residents who owe the state money, they are blocked from renewing their driver’s licenses and vehicle registration. But until now, the state doesn’t have a mechanism for people to pay their debts at the county level.
“We’re still working on the logistics,” said Reynolds, a former county treasurer, herself, and Terry Brandstad’s running mate in the 2010 gubernatorial election. “I worked on (the bill) with (1st District Democratic State Sen.) Steve Warnstadt, of Sioux City.
“This bill is a win-win,” Reynolds said as she wound up a Thursday morning campaign visit with about 80 supporters at U.S. Rep. Tom Latham’s Ames campaign headquarters. “I think you can stick by your core values and still cooperate to pass some meaningful legislation.”
Read the full story here.
July 22, 2010
KEOKUK - Don’t spend more than you take in.
That’s the simple message being delivered by Republicans former Gov. Branstad and state Auditor David Vaudt during their “Truth in Budgeting” tour that stopped in Keokuk Wednesday morning.
With all the complicated ins and outs of Iowa’s budget, the two candidates simplified it by putting the numbers into charts and comparing the state’s fiscal house to home financing.
The duo compared the state’s robbing-Peter-to-pay-Paul attitude on family terms; the money comes from breaking piggy banks, using money for a kitchen repair on ongoing health care costs; paying utilities costs on credit; depleting one’s retirement savings, and the like.
“It’s like giving your kids an increase in their allowance, even though the family income is not going up … That’s the way state budget decisions have been made in recent years,” said Branstad, who is the state’s longest-serving governor after leaving office in 1999.
They criticized the Democrats for providing selective information about the state of the budget. Vaudt said the numbers presented on Wednesday represented not Republican or Democrat figures but Iowa… read more →
July 22, 2010
MARION, Iowa — “People have just had it,” Kim Reynolds said this week to explain the crowds showing up to meet her and Republican gubernatorial candidate Terry Branstad.
Reynolds, the GOP lieutenant governor candidate, called the high voter interest so early in the gubernatorial race “a positive thing for Iowa.” The highest unemployment in decades, high spending and borrowing, a deficit gap of nearly $1 billion and higher local property taxes are worrying voters, she said.
“I think they want to weigh in; they want to be heard,” Reynolds said during a stop in Marion.
She sees that as a positive thing for the Republican team seeking to replace first-term Democrats Gov. Chet Culver and Lt. Gov. Patty Judge.
She said Culver’s “bonding scheme” — the $873 million I-Jobs initiative — isn’t working. Unemployment is as high as it was a year ago, and in some counties where there is I-Jobs spending, unemployment has increased, the first-term state senator from Osceola said.
“I have heard at nearly every stop that Iowans have absolutely no confidence in that environment,” Reynolds said.… read more →
July 22, 2010
There has been a lot of talk about the number of jobs Governor Culver’s I-Jobs program is responsible for creating this week. I-Job’s is Culver’s signature accomplishment during his first term as Iowa’s governor.
The program borrowed almost $1 billion to fund projects around the state. After being in existence for a year now, intrepid reporter Dave Price of WHO-TV began his quest to find out how many jobs were actually created. Price has found it difficult to track down specifics on this program as Culver’s office has blamed everything from staff turn over to bad weather conditions for the reason no solid numbers exist.
While the number of jobs created by the program seems to be elusive, like many things in life, there is a simple answer to what seems to be complicated question. I can tell you exactly how many permanent jobs I-Jobs has created – not a single one. I can also tell you exactly how many permanent jobs it will create in the future – zero.
You shouldn’t be surprised that the program will not create… read more →
July 22, 2010
FAIRFIELD, IOWA — Former Governor Terry Branstad stopped in Fairfield Wednesday afternoon as part of his “Truth in Budgeting” tour as he campaigns for a return to the governor’s mansion.
State Auditor David Vaudt joined Branstad as they met with more than a dozen residents, including Mayor Ed Malloy.
Branstad said his goals are to restore stability and predictability for services in Iowa. He added non-essential programs should be eliminated if we cannot afford them.
He also talked about following other states in creating a bi-annual budget.
“We should pass a bi-annual budget, a 2-year budget. Then the legislature can spend the second year doing oversight and looking at ways in which we can become more efficient and reduce the size and cost of government and improve the delivery system to the citizens.”
Branstad’s number one rule: “Don’t spend more than you take in.”
Read the full story here.
July 20, 2010
Former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has closed the financial gap with Gov. Chet Culver, outraising the incumbent by a nearly three-to-one ratio in June and the first half of this month, according to the campaigns.
Branstad’s campaign said Monday it had raised $2.1 million between June 2 and July 14, boosting its cash in the bank to just more than $1.5 million. The Republican Governors Association was a big help, donating $1 million.
Branstad, who was the state’s governor from 1983 to 1999, had seen his cash on hand fall to $448,000 just before the three-way June 8 Republican primary. That put him far behind Culver, who reported having $3.2 million in the bank at the time.
Now, the former governor, while still behind, has made up some ground. Culver’s campaign reported Monday that it had nearly $2.9 million in the bank. It said it raised $765,000 between the June 2 and July 14 time frame.
Culver also got help from the Democratic Governors Association, with the group giving him $250,000.
Reports for the time period were due to the… read more →
July 20, 2010
Terry Branstad rebuilt a $1.5 million campaign account balance after spending $3 million to win the three-way Republican primary for governor last month, according to the campaign finance report filed Monday.
The former four-term governor raised $2.1 million from June 2 through July 14 with the aid of a hefty infusion from the Republican Governors Association.
Although Gov. Chet Culver, a Democrat, maintained a cash advantage with $2.8 million on hand, it appeared he raised less than half of what Branstad brought in during the six-week period that covered the June primary and the first month of the general election campaign.
Branstad received 50 percent of the vote in the June 8 primary, beating Sioux City business consultant Bob Vander Plaats, who pulled in 41 percent of the vote, and state Rep. Rod Roberts of Carroll, who received 9 percent.
Branstad began the period with less than $500,000 in his campaign account. The Republican Governors Association, which had been neutral during the primary, quickly jumped into the race afterward and helped Branstad pay for post-primary advertising.
The campaign finance disclosure… read more →
July 20, 2010
Iowa’s Department of Natural Resources has not complied with 16 state laws dealing with issues such as treatment of infectious waste, an audit released Monday shows.
An environmental activist called the findings alarming because laws such as one requiring creation of a toxic pollution prevention program were enacted to protect the public. The agency’s failure to uphold state law jeopardizes the well-being of Iowans and represents a serious disconnect between lawmakers and agency leaders responsible for enforcement, the activist said.
Some of the laws have been on the books for nearly 20 years.
Two lawmakers – one Democrat and one Republican – called for Gov. Chet Culver to hold officials at the Department of Natural Resources accountable and to launch a major overhaul in its leadership.
“If in fact we’ve got state departments that are not complying with the law, that’s illegal,” said Sen. Dennis Black, D-Grinnell and vice chairman of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee. “If it’s illegal, then someone has to pay.”
DNR Director Richard Leopold said instances of inaction identified by the audit have never… read more →
July 16, 2010
An attack ad against Terry Branstad — the former Republican governor of Iowa who is challenging Dem Gov. Chet Culver for the seat — labels him as a “liberal.” So which group of liberal-haters paid for the ad?
As it turns out…it was the Democratic Governors Association.
The ad features the heads of Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Branstad, and Nancy Pelosi on a picture of Mount Rushmore, with the text “Liberal Terry Branstad: One of the best liberal governors this state has ever had.” The ad also says it was paid for by “Iowans for Responsible Government.”
Here’s the ad, via The Upshot:
According to The Upshot, the 527 group’s tax filing reveals that all of the group’s funding comes from the DGA.
Read the full story here.
