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IowaPolitics.com: State budget cuts provide fodder for Republican gubernatorial forum
10/12/2009

By Lynn Campbell
IowaPolitics.com

URBANDALE -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Rants of Sioux City argued Sunday night at a Polk County Republican fundraiser that making cuts to the state vehicle fleet, the Power Fund and preschool would be smarter than the 10 percent across-the-board cut ordered last week by Gov. Chet Culver that Rants said will spur a $250 million property tax increase.

"If we're going to talk to Iowans about fiscal responsibility, balancing budget, controlling our taxes, by God we as Republicans better walk the walk," Rants said. "We've got too many Republicans that will tell you, 'we're all for lower government, we're all for less taxes' but won't tell you what they're going to cut."

The state budget remained a hot topic among the five gubernatorial candidates at Sunday's fundraiser, which was attended by about 150 people huddled in a cold, dark barn at Living History Farms. Those attending included former Gov. Robert Ray, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-New Hartford, State Auditor David Vaudt and several state lawmakers.

Rants said the across-the-board cut "was a dumb and lazy way to solve our budget problem" and that it will mean a $36 million reduction for Polk County schools at a time when kids are already in the classroom and teachers were hired last summer. He also said he realized reporters would write about his proposal to eliminate $53 million of state spending on universal preschool for 4-year-olds.

"But ladies and gentlemen, that's being honest," Rants said. "That's walking the walk, and not just talking the talk. We Republicans better be thinking of that as we move through this primary system and move closer to Election Day."

Rod Roberts of Carroll took more of an "I told you so" approach to what he called the state's budget mess, saying it began to unfold a year ago after several years of uncontrolled spending. He promised that he'd be more careful with taxpayer money if he's elected governor.

"Many of us saw this coming and the day of reckoning is here. Job No. 1 as governor will be to manage the people's money and to do it responsibly, unlike what we've seen the last several years from Governor Culver," Roberts said. "We will not find the state of Iowa in a mess like this again in my administration."

Jerry Behn of Boone said the state budget has grown from $5.3 billion to more than $6.1 billion under Culver's watch. He accused Culver of denying for a long time that the state has a budget problem, and told those at the fundraiser that "it's not your fault."

"He's been denying that we've even had a problem," Behn said. "So it's been amazing to me that for the first time, he's come back to Iowa. He's been living in the state of denial for such a long time, it's good to have him finally come home and actually address the situation."

And Christian Fong of Cedar Rapids said just talking about fixing the state budget shortfall is not enough.

"We've heard several people talk about the crisis in the budget. The GOP will not win an election just talking about closing a deficit, though," Fong said. "We need to talk about growing our economy. In our party, we have to have a strategic objective for the state of Iowa. I would suggest that raising Iowans' income, raising Iowans' paychecks, is going to be something that will resonate in this state. That would be the strategic objective of my administration."  

Several of the Republican gubernatorial candidates said definitively Sunday night that Iowa will have a Republican governor in November 2010. While former Gov. Terry Branstad last week formed an exploratory committee for governor, Bob Vander Plaats of Sioux City was the only one who mentioned Branstad, albeit indirectly.

"When I get this nomination, I will defeat Governor Culver," said Vander Plaats, citing a Rasmussen poll. "The only way that Governor Culver has a chance of re-election is if we offer up a nominee with a significant political record, where that political record becomes the issue of discussion, versus Culver's record being the discussion. One of the benefits of my candidacy is I don't have a record."
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