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IowaPolitics.com: Branstad differs from Culver on budget, labor issues
2/5/2010

By Terri Queck-Matzie
For IowaPolitics.com

Former Republican Gov. Terry Branstad used a “town hall meeting” in Greenfield today to tell a small group of supporters some of the ways he differs with Democratic Gov. Chet Culver in regards to the state budget, business and labor issues.

Branstad talked about his support for Iowa’s right-to-work law and said he opposes a prevailing wage. Such legislation was advocated earlier this week by Culver after signing an executive order that presumes state agencies will use project labor agreements whenever possible.

“These things all send the wrong signal to potential business and industry,” Branstad said.

Branstad also targeted what he called “bad budget decisions” like the use of one-time money for ongoing expenditures. He specifically cited Culver’s proposal to pay for state troopers with the Road Use Tax Fund.

Adair County Supervisor John Twombly said he supported Branstad’s position on the trooper issue and hoped Branstad would give rural Iowa better representation if re-elected governor.

“We need the state to stop robbing our road use fund,” Twombly said. “Our roads are in bad shape and we need that money to fix them.”

Branstad also pledged jobs, quality education and smaller government as he met with the small group of supporters at the Nodaway Diner in Greenfield. The stop was part of his “Iowa Comeback” tour. Two to four inches of new snow kept the crowd to about a dozen, but did not deter Branstad from focusing on his core campaign message.

“My goal is to create 200,000 new jobs in Iowa within five years,” Branstad said, admitting it was an extremely ambitious goal. “This is critically important.”

Branstad said during his years as governor from 1983 to 1999, unemployment dropped from 8.5 percent unemployment to 2.5 percent. He said if re-elected as governor, he’d cut the property tax on machinery and equipment in an attempt to attract capital-intensive business, and reduce the commercial property tax rate.

The Boone Republican cited is hands-on approach to business recruitment, taking the small group through a tour of personal phone calls and visits he made to enhance that effort while governor. He said he favors alternative energy development such as wind power and bio-fuels, both as an energy conservation measure and as economic development, and cited his record in the early stages of the ethanol boom.

Branstad also outlined his goals to increase family income for Iowans by 25 percent, and to reduce the cost of government by 15 percent.

“This won’t be easy,” he admitted. “First thing you do is take all spending off auto-pilot.”

Branstad said he wants to restore Iowa’s status as a leader in education. “I’m not talking about micro-managing from Des Moines,” he said. “I think you have to set high standards and let the schools figure out how to achieve them.”

He admitted his agenda is an ambitious one, but said he is counting on his experience to make it possible.

“I support him,” Twombly said of Branstad. “He’s the only one of the Republicans I’ve seen who can turn things around in the first year. And we need that. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re in deep, deep trouble.”




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