BRANSTAD AND VAUDT IN KEOKUK
FORMER GOVERNOR TERRY BRANSTAD AND AUDITOR DAVID VAUDT
WERE IN KEOKUK WEDNESDAY MORNING AT CITY HALL TO PROMOTE
BRANSTAD’S TRUTH IN BUDGETING TOUR AS BRANSTAD IS RUNNING
AGAINST GOVERNOR CHET CULVER IN THE FALL. MAYOR TOM MARION
AND FORMER MAYOR DAVID GUDGEL LED INTRODUCTIONS. BRANSTAD
WAS GOVERNOR FOR 16 YEARS BEFORE BECOMING PRESIDENT OF DES
MOINES UNIVERSITY AND ALSO STUDIED LAW AT DRAKE UNIVERSITY.
THE STATE OF IOWA IS IN A BUDGET SHORTFALL AT 18.6 PERCENT WITH
IS SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN ILLINOIS AND NEVADA BUT WORSE THAN
CALIFORNIA AND MASSACHUTTES.
BRANSTAD SAID THAT WHEN HE WAS GOVERNOR THAT HE PASSED THE
FISHER COMMISION WHICH THE STATE SPENT 99 PERCENT OF THE
MONIES THAT CAME IN BALANCING THE BUDGET. SINCE HE LEFT OFFICE
BRANSTAD SAID THAT THE LAST TWO GOVERNORS CHET CULVER AND
TOM VILSAC THAT THEY HAVE GONE OVER THE BUDGET. WITH SPENDING
IN 2007 WITH FOR EVERY 50 THOUSAND DOLLARS TAKEN IN TAXES THE
STATE WAS SPENDING 50 THOUSAND 500 DOLLARS AND IN 2010 FOR
EVERY 50 THOUSAND DOLLARS TAKEN IN THE STATE WAS SPENDING 57
THOUSAND DOLLARS.BRANSTAD THAT THE STATE NEEDS TO CONTROL
SPENDING WITH SPENDING LIMITS AND TO HAVE MORE STABILITY IN
SPENDING. BRANSTAD SAID WHEN HE WAS GOVERNOR THAT HE GOT
RID OF THE INHERITENCE TAX. THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS HE GAVE FOR
EXAMPLE THE MEDICADE FUND WHICH RECEIVED HELD FROM STIMULAS
FUNDS WITH THE STATE SPENDING ABOUT ONE BILLION DOLLARS AND
WITH THE STIMULAS FUNDING BEING A ONE YEAR DEAL THE STATE
WOULD HAVE TO FIND OTHER WAYS TO GET THE MONEY.
ONE OF THE WAYS THE STATE WAS DOING TO GET THE MONEY WAS TO
SHIFT MONEYS OUT OF CERTAIN ITEMS LIKE TAKING MONEY OUT OF THE
RAINY DAY FUND TO RAID THE REBUILD IOWA FUND, THE I JOBS FUND
WHICH HELPS TO CREATE JOBS, THE STIMULAS MONEYS FROM UNCLE
SAM AND RAIDED OTHER FUNDS SUCH AS THE TOBACCO FUND, THE
SNOWMOBILE FUND AND UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS FUNDS.
WITH THE STATE COULD OFF THE CLIFF ACCORDING TO BRANSTAD IN
2012 WITH THE REVENUES GOING DOWN
SEVERAL IDEAS BRANSTAD HAD WERE TO PLAN A TWO YEAR BUDGET
WITH A REVIEW BEFORE THE SECOND YEAR TO FIND DEFICINCIES.
GO BACK TO REFORMS TO GO BACK TO PHYSICAL RESPONCIBILITIES
AND DEVISE A SERIOUS FINANCIAL PLAN. AND QUIT SHIFTING AND
DIVERTING FUNDING AND ALSO PROMISE WHAT THEY DELIVER FOR
EDUCATION TO LET SCHOOL DISTRICTS KNOW WHAT MONIES THEY WILL
GET SO SCHOOLS CAN PLAN AHEAD AND REWARD GOOD TEACHERS AND
WORK WITH TEACHERS UNIONS.
ALSO WELFARE AND CHILD CARE REFORMS NEED TO HAPPEN. ALSO
PHASE OUT STATE TAXES ON SOCIAL SECURITY AND PENSIONS.
AND CUT GOVERNMENT BY 15 PERCENT IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
BRANSTAD ALSO SAID THAT OPEN MEETINGS AND OPEN RECORDS
LAWS NEED TO BE STRENGTHED. ALSO IMPORTANT IS TO REDUCE
TAXES TO HELP BUSINESSES STAY IN IOWA. BRANSTAD ALSO MENTIONED
THE DNR WHICH HAS HAD PROBLEMS OF LATE. THE DNR RECIEVES THERE
MONIES FROM HUNTING AND FISHING FEES INSTEAD OF TAX MONIES.
RECENT PROBLEMS FROM THE LIQOUR AND FILM COMMISSIONS HAVE
HAD PROBLEMS AS WELL. PEOPLE HAVE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE
PROBLEMS OF THE COMMISSIONS. A QUESTION WAS ASKED ABOUT
FUNDING FOR THE FLOODS. BRANSTAD SAID THAT 80 PERCENT OF THE
MONIES CAME FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND 15 PERCENT FROM
THE STATE WITH THE REMAINING 5 PERCENT COMING LOCALLY. SOME
COMMUNITIES COULD NOT COME UP WITH THE MONEY SO THE STATE
PAID FOR THEIR SHARE.
THE STATE NEEDS TO BE MORE REPONCIBLE FOR THE BUDGET.
BRANSTAD GAVE A EXAMPLE FOR THE CITY OF CLARINDA IN
WHICH BRANSTAD RECENTLY VISITED IN WHICH WHEN THE MAYOR
TOOK OFFICE THE CITY WAS IN DEEP FINANCIAL STRAITS WITHIN
TEN YEAR WITH SMART BUDGETING THE CITY TURNED IT AROUND.
GOVERNOR BRANSTAD LATER IN THE DAY TRAVELED TO KEOSAUQUA TO
SPEAK TO VAN BUREN COUNTY RESIDENTS.
