|
Governor
Vilsack AWOL on Budget
Governor
Vilsack was Absent With-out Leadership
(AWOL) during Tuesday’s special session. Why
did the Governor refuse to tell the public what his plan entailed
to balance the FY 02 and 03 budgets?
What was he hiding?
Evidently
what he was hiding was the fact that he didn’t know how to
balance the budget in FY 03.
After accepting the Republican plan to balance the 02
budget, the Governor suggested using $60 million from the road
fund to plug a $160 million hole in 03.
Why
was the Governor afraid to tell Iowans his plan was to cut
spending 4.5 percent across the board?
He told Republican legislative leaders, why not Iowans?
If
the Republican plan was so awful, why is Governor going to sign
it?
The
Governor claims he has no choice but to sign the Republican plan
but he never even offered an alternative to the Legislature
yesterday. The
Governor's right, he has no choice but to sign the Republican plan
because IT’S THE ONLY PLAN OUT THERE!
The Governor was afraid to tell Iowans his own ideas.
Republicans
eliminated programs in order to protect education and public
safety. While the
Governor claims that his budget would have put more troopers on
the road, the Republican budget protected public safety from the
Governor's draconian across the board cut of 4.5%.
The Governor’s “plan” would have cut public safety
more!
The
Governor claims that his budget protects children.
The Governor must be using phony math.
His budget plan, if enacted, would have cut child
protection workers by a whopping 4.5%.
The Republican budget plan saved the Department of Human
Services from devastating across the board cuts.
The Governor’s “plan” would have cut human services
more!
A
Governor is supposed to be a leader during good times, but
especially during difficult times. This Governor has refused to lead. He won't release his plan.
He refuses to take on the union bosses who have dug a line
in the sand and have demanded a tax increase to pay
|
for
their salary increases.
While the Governor plays politics with this issue,
Republicans have taken the tough votes to balance the budget.
While
the number of state troopers has readily decreased since this
Governor took over, the question must be asked.
Why are there fewer troopers protecting our roads and more
troopers protecting the Governor? Are these the priorities of
Iowans?
What
is the Governor trying to hide by not releasing his budget plan?
Leaders don't hide, leaders guide people through tough times.
Every
session since Vilsack has been Governor there has been a tax
increase hidden in his budgets. Whether it is property tax increases
or the income tax increase on eastern Iowans in his budget this
session.
Since
the 1999 session, the Governor has proposed spending over $500
million more than the Republican Legislature proposed.
Republicans compromised by spending an additional $150
million.
We should have stuck to our guns and not spent the $150
million.
Had
Republicans accepted the original spending proposals by Governor
Vilsack over last four sessions; we'd be facing a one billion dollar
hole in the budget.
It is a good thing, somebody was around to tell the Governor
"no".
Ways
& Means Update
Bill to Encourage Ethanol Production
Passes
The
ethanol co-op bill, HF 2625 deals with a tax credit for cooperatives
organized under section 521 of the Internal Revenue Code and who
were required to file an Iowa income tax return. The purpose of the
bill is to allow the coop, if it elected to transfer all or a
portion of its tax credit to its members. The Governor will sign the
bill. The language will require that the credits be refundable and
limited to the amount currently authorized for value added
agricultural enterprises.
|
Week
in Review Archives
