Iowans work hard to provide for their families. Most stick to pretty tight budgets and account for every dollar they spend. When loved ones are counting on you, there’s no room to be irresponsible or go on spending sprees.
Families have to be smart with their money so they can pay bills, buy groceries and gas, and save for their children’s college education.
We should be able to count on our leaders to exercise the same good judgment.
But so far state leaders haven’t delivered. Five years ago, our state had a billion-dollar surplus. This was a billion dollars that could have gone toward improving K-12 schools in rural communities, launching job training programs, and helping fix our health care system.
Instead, state leaders passed huge tax breaks for corporations without determining whether tax breaks would actually add jobs to the state economy. This approach proved lopsided and was downright reckless from the start.
Now Iowans are dealing with the fallout. This year, lawmakers had to make $118 million in budget cuts. State agencies have been forced to lay off employees. Funding for K-12 public schools barely increased -- and community colleges lost $3 million in funding.
Tax breaks and credits should spur economic development. But one of the most rapidly increasing line items in our state’s budget is tax cuts for corporations not even headquartered in Iowa.
It’s time to stop padding the profits of corporations and start responsibly investing Iowans’ hard-earned tax dollars into education, health care, and economic development.
I’m ready to fix the budget and put Iowans’ tax dollars to good use. I want to re-invest in education, attract good-paying jobs to Iowa, and fund the services people depend on.
