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Terry Branstad

Terry Branstad was elected Governor of Iowa 27 years ago. Iowans who are now 44 years old weren’t even old enough to vote in that election. But, even though he is a candidate of 1980’s, that is less important than Branstad’s record while in office. As Governor, Branstad raised the sales tax twice (by 67%!), raised the gas tax, and still left Iowa $400 million in debt.

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Christian Fong

At first glance, Christian Fong stands out from the pack because he was just four years old when Terry Branstad was first elected. However, he’s marching lockstep with other Republicans in opposing I-JOBS and supporting arbitrary budget cuts. As one of his first decisions he made as a candidate for Governor, Fong launched false and deeply misleading radio ads to attack Governor Culver.

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Paul McKinley

As the Republican leader in the Iowa Senate, Paul McKinley has demonstrated time and again that he is more interested in saying “no” than in trying to help Iowans and create jobs. He simply can’t hide his negative vision with rhetoric: he says no to I-JOBS, but claimed in the same breath that he would “offer a positive vision.”

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Chris Rants

Christopher Rants was a leader in the Republican Party for over a decade. However, he was removed from his leadership position after losing the majority in the Iowa House. Later, it was revealed that Rants left the campaign committee he was in charge of deeply in debt. Even as conservative blogs compare his campaign to Richard Nixon’s, he is trying to revive his political career by any means necessary. That includes attacking fellow Republicans Bob Vander Plaats and Rod Roberts.

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Rod Roberts

State Representative Rod Roberts joined the crowded field of Republican candidates for Governor in July. However, his announcement was just more of the same. Claiming to be a “fresh face,” the five term politician announced his campaign with the same “ideas” as his fellow Republican candidates. The focus of his “solutions” is opposing I-JOBS and Governor Chet Culver.

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Bob Vander Plaats

Bob Vander Plaats has been a candidate for Governor for nearly a decade. However, this time he’s the frontrunner for the Republican nomination. He is a staunch conservative who declared that moderates and liberals “need not apply” for the position as his running mate. It’s not clear whether any would be willing to join him after he opened his campaign for Governor from the gutter by saying: “Barack Obama has been really, really good for two industries — guns and ammunition.”

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Jerry Behn

In August, State Senator Jerry Behn announced that he would seek the Republican nomination for Governor. With his announcement and record in the Iowa Senate, Behn will fit in well with his other Republican candidates. On the day he announced, he was saying NO so much he even advocated leaving Iowa with a multi-billion dollar hole in the budget.

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Terry Branstad

Terry Branstad is, indeed, a candidate for Governor. He announced his candidacy from a musuem on January 19. As in the past, Branstad needs this campaign to be about what he says and not what he's done.

While Branstad and his allies will ignore facts and try to rewrite history, the record is clear. The 1980s were very tough on this state. That makes it even more important that the facts are available to every Iowan.

Here are just a few parts of the Branstad record:

  • Branstad raised the sales tax – twice! In his first year in office, Branstad raised the sales tax by 25%.[1] It would not be the last time. He went back to the tax well over and over, increasing the sales tax 67%[2] as Governor.
  • Branstad raised the gas tax on Iowa drivers. Branstad wasn't afraid to add to the pain at the pump for Iowans. During his tenure, he raised the gasoline tax by a total of five cents per gallon.[3]
  • Terry Branstad even proposed a state income tax on Social Security recipients.[4]
  • Branstad kept two sets of books. Branstad was hammered in the press and public for keeping two sets of books for the state[5] and running up a deficit of more than $400 million.[6] These days, voters will not tolerate this type of "creative accounting."
  • Branstad's employees had to sue him to get what they had earned. When, during his tenure, Iowa’s budget was in deficit, Branstad decided to balance the budget on the backs of hardworking state employees. They were denied pay they had earned, sued Governor Branstad - and won.[7] Getting Branstad to do right by employees was never an easy task.
  • Branstad used to think bonding was fine. Branstad now criticizes the Culver/Judge Administration for stimulating Iowa's economy through the I-JOBS bonding package. Branstad fails to tell Iowans he used the bonding practice for state projects.[8] Throughout his tenure, Branstad embraced bonding, a practice he now conveniently condemns.

Terry Branstad can try to hide is record in favor of revisionism, but Iowans know better.

[1] -- http://www.iowa.gov/tax/taxlaw/TaxHistory.html#Sales
[2] -- http://www.iowa.gov/tax/taxlaw/TaxHistory.html#Sales
[3] -- http://www.iowa.gov/tax/taxlaw/TaxHistory.html#Motor
[4] -- Des Moines Register, 1/11/84
[5] -- Washington Post, 6/5/94; Cedar Rapids Gazette, 4/20/94; Cedar Rapids Gazette, 1/4/92
[6] -- Bond Buyer, 5/7/93
[7] -- Associated Press, 3/26/92
[8] -- Des Moines Register, 6/13/04; Cedar Rapids Gazette, 7/22/94; Bond Buyer, 5/4/89; Cedar Rapids Gazette, 3/20/92

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