Fact Check: Branstad’s Ad Contradicts His Record
Don't call it a comeback; we've been here before.
Terry Branstad’s first ad highlights all the same, tired campaign promises Branstad made before, and now that he’s a candidate for a fifth time, he's making them again.
Branstad’s promises from earlier campaigns were aimed more at garnering attention for himself than helping Iowans. He failed to deliver on them as Governor, and he won’t deliver on them now.
THE PROMISE: 200,000 new jobs for Iowans
THE FACTS: Branstad has never once lived up to his promises of job creation. In 1982 he promised to create 180,000 new jobs in five years(1) but less than 100,000 were created.(2) Then again in 1994 he promised to create 300,000 new jobs but less than half that number were created.(3)
THE PROMISE: "Let's grow family incomes in Iowa by 25%"
THE FACTS: Sixteen years ago Branstad promised to raise median household income in Iowa to $40,000 in four years, but failed.(4)
THE PROMISE: "We should again give our children the best education in the country."
THE FACTS: Branstad promises a world-class education for Iowa's children, but facts show otherwise. From the mid-1980's to mid-1990's the high school graduation rate fell by 5%, reading scores dropped and teacher pay plummeted from $1,700 to $5,000 below the national average.(5) If that isn't bad enough, Branstad has now come out against publicly funded preschool.
THE PROMISE:" The cost of government must be reduced by at least 15%."
THE FACTS: Terry Branstad increased the state budget in every year but one of his 16 years in office. He more than doubled state spending from $2 billion to over $4 billion.
Sources:
- Des Moines Register, 01/21/2010
- Iowa Workforce Development, "Seasonally Adjusted (Rounded) Summary 1976-2008"
- Radio Iowa, 11/01/2009
- Radio Iowa, 11/01/2009
- National Center for Education Statistics