Will Republicans Criticize Branstad for His Bonding Initiatives?
There’s been a lot of talk in conservative circles about the funding for Governor Culver’s I-JOBS plan, the $830 million stimulus package that’s rebuilding roads, bridges and public buildings while preserving and creating jobs in the depths of a worldwide recession. The funding process was to take some money the state took in from gambling, and each year apply that to pay off government bonds the state sold to fund I-JOBS. (We also got an excellent interest rate on the bonds because of our AAA bond rating.)
Predictably, Republicans are misrepresenting the bonding program and using scare tactics to describe it on the campaign trail. It’s all nonsense. Facts are Facts. Guess who pioneered the use of public bonds in Iowa? It was Terry Branstad. In fact, in today’s dollars, Branstad’s bonding projects would actually be as big or bigger than I-JOBS!
Makes you wonder what the I-JOBS critics have to say to old Terry. Will they criticize Branstad’s record now that he officially filed paperwork for run for his old job?