Posts tagged with ‘Terry v Terry’

Daily Clips: Terry vs Terry roundup

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

Iowa Democratic chairman blasts Branstad’s record
From the Mason City Globe Gazette

State Democrats counter Branstad stop here Thursday
From the WCF Courier

Kiernan launches “Terry Vs. Terry” tour
From the Des Moines Register

 

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TERRY v. TERRY, ROUND TWO: BAD FISCAL CHOICES

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

This is the second in a series highlighting the first primary of the Iowa political season, as candidate Branstad enters a desperate race against time to outrun the real-life record of Governor Branstad.

Terry Branstad is promising Iowans more of the same disastrous fiscal mismanagement that characterized his time as Governor, Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Mike Kiernan said Wednesday.

“There’s just no fiscal common sense coming from him,” Kiernan said. “But that shouldn’t be a surprise to Iowans, because we’re familiar with Branstad’s deficit spending and two sets of books.” In 1992 Branstad ran up a $430 million state budget deficit, as compared with Gov. Culver’s three balanced budgets in a row.

To hide the growing deficit from Iowans, Branstad kept two sets of books for the state and to fill the budget deficit, raised taxes on everyday Iowans. Republican Auditor Richard Johnson criticized Branstad for the practice in 1994, saying a “rational basis” had not been used for keeping the state’s finances. Johnson is now the chairman of Bob Vander Plaats’ campaign for Governor.

By contrast, Culver’s decisive, hands-on approach has kept the state’s budget balanced despite the biggest natural disaster in the state’s history and a worldwide economic recession, Kiernan said.

Branstad’s distaste for hands-on management of the state budget is well-documented. As Branstad was leaving office in 1998, he gave a series of interviews outlining likes and dislikes about the job. His number one dislike? Budget meetings:

Republican Gov. Terry Branstad of Iowa said he won’t miss long, painfully long, meetings deciding what to include, and leave out, of your new proposed state budget. “What I hate the most is when you’re cooped up in the Capitol for that month, or month and a half, putting programs and budget together,’ said Branstad.”
[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 8/9/98]

“Governor Culver’s strong leadership kept the budget in balance and avoided the kind of crisis states like California and New York have experienced,” Kiernan said. “Branstad’s budget-averse attitude really makes him a risky choice for Iowans.”

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TERRY v. TERRY, ROUND ONE: RAISING IOWANS’ TAXES

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

This is the first in a series highlighting the first primary of the Iowa political season, as candidate Branstad enters a desperate race against time to outrun the real-life record of Governor Branstad.

DES MOINES, IA – Candidate Terry Branstad says he wants Iowa’s tax climate to be more family friendly and business friendly. Wait until he meets his main opponent on the issue – Taxin’ Terry Branstad.

“Branstad’s record of raising the sales tax, gas tax and business taxes is not a record that Iowa fiscal conservatives including those who are active in the Republican Party are prepared to endorse,” Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Michael Kiernan said Tuesday.

No Governor in the last 40 years has made steeper tax increases on Iowans than Taxin’ Terry, who served four terms as Governor beginning in the early 1980s. The obvious response would be the Branstads are actually the same person. But candidate Branstad’s future depends on his ability to convince an increasingly restless GOP primary electorate that he is not the same man who repeatedly hiked taxes on hardworking Iowans to fund his mismanagement of the state budget.

This week, Kiernan launched a three-day tour to remind Iowans of the Branstad record. “It all begins with the multiple tax increases,” Kiernan said. “Iowa has a Governor now in Chet Culver who’s made tough choices, acted swiftly and decisively in meeting our challenges and led Iowa through a deep recession and the worst Iowa natural disaster ever – all without raising taxes.”

Kiernan said the Branstad tax record is among the most important issues in the 2010 campaign.
Here are just a few of the facts you can find at TerryLovesTaxes.com:

  • 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]

TerryLovesTaxes.com links to a clearing house of information on the Governor’s race. The site will have new content posted on a regular basis with breaking news and important updates.

Sources:
[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

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