Over the past few days, Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald hit the road on the Iowa Deserves Better Tour to talk to communities in Southern Iowa about the impact of the Reynolds Budget Crisis. Residents came together in concern about the serious cuts being made to critical local services to pay for Governor Reynolds and her Republicans’ Koch Brothers-written agenda.

Highlights from the latest leg of the Iowa Deserves Better tour:

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“ ’Governor Branstad and Lt. Governor Reynolds and the Republican legislature was in such a rush to give major corporations, huge property tax cuts and tax credits,’ Fitzgerald said. ‘We just couldn’t afford it.’ 

He said in 2012, the state had $927 million in surplus and most of that has been depleted.

Governor Kim Reynolds announced cuts in education, courts, healthcare, and public safety.

Resident Louise Orozco said cuts aren’t the answer.

‘We’ve always had such excellent education standards and I feel like we are headed in the wrong direction with not enough money and cutting too many services,’ Orozco said. 

Lee County Supervisor Gary Folluo is familiar with all of this because the county had to cut more than a million dollars from its budget.

But if the backfill dollars get cut from the state, he said it will cause real problems. 

‘It could effect services, it could the effect economic development condition for Lee County,’ Folluo said.”

KHQA: Iowa State Treasurer tours SE Iowa
“ ‘Quit trying to bribe corporations with either huge property tax giveaways, or tax credits and use that tax money to build our schools, pay for our courts and bring Medicaid operations back within the state government where it’s operated efficiently where we take care of our folks,’ said Fitzgerald.”

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“Fitzgerald said the state budget has been hurt through mismanagement and tax credits to large corporations.

‘Republicans have been handing out tax credits like water. In return, they get campaign contributions. But education has been hurt badly,’ he said.”
Nearly every aspect of state government has been hurt because of mismanagement, he added. Medicaid in Iowa recently became privatized, which Fitzgerald called a disaster.

“ ‘This is not how we operate in this state. We need Democrats to be elected, who understand this is our last, best chance,’ he said. ‘If Democrats can take the Legislature, the budget could be balanced again with a focus on helping Iowans.’ ”

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“Fitzgerald said the current Republican majority Legislature is causing Iowans to have a different sort of treasure hunt.

‘Folks are asking themselves, “How come the state is absolutely broke?” The economy is doing OK, we had a surplus of $927 million. Where did our money go?’ ”

“That is a problem, and educating folks is tough, said Fitzgerald, but worthwhile. He said giving hundreds of millions to large companies in Iowa — those who need it least — is not a good use of state funds. The state gives away millions through tax breaks and has to make up that money somehow. Either they tax the rest of us more, or the Legislature cries out there’s not enough money so we’d better cut funding for education.”

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Fitzgerald said the tax cuts made by Republicans are ultimately going to hurt the common man in Iowa while only benefitting major corporations.

“Give everything to these major corporations and then oh, there’s no money left for any of these courthouses, or education, or mental health,” Fitzgerald said.