VANDER PLAATS STATEMENT ON BRANSTAD MOVE TOWARD 2010 REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARY CANDIDACY

SIOUX CITY – Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats issued the following statement concerning former Gov. Terry Branstad’s likely entry into the 2010 primary field:

“I can’t imagine anyone who has followed this long process throughout the summer and now into the fall is surprised by Governor Branstad’s decision today to resign from Des Moines University to continue his move toward an official candidacy. While those who have encouraged Governor Branstad to run have been focused firmly on Iowa’s past, I look forward to continuing my conversation with Iowans about our future. Whether we go forward, as I propose, or somehow seek to return to a seemingly happier past, one thing is clear: Iowa cannot afford to remain stuck where it is right now under Chet Culver.

“I said during my official announcement that I’m in this race to be a transformational governor who limits the size of government, reforms our tax structure to make Iowa far more competitive, sets our education system on course to become the world’s leader, and demands excellence from every dollar we spend on public services.

“I entered the race so Iowans will have a governor who makes sure our state will be a bridge to anywhere and a place where the top companies in the world want to locate, grow and thrive.  I entered the race to create a vibrant economy that can only come as a result of having a governor who energetically defends our right-to-work laws and reforms a tax structure and regulatory system that has thwarted business growth for too long.

“I’m running for governor because we must balance the state budget without tax increases and set us back on firm financial footing.  I have the courage, determination and ability to get that job done because I’ve been a turnaround CEO with front-line experience in education and human services, which are the two largest areas of our state budget.  I’m running for governor to reduce the tax burden on Iowans instead of increasing it as we’ve seen happen for so many years as the Culver administration and its predecessors have steadily grown the size of government. I’m running for governor to oppose the relentless expansion of gambling across our state, which started in the 1980s and continues today.

“I’m running so Iowa will have a governor who stands up for true conservative principles. I’m running so Iowa will finally have a governor who supports a culture of life from conception to natural death, and so I can appoint a lieutenant governor who is as passionate about that foundation of society as I am.

“Today’s announcement by Gov. Branstad does nothing to change the reasons for my candidacy.  I look forward to an open and honest debate of the issues during what will certainly be a most interesting and lively primary campaign. So, let me be absolutely clear about this: My name will be on the June 8, 2010 Republican gubernatorial primary ballot no matter who is in the race.”

VANDER PLAATS: IMPACT ON PUBLIC SAFETY PROVES CULVER’S ACROSS-THE-BOARD BUDGET CUTS AREN’T LEADERSHIP

DES MOINES – The devastating impact of Gov. Chet Culver’s across-the-board budget cut on public safety puts law enforcement personnel at greater risk and proves “all spending cuts aren’t equal but his failed leadership is now undeniable,” Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats said today.

“The consequences on Chet Culver’ fiscal mismanagement have been building for months. He’s waited and waited and waited to take action while publicly saying he hoped things would get better. That procrastination and lack of leadership have made a bad situation worse. Hitting the Department of Public Safety with a massive budget cut likely to result in law enforcement personnel being laid off is about as bad is it can get,” Vander Plaats said.

Public Safety Commissioner Gene Meyer said Tuesday that one option for dealing with Culver’s mandated 10-percent cut is to lay off approximately 100 sworn officers and civilians and to require all employees to take 13 unpaid furlough days. Without the furloughs, Meyer said 169 officers and civilians would need to be laid off if furloughs aren’t possible.

“Whichever way the department is forced to deal with the situation, there’s no doubt that more trooper positions will be left open through retirements and other moves because Chet Culver didn’t set the right priorities. Our troopers are already stretched thin and are in life-threatening situations every day. There’s no other way to say it: Chet Culver’s budget mismanagement will endanger the lives of the very people we count on to protect us. It’s also bound to lengthen response times to accidents and other emergencies and that will endanger citizens’ lives, too.”

Vander Plaats has urged Culver since June to work with legislators to reduce the impact on essential services by cutting back on other state spending.

“I’ve said it before: I don’t mean any disrespect to my 12-year-old son, but he could make an across-the-board cut. It doesn’t take a lot of thought to do one. Unfortunately, that’s all this governor seems capable of doing,” Vander Plaats said. “Iowa desperately needs a governor with the courage to address our problems head on. We need a governor who will work with legislators, state agencies and the public to rein in spending and focus our limited resources so we’re not putting lives in danger because our public safety budget gets the same treatment as every other project out there.”

RATLIFF, DES MOINES PASTOR AND PRESIDENT OF IOWA/NEBRASKA NAACP CONFERENCE, TO CO-CHAIR VANDER PLAATS CAMPAIGN

DES MOINES – The Reverend Keith A. Ratliff Sr., pastor of the Maple Street Missionary Baptist Church and president of the Iowa/Nebraska Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, today announced his support for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats and will serve as one of the campaign’s co-chairs.

Speaking at a morning news conference at the Statehouse, Ratliff, who supported Democrat Gov. Chet Culver’s 2006 bid, noted that his support for Vander Plaats is “an individual decision based on Bob’s commitment to improving our educational system, economic opportunities for all Iowans and ensuring that our criminal justice system is equal to all.”

He added, “I know that Bob Vander Plaats is not afraid to stand up for what is right. That takes courage. He has what it takes to be a fiscally responsible governor who gets Iowa’s financial house back in order, but there is so much more work to be done,” Ratliff said. “I’ve heard Bob talk about economic empowerment for all Iowans. He’s talked about reviewing our criminal justice system. He’s talked about getting more results from government with less money. He’s talked about the importance of defending the institution of marriage. And, most importantly, he won’t just talk about those things he’ll do something about them. That takes backbone and determination. That’s what I want in my governor – and that’s why I’m standing here today to show my support for him.”

Ratliff, who has been in the ministry 31 years and pastored 29 years, is involved in numerous social and community causes. He is the state historian for the Iowa Missionary and Educational Baptist State Convention and Affiliated Churches. His church opened Joshua Christian Academy this fall to provide parents and students with the option of Christ-centered education in Des Moines’ inner city.

Ratliff also is a national board member with the NAACP, which is the nation’s oldest and most respected civil rights organization. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Simpson College in History/Education and earned his master’s degree from Drake University in religious leadership. He recently retired as a senior engineering analyst at John Deere Des Moines Works, where he has worked for 33 years.

Ratliff and wife Deborah have been married for 31 years and have five children. He has been the recipient of numerous honors for his community service, including the Des Moines Area Religious Council Interfaith Service Award, Fraternity Omega’s Citizen of the Year Award, Des Moines Human Rights Commission Award, Black Ministerial Alliance Community Service Award and induction into the Iowa African American Hall of Fame in December, 2003. The City of Des Moines proclaimed April 17, 1994 as “Rev. Keith A. Ratliff, Sr. Day” and he was awarded the Key to the City of Des Moines.

“I’ve been honored to know Reverend Ratliff and impressed by his years of dedication to serving others. He’s a rock who is the foundation upon which so many others have built a solid future,” Vander Plaats said. “He makes a difference in people’s lives every day. He makes his city and our state a better place each and every day. I’m truly humbled by his support and his confidence in me.”

VANDER PLAATS STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO CULVER’S ACROSS-THE-BOARD BUDGET CUT

DES MOINES – Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats issued the following statement in response to Gov. Chet Culver’s 10-percent, across-the-board budget cut announced this afternoon:

“When I was growing up in Sheldon, my Dad always used to say to me, ‘Don’t start something you can’t finish.’ He said that because he knew it was especially important that you don’t let people down when you make a promise to them. Chet Culver started a lot of things with the state budget he signed that he just can’t finish. It’s not the result of the national economy; it’s the result of his failure to contain spending even as he was being warned the recession was going to hit Iowa hard. As a result, a lot of people are going to be hurt. State employees are going to pay a high price for his fiscal irresponsibility. Iowans who were counting on state services because of the promises inherent in the budget he signed into law are going to feel a lot of unnecessary pain and suffering. And, property tax payers are going to feel the impact of this action, too.

“Chet Culver once again has proven that his procrastinating when it comes to taking on problems has only made them worse and worse. The idea that the Department of Corrections, for instance, must make a $40-million reduction three months into the fiscal year really means the cuts are deeper than 10 percent.

“If I had been governor I would never have approved the exorbitant spending increases over the past few years that got us into this trouble. I would’ve exercised foresight and caution rather than increasing the state budget roughly 18 percent in the past few budget cycles at the same time Iowa families and businesses were being forced to cut their own budgets.

“Finally, it doesn’t require a lot of leadership to make an across-the-board cut. It’s an easy way out. It says outdated and ineffective programs are just as important as public safety, human services and education. Going forward, Governor Culver should be working closely with legislators from both sides of the aisle to prioritize spending and budget cuts. The time of a crisis is where effective leadership matters most. Unfortunately, Chet Culver has already failed the test.”

Vander Plaats Iowa Christian Alliance Video

VANDER PLAATS: CULVER’S “TRAIL OF FISCAL MISMANAGEMENT CUTS A WIDE SWATH ACROSS IOWA STATE GOVERNMENT”

DES MOINES – Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats issued the following statement concerning new revelations that a federal audit has found $2.5 million in questionable spending during Gov. Chet Culver’s tenure as Iowa Secretary of State as well as the opening of a criminal investigation into the growing scandal surrounding Iowa Film Office tax incentives:

“Every day we learn something new about Chet Culver’s complete and utter inability to manage taxpayer dollars. In that light, today’s news reports that the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office may have misspent $2.5 million of $30 million shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Yet, Iowans are stunned by the magnitude of the budget problems this governor has created. He’s a hurricane of fiscal mismanagement that has cut a wide swath across Iowa state government.

“I’m tempted to paraphrase the late Everett Dirksen and say, ‘A million here, a million there, pretty soon, you’re talking about real money.’ But in Chet Culver’s case, Dirksen’s actual quote may be more appropriate, ‘A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon, you’re talking about real money.’ That’s because his overspending has created a projected budget shortfall this fiscal year of more than $900 million and at the rate he’s going will take us over $1 billion in no time.

“We need a governor with the determination and ability to rein in state spending. That’s what I’ll do when I’m elected. It’s great that the governor chose to fire people after the Iowa Film Office and Iowa Department of Economic Development approved what could be millions in questionable expenses but the smarter thing would have been to never let the situation happen in the first place. It’s a point I’ve made time and again: Effective leaders surround themselves with effective team members. Chet Culver clearly doesn’t get it.”

RASMUSSEN REPORT POLL: VANDER PLAATS LEADS CULVER IN HEAD-TO-HEAD MATCH-UP

DES MOINES – Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats has opened a lead on Gov. Chet Culver in a head-to-head match up of likely general election voters, according to a poll released today by the respected Rasmussen Reports.

“This poll reflects Iowans’ strong belief that Chet Culver is simply in over his head and has poor leadership instincts,” Vander Plaats said. “He’s swimming against the tide. As far as the majority of Iowans are concerned, his last day in office can’t get here soon enough. Iowans are going to sweep him out of office next November and a growing number of Republicans, Democrats and independents are joining our campaign to get the job done.”

Vander Plaats, a Sioux City businessman who was the GOP’s 2006 lieutenant governor nominee, leads the first-term governor 43-to-39 percent, the survey of 500 Iowa voters indicates.

The polling also shows that 50 percent of voters have a somewhat unfavorable or strongly unfavorable opinion of Culver. In fact, 27 percent of voters say they have a strongly unfavorable opinion of Culver’s performance. Meanwhile, 17 percent had a strongly favorable opinion of Culver, 26 percent have a somewhat favorable opinion and seven percent were unsure.

Fourteen percent of the poll respondents had a strongly favorable opinion of Vander Plaats while 31 percent expressed a somewhat favorable opinion, 16 percent had a somewhat unfavorable opinion of Vander Plaats, 14 percent had a strongly unfavorable opinion and 25 percent were unsure.

“In addition to having a better overall favorable rating than Chet Culver, it’s telling that very few voters are unsure how they feel about him. At the same time, a quarter of the people responding to this poll said they need to learn more about our campaign and that represents a big opportunity to increase our lead in this race,” Vander Plaats said.

Widely respected by Republicans and Democrats for its independence and the accuracy of its polls, Rasmussen Reports does not sell its polling services to any candidates or corporations.

Can-Do Conservatives of America Endorse Bob Vander Plaats

ONE DAY AFTER CHET “WHAT, ME WORRY?” CULVER SAYS STATE RETIREMENT FUND IS OK, GRONSTAL SAYS LAWMAKERS WILL ACT

“Latest episode is just more evidence that Chet Culver doesn’t know what’s important or even what’s going on around him,” Vander Plaats says

DES MOINES – Iowa Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal’s statement Wednesday that lawmakers will take action to shore up the ailing finances of the Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System underscores anew Gov. Chet Culver’s failure to understand the gravity of challenges facing the state and his inability to provide effective leadership, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats said today.

Responding to a report from an actuarial consultant that IPERS is “in a deep hole” and could require more taxpayer money and sacrifices from the system’s members to ensure its long-term stability, Culver said Tuesday there is “no need for alarm.”

Once again, Culver revealed his only plan is to passively hope things get better as he told reporters, “I doubt that we’ll have to do anything next session other than hope we continue to have economic recovery and that certainly, long-term is going to do the best in terms of our IPERS investments.”

Gronstal and his legislative colleagues obviously disagreed with Culver’s do-nothing approach, saying they will step in to ease the system’s long-term problems, which the consultant said are “highly unlikely” to be resolved by a stock market rebound.

“I don’t know how many times I have to say it until Chet Culver gets the message but hope is not a leadership strategy,” Vander Plaats said in a prepared release. “This latest episode is just more evidence that Chet Culver doesn’t know what’s important or even what’s going on around him. He has poor leadership instincts. He’s like Alfred E. Neuman, the little character from Mad magazine who’s perpetually saying, ‘What, me worry?’ Maybe Chet Culver is not worried but the people who are relying on IPERS for their retirement and the people who are funding it sure are concerned. Chet Culver is part of the problem when more than ever we need a governor who is part of the solution.”

Noting that effective communication is a critical component of effective leadership, the Sioux City businessman added, “It’s no secret that Mike Gronstal and I have our honest differences on some issues but I have no doubt I’ll communicate with him more effectively than Governor Culver has on issues that greatly affect the state’s finances and the future of so many Iowans.”

Vander Plaats applauded Gronstal’s intention to take action in the legislative session that begins in January to address the problems facing the fund that has 312,000 members who are current, former or retired employees of schools, cities, counties and state government. While not announcing specific changes on Wednesday, Gronstal said legislative action is “exceedingly unlikely” to affect IPERS members in the midst of the retirement process but could result in some changes for those who are 15 years from drawing benefits.

“Frankly, that’s the sort of work that Congress should be doing right now to fix Social Security’s long-term problems,” Vander Plaats said. “I’d urge Senate Majority Leader Gronstal to include his Republican colleagues in the process of reforming IPERS but I commend him for taking steps in the right direction and I wonder what it’s going to take to wake up Chet Culver to the real world around him and his responsibilities.”

VANDER PLAATS: SET UP FUND TO REPAY CULVER’S I-JOBS BUDGET DEBACLE, SPARE NEXT GENERATION FROM DEBT, GAMBLING HOOK

MANCHESTER, Iowa – Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats said today that he will establish a fund during his first term in office to repay the massive long-term debt created by Gov. Chet Culver’s I-Jobs program.

In remarks prepared for the Delaware County GOP Dinner, Vander Plaats noted that Culver and legislative Democrats approved a plan this year in which the state has borrowed $800 million for a temporary jobs program that will cost taxpayers more than $1.7 billion over the next two decades. In addition, the bonds cannot be repaid before 2019.

“We may not be able to repay the bonds for at least 10 years but we can create a bond ‘sinking fund’ to repay them. That means we put money into a fund that, with proper investment, earns interest at a higher rate than is being charged on the bonds and we pay back the bonds through that fund,” Vander Plaats said.

He explained, “There are several very big benefits to that approach. First, we don’t kick the can down the road so that future generations are stuck paying this debt. Second, by providing for the I-Jobs repayment now we don’t restrict our future ability to fund state priorities like public safety, infrastructure, education and economic development and human services in coming years. Third, we release Iowans from forced addiction to gambling and gambling revenues through 2019 because we no longer are forced to rely on those dollars to repay a long-term debt. Finally, we send the message that a new era of fiscal and social responsibility has arrived in Des Moines. It makes it clear that we will live within our means and we will pay as we go.”

Former State Auditor Richard Johnson, who serves as Vander Plaats’ state co-chair, noted today that the sinking fund is a debt management and reduction tool often used by a number of nonprofit organizations and for-profit businesses.  “Again, Bob Vander Plaats leads with an executive mindset that focuses on solutions versus hurdles,” Johnson said. “His plan to establish a payment mechanism for the I-Jobs bonding is fiscally prudent, needed and doable.”

Vander Plaats also took aim at critics who have claimed his hands would be tied as governor because current state officials agreed to a deal in which the bonds cannot be repaid for at least 10 years.

“It’s always important to take things with a grain of salt, especially when it comes to the I-Jobs program.  You’ll remember that Governor Culver claimed it would create or retain as many as 30,000 jobs. It wasn’t long after that an Iowa State University economics professor calculated the number of those jobs at a few dozen over 4,000 and a Heritage Foundation researcher backed him up,” Vander Plaats said. “It wasn’t surprising that Governor Culver exaggerated the benefits of that program more than eight times over yet refuses to take responsibility for saddling the next generation of Iowans with the bill.  I’ve said before and I’ll say it again: Chet Culver’s problem is that he has poor leadership instincts.  Unfortunately, his problem is Iowa’s problem, but we can make amends next November by voting him out.”