(Radio Iowa) – Four of the five Republicans running for governor participated in the final T-V debate before the June 2nd Primary and offered ideas for balancing the state budget rather than depend on reserve funds to cover big revenue dips due to income tax cuts.
Businessman Zach Lahn says he’d cut wasteful state spending and end tax breaks for businesses that are laying off workers. “Before we cut services of Iowans, the thing that we need to make sure we’re doing is spending money responsibly,” Lahn said. State Representative
Eddie Andrews says he’d increase support of Iowa entrepreneurs. “The fifth word of the Bible is create — ‘in the beginning God created,'” Andrews said. “We have that creative ability here in Iowa and I want to unleash that on day one.”
Pastor Brad Sherman says if Iowans are given more access to information about state spending, they’ll press for action. “Then we can push all these changes to the local level,” Sherman said, “because one size from Des Moines doesn’t fit all.”
Former state agency director Adam Steen says he’d cut business regulations to spur economic growth and cut the number of managers on the state payroll. “The key is we make sure Rob Sand doesn’t come back into office so we don’t end up with a Chet Culver era of literal deficits,” Steen said.
Sand’s the only Democrat running for governor. In 2009, Culver ordered a 10 percent cut in the state budget after a big drop in state tax revenue. Congressman Randy Feenstra, the other Republican running for governor this year, declined the invitation to participate in the debate. It was broadcast last (Tuesday) night by K-C-C-I in Des Moines and Gray T-V stations in Sioux City, Cedar Rapids and the Quad Cities.
