Friday, September 19, 2008

News From Iowa House GOP Leader Chris Rants

Legislative Pages

Do you know high school junior or senior who has an interest in government or politics? The 2009 Legislative Page Program application is available and due no later than October 3, 2008. This is a great opportunity for western Iowa youngsters to learn new skills, gain real world experiences and gain a greater understanding of our government. If interested, point the students to www.legis.state.ia.us/pageinfo for more details.

Something to think about...

In the wake of all the financial news from this week, I’m not sure if you all saw the governor’s comments regarding the state of Iowa’s economy. He said, "We've got a very stable economy". The governor is not concerned at all about the state of our economy and I find that troubling.
All he needs to do is take one look at downtown Des Moines to see numerous financial institutions and insurance companies that call our state home. All he needs to do is read the paper to see that the largest ethanol producer in the country might be going under. All he needs to do is read his email to know that the 2nd largest city in the state has no downtown due to the summer flooding. All he needs to do is read the bills he signed to know that he approved some of the largest spending increases in our state’s history.

Certainly, I believe we need to keep a watchful eye on the status of our economy here in Iowa to ensure that no matter what happens on the federal level, we’re protected here. But I do not think it’s wise to gloss over the situation, and pretend that nothing bad is going to happen to us before the next president is elected.

The next president will have to "figure out why our national economy is going in the tank," Culver said. "I'm not worried that Wall Street will affect Iowa" in the four months until the next president takes office.

I hope the govenor hasn't forgotten how many retirees and IPERS recipients are watching their nest eggs shrink.

Maybe we should be prepared, just in case.