It’s going to take more than hashtags

Uplifting is good, and Gov. Terry Branstad certainly presented an uplifting package Tuesday at his 2015 Condition of the State address.

An overall theme of working together was attached to a myriad issues affecting Iowans. We can work together to stop bullying, to keep education affordable, to increase government transparency and fix our failing infrastructure. It's inspired some hashtags on social media, such as #TogetherWeCan.

While we've no desire to derail Branstad's unity train, we do believe safe arrival at an agreed upon destination requires a conductor.

The seven statements made by Gov. Branstad on Iowa infrastructure constituted a tiny fraction of his speech. Not one of them advocated a plan forward.

Quoting a study on Iowa's fiscal future, Branstad noted that 'sound infrastructure remains a prerequisite for economic development.”

Lawmakers, he admonished, should harness 'our opportunity to pave the road toward Iowa's future” by finding 'common ground” and passing a 'bipartisan plan to fund the systems critical to our state's vitality.”

Yet Iowa's unity train conductor offered no hint of what the future should hold, or a path to promised prosperity.

'I remain confident we can find a solution together,” Branstad said. 'We Iowans always do.”

With all due respect to the Governor and lawmakers, our state's infrastructure does not offer an unlimited time frame, and its needs have been kicked to the back burner for years.

The backlog of pressing repair needs has a price tag nearing $240 million. And, as each year passes, cost increases and deterioration gets worse.

We understand few politician in today's never-ending campaign cycle wants to be attached to a tax hike. We know the path forward is fraught with pot holes from both sides of the political aisle.

We also know, just as the Governor said, solid infrastructure is directly linked to economic success and public safety. Iowans now relaxing on the unity train deserve a good helping of both.

Working together requires listening to each other. As we noted in our pre-session editorial, organizations throughout the state have listed transportation and infrastructure as part of their 2015 legislative priorities.

Those organizations and all Iowans deserve more than hashtags; they deserve a plan.

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