Culver doing good job, deserves re-election

Chet Culver is doing one of the best jobs of any governor. Despite very tough circumstances, the flood disaster of 2008 and the national economic recession, Culver has been doing a good job supporting the creation of quality high-wage jobs. This is especially true in areas like renewable energy, information technology, advanced manufacturing, agricultural and biomedical research.

Iowa's unemployment rate is ninth lowest in the country. In April, Forbes magazine ranked Des Moines as the best place in the country to do business. Cedar Rapids ranked 13th. In July, CNBC ranked Iowa as the sixth best state to do business.

Since 2007, the states Department of Economic Development, for which I serve on the board, has helped more than 250 businesses locate or expand in Iowa, representing $5.3 billion in capital investment and creating or retaining more than 20,000 jobs. Some of the best-known projects are IBM, Google, Microsoft, Pioneer Hi-Bred, Principal Financial and TPI Composites.

Locally, the department has helped 22 companies add or retain more than 1,200 jobs in Linn County, including ones at Rockwell Collins, Genencor, Diamond V Mills, Penford Products, Quaker, Bimm Ridder Sportswear, Raining Rose and Stamats Communications. Culver also has directed significant amounts of I-JOBS money to Cedar Rapids for the many local building projects under way (funded by bonds paid off with gambling revenue, half of which comes from non-Iowa residents).

For jobs and the economy, for Cedar Rapids, vote for Gov. Culver.

John Bickel

Cedar Rapids