Branstad speaks with supporters in Cedar Rapids

Former Iowa governor Terry Branstad told supporters that he would work for more jobs, better wages, and less spending at a campaign stop at Kirkwood College last night.

Just under 50 supporters braved last night's ice storm to see the former four-term governor speak at his fourth event yesterday after he made stops in Mount Pleasant, Muscatine and Bettendorf as a part of his four-day long campaign kickoff tour.

Branstad told the crowd of supporters that he would work to bring 200,000 new jobs to Iowa, increase average income for Iowans by 25 percent in the next five years, all the while cutting government spending by 15 percent. The key, Branstad said, was creating a climate that is friendly to potential business.

“Jobs aren't created by government, but the government can create a tax environment that will grow jobs,” Branstad said. “The current governor is creating impediments for job growth.”

Unemployment in Iowa is approaching 7 percent, the worst the state has seen since 1986, when Branstad was in his second term as governor. He said that his experience, and his hands on approach to attracting businesses to Iowa, like he did with Toyota Insurance in Cedar Rapids, will pull Iowa out of the economic slump its seen since Gov. Culver was elected in 2006.

“Governor Culver's I-Jobs plan was exactly the wrong thing to do,” Branstad said. “He spent too much money for little return, and then had to make cuts to services with a meat ax.”

Jeff McDowell, 47, of Iowa City voted for Branstad in 1982 and said he'll do it again for this year's primary.

“It's good to see him back,” McDowell said. “He left the state with a huge surplus and now look where we are.”

Linn County Supervisor, Brent Oleson, was there supporting Branstad's campaign for the Republican Party's nomination, saying that unlike the other three candidates, Branstad is capable of reforming state growth and spending.

“He's been here before,” Oleson said. “He took us out of the farm crisis and he'll get us through this.”