Campaign Digest

Rants has 10 questions about film credits

There will be plenty of time to assign blame, but Republican gubernatorial hopeful Rep. Chris Rants of Sioux City has 10 questions about the impact of allegedly misspent film tax credits on the fiscal 2009, 2010 and 2011 budgets.

“The books haven't been closed on last year's budget yet, and we already know this year started out in a hole,” he said. “What I want to know is how much more will have to be cut from the budget because of Gov. Chet Culver's lack of oversight.”

He submitted his 10 questions to the Iowa Economic Development Department and Department of Revenue and Finance. They include information on whether the general fund will have to be reduced because of the tax credits, have the tax credit certificates been sold to third parties and have they been authenticated.

For more, visit www.rants2010.com.

Fong calls for passage of transparency legislation

Republican gubernatorial hopeful Christian Fong of Cedar Rapids has called on the Legislature enact the Iowa Transparency Act in response to the Iowa Film Office tax credit fiasco.

“Obviously the Culver administration has failed at almost every level to provide an adequate level of oversight on the tax credits that were paid out under the Iowa film office,” Fong said. “The lack of transparency and accountability in state government may have been averted if we had in place an online transparency system.”

House File 801 was introduced by Republican legislators called for the creation of a searchable online transparency system where anyone could access state expenditures. It passed the Iowa House, but died in the Senate.

Gov. Chet Culver could have used his influence to have put accountability and transparency into state government, Fong said. “Instead he sat back and taxpayers are on the hook for millions of dollars of questionable tax credits.”

For more, visit:

www.christianfong.com.