Vander Plaats: Culver shows 'utter lack of leadership'

Gov. Chet Culver's lack of planning and his utter failure of leadership have created a painful and totally avoidable emergency on the part 

of hundreds of state employees and their families, according to Republican gubernatorial hopeful Bob Vander Plaats.

He called Culver's response to Culver's layoff of employees in 28 state agencies, week-long unpaid furlough of 3,258 state workers and his postponement of a decision on cuts in the Departments of Public Safety and Corrections.

“Today's action is the result of the 10-percent, across-the-board cut that he mandated to reduce spending by $565 million. But the fact is he's recklessly increased spending by more than $1 billion over the past two years,” Vander Plaats said.

“When you set priorities, you begin with essential services,” Vander Plaats said. “You protect people who work in the most dangerous situations to ensure Iowans are safe. Chet Culver needs to learn how to set priorities. Just because he's delayed a final decision on cuts in public safety and corrections personnel doesn't mean he's being deliberate or effective.  It simply means he's dragging out an already bad and unavoidable situation of his own creation.”