MCKINLEY MEMO: On Jobs, The Voting Record Does Not Lie

Iowa Capitol

For many Iowans, the upcoming three day Labor Day weekend and the picnics and community celebrations that accompany it act as a symbolic end to summer. It becomes one last great opportunity to get together with friends and family while the weather is still hospitable.

However, Labor Day is also historically a time to celebrate the accomplishments of the American worker and entrepreneur. It was hardworking Americans from all walks in life who built this country into the great nation it has become because they believed in creating better lives for themselves and their families.

Now, as we embark on this Labor Day at a time when many Iowans and Americans are unemployed and hurting economically, politicians are again talking about what can be done to get more jobs created.

In the past few years, we have had President Obama and Democrats in Washington promote huge stimulus spending and the promotion of ‘green jobs’ as their chief answer to putting more Americans back to work. (Remember the President’s promise that unemployment would not rise above 8 percent if his stimulus package passed?) In Iowa, legislative Democrats and Governor Culver did the same thing on a smaller scale by creating the I-JOBS program and promising 30,000 new jobs.

What has happened?

American unemployment has shot up to over 9 percent, our debt has gotten out of control, many green jobs initiatives have gone belly up and Culver’s 30,000 I-JOBS promise turned into 30,000 jobs lost during the time frame it was implemented.

The big spending proposals and “green jobs” proposals sound nice – but what have they honestly stimulated other than more debt?

So what do we need to do and where do we go from here?

The way forward is not more government spending and then allowing bureaucrats to dole out the money by picking winners and losers as is often the case.

Instead, we need policies that encourage private sector job creation, responsible budgeting, lower taxes and common sense rules and regulations. We need to reform our education system so our kids can compete in the global economy. Senate Republicans, many of whom are former or current employers, understand this and that is why we have fought so hard to empower and encourage the private sector and small businesses.

With a failed record and flawed philosophy coming from both D.C. and Des Moines Democrats, is it any surprise that a new voting record report released late last week by one of the state’s largest business organizations revealed that that all 26 Iowa Senate Democrats voted consistently against private sector job creators, while all 24 Senate Republicans boasted stellar pro-jobs voting records for the 2011 Iowa Legislative session?

The report, published by the Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI), evaluated all 50 State Senators on nine key votes and all 100 State Representatives on ten key votes based on priorities and policies established by the association’s 1400 members who employ over 300,000 Iowans.

Nineteen Senators and 56 Representatives – all Republicans – earned perfect 100 percent scores for the 2011 session. The other five Republican Senators earned scores of 87 percent or higher. Not a single Senate Democrat earned a score above 44 percent, with several scoring even lower. A shocking statistic considering there are over 100,000 Iowans out of work.

This voting record report further highlights the stark differences between the two parties. Senate Democrats spent the session voting for more spending and against private sector job creators and Senate Republicans spent the session working to reign in government, lower taxes, inject some common sense into our regulatory climate and put more Iowans back to work.

The full voting records for all Iowa House and Senate members are available by visiting the Iowa Prosperity Project website at: www.iowaprosperityproject.org.

As you enjoy your holiday weekend, your friends and your family – remember that we are reaching a fork in the road and our state and nation must pick a direction.

It is our hope that we take the path that leads to more jobs and more prosperity so when we join together a year from now, more Iowans and Americans will be back working again.

As always, I welcome hearing from you and can be reached by phone at 515-281-3560 or by e-mail at paul.mckinley@legis.state.ia.us

Paul McKinley

Senate Republican Leader