(Kingsley) — Governor Terry Branstad and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds made a stop in Kingsley yesterday afternoon promoting their goal of creating 200,000 jobs within five years. The governor told the gathering of 100 plus people that in order to reach that goal, changes would need to be made within the state’s tax structure, including a reform of the corporate business tax.
The governor said he is pleased that the state’s spending has been reduced, and the legislature passed a biennial budget. He said some regulations need to be changed because they are being too restrictive for business growth.
Listen here
{audio}images/stories/mp3/August2011/Branstad2.mp3{/audio}
Branstad says he has now requested each department to submit a jobs impact statement. He wants to review each regulation, and keep those that are essential, and throw away those that are negatively affecting business growth.
The governor was asked to justify his actions for eliminating the money that would have helped finance 35 Work Force Service Centers within the state. Branstad says under his plan, there will be more access to job recruiting and not less.
Listen here
{audio}images/stories/mp3/August2011/Branstad1.mp3{/audio}
The governor told the crowd the National Governor’s Association has already recognized the move as being designated as a “Best Practice”.
Branstad says with the limited resources the state has,it doesn’t make sense to pay people a part-time salary, and to pay rent for a building when the services could be provided in a different manner.
SIBLEY, Iowa (AP) – A Spirit Lake man has died after falling off
a wind turbine in Osceola County. The sheriff’s office says
33-year-old Christopher Paulette was working on the turbine when he
fell nearly 60 feet on Monday. The accident remains under investigation.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The number of Iowans at least a month
behind in their mortgage payments rose in the second quarter.
A report by the Mortgage Bankers Association says the Iowa figure was
5.83 percent, nearly three-quarters of a point higher than the
first quarter. That compares with an increase of nearly a third of
a point nationally, to a nonseasonally adjusted rate of 8.11
percent.
Iowa Bankers Mortgage Corp. President Dan Vessely says that delinquencies normally rise in the second quarter because people spend less in winter and use tax refunds to catch up on their bills. But in the second quarter of April, May and June, people tend to spend on vacations and other spring and summer activities, so they fall behind.
(LeMars) — The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors have approved a proposal that changes the configuration of the voting precincts and the supervisor districts. As it stands right now, with the new adopted changes, Supervisors Don Kass and Mark Lousch would both be residing within the same district. The new districts will go into effect in January of 2012. The County Supervisors are also asking for bids from 14 different contractors to perform the work on the approved new parking lot to be located between the courthouse and the annex.
JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) – The controversial Cy-Hawk trophy will be
replaced. The Iowa Corn Growers Association and Iowa and Iowa State
universities announced yesterday the trophy has been scrapped after
fans complained about the design. Governor Terry Branstad was among
those who questioned why a football trophy would feature a farm
family around a bushel of corn. —
