Paul McKinley for Iowa

Des Moines Register: Additional Safegaurds Needed in Jobs Program

The governor really needs to jump on this when we're talking about the budget of this state being nearly a billion dollars in deficit next year," said Senate Republican Leader Paul McKinley, R-Chariton.

"When politicians talk about pet programs, they always oversell, or it appears that they do, in order to get approval, and oftentimes we see them underdeliver," McKinley said. "That's why, when it's the public's money, it's absolutely critical that there be transparency and accountability."

To read the rest of the article on The Des Moines Register website, click HERE

Ottumwa Courier: McKinley: Tactical Errors by Dems will help GOP in next election

OTTUMWA — Senate Minority Leader Paul McKinley believes Iowa Democrats made tactical errors during the 2009 session that will help his party in the next elections.

Democrats control both chambers of the Iowa General Assembly as well as the governor’s office. Party leaders laid out an ambitious agenda for the 2009 session but fell well short on issues like changes to Iowa’s labor laws and tax code changes. Several of those misses, like the failed move to revoke federal deductibility when paying Iowa taxes, were high-profile whiffs.

McKinley, R-Chariton, credited Iowa residents with rejecting those measures and making it difficult for Democratic leaders to round up support from their members.
“I think the people of Iowa are the ones who dealt the Democrats the defeats,” he said during an interview with the Courier Monday. “It was a very leftist agenda.”

To continue reading this article on the Ottumwa Courier website, CLICK HERE.

Sioux City Journal: Record spending, citizen frustration define this year's legislative session

As the dust settles on the 2009 legislative session, Iowans are just beginning to comprehend the extent of the modifications made to the state. With approximately three million Iowans serving as the employers and one governor and 150 legislators as the employees, how would the people of Iowa grade the work of their employees this year? I believe it is necessary to provide the employers with some much needed perspective.

Throughout this session, Republican senators have listened to and corresponded with literally tens of thousands of Iowans and one dominant theme has surfaced: Iowans are wondering if their legislators care about their opinion and about giving them a voice. Government is supposed to be of the people and for the people but oftentimes this session the people were left wondering if this was government versus the people.

When the Legislature finally adjourned after a sleepless marathon weekend of activity, the Legislature, completely controlled by Gov. Culver and legislative Democrats, officially spent more money than any Legislature in the 163-year history of the state. This $6.3 billion dollar budget even trumps the record deficit spending levels enacted during the last two years when the state’s budget grew by an unsustainable 21 percent n nearly a billion dollar increase. Because so much of this new budget was built with one-time federal dollars that will not be available next year, Iowans will be looking at over a $900 million dollar shortfall next session. Families and employers are living within their means and making difficult financial decisions every day, yet Iowa’s politicians refuse to follow their lead and keep government living within its means.

To continue reading this post, CLICK HERE.

May 15 - McKinley's Memos

Governor Culver signed into law a series of bonding bills this week that will add nearly $1.7 billion dollars in additional debt to the state’s credit card. This record level of debt accompanies a recently passed state budget crafted by the current majority party in the Legislature that spends more money than any other budget in the 163 year history of the state.

 

When Governor Culver delivered the annual Condition of the State Address on January 13, he outlined his initial proposal to bond for $700 million dollars. A few weeks later his legislative counterparts, not to be outspent by the governor, rolled out their own debt proposal by adding an additional $50 million to the figure pitched by the governor.

 

Governor Culver said his proposal would create 30,000 “shovel ready” positions, yet when respected independent economists and experts took a look at his ideas, they found that the governor had substantially inflated and embellished his claims. Instead, these experts said the governor’s plans would likely yield closer to 4,000 temporary positions. In some cases, the governor double and triple counted particular jobs. Governor Culver had missed his stated claim by over 700 percent. What is the best way for politicians to cultivate cynicism and skepticism amongst the citizens they are supposed to be representing? Over promise and then under deliver.

 

Even then, the governor embarked on a statewide publicity tour trying to explain to the voters of Iowa why spending so much money and adding so much debt would be a good thing to do during these challenging economic times. There are over 80,000 Iowans who are unemployed, yet this proposal does not address job creation at a time when Iowans are concerned about their economic and employment security. Instead of creating sustainable and permanent jobs, this plan would only make temporary government work. Once the projects are complete and the money is spent, those workers are again looking for answers.

 

Iowans know there is a difference between temporary government created work and sustainable permanent jobs. Knowing that job creation is a top priority for Iowans and understanding that two-thirds of all new jobs created are by small-businesses and private sector employers, Senate Republicans outlined a bold and ambitious jobs creation initiative that would truly grow Iowa and it’s economy – not its government. Unfortunately, since we are currently not in control of the Legislature, the legislation was not even given a hearing – let alone a vote.

 

Not long after, The Des Moines Register unveiled a new “Iowa Poll” showing that 71 percent of Iowans are against bonding. The citizens of Iowa were presented with two competing debt proposals and an overwhelming majority said they were not interested in requiring the state to make regular payments on hundreds of millions of dollars of principle and interest for literally decades to come. This spend now – pay later mentality may provide the governor and his legislative counterparts with a feeling of immediate gratification but it leaves our children, grandchildren and generations of Iowans to foot the bill later.

 

In the final days of the 2009 session, the governor and his legislative allies came to an agreement on how much debt they were going to add to the state’s credit cards. Instead of finding a compromise between the two proposed dollar amounts, the final number was nearly $100 million dollars more and totaled approximately $830 million dollars. Yet, the state will actually only be able to spend $750 million dollars of that sum total because of fees and other bonding charges and expenses. Over the decades to come, the actual total cost to taxpayers will be nearly $1.7 billion dollars.

 

I recognize that government should have a limited and focused role to provide essential services like safe and reliable infrastructure that all Iowans need. However, I also recognize that we owe it to every hardworking Iowa taxpayer to ensure that every dollar is spent wisely and efficiently. Like the vast majority of Iowans, we believe that the best way to pay for important infrastructure projects is to pay for them as money becomes available. Dependable infrastructure is important to Iowa’s economy and to the safety of those who live and visit here.

 

Beyond the $1.7 billion in new debt built up this year, the governor and current majority party also gave their stamp of approval to the largest budget in the history of Iowa. Even as Iowa families and employers were making difficult financial decisions, the Legislature did not follow their lead and tighten the belt on spending. As a result, they have created nearly a one billion dollar deficit that could continue to get bigger if the economy does not start to pick up the pace. It is important to remember that Iowa did not even have a $1 billion dollar budget until 1976.

 

Unlike Governor Culver and party members in the Legislature, Senate Republicans understand that you cannot borrow, you cannot tax and you cannot spend your way to prosperity. They have dug a deep fiscal hole for the state and the best way to get out of it is to stop the out-of-control spending and work to grow Iowa’s economy through the creation of private sector jobs.

 

This time of year is always exciting because our public and private high schools all over the state are graduating their senior classes and those students will go off looking to find a job or obtain more education. This year, those newly graduated seniors will get something extra with their diploma. If those seniors opt to stay in Iowa to find a job and start a family, they will be paying for this new bonding until they are 50 years old and that added spending is just the consequence of one legislative session.

 

Instead of burdening those high school graduates with decades of debt, we should instead be working together to create opportunities for them and their children to be successful. Senate Republicans know that with the right leadership, principles and priorities, we can build an Iowa that will once again the destination for all of those seeking opportunity and possibility.

Radio Iowa Story About Government Reorganization

Republican legislators appear both supportive and skeptical of Gronstal's government reorganization push. 

"If Senator Gronstal and Senate Democrats are truly interested in limiting the size and scope of state government, Senate Republicans are more than willing to offer our suggestions, our experience and our leadership," Senate Republican Leader Paul McKinley of Chariton said in a written statement.  "But after three years of out-of-control spending, the creation of record levels of debt and their track record of constantly growing government - not Iowa's economy, you might say we are a bit skeptical."