Iowans for Tax Relief Back Branstad
- Thursday, May 20, 2010, 3:33
- Iowa, News Center, Top Story
- 1,568 views
- 54 comments
Iowa’s largest and most influential tax relief organization endorsed former Governor Terry Branstad’s campaign yesterday. Iowans for Tax Relief had never backed a gubernatorial candidate in a contested primary before endorsing Branstad.
This is the second major endorsement Branstad has received in the last two-weeks. Last week, State Auditor Dave Vaudt, who also has never endorsed candidates in a primary, publically backed Branstad. Both endorsements help insulate Branstad from recent attacks from his Republican opponents and a liberal group that is trying to influence Republican primary voters.
In endorsing Branstad, Ed Failor, Jr, the president of Iowans for Tax Relief said, “No governor before or since Terry Branstad has done more to reduce the tax burden on Iowa families.”
Failor noted that, as governor, Branstad signed the 10% across-the-board income tax cut for all Iowans. That tax cut is the largest tax cut in the state’s history. He also praised Branstad for eliminating the state inheritance tax for children and grandchildren, and indexing income taxes so inflation does not push Iowans into higher and higher tax brackets.
Failor also pointed out that Iowans for Tax Relief has not always seen eye-to-eye with the former governor in the past. In the late 80’s, Branstad supported eliminating federal deductibility in exchange for across the board tax cuts. Branstad laughed and said that he saw first hand how much Iowans care about the issue. Failor added, “We haven’t always agreed with Terry Branstad, but he’s a learner – he’s a listener.”
Branstad has also laid out the most detailed plan of all the Republican candidates in terms of spending and job creation. He has pledged to veto any budget that doesn’t comply with the state’s 99% spending limitation. He will push the legislature to switch to biannual budgets, while developing even longer-term budgeting plans. Branstad has also proposed reforming and reducing commercial property taxes, along with cutting Iowa’s corporate income tax in half as a way to stimulate the economy.
Additionally, Failor pointed out that Branstad has become a true champion of the need to protect federal deductibility as an essential part of Iowa’s tax code and strongly supports the People’s Right to Vote Amendment to the Iowa Constitution, to give Iowans the final say on future tax increases.
Branstad’s opponents have been quick to question the endorsement because of the tax hikes he passed as governor. While Branstad increased the state’s sales tax twice and also hiked the road use tax, he was a net tax cutter. In the 16 years he served as governor, Branstad reduced taxes on Iowan’s by more than $124 million.
Branstad also has been accused of growing the size of government during his years in office. While also true, his opponents fail to point out that he removed school aid from the backs of the local property tax payer and instead funded it through the state’s general fund. Any time a move like that is made, it will add to the size of the state budget.
Branstad’s most vocal critic, Bob Vander Plaats, has proposed to remove mental health spending from the backs of local property taxpayers and instead pay for those services with state general fund dollars. Doing so would add to the size of the state budget. So, while it’s fair to say that Branstad grew government, it’s also fair to say that Bob Vander Plaats has pledged to grow government in a similar manner.
When asked what Iowans for Tax Relief would do if Branstad wasn’t the nominee, Falior indicated that he doesn’t see any reason to believe that he will not win the primary. He also indicated that, if Branstad were to lose the primary election, his group would obviously look to back Vander Plaats or Roberts since the main goal is defeating Governor Chet Culver.
Failor did take a shot, however, at the Iowa Family Policy Center. IFPC endorsed Bob Vander Plaats, but in doing so stated that under no circumstances could they support Branstad. One of the reasons they cited for this decision was Branstad’s record on taxes.
At the press conference, Failor said, “[IFPC] is an organization that has taken $3 million out of the pockets of the taxpayers. I think they have an arena where they can speak legitimately in, but we represent the taxpayer, and that is the arena that we are legitimate in. In 32 years, Iowans for Tax Relieve has not taken a dime out of the pocket of the taxpayer and we never will.”
Iowans for Tax Relief made it very clear that their top priority is defeating Governor Chet Culver this fall. They also believe that Terry Branstad is the only candidate who can accomplish that goal.
It should be noted that Branstad’s oldest son is presently the development director for ITR, and his campaign manager is a former executive with the group. However, Failor said that ITR is judging Branstad on his record.
“While we have not always agreed with Terry Branstad, we judge a leader’s actions by the end result, and there is no denying he has been a true friend of Iowa taxpayers. Terry Branstad is the candidate who is ready on day one to lead Iowa forward,” said Failor.
“Iowa is in desperate need of strong, proven leadership, and Terry Branstad is the one candidate in this Republican field who can both defeat Chet Culver and then successfully lead a pro-taxpayer agenda through the Iowa Legislature.”
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Craig Robinson serves as the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheIowaRepublican.com. Prior to founding Iowa's largest conservative news site, Robinson served as the Political Director of the Republican Party of Iowa during the 2008 Iowa Caucuses. In that capacity, Robinson planned and organized the largest political event in 2007, the Iowa Straw Poll, in Ames, Iowa. Robinson also organized the 2008 Republican caucuses in Iowa, and was later dispatched to Nevada to help with the caucuses there. Robinson cut his teeth in Iowa politics during the 2000 caucus campaign of businessman Steve Forbes and has been involved with most major campaigns in the state since then. His extensive political background and rolodex give him a unique perspective from which to monitor the political pulse of Iowa.
54 Comments on “Iowans for Tax Relief Back Branstad”
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Kudos to Ed for pointing out the hypocracy of IFPC!!! On KCCI last night they mentioned how many members ITR had and also stated that IFPC refused ro release that info. Could that be because there are only a few from the kook fringe that still claim they support IFPC???
When you look at Branstad’s record objectively(and hold BVP to that same standard), it proves why the former Gov. served for 16 years and has what it takes to pull Iowa out of the financial mud!
IFPC has just $8,804 cash on hand.
https://webapp.iecdb.iowa.gov/PublicView/statewide/2010/Period_Due_Date_19-May/PACs/Iowa%20Family%20PAC_9715/Iowa%20Family%20PAC_9715__DR2_Summary.pdf
Good to see the brain trust over there really dominating in the fundraising…oh wait.
IFPC and Deace claim to be better Christians than others and use the Lord’s name to intimidate others into doing what they want, all the while violating God’s law to not bear false witness.
They have had no moral problem trying to destroy a good man, Gov. Branstad by telling, at best, half truths.
They have had an effect on some who believe those lies and half truths simply because the gullible are influenced when someone uses the Lord’s name. This is the real tragedy of this whole scenario. Some very good people have been permanently damaged.
Good point DVFO. Course, the most damaged are people like Hurley, Carroll, et al who have completely destroyed themselves in all of this, doing unneeded and unnecessary things to completely discredit themselves and set back the marriage issue.
To their credit, they have been everywhere in the news, making themselves seem a lot more powerful than their ZERO membership and $8k in the bank would suggest. It’s funny that people think they are legitimate and have any sway. Amazing, really. Guess the press is looking for a fight anywhere they can find it.
Al: Exactly. These are people of which I had the highest regard. It appears they were willing to sacrifice themselves to appease Deace. The man is toxic. Look at his results. He votes for Obama and brags he’s a better Christian than others. Every Republican who is willing to follow him needs to examine his results. Has Deace ever helped ANY Republican who does not go on his show? I don’t know because I don’t listen to him but the ones he puts in his targets and crosshairs seem to be those who do not go on his show. It’s all about Deace and his cult. IFPC bought into it.
phar·i·see (fr-s)
n.
1. A hypocritically self-righteous person. see also, IFPC or Steve Deace
I’m going to be happy when the primary is over. I disagreed with IFPC’s endorsement, but I’m really sick of reading vitriol in the comment sections. How many of you guys actually know any of the IFPC staff personally?
Like my criticism of IFPC I don’t quite understand why ITR felt it necessary to endorse. Sure Branstad did some good things, but his record is also a mixed bag. Which should have been enough not to endorse. This endorsement smacks of nepotism as well.
Will he be better than Culver? Sure. Who wouldn’t? Any of the three GOP candidates will be friendly to Iowa’s taxpayer, so again the endorsement doesn’t make sense.
I am now less inclined to vote for Branstad. Anything Ed “endorsement for hire” Failor supports I have to question WHY. Follow the money.
I agree with Shane. I can’t wait till this primary is over with. I wish the candidates were Roberts and Vanderplaats. Then, we wouldn’t have all these hateful comments and it would be a more civilized primary. Why did Branstad have to get his old job back again when we had a great field of candidates? Anyone could have beaten Culver.
I wish the candidates were Branstad and Roberts.
Stacia: Are you talking about the hateful comments toward Branstad? I agree.
Stacia, you’re deluding yourself if you thinking “anyone” can beat Culver. It’s going to take someone with strong name recognition who can raise MILLIONS of dollars. No one but Branstad has shown that ability.
Shane, it doesn’t matter if we know the IFPC pharisees personally or not. We know what they’ve said with their mean spirited, hypocritical attacks on Branstad.
These guys have been exposed to be complete frauds. Everything they rail against, are things they do themselves…including taking $3 million in taxpayer money, receiving the backing of people like Romney & McCain, being “human shields” for their candidate, etc.
Glass houses, Shane.
IFPC takes 3 million from the taxpayers and has 8,000 dollars in their PAC account!!! Iowans for Tax Relief is an organization that gets fiscal conservatives elected and has a proven track record of protecting the taxpayer for 32 years. Hmmmmm. Who should I take seriously? As Ed Failor Jr said “No governor before or since Terry Branstad has done more to reduce the tax burden on Iowa families.” The facts are in the record not the half truths the democrats, Steve Deace and the IFPC would like you to believe. Roberts is a great leader and candidate. Branstad is a great leader and candidate. Vander Plaats is a three time loser and has zero grasp on reality. He just spouts off the same lines he’s used for 10 years. He sounds like a televangelist to me.
Rhetoric on both sides needs to be cooled.
Stacia wrote: “I agree with Shane. I can’t wait till this primary is over with. I wish the candidates were Roberts and Vanderplaats. Then, we wouldn’t have all these hateful comments and it would be a more civilized primary.”
- lmao.
Shane, this is what happens in primaries and cauceses. It gets tense. Although, this time seems different and in a very positive way. Aside from Danny Carroll and Bryan English the BVP and Roberts supporters I have taked to say they will all line up and go after Culver.
oops *Caucuses
We do need to come together. Together behind Terry Branstad. Unite as a party and defeat Chet Culver!
This is a huge endorsement for Branstad. With ITR, Vaudt, and Romney he has secured the economic wing of the party. What is the number one issue with voters in 2010? The economy. Branstad is the only Republican that can raise the funds to defeat Culver. I also think everyone needs to remember that election results matter. Branstad is the only Republican that can defeat Culver.
Recently, a good contriubutor to IFPC, and also a Branstad supporter, said it will depend on the actions of IFPC after the primary if this person will continue to contribute to IFPC. I stopped contributing after that meanspirited letter signed by Danny Carroll a year ago.
It made no sense to me to donate to IFPC for them to use my money to prevent Republicans from being elected and then for me to on the other hand make contributions to Republicans I want elected.
I realized then, I need the Republican party more than I need IFPC. I dont need them at all if they’re going to use my money to elect Dims.
While we’re discussing peace and unity, let’s stop the name fracturing. Such things as “Panders Lots” and “Bumstead” may seem clever the first time, and perhaps humorous the second, but after that they mark you as “Junior High.” Or worse, a liberal. If your point has any value it does not need that “spice.” Even though all candidates sometimes take bonehead positions or make bonehead moves, they all deserve the small amount of respect it takes to get their name right.
I’ll include Mr. Culver in that.
Allright. I’ll join in the kumbaya moment.
Henceforth, I will cease with the “Bob Panders Lots” comments & try to refrain from saying anything negative about him.
It would be nice if Stacia, IowansRock, etc. would do the same in regards to Branstad.
It would be nice if we could focus on what the candidates have done & what they stand for, instead of tearing the others down. I’ll do my part.
http://www.iowapolitics.com/index.iml?Article=197169
As long as we’re giving civility lessons, can we also stop calling people who disagree with the executive order bad Christians?
I do believe Craig was called “Judas” for having the audacity to question the executive order.
For those to stoop to that level, me thinks thou dost protest too much…
It’s starting to look like you know this isn’t a great idea, and so you’re resorting to desperate unfounded attacks against those who point out the obvious.
Oh it gets better Scott M…
As Craig was heading in to cover the IPTV debate today…BVP supporters were chanting “Rino” at him.
Talk about classless. If BVP condones this type of ridiculous behavior on the part of his supporters/volunteers/staff…it only proves that he’s not worthy of the Republican nomination for Governor.
I saw a video where Dan Carroll of IFPC implies that George Washington openly embraced Christianity as the basis of morality. No where in any of Washintgon’s writings or of those who wrote of him at the time did Washington mention being a Christian. The local clergy at the time labelled him and most of the other founding fathers Deists (God=Nature). Homosexuality is found in nature. You are born who you are. Only Jewish, Christian, and Islamic religions teach that it is immoral. For the IFPC to claim that same-sex marriage promotes STDs and will spread STDs in straight marriages seems to really be reaching. I wish the Religious Right would stay out of our republican party.
Shane had some good comments above. Comments like that of “bvan” are not Republican or at least did not used to represent Republicans. The Republican Party of today may not longer be the party of our grandfathers.
Dr Kimball, you are a fraudulent, lying, sack of shet! How many times does one have to explain how and why IFPC’s grant monies do not, cannot, and have not been used to influence this or any election and that if they did so would result in the loss of funding, and potential hard jail time and ruinous fines. You are an anonymous poster unworthy of the label “hack”. You are just an outright liar pushing vile untruths.
I am not your typical Republican. I am for small government. I consider myself a conservative, Although I think abortion is wrong, I do not think the government should decide. I would rather see more to prevent unwanted pregnancy through sex education. I think the way to end illegals from crossing our borders is to go after the people who hire them on our side. They seem to get a slap on the wrist. I have guns but I do not kill people. I chose not to kill animals because I prefer beef over venison and I was raised that if you shoot something you better be prepared to eat it. I had no problem with the Indians putting up 3 casinos. I do not think the state should be in the gambling business. I think if you are offended by gay marriage then don’t do it. I am straight. I am retired military. I raised three sons who I am quite proud of. I could not bring myself to vote for McCain knowing Palin was next in line.
So you’d rather have Joe Biden be next in line?
Joe will never be President unless some religious right teabagging nutjob picks up a rifle.
bvan, you are a good republican, but don’t let mainstream media hysteria fool you about Palin, or other conservatives. Our biggest problem with electing presidents is the media and public don’t look at who surrounds the president–the inner circle. Obama is surrounded by narrow minded socialists and anti-American fools. President Reagan surrounded himself with high quality intellects, for example.
After today’s stock market plunge, Obama made (he didn’t make it, someone else wrote it for him) a speech about wall street regulation. Do you think Obama knows anything about the stock market or the private sector? No. He read from a script. Obama has zero experience in the private sector, and very little experience in the public sector. Say your prayers real hard tonight for our nation to survive this nightmare.
bvan. Oops, I was typing and logging my post when I saw your most recent post. Religious nut teabag? Having second thoughts about you now. Can’t we have civil discourse here?
I apologize for the last comment. I just think the outer fringe is giving the Republican party a bad name and we seem to embrace them as if they are mainstream to the detriment of the party as a whole.
Apology accepted. It’s after 6p.m., I lost money in the stock market today, so I’m sipping on a gin and tonic with a wedge of lime.
Wayward, I will take a bit of exception with your defense of IFPC. While technically yes, they are two seperate entities, the fact they recieved $3 million in TAXPAYER dollars(a separate issue that should not be overlooked), freed up their fundraising capabilities immensely because that was $3 million less they had to scrape up to operate “marriage matters”, etc. I refuse to give them a pass just because they make the claim of “Christian”, in my opinion it only amplifies the hypocracy!
shane van derhart “Do any of you people really now the IFPC people?”
Yes, I know Chuck Hurley and Danny Carroll well and I am so disappointed in what these two have done. They have lost all credibility when they say they will not support Branstad if he wins the primary. What, they will vote for Culver? Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. I fear for the future of their organization.
I don’t think we have enough information yet to know whether or not IFPC was using tax dollars improperly. If the money was only used for the marriage mentoring program and only paid the salaries of people solely involved in the mentoring program, they might be okay.
However, if that money was used to pay any portion of the salaries of people like Bryan English, or Chuck Hurley (whose name at the bottom of all of the pro-BVP propaganda), or Danny Carroll anything, then we’ve got a problem, because that means that people involved in the political wing are being paid out of the pot of tax money so that more political money can be used to help Bob.
I don’t know that we have enough details yet to know exactly where the tax money was used.
But, I sure hope someone takes a look at those records to answer these questions.
You can’t say that they didn’t use the federal funds to pay for lobbying. The federal funds that they got freed up other funds that they used for lobbying. So any federal dollar, directly or indirectly, is used for lobbying.
The bigger point here is that IFPC has no business taking tax dollars in the first place. You don’t see groups like ITR or other conservative organizations in Iowa taking public money. They’re self-sustaining, have active donors and they produce results.
IFPC stuck their hands out at the public trough and begged for our dollars, instead of going out and raising it themselves. What “results” has the public gotten from its investment in IFPC?
Unbelieveable!
Brian English just announced on the radio that he has reviewed the complete PAC donation records of “Iowans for Tax Ripoffs”. . Seems that Eddy the “Failure” and his group were MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO CHET CULVER’S LAST CAMPAIGN! Unreal . . . when will the facade of the Polk county “Republican” establishment ever end? . . . better yet . . . when will Iowan’s wake up to the Branstad/Gross ponzie game?
This stuff couldn’t be made up if we wanted to . . . . hipocracy!!!!
Oh my, farmgirl, that _is_ material for lively discussion. Too bad tho that you put it on to a buried thread and over supper time on a Friday evening besides.
Hmm, English didn’t happen to say anything about it being taxpayer’s money, did he?
At this point, Bryan English has ZERO credibility left!
Doggone Timmy, I thought sure you of all people here, wudda been the one to see my subtle cheek-tonguer there.
I got it Con Dem, I was merely jumping in on the previous post. Glad to see you’re still keeping us straight!!! BTW, how have you been?
farmgirl: provide evidence and it should even be easy to provide proof. I do not belive ITR was a MAJOR contributor to Culver. You’ve made an accusation, now back it up.
Indeed…considering one can search the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board’s website and see that there are NO such donations to Culver from ITR in 2006.
Thanks CVN: Why would English lie about something that is so easily disproven? Maybe he’s related to that Blumenthal in Connecticut who misspoke about his Vietnam service.
Or maybe farmgirl lied. Someone lied.
I am sure the apology from farmgirl will be forthcoming. She tried to deceive the readers of TIR and also tried to ruin the reputation of ITR. She must think this helps BVP.
I got the ITR robocall and assumed it was some kind of prank. Nope. Crossed them off my future donation list – should save me some money. Cool.