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Vander Plaats Says Tax, Regulatory Changes Needed
Mar 09, 2010
Bob Vander Plaats thinks Iowa is poised to be a powerhouse of the American economy if the right leadership is in place.
‘‘I truly believe Iowa can be the next economic engine in this country,’’ the Republican candidate for governor told members of the Fort Dodge Rotary Club Monday afternoon.
Just one essential ingredient to success is missing, according to Vander Plaats.
‘‘We need a governor to put in the fundamentals to open this state for business,’’ he said.
The candidate said those fundamentals are ‘‘a competitive tax structure,’’ ‘‘a friendly regulatory structure,’’ and a ‘‘governor committed to marketing this state as a right to work state.’‘
Vander Plaats, of Sioux City, said that to make Iowa’s tax rates more competitive, the state should take over the responsibility of paying for mental health services. He added that the state should also pay a greater share of public school district costs. Those steps, he said, would reduce property taxes, especially for businesses.
He didn’t offer any details on how he would seek a different regulatory structure or market Iowa as a right to work state.
But in response to a question from the audience, Vander Plaats offered a glimpse of his approach to leadership.
Asked about his ‘‘appetite for compromise,’’ the candidate quickly responded ‘‘You compromise my way, I’m all for it.’‘
Then he added, ‘‘I’m not running for governor to lead a party, I’m running to serve the state. I’m not against anybody’s good ideas.’‘
Vander Plaats faces former Gov. Terry Branstad and state Rep. Rod Roberts in the June 8 Republican primary. He told his Fort Dodge audience that Republicans should pick him because ‘‘I can win.’‘
He claimed that nominating Branstad would amount to giving Democratic Gov. Chet Culver a second term because Branstad has a long record for Democrats to attack.
‘‘The beauty of my campaign is that I don’t have a record,’’ said Vander Plaats, who has never held an elected office.
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