From Rep. Sharon Steckman of Mason City –
:I am shocked and saddened that our Iowa children and their families are being shortchanged. Free, quality education for all is obviously not the Governor’s priority. Orascom, the Egyptian fertilizer plant had no trouble receiving well over $110 million in tax incentives for a mere 180 promised jobs. Yet with the Governor’s veto pen and the veto of $55.7 million to our schools, he has assured at least 1300 teachers will lose their jobs across the state of Iowa, class sizes will increase, and programs will be dropped.
“Iowa is not in financial difficulty. It is a bit ironic that yesterday the Iowa REC revenue numbers also came out, showing Iowa revenues exceeding projections. Iowa has reserve and surplus funds of close to $1Billion.
“There is absolutely no reason to deny all our Iowa children a quality education.”
Government employers get themselves elected and then go after the money to fund their favorite government institution. Schools!!!
Schools already have more than enough money to educate our children. Educators can not buy off their laziness with more tax funding. Just do your job and quit bitching.
You socialists always want to punish the guy who worked and saved their money and reward the people who don’t take care of themselves. More, more, more is all I ever hear from the Steckman types!
It’s getting old!
No one seems to realize that Branstad is one of the fat cats. He lowered property taxes on commercial property (including all the post office real estate he owns) at the expense of homeowners.
He approved one-time money in 2013 so the Legislature believed he would ok it this time. And it was the House (Republican-controlled) that would not entertain a 2-year budget for schools.
Sad deal–the children deserve better than this. (and I am old–no kids or grand kids involved).
What a hog dog.
Sharon, the Governor is also “shocked and saddened” that you did not do a 2 year school funding budget as required by Iowa law. Also, the extra funding you had passed was “one time money.” How does that work in the budget process that you didn’t do as required by law this year? Are you not going to abide by Iowa law and pass a two year budget again next year and also seek “one time money” again? He vetoed the “one time money,” not the one year budget you passed. Stop trying to pass this propaganda out to people that don’t know the facts of this situation!
Vote Trump !!!
They need more money for free breakfast because there not getting enough of a free lunch !! Hahaha You ever notice the stupidity of it all !! On one hand they say the kids would starve if it wasn’t for free lunches so now they are giving them a carrot stick and that’s suppose to save them ?? Hello there either starving or there not !!
You just answered the importance of education.
It is “their” not “there”
And “they’re” not “there”
Noble effort Anonymous III, but in the above example it’s only “they’re”. “Their” is not applicable for any of the provided sentences / paragraphs. Keep hawking though.
It’s so easy for the idiots who follow these liberals. All they have to do is mention a business making money and they start foaming at the mouth.. So intellectually vacant ….
Do you really have to stoop to name calling just because someone does not agree with you?? It gives your view point no validity at all and makes you sound like you’re in grade school. Grow up!
I’m having a nervous breakdown!! I’m so worried for the children !!
Hahaha what a pike o crap !! Money spent vs. good education has no correlation in the debate!!
What is a pike o crap?? Some kind of fish??
You do know this woman was an educator / school teacher do you not? So yes, I believe she does care about children, and no, I don’t think you at your present education level are qualified to comment on any part of this story.
Ph.D., you’ll have a nervous breakdown if you keep reading comments on this site. Believe me, it doesn’t work to correct grammar/punctuation/spelling errors. I used to try but had to give up. Most of the people commenting against spending money on education appear to be Republicans who paid no attention in school, so of course they’re against education in general.
You educated fellers sure do a lot of belly aching because you couldn’t put more money in your pocket. Got to luv that line item veto! I am thinking all you whiner’s are working in the school system and living off the tax trough.
best Govenor we have ever had
Keep saying that and eventually you will really believe it. He is not the best governor we have ever had. He is big business’s puppet and when your taxes go up next year, you will see that puppet blame someone or something else for the increase.
@OhOh-the taxes have not gone up since he was re-elected. As a matter of fact they have gone down. It they go up it will be because the schools are crying more more more.
So sick & tired of this guy. He cares nothing for anyone but his buddies.
Agreed. Has now closed mental hospitals. Where will these people, many elderly go? He doesn’t care! He said there were problems with the homes and they needed updating. So fix them, Don’t close them!
@Iowa Boy-there were seven patients and 21 employees. If it was your business what would you do?
And you care only about your pocket book. You professor’s are nothing more than welfare beggar’s.
You should have spent more time in that professor’s class. Maybe then you would have learned to punctuate correctly.
Aw look-the P.C. Police are here telling everyone what they do wrong. Do you think you are teaching school??
Kudos to Branstad – tired of being bullied around by these fat cats and their unions – most states and Greece are in deep do do because of fat cat public servant wages -large retirements and other benefits including free health care. F-em..
What she says is BULL. What he vetoed was NEW Money. They have the same as last year plus 1 1/2%. Nothing has changed except the overpaid teachers shouldn’t get a raise and maby some extra manager lose the jobs they never should have had. Now, that being said I agree that he had no business giving our tax dollars to special interest.
So true and sad. I still cannot believe that people voted this bafoon back into office.
Another example of our Governor putting his big business buddies before our school children. He makes sure his special interest “fat cats” get paid doesn’t he.