DES MOINES – The Republicans in charge of state government continue to break promises to create jobs and increase family incomes, Iowa Senator Pam Jochum of Dubuque says.
In 2009, Governor Branstad and Lt. Governor Reynolds promised to create 200,000 jobs in five years, Jochum says. After more than six years, Iowa has gained fewer than 126,000 jobs, which is slower than the rate of job growth in the country as a whole. Instead of working on legislation to create jobs, Republicans are pursuing a partisan agenda that ignores the best interests of hard-working Iowans.
“Far from increasing Iowa incomes, Republicans are casting vote after vote that will lead to job losses and lower incomes for Iowa families,” Jochum complained.
She says “Democrats believe we should work together to raise wages and increase incomes for Iowa families, not lower them.”
According to Jochum Republicans have:
- Refused to help small businesses and farmers who would benefit from coupling with federal tax code changes.
- Rushed through a collective bargaining bill (SF 213) that directly hurts 185,000 family budgets and will undermine the economies of the communities where they live and shop.
- Approved a miserly 1.11% increase in aid to local schools (SF 166), even though 61% of superintendents warn this will cause teacher layoffs.
- Approved deep mid-year budget cuts to community colleges and public services (SF 130) that has resulted in job losses, higher tuition at community colleges, and the loss of 2,440 scholarships for Iowa students.
- Continue to support the Medicaid privatization mess that has already forced businesses to close and will drive others out of business due to late and non-existent payments by the MCOs.
- Instead of increasing the minimum wage, Republican lawmakers are working on legislation that will directly cut the wages of 65,000 Iowans.
- Republican lawmakers are pushing legislation (SF 184) that will drive down construction wages in rural areas, bring in out-of-state workers to do Iowa jobs, and open the door to building Iowa roads and bridges with materials imported from China and other countries.
- Republican lawmakers are pushing legislation (SSB 1145) that will stop local governments from voluntarily entering into agreements with local contractors—agreements that ensure good-paying jobs, quality work, and cost-effective projects.
Sell your snake oil elsewhere !
Another Hillery lieing zombie ! Walking dead would be more appropriate !
I just looked on the Iowa Job Service Website and there are page after page of job opportunities.
Would you like fries with that? Paper or plastic?
What’s the matter? To hard for you to understand?
Page after page of poverty jobs. ya hoo?
Easier for you to draw welfare and live off other people isn’t it?
Yes, but not as honorable as selling meth on the street corner.
I saw jobs for engineers, medical, I.T., truck drivers, production, retail and on and on.
1 month in office and Trump has created more jobs in 30 days than you lieing demorats have in 30 years. POS Fact check you liberals created more public servant jobs than in the private sector and gave America away to foreign companies.. Your nothing but stupid brainwashed lieing liberals –BE GONE -YOU LOST !
What a bunch of crap, the Schools got an increase and I don’t know of any entry level job in Mason City that isn’t paying more than minimum wage. Pam Jochum doesn’t want to know the facts, just wants to spew her hate.
Anybody in there right mine knows you can’t work with mcdemocrats , they only care pubic employee union jobs to money launder the real workers taxes amongst themselves . They’re a bunch of cry baby’s .
And our wonderful President hasn’t paid any taxes for many, many years.
Bull shit. He pays payroll taxes for thousands, he pays insurance, he pays unemployment tax, he pays property tax, he pays airport tax and all kinds of tax that you have never heard of.
I don’t know about where she lives, but, around here they are begging for help. Sounds like another politician letting her mouth over run her butt.