Branstad’s Blunders: Double-Dipping

Branstad is double-dipping into the state’s coffers by taking both his salary for being governor, and his pension for having been governor. He said he returned to public service out of a sense of duty to fix our fiscal house. Branstad made a covenant with the people of Iowa to do so. He said in his budget address, “Our new covenant between this state and its people does indeed require significant immediate shared sacrifice.”

Branstad was making over $350,000 at DMU, he has been receiving over $50,000 from his state pension, but owed only $16,000 to the state in taxes. So how is taking $50,000 that he doesn’t even need a significant sacrifice? Branstad needs to either put his money where his mouth is, or stop talking out of both sides of it.

Freshman Sen. Mark "Chicken-Man" Chelgren to Repeat 9th Grade

It seems opponents of Iowa’s preschool program could use some remedial education. Adolf Hitler was a Nazi. Heinrich Himmler was a Nazi. Joseph Goebbels was a Nazi. Mrs. Nelson, my preschool teacher, was not a Nazi. Mrs. Nelson taught me to share, tie my shoelaces and read. Mrs. Nelson did not teach me the tenants of National Socialism.

In spite of what the Sen. Mark “Chicken-Man” Chelgren may believe, the function of preschool is not indoctrination, but education. Preschool equips children with skills to help them succeed. Preschool does not brainwash children into supporting a one world government. Comparing preschool teachers to Nazis is fallacious, inflammatory, and just plain dumb. If opponents of Iowa’s preschool program can’t figure that out, then their tin foil hats must be tarnished.

Still, the specter of indoctrination didn’t keep Sen. Chelgren from sending his kids to preschool. It didn’t keep Gov. Branstand from sending his kids to preschool, or his granddaughter to preschool. Why? Because preschool is good for children.

But preschool isn’t just good for children. A long time ago when Iowa was faced with a budget crunch and national recession, a newly minted Gov. Branstad said that preschool “is key and can save a lot in remedial education in later years… It is a benefit and actually saves money.” [Branstad asks preschool aid. DMR 10.12.1983] Maybe if Gov. Branstad would take his own advice we wouldn’t have to spend so much time arguing the obvious, and could agree that preschool is good for Iowa.