By Michael Schaffer - Managing editor
Republican candidate for Iowa governor, Bob Vander Plaats, of Sioux City, made a campaign stop in Centerville during Pancake Day. And he brought with him the message of creating a competitive business income tax structure, demanding accountability and jobs.
"Any community, large or small, but in particular a community like Centerville, you're dependent on small business and industry," he said. "That's what gives the people here jobs and creates jobs. I think for too often government's been so focused on the big initiatives, the big programs. Like giving out the tax incentives like you've just saw with the film industry."
Vander Plaats said by doing away with film industry tax incentive credits that could go as high as $363 million, the state could reduce corporate income taxes to zero, which would level the playing field and benefit the entire state.
"That would open up all Iowa for business. It would be beneficial for everyone of these store owners here in developing business and growth in Centerville," Vander Plaats said. "When we put such a focus on special interests, specific industries."
Growing Iowa and cities like Centerville requires reducing corporate income and property taxes, less government regulatory interference and a leader who will market Iowa as a right to work state, Vander Plaats said. Given a level playing field, businesses in Iowa would succeed.
Vander Plaats addressed the recent Iowa Supreme Court ruling declaring the Legislature's Defense of Marriage Act passed in 2002 unconstitutional.
"The Supreme Court drove a car without a license," Vander Plaats said. "They cannot legislate from the bench, where they said we'll be a same sex marriage state. There's no law on the books that says that. They can't order all 99 counties to do anything. That only belongs to the executive branch, the governor. They cannot amend the Constitution, only the people here get to amend the Constitution."
He said current Gov. Chet Culver should have issued an executive order halting gay marriage immediately after the Court's ruling in April. Then the issue should have went to the state Legislature.
"Now they either get to make law or they get to pass it off to the people of Iowa for a right to vote on the true definition of marriage," Vander Plaats said. "That's what the executive order is for."
Vander Plaats said some are concerned freedoms are in jeopardy as long as a court is allowed to over-reach and circumvent the other two branches of government.
"You can't continue to let a supreme court go outside of its jurisdiction, or every one of your freedoms is at stake. Private property, free enterprise, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, religion, assembly, national health care...all the freedoms are at risk then," Vander Plaats said. "And our founders were very concerned that's where we'd get tyranny and not liberty. That's where we'd get taxation without representation."
Vander Plaats said if elected he would issue on day one an executive order halting gay marriage in Iowa.
And it's not courts over-reaching, Vander Plaats said. The federal government has no business dictating to the states education standards, in the form of No Child Left Behind, health care reform and energy policy in the form of Cap and Trade.
"We need a governor that's willing to stand up to the federal government and say, 'You're going to drive more business and industry out of this state with this Cap and Trade thing,'" Vander Plaats said. "Especially for a state like Iowa."
This was Vander Plaats first Pancake Day experience, but not his first run for governor, having made runs in 2002 and 2006.
"This is pretty impressive," Vander Plaats said about Pancake Day. "I love communities with a square. With a vibrant square, is what you're seeing here. I think this is Iowa right here."
Vander Plaats, 46, and has wife Darla have been married 26 years and have four children: Hans, Josh, Lucas and Logan.
His educational background includes a BA from Northwestern College and a masters and specialist degree in educational leadership from Drake University in Des Moines.
