David Vaudt is Iowa’s Auditor. A Conservative Republican, he has consistently provided an unbiased, unvarnished view into the realities of Iowa’s financial planning and execution. If anyone knows the score and knows what is required right now, it is David. I think we all know that more needs to be done, and that it is imperative that we stay out of the Rainy Day Fund. And that we don’t go doing something really stupid like selling off the Lottery.

Following are some comments from Senator Paul McKinley:

Senate Republicans Applaud Auditor’s Commitment

to Fiscal Responsibility, Sustainable Budgeting

Had governor, legislative Democrats heeded Vaudt’s advice during the past two years, Iowa’s fiscal condition would be significantly stronger today

DES MOINES, IA – Senate Republican Leader Paul McKinley (R-Chariton) today issued the following statement commending Auditor David Vaudt today as he renewed his warnings to lawmakers and the governor that tough and significant spending cuts will need to be made to stave off a potentially disastrous budgetary crunch:

“For the past two years, the [...]

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Tags: 2009 Budget, David Vaudt, Iowa Auditor, Iowa Lottery, Rainy Day Fund

You can view Peter’s newsletter here.

Peter poses some great positive ideas for improving the current economic state of affairs in Iowa, with particular and appropriate emphasis on our need to reduce state government spending:

These cuts should be a positive thing for the taxpayers of Iowa. Like any business that goes thru [sic] hard times, the cutting of excess can make government leaner and more efficient in the long run.

This should be a message spread throughout the States’ and Federal Legislatures: part of our problem has always been too much government spending, too much bloating in the government, too big a trough for elected officials to feed on and build electoric favoratism to ensure a nice long career as a politician.

Although I haven’t [...]

Monday January 12 will be the opening session of the 2009 General Assembly. This year’s session timetable is here. As was the case the pass two years, both the House and the Senate have Democratic majorities.

We urge you, as the session progresses, to take the time to communicate with your elected representatives. Go to this link, and find your representative’s name, click on it, and you’ll get phone numbers, email addresses, information about committee assignments and links to bill sponsorships. I will be in contact with Peter Cownie and Pat Ward, the House and Senate members who represent me here in West Des Moines.

I exchanged emails with Peter last week. This is his freshman years in the Statehouse, and he managed to get assigned to Appropriations, Economic Growth, Educatio nand Labor committees, and on Appropriations, he is the ranking member of the Economic Development subcommittee. He told me that this year is pretty much all about the Budget.

Which leads me [...]