Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Nussle’s so-called “Hero Iniative” sparked a quick response from his Democratic rival.
In a prepared statement, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chet Culver said Nussle’s rhetoric in support of veterans doesn’t match his record in congress. Culver charges Nussle with cutting veterans funding while he’s been chairman of the U.S. House Budget Committee.
Culver’s campaign also issued a list of proposals for soldiers returning to Iowa from active duty. They include an expansion of what’s called the “Helmet to Hard Hats” program so returning soldiers can upgrade their skills for the job they held before they left. If their job no longer exists, Culver proposes a $10,000 state grant so the new veteran can take classes at a community college.
Culver also proposes additional payments to part-time Iowa National Guard soldiers who serve more than 18 consecutive months on active duty. The Culver camp doesn’t specify how large those payments would be, only that they’d “make up” part of the difference between the soldier’s combat pay and the wage they’d earned in the private sector before deployment.