Governor presses Senators to move on economic development fund

Governor Tom Vilsack’s putting pressure on state Senators, urging them to vote to create a new state economic development fund that’s already been approved by the Iowa House. Vilsack says Iowans are hard workers, and it’s time for the Senate to “do the hard work” that the House has done and his office has done so that state government can do what it can to help put Iowans to work. Vilsack says Iowa has a responsibility to lead, and Iowa can get a head start on other states that’re struggling with major budget deficits.Vilsack says Iowans are looking to the state Senate to finish the job. Vilsack is willing to compromise and accept an idea that’s growing more appealing to Senators — raising the state cigarette tax to finance an eight-year, 500-million dollar economic development effort.The House approved an 810-million dollar economic fund that would be financed by a combination of gambling taxes and Internet sales taxes. Vilsack made his comments this morning in Dubuque, where he appeared with Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle who couldn’t resist a little razzing about former Iowa State basketball coach Larry Eustachy who resigned yesterday amid controversy over published photos which showed him drinking with college coeds. Doyle says Wisconsin still has its successful basketball coach, to which Vilsack replied that Wisconsin wouldn’t have a football coach if it weren’t for the University of Iowa where Badger head coach Barry Alvarez got his start under former Hawkeye coach Hayden Fry.Tom Berryman, WDBQ, Dubuque