Governor says big economic news could be ahead

Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack is hinting at big economic-development news for the state this month. During today’s taping of the Iowa Public televisions program “Iowa Press,” Governor Vilsack predicted February would be marked by several “significant” announcements relating to the Iowa Values Fund. That’s the new program that gives grants and loans to businesses that want to locate or expand in the state. After the “Iowa Press” taping, reporters asked the governor to elaborate on his prediction.Vilsack says a couple projects “have enormous potential” to alter the landscape of the state and the field of bio-technology, nationally and worldwide, and he says the values fund and state economic-development board will be making decisions that’ll welcome bio-tech to the state. Governor Vilsack would not say which companies would be receiving grants or loans, but said the announcements would prove the values fund is working, by creating jobs and revenue for the state.The governor said we know now that 197-million dollars will be generated by jobs already created, and he expects a significant “bump up” from jobs that’ll be created in February. Governor Vilsack says these announcements will underscore why lawmakers shouldn’t shift money to education from the Iowa Values Fund. He says that would be “penny-wise and pound-foolish.”