Governor Tom Vilsack’s taking aim at one of the Republicans who hopes to take his job. Vilsack says Congressman Jim Nussle’s rhetoric about the need to eliminate government waste is off the mark. “We’ve just gone through a very difficult period of time where we’ve had to make very difficult choices. We’ve had to balance budgets. We’ve had to reduce workforces. We’ve had to eliminate divisions and departments of government,” Vilsack says. “It really isn’t correct to suggest that there’s a lot of waste or fraud or fat in government. I don’t think that’s the case.” This is what Nussle has been saying on the campaign trail. Nussle says if elected, he’ll order a “top to bottom review” of state government. “I want to make sure our government is citizen-centric and results-oriented so it can effectively meet Iowa’s changing needs,” Nussle says. “It’s time to say goodbye to the state government as we know it, that wastes your taxdollars, is an enemy to development and stands in the way of a stronger, more prosperous Iowa.” One of the Democrats who’s mulling a bid for governor is calling for cutting government at the local level. Michael Blouin was appointed by Governor Vilsack to lead the Iowa Department of Economic Development. “We need to find ways in this 21st century to create quality, futuristic, flexible, adaptable and visionary local governments all across Iowa,” Blouin says. “We’re working with an incredibly old governmental structure in this state.” Iowa has about one percent of the nation’s population, but about six percent of the country’s local governments. Blouin says he won’t “ram change down people’s throat” but will try to find incentives that would make change possible. Vilsack was first elected governor in 1998 and re-elected to a second term in 2002. He is not seeking a third term. “What has to happen in our state is there has to be an honest debate about the future of our state,” Vilsack says. “No matter what achievements any administration can point to, there’s always more work that needs to be done.”
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