Congressman Jim Nussle, a Republican candidate for governor, says it’s too soon to be offering Iowans specifics. Nussle formally kicked off his campaign June 1st, but Iowans won’t decide who their next governor is until November of 2006.”We’re 17 months away from an election…I think too often we’ve got politicians who run around saying they have all the answers,” Nussle says. “I’m listening to Iowans right now and gathering their ideas.” Nussle says he’s outlined “broad goals” but he says it’s premature to propose a specific agenda. In a rare move for a Republican candidate, Nussle did not promise tax cuts in that announcement speech delivered back on June 1st. “That’s the easiest speech, particularly for a Republican to give but just about for any politician, to promise tax cuts or tax reform,” Nussle says. “It’s reforming government — that’s the real chore of governing Iowa that needs to be taken on.” Nussle has promised a “top to bottom review” of state government. He says too often state leaders have called for government reform, but at the city and county level. Nussle says to compound the problem, state leaders then have taken actions that push more responsibility from the state to local governments.
