Ron Corbett
Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron Corbett is suggesting Governor Kim Reynolds has accomplished little in her first 100 days in office.
Corbett faults Reynolds for failing to demand Apple create more jobs in return for state tax breaks and for failing to reveal a state tax reform plan. He also accuses Reynolds and her top advisors of “cooking the books” to make the last state budget look balanced — by counting payments made to the state in July as having been made in June.
“We need a new game plan for the state of Iowa and unfortunately, in the governor’s first 100 days, she hasn’t proposed any policy,” Corbett said this morning. “Her biggest accomplishment is the reboot of the state license plate.”
The state’s $20 million award to Apple was announced on Reynolds’ 100th day in office. Corbett, who has been a candidate for governor for 90 days, said Apple is a great company and he’s glad they’re coming to Iowa, but Corbett told reporters he would have required the company to create more than 50 jobs.
“They’re one of the largest corporations in the world,” Corbett said. “They create jobs on a daily basis and they move jobs around at their various locations, so at a minimum I would have required them to create 250 jobs.”
AUDIO of Corbett’s news conference, 27:00
Corbett, who is mayor of Cedar Rapids, held a news conference on the west lawn of the statehouse this morning, 90 minutes before Reynolds was scheduled to hold her weekly news conference inside the capitol.
A campaign spokesman for Reynolds issued a written statement, saying Reynolds is “focused on building a better Iowa” and has the support of “Senators Ernst and Grassley, Congressman Blum, and Secretary Northey” as well as “over 1,050 county chairs.”
(This post was updated at 10:20 am with additional information.)