Another national media outlet has taken note of the work Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Legislature are doing. Real Clear Policy published The State Built on Fiscal Conservatism – Not Federal Handouts by ITR Foundation Policy Director John Hendrickson. John explains how prudent, conservative spending made this year’s tax reform possible.
The Washington Times recently sought out John’s take on the impact of inflation in their article, Rising fuel costs lead to higher food prices, ‘shrinkflation’.
Speaking of Washington…Uncle Sam is broke and the nation is on the verge of a serious debt crisis, if we are not already in one. The national debt currently stands at $30 trillion and rising as the federal government continues to run massive deficits. If Congress passes President Joe Biden’s budget priorities, it is estimated that the national debt will grow to $44.8 trillion by 2032.
Maybe none of this is a surprise but even a state that is run as soundly as Iowa needs to be concerned. It is estimated that the federal government will be sending more than $9 billion to the Hawkeye State this year to supplement funding for Medicaid, education, and a host of other programs.
What would happen if those federal dollars flowing into Iowa were reduced and how can state-level leaders prepare for such an event?
Lots of surveys document the reason for moving, but an interesting one is the United Van Lines mover’s survey, which tracks the company’s data for state-to-state migration patterns.
What is driving people into states like South Dakota and away from states like Illinois? Public policy can’t change the weather, but it can change how affordable retirement is and what types of jobs are available.
It is true that industries which have seen the largest increases in costs over the past few decades, such as healthcare and higher education, are also some of those most highly impacted by government interventions.
Since 1965, when the federal government got seriously involved in healthcare with the establishment of Medicare and Medicaid, inflation-adjusted per-capita spending on healthcare has increased more than six-fold, to an average of over $12,000 per person today.
All Americans agree that healthcare reform is needed but there are many challenges standing in the way. We don’t need to eject government from our healthcare system, but we do need to limit it to those spheres of influence in which it can be most beneficial. We also need to allow space for market forces to deliver better outcomes and lower prices whenever possible. Learn how we can begin to repair a system that is critical to our citizens and economy.
Two months after passing the largest tax relief measure in Iowa history, Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa legislature continued to hold the line on spending by passing a pro-taxpayer budget.
What does this year’s budget look like and what liabilities are putting the squeeze on it leaving little room for other priorities? John Hendrickson weighs in again with an expanded look at our state’s new spending plans.
Iowa’s unemployment rate declined to 3.0 percent in April, which is down from 3.3 percent in March.
Although Iowa’s unemployment rate is good news, strong economic headwinds are going to make continued progress difficult, even with the sound fiscal policies that Governor Reynolds and the legislature have been enacting.
Find out what federal and economic challenges Iowa faces.
After looking at real estate in Utah, an Iowa couple was shocked at Utah’s low property taxes and declared, “Iowa should do whatever Utah is doing!” They are correct. Iowa should fix its broken property tax system with the solution that has worked in Utah for almost four decades.
Learn how Truth-in-Taxation can provide accountability and property tax relief to all Iowans.
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