DES MOINES - Branstad is playing politics with the I-JOBS numbers, refusing to take the program or its success seriously. That's no surprise given how Branstad likes to play with jobs numbers to suit his purpose.
"I-JOBS is creating jobs today and creating the conditions for long-term job growth. But Terry Branstad already knows that because, in the past, he's made the case for how programs like this work," said Culver/Judge Communications Director Ali Glisson.
Back in 1983, Ed Stanek, Branstad's Director of the State Office for Planning and Programming, told the Spencer Daily Reporter, in an article entitled "Branstad Eyes 'Ripple Effects,'" Branstad was well on his way to fulfilling his jobs promise because of his investments in infrastructure. [1]
The Spencer Daily Reporter wrote, "As a rule of thumb, one construction job is created for every $25,000, expended on such projects…That will in turn create 70 jobs on the secondary area…"
Using Branstad's math, here's how I-JOBS stacks up:
$875 million invested into the economy
÷$25,000 in today's dollar's equals $55,145
=15,867 jobs created
"When Branstad wants to sell Branstad's jobs program, estimates are fine to use. When Governor Culver's Office actually calls the contractors and subcontractors to account for jobs created, according to Branstad, the program is somehow supposed to be considered a failure."
Glisson continued, "The Branstad campaign has refused to take I-JOBS seriously, even knocking the program with a goofy web video despite this weekend's flooding and knowing full well that more than 1/3 of I-JOBS has gone towards flood recovery and flood mitigation efforts. The fact that he ignores the I-JOBS report and claimed in his recent web video that no jobs were created is no surprise. Branstad is, after all, still the same person who cooked the books for more than a decade."
To see the full article in the Spencer Daily Reporter about Branstad's 'ripple effect,' visit ChetCulver.com.
Source:
[1] Spencer Daily Reporter, 1/24/83.