Governor Culver and First Lady Mari Culver visited with 4 and 5-year olds at Waypoint in Cedar Rapids today to demonstrate the importance of the statewide preschool program. After speaking with the kids, Governor Culver spoke with journalists and told them Terry Branstad's way of thinking would take the much needed program away from these kids.
James Lynch from the Cedar Rapids Gazette was there. Here's an excerpt from his article:
Gov. Chet Culver ripped Republican challenger Terry Branstad for “20th Century thinking” that would take state funding away from a Cedar Rapids preschool rather than expand those programs to include all Iowa four-year olds.
“This is an investment we cannot afford to not make in the future,” Culver said about the preschool initiative. He said he budgeted $90 million this year for the program and $115 million next year.
That’s one of many differences between Culver and Branstad, a four-term Republican governor, who has called for ending funding for voluntary preschool, the first-term Democrat said during a stop at Waypoint Uptown Kids Child Development Center in downtown Cedar Rapids.
“While we want to continue to fund preschool … Terry Branstad wants to take that away,” Culver said.
On the day following Branstad’s primary election victory, Culver attacked the Republican nominee, saying Branstad would end state-funded stem cell research, limit women’s right to have abortions and would take away flood recovery funding for Cedar Rapids and Linn County.
“He doesn’t have the courage to come over here and tell people how he’s going to help,” Culver said.
Read the rest of the story here