I-JOBS

I-JOBS: Ah, fun with numbers. I suppose it's only appropriate to re-enter the blog by talking about a topic we chatted about before I left on paternity (pictures of my new little boy are on the way:). Governor Chet Culver's office and campaign have claimed his $875 million I-JOBS bonding plan has created thousands of jobs. Although lately, the Culver camp is counting those jobs at different times during the year.

It all started yesterday when the governor's office sent this out to say how little the state's debt per person is, despite the I-JOBS spending. The Moody's report, to which the governor's office cited, however, didn't count the I-JOBS debt load in its report. Radio Iowa's Kay Henderson wondered aloud whether Culver just made "another oops".

Last month, Culver's office claimed I-JOBS created between 7 and 9,000 jobs. Since then, both the office and the campaign seem to have settled on 7,000. However, during last month's release, the office cited numbers in June. Since then, the time frame has changed a few times. Here's part of the release from last month: (I've highlighted the time frame differences.)

Governor Chet Culver today announced that 7,000 to 9,000 Iowans were on I-JOBS project payrolls in the month of June as a result of his I-JOBS initiative.

Yesterday, Culver's campaign sent out a statement claiming I-JOBS employment creation but in a different month. Here's part of it:

According to a report issued by the Governor's Office, more than 7,000 Iowans are working on I-JOBS projects in July alone.

Today, Culver's office claimed the jobs have been created this year, not just in one month (whichever month it might be) in comments to the Sioux City Journal.

We just wish Rep. Paulsen was as concerned with job creation in Iowa and his own legislative district as he is with job creation in South Dakota," Culver spokeswoman Polly Carver-Kimm said in an email. "Rep. Paulsen has tried to kill more than 7,000 new jobs the i-JOBS program has created this year in Iowa."

Boo Birds: What the heck are my St. Louis Cardinals doing? Offense was an unexpected weak spot this year. And the team doesn't do anything to help the offense. Instead, it trades Ryan Luckwick, major league baseball's top run producer the past two seasons. Hmmm.... I sure hope I'm missing something or else my team will be missing something...the playoffs!

Culver: Re-election chances, Money, I-JOBS

Culver Cam: It feels like so many things have happened in the news, I just don't know how to address them all! I'll start with what Governor Chet Culver had to say this morning.



He seemed to make news with almost every sentence. So here we go...The governor defended the head of the Department of Natural Resources, despite a state audit that found the DNR broke 16 laws. He said coverage was "overstated and overblown".

The Iowa Workforce Development released unemployment numbers that showed the rate stayed steady from May to June, although fewer Iowans were looking for work. However, the state had 2,700 fewer construction jobs than June, 2009. Culver blamed the weather (that's about 2 minutes into the interview about with the gov).

Culver defended I-JOBS and said the $875million program has brought thousands of jobs to the state. Our interview with him took place about 12:30pm. He said I-JOBS created between 5 and 10,000 jobs and that he would have a better idea "as early as next week". Four hours later, his office released a statement that projected estimates at between 7-9,000.

Republican challenger Terry Branstad has out raised Culver the past two financial reporting periods, but Culver said, "I’m better positioned than any incumbent governor has ever been going into the final 100 days here. That’s the story.”

Whew, that's a lot of news in about ten minutes of talking. Your turn. What do you think? The governor tells us what he thinks the story is. What do you?

Culver Can't Give I-JOBS Numbers; Complains about Branstad Coverage

Governor Chet Culver still can't provide numbers of how many Iowans are working because of his $875 million, taxpayer-financed I-JOBS plan, despite assurances from staff for months that those numbers would be coming. The governor said we would be getting those numbers. He did not say when. He also said 3 separate times during our interview we needed to talk with his Republican opponent, Terry Branstad, about his plan to create 200,000 jobs in five years after becoming governor again. Culver alleged no one has asked Branstad about it yet, not even one question, he claims.

For the record, I have asked Branstad about his plan (and, yes, I will agree we ALWAYS need to push Branstad and any politician, for that matter, on as many specifics as possible. And we DEFINITELY intend to keep doing that during this campaign). Radio Iowa has talked with Branstad about his plan and so has the Des Moines Register, just to name a few. So I don't know what the governor is talking about in his claims that no one has asked Branstad yet.

Anyway, here is the tv story I did on it (It follows a separate story about Culver saying the state will not pay back $576,000 the feds claim he mis-spent during his time as secretary of state). Below it, is the raw interview with the governor talking about I-JOBS.