Economy
I grew up in a family that fell out of the middle class when my father lost his job. My parents lived paycheck to paycheck. I went to work at 14 to help support my family. I know the anxiety and the stress families across our state are feeling. I'm running for the US Senate to fix the economy so it works for every family.
In America, we have systems like speed limits, no passing zones, and air traffic control because they keep us all safe. When Senator Grassley deregulated Wall Street, he threw open the doors to unrestrained greed and recklessness.
Communities across our state are now suffering from home foreclosures, farm foreclosures and bankruptcies. So many of our friends — who were just years away from retirement — watched their savings vanish.
Senator Grassley and his colleagues in Washington allowed the greed on Wall Street to put all of us in jeopardy. Iowans lost homes, jobs and dreams of retirement. We wouldn't board a plane without air traffic controllers on duty or drive on a road without speed limits. The irresponsible deregulation of Wall Street put us all at risk. In November, we can hold those responsible accountable.
Jobs
I worked as many as four jobs at a time in high school and college to help my family make ends meet. I have seen first-hand what job loss does to a person, a family and a community. Iowa needs a leader who looks out for us.
Senator Grassley supported the removal of virtually all regulations from the big banks on Wall Street. The banks were rewarded for high risk behavior, predatory lending, and fraudulent loan practices. And taxpayers paid the price when they failed. Senator Grassley voted to bail them out, no strings attached, with 700 billion dollars of our money. But he does nothing to create jobs, lower unemployment or help small businesses.
I opposed the bailouts for Wall Street. I will work to help small businesses, the backbone of our economy, through tax credits that create jobs. I will promote innovation and expansion. In the Senate, I will put Iowans to work by investing in homegrown alternatives that lessen our dependence on foreign oil and clean up our environment.
The days of bail outs for the big banks on Wall Street are over. We need a senator who will help small businesses in Iowa, not big corporations that ship jobs overseas. Fight for relief on Main Street, not more bailouts for Wall Street. And preserve the jobs we have, while also creating new ones with a renewable energy revolution — in wind, solar, ethanol, and biomass.
