The 90th Iowa General Assembly has adjourned, and the Republicans who control the government are congratulating themselves on a fat surplus and planning to spend it via accelerated tax cuts that will mostly benefit the wealthy.
The Iowa Capital Dispatch reported that the state has almost $5.5 billion dollars on hand: a $1.83 billion general fund surplus, $2.74 billion in the Taxpayer Relief Fund and $902 million in reserve funds.
Before getting excited about the big bottom line, however, it’s wise to look at the other side of the ledger: the ways spending at least some of that money could have improved life for all Iowans.