Noon Rotary hears from Cedar Rapids mayor on Iowa policy think tank

BY BRYCE KELLY

Mt. Pleasant News

Since August of last year, Cedar Rapids mayor, Ron Corbett, has been traveling the state, promoting his own non-profit ?conservative think tank?, Engage Iowa. And on Wednesday, he introduced this organization to members of the Mt. Pleasant Noon Rotary Club.

Addressing the group of local club members, Corbett said Wednesday he decided to launch Engage Iowa because he felt ?Iowa needs assistance in helping develop ideas that can guide public policy.? According to Corbett, the main three issues Engage Iowa addresses are how to modernize the state?s tax code, build quality schools and protect the environment.

?What?s good for the State of Iowa should be good for Mt. Pleasant, and what?s good for Mt. Pleasant should be good for the State of Iowa, but unfortunately, it doesn?t always work that way,? Corbett said during his public address. ?Sometimes, I think public policy at the state level can conflict with public policy at the local level, and so I thought that by having a think tank that looked at issues that would benefit all of Iowa would be good.?

Among the myriad of topics that Corbett discussed during Wednesday?s meeting, he mainly focused on a plan laid out within an Engage Iowa report regarding state taxes. As stated within the non-profit?s income tax research policy report, which is authored by Dermot Hayes, Pioneer chairman of agribusiness and professor of economics and finance at Iowa State University, Iowa has the fourth highest income tax rate among states of 8.98 percent. To combat this, the report lays out a couple of possible solutions including:

? Creating a flat income tax that would simplify the state?s income tax code, getting rid of deductions and credits, and lessening tax rates into one lower bracket for all but the lowest income earners, who don?t pay state income tax.

? Raising the state?s sales tax by one cent on the dollar, with a portion of the revenue going to help clean up Iowa?s waterways, and another portion helping to lower Iowa?s income tax rate.

?As I started to talk about these issues with Iowans and I asked them what the ideal income tax system would look like, and what kind of values would be a part of that income tax system, the same three issues kept coming up. Those issues were fairness, something that was competitive and something that was simple,? Corbett said. ?And I think, as people read this report that we have come up with, they will see we tried to cover a lot of those points.?

Corbett also added that a study conducted by three ISU economists from 2010-2013 stated that businesses are often deterred from establishing themselves in Iowa due to its high published income tax rate, causing a loss of $3.89 billion, or three percent a year, in total income in the state.

And while Corbett certainly provided a great deal of information regarding Engage Iowa and the studies that have contributed to it, he says it?s up to Iowans to decide how they want their state to function.

?I thought what he (Corbett) had to say was interesting,? said Noon Rotarian, Alan Huisinga. ?I don?t think there?s any one easy solution to these issues, but it?s good to get discussion going.?

Noon Rotarian Jean Carpenter, who also sat through Corbett?s speech, said that while she was not well-informed on some of the topics Corbett covered going into the afternoon?s meeting, she felt it was good that the issues were being discussed in an open, respectful manner.

?I think he presented the issues in an even-handed way, and was able to discuss the issues without becoming too political, which is good because that is an issue that is prevalent in today?s world,? she said. ?However, I do realize his own beliefs lean more conservative, which I don?t judge him on either way. I would also say that he left me wanting to ponder a lot of what he said even more and go research some of these things on my own.?

And it was exactly that encouragement that Corbett left with the group before departing back to Cedar Rapids, saying he hopes that Iowans of all political leanings and beliefs will continue to learn more about Iowa?s public policy issues and become involved in encouraging legislators to implement ?helpful solutions.?

To learn more about Engage Iowa, or to read the income tax research policy report, go to www.engageiowa.org.