Senate Journal: Page 48: Tuesday, January 10, 1995

         Today, it is my job to report on the condition of our state and our
    plans for the  future.  The  condition  of  the  state  is  excellent.
    Our economy is  robust;  our  communities  are  rebounding,  and  our
    families  are resilient.  The Iowa spirit is stronger than ever.

         When the history books are written on this time in our state,
    they'll surely record that the year 1993 was the year of the Great
    Flood, and the year 1994 was the year of the Great Recovery in Iowa.
    That recovery from the mud, the devastation, the washed-away dreams was
    not only remarkable, it was truly incredible. And it truly represents
    one of the state's finest years.

         Consider, for example, that:

         Today, more Iowans are working  than ever before in our history and
    our unemployment rate is half the national average.

         Today, our economy is stronger and more diverse.  Our bin busting
    crop was the biggest in history and it caused our farm exports to
    continue to rise.  And, for the first time ever, we exported as much
    from our factories as we did from our farms.

         Today, communities, large and small, are welcoming back the sons
    and daughters of Iowa who once left for better jobs and  now are coming
    home to good jobs and strong families.

         Today, Iowa students continue to score highest on their ACT and SAT
    scores.

         Today, our state budget is in its best shape in 20 years.  Last
    year, we spent 4.3% less than taken in -- the best record of all fifty
    states.

         This incredible story of recovery is worthy of button-popping
    pride. But we Iowans don't strut.  We know this story was written only
    with God's help. We know that our record of recovery was made possible
    by sticking to the core values that make us special.

         Growing up in Iowa, we were taught certain qualities which are good
    and right:  a  solid work ethic, honesty, a belief in God, and a
    commitment to public service.   We may not have known it back then, but
    those things our parents and teachrs instilled in us comprise the heart
    of what it means to be an Iowan.  And it is those values that turned a
    flood into a recovery.

         Our Iowa spirit and values have been tested more in the past decade
    than ever before.  Whether it be a farm crisis, natural disaster, or
    budget problems,  Iowans have met and passed those tests.  We  made  it
    through  the hard times with our state and our character intact and
    stronger than ever.

         Today, we are over the hump.  The journey we are on is no longer
    merely one of recovery.  We must now choose a path to progress and
    opportunity.

         Will Rogers once said, Even if you're on the right track, you'll
    get run over if you just sit there. I firmly believe that if the
    progress and opportunities we are experiencing are to continue, we have
    to do more than just take the path -- we have to keep moving and pick up
    the pace.

Iowa General Assembly

Index: Senate Journal (76th General Assembly: Session 1)

© 1995 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa

Comments? sjourn@legis.iowa.gov.

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