Does the State of Iowa have the appropriate business climate?

The State of Iowa received a very poor mark earlier this year in the February 2, 2009 in an article titled The 7 Worst States To Start a Business in US News & World Report.
Iowa ranked #2 behind West Virginia.

"2. Iowa
Politically, Iowa is a hard state to pin down. It is known for a
progressive streak, but also has a strong conservative voting bloc that voted
for George W. Bush in 2004 (although the state went for Barack Obama in 2008).
Iowa's strong "purple" nature might explain why it ranks so poorly as a state in
which to start a business. It seems to have the worst impulses of its
conservative and liberal tendencies--relatively low investment in the things
that make entrepreneurs succeed, and high government interference. For the
latter, Iowa has very high capital gains taxes and corporate income taxes, and
is also one of the worst states for unemployment taxes on wages. In terms of
investment, Iowa is 46Th out of the states for adoption of broadband
telecommunications services, and the speed of those services."

The Thursday, June 25, 2009 on-line edition of The Cedar Rapids Gazette features an article titled, Business exits Iowa over taxes. For more on this issue, read Public Interest Institutes's Will Business Tax Relief Come to Pass in Iowa?

Further, while the Small Business Recovery Group in Cedar Rapids addressed the City Council on June 24, 2009 suggesting that the $25 million allocation is far short of the amount needed now for protecting and retaining jobs at risk due to the Flood of 2008. The number discussed at the City Council meeting was $64 million identified as needed for Small Business Recovery now in Cedar Rapids.

On June 25, 2009, Cedar Rapids Mayor Kay Halloran addressed the opening of the Fair Housing Conference held by the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission indicating that Housing is the #1 priority for the City. Many would say that it is extremely hard to maintain affordable housing in the community, if jobs are lost. Further, if more companies close there doors in Cedar Rapids, the impact trickles down to other vendors and companies, placing more jobs at risk.

peace