Lt. Gov. Reynolds backtracks on support for Workforce Offices (Video)

Today underthegoldendome.com uncovered video of Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds giving an unconditional endorsement of Iowa Workforce Offices while she was campaigning for office.

Yet these days Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and Gov. Terry Branstad are standing by their plan to close at least 36 Workforce Offices across the state at a time when more than 100,000 Iowans are out of work.

Transcript: One of the things that I did, as a State Senator that I just visited, was the Iowa Works Program, which is the unemployment office in Creston in Union County. And they have completely revamped that whole offices and they are doing a much better job of helping the unemployed get employed. It’s more user friendly. They do classes there. They help with single moms. They understand that that is an issue and that is a deterrent for getting you back to work. I was just really impressed with what the director did for Iowa Workforce is actually visited each one of the sites. And really took a look at how they incorporate that and make that better. It has really brought in some private sector experience and with the government. And I was really impressed with what I seen. And they are seeing a huge, quite a difference in their return rate for getting unemployed back into the market.

You know part of that is taking a look at how we help individuals that are unemployed. And continually try to find a better way to help you. You know I don’t have all the answers right here and I wouldn’t begin to say that I did.  I am learning as I go too. But, just getting out there taking a look at some of the places where you have to go in order to get back into the workforce and understanding that. It is just important. It helps us. I just want to get the governor down there and he can actually visit that site and see it.

I actually walked through it. I actually walked through the door as if I just lost my job. I didn’t know what to do or where to go or what to do first? And they actually walked me through every section of what they do. And it was phenomenal.  I was really impressed. And I was really impressed that was South Central Iowa that was leading the way. They had won an award for reforming that. And are being touted all across the state and other sites are coming to them to see how it is done.

For previous posts about the Workforce Offices, click here.