Election 2012: Reisetter, Danielson Draw Contrasts on Economic, Social Issues

Matt Reisetter thinks America is on a path to financial suicide, and Iowa needs to be ready.

That's what he said he's basing his campaign on. The Republican is running for the Iowa Senate District 30 seat against incumbent Democrat Sen. Jeff Danielson.

"These fiscal issues are critically important. The future of our civilization – and I don’t think I’m overstating it – hangs in the balance," Reisetter said in an interview with Patch.

Both he and Danielson, the current president pro tem of the Iowa Senate, spoke about Iowa's budget when asked why voters should choose them. But they took vastly different tones.

Danielson, who was elected in 2004 to represent Cedar Falls and Waterloo, said he sees Iowa's current surplus - a record $688 million - as an opportunity to have serious conversations about investment in commercial property tax reform, education and health care.

"The only question is - knowing we have a balanced budget, knowing we have a surplus - what are your priorities?" he said.

Managing a surplus

Asked what he would do with the surplus, Reisetter also talked about commercial property tax reform and education, but he took a much more cautious tone.

"I’m not in a big hurry to spend," he said. "I mean, that’s what an eighth grade kid does when their parent gives them $50 for Christmas."

Reisetter said he is worried about more costs being passed down to the state level as the federal government looks for more places to cut. He said he is also worried about the potential future costs of Medicaid due to Obamacare. But beyond whether the current surplus - which is projected to grow next year, possibly to $800 million - would be enough to absorb those costs, for him the issue comes down to the growth of government in general.

"With a really narrow, limited, short-sighted vision, I think you can say, yeah, Iowa’s fine," he said. "But, I’m not being elected to have a short-sighted vision. We’ve got to have a long-term, big picture vision. And the truth is government continues to grow."

Danielson, on the other hand, said he is proud of his fiscal policy track record, pointing out that in 2008, when the national recession hit, he helped lead efforts to cut government spending.

"As a result of those decisions, we have cut over $200 million in our own state costs per year in the areas of personnel and infrastructure," he said. "We’ve done it. We’ve reduced our spending and still grown our economy."

From firefighting to ministry, both have record of service

Danielson also pointed to his record of public service in the U.S. Navy and as a firefighter for the City of Cedar Falls as reasons he should be re-elected.

"I’ve dedicated my life to public service, to understanding the challenges we face today and trying to come up with solutions to face those challenges together," he said.

Reisetter pointed to his days as a Boy Scout and said a value he learned there - leave the place better than you found it - is part of what inspired him to run for office.

Previously, Reisetter worked as the College Ministry Director at Nazareth Lutheran Church before working for six years as Director of Development for The Family Leader and its predecessor organization, the Iowa Family Policy Center. He left that job and is now the owner of consulting firm SDG Solutions.

Danielson pushes Reisetter on social issues

The Family Leader is a conservative Christian organization that was instrumental in the campaign to kick three Iowa Supreme Court judges who ruled in favor of same-sex marriage off the bench during the 2010 election. It is currently leading a similar push to oust Iowa Supreme Court Justice David Wiggins.

The Northern Iowa Democrats have posted a video of a lecture Reisetter gave at the University of Northern Iowa titled, "Homosexuality: Is it okay to be gay?" In the 36 minute video, Reisetter says, among other things, that homosexuality is a choice and that homes where a man is married to a woman are better places to raise children than same-sex family homes.

"That was a talk from 2.5 years ago. I was in a ministry position at that time," Reisetter said when asked if he stands by the things he said in the lecture. "The things I say in that video, as it relates to me being a state senator, are completely insignificant, are not germane to the discussion, except for one thing.

"As a state senator, with relation to the image of same-sex marriage, I can do one thing. I’ve been very open and very candid with what that is and what I’ll do. I’ll vote to let the people of Iowa vote on the issue of same-sex marriage."

He said he'd rather focus on economic issues then value-based ones. Danielson's campaign, however, has brought Reisetter's conservative Christian background to the forefront.

After Reisetter told a League of Women Voters forum that he would support a Personhood Amendment, which is an amendment to the state constitution that would say life begins at conception, the Iowa Democratic Party pounced with a TV ad saying Reisetter wants to ban birth control and possibly in vitro fertilization. Those are things that have been associated with Personhood Amendments proposed in other states.

"This is a scare tactic of the most egregious form," Reisetter said.

He has released a counter ad denying the claims.

"We could write a Personhood Amendment to say whatever we want," he said. "If this issue were to come up, I would be a voice to say this needs to be written to keep these red herring things from coming up. "

Reisetter wants focus on economics

He said he'd rather focus on economics.

"As for the other stuff, I think it would matter if I was applying to be a pastor at a church or a professor at a theological seminary. In terms of running for the Iowa Senate, it doesn’t matter," he said. "Because there’s really only one thing I can do in the Senate (regarding constitutional amendments related to same sex marriage or abortion). Take a vote to let the people vote."