Santorum talks jobs, health care, higher ed in Newton

“The winner of any presidential election is always the best communicator,” former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum said during a round-table discussion on Monday in Newton.

Santorum led a talk about economic development at the Newton Development Corporation’s offices, located in the Des Moines Area Community College Newton Campus building. His appearance made Jasper the 97th county he’s visited during his campaign as part of his attempt to reach all 99 Iowa counties in his quest for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.

Santorum, a former Congressman from Pennsylvania and the winner of the 2012 Iowa Republican caucus, finished second in delegates to eventual nominee, even though he dropped out of the race in April of that year. He hasn’t drawn high numbers in the polls so far in 2015, but he said it’s a long march to the Feb. 1 caucus, and many twists and turns can still be ahead.

Joining him for Monday’s economic round-table discussion were NDC Board of Directors Chairperson Jo Jenkins, who served as moderator; NDC Executive Director Frank Liebl; Skiff Medical Center CEO Brent Altman; Newton Mayor Mike Hansen; State Sen. Chaz Allen; Realm owner Chris Barton; Product Development Partners founder Don Fisher; Eric Kadow of Avalanche Composites and a few others.

There were also about 12 members of the media at the round table.

Santorum began by talking about trade and technical training — a topic that has come up often in Iowa, he said — and how not all Americans need four-year degrees to be successful. He touched more than once on higher education reform, and also covered economic topics ranging from health care to getting the federal government less involved in primary education, to cooperate tax reform and what it takes to make things happen in Congress.

“We really only need about 40 regulations for businesses and government to work together,” Santorum said. “We can rework those a bit, but the rest are pretty much government overreach.”

Santorum criticized several policies of President Barack Obama’s administration, along with what he described as the president’s “demonizing” of any member of Congress who disagreed with presidential positions.

“Compromise is the way things happen,” Santorum said. “You can compromise and still stick to what you believe in. On one economic bill, I found four aspects I wouldn’t budge on, and let everything else go. Any of you guys married? Try not compromising with your wife, and then try to win her support on something else later. It doesn’t work.”

Fisher laid out one of the questions that got the most raised eyebrows in the room when he asked Santorum “When did it become the role of government to create jobs, instead of just worrying about bridges and highways?”

Santorum responded by not only calling for a major cooperate tax reform, which involves expensing nearly all overhead and a flat 20 percent tax rate with no exemptions, and calling for a massive scaling back of dependence on the federal government for maintaining roads and bridges.

“The (Interstate) Highway Trust Fund was established in 1956, and the system is built, but the fund is still around,” Santorum said. “We need to let states design and repair their own roads, instead of sticking to one federal template to be followed again and again.”

Santorum said there are four things the next president must accomplish.

“In addition to communicating well, a president must be able to build trust, must keep a civil tone, and must develop relationships,” he said.

Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com