Gov. Tom Vilsack and other Iowans are responding to the nation’s economic lull with a plan to stimulate Iowa’s economy.

Jerry Kelley, executive director of Iowans for a Better Future, said if the Iowa Values Fund passes through the Legislature it will help spur economic growth in Iowa. The fund will aim at helping new businesses start up, improving existing businesses, improving Iowa’s culture and recreation and funding research at the Regents’ level, he said.

“Our demographic reality is starting to set in with state legislators,” he said. “We need to look at developing the businesses we already have but also at creating new opportunities in Iowa.”

Kelley, mayor of Indianola, said 68 Iowa counties have lost populations, university enrollments are rising and more and more students are leaving Iowa. He said these economic concerns are addressed by the Iowa Values Fund.

“The longer we wait, the farther into this decade we get and the more people and businesses we lose,” he said. “I would like it to be funded at a higher level than $810 million, but I understand the situation,” he said.

Kelley said Iowa has the capabilities to make this plan happen.

“We are at a competitive advantage right now in the Midwest,” he said.

“We haven’t used our bonding capacity and borrowed as much as other states.”

Kelley said action needs to be taken to make the economy prosper.

“I don’t look at this as borrowing our children’s future,” he said. “Our children are not going to have a future in this state if we don’t do something.”

Rep. Jane Greimann, D-Ames, said she supports the Iowa Values Fund. She said there are four main components of the fund that she strongly agrees with: giving $15 million for research at Regents universities, money to improve Iowa’s park system, money to expand cultural projects and money to improve and start businesses.

“We need to jump-start our economy,” she said. “We have more agreement in the Legislature that we have had in a long time and people say that if we want to get anything done, this is the year to do it.”

Rep. Jim Kurtenbach, R-Nevada, said the Iowa Values Fund is one way to spur the economy, but there are other ways.

“There are two ideologies and one is that we can simplify the tax system, and that’s what the Republicans say,” he said. “The other is what the governor wants: an Iowa Values Fund to entice businesses into the state. … These are two competing ideologies where one says to create the environment and one says to create enticements.”

Rep. Lisa Heddens, D-Ames, said the Iowa Values Fund is a priority for Vilsack.

“The governor has continually supported it and that’s why you constantly hear about it,” she said.

Greimann said she believes the fund will pass, despite some skepticism in the Senate.

“The stumbling block when we went home Friday was the Senate Republicans because it is a big project with some risk involved,” she said. “But, I do think there’s a good chance we will pass it.”

Kurtenbach said he is unsure about whether the Iowa Values Fund will pass in legislation.

“At this point, I really don’t have a good sense,” he said.

Heddens said she thinks the Iowa Values Fund will pass legislation.

“I guess I hear the talk around here that people would like it to go through and I think it will,” she said.