It has emerged this year as the most frequent question on the campaign trail. My kids want to move to California. We need a more competitive tax structure, candidates argue. And we need to find a way to attract skilled, high-paying jobs, they say. Elect them, and it will happen, they swear.
Job creation is an important first step in making the state more livable.
And it is true we need to do a better job of telling Iowa's story and dispelling stereotypes which paint the state as flat and backward. But Iowans have a bad habit when they talk about this issue. They stop too soon. Perhaps they need to call their kids in Florida. It's more important than ever that we tackle this head on and admit to ourselves that Iowa has weaknesses.