Johnson likes some elements of ‘Pledge to America’

– Read in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel –

It was not a full endorsement, but U.S. Senate candidate Ron Johnson said Thursday morning that there were some elements of the Republican Party’s proposed “Pledge to America” that he liked.

Johnson, making an appearance on Fox News, was asked about the GOP’s new manifesto, details of which are expected to be formally released later Thursday. The pledge calls for, among other things, repealing the health-care law, cutting taxes, reducing federal spending and putting a ban on federal funding of abortions, among other things.

Asked if he had reviewed the pledge and whether he supported it, Johnson said he had reviewed it.

Johnson said the GOP plan hit on a lot of topics that he said he had been bringing up in the campaign. He mentioned specifically issues such as putting a cap on spending and repealing the health-care law.

“A lot of the elements I certainly agree with,” Johnson said.

The Republican challenger to U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) added that Washington needed to find a way to create an attractive environment for businesses in order to create jobs and help the economy recover.

In his appearance, Johnson also stuck to the main themes of his campaign: cut spending and reduce the national debt and repealing the health-care law.

Johnson also was asked about the industrial revenue bonds his company, Pacur, had received. Johnson defended the $4 million in bonds, saying there were not loans from the government. He said thousands of companies take advantage of the bonds, adding that there was no taxpayer money involved.

“It’s not a government loan at all,” Johnson said.

In 1979, a company that months later would morph into Pacur got a $75,000 federal grant to build a rail line to the new plant. Johnson says he was not part of the company when the grant was approved, but helped get the firm off the ground months later. More coverage of that issue can be found here.

In 1983 and 1985, Pacur received a total of $4 million in low-interest loans through the government program that offers industrial revenue bonds. The savings from reduced-rate loans of that size would save the borrower hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to the state Department of Commerce.

For more information on that issue, go here.

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