Archive for March 2010
Senator Grassley's Iowa Town Hall Schedule
Senator Grassley's Iowa Town Hall Schedule
I am sure Mr. Grassley would appreciate questions from us (looks like northern Iowa is the target this round). For more information about Grassley's whereabouts go to grassley.senate.gov/events WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 2010
Winneshiek County Town Hall Meeting
* 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Calmar Public Library, Community Room, 101 South Washington Street, Calmar
Howard County Town Hall Meeting
* 2:15 – 3:15 PM
Cresco Bank and Trust, Community Room, 126 Second Avenue SE, Cresco
Worth County Town Hall Meeting
* 5:30 – 6:30 PM
Worth County Courthouse, Magistrate Room, 1000 Central Avenue, Northwood
THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 2010
Cerro Gordo County Town Hall Meeting
* 7:30 – 8:30 AM
North Iowa Area Comm. College, Muse-Norris Conf. Ctr., Rms 180 A, B & C, 500 College Dr., Mason City
St. Ansgar Community High School
* 9:45 – 10:45 AM
* St. Ansgar
Charles City High School
* 12:00 – 1:15 PM
* Charles City
Speech and Q & A at the Hampton Chamber Spring Meeting
* 2:00 – 3:00 PM
* Hampton
Butler County Town Hall Meeting
* 4:30 – 5:30 PM
Aplington Community Center, Corner of 10th Street and Parriott Street, Aplington
MONDAY, APRIL 5, 2010
Winnebago County Town Hall Meeting
* 8:00 – 9:00 AM
Winnebago County Courthouse, Courtroom, 126 South Clark Street, Forest City
Hancock County Town Hall Meeting
* 9:45 – 10:45 AM
Garner Education Center, 325 West 8th Street, Garner
Speak with Algona Rotary
* 12:00 – 1:00 PM
* Algona
Palo Alto County Town Hall Meeting
* 2:00 – 3:00 PM
West Bend Golf Course, Club House, 4829 580th Avenue, West Bend
Emmet County Town Hall Meeting
* 4:30 – 5:30 PM
Iowa Lakes Community College
Auditorium, Room 16, 300 South 18th Street, Estherville
TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 2010
Tour and Q & A from employees at Eaton Manufacturing
* 7:30 – 8:30 AM
* Spencer
Harris-Lake Park High School
* 9:30 – 10:30 AM
* Lake Park
Osceola County Town Hall Meeting
* 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Senior Activities Center, 845 Main Street, Ocheydan
Lyon County Town Hall Meeting
* 2:45 – 3:45 PM
US Bank, Community Room, 203 South 2nd Avenue, Rock Rapids
Iowans Should Say Yes to a New Vision for Media
Iowans Should Say Yes to a New Vision for Media
Editor's Note: I was listening to the Randi Rhodes show the other day, my favorite progressive talk radio program…oh by the way, you cannot hear Randi or any nationally syndicated progressive talk radio host over the publicly owned airwaves anywhere in Iowa because of the saturation of conservative talk programming on Iowa's stations. But you can live-stream a number of amazingly informative progressive talk radio programs. These radio programs such as Thom Hartmann, Randi Rhodes, and Stephanie Miller, are packed with information. Just google “progressive talk radio” and you will be rewarded with radio riches that you can't even imagine. I listen to Randi here. Check out her website where you can find such goodies as, “Randi's Guide to Congressional Jargon” and more.The point of mentioning this is, on Randi's show about the tea partiers, she made the comment, “Our country has two problems: Money and Media.” We agree with that, and today, at least we can take action on the Media problem. Here's an action alert from Free Press we hope you'll participate in.
~ If you're like us, you're worried about the future of news. Many journalists have lost their jobs, and funding cuts to local NPR and PBS affiliates have forced some stations to close for days at a time. If we lose this watchdog press, the damages will be severe.
Join our call for better media now
The FCC has begun to take a hard look at the future of media, and we need to make sure they hear from as many people as possible. This is your chance to stand up for noncommercial, nonprofit media by signing our mass declaration to the FCC.
Everyone agrees that to sustain a vibrant democracy, we need well-funded and secure media that serve all people and communities. The question is how to get there – and we have a plan. Here's how you can help us get it to the FCC.
First, we need you and everyone you know to sign this declaration calling for better media now.
Then, in the coming weeks, you can:
* Flood the FCC's Web site with examples of the state of journalism in your area
* Help us send activists to every upcoming FCC hearing
* File official comments with the FCC about your own vision for better media
In this first phase, we need 20,000 signatures from people across the nation to show a groundswell of support for better media.
We have a chance to make the media system better and more vital than ever. Please sign this declaration now to help us build momentum for this important initiative.
Josh Stearns, Free Press
Join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. You can also join the Free Press E-Activist list
Abramoff Crony Ralph Reed has sights set on Iowa Elections
Abramoff
Crony Ralph Reed Wants to Buy Iowa Elections, Asks Iowans for Half a Million Dollars
Oneiowa.org
As an invited speaker at the Iowa Christian Alliance’s Spring Fundraiser, the disgraced former head of Christian Coalition laid out his $500,000 plan to buy the 2010 elections and put Iowa in the hands of right-wing extremists. This scandal-ridden Georgian who was caught up in the Abramoff Scandal is notorious for running dirty elections. “[Reed] is completely Machiavellian. He will do anything to win,” wrote Nina Easton in Gang of Five, her exposé on the radical right. Now Reed has his sights set on Iowa.
Why are Iowa evangelicals pinning their hopes on this disgraced Abramoff crony?
Video of Reed at Iowa Christian Alliance Fundraiser
Here's text from an excerpt of his speech:
Are you ready to make history here in Iowa in 2010? Iowa is a critical, all important state for changing the direction of the country in 2010…
What we're going to be doing over the next eight months or so here in Iowa, is we're going to be working with the Iowa Christian Alliance; we're going to have a sister organization, the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition. Yes, we're going to be distributing voter guides. Yes, we're going to make sure God's people know where the candidates stand.
But let me tell you what else we're going to do. We're not just going to distribute voter guides. We're going to tell the people where folks stand and we're going to tell people that they oughta vote for this candidate because they stand for their values.
We're not going to leave the expressed advocacy of the election and defeat of candidates to Moveon.org and the radical left and the labor unions any more. We're going to do it and we're going to see people who share our values serve in positions of public trust from governor all the way down to the legislature and the courthouse and school boards all over the state of Iowa.
We need to raise about a half a million dollars to execute that program. The program that I just described to you that made history in New Jersey and Massachusetts, if you want to see it happen here in Iowa, we need to raise a half a million dollars.
There is no limit to what you give here tonight (laughter). You can write a check for any amount. Isn't that exciting?
Health Care Reform Update: Next Year We Do It All Over Again
Health
Care Reform Update: Next Year We Do It All Over Again
by Alta Price, M.D.Every year before Passover starts I super-clean my kitchen, taking everything out of the cabinets and drawers, wiping out the cabinets and drawers, washing whatever was in them, throwing out the old stuff, moving the “hametz” to the basement, and then re-organizing it all as I put it back in. Not to mention cleaning the refrigerator, oven, cook-top, counters, ad infinitum.
I also tackle some other part of the house. This year I tried to do too much. I wanted to convert a “storage bedroom” full of Girl Scout/camping/Progressive Action supplies into a guest bedroom. That meant giving away some things, tossing others, and moving a lot of it to the basement. That led me to reorganize/clean the unfinished part of the basement. Since I store my tax files in the basement, and my recent tax files were in my study, that led me to organize part of my study, too.
Needless to say I am exhausted by six full days of super-cleaning. The house looks good (I should really have a party). For the eight days of Passover, I am just going to enjoy my neat house and munching matzot.
But, in about two weeks, the papers will start to pile up again. And in a month you’d never know I’d super-cleaned. And next year I’ll have to do it all over again.
What does this have to do with health care reform?
Well, we just spent the last year working really hard to get a health care reform bill through Congress. The struggle this year was grueling. But the final bill was a major accomplishment, of which we can be proud.
Right now we could all use a little break. We’ll be lucky to get eight days!
The anti’s are already out there protesting, the insurance companies are finding loopholes so they don’t have to insure sick children until 2014, and the Republicans are working to pick up seats in Congress so they can take away our hard-fought gains.
One of our biggest jobs next year will be to ensure that the provisions of the federal legislation are implemented fully and smoothly in our states. I will be happy to bring the health care reform fight back to Iowa from Washington. The closer to home, the more effective one can be in shaping policy.
And so health care reform, like cleaning for Passover, never really ends. Next year we’ll move back to the statehouse, just like next year I’ll choose a different room to organize and deep clean. We’ll keep an eye on Washington, of course, just as the kitchen always needs attention.
So we’ll work hard, take some time off to prevent burnout, enjoy our victories, and accept that the fight will never end.
Happy Passover!
Alta
Price is a physician practicing Pathology in Davenport, Iowa. One of
the original Deaniacs, she stays involved with Democracy for America,
Iowa, and the Quad Cities. She advocates for quality, affordable health
care for all, primarily as a volunteer with Progressive Action for the
Common Good (Health Care Reform Issue Forum). Watch for Dr. Price's
Health Care Reform Update every Tuesday here on Blog for Iowa. E-Mail Alta Price
Iowa Progressive Radio: This Week On The Fallon Forum
Iowa
Progressive Radio: This Week On The Fallon Forum
Dear Friends,
We used to think Congressman Steve King was an embarrassment to Iowa. Well, the U.S. House member from western Iowa has convinced us we’ve underestimated his sphere of influence. Let’s face it: Steve King is an embarrassment to America.
Despite Iowa’s historically progressive reputation on many fronts, King continues to win re-election in the heavily-Republican 5th district, despite an acidic tongue whose venom only deepens the incivility and partisan divide poisoning American politics.
One hopes that King’s litany of racist, anti-gay, anti-minority, anti-immigrant, anti-poor, anti-Muslim, and essentially anti-American remarks has reached the tipping point. One hopes that his constituents are finally ready to say “enough is enough” and elect a more reasonable, balanced person to represent them.
While we wish we didn’t have to, Congressman King is one of the topics we’ll cover this week on The Fallon Forum.
Today, Monday, we talk with Iowa Farmers Union board member Cornelia Flora about the wisdom of promoting biotech seeds in Africa, Pioneer Hi-Bred’s recent $7.3 million state tax credit handout, and related issues affecting small and mid-sized family farms.
Tuesday, we try to get a better handle on the recently-passed health care reform legislation. This will be an ongoing conversation, and Dr. Charles Goldman joins us on April 5th for a physician’s perspective on the bill.
Wednesday, we talk with long-time gay-rights and community activist John Schmacker about the need to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.
Thursday, we discuss the Steve King “phenomenon,” reviewing some of the more recent outbursts that have landed King (and, alas, Iowa) national attention.
So, Monday – Thursday from 7:00-800 pm, join us for the fusion of politics and civility at 98.3 WOW-FM and on-line at 983wowfm.com. Call (515) 312-0983 or (866) 908-TALK to participate in the conversation, and if you miss the show, you can hear it as a podcast.
Thanks!
Ed & Lynn Fallon
Labor Update: Trade With China Cost Iowa 20,900 Jobs
Labor Update: Trade
With China Cost Iowa 20,900 Jobs
Americanmanufacturing.org
The Economic Policy Institute just released a new study that reveals the
number of jobs lost due to our trade deficit with China. China joined
the World Treaty Organization in 2001, and since that time, US trade
deficit with that country has soared. Now, 40% of our non-oil imports
from less developed nations are from China alone.
According to the study, the results of our trade deficit with China has
impacted “essentially all production workers with less than a four-year
college degree—roughly 70% of the private-sector workforce, or about 100
million workers.”
Iowa ’s share of job loss, 20,900, is equal to 1.37 % of all jobs in the
state, with the 2nd Congressional District hardest hit (5,200 jobs lost
or 1.67%). This is nothing compared to the 2.23% (369,500 jobs) of all
jobs lost in the State of California – Iowa ranks 35th hardest hit state
in the country – but it is part of the same trend across our country in
which more people are competing for fewer jobs.
Other Key Findings, Since 2001:
* U.S.-China trade deficits increased by $186 billion or 221%.
* 2,418,800 American jobs have been displaced
* 66.93% of American manufacturing jobs have disappeared
Click
here to read the entire article
President Obama Makes First Recess Appointments
National Labor Relations Board
On Saturday, March 27, the White House recess appointed Craig Becker and Mark Gaston Pearce to fill two vacancies on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) see article on Blog for Iowa February 8, 2010.
The two are among fifteen recess appointments President Obama made on Saturday out of the 77 nominations that remain stalled due to Senate Republican filibusters on Obama nominees.
President Obama nominated Becker and Pearce a year ago, and both come with laudable resumes. Yale-educated, Becker served with AFL-CIO and SEIU as Associate General Counsel. He has taught at the University of Chicago, Georgetown, and UCLA and has argued cases before the US Supreme Court.
Pearce, too has been a union lawyer since 1979, but has been most active recently in reviewing wage and hour violations for New York State Department of Labor. Wage and hour violations had been rampant in that State targeting mostly minorities and women.
Their combined experience will finally give workers a voice in the NLRB after a decade-long culture of pro-business interests heading the Labor Department’s agency for protecting workers’ rights.
Right on, President Obama, thanks for helping put labor-law violators on notice.
Click here to read the entire article
Matt Campbell Talks to Blog for Iowa (Part 2)
Steve King Challenger Matt Campbell Talks to Blog for Iowa (Part 2)
for Iowa interviewed Matt Campbell, a Democratic candidate for U.
S. Representative from Iowa's 5th Congressional District. This is the second of a two part series. Click here to read part one.
BFIA: Corporate media seems to dominate Iowa and what Iowans think. What, if anything should be changed about how residents of the state receive news on the public airways?
CAMPBELL: This is a unique issue for rural Western Iowa in that it is not so much of an issue there. There are a lot of regional newspapers. People still read them. Consolidation of media outlets is acceptable. It is important for diversity of viewpoint to be preserved with this consolidation. While rural high speed internet is a problem in rural Iowa, solving it would add to the diversity of viewpoint. This would also help keep young Iowans in the state.
BFIA: It has been a year since the Iowa Supreme Court ruled on Varnum vs. Brien, declaring the definition of marriage law enacted by the Iowa Legislature unconstitutional. How do you view the role of the federal government in protecting the rights of gays and lesbians?
CAMPBELL: The role of the federal government is protecting against discrimination of any kind. An example is hate crimes legislation. I would support protections against any kind of discrimination. I feel that Varnum vs. Brien is a state issue. Gay marriage is not a hot button for me, I am focused on jobs and economic development.
BFIA: There will be a Democratic primary in June. Why are you the best candidate for the voters in the 5th Congressional District?
CAMPBELL: I am head and shoulders away the best candidate. I have lived in the district, graduated high school in the district and graduated from college in the district. My opponent has not lived in the district. Politics is local and because I am local it gives me an advantage.
At BKD LLD, the nation’s tenth largest accounting and auditing firm, I served in a leadership role as South Region Lead for international tax. In that position I worked in a collaborative way with partners, clients, Chief Financial Officers and with numerous people, at different levels across the country and internationally. This business experience gives me a leadership edge.
BFIA: Why do you believe you can win the November election?
CAMPBELL: I can win because the country and the people of the 5th district are tired of the gridlock and want to see progress. They want someone who is a mainstream Iowan, who is able to get something done for the 5th district. They want someone who uses the power of the congressional office to channel some regional efforts to become more effective in attracting business and keeping kids here. The 5th District is adrift under the leadership of Steve King.
BFIA: Is there anything else you would like to say?
CAMPBELL: What do I want to say? Three things: jobs, jobs, jobs. Advocate in Washington to bring fiscal jobs here. Become a champion for renewable energy in Iowa in order to grow industry here and keep more dollars in Iowa. Foster entrepreneurship in Iowa. I believe I reflect the values of the 5th Congressional District.
To learn more about Matt Campbell, visit his web site at campbellforcongress2010.com.
clicking here.
U. S. Senate Candidate Tom Fiegen on Fiegenomics
U. S. Senate Candidate Tom Fiegen on Fiegenomics
Fieg•en•om•ics: an economic set of policies that advocates i) the use of federal fiscal policy to create full employment; ii) providing access to health care for all members of society regardless of income, and iii) banning financial piracy on an individual and national level.
We are hovering at 10% unemployment. Last week (the week ending March 13, 2010) 432,166 people applied for unemployment for the first time in America. Almost 15 million of our fellow citizens are out of work as of February 2010. Another 8.8 million are involuntarily working part-time. Another 2.5 million have become what economists describe as “discouraged workers” and have stopped looking for work. Combined, these workers amount to 1 in 6 of our fellow working Americans.
New housing starts were down 6% in February 2010 compared to January and almost exactly where they were a year ago in the depths of this recession. Plus pending home sales were down 7.6%.
On top of that, according to RealtyTrac, 1 in 7 homeowners are in default and proceeding towards foreclosure. A year ago it was 1 in 10. Home foreclosures are not expected to peak until December 2010.
Like the 1930s, banks are failing and they are not making many loans. The FDIC closed 7 banks last Friday (March 19, 2010) bringing the total closed to 36 for 2010. They closed 140 banks in 2009 and expect to close more this year. My clients who are good business people are having a hard time getting operating capital. For firms that I have met with in Iowa, sales are only 60% to 70% of what they were in 2008.
Our financial system is still a mess despite the announcement of a combined NINE BILLION DOLLAR fourth quarter 2009 profit for Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan Chase. Speaking of Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan Chase, I am against the pirates on Wall Street who speculate on a product making more money on that product than the workers who produced that product.
47 million of our fellow citizens have no health insurance. An even larger number, like me, to use a technical term have “crappy” insurance with high deductibles, high co-pays and lots of exclusions. Medical costs increased five times as fast as inflation in 2009 and are literally crippling many of our businesses. The new health care reform bill is a step in the right direction, but we need to do more to control costs and provide access to affordable health care for all Americans.
On top of ALL of that the pirates on Wall Street took our nation hostage in the 2008 with credit cards, sub-prime loans, credit default swaps, and exotic derivative investment scams.
We find ourselves in this mess because of the Republican policies of tax cuts for millionaires, deregulation of the banks, and incompetence and frankly GREED. Two words make the point: Bernie Madoff.
I’m campaigning for the United States Senate based on three economic principles that I call “Fiegenomics.” They are:
To read the rest of Tom Fiegen's Fiegenomics policy statement, click here.
~Tom Fiegen lives in Clarence, Iowa and is a bankruptcy lawyer and economics professor. He is a Democratic candidate to be
the junior United States Senator from Iowa. He faces Bob Krause and Roxanne Conlin in the Democratic primary on June 8. To learn more about Tom Fiegen, check out his web site fiegenforussenate.com
Steve King Challenger Matt Campbell Talks to Blog for Iowa
Steve King Challenger Matt Campbell Talks to Blog for Iowa
BFIA: Why did you decide to run for congress in Iowa’s 5th District?
CAMPBELL: The 5th Congressional District has always been my home. I grew up in Manning, Iowa on a century farm established in 1880. I care very much about the district.
Representative Steve King has a poor record of accomplishments, has not written one bill since he has been in congress despite having a staff of 18 people. This does not seem very effective. King also says objectionable things, which does not represent the values of western Iowa. I am talking about common decency. When I heard of the racial slurs directed at members of congress, King said he didn’t think that that was anything. I found it outrageous that he did not denounce the statements. There is no place for that in American politics. What King is doing is dangerous. It plays to some of the fringes of our society and caters to hate-mongering more than to what we need to do to make society better.
King has a responsibility to speak out on acts like that. His failure to lead and not writing a single law is not what America or the 5th Congressional District needs with the critical issues the country faces.
BFIA: As you know, BFIA is a progressive blog. Where do you see yourself on the political spectrum?
CAMPBELL: I see myself as a centrist, moderate. I have worked on complex international business needs to enable businesses to operate in an environment where they can be successful and create jobs. I believe Democrats have done a better job of running the country.
BFIA: What is your reaction to the health insurance reform bill just signed by President Obama?
Campbell: I am very supportive and excited about it. There is a lot of disinformation out in the public. It is a complex bill and there are a lot of good provisions in the bill. Once people get to know the provisions of the bill I believe they will like it. We have been paying for health care inefficiently because of the uninsured. There is disinformation on the Medicare provisions. It’s like the President said. If you eliminate waste in your household budget are you going to budget the old number? The cuts to Medicare are related to the waste and fraud. The General Accounting Office has said that Medicare Advantage is an inefficient system.
BFIA: Where do you stand on financial system reform?
CAMPBELL: Business cannot operate in an unregulated environment because it is prone to abuse. The collapse of the economy last year indicates that financial reform is necessary. Regulation of the hedge fund industry would be prudent. The same thing is true with the derivatives market. Some say there was not enough capital in the system. The 2004 Securities and Exchange Commission’s Net Capital Rule changed the debt to equity ratio from 15:1 to 30:1 and this contributed to the financial collapse. Companies couldn’t service their debt obligations.
BFIA: The incumbent speaks often of the economic philosophy of Adam Smith as outlined in Wealth of Nations as contrasted with Keynesian economics. What is your economic philosophy?
CAMPBELL: Economics is an inexact science. I believe in a free market system, but government must sometimes intervene. I would like to see the government intervene as little as possible. The infusion of cash into the economy by the federal government last year prevented another great depression. Representative King’s view was “let the city burn.”
BFIA: What are your ideas for reducing the federal deficit?
CAMPBELL: I share the concern about the deficit. Democrats are concerned, Matt Campbell is concerned. Tax cuts to wealthy Americans do not help us. Unfunded wars did not help. President Bush added more to deficit than all past presidents combined. Republicans blame the deficit on fiscal stimulus, yet the Democrats were implementing the policy of Treasury Secretary Hank Paulsen. Regarding reduction of the deficit, I believe the time has come for the line item veto. I also support Senator Harkin’s Let Wall Street Pay for the Restoration of Main Street Act.
Read part two of our interview with Matt Campbell with his views on corporate media, Varnum vs. Brien and the primary and general elections by clicking here. To learn more about Matt Campbell, visit his web site at campbellforcongress2010.com.
The START of a New Obama Narrative
The START of a New Obama Narrative
by Joe Cirincione
Days after scoring his biggest domestic policy win, President Obama
secured his first major foreign policy victory. He's on a roll.
The new treaty with Russia, dubbed New START, makes the world a
little safer. It verifiably reduces the threat posed by the only
weapons that can destroy America. It shrinks, at least a little, the
dangerously bloated U.S. and Russian nuclear stockpiles. But it does
much more than that.
It helps reset the relationship with Russia, whose cooperation is
necessary for progress on Iran, the Middle East, global warming,
European security and many other issues. But it does more than that.
This treaty is the gate through which Obama had to pass to get to the
rest of the new nuclear security agenda. Now, he can move forward
aggressively on agreements to lock up nuclear materials from terrorists,
to stop new nations from getting these weapons, and to begin planning
for a new round of negotiations to go from thousands of nuclear weapons
to hundreds.
To read the rest of the article on Huffington Post click here.
~Joseph
Cirincione joined Ploughshares Fund as president in March 2008. He is author of
Bomb Scare: The History and Future
of Nuclear Weapons
and served previously as senior vice president for national security and
international policy at the Center for American Progress and as director for
nonproliferation at the Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace for eight
years. He worked for nine years in the U.S. House of Representatives as a
professional staff member of the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee
on Government Operations, and served as staff director of the bipartisan
Military Reform Caucus. He teaches at the Georgetown University Graduate School
of Foreign Service and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
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