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Friday, April 29
New Iowa Political Blog: Iowa Matters
by
Linda Thieman
on Fri 29 Apr 2005 06:33 PM CDT
 New Iowa Political Blog: Iowa Matters
Lucas
Forte, the former volunteer coordinator for the Art Small for Senate
campaign, has started up a great new Iowa political blog called Iowa
Matters. Click here to check out the blog for yourself. Or read an excerpt below.
Yepsen Demeans the Debate on the Death Penalty
Has David Yepsen turned into a partisan hack? In his April 26th column “Stop ducking death penalty vote,”
Yepsen calls Democrats “chicken”, “gutless”, and “weaselly.” He even
manages to squeeze in cheap shots at Sen. Grassley’s former opponents,
the judicial filibuster in the US Senate, and the voters in Iowa City.
This type of juvenile name calling hurts the real debate over this
important issue.
If the
death penalty is such a good idea, why didn’t the Republicans bring it
up when they controlled both houses of the state legislature? Only now,
after the tragic [death] of a child, when the passions of the populace
are bent on retribution, do we hear the call to reinstate state
sanctioned killing. As in the Schiavo case, partisans see the
opportunity to exploit a personal tragedy by turning it into a divisive
political wedge.
Yepsen’s
column is emblematic of the current state of political discourse. His
shrill cries drown out discussion on the merits of the death penalty.
They serve only to deride and divide, rather than inform and persuade.
To paraphrase Jon Stewart, when he was confronted with similar
outrageous rhetoric on CNN’s Crossfire: Stop, stop, stop hurting Iowa.
Thursday, April 28
LAST CHANCE for a voter-verified paper ballot
by
Trish Nelson
on Thu 28 Apr 2005 10:15 PM CDT
 LAST CHANCE for a Voter-Verified Paper Ballot
Act now or you'll miss the LAST CHANCE for a voter-verified paper ballot (VVPB) law to pass in Iowa this session.
Iowa
lawmakers wrap up the legislative session on Friday, April 29. A bill -
S.F.351 - requiring a VVPB for all new electronic voting machines has
already passed the Senate, but the House has not yet acted - and time
is running out.
Iowa
voters have told the Secretary of State that a VVPB for all new voting
equipment coming to Iowa counties is the number one priority - and he
has asked the Iowa House to act. Now it is YOUR chance to make your
voice heard where it counts. Insist that the House State Government
Committee release the bill for a floor vote, and that the legislature
respond to the will of the people of Iowa.
The
Secretary of State gets it. Now make sure your lawmakers get it too.
Insist that S.F.351 come to the floor for a vote, and ask your
Representative in the strongest possible terms to vote for its passage
today.
TAKE ACTION TODAY! Click on this link VerifiedVoting.org Action Center to send your message to your representative.
Wednesday, April 27
Harkin Works to Make Television More Accessible for the Visually Impaired
by
Caroline Vernon
on Wed 27 Apr 2005 04:46 PM CDT
 Harkin Works to Make Television More Accessible for the Visually Impaired
by Caroline Vernon
This
guy is my hero! He's always looking out for the underdog... being a
disabled person myself, I am eternally grateful for the work he is
doing.
Thanks to: Allison Dobson/ Maureen Knightly
April 26, 2005
Washington,
D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) yesterday joined Senators John McCain
(R-AZ), Gordon Smith (R-OR), and Ted Stevens (R-AK) to introduce the
Television Information-Enhancement for the Visually Impaired (TIVI) Act
of 2005. This bipartisan measure would increase video description in
television programming — a service that allows blind and visually
impaired viewers to enjoy television programming through the insertion
of verbal descriptions of actions or settings not contained in the
normal audio track of a program.
“It is
important that television broadcasters make public airwaves accessible
for all Americans to enjoy,” Harkin said “This bill will ensure that
video description services are available to individuals with visual
disabilities.”
Specifically,
the TIVI Act will require television broadcasters, during at least 50
hours of their prime time or children’s programming every quarter, to
insert verbal descriptions of actions or settings not contained in the
normal audio track of a program. The description is often provided over
a Secondary Audio Programming channel (SAP), which currently allows
additional soundtracks, such as foreign language programming.
This
bill is necessary due to a 2002 decision by District of Columbia
Circuit Court of Appeals which held that the Federal Communications
Commission did not have authority to issue the video description rules
in 2000.
This bill would reinstate the FCC’s video description rules
within 45 days of enactment and would authorize the FCC to make
additional changes to the rules. Further, the bill would require the
FCC to consider whether on-screen, emergency warnings should be
provided in an accessible format for viewers with disabilities.
Senator
Harkin, sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), is a
longstanding advocate for individuals with disabilities in the U.S. and
abroad.
Big Benefits in Small Wind Projects for Iowa
by
Linda Thieman
on Wed 27 Apr 2005 12:26 PM CDT
 Big Benefits in Small Wind Projects for Iowa
Iowa Policy Project
Economic Advantages Seen in Local Wind-Power Projects
DES MOINES, Iowa – Megawatt for megawatt, small, locally-owned wind projects
deliver greater economic benefits in Iowa communities than do large
projects, a new report shows.
The Iowa
Policy Project (IPP) report reviewed three studies that compared the
economic development benefits of small and large projects. All showed
more dollars are more likely to stay in the local economy when
wind-projects are small-scale and owned by community members.
A bill
moving through the Iowa Legislature, SF390, would make a tax credit
available to owners of small-scale wind and other renewable energy
projects. It passed the Senate and has moved to the House.
“Iowa
has done good things to advance wind power, but it is important for the
state to stay competitive with policies that assure small-scale,
locally owned projects are feasible,” said David Osterberg, executive
director of the IPP.
IPP
Research Associate Teresa Welsh, who authored the report, noted one
analysis found nearly 10 times more economic activity at the community
and state level from small, locally owned wind generation than from
large, out-of-state companies. Specifically, the study found for every
1 MW of large-scale wind generating capacity owned by out-of-state
companies, $17,300 stays in the community and state annually and for
every 1 MW of small scale generating capacity owned by local community
members, $167,200 stays in the community and state annually.
“As Iowa
continues to promote wind energy, it is essential to consider the
benefits of doing this in a manner that doesn’t let much needed dollars
blow out of our economy,” Welsh said.
“Currently,
wind generated power accounts for a small portion of Iowa’s energy
consumption. Yet, our Hawkeye State has the 10th-highest wind potential
in the nation and if fully utilized this represents enough power
available to produce 4.8 times more energy than Iowans consume,” she
added.
Welsh
noted that some analysts believe state incentives are important to help
small operators install wind systems because the federal renewable
energy production credit is geared to large operators.
“Most don’t make enough from the small wind operation to make the federal credit pay off,” she said.
The
Iowa Policy Project, based in Mount Vernon, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan
organization that produces research reports for the public to foster
better-informed debate on issues of importance to Iowa citizens. IPP
reports are available to the public, free of charge, on the web at www.iowapolicyproject.org.
Tuesday, April 26
John Drury: Quotable Quotes for $1000, Alex
by
John Drury
on Tue 26 Apr 2005 07:09 PM CDT
 Quotable Quotes for $1000, Alex
by John Drury
The
last week of the 2005 session of the Iowa legislature is upon us and it
seems that instead of trying to get their feet out the door, some are
trying to get their feet out of their mouths.
Last week I told you about the egregious remark that Senator Iverson
made regarding the minimum wage issue. “The minimum wage really isn’t a
huge issue because I don’t know anybody working for that,” said Senator
Iverson.
Would you like to meet some, Senator?
Not to be outdone, Senator Mark Zieman, a Republican from Postville,
described government workers as “bottom feeders out there with their
hand out.” This was during senate debate on the state’s public
retirement system. It was later reported that Senator Zieman has
received more than $1 million in farm subsidies since 1995. When asked
about this, Senator Zieman replied, “I readily admit I got’ em and I
admitted at the time that I’m one of those people that’s using the
system.”
So then, are you also a bottom feeder, Senator?
In the closing week of the 2005 session, it appears as though the tax credits are flying.
There is an interesting proposal in the House that would extend a tax
credit of up to $10,000 if you donate a kidney or bone marrow. “I’m not
saying that everybody’s going to rush out and give away a kidney or
anything,” said Representative Linda Upmeyer, a Republican from Garner.
I would say that’s probably a safe bet, Linda.
There’s talk of tax breaks for people who donate to private schools as
well. Representative Christopher Rants, a Republican from Sioux City,
is in support of this saying, “We want to have those schools as a
viable alternative so people have some choice of where to send their
kids to school.”
Are you under the false impression that you have properly funded public education in this state, Senator?
Let’s not limit the wordplay to state politics, 4th District U.S.
Representative Tom Latham was in town again the other day. It’s kind of
funny, through the fall campaign you couldn’t find the man, and now it
seems like he’s everywhere. Anyway, he spoke to a government class at
NIACC yesterday, and offered up these nuggets.
On Terry Schiavo, he said that he has “real reservations about Congress
getting involved in situations like this” but that they didn’t vote on
whether or not to remove the feeding tube, but “whether the federal
court should have jurisdiction and I voted for that.”
With all due respect sir, you got involved in an unprecedented way and there’s no turning back.
On No Child Left Behind, he said that like many federal programs “the
intent is good, but the implementation is not always perfect.”
Well, at least you admit it, Tom.
That’s all I have this week. Now it is up to you to either laugh or cry.
Monday, April 25
Benefits of Voter Paper Trail Justify Cost of Machines
by
Trish Nelson
on Mon 25 Apr 2005 08:48 PM CDT
 Benefits of Voter Paper Trail Justify Cost of Machines
The following appeared as a Guest Column in the Cedar Rapids Gazette
By Tom Slockett, Johnson County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections
Did you know that
Carteret County, N.C., lost more than 4,400 votes on new electronic
voting machines in the 2004 presidential election? This was more than
the margin of victory in a statewide race.
In contrast, for the same election, Nevada began implementing machines
with a Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail. A statewide audit of 145
machines and 64,424 votes matched electronic totals with paper records
at 100 percent accuracy.
Now is the time for voters to decide which system they prefer. During
2006, all voters will cast ballots on equipment purchased after the
2000 presidential election. Problems that year in Florida spurred
Congress to mandate two key requirements for voter-operated ballot
machines:
Second-chance voting.
Voters must be informed when they make certain types of errors on their
ballots and be given the opportunity to make corrections. Otherwise,
for example, if two choices are made for the office of president, no
vote for that office can be counted.
Accessible voting equipment.
More people with visual impairment must be able to vote a secret ballot
without assistance. One device per precinct, such as a Direct Recording
Electronics or touch-screen voting machine, must be equipped with
earphones.
No
voting system in place for the 2000 presidential election met these
requirements. This fact, along with federal funds to grease the skids,
made the decision to purchase new voting equipment a practical reality
nationwide.
The Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail allows choices on a touch screen
as they are simultaneously printed out beneath Plexiglas on a roll of
paper that scrolls next to the screen. Different languages can be
selected and either viewed or heard with headphones. Choices are
printed until mistakes are corrected and the printout correctly
displays the voter’s choices. The printout scrolls out of sight onto a
storage roll inside the machine after the voter has checked it. This
printed vote can be recounted to prove that the results reported by the
computer accurately reflect voters’ choices.
This system is a powerful disincentive against corrupt programming or
alteration of electronically stored vote totals due to the existence of
proof.
A Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail sounds good, so what’s the catch?
Simply put, it costs more. Many more trees are killed with a paper
audit trail, and additional chemicals are required for thermal paper,
toner or ink. Costs are incurred for inventory, storage and recycling
or disposition. Printers jam, and the serial record of votes on a paper
roll requires special procedures to preserve the secrecy of the ballot.
People with vision impairment can’t verify their votes on most existing
Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails. At significant additional cost,
technology exists to include a scanner with character recognition and
voice software to allow independent verification through headphones.
Voting technology is continuing to evolve and improve. Direct Recording
Electronics systems without a Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail may
someday work in practice, as experts say. But with no paper trail, only
a relatively small percentage of voters actually have the
sophistication to verify vote totals based on their own knowledge,
without reliance on ‘‘experts.’’
The advantage of a Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail is that any voter
can understand its verification process. The paper record of votes
individuals have verified with their own eyes or ears are simply
counted and totaled. At this point in time, during significant change
and controversy regarding reliability and accuracy of voting machines,
care in reassuring the voters of the legitimacy of our elections is
critical.
Yes, the Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail system costs more. How much
is it worth for voters to be confident that their ballots are counted
as they are cast?
Action: Contact your legislator to let them know you want your vote verified.
(Source)
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action alerts from Rapid Response - Iowa
Paperless Voting Machines to be Installed in Iowa Unless We Act Now
by
Trish Nelson
on Mon 25 Apr 2005 06:38 AM CDT
Paperless Voting Machines to be Installed in Iowa Unless We Act Now
The following is a letter sent to Iowa Secretary of State Chet Culver
by Maureen McCue MD, PhD, Coordinator Iowa Chapter, Physicians for
Social Responsibility.
Please cut and paste this post and get it out to EVERYONE in your e-mail circle ASAP.
Call or write your legislators, your local newspaper, and Secretary Culver. See contact info. below.
Dear Secretary Culver,
I am very concerned that Iowa may not make paper verification of
electronic voting machines available to voters and I'm even more
concerned about how this will adversely impact our democracy, our
already poor voter turnout and diminishing faith in our electoral
system. I turn to you for your help and advice.
During the HAVA meeting in Cedar Rapids, March 28th it was
announced that the Iowa Senate had unanimously voted for voter verified
paper trails to the electronic voting machines being installed in
Iowa. At the time I and, I'm sure, many in the audience, felt
this was a done deal: that Iowans would be able to verify that their
voting machine had correctly captured their intended vote. I've
since learned that the companion bill did not make it through the House
to the General Assembly and that this issue of great concern to so many
Iowans will die soon without approval. Without a vote in the
House for voter verification on paper, Iowa will install paperless
machines at which point change to paper verification will not be
possible.
Going with a system that does not verify each and every person's vote
is a very critical mistake. I understand that those opposed to
paper raise issues of cost, waste of paper, and the difficulties of
training all the precincts in their use and maintenance. While
these are not trivial issues, they are not sufficient reasons to risk
loosing even more faith in our electoral process.
I've learned some legislators believe there is only one option for a
voting machine with a paper printer option and it is too
expensive. But, from comments made at your meeting I understood
that several companies including one called Micro Vote, ES &S, as
well as Diebold and Sequoia were being considered for use in Iowa.
Democracy is not easy or cheap (look how much we spend on the military
that supposedly protects our rights and freedoms, especially or freedom
to vote). If we don't urge our representatives to vote on
this issue in favor of voter verified paper trails, we essentially give
up our right to verifiable elections. This is a very dangerous
and steep, slippery slope to the end of democracy as we understand
it. I know you are as concerned as I am that our voting system
works for all our citizens. At the very least, let's make sure
that every vote cast counts - accurately. The time to reclaim our
democracy is today!! Please be certain that this issue is not
allowed to die. Please tell me what I can do and what you will do
to verify that our votes are recorded as intended.
Maureen McCue MD, PhD
Coordinator, Iowa Chapter
Physicians for Social Responsibility
____________________
Take Action: To find and write your legislator click here: www4.legis.state.ia.us/find-leg/
Click here to Contact Sec. of State Chet Culver
or call 515-281-0145
Then contact the media:
Click on the links below to send a letter, or copy and paste the address into your e-mail.
The Des Moines Register letters@news.dmreg.com or call 800-532-1455
Ames Tribune: letters@amestrib.com or call (800) 234-TRIB
Iowa State Daily letters@iowastatedaily.com or call (515) 294-3557
Cedar Rapids Gazette editorial@gazettecommunications.com or call 319-398-5869
Quad Cities Times opinions@qctimes.com or call (800) 437-4641
Sioux City Journal larry.myhre@lee.net or call 800-397-9820
Iowa City Press-Citizen newsroom@press-citizen.com or call 319-337-3181
The Daily Iowan daily-iowan@uiowa.edu or call 319-335-6063
Mason City Globe Gazette www.globegazette.com or call toll free: 800-421-0524
Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier tish.flattery@wcfcourier.com or call 800-798-1741
Please write or call and pass this on. We need EVERYONE’s help on this action.
Iowa Rapid Response needs letter-writers, researchers, readers, and media watchers. Join the Rapid Response-Iowa team.
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