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Wednesday, May 31
Head Start Is Dear To My Heart
by
Caroline Vernon
on Wed 31 May 2006 04:00 PM CDT
 Head Start Is Dear To My Heart
by Caroline Vernon
This is an issue very close to my heart. All four of my children participated in Head Start. My oldest daughter is 26 and my youngest son is 10, so that gives you an idea as to the extent of my involvement with the program.
Head Start, for many families, is a wonderful arm of support that helps young, and often struggling single parents, create a fundamental structure and environment for learning that is truly empowering for pre-schoolers. With each of my children, I can say for certain, their early development was positively augmented through their participation in the program. Head Start not only helps to create a sense of empowerment but a love for learning. This is so crucial at such an early age. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in the program for my children's sake.
I received the following from the Coalition for Human Needs; www.chn.org:
Caroline
From our friends at the National Head Start Association:
Deadline TODAY, May 31: Organizations, Please Sign a Letter to Restore Head Start Funding.
As Head Start advocates and supporters of early childhood education, we have created the Head Start Works coalition to advocate for increased funding for Head Start in 2007. Head Start Works is a network of business leaders that have organized to support Head Start as a program that invests in our children and the next generation of American workers.
We are writing to ask that you join the Head Start Works campaign to increase funding for Head Start by signing your organization on to the attached letter asking Congress to provide at least $234 million in additional funding for Head Start in 2007 to restore cuts made in FY 2006 and provide a cost of living increase.
At present, only half of the eligible children are able to access Head Start due to funding shortfalls. If the 2006 cuts are not restored, Head Start programs will be forced to reduce the number of children served even further and cut back on the education and social services that have become the hallmark of Head Start.
Our goal in to get a broad base of Head Start supporters – including community based organizations, faith based groups, business leaders and state and local governments – to sign on in support of this modest funding increase to invest in a program with a proven track record of success.
At the bottom of this email is the text of the letter addressed to the House Labor, HHS Appropriation’s leadership and an identical letter will go to the Senate leadership as well.
If your organization would like to sign, please email the following information to Joel Ryan at jryan@nhsa.org by close of business Wednesday, May 31st.
Name of your organization:
City:
State:
Contact person and email address:
Your organization will be added to both the House and Senate letters and a final copy of the sign-on letters will be emailed to you so that you can share them with Members of Congress to indicate just how deep and strong support for Head Start is.
Sincerely,
Aaron Lieberman, Acelero Learning
Yasmine Daniel, Children's Defense Fund
Patrick McIntyre, The United Way
Gary Ferdman, Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities
Joel Ryan, National Head Start Association
Yvette Sanchez, National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association
Text of Letter:
Dear Chairman Regula and Ranking Member Obey:
We the undersigned represent religious organizations, community groups, business leaders, parent councils, social services organizations, and state and local governments. We are proud to support the call of the Head Start Works coalition to increase funding for Head Start in the Fiscal Year 2007 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) Appropriations bill. The Head Start Works coalition is a network of business leaders that have come together to support Head Start as a program that invests in our children and the next generation of American workers. We join them in this call because we see the difference Head Start makes every day in the communities where we live and work.
At minimum, we are asking that you provide at least $234 million in additional funding for Head Start, which would restore the FY2006 cuts and provide a cost of living increase for FY2007. It is the minimum funding level that we believe is necessary to maintain enrollment and ensure that Head Start programs can continue to provide quality education and services to children in the coming year.
For over four decades, Head Start has significantly improved the lives of low income children and their families across the nation. Its high-quality early education initiatives, as well as its health, nutrition, and social services programs, work together in an integrated and comprehensive manner to help children get ahead and improve their chances for success. With these components in place, children are able to attain higher test scores in reading and math, display better social skills with their peers and adults, and miss less school as a result of health issues.
In fact, research has demonstrated that providing the necessary funding for Head Start is an extremely cost-effective investment. James Heckman, the winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2000, notes that early childhood programs such as Head Start provide a much greater economic return than other later interventions. He writes that "[t]he economic return to early interventions is high. The return to later intervention is lower. The reason for this relationship is the technology of skill formation. Skill begets skill and early skill makes later skill acquisition easier."
In addition, according to a recent study of more than 600 Head Start graduates in San Bernardino County, California, society receives nearly $9 in benefits for every $1 invested in Head Start children – an almost 900 percent return on investment. These benefits include increased earnings, employment, and family stability, and decreased welfare dependency, crime costs, grade repetition, and special education. Other studies find that Head Start children perform better on cognitive, language, and health measures than their comparison group counterparts did.
In spite of the evidence that Head Start is a good investment, we continue to see cuts in funding. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), the FY2006 budget reduced Head Start funding by 2.8 percent accounting for inflation. This cut will result in providers either serving fewer low income children or reducing services. If the providers choose only to decrease the number of Head Start slots, CBPP estimates that as many as 25,000 children could be cut from the program.
A Summer 2005 National Head Start Association survey also discovered that 89 percent of Head Start and Early Head Start programs had to make budget cuts during the past year due to funding shortfalls. As programs entered the 2005-2006 school year, 30 percent reported laying off teachers, 70 percent had furloughed non-teacher staff members, 30 percent reduced or eliminated health care coverage, 65 percent cut transportation services, 47 percent reduced training, 12 percent trimmed services for children with disabilities, and 39 percent reported cutting operating hours per day and/or the length of the year. Furthermore, as heating oil and gas prices cause occupancy costs to skyrocket this year, the Head Start funding crisis will become only more severe.
In order to ensure that low income children and their families continue to receive the comprehensive services they need to enter school ready to learn, it is vital that the FY2007 Labor-HHS Appropriations bill restore the funding cuts from last year by providing $234 million in additional funding for the Head Start program.
Saturday, May 13
Iowa Blog Roundup
by
Sam Garchik
on Sat 13 May 2006 08:00 AM CDT
Iowa Blog Roundup
By Sam Garchik
A sad week in Iowa for progressives. The Iowa Blogosphere has done a first rate job of covering the Maytag closing and loss of 4,000 jobs. For those looking for national perspective, check out Iowa Progress' page of links. Political commentary by our local elected officials is brought to you by Political Forecast. As they point out, Democrats are again on te side of working people, and Conservatives are again on the side of corporate interests. Finally, Iowa Progress lists solutions and and provides an overall analysis of the situation.
Meanwhile, shrub gets away with, well. Not exactly wiretapping all of your phone calls, but looking at who you called. Who would have thought USA Today would be the defender of the common interest? Good old DFA is is organizing a petition drive, so make sure you tell our pols that you care.
Lastly, this blogger will be working on his kitchen, but you should try to hit the Iowa for Sensible Priorities Mother's Day Rally at the Capital on Sunday. It runs from 2 - 4 pm, and they are still looking for volunteers.
For Sale and Other Transactions
Iowa's Lowest Gas Prices was a great way to find out where to get cheap gas, and Cong. Boswell used to have a link to it on his web page. For some reason, the link is gone, and his new page is all business. I am currently entertaining suggestions as to why Cong B would want to get rid of the link. Conspiracy? Big Oil? The statewide party organization that shall not be named?
Speaking of conspriacies, still no idea who runs ChetNotStupid. However, the folks who sell our t-shirts and buttons are selling, "ChetNotStupid," stuff. I would feel bad if this is a Republican, so whoever does this, fess up!
And last week, I mentioned that I wouldn't comment on advertisements. For those candidates running for office, I am going to say that here's your chance to make your own! Paying for it is a different story, but at least you'll have no need for consultants.
Wednesday, May 10
Maytag Closing
by
Sam Garchik
on Wed 10 May 2006 06:03 AM CDT
 Maytag Closing
by Sam Garchik
An obituary for Maytag in Iowa comes to us from Drew Miller. DFIA and some unions in Iowa have had major differences, but working people everwhere should pay notice when Republicans and big business cut deals that undermine both. Politicians are talking about extra help for Maytag employees, but the best thing they could do is make sure Iowa jobs stay here.
Monday, May 8
King Leads Another Charge Against Democracy
by
Sam Garchik
on Mon 08 May 2006 07:09 AM CDT
 King Leads Another Charge Against Democracy
By Sam Garchik
Ellen Ballas sent this on to me from the LA Times, where it appeared on Saturday. Blog for Iowa has not endorsed a candidate in the Fifth District, but Steve King has got to go...
House GOP Group Targets Bilingual Ballots
The 56 lawmakers want to let language assistance provisions in the Voting Rights Act expire.
By Nicole Gaouette, Times Staff Writer
May 6, 2006
WASHINGTON — A group of House Republicans wants to do away with bilingual ballots and translation assistance at the polls, a reflection of how tensions over immigration are pervading other issues.
As Congress readies to reauthorize the 1965 Voting Rights Act, the lawmakers are lobbying their colleagues to let the act's language assistance provisions expire. The 56 lawmakers support the act, but say the language assistance to voters — provided throughout much of California — undermines national unity, increases the risk of election fraud, and puts an undue burden on state and local governments.
"We believe these ballot provisions encourage the linguistic division of our nation and contradict the 'melting pot' ideal that has made us the most successful multiethnic nation on Earth," the members said in a letter earlier this year.
The group's effort is not likely to succeed, in part because of other Republicans' concerns that it could further offend Latino voters upset by the enforcement-only immigration legislation the House passed in December.
Policy analysts said the focus on bilingual ballots illustrated a hardening of positions within the GOP as the debate on illegal immigration evolved.
"It's reflective of the broader divide in the Republican Party on the immigration issue and related cultural questions," said Marshall Wittmann, a former GOP Senate aide who is a senior fellow at the Democratic Leadership Council.
"This division is now being reflected in collateral issues, like the Voting Rights Act," Wittmann added.
Under President Bush, the GOP has emphasized courting Latino voters.
But many Republican lawmakers also have spotlighted illegal immigration as a key concern, arguing that the continuing flow of illegal immigrants into the U.S. is culturally transforming the nation and must be stemmed. Such attitudes led to the passage of the House bill that would significantly upgrade border security, make illegal presence in the U.S. a felony, and make aiding illegal immigrants a felony.
Bush is urging Congress to pass a bill that, along with beefed-up border security, includes a guest worker program and some legalization measures for illegal immigrants. He also is encouraging immigrants to learn English — a response to a controversial Spanish-language version of the national anthem.
The Senate and House are to conduct committee hearings next week on reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), prime sponsor of letting the language assistance provision expire, plans to submit his proposal as an amendment in the House Judiciary Committee next week.
The Voting Rights Act was designed to prevent discrimination from interfering with citizens' ability to vote. When the act was extended in 1975, Congress added the section that requires some jurisdictions to provide bilingual ballots and translators.
Currently, 466 jurisdictions in 31 states provide these services on election day. Twenty-five California counties qualify, including Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara and Santa Clara.
King dismissed suggestions that his proposal could hurt the GOP among the nation's growing numbers of Latino voters.
"We're talking about public policy, and I would like to think the Hispanics in this country respect American values in the same way," said King, who has long backed efforts to make English the United States' official language.
Six GOP California House members signed the letter detailing King's proposal: Gary G. Miller of Diamond Bar, Ed Royce of Fullerton, Dana Rohrabacher of Huntington Beach, Ken Calvert of Corona, John T. Doolittle of Roseville and John Campbell of Irvine.
The proposal's backers say that U.S.-born or naturalized citizens should know enough English to vote, particularly because a command of the language is a requirement for citizenship.
"In all the talk now about immigration, there seems to be a very broad consensus that people who want to become citizens should read, write and speak English," Campbell said.
King said another provision of the Voting Rights Act allows voters who need help, including translation, to bring someone with them.
But Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.), the main author of the enforcement-only House immigration bill, staunchly defended the language assistance provision in the Voting Rights Act.
"If [immigrants] want to achieve the American dream, they better learn how to read and function in English," Sensenbrenner said. "But this deals with the right to vote, and these people are United States citizens; they are not illegal immigrants. It seems to me these people should not be confused because they don't have the proper instruction about how to vote on ballots for the candidates of their choice."
Caroline Fredrickson, an official with the American Civil Liberties Union in Washington, said the language assistance provision had "worked phenomenally well in allowing people with limited English proficiency to participate in our democratic process. There has been a remarkable growth in voting participation in areas that have been covered."
King and his group say bilingual ballots cause election errors. They cited a 2000 case in Flushing, N.Y., where ballots printed in Chinese misidentified the political affiliations of some candidates. They also allege that bilingual ballots can make it easier for illegal immigrants to fraudulently vote.
Wednesday, May 3
Senator Harkin Introduces Iraq War Resolution
by
Caroline Vernon
on Wed 03 May 2006 04:51 PM CDT
 Senator Harkin Introduces Iraq War Resolution
by Caroline Vernon
Senator Tom Harkin has just introduced a resolution for a new course in Iraq.
Please call Senator Harkin and thank him for taking such a courageous and compassionate stance on this critical issue!
1-800-426-8073 (Washington Switchboard)
(563)-322-1338 (Davenport office)
Also, please call Senators Durbin and Obama and ask them to support the resolution!
It is important that we ALL be sure to WEIGH IN on the need to end this war as soon as possible as lives are hanging in the balance...
Please Call TODAY!
Senator Harkin on AIR AMERICA TODAY:
Tune in to Air America (AM 1270 in the QC) to hear Senator Harkin speak out about his resolution on redeployment from Iraq.
This afternoon at 4:05pm CST, Senator Tom Harkin will be a featured guest on The Ed Shultz Show, and tonight he can be heard on The Majority Report with hosts Janeane Garofolo and Sam Sedar on Air America Radio which airs from 5-9m CST. !
Harkin Introduces Resolution for New Course in Iraq:
Measure Stipulates No Permanent Military Bases on Iraqi Soil, Iraqi Sovereignty over Oil and U.S. Troop Withdrawals by Close of 2006
Washington, DC—Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today introduced a Concurrent Resolution in the United States Senate to chart a new course in Iraq. The resolution specifies that the US should neither maintain a permanent military presence in Iraq nor attempt to control the flow of Iraqi oil, and that US Armed Forces should be redeployed from Iraq following the completion of Iraq’s constitution-making process—at the latest December 31, 2006.
“This Monday marked the third anniversary of President Bush’s speech on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln,” Harkin said. “On that occasion, the President proclaimed our ‘mission accomplished,’ stating triumphantly that ‘major combat operations in Iraq have ended.’ But three years later, 133,000 troops remain on the ground, and the President has signaled that the U.S. military occupation in Iraq is open-ended and of indefinite duration. President Bush’s call to ‘stay the course’ is a slogan, not a strategy for success. Indeed, I fear that ‘stay the course’ really means ‘stay forever,’ and this sends exactly the wrong message. It stokes the insurgents, who believe that the U.S. wants a permanent military presence in Iraq. And it takes away any incentive for the Iraqi government to resolve its internal divisions and stand on its own feet.”
U.S. commanders in Iraq have acknowledged that Iraq’s remaining challenges cannot be resolved militarily, but will require a political solution worked out by the Iraqis themselves. However, the ongoing presence of U.S. forces without a clear end date, has delayed progress on the political front. Moreover, the insurgents are strengthened by the overwhelming perception among Iraqis that the U.S. military is an occupying force, that we are building what appear to be permanent bases, and that our continuing presence in Iraq is about oil. By making clear that we intend to redeploy U.S. forces out of Iraq by the end of the year, the Harkin resolution aims to deprive the insurgency of its rationale and to spur the new Iraqi government to shoulder full responsibility. The United States taxpayers have committed $320 billion in Iraq, including funds allocated by the emergency supplemental appropriations being considered by Congress. The Congressional Research Service reports that the US now spends upwards of $6.4 billion a month in Iraq – up sharply from last year.
“The men and women of our Armed Forces have sacrificed greatly. It is time to allow the political process to go forward, and to demand that Iraq’s new leaders take responsibility for their country’s future. And it is time to bring home as many troops as possible, consistent with force-protection requirements, and to redeploy as many as necessary to successfully pursue Bin Laden and al Qaeda, and to protect our vital interests around the world,” said Harkin.
Monday, May 1
Iowa SoS to Issue Voting SOS
by
Trish Nelson
on Mon 01 May 2006 06:03 AM CDT
 Iowa SoS to Issue Voting SOS
by Jerry Depew, Laurens, Iowa
Iowa Voters for Open and Transparent Elections
Secretary
of State Chet Culver is about to issue an SOS (Save our Security) for
Iowa’s voting machines. “Emergency” rules are to be published in early
May—in time to plug security holes in the new equipment that will debut
for the June primary election. Iowans for Voting Integrity obtained a
copy of the rules last week.
The
action is a tacit admission that Bev Harris and the other “conspiracy
theorists” have been correct these last three years when they said
computerized equipment offered new ways to steal elections.
The
emergency rules govern the memory cards that carry the key programming
and voting results. These cards are so small that any magician could
hide several up his sleeve and swap them when no one is looking. An
altered card could mean a stolen election. It already happened in a
vivid demonstration in Florida last December, now known as the Hursti hack.
At first
Iowa’s election director Sandy Steinbach shrugged off the Hursti caper,
saying he had inside access to the equipment. Actually he had access
similar to that of any poll worker, technician or courthouse employee.
And since it is, after all, insiders who steal elections, Hursti
revealed how it can be done in the future. He pulled the perfect crime,
leaving not a trace of his activity.
Read the complete article here.
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