Random Views from a Community Activistby John Drury
Instead of writing on one topic this week, I thought I would take the opportunity to comment on a few things that have been happening in politics … some local, some national, all ridiculous.
Ethanol mandate
Senator Jack Kibbie from Emmetsburg plans to file legislation mandating ethanol in the state of Iowa. Kudos to Kibbie as it is about time Iowa join Minnesota and do this. As Senator Kibbie states, “we are where the corn is, we are where the ethanol plants are. It’s a no-brainer.”
Our own Senator Gaskill opposes this mandate, saying that “we are on the right track.” Didn’t his campaign advertising say something about there being no stronger advocate for ethanol in the Iowa Senate than Thurman Gaskill?
Gaskill shuts down web site
I tried to access Senator Gaskill’s web site the other day. I was somewhat surprised when I saw that it was no longer there. So much for being accessible to the people ... been there, done that, says Gaskill.
Bob Vander Plaats visits Clear Lake
Republican Bob Vander Plaats of Sioux City brought his campaign for governor to Clear Lake the other day. One of his ideas is to “support changes in the tax laws which would help corporations shelter income from taxation.” Apparently he thinks that the $900 million yearly in existing corporate tax breaks and loopholes just aren’t enough to “allow businesses to grow.” I guess we can figure he won’t be using a “man of the people” theme in his campaign.
Iowa’s budget crisis
“Iowa lawmakers are returning to a chronic budget crisis, but they shouldn’t be surprised,” said Charles Bruner, executive director of the Child & Family Policy Center. “By raiding special funds, they have shoved budget responsibilities to the next year. It gives the illusion of balancing the budget, when in fact it’s building up a structural deficit.”
Day after day, the news is not good for Iowa. While most state legislatures held onto their revenues during hard economic times, we continued to give ours away in the form of additional tax breaks and loopholes to special interests and large corporations. Each time the legislature does this, they say it will spark the economy and encourage growth. Well, we are now at a point where we can’t fund our schools properly, we can’t fund our justice department properly, and our social services are forced to have rummage sales for operating funds. (Yes, I actually attended a rummage sale about a month ago at Francis Lauer Youth Services in Mason City.)
We are destroying Iowa as we know it and we continue to elect the very people that have put us in this situation. The Governor gave his condition of the state address last week, and although it was masterfully delivered without a note card, teleprompter or prepared text, it fell short of addressing the situation. I think Iowa is desperately looking for the promised spark in the economy and growth that all those tax breaks were supposed to produce.
Social Security under attack
Bush is trying to privatize social security for no apparent reason. He says it’s at a crisis point, basically saying that we are spending more than we are taking in, when in fact, the fund is solvent for at least another fifty years. If he’s concerned about deficit spending, shouldn’t he take a look at his budget?
Bush continues to smirk, skirt legacy
I saw an interview with Bush on CBS last night. He was asked about the upcoming elections in Iraq. He essentially said that he knows it will be difficult for all Iraqis to get out and vote because many of them still fear for their life. Then he smirked. Am I missing something? Is that funny?
And speaking of the elections in Iraq, does it seem like Bush is more concerned about bringing Democracy to Iraq than he is about keeping it here? Read the article posted by Linda today on the campaign of misinformation, repression and intimidation that was unleashed by corrupt Republican officials and partisans in 2004.
During this same interview, Bush was once again asked about his legacy. He said—AGAIN—that he won’t be around when history is written about him, so it is an impossible question to answer. The question clearly makes him uncomfortable. It makes me wonder, if he is so uncomfortable with his legacy, why does he continue to treat our government like a candy store for corporations?
All of these issues are a good reminder that we need to not only pay attention to our elected officials, but we need to actively engage with them. Letters to the editor, letters to our elected officials, blogs like this one, and talking to our friends and family are all really good ways to keep our governments accountable for their actions.
