A SLAUGHTERHOUSE AND CONFINEMENTS WITH AMMONIA AND HYDROGEN SULFIDE COMING TO A LOCATION NEAR YOU

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Today a press conference was held in Moline, IL.  It was to notify the press that TWO PUBLIC MEETINGS WILL TAKE PLACE NEXT SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3RD.

 The meetings (ONE IN MOLINE AND ONE IN ELDRIDGE, IOWA) are to INFORM THE PUBLIC THAT A HOG SLAUGHTEHOUSE IS PROPOSED CLOSE TO BARSTOW, IL ON A FLOODPLAIN.  The site is on land that this year was annexed by the city of East Moline, IL.  

If the slaughterhouse is built, word is that 16,000 HOGS A DAY OR OVER 4,000,000 HOGS A YEAR…THAT'S RIGHT 4 MILLION… ARE EXPECTED TO BE KILLED.  THIS MEANS AN EXPLOSION OF HOG CONFINEMENTS IN EASTERN IOWA AND WESTERN ILLINOIS COUNTIES WILL FOLLOW.

THE PUTRID AIR THAT EMINATES FROM LARGE HOG CONFINEMENTS (ALSO KNOWN AS "FACTORY FARMS") CAUSES AN INCREASE IN ASTHMA RATES, DISORIENTATION, LOSS OF MEMORY, UNCONSCIOUSNESS, AND DEATH.  

THE IMPACTS DO NOT JUST AFFECT THE RURAL COMMUNITIES IN OUR COUNTIES, BUT MUST ALSO BE CONSIDERED BY MEDIUM AND LARGE URBAN AREAS SUCH AS THE METRO QUAD CITIES. Just last Wednesday while I was in Moline, the strong winds from the north (over 40 mph) brought the smell of manure from somewhere out there.

So, our ENVIRONMENTAL/SUSTAINABILITY/ENERGY group of the PROGRESSIVE ACTION FOR THE COMMON GOOD (PACG), thought it was time for more citizens to be informed.

The morning meeting on Saturday, December 3rd will be held in Moline, IL at Riverside United Methodist Life Center, 2420 41st St. from 10AM -12 Noon.

The afternoon meeting the same day will be held in Eldridge, IA in Scott County in the Eldridge Public Library/First Amendment Room from 2 - 4PM.  

Speakers will be KAREN HUDSON AND TERRY SPENCE of GRACE (GLOBAL RESOURCE CENTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT).  They are part of a national organization that helps others who may not have the funding to educate others on the hazards of CAFO's (CONFINED ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS).

Come if you can and tell others about the meetings.  Get active in your county and keep track of what is going on.  As I said in an earlier article, once you step outside and are slapped in the face with the stench, it will be too late.

So check these web sites to gain further knowledge: www.farmweb.org
And www.thenation.com by searching for "Meatpacking" where you will find "The Shame of Meatpacking" by Karen Olsson and "Bad Meat" by Eric Schlosser.

Keep up the good work you all do in helping to CPR…CONSERVE/PARTICIPATE/RECYCLE

ALTA'S LEGISLATIVE WORKSHOP

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Saturday, November 19th saw about 30 folks assemble for informal, informative discussions with IOWA elected officials.  Our own DFQC's ALTA PRICE organized the event held at the Bettendorf Community Center.  It was a chance for concerned citizens in the area to speak in small groups to one elected official at a time.

Senator Frank Wood (D-Eldridge), Representatives Cindy Winckler (D-Davenport) and Ed Fallon (D-Des Moines/ gubernatorial candidate), as well as our own Ms. Elesha Gayman, former DEAN DELEGATE to Boston and candidate for House Representative were in attendance.  Representative Joe Hutter (R-Bettendorf) was also present. We divided into small groups and spent about ½ an hour at a time laying out our concerns on the need for adequate health care coverage, education matters, election reform, corporate reform, environmental hazards and other issues.

The first ½ hour saw Senator Wood listen to fair labor challenges while in another room, Rep. Winckler heard from attendees on their views to strengthen educational spending.

Later, Senator Wood listened as several of us in our group of about 10 voiced our dissatisfaction with the Master Matrix that is implemented by the Department Of Natural Resources.  It is a permit that has 44 questions that must be answered by anyone across the state wanting to build or expand a CAFO (Confined Animal Feeding Operation) above a certain number of animal units.

Many of us seated that day felt the Master Matrix is flawed and does really not give a county "local control".  It just gives each county's Board Of Supervisors the opportunity to be part of the permitting process if that Board has so agreed every January for the past 3 years to do so.  One of our messages to Senator Wood is that there needs to be discussion about this again.

Even though many legislatures are 'farmers', that term applies to numerous types of land/animal workers.  Many still are small to medium family farmers, while others are FACTORY RUN INDUSTRIAL ENTITIES that like to be under the wide umbrella of the term 'farmer'.  So, we would like to see consciousness raised regarding the impact on children's health from the excessive hydrogen sulfide and ammonia created by the CAFO's.  We would like to see that more is done to promote the use of methane produced by cattle lots, but not necessarily promoting large lots, though.  Jerry Neff, president of the Sierra Club suggested we envision a long-term plan for gradually segregating problem areas and searching for a better way to raise animals.  

We also talked about the bottle bill and that it needs to be revisited to include milk containers, water bottles, and other beverage holders. Some large grocery store chains and bottle distributors oppose a change unless it would be to do away with bottle deposit all together.

We will be following the progress of the Legislature after it convenes in early January.  This November get-together was well worth our time because it was OUR list of items directly given to the Senator and Representatives that we feel are imperative for consideration during the new year.

Don't forget:  CPR…CONSERVE/PARTICIPATE/RECYCLE

  

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A Town Hall Meeting on Wal-Mart:  Low Prices at what cost?

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A Town Hall discussion on ensuring Iowa’s workers have fair and equal access to affordable, quality health care.

Monday, November 14
7:00-8:00 PM
Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room A
123 S. Linn St.

In a disturbing nationwide trend, more state studies are revealing that Wal-Mart employees are the top recipients of tax-payer paid health care.  Come and learn about how this practice impacts you as an Iowa tax-payer and local efforts to hold large corporations accountable.

This event is part of Wal-Mart Watch Higher Expectations Week (Nov. 13-19) nationwide.

Guest Speakers

Sen. Joe Bolkcom
Sarah Swisher, Iowa for Health Care
Mark Ginsberg, owner, Ginsberg Jewelers
Andy Grossman, Executive Director, Wal-Mart Watch

Sponsors

Iowa For Health Care

Iowa City Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO

Iowa City Stop Wal-Mart

Working Families Win

SEIU 199

Wal-Mart Watch

For questions contact Michael Edwards at (319) 621-0222
Joe Bolkcom at 319-337-6280www.joebolkcom.org

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Click here to join 

  Iowans for Better Local TV (IBLTV)

Iowa's Media Reform Group

Click here to sign our petition to the FCC

 

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 Higher Expectations for Iowa’s Working Families - A Town Hall Meeting!

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A Town Hall Meeting for people concerned about good jobs, the environment, and a healthy future for their community

Tuesday, November 15
7:00-8:30 PM    
Waterloo Center for the Arts, 225 Commercial, Waterloo

We know that decisions made in Washington, DC, and Des Moines affect the pocketbooks of working families.  We also know that not enough of us connect the dots between public policies and our checkbooks, or believe that things can be different. 

Health care can be affordable.  Jobs can pay good wages.  Our communities can provide a safe environment for our children who want to stay and work here as adults.  Join us to learn more and to take action!

This event is part of Wal-Mart Watch Higher Expectations Week (Nov. 13-19) nationwide.

Guest Speakers
 - David Osterberg, Executive Director, Iowa Policy Project
 - Jonna Higgins, Executive Director, 1000 Friends of Iowa
 - Jim Jontz, President Emeritus, Americans for Democratic
Action

Sponsors
 - Wal-Mart Watch
 - Iowa Farmers Union
 - Iowans for Sensible Priorities
 - Immigrant Voices Project
 - Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement
 - League of Rural Voters
 - Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO
 - Working Families Win
 - Black Hawk Union Council, AFL-CIO
 - Americans for Democratic Action Education Fund
 - Iowa Citizen Action Network
 - SEIU Local 199
 - Iowa for Health Care
 - Iowa/Nebraska Primary Care Association

For more information, contact:  Dave Leshtz, Working Families Win, 319-621-4205

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Important Election Day Hotline

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Voters in many states will be deciding important issues by voting today, November 8, 2005. No matter where you stand on any of the issues or candidates, all eligible voters should have the chance to cast their ballots effectively.

If you experience any problem casting your ballot - finding the polling place, voter intimidation, accessibility issues, voting machine problems, provisional ballot issues, etc. - or you witness anyone having voting problems, please immediately call 1-866-OUR-VOTE to report the problem. Please let others know too... the same number works nationwide.

Verified Voting Foundation volunteers and staff have developed a new version of the "Election Incident Reporting System" (EIRS) to record all problems reported to 1-866-OUR-VOTE. Since 2004, hundreds of organizations and thousands of individuals in the United States have used EIRS to help protect our right to vote and assure that every vote is counted as cast. If you'd like to know more about EIRS, please visit VerifiedVotingFoundation.org and Voteprotect.org

Remember: 1-866-OUR-VOTE.  To tell your friends, click here.

Now go vote!

WHOM DO YOU TRUST?

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In Dubuque, as well as 25 other communities around IOWA, there will be a referendum on the election ballot this coming Tuesday, November 8th.  One of these referenda in particular deals with whether or not a city should create its own government-owned communications utility to compete with private providers.  

City support for the referendum is particularly curious in Dubuque, where the City recently negotiated an unprecedented 15-year franchise agreement with Mediacom.  Some of the items include:

A $300,000 annual updating investment fund to guarantee ongoing financial investment to keep Mediacom's fiber network at the leading edge of broadband technology.

Expanding the network capability from 750 MHz to an 860 MHz system that will support the needs of future business and residential services.

Connecting more than 75 sites with an upgraded I-Net which is a private, city-managed network.  This will provide all government offices in Dubuque (police, fire, city hall, county offices, all schools, and private institutions designated to assist in emergency situations) with an integrated communication system.

Because of these and other insightful franchise items, Dubuque's residents and businesses will benefit from this commitment and more without RISKING ONE RED CENT OF THE TAXPAYERS' MONEY.

But all of this is in jeopardy unless the citizens of Dubuque VOTE NO on Tuesday, November 8th regarding the referendum.

First of all, it could take up to $80,000,000 (that's right, Million) or more to build a fiber network to compete with the private sector.  This information is based on the city's own feasibility study.

Secondly, do the citizens of Dubuque feel IT IS A RISK putting an $80,000,000 decision in the hands of the 5 APPOINTED individuals on the local utilities board?

Thirdly, why should the taxpaying voters of Dubuque support such a RISKY VENTURE when there is already a well-working system in place that includes competition?

And fourth, what does the City Council of Dubuque plan on doing with the $7,000,000 (yes that's 7 Million) in franchise fees they have already collected from Mediacom?  I know at least one city employee who thinks they should use some of it to pay for city workers' benefits, not cut them like is proposed.  And that is exactly the type of place the money can be used.

Of utmost importance on the Dubuque ballot is the WORDING OF THE REFERENDUM. It leaves no opportunity for a follow-up referendum that would give the public a voice on how much tax they will be assessed.

The Opportunity Dubuque organization says that the election is about "protecting our rights", but the ballot language is so poorly written that some feel it actually takes rights away.

The Mediacom employees in Dubuque give not only their expertise on the job, but also tremendous time and money to the surrounding communities in which they live.

Even the Des Moines Register's editorial board in their November 4th edition says "…the better vote is no…In general, government has no business competing with business.  It should only step in when business fails to deliver goods or services.  Private-sector providers, led by Mediacom Communications, say they've invested millions to upgrade broadband networks to better serve IOWANS and are prepared to invest millions more…"

Other cities with the utility/telecommunications question on the ballot are:

Ackley, Altoona, Anamosa, Asbury, Carlisle, Charles City, Clarinda, Cresco, Glenwood, Hampton, Hiawatha, Hudson, Iowa Falls, Lansing, Manchester, Maquoketa, Marion, Mason City, Norwalk, Parkersburg, Vinton, Waterloo, Waukon, West Union, and Windsor Heights.

So, let's keep things as they are.  We employees of Mediacom do not want to loose our jobs, but we also feel people should not be unduly taxed.

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Molly Regan is an employee of Mediacom.