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Saturday, April 30
Volunteer Opportunity: Living Lands and Waters Needs YOU!
by
Linda Thieman
on Sat 30 Apr 2005 04:15 AM CDT
 Volunteer Opportunity: Living Lands and Waters Needs YOU!
Who: Living Lands and Waters, Woodson Spring, Coordinator U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Joe Lundh, Forester
What: Invasive honeysuckle bush removal with the help of local schools and community volunteers
How: Advance registration requested. Please contact Geoff Manis, Living Lands and Waters, at 309-236-5627 to do this.
Why:
The honeysuckle bush is an invasive species that is easily propagated,
holds its leaves longer than most native vegetation, and chokes out
native trees, shrubs and wildflowers from emerging where the
honeysuckle is present. By removing the bushes, root and all, we are
making way for natural regeneration of native species.
This
is part of an ongoing partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
and Living Lands and Waters. In the spring of 2003, the partners
removed two square acres of the bush and planted the newly opened area
with native hardwoods. In 2004, the partners continued the progress,
with more than two acres removed over three weekends. With only a
little more than four acres of honeysuckle needing to be removed,
Living Lands and Waters hopes to conclude this phase of the project in
2005.
Where: Smith’s Island National Recreation Trail, located within the Lock and Dam 14 complex, accessible from Iowa side.
Directions:
From the 74 bridge in Iowa, take River Drive/67N approximately seven
miles until about two miles south of I-80 Bridge. Look for brown sign:
“Lock and Dam 14 Recreation Area“. Take next right turn onto frontage
road, which runs north parallel to 67. Park at the first gravel parking
lot. Follow sidewalk upstream to auxiliary lock chamber. Cross the lock
chamber and follow the path/road. Turn on the gravel path to the left
of the small prairie planting. Cross the footbridge to Smith’s Island.
The total walking distance is one mile. Please call Woodson or Joe if assistance is needed. (numbers below)
When: Saturdays, May 7, 14, 21, and 28. 8:00 AM-4:00 PM all four days unless finished early.
For more details, please contact: Geoff Manis: 309-236-5627, Woodson Spring: 319-457-0007 or Joe Lundh: 309-794-4528.
Volunteers should know that this activity will be physically demanding as well as gratifying as the removal progresses.
Participants
will be expected to wear long pants and closed-toed shoes (no sandals,
please), along with provided safety gear.
Volunteers
should be at least 13 years old and those under age 18 will need to
have a signed permission form to participate. Groups can be
accommodated with advance registration.
Lunch will be provided.
Friday, April 29
Howard Dean to Keynote Iowa Democrats’ Hall of Fame Dinner
by
Linda Thieman
on Fri 29 Apr 2005 04:54 AM CDT
 Howard Dean to Keynote Iowa Democrats’ Hall of Fame Dinner
Well, he's finally coming back to Iowa. It's about time.
Governor
Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, will
headline the Iowa Democratic Party’s 2005 Hall of Fame Dinner at the Crowne Plaza Five Seasons Hotel in Cedar Rapids on June 11th at 7:00 p.m. This will be the first time in its history that the annual awards dinner has been held outside Des Moines.
“We are
very pleased to welcome Governor Dean back to Iowa in his first trip
here as Democratic National Committee Chair,” said Lieutenant Governor
Sally Pederson, Chair of the Iowa Democratic Party, sucking up to the
former outcast who is now wholly committed to raising money to pay her
salary. “I can think of no better occasion for Governor Dean to
visit with Iowa Democrats than the night on which we honor our
outstanding grassroots activists and leaders.”
Awards
to be given include the Outstanding Elected Official Hall of Fame
Award, the Outstanding Supporter Hall of Fame Award, the Minette
Doderer Award for Outstanding Leadership, the Jim Lodwick Award for
Outstanding State Central Committee Member (hope that one doesn't go to
Gordon Fischer), the Bob Creech Award for Outstanding Democratic Party
Chair (Dear Lord, please don't let THAT one go to Gordon Fischer - or
does that mean a COUNTY chair?); the Dixon Terry Award for Outstanding
Democratic Party Activist, and the Rising Star Award. The two
winners of the Iowa Democratic Party’s John C. Culver Scholarships will
also be recognized at the dinner.
Reserved
seats for the 2005 Hall of Fame Dinner may be purchased beginning May
2nd, through the Iowa Democratic Party, with details to be posted on
the Iowa Democratic Party Website, www.iowademocrats.org, or available by phone at 515-244-7292.
Thursday, April 28
Darfur Benefit Dinner in Iowa City April 30th
by
Linda Thieman
on Thu 28 Apr 2005 03:55 AM CDT
 Darfur Benefit Dinner in Iowa City April 30th
Iowans For Peace and Sudanese Community Services present:
DARFUR BENEFIT DINNER
100% of admissions go to refugee relief in Darfur
SUDANESE CUISINE, SPEAKERS, MUSIC
Saturday, April 30
Wesley Center, 120 N. Dubuque St., Iowa City
MENU (includes many vegetarian options):
Dakwa (tomato, onion, peanut salad)
Ta'amih (Sudanese felafel)
Gima (potato and ground beef dish)
Adas (lentil dish)
Ful (fava bean salad)
Baba ganoush (eggplant salad/dip)
Basbusa (semolina dessert)
Dates
Hibiscus tea
5:30 DOORS OPEN
-- Stop by the information table, drop off material aid donations,
write a postcard calling for action, tie knots on a quilt to be sent to
Sudan
6:00 MEAL SERVED
7:00 SPEAKERS & MUSIC
Elraya
Khalifa, an Iowa City resident for 10 years, was a judge in Northern
Sudan and a colleague of leader Mahmoud Mohammed Taha, who was known as
Sudan's 'Gandhi.'
Kuat
John Afar was displaced during war in Southern Sudan, has taught
displaced and refugee children Arabic and biology, and recently
immigrated to Moline.
It is not yet confirmed, but several refugees from Darfur are also likely to attend the dinner as special guests.
TICKETS (Available in advance or at the door):
$10-15 donation
$7 students and restricted income
Children ages 12 and under admitted free
PLEASE HELP US PLAN BY PURCHASING TICKETS IN ADVANCE!
BEGINNING WED., APRIL 20, TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE FROM:
Lori Nelson, 358-1557, ljnelson@avalon.net
Ilham Mohamed, 358-0438 (her work number at the Pheasant Ridge Neighborhood Center)
Greta Anderson, 337-9902, greta@avalon.net
Karen Nichols, 339-8967, karenenichols@gmail.com
Margie Haworth, 643-5438
BENEFICIARIES:
Proceeds
will go to the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker non-profit
organization, to benefit Darfur and southern Sudan refugees and
displaced persons. A small portion (% TBA, maximum 20%) may go to the
local organization Sudanese Community Services, which aids refugees and
asylum-seekers from Sudan. 100% of the ticket price will be donated to
the beneficiaries. If you are unable to attend the dinner, please
consider making a donation.
WE NEED VOLUNTEERS TO HELP WITH FOOD PREP, SET-UP, SERVING, AND CLEAN-UP.
YOU WILL HAVE FUN AND MEET NEW PEOPLE! Food prep (chopping vegetables,
etc.) volunteers are needed for the afternoon, starting sometime after 1:30. No experience necessary. There will be a small group preparing each dish, with each group directed by a Sudanese cook.
Sunday, April 24
Action Alert: Attend a Rally to Stop Bush's Plan to Dismantle Social Security
by
Trish Nelson
on Sun 24 Apr 2005 08:27 AM CDT
 Action Alert: Attend a Rally to Stop Bush's Plan to Kill Social Security
America Coming Together
This coming Tuesday your time is urgently needed to stop [George W.] Bush and his Republican allies from dismantling Social Security.
Please join ACTivists in your area on Tuesday, April 26 for
one of the many rallies around the country scheduled to coincide with the
Senate Finance Committee's first official hearings on Social Security
privatization. Tuesday is also the last day of [George W.] Bush's unprecedented,
60-day, multi-million dollar taxpayer-financed tour to sell his privatization
plan.
There is one event currently scheduled in Iowa:
Tuesday, April 26 – 11:00 AM
Capitol Steps, East 12th Street
& Grand, Des Moines
Contact: Lisa
Davis-Cook or call 515-277-5077 x 14
Check here for updates on events:
By taking action on Tuesday you could help save Social
Security.
The ACT Team
 Click here to receive action alerts from Rapid Response-Iowa
Thursday, April 21
Join Ed Fallon's Campaign for Governor
by
Linda Thieman
on Thu 21 Apr 2005 05:19 AM CDT
 Join Ed Fallon's Campaign for Governor
A Message from Rep. Ed Fallon (D-Des Moines)
Many
thanks to the over 400 people who came to the official kick-off of my
campaign at the State Capitol earlier this month! The energy and
momentum generated by the rally, which received extensive statewide
television and press coverage, has elevated the visibility of our
campaign and the acceptance of its viability. I am truly grateful
for the support and enthusiasm expressed through your attendance at the
rally, the hundreds of volunteer hours and the donations received.
I meant
what I said at the rally that this is OUR campaign. The issues
that matter to you also matter to me, and I want to be able to do more
than simply talk about them. We can reform the healthcare system
if we stop handing out tax breaks to insurance companies. We can
commit more money to education if we curb the legislature's appetite
for corporate welfare. And we can prioritize environmental issues
such as clean air, clean water and responsible land use, as opposed to
corporate hog farms and expanding tax breaks for urban sprawl and
big-box stores.
It is
time to ask everyone who is passionate about these issues to become
part of this campaign. We are increasing our fundraising efforts
(please consider a monthly pledge!) and putting together a grassroots,
statewide precinct organizing plan. The plan will involve time
commitments of between one and 20 hours per week. Tasks include
distributing literature, door-knocking, phone calling, writing letters
to the editor and organizing events. For those of you who have
already signed up to volunteer, we will be contacting you over the next
few months to see where you can plug in. If you haven't yet
signed up to volunteer, please call us at (515) 244-3113 or send an
email to ed@fallonforgovernor.org.
Finally,
I frequently describe my goal as providing a voice for ALL
Iowans. Several weeks ago, I asked the House Majority leader if
he would allow me to present a resolution to set aside a week to
recognize homelessness, and he refused. This Thursday,
April 21, on the west steps of the Capitol from 11:30 a.m. until 1
p.m., advocates for the homeless and low-income will serve a free lunch
and ask the Iowa House to recognize the importance of increasing public
awareness of this issue. For more information, give me a call at
my direct line at the Statehouse: (515) 281-4300.
Ed Fallon
http://www.fallonforgovernor.org/
Saturday, April 16
KGAN Airs Sinclair's Diatribe Against Iowa Citian: Broadcast Ethics Continue to Erode
by
Trish Nelson
on Sat 16 Apr 2005 10:58 AM CDT
 KGAN Airs Sinclair's Diatribe Against
Iowa Citian: Broadcast Ethics Continue to Erode
The following appeared as a guest opinion in the Iowa City Press-Citizen.
By Charles Miller and Eileen Finnegan
Imagine that you are at home at the end of the day, watching
the local news. As usual, most of its content is predictable, but lately a few
items catch your attention. They may seem inappropriate for a news program or
simply things you don't agree with. Such items become a topic of conversation
with your friends. Sometimes a particular item bothers you enough that you
write a letter to your local paper or post your views on a blog.
Then one night, as you watch the news, there on the screen
is your face, along with a judgmental voice that assails your fitness for
employment and your personal ethics. The broadcast ends. The station never
provided you with any warning nor is there any follow-up. You wonder if there
is anything that you can do to effectively counter the potential harm that this
broadcast has done to your reputation.
Is this just a paranoid dream, a dark movie plot about a
dystopian future, or a retelling of how the Soviet Union
used its media to deal with critics? Sadly, it is nothing so remote: It
concerns an Iowa Citian and a local television station amid a backdrop of
eroding broadcast ethics and notions of public service to the community. This
should alarm us all, because a democracy cannot function without a vibrant and
free press that cares about the public interest.
On Feb. 16, KGAN-TV aired a segment called "The
Point" which disparaged Ted Remington, a University
of Iowa faculty member. Among the
many thousands of academics, Remington was singled out as one who "can't
hold a job in the real world," an "otherwise unemployable individual
with intellectually bankrupt viewpoints" and someone with more concern for
sipping a latte than teaching ethically. His supposed offense - trumped up
from a distorted take on a University of Iowa plagiarism policy - was
juxtaposed with the case of Ward Churchill, the Colorado professor who made
callous statements about Sept. 11 victims. It was a classic attempt at guilt by
association. In reality, however, it seems unlikely that KGAN or its owners
cared a hoot about Remington's course policies or alleged sins. The more likely
reason for the smear was because he authors a blog, thecounterpoint.blogspot.com,
which is critical of the station's parent company.
Truth and fairness
As it turns out, KGAN did not go out of its way to disparage
a member of its own community - it simply broadcast the propaganda produced by
its owner, Sinclair Broadcasting. However, it did so without evident concern
about truth and fairness. Sinclair owns some 60 television stations across the United
States and requires them to air its
political views on a daily basis.
While many might recall Sinclair's efforts against John
Kerry last fall, the complicity of KGAN in besmirching Remington is more
troubling. KGAN was willing to broadcast Sinclair's diatribe without observing
the most basic journalistic standards. It did not bother to contact Remington
or follow up on its one-sided broadcast. This is a case not only of a
broadcaster with an impaired sense of local responsibility but a frightening
example of how wealthy and distant owners feel free to use the public's
airwaves to squash whomever they wish.
Curiously, Sinclair seems to have acknowledged its
culpability. As MediaMatters.com noted, it selectively removed from its Web
site the archived video of the Feb. 16 edition of "The Point,"
leaving other editions on either side of that date intact. This is not journalism,
but something darker: an attack-and-hide mentality.
Some conservatives cheerfully dismiss such concerns by
appealing to the dogma of free enterprise: Sinclair owns these stations, so it
can do whatever it wants. But it's just not that simple. The history of FCC
regulation of broadcast media makes it clear that the airwaves belong to the
public and that, as monopolizers of those airwaves, broadcast media have unique
obligations to serve the public good. That is, after all, why they are licensed
in the first place.
Apologists for Sinclair and Fox News make the rather
incredible claim that these voices are simply exercising First Amendment
rights. A reading of that amendment makes it clear that free speech rights were
granted to individual citizens, not to large corporate concerns that simply buy
up stations to more fully saturate their "markets." When compared
against the individual's First Amendment rights, "commercial" free
speech rights are disproportionately powerful. That is what makes the
KGAN/Remington case troubling: Local news organizations are willing to forego
basic journalistic fairness to keep their corporate bosses happy. And in the
current political environment, this trend is not likely to stop.
Declining oversight
How has broadcast media gotten so bad and unresponsive to
the public? There are many reasons, ranging from a disinterested public to the
loss of meaningful government oversight. Thirty years ago, television stations
were required to renew their licenses on a yearly basis as a means of ensuring
local accountability. Now, license renewal occurs only every eight years. FCC
Commissioner Michael Copps has noted that relicensing has been trivialized to a
"postcard renewal" process.
Furthermore, major efforts to weaken FCC rules have been
promoted even against strong public protest. On June 2, 2003, the FCC commissioners voted 3-2, along
party lines, to relax media ownership regulations, even though 99.9 percent of
the 750,000 comments sent to the FCC were opposed to greater media
consolidation. In an extraordinary move, this measure was overturned by a 55-40
vote in the Senate. In our pro-business political climate, it is not at all
clear that today's Senate could garner enough votes to again protect the public
interest.
Critically, unlike other issues facing our country, media
reform efforts receive scant attention from the media, a natural result of
their abuse of their role as gatekeepers of public information. If there is a
bigger single threat to a democracy, we cannot think of it, particularly as it
is one carefully managed by the industry.
It should be noted, however, that media consolidation is not
just a Democratic or liberal issue: Sen. John McCain has staunchly fought it
along several fronts and has introduced a bill to reduce broadcast license
periods from eight to three years (i.e., the Localism in Broadcasting Reform
Act of 2005). He has called Sinclair Broadcasting's refusal to air a program
honoring fallen U.S.
service personnel a "gross disservice to the public" and
"unpatriotic."
Advocates of media consolidation like to speak of
"synergy," a term that may warm the hearts of the stockholders but
should generate a cold, Orwellian, shiver to those with larger concerns. While
examples abound of the problems of massive horizontal and vertical media
integration, let's take a simple example: Would we have been able to address
our fellow citizens in a venue such as this column if Sinclair also owned the
Press-Citizen?
Deaf to public good
KGAN's complicity in the Remington smear illustrates how
powerful media conglomerates have become and how deaf they are to the notion
of the public good. We urge our fellow citizens to consider the debilitating
effect of this trend on our democracy. Whether you are conservative, liberal or
in between, we all need to be well informed, yet a powerful gatekeeper of
information, the broadcast media, has been deregulated to the point where it
too often serves the narrow interests of a multi-millionaire business elite.
Such
abuses of power are to everyone's detriment, as is the ease withwhich
local broadcasters accept fake, government-created, video
feeds and uncritically air them as "news" (see The New York Times'
March 13 article, "Under Bush, a New Age of Prepackaged News").
Compounding
this problem are survey results indicating that our nation's youth fail
to
fully appreciate the critical importance of a free press in a democracy
(see
the Boston Herald's Jan. 1 article, "First Amendment No Big Deal,
Students
Say").
As we noted, don't expect much coverage of this issue on the
broadcast media. For more information, useful Web sites include
MediaMatters.com and SinclairAction.com. The NPR program called "On the
Media" is also valuable. Furthermore, a group of concerned citizens has formed. A number of activities - from
contacting local advertisers to political action - are possible. But we urge
all to become informed about what is happening to the means by which most
Americans are informed.
Charles Miller and Eileen Finnegan are Iowa
City residents and University
of Iowa faculty members.
If you would like to contact or join a group of citizens concerned about the state of our local news, click here: IWantMyNewsBack@yahoo.com
If you would like to help fight Sinclair Broadcasting and bring back responsible journalism, click here to receive action alerts from Rapid Response - Iowa.
Thursday, April 14
Progressive Action in the Quad Cities
by
Caroline Vernon
on Thu 14 Apr 2005 05:54 PM CDT
 Progressive Action in the Quad Cities
by Caroline Vernon
Progressive
Action For The Common Good is a group of Quad Cities citizens who are
committed to working together in order to rebuild an active community
interested in promoting progressive values for the common good.
This
Saturday, April 16th, PACG will be hosting a community forum and summit
for the purpose of networking with others interesting in promoting
progressive values as well as organizing and implementing various plans
of action.
The
keynote speaker for the forum will be Tom Higgins, former Iowa State
Legislator, Aide to President Jimmy Carter, AIDS Activist, and
Political Leader.
After the keynote address, individuals will break out into workshops to discuss various issues of concern, such as:
Education,
Health Care, Corporate Power vs. Democracy, Women’s Issues, Peace and
Non-Violence , Civil Rights/Anti-Hate (City Council Ordinances, School
Board Issues), Economic Development/Riverfront/Buy Local,
Environment/Energy Independence, Media/Campaign For Commercial Free
Childhood QC, Reclaiming Faith and Values from a Progressive Point of
View, Social Security, and Poverty and Housing.
If you
live in or near the Quad Cities, and any of these issues resonate with
you or call you to action, or if you would simply like to meet others
of like-mind, please join us this Saturday:
Community Forum and Summit
Saturday, April 16, 2005, from 8:30 to Noon
Registration and Coffee: 8:30am
Wallenburg Auditorium, Denkmann Hall, Augustana College
7th Avenue and 35th St., Rock Island
Musical entertainment will also be provided by jazz guitarist Michael Wallace and folk musician Chris Dunn.
Check
out AM1270 for our radio spots from Wednesday through Friday Yes,
we finally have progressive radio in the Quad Cities (Air America), as
a direct result of a consistent effort by Kent and Kristine Wolzen,
members of Progressive Action for the Common Good. Job well done!
This is going to be an incredible event - you won’t want to miss it! See you there!
www.qcprogressiveaction.org
Sunday, April 10
The Solar Winds Blow Hot
by
Molly Regan
on Sun 10 Apr 2005 02:18 PM CDT
 The Solar Winds Blow Hot
The Solar Winds blow hot. The Solar Winds blow fast. Oh, to capture the Big Breeze.
Here, as we rotate on our above average orb, we are in need of
solutions to cut the costs and dangers of bringing energy to a
constantly consuming populace. There are many complicated
connections to our use of energy. When I speak of costs, I do not
mean just a dollar amount for a kilowatt-hour used. COSTS also
include the extraction of a product (coal, uranium, etc.) that becomes
the ingredient used to generate electricity.
One major COST not often thought of is the HEALTH EFFECT on the humans
who are involved with the extraction, refinement, transport,
implementation, and subsequent manufacture of energy. Removing
coal from the ground is a highly dangerous activity. Moving it
especially by rail or barge, adds particulates to our air. The
fuel created to use in barges and trains has its own cycle of adverse
health effects.
Those of us who are not directly involved with any of these aspects are
still recipients of the fallout from electricity production.
MERCURY from coal-fired plants probably ties with NUCLEAR PLANTS
as the top two culprits.
But first and foremost, all of us should be more concerned about
necessary behavior changes. CONSUMING LESS is our best
defense. A book entitled “HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?” published in 1992
by the WORLD WATCH INSTITUTE touches on this: “To rejuvenate the ethic
of sufficiency, a critical mass of individuals committed to living by
it must emerge. But if they are to succeed, they must balance
their efforts to change themselves with a bold agenda to challenge the
laws, institutions, and interests that profit from profligacy.”
This is not an easy task. I know. I have often times tried
returning to the simple ways of how things were when I was very
young. I have not replaced my microwave, which quit working
nearly 3 years ago. I really only miss microwaved popcorn.
I certainly work at not driving anywhere on my days off, but that
sometimes ends up only working for one of my days off a week. The
one thing I prefer not to revert to (unless things escalated to that
point) is to use an outhouse. We had one from the time I was 6
till about 9. Functional, but inconvenient.
It is great and necessary to build wind turbines and use more solar
collectors. But, we desperately have to change our consumptive
behavior. If not, forces beyond our control will force us into a
corner we are not ready for yet. So don’t just cut down on your
driving because gas is over $2.25 a gallon, make it a permanent
change. Become part of the new wave of believers that LESS IS
MORE. As the man said, “SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY.
Next Saturday, April 16th at AUGUSTANA COLLEGE in ROCK ISLAND, Illinois, there
will be a PROGRESSIVE FORUM AND SUMMIT. This has been organized
by Progressive Action For the Common Good. This is a group
of Quad-Cities citizens working toward the COMMON GOOD. The keynote
speaker will be Tom Higgins, former IOWA state legislator, former aide
to President Jimmy Carter, and AIDS activist.
There will be issue workshops to choose from. These include ENERGY
INDEPENDENCE (I will be co-facilitating), POVERTY AND HOUSING, PEACE
AND NON-VIOLENCE, EDUCATION, CIVIL RIGHTS, CORPORATE POWER vs
DEMOCRACY, and many others.
This will be held from 9am to Noon at WALLENBURG AUDITORIUM in DENKMANN
HALL. The address is 7th AVENUE & 35TH ST, ROCK ISLAND.
For more information contact CATHY BOLKCOM AT (563) 289-4155 or
CBArts4@aol.com or you can see the website www.qcprogressiveaction.org
We will be brainstorming at the workshops as to what we can do
individually and collectively to better the standing of everyone in
our communities. This is how it starts, with an idea. Come
join us. It will be fun and enlightening. We need your
input.
And don’t forget: CPR…CONSERVE/PARTICIPATE/RECYCLE
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