Meet Wayne Sawtelle
Democratic Candidate
Iowa Senate District 22
Democratic Candidate
Iowa Senate District 22
Wayne Sawtelle (right) with supporters
Dear Friends at DFIA,
I want to first thank you for featuring me on your Blog for Iowa. It’s grassroots organizations like DFIA with Blog for Iowa that are going to make the difference, in not just the presidential election, but also every election, from my state senate race to Paul Johnson running for Congress. With the help of folks like you, Democrats are going to win back the Iowa House and Senate and will take back Congress and the Presidency.
I’ve lived in Marshalltown my whole life and have always been actively involved in my community. I’ve been a firefighter and EMT in Marshalltown for the last 10 years and have been on the school board for the past 8 years. Being a school board member and a firefighter, I’ve seen first hand the devastating impact that a distant state legislature can have on our communities. I worked hard and lobbied with many other people in our community to get our voice heard in the state senate, but it fell on deaf ears. That’s when I decided to run.
I will not only be a voice for Marshall and Hardin County, but a voice for every school teacher, city mayor, economic development board, and chamber of commerce that have time and time again had their voice silenced in the State Senate. It’s time we have some positive change for Iowa, and I’ll be the one to lead the way.
First and foremost, we need a legislature that doesn’t take Iowa’s educational system for granted. Year after year, local schools get cut thousands of dollars but yet get asked to do more and more by our elected officials. Our state has one of the best educational systems in the nation, but it’s under attack. There should be no excuses for class having to be held in storage closets and hallways. By lowering class sizes and increasing teacher pay, Iowa will forever be an educational leader. Education shouldn’t be a pawn in a state senator’s hand; it should always be a number one priority in more than just words, but in action and funding!
Second, the state must stop shifting problems they are facing to local governments, which already run on cash strapped budgets. Two years ago, the state legislature cut cities and counties by over $60 million dollars. Marshalltown alone was cut over $500,000. As a firefighter, I know the importance of public safety and how funding can directly affected the safety of individuals. Because of the cuts from the state legislature, both fire and police positions were cut in Marshalltown. On top of that, property taxes had to be increased to keep just the basic amount of public services. Now, people are paying more property taxes, but yet get less for it. As your next senator, I will make sure that the state’s financial problems never get shifted to local property tax payers. People’s personal safety shouldn’t be an issue, but by cutting state funding to local governments, this year it is.
Partisan bickering in the Statehouse is directly hurting my district. The Iowa Values Fund has several key projects in Marshalltown that have been put on hold because one side can’t seem to work with the other. I’m not talking just about the Governor and Legislature; the House and Senate Republicans can’t even get along enough to hash out a plan which both can agree with. A simple plan needs to be passed that will fund all promises the state has made to companies. Then, in January, after the citizens of this state have made their voice heard, let’s have a new legislature make the laws that will affect this state. Economic development is yet another example of how this legislature has simply not been listening to its constituents.
It’s time for positive change in Iowa. No more anxiety for teachers, mayors, economic development boards, and chambers of commerce each year when the legislature meets. Positive change for Iowa means more educational funding, a workable economic development plan and an end to the partisan bickering in the statehouse.
My campaign is going great. We have a super organization, with lots of volunteers really working hard. I have been all over the district, at club meetings, civic events, and on front porches, listening to what is most important to Iowans. Listening is what this campaign is about. Iowans are some of the best-educated and most caring people around. By working together and listening to ideas from one another, we can make Iowa a place that our children and grandchildren can be proud of.
I hope you will consider volunteering and/or donating money to my campaign. We have a long hard fight ahead, but with the people of Marshall and Hardin County behind me, I will be your next State Senator.
Wayne Sawtelle
Democratic Candidate
Iowa Senate District 22
wayne@waynesawtelle.com
To learn more about Wayne Sawtelle or to contribute to his campaign through the Citizen Whip site, go here.
