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Wednesday, September 8
Meet Karl Rhomberg, Democratic Candidate, Scott County Board of Supervisors
by
Linda Thieman
on Wed 08 Sep 2004 04:04 PM CDT
Meet Karl Rhomberg
Democractic Candidate
Scott County Board of Supervisors
Karl Rhomberg
Davenport
resident Karl Rhomberg is running for the position of Scott County
Supervisor. Karl is running for an open seat against three
opponents; the top two vote getters will be elected. Election Day
is November 2.
Karl Rhomberg is
running for County Supervisor because he cares about people. He
has dedicated his life to service to the public, in
government and commerce, both as a previously elected official and a
businessman. His goals are to increase citizen participation
in the Scott county government and to make government more accountable
to
the citizens.
Rhomberg wants
to focus attention on more public recreation. New opportunities
can include new and improved parks with ATV trails, bicycle paths, bridle paths for
horseback riding, and hiking and nature walks. Plenty of baseball and
soccer, too. He'd also like to revisit the NASCAR race track
development that was abandoned a few years ago.
Leadership. Rhomberg believes that Scott county does not provide the leadership that would bring smaller
communities into the mainstream. He proposes hiring a grant writer funded
by the county to assist the smaller towns with finding matching funds
for their worthwhile projects – everything from parks to sewers.
The county should be the umbrella organization for the whole county
instead of hiding from its responsibility.
Mental Health. Rhomberg says Scott county spends a great deal of money on mental health and the county
nursing home, Pine Knoll. He believes that it is essential to make sure that conditions for
the less fortunate citizens are more than just adequate and that
training and equipment are always available to the people caring for those less fortunate.
While on
the Davenport, Iowa, City Council, Rhomberg helped lead the movement to
maintain the historic Mississippi riverfront access. "We
eventually voted down a $65 million dollar concrete floodwall in favor
of flood plain management that accepts the natural behavior of the
Mississippi River. We saved millions, protected nature, and are
now the premier location on the Mississippi for people to interact with nature," Rhomberg explains.
In the
1980’s, Rhomberg helped create and fund – through City General Obligation Bonds
- a $3.5 million revolving loan fund for first time home
buyers. This opened home ownership opportunities to more than a
thousand low- and moderate- income people at a time of record high
interest. He also sponsored and passed a condominium conversion
ordinance that limited the conversion of apartments into condos at a
time of tight rental conditions. This protected the ability of
low-income people to find adequate rental housing.
But Rhomberg's experience, though impressive, doesn't end there: he also helped
to reclaim the historic Adler Theater, to stabilize and preserve John
O’Donnell Municipal Baseball Stadium, to remodel the historic City Hall,
and to build the Ground Transportation Center, the first River Center and the
current Police Station, among many other projects. He was
instrumental in what he likes to call "badgering" the city council to increase funding from less
than $125,000 per year for housing rehab assistance during his first
term to well over $1,000,000 per year five years later. Today,
much of this function is performed by non profits; but in 1978, none of
it existed.
For more information on Karl Rhomberg or to contribute to his campaign, contact campaign manager Alison Hart at 563.323.9733.
Bush's Vietnam Evasion Exposed Tonight on 60 Minutes
by
Linda Thieman
on Wed 08 Sep 2004 01:51 PM CDT
Bush's Vietnam Evasion Exposed Tonight on 60 Minutes
(CBS) Wed., Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. Iowa Time
Correspondent
Dan Rather talks exclusively to former Texas House Speaker and Lt. Gov.
Ben Barnes, a Democrat, about the role Barnes says he played in getting
George W. Bush into the Texas Air National Guard - and why he now
regrets it.
Rather's exclusive interview will be broadcast tonight, Sept. 8, at 7 p.m. Iowa Time on 60 Minutes (CBS).
Gay Activists in GOP Refuse to Endorse Junta
by
Linda Thieman
on Wed 08 Sep 2004 01:50 PM CDT
Gay Activists in GOP Refuse to Endorse Junta
New York Times
The board of Log Cabin Republicans, the largest group for gay men and
lesbians in "the party," voted overwhelming last night against
endorsing [junta-puppet and malaprop-prone] George W. Bush for re-[s]election because of his support for
a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.
The decision ends six months of soul-searching as the group, which
endorsed Mr. Bush in 2000 and Bob Dole in 1996, wrestled with its
divided loyalties.
Although the group was immediately critical when the [pseudo-]pResident
announced his support for the amendment in February, it pointedly
refrained from ruling out an endorsement. Its effort to balance loyalty
to the party with opposition to a major item on the Republican agenda
has made it a target of criticism from both supporters and opponents of
the proposed amendment.
As delegates at the Republican National Convention were preparing to
adopt a platform condemning gay parents, for example, a handful of gay
rights activists were protesting outside a Log Cabin party on Aug. 29
in Bryant Park in New York.
In a meeting last night in Washington, the group's board voted 22 to 2
to withhold its endorsement, a spokesman said, declining to name the
holdouts.
In a statement afterward, Patrick Guerriero, executive director of Log
Cabin Republicans, cited exit polls showing that more than one million
gay men and lesbians voted for Mr. Bush in 2000. That included 45,000
in the pivotal state of Florida, which Mr. Bush "carried" by roughly
500 votes.
(more) [Free registration required]
Iowa Fair Trade Campaign: Stop Outsourcing Our Future!
by
Linda Thieman
on Wed 08 Sep 2004 10:22 AM CDT
Iowa Fair Trade Campaign: Stop Outsourcing Our Future!
The Iowa Fair Trade Campaign seeks to bring Iowans together to work for new rules for the global economy that respect workers, family farmers, immigrants, the environment, human rights, and democracy.
Groups and individuals in Iowa have worked for fair trade and global justice for many years. During the months proceeding the 2004 Iowa Presidential caucuses, we came together as the Iowa Fair Trade Campaign to insure that trade was discussed by the Presidential candidates, to present a common statement to the candidates on trade issues, and to persuade them to embrace this position.
A network of over 200 individuals representing labor, family farmers, the faith community, immigrants, students, environmentalists, and others "birddogged" the Presidential candidates throughout the state, and all the candidates campaigning in Iowa embraced our basic requests before the Iowa caucuses. The Iowa Fair Trade Statement was endorsed by 25 Iowa organizations, outlining a common position on what responsible trade agreements should include.
The Iowa Fair Trade Campaign is working to stop the proposed Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), and the expansion of the World Trade Organization (WTO). We seek, instead, a new set of rules for the global economy that will insure that all Iowans, not just a few, benefit from trade and trade agreement.
Plan for September and October 2004
The IFTC will educate, organize, and mobilize citizens in Iowa to oppose the corporate global trade agenda and support new rules for global trade and investment agreements that protect the interests of workers, the environment, family farmers, consumers, human rights, and democratic processes. A major educational component will be the holding of 'town hall meetings' called 'Stop Outsourcing Our Future!' Each town hall meeting will be co-sponsored by IFTC member groups, with panelists representing as many of our constituencies as possible. Public participation and suggestions for citizen action will be a major part of each town hall meeting.
The Iowa Fair Trade Campaign currently has scheduled five town hall meetings. They will be held at the following locations and times.
Waterloo, Sept. 13, Center for the Arts, 7-8:30 pm
Marshalltown, Sept. 27, Iowa Valley Community College, 7-8:30pm
Mason City, Sept. 29, Public Library, 7-8:30 pm
Keokuk, Sept. 30, Public Library, 6:30-8:00 pm
Muscatine, Oct. 2, Muscatine Commuity College, 10:30-Noon
Please spread the word about these meetings and let Iowa Fair Trade Campaign organizer Dave Leshtz know if you'd like to have such a meeting in your part of the state. Co-sponsors and panelists are being identified. Suggestions are welcome. Contact Dave at dleshtz@ia.net or 319-621-4205.
Current co-sponsors include Iowa Farmers Union, National Catholic Rural Life Conference, many labor councils, League of Rural Voters, Americans for Democratic Action, and Iowa Conference United Methodist Church.
To read the Iowa Fair Trade Coalition’s Statement on Trade Agreements in its entirety, click on “more >>” below.
more »
Bush v. English Language
by
Linda Thieman
on Wed 08 Sep 2004 04:36 AM CDT
 Bush v. English Language
I
don't usually copy things directly off Blog for America, but this was
just too good to pass up. My thanks to Mike Yedinak over at DFA
for compiling the latest Bushisms for us to laugh/cringe/cry over. And ladies... watch out for
those doctors!
George Bush lost another battle with the English Language the other day, the second of the Labor Day weekend.
Monday,
he complained that "too many good docs are getting out of business. Too
many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across
this country." Apparently, Bush was never briefed on a
gynecologist's job description.
Earlier
in the weekend, Bush made a Freudian slip during a speech in Erie,
Pennsylvania, when he explained last year's $87 billion appropriation
for "armor and body parts and ammunition and fuel."
It was
the third such telling slip in a month. On August 9th, Bush pronounced
the following. "Let me put it to you bluntly," he said. "In a changing
world, we want more people to have control over your own life."
This
followed the statement on August 5th that "our enemies never stop
thinking about new ways to hurt our country, and neither do we."
You
remember how the other day when Bush called the war in Iraq a
"catastrophic success," and John Edwards exclaimed, "He doesn't know
what he's saying!" Well, Edwards does seem to have a good point
there. Is it any wonder that Bush is scared to do press conferences and petrified to speak in public?
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