|
|
Wednesday, January 19
Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Fair Lending Task Force Meets January 20th (and other meetings of interest)
by
Linda Thieman
on Wed 19 Jan 2005 04:11 PM CST
 Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Fair Lending Task Force Meets January 20th (and other meetings of interest)
ICCI
The first meeting of CCI's Fair Lending Task Force will be Thursday, January 20th at 6:00 pm.
This new
task force will combine members who have been working and winning on
predatory mortgage lending and the Community Reinvestment Act.
These issues both deal with getting lenders to make good loans in our
neighborhoods. By doing this we are improving our neighborhoods
and the financial future of our communities. All CCI members are
invited to join us as we begin a new era in the fight for fair lending.
CCI's Fast Track is a home ownership workshop meeting on Thursday, January 20th from 5:30-9:30 pm.
This
overview of the home ownership process is ideal for future buyers who
have minimal credit and budgeting issues and who want to learn how to
take the best steps and avoid predatory practices. The workshop
is free and free childcare is provided with two days notice.
The Fast
Track class is located at Des Moines Citizens for Community
Improvement, 2005 Forest Avenue. To register, call Jerri at
515-255-0800.
Training Workshop on Media & Public Meetings
The Des
Moines Chapter of Iowa CCI will be hosting a training workshop for Des
Moines CCI members on Monday, January 24 from 6-8:30 pm at the Des
Moines CCI Office. The training will consist of information and
instruction on:
How to use the media to your advantage:
--Writing effective letters to the editor
--How to give an interview to the media
--Running effective public meetings
This is
a unique opportunity to develop and improve your skills in different
areas that will make Des Moines CCI stronger. If you are
interested in attending this workshop, RSVP to Danny,
515-255-0800. Refreshments will be provided.
Please join us on January 24th!
The next Predatory Car Sales Task Force Meeting is Wednesday, January 26, at 6:00 pm.
Following
our public meeting on January 11, we will be moving forward on concerns
and issues addressed. If you are interested in learning more
about and working on this issue, we encourage you to attend.
For questions or more information on predatory car sales, contact Danny at 515-255-0800.
Kristin Vick
Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement
Membership and Communications Coordinator
515-255-0800
We talk. We act. We get it done.
Corporate Agribusiness: "Shocking But True"
by
Chad Thompson
on Wed 19 Jan 2005 12:34 PM CST
 Corporate Agribusiness: "Shocking But True"
Today
came a bunch of stories that I could only label "shocking but true", so
I put together three of them in this little post of horrors...
Tomato Profiteering
Remember that massive tomato shortage? According to Florida farmers, it's over.
After
scrambling to keep the nation supplied with fresh tomatoes following
last year's hurricane season, Florida farmers face a glut so large that
tomatoes are rotting in the fields, and thousands of pickers and
packers have been forced out of work.
Florida
Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson toured two Homestead fields
Tuesday, promising to launch a national campaign to let consumers and
retailers know that the shortage is over.
"I've never seen this type of top quality tomatoes still hanging on the vines," Bronson said. "It's just shocking."
In
the past two weeks, an estimated 60 million pounds of tomatoes have
been abandoned. One of the nation's top tomato growers predicted the
industry has lost as much as $40 million. Although prices have slowly
come down at some retailers, others continue to charge the same as they
did during the shortage. Bronson said he's not blaming retailers.
"I
don't know that retailers are being told the whole truth," Bronson
said. "Consumers need to know we have plenty of tomatoes because when
they do, they can demand lower prices."
Crushing Labor the Old-Fashioned Way
Another
important (and in this political climate, mildly surprising) item came
over the newswire this past week: a National Labor Relations
Board panel found Smithfield (the largest hog owner in the United
States) engaged in an extensive illegal campaign to stop unionization of packing plants.
The
actions that Smithfield took to stop the union campaign read something
like a Dickens novel - yet it happened in the past 10 years:
* Smithfield managers conspired with the local Sheriff Department to physically intimidate and assault union supporters.
*
Sheriff deputies --- in riot gear and heavily armed --- stationed
themselves at the entrance to the plant on days that civil rights
leader Reverend Jesse Jackson and other religious leaders handed out
literature with workers.
*
The company planned and instigated a "riot" following the vote count in
1997 that led to false arrests of a union supporter.
* Smithfield held forced meetings to intimidate and threaten workers for supporting the union.
*
Smithfield paid workers above their normal rate to spy on co-workers
and turn in union supporters to management consultants.
*
Smithfield forced a management employee produce false statements to the
Board in an attempt to cover-up anti-union activity.
* Smithfield also threatened to close the plant if the workers chose a union.
* The Board found Smithfield guilty of illegally firing ten workers during the two campaigns.
Protecting Farmers From Lawsuits
Okay, it's not all bad news...
Monsanto
was singled out by Montana Senate Majority Leader as targeting farmers
for lawsuits. Monsanto has been suing farmers for well over a
decade, but the Montana Democrats are the first to try and protect
indivudual farmers against predatory lawsuits. (Click here for details.)
A
study released today by the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Food
Safety meticulously documents one biotech company's use of U.S. patent
laws to control staple crop seeds.
The
report follows the introduction of the Farmer Protection Act at the
2005 Montana Legislature. Sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Jon
Tester (Dem.-Big Sandy), the Farmer Protection Act would shield Montana
wheat farmers from unfair lawsuits like those described in the report.
A hearing on the bill will take place on February 4th before the Senate
Judiciary Committee.
KEY FINDINGS:
*
To date, Monsanto Corp. has filed 90 lawsuits in 25 states involving
147 American farmers and 39 small businesses or farm companies.
*
Monsanto has set aside an annual budget of $10 million and 75 full-time
staff devoted solely to investigating and prosecuting farmers.
* The largest recorded judgment favorable to Monsanto documented by the report was $3,052,800
* Monsanto has received $15,253,602.82 in total recorded judgments to date.
According
to the report, Monsanto's efforts to prosecute farmers fall into three
categories: investigations of farmers; out-of-court settlements; and
litigation against farmers accused of patent infringement or "breach of
contract."
Howard Dean Adds Mississippi, Oklahoma and Utah to Growing List of Endorsements for Democratic National Committee Chair
by
Trish Nelson
on Wed 19 Jan 2005 06:46 AM CST
 Howard Dean Adds Mississippi! Oklahoma! and Utah! to Growing List of Endorsements for DNC Chair
Blog for America
Following the news that the
Florida delegation to the Democratic National Committee voted
unanimously to endorse Howard Dean to be the party's next chairman,
three more states followed suit in endorsing Gov. Dean yesterday.
Governor
Howard Dean was endorsed today by several state Democratic Party chairs
and vice chairs, adding to his broad, diverse and growing list of
support both among the members of the Democratic National Committee
(DNC). The list of voting DNC state party chairs and vice-chairs
supporting Governor Dean include:
Florida: Chairman Scott Maddox, Vice-Chairwoman Diane Glasser
Mississippi: Chairman Wayne Dowdy
Oklahoma: Chairman Jay Parmley, Vice-Chairwoman Debbe Leftwich
Utah: Vice-Chairwoman Nancy Woodside
Washington: Chairman Paul Berendt
Vermont: Chairman Peter Mallary
This
list of supporters signifies that people in every region of the country
approve of Dean's vision and structure that he wants to bring to the
DNC.
"The
support of these influential chairs and vice chairs from all parts of
the country and across the political spectrum means a lot to me." Dean
said, "They are part of my overall strategy for Democrats to be
involved in every race in every town, city and precinct. I am looking
forward to working with them to ensure my election as the next Chairman
of the DNC."
Dean is
running for DNC Chair to build on the work his PAC, Democracy for
America, (DFA) has been doing to elect Democrats to local and national
offices. In addition to mobilizing grassroots support, DFA directly
donated over $1 million for candidates across the country.
Gov.
Dean continues to attend regional caucus meetings of the DNC membership
across the country and will be traveling to those meetings for the next
two weeks. This weekend (January 22), he will be in Sacramento to meet
with the Western Regional Caucus and the following weekend (January 29)
he will be in New York City to meet with the Northern Regional Caucus.
(click here to go to Blog for America)
 To express your support of Gov. Dean to Iowa DNC members who will be voting on February 15th, check out this easy to use tool.
Click here to join RapidResponse - Iowa.
|
|
