Update from Ed Fallon

By Ed Fallon

For those of you who have been asking, “So, Ed.  What are you going to do next?” . . . drum roll please!

Out of the ashes of my gubernatorial campaign a phoenix arises.  We’re calling it I’M for Iowa, which is an acronym for an Independence Movement for Iowa.   Building on the resources that assembled during my campaign for governor, I’M for Iowa provides a new vehicle for me, my co-workers and YOU to continue to build a progressive majority in Iowa, one that puts people before profit.

In consultation with co-workers, friends and volunteers, we’ve come up with the following general goals:

(1) Work with Iowans across the state to develop the tools they need to address problems confronting them and their communities, particularly issues involving land, justice and poverty;

(2) Advocate for progressive legislative changes, particularly voter-owned clean elections (campaign finance reform), local control and universal health care;

(3) Continue to build the organizational base necessary for progressive candidates to succeed at running for office, and recruit and help elect candidates across the state;

(4) Through supporting local businesses and Iowa farmers, and through using more community- and environmentally-friendly technologies, set a personal example of the many ways in which individuals can lead lives that are more sustainable and truly independent;  and

(5) Build the infrastructure needed to create a grassroots, democratic force that can become an Independence Movement for Iowa, and work in coalition with groups committed to these goals and ideals.

What does it mean to create an independence movement for Iowa?  In the 1770s, America’s founders challenged the unjust economic policies of an illegitimate foreign power.  In the 1890s, rural Midwesterners ignited a progressive populist movement to reclaim control of their lives and economies from moneyed interests grown greedy and corrupt.

In 2007, the growing power of corporate lobbyists, special interests and unresponsive politicians threatens the very foundations of our democracy.  This threat demands a stronger, more politically engaged grassroots movement committed to the patriotic ideals upon which our nation was founded.  Across Iowa and across the nation, more and more of us are fighting to regain control of our lives, our government and our country.

I’M for Iowa – an Independence Movement for Iowa – is committed to developing a broad network of Iowans working for:

• Independence from special-interest campaign contributions.
o Instead, we want voluntary public financing of state and local elections, since the current system has turned our elections into auctions and many public officials into pawns of special interests.

• Independence from poverty, injustice and discrimination.
o Instead, we want a government that recognizes the value of Iowa’s diversity – both rural and urban – and invests in the basic services we all need to achieve our fullest potential, including education, health care, a clean environment, public safety and a balanced transportation system.

• Independence from fossil fuels and foreign oil.
o Instead, we want a diverse, renewable energy industry that emphasizes conservation and energy efficiency, one that is rooted in Iowa’s natural resources and controlled by Iowa farmers and entrepreneurs.

• Independence from government subsidies for big business, from risky ventures that waste our tax dollars while failing to deliver on promises of economic prosperity, and from national chains that exert a strangle-hold on our communities.
o Instead, we want a strong, locally-controlled, free-market economy whose businesses are owned and operated primarily by Iowans.

• Independence from government officials who operate without the public’s interest in mind, often behind closed doors, and with a lack of integrity and accountability.
o Instead, we want government that operates with transparency and a minimal amount of bureaucracy, and we want more concerned citizens who share these values to run for public office.

That’s a brief introduction to I’M for Iowa.  We’d like your feedback.  Send your comments and suggestions to this e-mail address, or call (515) 201-9405.  Either Lynn or I will do our best to respond to every inquiry within 24 hours.

For the past 22 years, my life has been dedicated to public service.  Today, I reiterate that commitment.  I’M for Iowa provides the structural framework to conduct this work.  But if it is to bear fruit, my co-workers and I will continue to need your wisdom, time, effort and financial support.  If you’ve got an issue you’d like to discuss, or if you’d like to invite us to a meeting or an event in your community, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Two other points of interest I want to share with you:

(1) If you’d like to hear me discuss I’M for Iowa with my favorite sparring partner, Jan Mickelson, tune in Friday, January 12th at 9:00 a.m. on WHO Radio (1040 a.m.).  Call (515) 284-1040 or (800) 469-4295 if you’d like to join the conversation.
(2) Lynn Heuss and I have been talking with Senator John Edwards and his staff about working with the Senator’s campaign for President.  More on this in the very near future.

Thank you for reading this letter.  I’m excited about the potential that 2007 holds for moving Iowa forward on the road toward greater independence, sustainability and justice.  I am eager to travel that road with you, and with the thousands of other Iowans who are fed up with the status quo, hungry for change and committed to doing something about it.

Sincerely,

Ed Fallon

For no more emails from us:
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