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Monday, October 19
Progressive Talker Ed Schultz Dropped From Boone, Iowa Station
by
Trish Nelson
on Mon 19 Oct 2009 05:00 PM CDT
Progressive Talker Ed Schultz Dropped From Central Iowa Station
 Do you live in or near Boone, Iowa? I just found out today that the Boone station, KWGB, has dropped its only progressive program host. Reason given was Ed used the words "hell" and "damn" on the air. Ed was only added to the station's line-up in March 2009. I do not know when they dropped him.
KWBG is choosing to air only conservative talker Michael Smerconish two hours daily. I spoke directly with someone at the local station who said they are happy with their current line-up and have no plans to replace Ed Schultz with any other progressive host. The person I spoke with said he has never even heard of Thom Hartmann or Stephanie Miller.
So if you live in central Iowa, in range of this locally owned station, now is your chance to do something about this sorry state of affairs. Give them a call. Let them know about the possibilities. If they get enough complaints, they apparently will change their programming. And since they are not owned by Clear Channel, you might actually be able to get something done. CONTACT: (515) 432-2046
Current State of Talk Radio in Iowa a Crime
by
Trish Nelson
on Mon 19 Oct 2009 12:00 PM CDT
Current State of Talk Radio in Iowa a Crime
 CNN is doing a series this week on Talk Radio. Randi Rhodes was on this morning for a segment. She will also be on Wednesday.
Today's discussion included the factoids that 91% of talk radio is conservative - not because the public wants it this way, but because of the orchestrated effort and infusion of money by the conservative right. The shows are not news, but are entertainment programming. Their purpose is to stir listeners up, and make them angry because some people like to be angry. This works to the station owner's benefit because this helps the station (surprise) make money.
So if you're looking to listen to someone who knows how to tell the truth, Howard Dean joins Randi today live. You cannot hear Randi over the airwaves anywhere in Iowa, you have to livestream her. There are several online places you can find her, but I go to: progressivetalk1150. Randi's show is on afternoons at 2-5 cst. You can also listen to Stephanie Miller mornings, followed by Thom Hartmann. Ron Reagan, Jr. has a show late afternoons. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. does an environmental program Saturdays 9pm-12am. Keep Hope Alive With Rev. Jesse Jackson Sunday 9pm-11pm.
There is much information delivered on these programs that is not available on msm. It is a crime that we get none of this over the publicly owned airwaves in Iowa, just the constant drum beat of right-wing lies and drivel on over 90% of the stations. What an incredible, tragic, waste of a public resource. Can you imagine what we could get done if truth were delivered in the same quantity as lies? These stations that air only right-wing propaganda, with no opposing view, are not honoring their obligation to serve the public interest.
If you haven't yet, check these progressive programs out online. There are interesting guests that do not regularly appear on TV talk shows, and when members of congress appear, they are asked real questions (not just the GOP sound-byte questions and framing) and guests are much more candid than they are on TV on CNN, MSNBC, FOX, etc.
Listen, then please help get more progressive programming on the air in Iowa. It's not just so we can enjoy these shows for ourselves, it is to counter-balance conservative talk which is influencing and dumbing down the public.
You can help by signing the petition at: progressive talk for Iowa. Then contact your local station and tell them you want balanced programming, not just Beck, Limbaugh, Hannity, Savage, etc.
Are State Budget Cuts Fair and Reasonable?
by
Tracy Kurowski
on Mon 19 Oct 2009 05:00 AM CDT
Are State Budget Cuts Fair and Reasonable?
 by Tracy Kurowski
The union members most affected by Governor Culver’s ten percent across-the-board state budget cuts will be the 40,000 state employees represented mainly by AFSCME. However, the cuts announced on October 8, 2009, aren’t solely a union issue. In addition to the thousands of families who will find themselves added to the unemployment roster, the cuts will add strain to the remaining workers – union and non-union alike – by increasing their work loads to untenable levels. The rest of Iowans will feel the effects by a marked reduction in state services that some depend on, and most take for granted.
On one level, it makes perfect sense that when revenues are reduced, so must spending be cut. However, cutting state services isn’t the same as cuts in the private sector. If there is less demand for widgets in the private sector, fewer widgets are made and fewer widget-makers are employed. But in the public sector, there is noeciprocal reduction in demand for service; in fact, due to the stalled economy, demands on the public sector increase.
Increased layoffs result in increased demand on services in the Iowa Department of Employment Security. The economic crisis has also spurned increases in residents eligible for FIP, Medicaid and HAWK-I, the applications and processing of which are conducted by state employees. Increased foreclosures have resulted in increased calls to the State’s foreclosure prevention hotline, and waiting lists for government subsidized housing have grown. When parents can no longer afford to send their children to private school, they will send them to public school. When your car gets repossessed, you rely on public transportation. When the increase in poverty leads, as it has historically done, to increases in crime, there will be an increased need for courts, police, social workers, state corrections, etc.
Additionally, the day-to-day operations of the state remain the same. Iowa’s population has not decreased by ten percent, so there are not fewer residents that first responders have to protect and serve. Snow will still have to be removed from the same miles of highways. The Department of Agriculture still has the same farm acreage to supervise. Public buildings still have the same square footage to maintain. The garbage will still need to be picked up.
How does the rest of the state’s leadership feel about this revenue capitulation? Not long after Governor Culver contributed to the shared sacrifice by taking a $13,000 pay cut, Senate Majority Leader Gronstal, House Speaker Murphy, Senate President Kibbie and House Majority Leader McCarthy issued a joint statement acquiescing, “the legislature will reduce spending by 10% just like other areas of state government. We will do our part to keep the state budget balanced in these tough economic times.”
Governor Culver’s Order stated, “an across-the-board reduction of General Fund expenditures avoids the unfair and unrealistic ‘picking and choosing’ of important programs.” But the seemingly neutral 10% across-the-board cuts are in fact unfair and unrealistic in a world of complicated funding processes. Placing the words “picking and choosing” in quotes implies that somehow, the legislature is incapable of deliberating over difficult budget decisions, that all programs are equal, that safety and the safety net have equal standing as bike paths and cultural programming. Don’t misunderstand, I am a cyclist and patronize the arts, but thoughtful debate on how cuts affect essential programs is necessary if in fact we want to be realistic and recognize fairness. As a community, are we more willing to accept a delay in a bike path funding or would we prefer delays in child support collection efforts or delays in court services? Health care and nutrition programs for children or subsidies for multi-million international corporations? Police officers and fire fighters or capital gains tax caps?
Most significantly, the cuts assume that there is no other approach to the state budget other than slashing public services, that increasing revenues is off the table. Thankfully, Iowa Federation of Labor president emeritus Mark Smith pointed out in an op-ed for the Des Moines Register that, lost in the debate over budget shortfalls is an examination of Iowa’s tax code. The Dow’s bounce-back from below 7,000 points seven months ago to 10,000 today is evidence that money is still being made in our country. If stock prices are up but state revenues aren’t seeing equivalent increases in revenue, perhaps someone needs to ask why.
On Tuesday, all state executive branch departments will submit their plans on how they will implement the 10 percent across-the-board budget cut and finalize by Oct. 28. Let us hope that someone in the legislature reads the Des Moines Register and considers an alternative to inevitable draconian cuts. Let us hope that the Governor realizes that in taking the helm of the State, he would be faced with making decisions that, though difficult, should be fair and reasonable.
Visit Blog for Iowa every Monday for Tracy Kurowski's update on labor activities in Iowa.
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