Wayne Sawtelle (right) with supporters

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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