Last week, the Iowa quarter was released to much fanfare.  It has a famous Grant
Wood painting on it and the theme is Foundation in Education.  It
is indeed fitting that the Iowa quarter theme is education.  Iowa has a
proud history of the finest educational system in the nation and is
home to the country's top educators.



The sad
irony of the timing of the release of the quarter is that it comes on
the eve of a special session where the needs of Iowa's students will be
ignored by the Republican-controlled legislature.  Tuition at Iowa
universities has risen 60% in the past four years.  Tuition at
Iowa community colleges now ranks among the highest in the
nation.  Iowa high school students no longer rank number one in
the nation in college entrance exams.  Iowa's teachers' salaries
have fallen behind those of teachers in other states.



And what
will we see in the special session on Tuesday? One of the first things
that will be brought up is a bill to change Iowa's banking laws. 
Now, we are having real problems understanding this one.  This
special session is supposed to be about economic development and the
Iowa Values Fund.  We ask the Republican members of the
legislature, do you represent the interests of Iowa school children and
all Iowans or do you only represent special interests and self interest?



Another
major part of the legislation the radical right will be proposing is to
give businesses a big tax break…and we aren't just talking in the
future.  They are proposing to make it retroactive, going back
several years.  Refunding taxes to wealthy corporations to the
tune of some $70 million at a time when Iowa schools are in a financial
crisis is simply WRONG!