Message from Ed Fallon
By Ed Fallon
Dear Friends,
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With the election now just twenty days away, races are heating up and we’ll all soon be headed to the polls (if you haven’t voted early) to cast our ballot for candidates across the state.
One of the races that’s drawn a lot of attention is the race for my seat in House District 66. While I am supporting Ako Abdul-Samad, I know many residents of my district are still undecided. After reading the coverage of Tuesday’s debate between the four candidates, I now also know that they hold very different views about the challenges facing our district and the state. Here are the most important issues I see facing the district:
HEALTH CARE: As one of the lowest-income districts in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />Iowa, the lack of quality affordable health care impacts my district as much or more than most. No amount of tinkering around the edges is going to fix this crisis. It's time to attack the problem head on. Nearly every industrialized democracy offers some form of universal health care. America and Iowa need health care that is affordable, accessible and adequate for all. Iowa shouldn't wait for the federal government to act. States, not the federal government, are leading the charge toward comprehensive reform. It’s time for Iowa to take the initiative as well.
RESPONSIBLE LAND USE: The growth of the suburbs has caused many residents to move out of my district, and as a result, with the exception of downtown, the housing market and economy in my district have stagnated. Responsible urban planning could revitalize my district and control urban sprawl. Meanwhile, taxpayer subsidies for growth and development on farm ground have become almost a given. Simply stated, one person’s tax abatement is effectively another person’s tax increase. And Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts have proliferated so quickly that the state treasury spends over $30 million per year reimbursing school districts for the money they lose to local TIF districts.
Instead of abusing TIF to build giant shopping centers like Jordan Creek Mall, state government should help revitalize neighborhood commercial districts like SE 6th and Hartford, Drake and E 16th and Grand.
CORPORATE WELFARE AND EDUCATION: Spending $50 million annually on the Iowa Values Fund without requiring any kind of proof of success is a problem for many reasons. But the resulting cut in education funding is readily apparent in my district. The Legislature’s decision to give less than 6% allowable growth has further widened the gaps between the schools that have and those that have not.
HOUSING ISSUES: My district has the highest minority and low-income populations in the state. It also has one of the lowest percentages of home-ownership. State government needs to do more to help provide a wide range of housing options for low-income residents, and it needs to increase the state historic tax credits to $20 million per year.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM: As always, this is the issue that ties it all together. The current system of campaign financing allows corporations, special interests and the very wealthy to use their financial resources to curry favor. In recent years, corporate interests have pumped millions of dollars into political campaigns, often hedging their bets by contributing to both candidates in a given election. Because of the tremendous amount of money required to run for office, nearly half the members elected to the U.S. Congress in 2002 are millionaires, and in 2004 one state senate race in Polk County cost almost one million dollars. It’s a small wonder many of the voices in my district are ignored: they aren’t writing huge checks to candidates. Until we find a way to get big money out of politics, state government will always favor the haves over the have nots.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Thursday, October 19 (Travel delays forced me to re-schedule from Wednesday)
Jan Mikelson in the Morning, to discuss eminent domain in Burlington
9 am
WHO Radio, 1040 AM
Call in at (515) 284-1040 or (800) 469-4295
Friday, October 20
Fundraiser for Joyce Schulte
Home of James Schall
412 Lake Ave
Storm Lake
5:30-7:30 PM
Contact James at (515) 238-5075
Saturday, October 22
Knocking doors with State House candidate Russ Wiesley
Dallas County
12-2:30
Contact Russ at (515) 224-0227
Neighborhood Potluck
Thoreau Center
35th and Kingman
Des Moines
3 PM
Contact Pat at (515) 279-1215
Page County Oktoberfest
Shenandoah
5-8 PM
Blog For Iowa 