Hundreds of Iowans Protest at Terrace Hill July 19
By ICCI
Iowa CCI Tells Governor to Get to Work on Critical Issues
As the
election season heats up in Iowa, more than 200 Iowans gathered at
Terrace Hill Saturday, July 19 to rally, protest and deliver a letter
[letter and photos attached and below] to Governor Culver, telling him
to end his vacation and get to work on critical issues affecting
thousands of everyday Iowans: local control, Voter Owned Iowa Clean
Elections (VOICE), the rights of all workers and consumer protections.
The protest was part of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement's
annual statewide convention, of which the theme was, “Real People, Real
Power, Real Change.”
“It's up
to Governor Culver to use the power of his office to make things happen
– he's the state's Chief Executive,” said CCI member and Board
President Barb Kalbach from Dexter. “But he is failing Iowans who
elected him and who he is supposed to represent. He has been 'on
vacation' for the last two legislative sessions, and his ignoring
of everyday Iowans and our issues has to stop – it's time for him to
get to work.”
CCI
member Misti Craig of Des Moines said, “We deserve as everyday Iowans
to govern what happens at the statehouse. We will show the governor and
our legislators that we are a powerful voting bloc on these issues and
cannot be ignored.”
Iowa
Citizens for Community Improvement also launched its Count on Me Voter
Campaign, which aims to build pledged support from more than 5,000
Iowans to vote on these critical issues in the coming statehouse
elections.
July 19, 2008
Dear Governor Culver:
You have
the privilege of living at Terrace Hill because everyday Iowans voted
for you and trusted you with helping to shape Iowa's future. You are
Iowa's top elected official – our Chief Executive Officer. We expect
you to work day and night for the common good and to serve the public
interest. It's up to you to use the power of your office to make
good things happen on crucial issues facing our state. But for
all practical purposes, you have been “on vacation” – absent from your
job as Iowa's CEO – for the past 2 years.
Today, we come to Terrace Hill and demand that you “get to work” on these issues that matter most:
*
Deliver on your campaign promises and use your power to push the
legislature to pass local control and fight against the factory farms
that ruin Iowans' quality of life.
* Stand
up for the rights of all of Iowa's workers and push for enforcement of
workplace safety, wage/hour and anti-discrimination laws. Say “no” to
ICE raids and use your influence to pressure Congress to provide a
real, fair fix to our immigration system.
* Stand
up for the rights of Iowans as consumers and push for the passage of
the Consumer Rights Act in the '09 legislative session. Iowans need the
protection of the Consumer Rights Act, and we are the only state
without it.
* Build
support for Voter-Owned Iowa Clean Elections and campaign finance
reform amongst legislators and the public, and include the VOICE bill
in your legislative package and this coming January's state of the
state address.
Now is
the time to take action on these issues, commit to those actions and
follow through. Meet with us and begin the process of addressing these
issues. Be the governor we need.
Sincerely,
Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement
Blog For Iowa 