Iowa Capitol

The very most effective action you can take following the liberating experience of standing up to the bully is to now start contacting your national senators and representatives on national issues.

But do not forget that the overwhelmingly Republican Iowa legislature will be slashing our quality of life to smithereens so that their big donors and owners can buy some more congress critters and legislators. Remember also that the Iowa legislature will be working hard to do the bidding of ALEC, a group they hope you forget exists.

We attempted to go to a legislative forum in Iowa City Saturday. We weren’t able to get in because the crowd was so large. This is a good sign.

Here is an email I will be sending to my Republican reps, Sen. Tom Greene of district 44 and Rep. Dave Kerr of district 88.

Sen. Greene, Rep. Kerr,

I was extremely disappointed to see the Iowa budget was large on cuts for education, corrections and health care. We had no budget crisis except for the one created by the desire to drastically cut taxes for the wealthiest in this state. This was unneeded and most likely will not work. What businesses need more than tax cuts is customers, but customers who have no money because of low wages and overwhelming health care bills have little money for discretionary spending.

One only need to look at two states in our neighborhood to see the foolishness of these policies. Kansas has already followed the path you prescribe and it has been a miserable failure. The stories are easy to find on the internet.

On the other hand, Minnesota has followed a fiscally responsible approach which has included some tax increases and no cuts like you propose to education or healthcare. I believe they also have one of the highest minimum wages in the country. We along with others have the lowest. If I recall, Minnesota will be raising that minimum. The result of all that is a booming economy in a state that is not exactly known for good weather. We have children who live there and they would never come back to Iowa with its backward policies.

I find it hard to believe that as someone who is supposed to represent all of your constituents that you would not look to living examples of budget choices.

Also of concern is the Republican stated policy of defunding Planned Parenthood. As a father of females we found Planned Parenthood to be an indispensable source of valid information as they became adults. When they grew up they were off my insurance policy at age 18 so they used PP for their medical. Without their low cost and thorough services geared toward women I fear my kids may have ended up with an unwanted pregnancy.

The best way to lower abortions is through contraception and sexual education. This is a proven approach. Once again we have state such as Texas who have shown how disastrous defunding Planned Parenthood and taking away contraception and scientific sexual education can be. Closing PP clinics in other states has also led to a rise in venereal disease. Heck of a price to pay for some ideology.

Forcing women to have babies doesn’t mean that the child will be cared for. Considering the budget cuts proposed both here and at the national level that fall on the most vulnerable in our society, those children will face a real challenge to becoming productive citizens. It is a much better idea to give women a chance to plan their reproduction with advisors who have their best interests in mind.

Finally – the “Stand Your Ground” law. Are we the wild west? Do we want tools used to kill in the hands of every person with little to no instruction or licensing. Good lord hairdressers have to go through at least a year of training.

Much better that we make guns hard to get and their owners well trained on their use. Another good idea would be to mandate liability insurance for gun owners

The other day in a mall parking lot a man came very close to hitting my wife and I. Would I have been justified in shooting him? He certainly threatened my safety. We also have a case in Columbia, Missouri this week of a man shooting another man who was running away from the first man claiming it was covered under Missouri’s new Stand Your Ground law.

We already have the right to defend ourselves. Stand Your Ground has been an excuse for murders of people that others don’t like because of their looks across the country.