Are we having fun yet? It’s time to start making phone calls, letters and emails to protect Social Security and Medicare.
Iowa Congressional Delegation
U.S. Senate
Senator Joni Ernst Phone: (202) 224-3254
Senator Chuck Grassley Phone: (202) 224-3744
U.S. House of Representatives
Representative Ashley Hinson (1st District) Phone: (202) 225-2911
Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks (2nd District) Phone: (202) 225-6576
Representative Zach Nunn (3rd District) Phone: (202) 225-5476
Representative Randy Feenstra (4th District) Phone: (202) 225-4426
###
There are some really good Substacks to follow out there. Substack is no replacement for newspapers, but most are free and paid subscriptions are voluntary so it’s hard to complain. I move my paid subscriptions around from month to month to support various writers. Some cover local events, the kind of thing newspapers used to do. Robert Leonard is one. If you’re interested in a unique voice in Iowa, someone who has no interest in parroting established narratives, I recommend Robert Leonard.
Here is a brief excerpt from a post about an event he attended in Iowa City featuring Jess Piper, Executive Director of Blue Missouri, and Chris Jones, formerly of the University of Iowa and now president of Iowa Driftless Water Defenders. The event topic was clean water and building political power. It was sponsored by Progress Iowa, the Singh Family Foundation and 100 Grannies.org. It was attended by over 100 people.
https://rleonard.substack.com/p/progressive-power-grows-in-the-rural
Reporting on Jess Piper’s remarks, Leonard writes:
“The depopulation of rural America is a goal. A big seed and chemical distributor in the county once told me that it would be much more cost-efficient and profitable if he only had to deliver his products to 25-50 farms than a thousand. The “small” farmer was a nuisance to him.
Corporations have extracted resources with Government support for generations with devastating consequences for our people and the environment. Defunding public schools, especially rural schools and their consolidation is part of the plan.
The answer, at least in part, is smart government that breaks up monopolies and diversifies and stabilizes our agricultural base. We need more farmers on the land, not fewer. We also need more livestock on the land, and not in confinements.”
The sentence above, “depopulation of rural America is a goal” reminded me of this BFIA post from 2021, Is Iowa A Sacrifice Zone?
““A sacrifice zone or sacrifice area (often termed a national sacrifice zone or national sacrifice area) is a geographic area that has been permanently impaired by heavy environmental alterations or economic disinvestment, often through locally unwanted land use(LULU). These zones most commonly happen to exist in low-income and minority communities.[1] Commentators including Chris Hedges, Joe Sacco, and Stephen Lerner have argued that corporate business practices contribute to producing sacrifice zones.[2][3][4]
Jess Piper also wrote about the Iowa City event on her Substack:
“After we spoke, there were many who gathered to ask more questions or tell us their own stories. I met several women with cancer. I heard so many stories about cancer…family members and children and parents and neighbors.
According to the 2024 Cancer in Iowa report, Iowa has the second-highest cancer rate in the United States and the fastest-growing rate of new cancers.
Iowa is the only state where the rate of new cancers has increased.”
You can find Robert Leonard, Jess Piper and Chris Jones on BlueSky and Twitter in addition to Substack.
###
Two good news items this week so far:
#1 – I think this is huge although of course he will appeal. Rupert Murdoch lost his attempt to lock in Fox’s right-wingy-ness forever.
#2 Trumpsters face additional charges in fake elector scheme in Wisconsin. This is in state court so Trump will not be able to pardon if they are found guilty.
Do something nice for yourself today.
Blog For Iowa 