Author Archives: Paul Deaton

Iowa Pulls The Plug On Nuclear Power

Pursuit of new nuclear power in Iowa was a bad idea when then governor Tom Vilsack began promoting it, and remains so. MidAmerican Energy’s announcement in the Des Moines Register today, that the utility “has scrapped plans for Iowa’s second … Continue reading

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Iowa Farmers Oppose Nuclear Power

WILTON—About 65 people gathered at the Wilton Community Center last night to view a screening of the documentary, “The Atomic States of America,” hosted by the group Saving America’s Farmland and Environment (S.A.F.E.). Attendees also heard an update from two … Continue reading

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Passenger Rail and Eminent Domain Get Married

What will it take for the Iowa House to get a bill considered on the floor of the Iowa Senate? Representatives Dave Jacoby and Bobby Kaufmann are hoping that pairing a Senate Democratic priority— funding passenger rail in order to … Continue reading

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Vilsack's Energy Policy Legacy

Does Tom Vilsack’s 2007 consulting agreement with MidAmerican Energy matter any more? It does, but not in the way conservative pundits characterized it, as a form of political corruption, after President Obama appointed Vilsack to his current job as secretary … Continue reading

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Rot in the Nuclear Weapons Force

After the U.S. Air Force removed 17 nuclear weapons launch officers from duty this week for marginal job performance skills, it should be a wake-up call. Lt. Col. Jay Folds, deputy commander of the 91st Operations Group, which is responsible … Continue reading

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End Of The Mountaintop Removal Road Show

This note came from Dave Cooper, whose Mountaintop Removal Road Show made its way to Iowa along the way. There is no stauncher ally in advocating against mountaintop removal coal mining. Dave will be missed, but the work will go … Continue reading

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Frac Sand Mines in Iowa

A friend from the fight against the coal-fired power plants in Waterloo and Marshalltown sent a note about mining companies wanting to move into Iowa to extract silica sand for hydraulic fracturing. There is a lot of silica sand laying … Continue reading

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Framing the Medicaid Debate

Our family has been able to afford health insurance, and has had continuous coverage since my career in transportation began in 1984. It is a budget priority, regardless of our work situation. With the April 2013 16.3 percent increase from … Continue reading

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Rastetter v. Schnoor (Elections Matter)

The kerfuffle over the e-mail from the Iowa Board of Regents President Pro Tempore Bruce Rastetter to University of Iowa President Sally Mason regarding statements Professor Jerry Schnoor made about water used in production of ethanol immediately went to DEFCON … Continue reading

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Don't be Distracted by North Korean Nuclear Test

The North Korean nuclear test explosion on Feb. 12 is a serious threat to international security and reemphasizes the need for the U.S. to lead in working with other nuclear-armed states to decrease the risk posed by the existence of … Continue reading

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