Category Archives: Jobs

Rural Communities Hit Hardest By Hunger

Posted on September 23, 2005 by bfiachadthompson

Rural Communities Hit Hardest By Hunger The 2005 Annual Report of the charity Bread for the World shows something that we might consider to be surprising:  90% of the poorest counties in America are rural and 20% of rural children … Continue reading →

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Your Second Priority

Posted on September 10, 2005 by Trish Nelson

Your Second Priority

NicholasJohnson.org

Nick Johnson (pictured above) was formerly an FCC Commissioner and Iowa City School Board member and now teaches at the University of Iowa College of Law.  These are his remarks to the Iowa City Federation of Labor Labor Day Picnic, September 5, 2005


“Whatever is your first priority, your second priority has to be media reform.”

I've been saying that to gatherings of labor, and other progressive organizations, for 40 years now.

Your first priority may be a fairer shake for labor. Healthcare for Iowans. Rights for women and minorities. Improvements in local schools, or the environment. Electing your candidates to public office.

Whatever is your first priority, you have little hope of making any progress with it if you can't get media coverage – fair and favorable media coverage.

For no group is this more true than for labor.

“Yeah, so what else is new?” I hear you say.

I'll tell you what's new.

For the first time in the history of Iowa, so far as I know, two currently sitting commissioners of the Federal Communications Commission – Michael Copps and Jon Adelstein – are coming to Iowa City because they want to hear from you.

The national organization Free Press is seeing to it that Wednesday, October 5th, a month from today, probably at the IMU, hundreds of Iowans will be coming forward to tell the FCC what they think about our local media.

There are petitions that give you a chance to participate. The petitions ask the FCC to at least hold hearings before automatically granting license renewals to Iowa's television stations.

All those Iowa stations have to file for renewal by October 1st. If their licenses are renewed they will be able to keep up what they've been doing for another 8 years.

Meanwhile, a local group called Iowans for Better Local Television,  and anyone else in the state, has from now until the end of December to get comments and petitions to the Commission. IBLTV's Web site actually lets you sign the petition online.

So why should labor care?

You can probably answer that better than I.

 – When did you last see a documentary favorable to organized labor on local television?


Continue reading →

Posted in Calls to Action, How You Can Help, Iowa in the News, Jobs, Labor, Local Events, Main Page, Media Bias, Progressive Community | Comments Off on Your Second Priority

Job Opening: Constituency Organizer with Fallon for Governor

Posted on September 7, 2005 by bfialindathieman

Job Opening: Constituency Organizer with Fallon for Governor The Fallon for Governor campaign is hiring a Constituency Organizer who will be responsible for outreach to an array of constituencies including, but not limited to:  minority, GLBT, labor, environmental, rural/family farm, … Continue reading →

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Iowa to Accept Storm Victims

Posted on September 3, 2005 by bfialindathieman

Iowa to Accept Storm Victims by Mike Owen, West Branch, Iowa Iowans should be proud to have Governor Vilsack speaking for them about the state's interest in helping up to 5,000 victims of Hurricane Katrina relocate to our state. As … Continue reading →

Posted in Guest Posts, How You Can Help, Iowa in the News, Jobs, Local Events, Main Page, National News | Comments Off on Iowa to Accept Storm Victims

Congress About To Slash Food Stamps in Favor of Corporate Farming Subsidies

Posted on August 21, 2005 by Trish Nelson

Congress About To Slash Food Stamps in Favor of Corporate Farming Subsidies by Mike Owen At the Farm Bill hearing in Des Moines last week with Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, at least four speakers in the first 55 minutes of … Continue reading →

Posted in Big Government, Calls to Action, Farming, Iowa in the News, Jobs, Main Page, National News | Comments Off on Congress About To Slash Food Stamps in Favor of Corporate Farming Subsidies

BUY FRESH, BUY LOCAL

Posted on August 14, 2005 by bfiamollyreagan

BUY FRESH, BUY LOCAL Had a good PEACH lately that wasn't laced with pesticides?  How about a free-range egg?  Or, well… you know… a free-range chicken?  Actually, peaches happen to be one of the fruits with the most pesticides in … Continue reading →

Posted in Calls to Action, Environment, Farming, How You Can Help, Jobs, Main Page, Organic Foods & Farming, Progressive Community | 4 Comments

Monsanto’s Big Deal

Posted on August 13, 2005 by bfiacarolinevernon

Monsanto's Big Deal by Karl Beitel and Nick Parker, Food First This serves as a reminder of where we are heading. As you know, Iowa has already passed the Terminator Gene Bill. In my opinion, not only is this a … Continue reading →

Posted in Corporate Greed, Environment, Farming, Iowa in the News, Jobs, Main Page, National News, Organic Foods & Farming, Progressive Community | Comments Off on Monsanto’s Big Deal

Worst Midwest Drought in Years

Posted on August 12, 2005 by bfiacarolinevernon

Worst Midwest Drought in Years By Scott Kilman, Wall Street Journal We're getting to the point where the plants don't have much flowers left. It's not good news.” – Agronomist Bill Wiebold The worst drought across the east-central United States … Continue reading →

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Second Suit Filed Against Iowa City Over Wal-Mart

Posted on August 7, 2005 by Trish Nelson

 Second Suit Filed Against Iowa City Over Wal-Mart Supercenter Cedar Rapids Gazette By Frank Gluck IOWA CITY — Opponents of a proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter in Iowa City filed a second lawsuit against the city Thursday, this time calling the City … Continue reading →

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Political Organizer Job Opening at Fallon for Governor

Posted on August 7, 2005 by bfialindathieman

 Political Organizer Job Opening at Fallon for Governor Ed Fallon, seven term state representative serving the central city of Des Moines, is running for governor.  The primary election will be June 6, 2006. Fallon is known for championing the rights … Continue reading →

Posted in Calls to Action, Candidates, Ed Fallon, How You Can Help, Jobs, Main Page, Progressive Community | Comments Off on Political Organizer Job Opening at Fallon for Governor