Biden Investments On RAGBRAI – Sioux City And Storm Lake

Posted on July 24, 2023 by Trish Nelson

Progress Iowa

Biden Investments on RAGBRAI

Day One: Sioux City to Storm Lake

Click here to review the investments made in the communities along the day one route at RAGBRAI

This week as riders cross the state for RAGBRAI, the Des Moines Register’s Great Bike Ride Across Iowa, they will take in beautiful scenery and friendly hospitality from Iowans. They’ll also be riding through communities that have benefited tremendously from investments made by the Biden administration.

A broad-based coalition of community organizations have published IowaAtWork.com, an online resource to provide ongoing information about the Biden administration’s investments in Iowa.  You can also visit IowaAtWork.com/RAGBRAI to see a map of each day’s route and where the Biden administration improved the lives of Iowans.

The first day’s route will take riders from Sioux City to Storm Lake, where more than $155 million has been invested.

“The Biden administration wants to see Iowa at work,” said Alex Watters, a city councilmember in Sioux City. “The rescue plan allowed Sioux City to replace failing infrastructure such as our 140 year old water main on Pierce Street and put nearly $2 million in infrastructure in place for affordable housing developments. In addition to infrastructure programs, the Emergency Connectivity Fund provided the Sioux City Public Library with 2,000 internet-connected devices for people of Sioux City that were in need of internet access. Finally, the Homelessness Prevention Program kept 71 families from becoming homeless, 31 of which have children.”

Below are descriptions of the investments made by the Biden administration in Sioux City and Storm Lake.

Iowa At Work on RAGBRAI – Sioux City

Briar Cliff University was awarded $2 million in a $3.6 million project by the EDA to support the renovation and expansion of a former residence hall at Briar Cliff University.

The project aims to transform a former residence hall into an academic building and central hub for health sciences programs. The renovated space will bring together existing health sciences programs under one roof, providing new classrooms, labs, learning studios, faculty offices, and a pediatric clinic for hands-on learning. The project addresses staffing shortages in the healthcare industry, particularly in the Sioux City area and surrounding rural critical access healthcare facilities, which have been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. By expanding training and educational capacity, the initiative contributes to the region’s healthcare workforce strategy and supports market growth and resilience. The new center for health sciences programs will accommodate around 500 students, nearly doubling current enrollment and allowing for future expansion. Over the next nine years, the university anticipates educating and placing up to 913 graduates in high-demand, well-paying healthcare positions within the Sioux City tri-state region, across Iowa, and nationwide.

Iowa at Work on RAGBRAI – Storm Lake

For a small investment under $12,000, two low- to moderate-income rural households were able to maintain stable housing through loan subsidies through the Rural Housing Service. The Rural Housing Service within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) focuses on providing financial assistance and support for housing in rural areas. The RHS offers various loan and grant programs to help individuals and families with low to moderate incomes obtain safe and affordable housing in rural communities. Its primary goal is to promote rural development, increase homeownership opportunities, and improve the quality of life for rural residents.

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Sunday Funday: Real Summer Heat Edition

Posted on July 23, 2023 by Dave Bradley

Wait! Wait! We have a new hat in the ring for president. From what I can tell, this guy is every bit as serious as RFK, Jr.! (4 minutes)

After hearing about the heat around the country and the world for the past couple of months, it looks like Iowa will get a visit from the heat express starting today. Just a bit before the state fair, but who knows – it may stick around. Stay cool and hydrated. We need all the readers we can get.

Note to the politically inclined: The Heritage Foundation’s working up a to do list of how to end democracy in the US. No matter which Republican is the nominee, you can be assured that the Heritage Foundation’s agenda will be the unspoken behind the scenes policy driver.

Note to Donald Trump: It is enjoyable watching your world collapse on you. It will be fun to watch the rats leave your ship soon. May your punishment at least equal your crimes.

A) The week started off with a bang Sunday night when Special Counsel Jack Smith identified who as a target in his investigation of the attempt to overthrow the government on Jan. 6, 2021?

B) Michigan followed up shortly after that with indictments for Michiganders who participated what activity related to the attempted overthrow?

C) Chuck Grassley shamed Iowa twice this week. One was to vote against creating what for Supreme Court justices?

D) Grassley’s second embarrassment was to release an unverified FBI informant’s claim that who took bribes years back?

E) Hey, guess who got some rare antiquities from Israel years ago and has since refused to return them?

F) July 20 was the 54th anniversary of the moon landing and walking on the moon. Who were the two American astronauts that walked on the moon on that voyage?

G) Can you tell us Iowa’s new slogan unveiled this week?

H) Marjory Taylor Greene probably broke several laws by tweeting and showing on the US House floor nude photos of who last week?

I) Speaking of MTG, she gave a speech at a Turning Point convention that sure sounded like an endorsement of what political enemy of hers?

J) Let’s put the children to work say Republicans! A 16 year old boy died in Mississippi in an industrial accident working in what kind of factory?

K) For those who have spent 50+ years determined to prove Apollo 11 was a fake, how many people would have had to have been in the conspiracy and remained silent?

L) In Iowa Polk County District Judge Joseph Seidlin blocked enforcement of what recently passed bill in Iowa Monday?

M) Since the passage of strict abortion bans in Texas two years ago infant death rates are up by what percentage?

N) In Florida the state Board Of Education decided that teaching on slavery in Florida will emphasize what?

O) What son of a once revered Democratic presidential candidate spent hours in from of a congressional committee denying he ever said things that he was recorded saying?

P) Just to be on the safe side, how long were the Apollo 11 astronauts quarantined when they returned to earth?

Q) Looks like Republicans are finally recognizing that a climate crisis is at hand. What is their solution?

R) Big box office weekend expected as what two boffo movies are opening this weekend?

S) The Women’s World Cup is in progress. What long time US star announced this will be it for her a couple of weeks ago?

T) What country singer’s song (“Try That In  Small Town”) was pulled from a network music show because the video was recorded at the site of a 1927 lynching?

Donald Trump STILL refuses to return stolen classified intel and Greene is showing us the penis of the President’s son?! What kind of sick f-cks vote for these imbeciles?!  Hello. Insurrection department. Greene asked for a preemptive pardon.

Enough is enough. Holy sh*t. – smc429 tweet

Answers:

A) Donald Trump

B) the state indicted 16 republicans who were fake electors for Trump

C) ethics rules. He voted against ethics rules – for Supreme Court Justices who are among themes corrupt officials. This country has ever seen

D) the Biden Family.

E) Donald Trump

F) Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin

G) “Freedom to Flourish” that should have ‘em busting down the doors

H) Hunter Biden. 

I) President Biden. Biden’s team turned it into a commercial

J) Poultry plant

K) at least 411,000

L) the extremely strict abortion law that Kim Reynolds signed ten days ago

M) 11.5 %

N) That slaves benefitted by the system

O) Robert Kennedy, Jr.

P) 2 weeks

Q) Plant a trillion trees. They didn’t say what or when or where, but that is a policy

R) “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer”

S) Megan Rapinoe

T) Jason Aldean

Being able to ask a judge that you appointed to delay your trial for stealing classified and top-secret documents so that you can run for an office that you also tried to steal is not “political persecution.” It’s the DEFINITION of social, political, and economic PRIVILEGE. – Andrew Wortman tweet

Posted in #nevertrump, Humor | 1 Comment

On The Lighter Side 

Posted on July 22, 2023 by Dave Bradley

 

There has been simply a torrent news this week from Ukraine to Maralago to continuing good news on the economic front. So it seems like a good time for a certain governor who just never seems to have a clue what is going on with her state’s citizens to take a big step and announce:

A Brand Spanking New State Slogan!

Just what Iowa needs as Iowa women become second class citizens valued for their breeding ability, the state’s public school system is being dismantled with a big smile by the governor herself, books are getting banned just like in a real totalitarian state and many other problems that the governor wants you to forget about.

That old slogan “Fields Of Opportunity” was pretty much of a dud, so we only kept it for 24 years. What ever message it was supposed to send never seemed to be clear, but to be honest nobody really seemed to care.

So get ready – the new slogan is “Freedom To Flourish.” 

I first read it as “Flushing Our Freedoms.” I probably made that mistake by reading ‘flourish” as “flush” and just started to think about the reality of what is happening in this state right now. Mine is probably closer to reality than the governor’s yet mine might be viewed as negative.

As often happens in these cases, when some muckety muck tries to cover over obvious problems with a cutesy quote I think many of us start thinking of alternative slogans that are closer to reality or at least lets the air out of the slogan balloon. This is, of course, a game you can play at home, or in the car or with the kids.

Well, here we go. This is one I believe Iowa has aspired to since Branstad came back to haunt us in 2011:

“Iowa: We Want To Be Mississippi!”

Since Republicans have had the trifecta in government for a while, it sure seems like our buddy states now are the old confederacy so:

“Iowa: Joining The Confederacy A Little Late”

There is the trend of young Iowans leaving the state. This is a trend that the legislature probably accelerated last year.

“Iowa: I Used To Live There”

There is a real meme that was and probably still is going around the internet:

“What The Hell Happened To Iowa?”

Highlighting our renewed anti-reproductive law:

“Iowa: Only The Women Are Second-Class Citizens”

Or something that points out our location:

“Iowa: Gateway To Minnesota”

Or we can highlight our tussle with books:

“Books? We Don’t Need No Stinking Books” or

“Iowa: Leave Your Books At The Border”

There are a couple of more that might be a bit too over the top that have crossed my brain. But it is fair time so it’s time to relax and do other things.

From Thursday’s High Five: (email from Progress Iowa)

REYNOLDS USED FEDERAL $ FOR BRAND CAMPAIGN: Gov. Reynolds spent over $300,000 of federal dollars on the new marketing plan for Iowa’s “freedom to flourish” campaign despite previously rejecting federal dollars for programs that could actually help Iowa flourish. Instead of spending money convincing people that Iowans have the freedom to thrive, maybe Iowa Republicans could simply stop passing laws that ban us from doing so. Just a thought…

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AGs Want To Cross State Lines To Prosecute Abortions

Posted on July 22, 2023 by Dave Bradley

Freedom in America? It looks like the extremist Republican MAGA Party has a plan to end that.  

Below is the highlights of the Rachel Maddow Show from Monday night. The first highlight is a short synopsis of how the law is closing in on Donald Trump. 

The second segment is the segment I am going to discuss briefly today.This segment talks about how Attorneys General in many of the deep red MAGA states are hatching a plot to follow women who may be going out of state, to get their (the woman’s) medical records in case they may be leaving the state to get an abortion. The reason this really caught my eye Monday is that because of Iowa’s recent enactment of abortion laws, there seems to be little doubt that Iowa will join in the group that will be hunting women.

The segment starts at 3:30 and ends at 15:20. The following segment on MAGA plans to end democracy in the US does dovetail nicely into the segment on tracking women:

Note that Rachel does not know if MAGA state AGs have started the tracking of pregnant citizens from their states. This is an idea that started kicking around in Idaho last winter. When Idaho passed a truly draconian anti-abortion aw it was a given that Idaho women had a female reproductive health care friendly state next door in Washington.

In particular MAGA Idaho legislators knew that the college town of Moscow, Idaho was right on Washington’s border and about a stones throw from the college town of Pullman, Washington. So for female students at the U of Idaho it is just a quick trip to Pullman for what they needed. Idaho legislators wanted to put a stop to that right away.

As far as I know, Idaho’s legislators have not been able to stop the flow to Washington for female reproductive health care. The new laws have driven practicing obstetricians out of the state since doctors fear getting tangled in legal messes over abortions.  

In the past year as the MAGA legislatures have passed on draconian anti-abortion bill after another, the MAGA leaders seem to be mad that they might not be able to punish women who defy them and seek health care in a woman friendly state. Thus the need for some kind of mechanism to track the women down and hunt them in order to charge them for violating anti-abortion laws even if the abortion took place in a state where the procedure is legal.

If this scenario doesn’t just scare the crap out of you, you have no heart. This scenario sounds like it was taken from the pages of some futuristic dark science fiction book like “A Handmaid’s Tale.” (Note – I have not read “A Handmaid’s Tale” but dystopian futures are a common theme in books). 

Also if this sound a lot like a law that led directly to the Civil War – The Fugitive Slave Act –  it certainly shares some common themes. I fully expect MAGA Republicans to try to float laws like this if they ever attain full control of the US government.

You have to wonder how it could be legal for one state to demand your private medical records and get them from another state. When you have a SCOTUS so corrupt and so political it is not hard to imagine at all. A phony case, a 6 to 3 decision and Bingo! we have a fugitive woman law!

This is where Rachel’s last segment on this video comes in. She describes work that is going on by the Heritage Foundation to implement what was once a far right fringe concept of the Unitary Executive. Rachel discusses the concepts should Trump be elected, but the Heritage Foundation is working to make it a centerpiece of the next Republican presidency.

With the Unitary Executive concept powers that now belong to congress, the courts or the states will be moved into the executive branch thus removing all checks and balances, In short, the executive becomes a dictator. This will be the end of democracy in the US. We can see prototypes of this happening in Hungary with Viktor Orban and in Israel with Benjamin Netanyahu.

 As a dictator, any Republican president can simply implement policies like a Fugitive Woman policy. 

Now to bring it back to Iowa. As Rachel noted there are 19 states who signed onto a letter to the Biden Administration to be able to get private medical records of women from other states. Iowa did not sign on was because at that time Iowa did not have a draconian law to punish women. They do now and I am sure that you can expect as soon as Iowa’s Supreme Court says it is legal we will join in on the woman hunting to punish them for abortions.

Be prepared.

Also understand that if you vote for Republicans next year, this is what you will be voting for. If you want freedom you damn well better vote for it!

Note from Thursday’s High Five: (From Progress Iowa)

ABORTION BAN WOULD FORCE OBGYN DOCS OUT: The accreditation agency for OBGYN residents would require Iowa residents to “travel to another state where it is legal to complete their training” if the abortion ban takes effect permanently. This is sure to discourage medical students from studying and practicing in Iowa, making our OBGYN shortage even worse. Especially in rural Iowa.

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Thank You, President Biden

Posted on July 21, 2023 by Trish Nelson

Thanks to President Joe Biden, Iowa has received $148.9 million dollars for broadband grants. Grants will be used to reduce or eliminate underserved broadband locations in the state. The grant application window opens on July 14th. More information can be found here

Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program Notice of Funding Availability #008

OFFICIAL NOTICE. July 14, 2023. The Office of the Chief Information Officer is issuing Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) #008 for the Empower Rural Broadband Grant Program making available up to $148,960,000 for broadband expansion in Iowa. 

The following information concerning OCIO Broadband Grant Program Notice of Funding Availability #008 can be found below:

Notice of Funding Availability #008 – Purpose

The purpose of this NOFA is to solicit Applications from Communications Service Providers for Broadband Infrastructure Projects that will have the greatest overall effect of reducing or eliminating Eligible Unserved or Underserved Locations in the State through the installation of Broadband Infrastructure. Funds for this grant round have been allocated from the American Rescue Plan Act (“ARPA”) Capital Projects Fund (“CPF”) to provide a substantial infusion of resources to help turn the tide on the pandemic, address its economic fallout, and lay the foundation for a strong and equitable recovery

Click here for more info.

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We Outnumber Them And They Know It

Posted on July 20, 2023 by Trish Nelson

Iowa gets a mention. As usual, not in a good way.  Politics Girl is spot on about voting.

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How To Keep CAFOs Out Of Your Community

Posted on July 18, 2023 by Trish Nelson

Jefferson County Farmers & Neighbors, Inc. – JFAN

The Iowa Farmers Union is teaming up with JFAN to host a series of training sessions to arm rural citizens around the state with the tools they’ll need to deter CAFOs from entering their communities.

To kick off the training program, JFAN Executive Director Diane Rosenberg provides an in-depth look at CAFOs during a free webinar via Zoom.

https://www.facebook.com/JFANIowa

Wednesday, July 19 from 12 to 1:30 pm CT – Real Farms or Factory Farms? What you need to know about CAFOs

Did you know livestock coming from Iowa’s confined animal feeding operations produce 68 billion pounds of manure annually, and hogs account for the majority of that waste? That’s nearly 68 times the amount of sewage produced by the state’s 3.15 million human residents.

Iowa has over 9,200 known CAFOs. With operations like these on the rise, Iowa’s CAFO problem is more urgent than ever.  

That’s why the Iowa Farmers Union is teaming up with Jefferson County Farmers & Neighbors, Inc. to host a series of training sessions to arm rural citizens with the tools they’ll need to deter CAFOs from entering their communities.

What we’ll cover during this introductory session:

  • In-depth discussion to understand what CAFOs are, who owns them, how much they cost, who pays for them, and the difference between factory farms and independent family farms
  • The ways CAFOs affect people, the environment, rural communities, and local economies
  • How well industry arguments for CAFOs stand up to the facts
  • How the Department of Natural Resources regulates CAFOs – the application process and oversight
  • What we can do to protect ourselves and our communities from CAFOs
  • Action steps we can take now

Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of the CAFO issue in Iowa, the ways they impact our lives, and why it’s important to work together to protect our communities.

A full program will be offered starting January 2024 to help you learn how to safeguard your community against CAFOs. This session will serve as an introduction for those more in-depth sessions.

About Jefferson County Farmers & Neighbors, Inc.: JFAN is a 501(c)(3) educational organization composed of rural and town residents and traditional family farmers. JFAN works to help protect the quality of life of Jefferson County residents from factory farms and advocates on the state level for stronger regulations and a CAFO moratorium.

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It Used To Be Heaven

Posted on July 18, 2023 by Trish Nelson

Saw this on the IDP Rural Caucus Discussion Group Facebook page

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Watch Marc Elias And Ari Berman On The Al Franken Podcast

Posted on July 17, 2023 by Trish Nelson

“On the legal front and the voting rights front what I’m worried about is that the left has in many quarters decided to move on from the threats to democracy but it is the central organizing thesis of the Republican party….In Republican states you have legislature after legislature passing new voter suppression laws and election subversion laws.  In some instances these are the second or the third law on top of each other and you get some picture of what the conservative and republican playbook is which is they know they can’t win through a majoritarian election so their goal is to change the rules of voting to disincentivize or to dissuade or to suppress or subvert the votes of black, brown and young voters. And that’s their strategy and they are doggedly at it.. they are doggedly at it and I worry that on our side there is kind of a generalized concern that these things are happening but they are not nearly as closely paid attention to.” = Marc Elias

“Pretty much every Republican state passed new restrictions on voting since the 2020 election and many states have passed multiple new restrictions on voting and this will be the first presidential election that the new restrictions will be in effect. I think there’s a feeling that because Democrats fared pretty well in 2022 that we don’t have a crisis in democracy anymore.” – Ari Berman

They also cover a lot of ground on other topics including when Al Franken became the 60th senator that allowed Democrats to get the Affordable Care Act passed.

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Biden Accomplishments

Posted on July 16, 2023 by Dave Bradley

Even Steve Doocy of Fox says Biden doing well (6 minutes commercial the last 1.5 minutes).

President Biden has returned from a highly successful trip to a NATO conference at which NATO countries were surprisingly in agreement on most things and were once again looking to the President of the US for leadership. This is in stark contrast to the previous president who tried his best to disintegrate the NATO alliance in what appeared to be at the order of Russian President Putin. 

Lord, what a difference between Biden and his predecessor. Trump even bragged recently that he could end the Russian aggression against Ukraine in 24 hours. Most social media took that to mean Trump would surrender to the Russians. What a difference between true strength and those who fake strength!

President Biden simply has had some great accomplishments in the past weeks thanks to creating good sound policy and sticking with it. Biden is at the head of a well functioning government and he has a vision and is sticking with it. Biden’s White House has revived NATO, stared inflation down even as the Fed tries to crash the economy and seen REAL wages go up for most American workers as unemployment continues to hover near record lows. 

Biden is in the process of finally ending the horrible trickle down economics (Reaganomics) of the past 40 years that has made corporations king and the once middle class and poor into modern serfs. As Biden battles these many dragons of the past our economy gets better and our lives get better. As one pundit said, back in the 70s a guy with a record like this would win by the greatest margin ever.

Meanwhile, the previous president tried to humiliate Iowa’s governor Kim Reynolds with this withering tweet:

“I opened up the Governor position for Kim Reynolds, & when she fell behind, I ENDORSED her, did big Rallies, & she won,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “Now, she wants to remain ‘NEUTRAL.’ I don’t invite her to events! DeSanctus down 45 points!”

As that was going on Republicans were falling apart with a ball kicking brawl in Michigan   and falling star Margery Taylor Green being kicked out of the secretive Freedom Caucus in the US House.

What has Biden accomplished you ask? Well here is a partial list. There is a much longer list at the White House website:

When President Biden and Vice President Harris took office, our country faced unprecedented crises – a raging pandemic, economic crisis, climate crisis, and racial injustice. The President and Vice President ran for office on the promise to move quickly to tackle these crises head-on and deliver results for working families. That’s what the Biden-Harris Administration has done. 

[ … ] 

  • Two strongest years of job growth in history 

  • More than 40 million borrowers stand to benefit from student debt relief 

  • Nearly 11 (over 13 ed.) million jobs created since 2021 

  • Taken over 100 actions to lower household energy costs by $100 per year 

  • Helped bring gas prices down more than $1.60 from their summer 2022 peak 

  • Signed the most significant gun violence prevention legislation in nearly 30 years 

  • Increased the maximum value of Pell Grants by $900 

  • 3.5% unemployment rate — the lowest in 50 years 

  • 750,000 new manufacturing jobs 

  • Near a record low unemployment rate for Hispanics 

  • Near a record low unemployment rate for African-Americans 

  • Record low unemployment rate for people with disabilities 

  • Millions of Americans are saving $800 per year on health insurance coverage 

  • $15 minimum wage for Federal workers and contractors 

  • Fully vaccinated 79% of American adults against COVID-19 

  • Led the world in a historic release of strategic reserves 

  • Infrastructure investments in all 50 states, D.C., territories, and throughout Tribal nations 

  • Over 16 million households receiving lower cost or free high-speed internet through the Affordable Connectivity Program

Posted in Biden-Harris, Economy | Tagged | 1 Comment