State Auditor Rob Sand released the following statement yesterday about Kim Reynolds’ school voucher bill. [Bolding is BFIA’s]
Whether you call them ESAs or vouchers, as Iowa’s taxpayer watchdog I am alarmed by the intentional lack of transparency and accountability under the proposed legislation.
This bill gives private schools your tax dollars, and gives you no right to know what they are doing with them.
Existing law requires public schools to have open meetings, maintain and produce public records, and have elected citizen oversight. They must follow budgeting laws. They must have an annual audit. We learn of waste, fraud, and abuse of tax dollars in part because of these obligations. None of these obligations apply to private schools the same way. This bill won’t change that.
Also, this bill provides no rules for how private school use these funds. After a private school gets public dollars as tuition, they could buy a teacher or teachers brand new Ford Mustang convertibles in the name of incentive pay. The public may not find out at all, and if they did, there may be no recourse for taxpayers. That is flatly, fundamentally irresponsible.
Des Moines, Iowa — Progress Iowa Executive Director Matt Sinovic issued the following statement in response to the tragic shooting at the Starts Right Here in Des Moines, and the Governor’s continued failure :
“I’m a parent. I want our kids to be safe at daycare and at school. I want our entire family to live without the lurking fear of yet another tragic shooting. Unfortunately, Governor Reynolds doesn’t care about our safety.
“She has spent years making gun violence worse by loosening or removing common sense safety laws. She has issued statement after statement offering prayers while offering no real action to improve safety. She is gaslighting all of us. We deserve better and so do our kids.”
“My heart is broken for the victims, their families, and the entire community at Starts Right Here. In addition to her prayers, Governor Reynolds should issue an apology for her failure and immediately put forward gun safety measures, like background checks, to keep our kids safe.”
###
Gov. Reynolds Statement on Shooting
DES MOINES – Today Gov. Reynolds released the following statement in response to the shooting at Starts Right Here:
“I am shocked and saddened to hear about the shooting at Starts Right Here. I’ve seen first-hand how hard Will Keeps and his staff works to help at-risk kids through this alternative education program. My heart breaks for them, these kids and their families. Kevin and I are praying for their safe recovery.”
Screenshot of Gov. Reynolds being asked a question by KCCI reporter Amanda Rooker
Gov. Kim Reynolds’ voucher scam is being voted on today in the Iowa House and although there is talk that it may not pass, it seems likely that it is a done deal. Still, kudos to KCCI chief political reporter Amanda Rooker for asking tough questions and getting in follow up questions, politely not letting Reynolds off the hook.
As practiced as Reynolds is in the art of word salad, she stumbled badly at least twice due to skillful questioning from Rooker. There were a couple of very embarrassing pauses, one in which Reynolds visibly stammered and faltered before she got a reply out. If you were a Reynolds supporter you would have cringed. Rooker got Reynolds to admit on camera (1) she doesn’t know the cost of her plan; (2) there will be an outside entity administering the plan – and she doesn’t know what company that will be; (3) the legislators will not know the full cost of her plan before having to vote on it; and (4) private schools will not be held to the same standards as public schools.
When Rooker asked her about private schools having the ability to reject any kid for any reason, Reynolds said, “They’ll sit down with the superintendents of the private schools and they’ll have those conversations.” This and more make it an excellent interview that exposes Reynolds’ lack of character, lack of knowledge and in any other world but right wing Trump world, her unsuitability for the job of governor.
I hope you watch and share, even if the terrible voucher plan is a done deal, which at this writing is still not known. Reynolds avoids the press like the plague (preferring to reach her right wing base via Fox) and this interview provides a rare glimpse at how she performs when not at the Iowa State Fair or on the campaign trail or in friendly interviews with the Iowa Press panel.
I still didn’t get my question asked, that being how can she complain about Iowa’s “failed” public schools when Republicans have had a trifecta in state government since 2017 and Republican lack of support over the last decade could be said to be responsible for whatever condition they are in. But despite that frustration, I will say Amanda Rooker did an outstanding job asking questions that needed to be asked and to borrow a tired cliche, holding Reynolds’ feet to the fire. Iowa needs more reporters that are willing to go to bat for the public good.
See links below the video if you would like to take action on on the voucher scam.
Take Action To Stop Vouchers
From Iowa House Democrats:
As of right now, we still do not know if there are enough votes to pass the bill. With all Democrats opposed, there are still many GOP lawmakers on the fence about the bill. It’s no surprise that Reynolds is twisting arms and threatening to primary anyone who doesn’t agree with her voucher bill again this year. For the Governor, this isn’t about kids, it’s about political power.
To counter that, we need more Iowans who live in Republican districts to contact their state lawmakers by 1 pm on Monday.
Here’s what we need you to do:
If your state lawmakers are Republicans, contact them again by email, phone, or come to the Statehouse to try and talk with them in person before 1 pm. It’s likely both parties will be in meetings preparing for debate most of the afternoon. Find the contact info for your lawmakers here. Please be respectful. The folks we need to vote no won’t respond if we just make this a partisan fight. This isn’t about party. This bill is simply bad for Iowa kids.
If your state lawmakers are Democrats, look through your contacts and text your family members, friends, or co-workers who live in GOP districts and ask them to contact their legislators and say vote NO on vouchers. Most people don’t know who their legislators are, so look it up for them and provide the contact information they need to reach their own lawmaker. Find lawmakers here.
Sign our petition: No Vouchers in Iowa and then share it with your friends & family. If you’ve already signed it, please just share it again so more Iowans see what’s happening and take action. The more Iowans learn about it, the less they like it.
If you plan to come to the State Capitol Monday, please know that debate won’t likely start until at least 4 pm. We’ll do our best to keep apprised of any changes to the schedule as the day unfolds.
Got this email the other day from Everytown For Gun Safety. This on the heals of one 6 year old child shooting his teacher in Virginia and a video showing a 4 year old child in diapers wandering around his apartment complex with a loaded gun:
Email
####, this is real: Gun manufacturers are advertising real guns for kids, like the JR-15 .22 Long Rifle made by Wee1 Tactical, that “looks, feels, and operates just like Mom and Dad’s gun.”
Gun violence is now the number one cause of death for children and teens in America, yet the gun industry continues to make and market weapons to children.
from every town for gun safety email
In fact, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the group hosting SHOT Show this week—one of the gun industry’s biggest events of the year in Las Vegas—called young people “obvious ‘low-hanging fruit’ in recruitment” and a “large relatively untapped market.”
Our kids don’t need marketing for dangerous weapons, they need stronger gun safety laws. If the gun industry is going to put its bottom line before safety, then we must hold them accountable.
So far this year according to gunviolencearchive.org the US has already had 2,202 deaths by gun with nearly 100 of these being children under 17. Remember that last year guns became the #1 cause of death for children in the US.
PBS Newshour – a quick history of abortion in the US – 8:35:
Also a little more detailed version from an NPR segment on a podcast from earlier this week. Seems that outlawing abortion was a business decision for doctors (white and male) back in the way back. Not really surprising.
Since the very flawed decision to overturn Roe last summer, the push is on for much harsher anti-abortion legislation throughout the country as you all know. Iowa is one of the states seeking to all but outlaw abortion. Stuff like this makes me wonder why anyone would want to live in Iowa anymore.
Aye, well how about a quiz?
A) Amid Republican threats to upend the economy, the US reached what milestone Thursday morning?
B) After doing an internal investigation, SCOTUS found that who leaked the Dobbs decision that overturned the Roe decision?
C) What two major tech companies announced layoffs this week of 10,000 and 12,000 respectively?
D) What major tech company was fined $60,000 for ergonomic violations in its warehouses? (the fine is .000013% of this company’s annual profits)
E) Today is also the Lunar New Year. This year is the year of what animal?
F) George Santos is a gift that just keeps giving. Last week it was revealed that he had spent some time working as a what in Brazil?
G) The Arab oil money fueled LIV Golf Tour signed a TV deal with what TV broadcast network last week?
H) Yet again another major rock ’n’ roll icon dies. What founding member of the Byrds died Thursday?
I) Who was fined $1 million for filing frivolous lawsuits in Florida?
J) What country is contemplating sending its top of the line Leopard 2 tanks to help Ukraine?
K) Two weeks ago Amazon cut 18,000 jobs. Last week they announced they would cut what popular charity program?
L) What member of the Biden administration will be marking the 50th anniversary of Roe V. Wade with a speech in Florida today?
M) Who wrote the majority opinion in the Roe V. Wade decision 50 years ago?
N) In a real surprise the female Prime Minister of what country announced that she wold step down in February after only 5 years in office?
O) Republicans are proposing allowing smoking again at what location?
P) Tornadoes were recorded in Iowa last Monday. When was the last time Iowa recorded tornadoes in January?
Q) Soloman Pena orchestrated attacks on Democrats last week in what state to retaliate for his losing his race for public office?
R) Wes Moore was sworn in as the first black governor in what state?
S) What Italian movie star of the 50s and 60s died at age 95 last week?
T) Because of its ability to scare monsters away, what is the primary color used for decoration during the lunar New Year?
For context, roughly 25% of our total national debt incurred over the last 230 years actually occurred during the 4 years of the Trump administration. That’s right. 25% of our entire national debt, all during the Trump years. David Jolly
Reminder that Regan tripled the national debt and George W. Bush doubled it during his reign
Tip of the hat to EarlG on democraticunderground.com
Answers:
A) The debt ceiling was reached
B) They didn’t find any culprit. I think Alito bird leaked it (a little bird!)
C) Microsoft weighed in at 10,000 the Google weighed in at 12,000
D) Amazon
E) Rabbit
F) Drag Queen
G) CW
H) David Crosby
I) Trump
J) Germany (after all these years I still want to write West Germany)
K) Amazon Smiles
L) VP Kamala Harris
M) Justice Harry Blackmun
N) New Zealand
O) On the House floor – gotta own them Libs
P) January 1967
Q) New Mexico – Pena claimed his election was stolen even though he lost by 48%
R) Maryland
S) Gina Lollabrigida
T) Red
DeSantis’ health adviser tells audience that the best way to deal with covid is: to call out to Jesus and Kingdom of Heaven for help.
Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, age 20 and arguably the face of a generation that wants to roll back decades of reliance on oil and gas by means of alternative energy sources, had a message Thursday as she mingled with the corporate and political bigwigs meeting in Davos, Switzerland: Stop listening to the companies responsible for “fueling the destruction of the planet.”
Backing these interests only gives more power to those who are culpable in the climate crisis, by investing in fossil fuels and prioritizing short-term profits over people and broader economic growth, she said.
We seem to rely on these people to resolve our problems, Thunberg says, even though they have shown they are prioritizing short-term “greed.”
Letting the guy who purposely drove the bus into the ditch to make some money then claim they should be the one to drive the bus out of the ditch doesn’tseem like a good choice. Thunberg is right.
Bolstering Thunberg’s decision is a new study that shows that Exxon did their own climate research and came up with many fairly accurate predictions. In short they knew what they were doing when they were doing it, but persisted:
The big picture: Exxon scientists have been at the forefront of climate change research using computer models, the study published in the journal Science shows. According to the study, between 63% and 83% of the climate projections reported by Exxon scientists were accurate in predicting subsequent global warming.
The Exxon scientists’ projections showed the world would warm at a rate of about 0.20°C per decade, which was in line with independent academic and government studies in the 1970s through the early 2000s.
According to the study, Exxon’s research also led to an accurate estimate of how much carbon dioxide could be emitted before the world would warm by more than 2°C.
This implied that some of the company’s oil and gas holdings could become stranded assets, but such risks were not communicated to the company’s investors or the public, the study notes.
Of note: The study assessed the skill scores of projections from Exxon’s in-house climate modeling were more accurate than what then-NASA scientist James Hansen famously provided to Congress in his 1988 testimony warning human-caused global warming had started.
They knew what they were doing when they were doing it! Much more at the link.
At a minimum no one should trust a company like Exxon to lead the charge against climate change. The real question should be what should their liability for putting 8 billion people’s lives in danger.
Thunberg is so right on this. Exxon is not to be trusted.
Most people recognize that line from Maya Angelou. It has been repeated frequently during the past few years. Republicans threaten to do things – like assault the capitol of the US and then do them. Before the action many people many ordinary people scoff at their threats saying things like “They wouldn’t do that” or “They (whoever that is) wouldn’t let that happen.”
Here we go again. I am listening to my neighbor talk to my wife. The neighbor has recently suddenly been surprised by news that the Republican Party is planning to hold Social Security and Medicare (and Medicaid) hostage in their continuing saga to end any social safety net. The vehicle once again for this hostage taking is the insane debt ceiling. This is what? the fourth iteration of this tactic.
Previous iterations of the tactic of holding Social Security and Medicare hostage for the debt ceiling have backfired disastrously on the Republican Party. Why would they go to that well once again? Maybe because there are some extreme far right radical Republicans who are true believers, who believe that despite something like a 75% approval for Social Security, a Democratic Senate and a Democratic President will fold to their demands.
I tried to educate our neighbor on the lengthy history of the GOP trying to end Social Security – or at least trying to turn it into a means tested welfare program. She was truly surprised. I pled with her to please write your member of congress and tell the not just no but HELL NO! on holding Social Security and Medicare hostage.
I will ask you all to contact your member of congress also now on creating a hostage situation using safety net programs. Contacting your member of congress is simple. Go to google and type “contact {members name}. Google should pop up several methods of contact. I suggest using their congressional contact form so there is a record.
Also I would suggest asking for a response. My MOC (member of congress) is Mariannette Miller-Meeks. I have written her office 4 times and always request an answer. I have yet over 2+ years received a response. But there is a record. Oddly, I do get her Sunday brag sheet each week.
Due to the ability of the Treasurer of the US to move funds around, the debt ceiling may not become a crisis until June or so. Yet NOW is the time to start contacting your MOC. Most congress members do at least get a feel for what topics are hot and how these hot items are trending.
My neighbor asked me what they are supposed to do if Social Security is cut off. I told her that you can move in with your kids. So you might want to tell them also to please write the MOC to stop screwing with Social Security and Medicare. They have a stake in this also.
Besides moving in with your kids, I told her that going back to work is another option – or addition – to their choices. My neighbor can barely walk herself after a couple of hip surgeries. Her husband recently slipped on some ice and broke his hip. Not sure with that what their employment chances might be. Maybe Amazon?
As Maya Angelou noted so many years ago – when someone tells you who they are, believe them. The Republican Party – the whole damn party – is out to end any and all safety nets. In addition at a state level they are determined to dismantle any public programs with the public school system being target #1.
But Republicans will counter that Social Security and Medicare are going broke. We can’t stop that. – we must do something!
Bullshit! to use an old farm term I learned growing up in Iowa. Simply extending the FICA tax beyond it current upper income limit (about $147,000) would more that make up any shortfall. With Medicare, ending the fraud in the Medicare Advantage (which is neither Medicare nor does it have any advantages) program would go a long way toward sealing up much of the money leaks.
NPR did a story on the fraud in the Medicare Advantage system in December. This is an article worth the reading time. Here is a quick excerpt:
“The costs to taxpayers from improper payments have mushroomed over the past decade as more seniors pick Medicare Advantage plans. CMS has estimated the total overpayments to health plans for the 2011-2013 audits at $650 million, yet how much it will eventually claw back remains unclear.
Payment errors continue to be a drain on the government program. CMS has estimated net overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans triggered by unconfirmed medical diagnoses at $11.4 billion for 2022.”
And when we talk about clawing back over payments we should also think about what our government should be doing to get taxes owed but ignored by the wealthy. The republicans public reason for holding Social Security and Medicare hostage is because of our national deficit. Our national deficit is mostly made up of huge tax cuts for the rich and lack of enforcement on the rich for refusing to pay taxes.
Please write your MOC and tell them to keep their hands off of OUR Social Security and Medicare.
From the January 2023 issue of The Prairie Progressive, Iowa’s oldest progressive newsletter. The PP is funded entirely by reader subscription, available only in hard copy for $15/yr. Send check to PP, Box 1945, Iowa City 52244. Click here for archived issues.
by Nate Willems
The recent report by Common Good Iowa finding that Iowa workers are robbed of $900 million annually by their employers should be a wake-up call for all of us. This report was the first of its kind in ten years and found a 50% increase in stolen wages in Iowa over a decade.
Most of the $900 million in stolen wages are a result of overtime violations—failure to pay time and a half after 40 hours’ work in a week to eligible employees. There are variety of ways people are cheated of overtime wages: improperly classifying employees as FLSA-exempt (often called “salaried” workers); improperly classifying employees as independent contractors; illegal deductions from workers’ checks; time clock shaving; etc.
Common Good Iowa also found an additional $240 million in minimum wage violations. These stem from some of the same tactics as in overtime violations but also include tip pool violations. For example, wait staff at a restaurant can be paid a low minimum wage and can be required to pool tips, but it becomes illegal when management also allows non-tipped employees and managers to share in the tips given to wait staff. Food service represents the sector of the economy with the highest rate of violations according to the report.
Enforcement by the State of Iowa is almost laughable. In a state with 3.2 million people, you can count the number of Iowa Workforce Development employees fighting wage theft with your fingers. Furthermore, even when IWD does enforce the law it only seeks to recoup wages and not the liquidated—or penalty—damages the law allows. In other words, without liquidated damages the worst-case scenario for the employer is they receive a zero-interest loan from their workers for a year or more.
Private attorneys like myself bring lawsuits and hopefully this also plays some deterrent to bad employers. One victory was achieved in 2022 when an Iowa federal judge ruled that an employer cannot skirt liquidated damages liability by simply paying the wages illegally late.
However, as the report indicates, we are all just playing whacka-mole. The financial risks of breaking the law, the liability on bad employers who steal wages, are insufficient. That is why the annual costs to Iowa workers have increased from $600 million ten years ago to $900 million now.
Rather than waiting for a Republican legislature to strengthen our wage payment laws or for Gov. Reynolds to devote more staff to tackling the problem, there is a more immediate solution: criminal prosecution. Iowa Code defines “theft” at § 714.1. It states, “a person commits theft when the person… obtains the labor or services of another… by deception.” If the theft is greater than $1500, that is a Class D felony punishable by up to five years in jail. If the theft is greater than $10,000, that is a Class C felony punishable by up to ten
years in jail.
We have laws in place to deter wage theft, but we simply need to recognize that stealing money from workers is stealing. Enforcement need not come just from bureaucrats or plaintiffs’ lawyers but must also come from police officers and prosecutors. Public protests, small actions, administrative complaints are all fine, but when an employer steals
wages we must start to file police reports. Law enforcement can learn to treat wage theft like any other type of theft, but that shift in mentality must also be first embraced by workers and activists.
House File 3, which targets SNAP, Medicaid, and other public assistance programs, was introduced the first week of the 2023 Iowa legislative session and is currently assigned to the Iowa House Health and Human Services Committee.
This bill would restrict SNAP participants’ ability to make their own food choices, take food away from Iowans, and increase hunger and food insecurity in our state. The harmful proposals in the bill include:
Restricting SNAP purchases to only foods on the WIC-approved food item list.
This would severely limit the foods people could purchase with their SNAP benefits. SNAP recipients could no longer purchase meat, other than certain varieties of canned tuna and salmon. Meat, Poultry, and Seafood is the #1 food category purchased by SNAP participants nationwide, amounting to 1 in every 5 dollars of SNAP benefits spent.
Other foods that would be restricted from SNAP purchases make up a lengthy list including frozen prepared foods, butter, flour, cooking oil, herbs, spices, coffee and tea, cottage cheese, snack foods, nuts and seeds, white rice, rice noodles, jam, canned fruits and vegetables, soup, condiments, white bread, meal kits, bottled water, sliced cheese, crackers, and on and on. It’s much easier to list what you still would be able to purchase with SNAP than to list all the items you could not.
Real stories from real Iowans can stop HF 3, but legislators need to hear loud and clear that we will not stand for this attack on SNAP and the rely on it. You can help stop this bad bill by taking action:
Contact the 39 co-sponsors of House File 3 (below) and the members of the House Health and Human Services Committee. Let them know you do not support the efforts to make it more difficult to access SNAP and other public assistance programs in Iowa and ask them not to advance the bills out of committee.
Help raise awareness. Tell your friends and family about the attacks on SNAP and encourage them to take action as well. Share about what’s happening in the legislature on social media. Write a letter to the editor and submit it to your local paper.
Governor Kim Keynolds: (515) 281-5211 U.S. Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 Iowa Members of Congress - Rep. Randy Feenstra (R) - Rep. Ashley Hinson (R) - Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) - Rep. Zach Nunn (R) Iowa US Senators - Senator Joni Ernst (R) - Senator Charles Grassley (R)
Blog For Iowa 