What, Me Worry?

Posted on March 12, 2017 by Dave Bradley

Letters to the Editor: A great way to get your voice out

The following is a letter to the editor from Larry Hodgden of Tipton. Larry is an Army veteran and former chair of the Cedar County Democrats.

A recent Gazette letter reminded me of this warning to all of us. Reverend Martin Niemoller wrote this in June 1945 after being freed from a Nazi prison.

“First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the Social-Democrats and I did not speak out because I was not a Social Democrat. Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.”

One thing that Niemoller failed to mention was all this happened after the Nazis took control of the press and filled the airwaves with their propaganda. This should be a sobering message for us all as we contemplate the message and actions coming from the Trump administration.

History is filled with examples of charismatic, demagogic individuals who, with the silence of an uninformed and fearful public, gained autocratic power and then eliminated the freedoms, rights and dignity of the citizens while committing horrendous crimes against humanity. Who’s going to speak out for the 92 million citizens who did not vote? Who’s going to speak out for our children regardless of their parent’s immigration status or their religious, ethnic, gender, economic and disability status?

Trump, and his Republican enablers, are coming after the press, coming after Muslims and Hispanics, coming after public education, coming after Medicare and Social Security, coming after the environment, coming after women’s health care, coming after gay rights, coming after gun safety, coming after the unions, coming after mental health care, coming after your neighbor.

I’m reminded of Mad Magazine from the 60’s and its motto, “What, me worry?”. So why should I worry? They are not coming for me…. yet!

Nothing To Worry About?

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Sunday Funday: Spring Forward Edition

Posted on March 12, 2017 by Dave Bradley

Can’t even begin to say how much I hate daylight savings time. So here we go again with our annual sleep deprivation game. DST especially didn’t make sense when the kids were standing out in the snow in the dark waiting for school buses. In case you forgot, DST start dates were moved to accelerate sales of BBQ materials in the spring and Halloween candy in the fall. If we must have DST I wish we would move it back to the end of school/ start of school starting and ending dates.

Were you paying attention? I can’t see how anyone wouldn’t be paying attention these days.

It is women’s history month so we will include a few questions on women.

1) Rep. John Shimkuss hit a new low even for Republicans when he questioned why men should pay for what medical service through their insurance?

2) The country has been stunned by what ridiculous claims that the current president tweeted concerning the previous president last Saturday?

3)  Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah said on CNN this week that Americans may have to choose between paying for health insurance or buying what?

4) What female Hispanic labor organizer cofounded the United Farm Workers in 1962 with Cesar Chavez?

5) The president of what country was impeached and forced from office in response to a corruption and cronyism scandal Friday?

6) The grocery industry in Iowa seems to be the only backer of a bill that would end what 39 year old recycling program in Iowa?

7) During WWII what actress invented frequency hopping communication technology that was instrumental in the Allies winning the war?

8) Women across America are getting tattoos of what statement uttered by Mitch McConnell about Elizabeth Warren?

9) Another stunner this week was the revealing of what long promised Republican bill?

10) Bomb threats and graveyard desecrations continue across the country against what ethnic/ religious group?

11) The statue of “Fearless Girl” was erected where to commemorate International Women’s Day?

12) Our current president loves Wikileaks. What did Wikileaks leak this week that could be very detrimental to the US?

13) Poachers in Paris broke into a zoo and killed a young white rhino in order to get what?

14) What landmark limestone arch collapsed into the sea after a storm in Malta last week?

15) What woman is generally given credit for launching the environmental movement with her book “Silent Spring”?

16) The head of what federal agency said this week that he was unconvinced that carbon dioxide was the main driver for climate change?

17) Elections will be held in the Netherlands Tuesday. How will ballots be counted for this election?

18) What native American woman was instrumental in the exploration of the American west?

19) In an odd juxtaposition, in order to pay for the border wall with Mexico, the administration called for cutting finds from what agencies?

20) Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn was outed as a paid agent of what foreign country while serving in the Trump campaign?

Great quote:
“What he represents, above all, is the triumph of an underworld of predators, hustlers, mobsters, clubhouse politicians and tabloid sleaze that festered in a corner of New York City, a vindication of his mentor, the Mafia lawyer Roy Cohn, a figure unknown to the vast majority of enthusiasts who jammed Trump’s rallies and hailed him as the authentic voice of the people.” – Sidney Blumenthal

Answers:

1) pre-natal check ups. Hey Shimkuss that baby might just be a boy!

2) That Obama had ordered the current president to be wiretapped.

3) Iphones. Maybe Chaffetz could not buy enough iPhones to afford a brain.

4) Dolores Huerta

5) South Korea

6) the bottle bill

7) Hedy Lamarr – the technology was called spread spectrum

8) “nevertheless, she persisted”

9) the republican health care replacement bill.

10) Jewish

11) on Wall Street being placed on the same pad as the raging bull

12) the CIA’s hacking tools. No doubt Russia was glad to see this

13) his horn. Rhino horn is a highly prized aphrodisiac in Asia

14) the Azure Window

15) Rachel Carson

16) the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (Scott Pruitt)

17) by hand due to fear of hacking of electronics. Sounds like a great idea

18) Sacajawea of course

19) the Coast Guard and the TSA

20) Turkey.

 

Posted in Humor | Comments Off on Sunday Funday: Spring Forward Edition

Save Net Neutrality!

Posted on March 11, 2017 by Dave Bradley

Editor’s note: The following is an email from former FCC Commissioner Michael Copps. Copps tenure was highlighted by his continual fight to to end corporate dominance of the media and put the media back into the hands of the common man. When Commissioner Copps speaks we listen. Here he is asking for help in stopping the runaway train trying to end net neutrality that would make corporations the gatekeepers of the internet:

Help Save Net Neutrality

PETITION: We rely on Net Neutrality to connect, organize, and make change. Losing Net Neutrality protections now would stuff the pockets of Big Cable, put new fees on consumers, and be absolutely devastating for our democracy.

Take Action!

Our democracy relies on a free, fair, and Open Internet. Every day, journalists, voters, and activists rely on the FCC’s Net Neutrality protections to communicate freely online.

But Net Neutrality is in the crosshairs of Donald Trump’s newly appointed FCC Chairman and some Republicans in Congress. Chairman Ajit Pai has called Net Neutrality a “mistake” and promised to take a “weed whacker” to what he saw as “unneccessary regulations.”1

And at a Senate hearing just minutes ago, Sen. Ted Cruz urged Chairman Pai to “rescind” Net Neutrality “in its entirety” — and told Pai he’d have the support of his fellow senators if he did.

We can’t let that happen. Please join me in calling on the FCC and Congress to leave Net Neutrality alone.

I served on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for over a decade, so I know firsthand how important its mission to make sure our media and communications ecosystem serves every American is. I also know how devastating it can be if the FCC uses its power to serve corporate interests — instead of the public interest.

But the most important thing I learned in my time at the FCC is that people speaking up makes a difference. If we stand by silently while Trump’s FCC dismantles Net Neutrality and puts big corporations before the public interest, our democracy will be much worse off.

But if we speak out, and hold Chairman Pai to his responsibility to be a voice for every American, there’s no limit on what we accomplish.

Add your name and tell FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and members of Congress not to roll back Net Neutrality.

Without Net Neutrality, there’s nothing to stop companies like Verizon and Comcast from charging us extra fees to access sites we use every day. Even more chillingly, they could slow down and censor content from their competitors, news websites that don’t match their political agenda, or anything else they don’t like — for any reason.

That’s why the FCC’s Open Internet rules are so important. A few years ago, none of the Washington insiders thought we could ever make the FCC defend Net Neutrality. But millions of Americans filed public comments with the FCC, the FCC listened, and we delivered a huge win for the public interest.

Now, we must protect Net Neutrality the same way we won it — by speaking out and holding power accountable. Please add your name today to stop the GOP’s war on the Open Internet.

Thanks for all you do,

Michael Copps, Special Advisor for Media & Democracy

and the team at Common Cause

Michael Copps

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Progress Iowa Calls on Rep. Taylor to Recuse Himself from AFP Complaint

Posted on March 11, 2017 by Dave Bradley

Gov. Branstad shakes hands with Drew Klein after Branstad signs union busting bill

 

Progress Iowa Calls On Rep. Rob Taylor To Recuse Himself From AFP Ethics Complaint

Taylor Co-Hosted Event With Koch-Backed Americans for Prosperity Iowa This Week

DES MOINES – Progress Iowa today called on Representative Rob Taylor to recuse himself from any involvement in the ongoing complaint against the state director of Americans for Prosperity Iowa (AFP). The formal complaint against AFP was filed several weeks ago by the Iowa Federation of Labor, alleging that their state director failed to properly to register as a lobbyist until over a month into the legislative session. The AFP state director was very clearly lobbying legislators on behalf of the Koch Brothers-funded AFP, most notably on the collective bargaining bill, even attending the closed-door bill signing and posing for a photo with Governor Terry Branstad.

Representative Rob Taylor will oversee the complaint as the chair of the House Ethics Committee. Earlier this week, Taylor co-hosted a breakfast and policy discussion event with AFP.

“Rob Taylor cannot possibly be trusted to give fair and impartial consideration to this ethics complaint against Americans for Prosperity,” said Matt Sinovic, executive director of Progress Iowa. “Taylor cannot co-host an event with AFP one day and then deliberate on AFP’s ethics complaint the next. He should recuse himself from any involvement, and if he refuses to do so, Speaker Upmeyer should remove him from the ethics committee. Time and again this legislative session, we have seen outside special interest groups with big money influencing legislation. The Koch Brothers and others shouldn’t be allowed to unduly influence the ethics process in the Iowa House.”

Progress Iowa is a nonpartisan multi-issue progressive advocacy organization with a network of nearly 70,000 progressives. Year-round, Progress Iowa advocates for a stronger middle class, first-class public education, and fairness for all Iowans under the law. For more information, visit progressiowa.org.

Editor’s comment
The collusion between Republicans in the Iowa legislature and Koch brother organizations ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) and Americans For Prosperity (AFP) leaves little to the imagination as to just who Iowa’s Republican legislators are working for.

From the union busting bill to the shoot your neighbor bill (Stand Your Ground as it is euphemistically known) to voter suppression bills Iowa Republicans have served up one ALEC inspired bill after another. None of these are needed in Iowa but are needed for the national march of Republican laws that work to put state and national governments in Republican hands for the foreseeable future.

Just to show the closeness of this relationship, American For Prosperity leader in Iowa Drew Klein was conspicuously on hand as Terry Branstad, a founding member of ALEC, signed the union busting bill. This triggered an ethics complaint.

However, the chances of an impartial hearing on this issue really go out the window when the chair of the committee to hear the complaint is also an officer in the sister organization of AFP or ALEC. That is what is called a rigged game and is odious to Iowans of all stripes!

Taylor’s name is listed as a host for a breakfast thrown by ALEC

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Legislative Forums March 10-12

Posted on March 10, 2017 by Trish Nelson


03/10/2017 07:30 AM – 09:00 AM Friday Forum – Waterloo03/10/2017 08:00 AM – 09:00 AM Legislative Forum – Eagle Grove

03/10/2017 09:30 AM – 11:30 AM Listening Post – Davenport

03/10/2017 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Legislative Forum – Clarion
03/10/2017 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Senator Ernst Traveling Office Hours – George
03/10/2017 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Senator Ernst Traveling Office Hours – Parkersburg
03/10/2017 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Legislative Luncheon – Davenport
03/10/2017 12:00 AM – 1:00 PM Legislative Forum – Orange City
03/10/2017 12:00 AM – 1:00 PM Senator Ernst Traveling Office Hours – Denver
03/10/2017 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Legislative Forum – Belmond
03/10/2017 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Senator Ernst Traveling Office Hours – Hawarden
03/10/2017 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM Senator Ernst Traveling Office Hours – Hudson
03/11/2017 08:00 AM – 09:30 AM Legislative Forum – Kellogg
03/11/2017 08:30 AM – 09:30 AM Eggs & Issues – Oskaloosa
03/11/2017 09:00 AM – 10:30 AM Eggs & Issues – Spencer
03/11/2017 09:00 AM – 11:00 AM Legislative Forum – Ankeny
03/11/2017 09:00 AM – 10:30 AM Legislative Coffee – Council Bluffs
03/11/2017 09:00 AM – 10:30 AM Meet and Greet – Fort Dodge
03/11/2017 09:00 AM – 10:00 AM Community Chat – Norwalk
03/11/2017 09:30 AM – 10:30 AM Legislative Forum – Independece
03/11/2017 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM Legislative Forum – Davenport
03/11/2017 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Legislative Forum – Denison
03/11/2017 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Legislative Forum – Oxford Junction
03/11/2017 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM Legislative Forum – Mason City
03/11/2017 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Legislative Forum – Swisher
03/11/2017 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Legislative Forum – Swisher
03/11/2017 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM Legislative Forum – Cedar Falls
03/11/2017 10:30 AM – 12:00 AM Legislative Forum – Ely
03/11/2017 11:00 AM – 12:00 AM Legislative Forum – Winthrop
03/11/2017 11:15 AM – 1:15 PM Listening Post – North Liberty
03/11/2017 11:30 AM – 12:30 AM Legislative Forum – Spirit Lake
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Into The Wilderness, Will Iowa Democrats Find Their Way?

Posted on March 9, 2017 by Paul Deaton

Kate Revaux (left) and Monica Biddix at the Iowa Democratic Party Building Blocks Listening Tour March 7, 2017 in Coralville

The Iowa Democratic Party has its work cut out between now and the 2020 presidential election. About 75 people gathered Tuesday night at the Coralville Public Library to air grievances, express hopes, make observations and promote causes to party representatives.

Almost everyone who wanted to speak got a chance at the Building Blocks Listening Tour event.

“We do have to pick ourselves up,” Congressman Dave Loebsack said at a December State Central Committee meeting. “We have to get up off the mat, folks. There’s no way around it. We just have to admit that, you know, we’re not doing particularly well as a party in the State of Iowa right now and we know that for a fact and so we’re not going to give up. We’re going to pick ourselves up. We’re going to make it better.”

The series of Building Blocks Listening Posts represents the beginning of how the party will accomplish this.

People tend to hear what we are predisposed to hear at such events. In an effort to be objective I recorded part of the event and gave up after about an hour. I found no moments of inspiration or of brilliance, only the butcher block work of gathering ideas and culling them. A couple of themes emerged in the group dominated by Johnson County residents.

A number of attendees expressed concern that part of Johnson County was represented by Republican Bobby Kaufmann. I didn’t recognize the speakers and don’t believe they lived in the district. Kaufmann beat Dick Schwab of rural Solon in the 2012 election and David Johnson of West Branch in 2014. No one ran against Kaufmann in 2016. The attitude at the time was doing so would have been a waste of time and resources because of his deep popularity among district voters. Such concerns were more an airing of grievances than anything useful to local activists. Prior involvement by the Iowa Democratic Party in the House District 73 race has been consistently viewed negatively by district activists.

Many commented about improving Democratic Party messaging, and this was likely the most significant takeaway for the moderators. In short, the message was, get a message and sell it.

Some spoke about the billionaire donor network using the Republican party as a tool to implement policy. Two suggested Democrats should take only small-sized donations. Others mentioned the influence of the funding network in the electoral process. Moderator Kate Revaux asserted Democrats will never be the party of big donors the way Republicans are.

Another recurring comment was about the supposed divide between rural and urban voters. Commenters tended to paint rural residents as monolithic voting blocks when anyone who spends time in rural Iowa knows better. One hopes other listening posts garner better feedback on this.

More than once, Revaux mentioned pulling groups of activists who sprung up after the Jan. 20 inauguration under the umbrella of the state party. The party needs their help, she said. Whether this is likely, needed or possible remained an open question.

The question Revaux asked at the beginning of the meeting, “what is the Iowa Democratic Party doing right?” went without answer. To some there were no IDP positives.

There was not a lot actionable in the 90 minute session. I did catch up with some friends and met my county party chair, so not all was lost.

A report on the state-wide Building Blocks tour is to be published in April. Democrats may know who they are individually, but from this meeting, the party appears to continue to wander in the wilderness.  It remains to be seen if we will find our way.

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Veterans Group Opposes Bill That Hurts Disabled Vets In Iowa

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Trish Nelson

Bob Krause

Bob Krause says Republican bill intended to slash local government’s ability to set minimum wage laws will also hurt disabled and homeless veterans.

https://www.facebook.com/Krause-For-Iowas-Future-wwwkrauseforiowacom

Bob Krause, President of the Iowa-based Veterans National Recovery Center (VNRC), today announced that his organization would oppose House File 295 in its entirety, a bill in the Iowa General Assembly to abolish local civil rights laws and minimum wage laws.

Veterans, especially disabled and low income veterans and their families are directly affected by this bad bill – especially in the area of low income rental housing and minimum wages….Now the sponsor of the bill proposes an amendment to remove the destruction of local civil rights ordinances from the bill. But the alternate language proposed is just as bad for veterans. It blocks local governments from stopping landlords from discriminating against disabled and homeless vets. It does so by preventing local governments from stopping landlords from refusing HUD-VASH payments or HUD Housing Choice Section 8 payments from a prospective renter,” said Krause.

https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/HUD-VASH.asp
https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD…

“This is incredibly damaging to homeless veterans and their families. HUD-VASH, especially, is the anchor of the federal program to aid those homeless and near homeless veterans that are down on their luck because of PTSD, war-related injury or unemployment. Veterans make up 8 percent of the U.S. population, but they account for 17 percent of the homeless. Restricting an important homeless veteran program like this simply means more homeless veterans for Iowa,” added Krause.

“Another part of HF 295, which kills local minimum wage laws as proposed in this bill, also hurts disabled veterans. 1.5 million Veterans in America live below the poverty line, and in Iowa, the local minimum wage ordinances help them greatly. Nationally, disabled persons unemployment rates are twice as high as non-disabled. Accordingly, many disabled and especially disabled veterans are limited to low wage positions. Although service-connected disabilities often come with a pension, those pensions are often small and in many cases send the disabled vet into poverty. The repeal of local option minimum wage ordinances will negatively impact the disabled veterans and their spouses and caregivers.” concluded Krause.

Joe Stutler, a VNRC Board member and a disabled vet, said that the will of his town of Marion was that protecting veterans and other protected classes is very important. He summed up his argument by referring to the text on the Iowa state flag: “Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain.”

“I was willing to die to preserve these rights, so legislators should ask themselves if they are willing to die to take them away,” Stutler said. “I don’t mean that as a threat, but that’s how valuable those rights are to me.”

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Action Alert For Tuesday, March 7: Iowa GOP Wants More Guns Less Voting

Posted on March 7, 2017 by Trish Nelson

From Senator Rob Hogg-

This is an action alert for tonight and Tuesday, March 7.

House Republicans have put two of the “dirty dozen” on their debate list for Tuesday, March 7. The bills are:

House File 516 – create government barriers to voting including restrictive identification requirements.

House File 517 – eliminate permit requirements to acquire firearms, allow “shoot first” defense, allow firearms in State Capitol, and other firearm changes.

You can email representatives about these bills and call the House switchboard (515-281-3221) tomorrow.

If you need email contact information, visit www.legis.iowa.gov.

So far, none of the “dirty dozen” are on the Senate daily debate calendar, but please keep speaking up with Senators. They could show up Wednesday. Here is the full “dirty dozen”to help you pick one or more and speak up for Iowans.

1. Gut Workers Compensation System (HF518/SF435)
2. Prohibit Local “Pre-Qualification” for Bidding (SF438)
3. Circumvent “Buy American” Requirements on Road Projects (SF184)
4. Lower Local Minimum Wages, Block Local Civil Rights Ordinances (HF295)
5. Government Barriers to Voting (HF516/SSB1163)
6. Make Planned Parenthood Ineligible for Medicaid Reimbursement (SF2)
7. Create Religious Exemption to Boarding School Regulations (SF443)
8. Eliminate Permits to Acquire Firearms, Other Firearm Changes (HF517)
9. Unfunded Mandate on Local Officials to Enforce Immigration Laws (SSB1172)
10. End Bottle and Can Deposit Law (HSB163)
11. Take Away Local Control Of Water Supply (HF484/SF456)
12. Restrict Right To Bring Nuisance Lawsuit (HF468/SF447)

Thanks for your ongoing advocacy. Keep speaking up!

Information pertaining to the Iowa Legislature as well as the Executive and Judicial branch in as much as they relate to the legislative branch
www.legis.iowa.gov

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Ernst Staffers Will Hold Office Hours This Week In Liberal Counties

Posted on March 7, 2017 by Trish Nelson

Glad someone is enjoying our national nightmare. /Getty images

http://www.ernst.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/traveling-office-hours

Senator Joni Ernst’s regional directors will hold traveling office hours throughout the month of March. Senator Ernst will not be at the traveling office hours.

Representatives from Senator Ernst’s office will be available in counties throughout the state to assist Iowans with problems or questions about eligibility involving issues like Social Security, veterans’ benefits, military affairs, passports, immigration issues, and other federal programs.

Click here for a complete list

Jefferson County
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Fairfield Public Library
Study Room
104 W. Adams Avenue
Fairfield, IA

Johnson County
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Coralville Public Library
Meeting Room B
1401 5th Street
Coralville, IA

Black Hawk County
Friday, March 10, 2017
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Hudson Public Library
401 5th Street
Hudson, IA

Polk County
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Altoona City Hall
Council Chambers
407 8th Street SE
Altoona, IA

Scott County
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Bettendorf Public Library
Upstairs Conference Room
2950 Learning Campus Drive
Bettendorf, IA

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Gun Lobby in Des Moines Creating Fake Fear To Push ALEC Gun Laws

Posted on March 7, 2017 by Trish Nelson

Listen to the craziness from this gun lobbyist who is hard at work in the Iowa legislature.  He is attacking Matt Windschitl, Republican and gun store owner for alleged “watering down” of ALEC gun laws they are attempting to force on Iowa.  The gun lobby is creating fake fear and anger to incite Iowans  to  be for ALEC gun proliferation bills.  We need to contact our legislators to fight the insanity attempting to be imposed on Iowa by ALEC, the NRA, and the gun lobby.

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