Dear Friends,
CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK’S PROGRAM, OR BELOW FOR INDIVIDUAL SEGMENTS:
(01:40) Joni Ernst on death, Jesus, and the Tooth Fairy – LISTEN
(11:31) As AI promises our demise, it’s past time to regulate it – LISTEN
(19:47) Elizabeth Warren’s brilliant response to CNBC pundits – LISTEN
(27:33) Rainfall, sea-level rise, and sinking land cause flooding – LISTEN
(37:54) Is the government of Israel collapsing? – LISTEN
(53:49) June garden Q & A, with Kathy Byrnes – LISTEN
Joni Ernst’s “apology” for her heartless “we all are going to die” comment was one of the biggest political mistakes I’ve ever seen.
Last week, I was cautiously optimistic that Ernst’s likely Democratic opponent, J.D. Scholten (check out J.D.’s inspiring announcement video), had an outside shot at defeating her. But after Ernst’s blundering one-minute-and-eight-second snark, I’d call this race a toss-up.
Iowa State Rep. J.D. Scholten, D-Sioux City
Even if one tried, it’d be hard to pack so much political stupidity into one minute. The painfully close-up video. Strolling through a cemetery. Pretending to apologize. A self-serving religious plug.
But my favorite “duh” moment was when Ernst said, “I’m really, really glad I did not have to bring up the subject of the Tooth Fairy.”
Huh? Alright, I’ll give you my interpretation of that. Deep down, Ernst knows her political career is over. That’s why she’s walking through a cemetery, headstones symbolizing the many Iowans her votes have hurt.
She’s glad the Tooth Fairy (TF) never came up during her town hall, because TF represents everything Ernst is against.
To cap off a career of voting against the best interests of Iowans and our communities, Ernst will likely vote for the Bigger Breaks for Billionaires Budget Bill to cut benefits for 677,654 Iowans currently enrolled in Medicaid and 259,300 Iowa SNAP recipients.
Would the Tooth Fairy vote against such a vicious bill? Absolutely! TF is all about fairness, about maintaining strong communities, about providing a helping hand when it’s needed.
Mind you, TF ain’t givin’ stuff away. Turn over a tooth, you get five bucks (the going rate these days, apparently). That’s quid pro quo. It’s not a handout. It’s a hand up.
I have no idea what TF does with all those teeth (metaphors have their limitations). But when a kid is done trading in twenty baby teeth, they have a full Franklin. Maybe the kid blows it on candy and gum, incurring all kinds of dental expenses later in life.
But more likely they save it up, buy a tool or a toy that gives them pride and purpose, helps them learn valuable lessons or skills that guide them later in life.
It’s called an investment. Fairy gets a tooth. Kid gets a fiver. In the long run, both benefit. We all benefit.
Similarly, Medicaid and SNAP are investments. They’re not handouts. They’re a hand up — and often life-saving hand ups after a personal tragedy or job loss. With programs like these, does America get more back for its investment than it puts in? Absolutely! With SNAP, for example, not only are families able to purchase quality food, but grocery stores and farmers benefit as well.
This brings to mind one of former US Senator Tom Harkin’s many astute quotes: “I have worked to define America as a nation that provides a ladder of opportunity so that everyone has a fair shot at getting ahead and achieving the American Dream.”
I can’t speak for J.D., but the way I see it, he’s a lot like Tom Harkin, and, well, a bit like the Tooth Fairy, only taller. Give people a ladder, not an escalator. Give people a hand up, not a handout.
I’ll leave you with this quote from J.D., “I’m a baseball playing, monopoly busting, beer drinking, Bible reading, working class proud prairie populist. I fundamentally believe that we deserve more than a GoFundMe broken health care system, a JBS food system, and a Dollar General economy.”
Amen to that! If you wanna learn about J.D.’s work, subscribe to “You’re Probably Getting Screwed” — the blog he and Justin Stofferahn have published for the past three years.
Thanks for reading, listening, and taking action.
— Ed Fallon
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