Dear Friends,
LISTEN TO THIS WEEK’S PROGRAM:
(01:08) An interview with State Auditor Rob Sand;
(19:31) The Forward Party, with Joel Searby;
(38:10) Obama/Biden climate hypocrisy;
(53:50) August Garden Q & A, with Kathy Byrnes, Birds & Bees Urban Farm.
Rob Sand with a buck he shot bowhunting in 2018. In his role as State Auditor, Rob says he finds bucks.
It’s no secret that I’m fond of State Auditor Rob Sand. (Full disclosure: Rob was on the staff of my campaign for governor in 2006.) His straight-talking, non-partisan approach to politics is what the Iowa Democratic Party desperately needs. More important, it’s what Iowa needs. The fact that Sand has snagged the distinction of Governor Reynolds’ favorite punching bag is a testimony to his good work.
As Auditor, Sand goes after fiscal mismanagement — willful or otherwise. During his five years in that office, Sand’s work has included tackling problems Reynolds would rather not see publicly exposed.
It’s safe to say Sand is Reynolds’ primary political nemesis. And that’s a darn good thing, since Reynolds, not content with the current checks on her power, seems intent on consolidating control and becoming Dictator of Iowa. Other than Auditor Sand, there’s not a whole lot standing in her way.
Fortunately, Sand’s not going away. He’s done such a fine job as Auditor that Reynolds corralled her posse at the Statehouse to pass a bill severely restricting the Auditor’s power. The bill was so bad a bipartisan assortment of auditors, CPAs, and fiscal watchdogs across the US condemned it.
As Sand points out in our interview, Reynolds’ anti-auditor bill is unique in the country. Again, Rob, congratulations on a job well done.
Rob and I also discuss the Governor’s school voucher initiative and the many fiscal problems associated with that. Check out the podcast or catch the program on one of the stations that carry it (see below).
THE FORWARD PARTY. Rarely does a new party pique my interest. Libertarian. Green. Constitution. Ho-hum. Those and literally dozens of other short-lived attempts have been little more than flashes-in-the-pan.
The Forward Party might be different. Headed by Andrew Yang (former Democratic candidate for president) and Christine Todd Whitman (former Republican governor of New Jersey), the Forward Party’s approach embraces the bottom-up strategy that other third parties ignore. To learn more, I interview Joel Searby, the Forward Party’s Managing Director for Communities & Building. Check it out at the 19:31-minute mark.
What else? I discuss how a whole lot of climate voters aren’t pleased with President Biden’s conflicting record on addressing the climate crisis. Still, putting that in perspective, he’s done a lot better than his Democratic predecessor. Obama’s blatant hypocrisy on climate is something we all need to be honest about. Like many, I bought the hope and change stuff, only to feel deeply betrayed. Despite Obama’s current attempts at greenwashing his records, it’s important that we not forget.
Finally, Kathy and I answer a handful of August garden questions about tomatoes, squash, beans, and more.
Thanks for reading, listening, and taking action.
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Ed Fallon