Grassley supports the CO2 pipeline
Dear Friends, CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THIS WEEK’S FALLON FORUM Check out what Senator Grassley had to say about the proposed Summit Carbon Solutions CO2 pipeline on a recent program Continue Reading →
Category Archives: Weekly Updates
Gerrymandering alert: It could happen in Iowa!
The Iowa Legislature will vote on a second map on October 28. If Republicans reject it, they’ll draft their own map, and Iowa will have gerrymandered congressional and state legislative districts for the first time in modern history.
Sad to say, given the hyper-partisan nature of today’s politics, I suspect that’s what will happen.
I hope I’m wrong, but Iowa Republicans like Bob Ray and Jim Leach are relics of the past. So is the Chuck Grassley of the 1980s and ‘90s, when Iowa’s senior senator would sometimes vote his conscience and work across the aisle.
The Iowa Legislature was certainly a partisan place when I served from 1993-2006, and it’s gotten worse. Way worse. During my years at the Statehouse, Republican representatives and senators worked with me to pass my proposals on urban sprawl, eminent domain, teen pregnancy, drunk driving, gambling, skateboarding, and bow hunting, to list a few. I can’t imagine that happening today. Continue Reading →
Congressman claims Jan 6 rioters were “peaceful patriots”
How is it even possible that a member of Congress could make such a flagrantly false statement, with nothing to back it up, despite so much evidence to the contrary, and have that statement accepted as factual by a solid chunk of the electorate?
There is no simple answer. Without a doubt, the power of talk radio — along with its digital and visual counterparts — is a huge contributor to the persistent dissemination of lies and half-truths. For the life of me, I don’t understand why congressional Democrats don’t prioritize two reforms that would address this problem:
— Restore the Fairness Doctrine (thank President Reagan for eliminating that) to require balance on any station allowed to access the public airwaves.
— Break up media monopolies, which were enabled in part by the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (thank President Clinton for signing that into law). Continue Reading →
Summit is lying about its CO2 pipeline
Summit’s refusal to provide assurance verbally or in writing that the CO2 will not be used for fracking is a clear indicator of its plans. Statements such as: “As we stand here today,” “We can’t make the promise long term,” and “Commercial options might be available that are different than storing it underground,” are all rock-solid indicators that CO2 from Iowa ethanol plants will be used for fracking — or what the industry calls “enhanced oil recovery.” Continue Reading →
CO2 pipeline rupture hospitalized 49 people
Zegart’s article in HuffPost describes how, “two dozen individuals were overcome within a few minutes, collapsing in their homes; at a fishing camp on the nearby Yazoo River; in their vehicles. Cars just shut off, since they need oxygen to burn fuel. Drivers scrambled out of their paralyzed vehicles, but were so disoriented that they just wandered around in the dark.”
Describing one of many rescue efforts, Zegart writes, “Inside the small red Cadillac sedan were three men: DeEmmeris and Andrew Burns, and Victor Lewis. DeEmmeris Burns lay across the backseat in the fetal position. The other two were slumped against the windows, white foam coming out of their noses and mouths, their clothes stained with urine and excrement. The firemen thought they were too late. Continue Reading →
The biggest climate criminal is not who you might think
More than any force in the world, the US mainstream media could provide the spark that gets us to turn the corner on climate. If the media covered climate like they’ve covered COVID, the public would be on board for deep personal and political action in short order. …
In 2016, partly in response to Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump ignoring climate change during the presidential campaign, MSNBC’s Chris Hayes devoted a solid week to the climate emergency. Great start. Then Hays and MSNBC dropped their focus as quick as you’d drop a smoldering family portrait charred in a western wildfire. Why? According to Hayes, the problem was that “every single time we’ve covered [climate change] it’s been a palpable ratings killer.” Continue Reading →
Andrea Phillips
There are lots of compelling reasons to support Andrea Phillips. Here’s one: She actually responds to phone calls and email messages! Yeah, I know, that shouldn’t be a rare quality in an elected official. But such are the times in which we live.
Andrea has a proven track record as a Democratic leader in Iowa. When you contact her, you don’t get a perfunctory “thank you for the benefit of your views” response (that line’s straight from multiple Senator Grassley letters, by the way). Andrea responds personally and follows through when action is needed. Continue Reading →
Me + Trump Rally = Trouble
Here’s some news most Democrats and all Republican presidential wannabes won’t like: Donald Trump is planning an Iowa rally. I imagine most of you haven’t been to a Trump rally. Can’t blame you, really. I’ve been to three. All ended in what the late John Lewis would’ve called “good trouble.”
My first experience at a Trump rally was in Waterloo on October 7, 2015. It was a “Rosie the Riveter” action, organized in partnership with The Climate Mobilization. On cue, we raised signs and chanted “mobilize now.” We were promptly and forcibly escorted out by Trump’s supporters. Miriam was pushed hard and nearly knocked over. Continue Reading →
Walking to Glasgow for climate
Rachel Mander is with the Young Christian Climate Network (YCCN). They are walking to Glasgow because the importance of the COP26 summit cannot be overstated. As the world’s most prominent climate scientists laid out recently, we have come to the do-or-die moment. A full-fledged transformation of how we live on planet Earth must happen NOW!
What these young people are doing is important and inspiring. Hopefully, world leaders preparing to gather at Glasgow are paying attention. Nations need to agree to a climate strategy that far outpaces the limited outcomes of the COP21 climate summit in Paris in 2015. Continue Reading →
Census data a mixed bag
GOOD CENSUS NEWS FOR DEMOCRATS: “Rural areas and white people’s share of the population shrank, while traditionally Democratic cities and increasingly Democratic suburbs grew.” — The New York Times
GOOD CENSUS NEWS FOR REPUBLICANS: “Republican-controlled legislatures will still get to redraw 187 maps, compared to Democrats’ 84.” — The New York Times Continue Reading →