Dear Friends,
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(00:50) White Eagle Multicultural Powwow, with Ralph Moisa;
(16:58) The Republican trying to shut down a popular music venue;
(38:15) Kathy, Charles, and Ed discuss the Trump-Harris debate;
(54:40) Britain goes big on food security, with Kathy Byrnes Fallon.
Ralph Moisa (in photo) talks about the 25th annual White Eagle Multicultural Powwow – a tribute to his son, who died tragically while struggling to free a hawk from power lines.
So, what’s this about a prominent Iowa Republican trying to shut down Wooly’s, the popular East Village live-music venue? The building next to Wooly’s is owned by Chuck Larson — a former state lawmaker, former chair of the Republican Party of Iowa, and former US ambassador to Latvia. Pretty influential, well-connected guy.
Larson’s real estate houses several tenants, including the LS2 Group — one of the state’s most prominent lobbying firms, founded by Larson.
Wooly’s and LS2 have been neighbors since 2012 without any conflicts. Two years ago, Larson rented space to Kuvare, a Chicago-based investment firm worth $19 billion. According to The Business Record, Kuvare plans to continue bringing in staff over the next 3 years. I imagine that rental agreement has to be pretty lucrative for Larson.
Earlier this year, Larson started complaining about the occasional afternoon sound checks coming from Wooly’s. They’d happen every 2-3 weeks and last about 15-20 minutes. Wooly’s owner, Josh Ivey, pointed out that,“Nothing that we do has changed at all. We’re running the same business we have for 12 years.”
I haven’t crawled far enough down this rabbit hole to know everything I’d like to know, but I’ll offer some reasonable assumptions. Likely, Kuvare is the one complaining about the sound checks. They’ve demanded that Larson make the noise go bye-bye. Larson doesn’t want a tenant worth nearly $20B to go bye-bye, so he’s flexing his political muscle to try to get Wooly’s alcohol permit revoked.
If that happens, Wooly’s would be forced to close. As Wooly’s attorney, Loyd Ogle, said, “They’re going straight for the jugular, and they’re trying to shut down a music venue that’s generated millions of dollars in sales tax revenue and brought in tons of people that spend money at bars, restaurants, and hotels.”
Larson may have money and political clout on his side, but he’s aroused a slew of loyal Wooly’s patrons. A reliable source told me hundreds of Wooly’s fans have complained to the City about Larson’s effort. That matters, because ultimately, voters are more powerful than money – if enough voters weigh in.
Not only is Larson’s bread buttered by a well-heeled investment firm, but LS2 is no poor boy either, with annual revenue of $9 million.
Who are LS2’s clients? One of its lobbyists, Jeff Boeyink (former chief of staff to Governor Branstad), lists over 50 clients on the Iowa Legislature’s website. Those clients include Energy Transfer (the corporation behind the Dakota Access Pipeline) and Summit Carbon Solutions. Another Boeyink, Nick (perhaps related to Jeff?), represents Valero. All kinds of warm and fuzzy there.
Walmart has also been an LS2 client. Here’s the boast on LS2’s website: “In 2005, sales growth and profits [for Walmart] fell while complaints against the company’s healthcare, gender, and labor policies were on the rise. To help reverse this negative trend, Walmart enlisted the assistance of LS2group for public relations work in Iowa and five other Midwestern states. From 2006 to 2011, LS2group raised awareness of Walmart’s positive impact on the community by showcasing the company’s promotions, charitable contributions, new store openings, and community partnerships. LS2group developed an annual strategic plan to advance Walmart’s image and protect its market position.”
To translate, LS2 helped a huge national chain continue its decimation of rural economies. That’s not hyperbole. A 1997 study by ISU economist Ken Stone found that “some small towns lose up to 47 percent of their retail trade after 10 years of Wal-Mart stores nearby.”
Years ago, another East Village business, ZZZ Records, was threatened with condemnation by the City. Owner Brad Hamilton and a lot of ordinary people fought back. My contribution was to organize the “March of the Little Dogs.” We showed up at the Statehouse and walked our pooches to ZZZ Records under a slogan we borrowed from then-Texas Secretary of Agriculture, Jim Hightower:
“Even the smallest dog can lift its leg on the tallest building.”
The little dogs won that fight. We can win this one too.
Thanks for reading, listening and taking action.
Ed Fallon
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