Dear Friends,
LISTEN TO THIS WEEK’S PROGRAM:
(01:08) “You’re probably getting screwed,” with Rep. J.D. Scholten;
(24:07) The evolving Jan 6 narrative, with Charles Goldman;
(38:23) The rise of road rage, with Charles Goldman;
(53:43) Maple syruping – the big and the small, with Kathy Byrnes.
J.D. Scholten
Rep. J.D. Scholten (D-Sioux City) is one of the few Iowa Democratic elected officials offering a compelling message with broad appeal. I highly recommend you subscribe to J.D.’s weekly newsletter. Click on this link:
“You’re Probably Getting Screwed”
Yeah, that’s an edgy name for a political newsletter. And accurate. Across the political spectrum, most of us can probably agree that we’re getting screwed by at least one big corporate interest.
Listen to my conversation with J.D. at the top of this week’s podcast. We discuss:
— INEQUALITY: America, where the wealthiest people are the richest in the world and the poorest often go hungry.
— AG MONOPOLIES: We need strong anti-trust laws to prevent big producers and processors (e.g., Smithfield, owned by China) from strong-arming small operators out of business.
— SPOTIFY: After the company released its “Happy Holidays” message to subscribers last month, it axed 17% of its workforce.
— BIG PHARMA: The industry is using its clout as a monopoly to foist higher prices on Americans who can ill-afford huge mark ups.
This is solid, progressive-prairie populism, and it has deep roots in northwest Iowa. (The 1932 Farmers’ Holiday sported this poetic slogan: “Lets call a Farmer’s Holiday, a holiday let’s hold. We’ll eat our wheat and ham and eggs, and let them eat their gold”.)
J.D.’s message is timely and resonates with most voters. Which brings me to the obvious question:
WHY ISN’T J.D.’S MESSAGE THE IOWA DEMOCRATIC PARTY’S MESSAGE!?
J.D. and I go back and forth on that. Check out our conversation. I could say a lot more about it, but I’ll simply throw down a two-part challenge for you:
1. SUBSCRIBE TO J.D.’S NEWSLETTER, then
2. ASK YOUR STATE REP AND SENATOR WHAT IS THEIR CORE MESSAGE. (Find contact info for your legislator here.)
Let me know what you learn, and I might share some of the feedback in an upcoming program.
And remember, donate $10 or more before the end of the month and we’ll include you in a drawing to win a $50 Orchestrate Hospitality gift card.
Thanks for reading, listening, and taking action.
Ed Fallon
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– KHOI 89.1 FM (Ames, Iowa)
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Please support the local businesses and non-profits who make this program possible. Click on their logos on the Fallon Forum website and in our weekly email, and visit Bold Iowa, and Birds & Bees Urban Farm. Thanks to Des Moines Irish Session for providing our bumper music, and thank you for supporting the civil alternative to the shock jocks!
Ed Fallon