June 2008 Archives

Two of Linn County's female candidates have made it through the voting process to arrive in the final round of U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin's "Building Blue" contest: Swati Dandekar and Gretchen Lawyer.

Dandekar currently serves in the Iowa House of Representatives, but is making a bid for the Iowa Senate seat that was vacated by Mary Lundby.

Lawyer is a newcomer, a Marion resident, and is hoping to earn the House seat that Dandekar is vacating.

While there are other candidates remaining in the voting pool -- including two other very strong and wonderful Democratic women -- I'm encouraging all Essential Estrogen readers to visit the "Building Blue" site and cast votes for Lawyer and Dandekar. Not only am I blessed to have them both as neighbors, but I've watched as they have suspended politics to address the flooding situation in the Cedar Rapids area. They've shown a commitment to community that deserves reward.

Voting closes on June 30th.

Harkin's contest, which awards campaign funds to candidates earning the most votes, was extended to the end of the month in hopes that more Iowans, including those dealing with flood waters, could participate. Prize money being awarded in this final round is $5,000.

Photos of Dandekar helping with flood clean-up:

Photos of Lawyer helping with flood clean up:

Floodstock 2008, a three-day music festival featuring local and regional bands, is slated for July 3, 4 and 5. Tickets will be available at the gate for $10 per person (per day) with all proceeds benefiting Cedar Rapids area residents and businesses affected by the flood.

Although the full list of entertainers is still being developed, the event will definitely feature Swing Crew, Greenbrier, Funk 101, Copper Man, Superfly Samurai, and Wicked Liz & the Bellyswirls.

The event will be held at Cabo Grill, 2730 Edgewood Rd. SW in Cedar Rapids, and will run from 4 to 10 p.m. on Thursday and noon to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Event sponsors include the Cedar Rapids Jaycees, Cedar Rapids Downtown District, Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, Marion Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Cedar Rapids Foundation.

In Cedar Rapids more than 3,900 homes were flooded as 1,300 city blocks were engulfed by the Cedar River. Roughly 6,500 jobs were lost as hundreds of businesses literally went down the river.

Iowa Congressmen Bruce Braley and Dave Loebsack, both Democrats representing flood-ravaged eastern Iowa, are requesting federal support for state railroad bridges that were destroyed by flood waters.

The Cedar River Bridge that serves Penford in Cedar Rapids was destroyed when the Cedar River flooded this month. (Lynda Waddington)

Flooding in eastern Iowa destroyed three railroad bridges: the Iowa Northern Bridge in Waterloo, the Cedar River Bridge in Cedar Rapids and the Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Bridge near Columbus Junction.

"Iowa's rail lines are critical to businesses small and large throughout our state, and we must act quickly to repair the rail infrastructure damaged during the recent floods," said Loebsack. "Two separate rail bridges have been destroyed in the Second District, and a third bridge in Waterloo must also be replaced. Congressman Braley and I are committed to seeing these bridges quickly rebuilt and necessary repairs made to the rail lines. We will continue to work with Speaker Pelosi, Congressional leadership, and the Federal Railroad Administration to ensure continued federal assistance is available so our communities, economy, and businesses can recover from this disaster."

The letter advocates changes to the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing Program, which provides low-interest loans for railroads to construct and rehabilitate infrastructure. Braley and Loebsack would like to see flexible terms for railroad loans during natural disasters such as the recent Iowa floods.

"These repairs are essential to getting life back to normal for many Iowa residents, producers and businesses," said Braley. "Waterloo's Iowa Northern Bridge connected John Deere's Waterloo Works to the country, and it is important that we act quickly to restore access to this vital facility. As Iowans continue down the road to recovery, it is essential for all of us to work together to help rebuild eastern Iowa."

In the joint letter, the congressmen note that since the creation of the railroad infrastructure program in 1998 no railroad has defaulted on payment, including four Iowa railroad loans. The congressmen state that they believe these changes to be "a low-cost way to leverage the maximum amount of private investment in needed repairs and to target that investment on the most serious and expensive needs."

People in the northeastern Iowa town of Postville have spent the past two decades learning how to thrive despite a wealth of differences. Between the town's longtime residents, the influx of Hasidic Jews who arrived in the late 1980s to operate a kosher slaughterhouse, and the recently arrived Central American and Mexican migrants, the town of 2,500 had the ethnic mix of a much larger city. Just a few weeks ago many would have said that the town had worked through the worst of its growing pains to settle into a primarily quiet and productive routine.

Before the nation's largest single-site immigration raid came crashing down upon Agriprocessors, a kosher meatpacking plant, and swept away nearly half of the company's workforce and 18 percent of the population, life was different in Postville. Now the town's elected officials and residents scramble as they try to balance the needs of the town with those of their largest employer.

Three girls relax on the steps in front of a restaurant in Postville. Paul Rael, direct of the Hispanic Ministry at St. Bridget's Catholic Church, says newcomers to the community, many without means to care for themselves, are putting added strain on the church's outreach effort. Church resources were already stretched thin as parishioners attempted to help members of the Hispanic community following the May 12 immigration raid.

"I know there are concerns around town about the rebuilding effort following the May 12 raid of Agriprocessors," said Getzel Rubashkin, a member of the Brooklyn-based family that owns Agriprocessors. While adding that he was not a spokesman for the company, he said, "I want to say that, as residents of this town, we know this is not a company that is run by remote control from somewhere else. Our community lives here with the company and we have to deal with any negative impact of people brought into town to work at the plant."

Rubashkin's words before the Postville City Council on behalf of his family and the Hasidic Jewish community were prompted by a recent crime wave that some residents blame on newly hired plant employees. At least a portion of the new workers, desperately needed for the plant to return to normal production levels, were recruited from homeless shelters in Texas.

"This past Saturday, our officers responded to three calls for disorderly conduct," said Postville Police Chief Michael Halse. "While that may not seem like a lot, you need to understand that on any given Saturday we might have one such call."

Since 1992, Postville has had an average of 12.5 incidents of disorderly conduct and public intoxication per year with a high of 44 such cases in 1998. At that time, according to Halse, Agriprocessors had employed many young and single Hispanic men who had a difficult time adjusting.

"I couldn't tell you if we are going to break that record," Halse said. "But if things continue as they are right now, we'll have a good chance of doing it."

Agencies Screening Workers

Ryan Regenold, a spokesman for Des Moines-based Jacobson Companies, said his staffing company was relying on two Texas agencies, one in Amarillo and another in McAllen, for recruiting in that state.

"I represent Jacobson Staffing, and we were brought here on June 2 to basically bring in an entire new community -- at least that's how it seems," Regenold said. "There are two outside-sourced agencies that Agri is using that were bringing the people from Texas. As I'm sure most have already heard, they are coming in from Amarillo and McAllen. To shore up that, we are screening those people a little bit better, we will be starting to have them drug screened and background checked prior to their coming to Postville. The wave of people that you might have seen in the past, those causing the police chief to do a little bit of extra paperwork on his weekends, hopefully will begin to stop."

Regenold added that overall he has been pleased with the relationship between Agriprocessors and Jacobson, and that only about 10 percent of the people sent to work at the plant have been lost to turnover. He urged those in attendance at the council meeting to try and overlook the "bad apples" and promised to make himself available to officials who had questions about the staff restoration at Agriprocessors.

"We do have and do provide -- teamed up with Agriprocessors -- we do ship these people out," he said. "We offer them an opportunity. We offer them a bus ticket to go back where they came from. We cannot force them to leave the community by any means, but we do give them the option to get out of the community. We give them transportation back to Waterloo and a bus ticket back to wherever they came from."

All new hires coming through Jacobson are being check through the e-verify system to ensure their legal status, Regenold said.

"Within the first three days that I was here, we turned away 110 people that tried to get in the doors," he said. "I think that effort right there is a lot of paperwork and should be applauded. We are trying to clean up the community the best we can."

Upon completion of Regenold's informal presentation to the council, Mayor Robert Penrod issued his own warning.

"I'm going to hold you to [what you've said]. And, if you can't get it turned around, we are going to go round and round," said Penrod. "That's the bottom line because this is not going to happen again. There's no excuse for what we've been putting up with and, as far as I'm concerned, that's poor management on your part."

One of the firms being utilized by Jacobson is Bravo Labor Agency in McAllen, Texas. Although the company's Web site has been taken off-line, a May 30 cached version of the page indicates that the firm began in 1987. One of the specialties highlighted by the firm is its ability to "lower overhead, with inexpensive labor from South Texas and Mexico." The site also indicates that "all workers" will be drug tested and interviewed, "if needed."

Texas Recruit: 'A Bunch of Lies'

Despite Regenold's statements before the council that workers bussed into Postville were being offered bus tickets back to their original location, at least one worker said she was not provided such an option.

In an interview on KPVL radio, Diana Morris said that she was one of about 15 people who were recruited from an Amarillo shelter. Morris said she was promised $10 per hour at Agriprocessors, 30 days of free housing and a $100 starting bonus. According to Morris, her employment at Agriprocessors came to an end on her third day when, at a doctor's urging, she phoned in sick. She claims that the housing was a four-bedroom facility without electricity or hot water that she was expected to share with 10 male roommates.

Morris told Iowa Independent on Monday afternoon that she had received her paycheck for the work she provided to Agriprocessors and that she was working with other organizations within the community to raise money for a bus ticket back to Texas.

"I was told that I have a place to stay for one more night -- that I'll be evicted tomorrow," she said. "I really hope that everything comes together and that I'll be able to get on a bus tomorrow and go back to Texas. This was a mistake. I believed a bunch of lies."

On Tuesday afternoon, Morris had collected enough money through donations for her return trip home.

Limited Resources

The "bad apples" aren't the first to come to Postville for work at Agriprocessors only to seek exit shortly after their arrival. Labor Ready, a Waterloo staffing firm, cited health and safety concerns as the reason it pulled roughly 150 workers out of the Agriprocessors plant 10 days after they started employment there. Another group of workers from the company's Nebraska plant opted to return west, claiming the working conditions in Postville to be far inferior to their original location.

Paul Rael, director of the Hispanic Ministry at St. Bridget's Catholic Church, said the church's resources for outreach have been severely taxed by all the newcomers.

"[St. Bridget's] operates a food pantry here in town and we've been wiped out on every occasion that we've been open," Rael said. "We have been serving well over 100 people each time that we feel we have zero responsibility for. ... I would plead that these people be given a better advance so that they can better take care of their needs."

Regenold said that Jacobson does not provide any payroll advances to employees.

"You come here with an opportunity to work -- that's your opportunity to make money," he said. "I'm not going to make any promises or guarantees of money on advancements. Any arrangement that has ever been made with money has been put together directly with Agriprocessors."

Rubashkin, who was in the room and listened to Regenold's explanation of Jacobson policy, did not offer further comment in relation to employee pay advances.

Agriprocessors, owned and operated by the Aaron Rusbashkin family, produces about 60 percent of the kosher meat and 40 percent of the kosher poultry in the U.S. market. The company's brands include Aaron's Best, Aaron's Choice, European Glatt, Nevel, Shor Harbor, Rubashkin's, Supreme Kosher, David's and Iowa's Best. Two-thirds of their products are nonkosher, and are sold through retailers including Wal-Mart and Trader Joe's.

An investigation remains underway, according to spokesmen for the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Northern District of Iowa and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Here's your earworm: "Flood" by Tool:

Ironically enough, this video was shot in Cedar Rapids roughly one year before the Cedar River went wild.

Finally feeling human again after soaking in the bath for nearly an hour. Sexy husband and I traveled into the flood-affected areas today to help friends clean up their property. It isn't a pleasant job, and the whole scene is just depressing as hell.

Since the flood happened in Cedar Rapids I've had several people email or call to ask me what is like here. It's difficult, at best, to explain. Sometimes it almost feels like there are two very different worlds -- the part of the community dealing with the flood aftermath and the part that isn't. Outside of my front door is the normal and mundane. People walk dogs, ride bikes, work in their gardens, play with their children and go to work. Just a few miles away, piles of ruined things -- refrigerators, computers, sofas, wood, pictures, etc. -- litter the curbs. Nearly everyone you see in that area has swipes of mud on them... dots of it on their faces and arms, a thick paste of it on their boots and legs. Two very separate existences, and it's odd to be in one and think about the other one.

I've shot lots of video and taken tons of photos throughout the flooding and the aftermath. No matter how many I took, I never thought it was enough. I've finally come to realization that this disaster is too big to be captured on film. The best I can offer is small, closed windows.

One of the things that I'll never be able convey through the computer -- and each and every one of you should be grateful for this -- is the smell. Anyone who's been to Cedar Rapids is quite familiar with the "City of the Five Smells" play on words for the city's motto of "City of the Five Seasons." Everyone who has ever visited and made that joke should be forced to come back and clean out a basement or two. The smell, which can be found well outside the affected areas, is simply overwhelming. Imagine a bouquet of sun-dried fish, sewage, mold and thousands of rotting things.

While I realize I didn't make the build-up into this request for assistance very appealing, I would like to recommend that everyone able go into the affected areas and help with clean-up. No one should have to go through something so traumatic alone.

As a final note on the floods, my hat is off to the Red Cross. From face masks to warm meals, the Red Cross is here. I was told by the man driving the truck today that they served roughly 10,000 meals in the area yesterday... and they upped their distribution to 12,000 today. There are many cleaning up their homes that would work for hours on end without food or a break if it were not for the Red Cross mobile units driving by and offering. For those who want to help by making a donation, I recommend either the Red Cross or the Humane Society.

In other news, I knew there was a reason I didn't like tennis. It has a name: Justin Gimelstob.

Hat tip to the SAFER blog for alerting me that the United Nations has declared rape and other forms of sexual abuse as war crimes.

There's a fairly interesting read at Gay Patriot that is basically a response to a piece written by Gene Stone for the Huffington Post. For what it's worth, I mostly agree with the Gay Patriot on this one. Stone wrote an article detailing the discrimination against gays by the Republican Party, but instead of writing it straight, he mostly dips into the trap of calling those gay who choose to support the Republican Party stupid. As Grandma likes to say, "You catch more bees with honey..."

But, like Stone, I have a very difficult time imagining people voting against their own best interests. For instance, I have a difficult time understand why any woman would be a Republican. Seriously. This is party that believes I can't be trusted with a choice, but I'm able to handle raising children.

I think what it must come down to is what people consider to be most important. For those who support the Republican Party, which has time and again shown that it prefers a very narrow societal view, there must be a certain issue and/or group of issues that is considered more important than personal freedom and civil rights.

Cedar Rapids is not New Orleans. I know, sometimes when we throw back one too many it's difficult to tell if you're in the Czech Village or the French Quarter... still a bit of booze isn't even enough of an excuse for this type of crap.

If you want to play politics or toss racial slurs, do it on your own dime and don't drag the people of New Orleans or Cedar Rapids into it. All of us deserve better.

Click on any of the photos below to open a much larger image.

The railroad bridge that serves Quaker Oats remains standing, although several house boats traveled from Ellis Harbor and became lodged on it during the flood. At least two of the house boats have been removed -- and many more can be found in pieces in the nearby residential area -- but this is how the bridge looked on Friday evening.

The railroad bridge that serves Penford did not survive the flood. As the waters have lowered, pieces of the twisted remains are becoming visible.

by Rev. Catherine Quehl-Engel

I place an icon of a dark skinned Christ in the lobby of a Cornell College residence hall where 150 day laborers--mostly Hispanic and African American--are housed when not working 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. shifts cleaning Iowa's flood-torn cities. The image depicts Christ with an open Bible pointing to the words "Whatsoever you do to the least of my sisters and brothers you do it to me." Mixed metaphor abounds. These poor, hard working men and women are the calloused hands of Christ tending Iowa's wounds and grief. In return I beg the question as to whether Iowa and other flooded states will care for and protect them in return.

I'm an Episcopal priest and the chaplain at Cornell College, a United Methodist affiliated college housing hundreds of Red Cross workers, state patrol officers, displaced people, and businesses, as well as these migrant workers brought here to aid in the clean-up effort in cities like Cedar Rapids, where 25,000 people were evacuated and 400 city blocks of businesses, city government buildings, social service agencies, churches, hospitals, and homes were destroyed.

Workers beam proudly when I express Iowa's gratitude for their aid. The stories they in turn tell me, however, include being on a bus for fourteen hours without food, no tetanus shots, no bedding or towels for showering, only $15 a day for food and expenses (try eating out for $5 a meal then deduct for hygiene products, coffee, etc), less than minimum wage compensation, then paying the company back $49 a week per person for the school bus gas it takes get to Cedar Falls.

In fairness to the company, they are as overwhelmed as the rest of us in managing this large-scale crisis, and are working to meet the college's demands for worker safety, health, nutrition and basic standards of human decency. Everyone is now vaccinated, they are being paid Iowa's minimum wage, food is being provided, and those in tears begging to go home are having that request honored. Local residence are filling in with supplemental food and fans, The Iowa Conference of The United Methodist Church and the national Board of Church and Society have worked closely with Cornell to ensure worker dignity and rights, and both a Hispanic Roman priest and a Catholic Charities national representative have assisted me with pastoral care.

If this is happening in this one little refugee town, then such intentional and unintentional exploitation of the poor amid our relief efforts surely is happening throughout the Midwest. As a priest and citizen, I beg this state and nation to tell day laborers "thank you, we appreciate and need you" --not only for our economic wellbeing but for the resurrection of our cities amid disaster. Then, inquire into the companies' treatment and wellbeing of the migrant workers in your local community's relief efforts. Amidst the chaos of the flood, don't lose sight of enforcement of state labor laws and standards of basic human decency, not to mention the biblical mandate to care for the poor and marginalized. As a Baptist preacher recently said on our campus, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. left behind unfinished business with America. He knew that it was so big that he'd leave it for us to do.

Employee under investigation 'was selling my people junk'

A former supervisor at the Postville meatpacking plant raided by federal agents last month has fled the country, Iowa Independent has learned.

The supervisor, Hasom Amara, sometimes required workers to buy illicitly registered cars as a condition of work, three former workers have told the Iowa Independent. Their stories corroborate allegations first made by a federal immigration agent in the search warrant obtained for the May 12 raid at the Agriprocessors Inc. facility in which 389 workers were detained.

Such activities may have broken the law, immigration agent David Hoagland stated in a sworn affidavit in support of the search warrant used in the raid.

"There is probable cause to believe an Agriprocessors supervisor has assisted, for a cut of the proceeds, illegal aliens in obtaining false documentation in relation to purchasing vehicle, and thereby has aided in the harboring of illegal aliens," Hoagland said.

The supervisor was identified only as "C" in search warrant affidavit. In separate interviews, the three workers identified Amara, a 44-year-old supervisor at Agriprocessors, as the chief car salesman.

Amara left the United States and is now in Israel, according to five people in Postville who know him or his wife. These sources also confirmed that Amara's wife did not travel immediately to Israel with her husband, but remained in Iowa to pack the family's belongings. The sources asked their names not be published, citing a fear of retaliation from Agriprocessors.

The Postville plant, owned and operated by the Rubashkin family, is one the leading manufacturers of kosher food in the country. Members of the Rubashkin family have donated more than $120,000 to the Iowa Republican Party and Republican office holders in recent years and a smaller amount to Democratic Gov. Chet Culver and Lt. Gov. Patty Judge.

Congressman Bruce Braley, a Democrat whose district includes part of Postville, has been the most vocal of Iowa's federal delegation in calling for a full investigation of Agriprocessors. U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin has also called on federal officials to investigate the plant following the raid. Congressman Tom Latham, a Republican whose district includes the other portion of Postville, stopped short of calling for an investigation, but has proclaimed the immigration system "broken." Several local residents have told news organizations that they have been called to testify before a grand jury, a sign that the company is under investigation.

Amara's automobile business was common knowledge in Postville, according to former employees.

"Everyone knew that if you wanted better conditions -- or even if you wanted a job at the plant -- you bought a car from Hasom," a 26-year-old former worker from Mexico said in a taped interview. "Then you could get what you wanted."

According to this man who was not detained in the May 12 raid, a male relative, also from Mexico, came to Postville in search of work and was told there were no jobs available.

"I spoke to him, and I said that I knew a way he could get a job," the former worker recalled. "He told me that he knew what he had to do. He went to Hasom and, without asking for a job, said that he wanted to buy a car. Hasom asked him what car he wanted and, a day or two later, the car arrived."

Only after the deal on the vehicle had taken place did the undocumented worker approach Amara about employment at the plant.

"When he went to pick up the car, he told Hasom that he'd really like a job at Agri, but that human resources had told him there were no jobs available," the worker explained. "Hasom told him to come to Agri the next day and be ready to work. He did, and he started working that same day."

Chaim Abrahams, a spokesman for Agriprocessors, declined to answer questions about Amara, stating in an e-mail that "the company is performing an independent investigation and will continue to cooperate with the government about this matter."

The Iowa Department of Transportation began investigating possible document fraud involving vehicles owned by Agriprocessors employees in September 2005, according to Hoagland's affidavit. One worker interviewed in the probe reported being told by other workers that "in order to get a favorable position in the plant" he or she "would have to purchase a car from the supervisor."

In the interview with Iowa Independent, the former worker, who claimed to have begun his career at Agriprocessors as a teenager, said that he was approached "a couple of years ago" by the company's human resources director, Elizabeth Billmeyer, and another member of plant management, who asked him explain "what was going on with the cars."

"I told her and him exactly what I'm telling to you today," the man said. "I told them that Hasom Amara was selling cars to workers in exchange for better treatment."

He said he spoke out because of a belief that Amara would be punished for what he was doing.

"I was so stupid," he added. "I thought he would get in trouble -- maybe even get fired for what he was doing. That's not what happened at all."

A request for comment from Agriprocessors on Billmeyer's involvement and knowledge of the car sales was acknowledged with the prepared statement of Abrahams that is quoted above.

In a separate interview, another former worker said he also spoke with Billmeyer and another company official about the car sales.

"I told them that the cars were junk and that the workers were paying too much," said the man, a native of Guatemala who was not arrested in the May 12 raid. "I told them everything I knew about the cars because I wanted Hasom to be punished for what he was doing. I was angry. I'm still angry."

A third former plant worker, a 20-year-old male, said he traveled with Amara to Cedar Rapids for the purpose of driving the vehicles into Postville for delivery to the workers.

"It wasn't a dealership," he said in a recorded interview through a translator. "We picked up the cars at a junk yard. The cars were not good -- crap."

The worker said he confronted Amara after driving the vehicle to Postville.

"I told him that I was going to turn him in because he was selling my people junk," the man said. Amara's response to this threat, if any, is unknown because Iowa Independent's interview abruptly ended when the former worker's attorney arrived.

DOT investigators audited a Cedar Rapids business, identified only as "dealership," according to the search warrant affidavit, and determined that roughly 90 percent of the organization's sales came from Postville residents. Investigators also determined that the Agriprocessors supervisor and "dealership" owner were friends.

In the affidavit, a confidential source described registering the cars in Burlington in southeastern Iowa using the addresses of friends. When the registration documents arrived, the source shipped them back to Postville. The source said he had done this more than 200 times.

Two of the former workers also corroborated a story reported by Postville radio station KPVL that employees of Agriprocessors were supplying undocumented workers with falsified documents. Both men said that they were paid in cash when they first started working for the company. After a few months, the workers were asked if they wanted a raise in pay. After the men agreed, they said they were given documents by Agriprocessors and then began to receive their pay by check.

"They knew from the beginning who and what we were," one of the former workers said. "They didn't care. They wanted us because we work hard and for not much money. They wanted us because we couldn't complain."

Spokesmen with the U.S. Attorney's Office of Northern Iowa and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said they could not comment on questions about an ongoing investigation.

With each passing day a few more blocks of Cedar Rapids homes and businesses are inspected and opened to property owners. With each passing hour, the mountains of flood debris pile higher and friendships grow deeper.

"Cold water," shouts Amanda Brinker as she and her mom drive slowly up and down streets on the city's southwest side. "Do you need some cold water?"

The Brinker family is one of many that didn't suffer property damage in recent floods.

"We know how lucky we are," Amanda said. "We just want to do whatever we can to help those who are out here cleaning up this mess and trying to put their lives back together."

The Brinkers aren't alone. A husband and wife drive around distributing emergency kits from the Red Cross. A pickup with coolers of water, soda and beer trolls the neighborhood. Area students lug heavy furniture and soggy carpets out of homes.

"I couldn't sit at home, not when I knew there would be people who could use a hand," said Jason Blake, who plans to attend Coe College this fall. "Just look at all of this. It's devastating. What kind of a person would I be if I just watched it on the television and didn't come and help?"

Dan Lacey, a home owner in the flood affected area, points to the pile of ruined furniture, appliances, DVDs and other assorted household belongings that now rest on the curb in front of his home.

"Welcome to our garage sale," he jokes. "Today, everything is half price!"

As he and a friend take a break from clean up, he tells the story of the soiled American flag that flies from his porch.

"Dirty or not, that's where it needs to be," he said. "I took it down when we had to evacuate, but putting that flag out was the first thing I did when we were able to get back in here."

Although water still stands in lower portions of the Time Check Neighborhood on the city's northwest side and Czech Village on the southwest side, most the flood-affected areas have been cleared by the Urban Search and Rescue Teams. The downtown bridges, much missed by those trying to get from Point A to Point B over the past week, have re-opened. As of Wednesday morning, the city had only one reported case of looting and no loss of human life as a direct result of the flooding.

City officials warned in a news conference on Wednesday morning that damage has steadily increased as the inspection teams have been able to enter properties closer to the Cedar River.

"Those residents need to prepare themselves emotionally," said Dave Koch of the Cedar Rapids Fire Department.

A spokesman for St. Luke's Hospital said the facility's emergency department is beginning to see people with illnesses, such as diarrhea, that are believed to be flood related. Some residents that have re-entered the flood-affected areas are also beginning to develop the "chemical burn" rash on their lower extremities that has afflicted many of the emergency response team members.

Still, Cedar Rapidians are, by and large, pulling together and cleaning up the mess. A hand-crafted sign on 6th Street SW proclaims: "Huge Neighborhood Block Party 6-12-2009."

On Thursday, June 12, I took this photo on 3rd Ave SE, looking toward the Cedar River:

When I walked through the downtown area on Sunday, June 15, I tried to stand in the same spot on 3rd Avenue and re-create the earlier photo:

Keep in mind that by the time I was able to access downtown, crews had already been into the area to begin clean-up. Also, this location is a little further from the river. As such, it did not suffer the truly brutal currents that were present on 1st Street and 2nd Street.

This picture looks surreal to me -- just minor debris and muck on the sidewalks and streets as evidence of what had been there only days earlier. But don't let it fool you, because major damage lurks in each of the buildings shown.

This morning one of the Essential Estrogen readers emailed photos of the horrific damage from within Alliant Tower, located near the intersection of 1st Street SE and 2nd Avenue SE in downtown Cedar Rapids. Before I post the photos of the damage, here's a still from my video of how the building looked on Thursday, hours before the Cedar River found its crest:

Here are the reader-submitted photos of the damage inside the tower:

This is the lobby. You can see the elevators in the back and the waterline on the walls and office windows.

Another lobby photo. Look how the flood waters have damaged the wood.

A hallway near a window showing severe wall damage.

This is an office area.

The next four photos are of individual offices within this area -- at least what is left of them.

Although some business owners and residents were being allowed into flood-affected parts of Cedar Rapids Saturday and Sunday to assess damage, authorities determined early this morning that such access was simply too risky.

The only people allowed inside the affected areas until further notice will be members of the organized strike teams that are inspecting property. Those teams are comprised of local emergency officials, National Guardsmen and women and hazardous material and structural integrity inspectors. The teams have encountered missing manhole covers, collapsing basements, natural gas leaks, sink holes and various hazardous materials while in the process of inspecting properties.

While requesting "patience through this process," Sgt. Christy Hamblin of the Cedar Rapids Police Department explained during a Monday morning news conference that only three businesses within the flood-stricken area -- Quaker, Penford and Cargill -- would be allowed to send in employees today. Because of the potential for hazardous materials from those plant sites, representatives from the businesses will inspect their property alongside members of the strike teams.

"This is a large magnitude disaster," Dave Koch, of the Cedar Rapids Fire Department, said. "There is just a certain way we have to go about this."

According to Koch, the strike teams will continue to inspect properties today. The teams will be labeling properties as either safe or un-safe for entry.

Property owners and residents can either call 211 or visit the Corridor Recovery site to see how property has been classified. Properties that are not included on those lists have yet to be inspected by the strike teams.

Regardless of the property classification, no one will be allowed to access property within the affected areas. Officials are not willing to provide a possible end date for the lockdown.

"The hazards in there are unknown," Koch said. "We cannot take the liability of allowing people in there. Whether you are a home owner, a business owner or a member of the media, you will not be allowed within the perimeter."

The Cedar River is crawling back to its banks in Cedar Rapids at a rate of two inches per hour. Most of the downtown area is now exposed, and residents can begin to take stock of the extensive damage.

A tree on 3rd St. SE in downtown Cedar Rapids has become home to a multitude of plastic and some sort of cushion. Pieces of broken glass lay at the base.

One of the city's trademark statues didn't survive the flood. "Between Friends," a work created by Ann Royer and dedicated in November 1992, lies humiliated and broken on the sidewalk next to its base.

Damage to the businesses on 2nd Street SE between 3rd and 1st avenues is extensive.

Toppled trash cans, loose bricks and other debris litter 4th Ave. SE.

Several broken windows in this business at the base of the Alliant Tower, located at the intersection of 2nd Ave. SE and 1st St. SE, allow these battered blinds to shake in afternoon breezes.

Broken windows are, unfortunately, a common sight throughout downtown.

Overturned dumpsters are another common downtown sight.

This car with Johnson County plates was submerged in the flood waters on 4th Avenue. It is now coated with a thick layer of river soot and has a piece of wood firmly wedged into the hub of one of its back wheels.

The automatic doors at Riverview Condominiums couldn't stand up to the pressure of the flood waters.

Debris was wedged into the crack of this door by flood waters.

Flood waters still stand on much of 1st St SE, but much of the rest of the downtown area is accessible.

There's only one way to go from here. The strength of the river's current as it flowed down 1st St. SE is evident by this sign in front of the Hach Building.

Many downtown items that were not fastened down -- and a few that were -- have been moved and haphazardly re-arranged.

Dumpster and debris have collected under the sculpture near the bus station and transportation center. The facility suffered extensive damage to its interior.

Since local police and members of the National Guard have set up a perimeter around the flood-affected areas and are limiting access, downtown feels and sounds like a ghost city. It is rare to see another person that is not a member of the coordinated security teams.

The skies continue to rumble and spit intermittent rain, but with each passing hour another inch or two of previously wet areas in Linn County begin to dry. Residents have begun the migration from protecting and maintaining to sorrow and clean-up.

The Cedar River found its crest Friday morning at a record-breaking 31.12 feet. By 3 p.m. on Saturday, officials were reporting that levels had dropped to roughly 27 feet. Before the Cedar had pushed to the limits of its fury, more than 1,000 blocks (9.2 square miles) had been submerged and 25,000 residents displaced.

As previously covered areas are exposed, residents are faced with the stark reality of the damage. A thick coat of soot covers nearly everything the water touched. Debris ranging from trash bags to furniture to large appliances can be found hanging from power lines or atop roofs. Roadways and nature trails have taken a beating from strong currents. Manhole covers are missing. Windows broken. "Leftovers" are evident in all areas, rural and urban, that were affected by the flood waters.

The National Weather Service has indicated that it does not expect the Cedar River to drop to a non-flood level of 12 feet until June 24. Locals find it ironic that the flood levels of 1993 would now be considered a welcome sight.

The area of most immediate concern to public officials is the dwindling supply of clean drinking water. Business leaders, state legislators and elected officials have all encouraged residents and local businesses to drastically cut water usage. E-mail messages offering tips for the usage of collected rain or water from sump pumps have become a staple of local newscasts.

Despite all residents in and around Cedar Rapids being told to only use the available water supply for drinking and the City of Marion sharing its supply, municipal employees report that if consumption levels aren't drastically reduced, the current supply will only last another three or four days.

"We're still using water at a greater rate than we're producing," Pat Ball, utility director, said in a Saturday press conference.

The city's water supply became an issue when flood waters contaminated three of the city's four wells. The last well, located on Edgewood, would have also become a victim of the flood had it not been for a sea of volunteers who gathered to protect it from the river.

Gov. Chet Culver has now listed 83 of Iowa's 99 counties as disaster areas and has also said that he is not ruling out the possibility of a special legislative session, if necessary, to deal with the aftermath of the flooding.

Nationally, 18 of Iowa's counties have been named in a presidential disaster declaration. Those counties are: Adams, Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Cerro Gordo, Delaware, Fayette, Floyd, Hardin, Johnson, Linn, Marion, Page, Story, Tama, and Union.

The flood waters are slowly receding in Cedar Rapids and the greater Linn County area, but that doesn't mean everything is back to normal.

State Highway 13 remains underwater just north of the Highway 30/151 interchange.

A closer view of the flood water over Highway 13.

The railroad that runs below Highway 13 has also been flooded.

Further north on the railroad line the flood waters have receded, but left behind a trail of debris.

This electricity box, located near the center of Bertram City Park, continues to stand in water. Judging by water lines around the park, the box was likely fully submersed at one time.

Flood water that has stood stagnant over non-paved areas is leaving behind a host of earthworms as it recedes.

The worms pull together under a piece of bark in hopes of preventing their inevitable demise on the asphalt parking lot.

Although Indian Creek in Marion has returned to its banks, debris brought by the rushing water clings to the footbridge in Thomas Park.

This railroad bridge sits at the back of a pasture in rural Linn County. Water continues to lap at its base.

A bird flies over the new "lakefront" property near Highway 13. The water treatment plant, which was affected by the flood, sits to the right of this frame.

A road in the small community of Bertram remains submerged despite the fact that waters have receded significantly in this area.

At 6 p.m. on Friday night the Iowa Department of Transportation closed a portion of Interstate 380 between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. Officials expect the interstate to be closed for several days.

If you need to travel from Cedar Rapids to Iowa City during the closure, the IDOT recommends using the following route (and packing a lunch):

Several readers in other parts of the country have asked if I could post at least one before-and-after shot of the Cedar Rapids downtown area.

Here's a file photo of Veteran's Memorial Coliseum:

The photo above was taken from the west side of the Cedar River. You can see the 2nd Avenue Bridge as it spans from 1st Street SW to Mays Island (the name of the piece of land in the middle of the river that was located between the 2nd and 3rd Avenue bridges).

This was close to the same angle on Wednesday:

Cars are parked along the 2nd Ave Bridge, but you can clearly see how the river has swollen. The underground parking across the street was already full of water when this photo was taken.

The final picture is of Veterans Memorial from the opposite (east) side of the Cedar River on Thursday:

Although the angle is a bit different, it's easy to see that the bridge is flooded. Mays Island was barely visible on Thursday -- only the trees are visible today.

Those interested in keeping up with the flooding in Iowa City:

John Deeth, who is located in IC, has photos and assorted information. The University of Iowa News Service has set up a blog with notices and other information directly related to the college campus.

Cedar River Expected to Remain Above Flood Level Until June 24

In a press conference just moments ago, Dave Koch of the Cedar Rapids Fire Department stated that estimated property damage in Cedar Rapids as a result of the flooding is just over $736 million.

It is now believed that 25,000 individuals in the immediate area have been displaced by flood waters.

Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce executive director Lee Clancey has requested that any and all area businesses who are heavy water users to cooperate with voluntary conservation efforts. Restaurants are being requested to use paper plates and other disposable items. Car washes are being asked to voluntarily shut down their operations.

Scott Drzycimski, a spokesman for Alliant Energy, has reported that 15,700 customers in the immediate area are without power. Most of those sit either in flooded areas or are adjacent to them.

"We are looking at a long-term recovery process," he said. "We are talking weeks."

Evacuation of Mercy Medical Center is complete, according to spokeswoman Karen Vander Sanden. All non-essential employees were sent home earlier today. When the waters recede, the facility anticipates re-opening.

"Our office is underwater and the jail had to be evacuated," said Linn County Sheriff Don Zeller. He indicated that female prisoners were taken to Mitchellville, other inmates were taken to Anamosa and facilities in Washington County.

Zeller said that immigration enforcement officials released 43 prisoners, relieving more stress from the department.

Those who need to know where an inmate is currently housed should phone (319) 377-9022. The Linn County Sheriff's Department is currently operating from the Marion Police Department.

Cedar Rapids Police Chief Greg Graham reports that although Interstate 380 remains open as the last crossing point of the river in Cedar Rapids, the state anticipates closing portions of 380 between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City at 6 p.m.

Once that section of road is closed, the Iowa Department of Transportation recommends that those wishing to travel between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City take 380 north to Waterloo, go west on 20 to Interstate 35. Once on I-35, travel should be toward Des Moines to connect with Interstate 80 and head east toward Iowa City.

"Now we are going to find out if Cedar Rapids is truly the great city that I think it is," said City Councilman Chuck Wieneke. "This affects all of us."

In May of 2007 the Linn County Supervisors and the Cedar Rapids City Council declared 2008 "The Year of the River," saying that the Cedar River would be "a focal point for our community this year."

I'm sure they couldn't have -- even in their wildest dreams -- realized how true that statement would be.

Tonight we should give thanks that the suggestion by one member of the council for a "decade of the river" wasn't something adopted by the whole body.

The Year of the River should encourage collaboration between the County and City governments, public and private stakeholders, and interested individuals and groups who want a share in the revitalization of the Red Cedar and its banks and should act as a stimulus to investment in our Riverfront for decades to come. "Year of the Red Cedar River 2008″ is the rallying point of support for the City's Vision of sustainable growth and quality of life.

Well, there's obviously a lot of work ahead. Maybe when the waters recede, there will be new opportunities that wouldn't have seemed feasible a year or even a month ago. There's also no doubt that the Cedar River has played a big role in encouraging the collaboration between county and city governments. When you think about it, the river probably went above and beyond what was required, pulling in state and national interests as well.

"Year of the River" or not, I'm personally going to find it a bit difficult to head into downtown next month, sit calmly on the banks of the Cedar and pay homage to its beauty and possibilities. Call me paranoid, but after seeing the fury the river has unleashed, I'm more than a little wary of pumping up its ego once again.

Flood water from the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids is now rising at a rate of two inches per hour, and officials have mandated that any persons within one block of the water's edge must evacuate.

Yesterday officials estimated that the river would crest early Friday morning at a level of 24.5 feet. That guess was washed away today when the river surged to over 26 feet. Officials at the National Weather Service now believe the river will crest in the morning at a level of 32 feet -- a level that has never been seen.

Previous flood records for the river in Cedar Rapids were set in 1929 and 1851 at 20 feet. The river is not expected to recede to that level until next Wednesday or Thursday. The non-flood level is 12 feet.

The video below shows the scene in downtown Cedar Rapids this afternoon. At that time the water had crossed 3rd Street SE and was just beginning to lap into the 5th Avenue and 4th Avenue parking ramps. Cars continued to move in and around the Green Square Park area. Now, however, the flood waters have reached the railroad tracks at the back of the park and officials have closed 6th Street SE (in front of Waypoint).

Further north in the Ellis Park area, the park shelter is underwater. House boats there are beginning to tip as they run out of length on their tethers.

On the south end, the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway Co. railroad bridge was lost to the flood waters this morning, despite loaded hopper cars left on it in an attempt to stabilize it. The bridge and hopper cars are now serving as a mini-dam in the river, forcing waters into areas further inland. Officials are now closely watching the rail bridge that serves Quaker Oats. It is feared that if that bridge gives way, it could slam into the 5-in-1 and affect Interstate 380 -- the only remaining local route across the Cedar River.

A total of 9,000 people in the Cedar Rapids area have been evacuated. Those individuals represent about 3,200 homes that are now either already under water or directly threatened. Natural gas and electricity has been turned off in all affected areas, and officials have urged all area residents to conserve water by using it only for drinking. Due to the flooding, the Cedar Rapids Post Office will no longer be delivering mail. At last estimate, over 100 city blocks were flooded.

The Linn County Sheriff's Department is operating out of Linn County History Center. Inmates at the Linn County jail -- some of them visitors from flooded jails in Vinton -- were evacuated. In midst of the storms this morning, the city's 911 system failed. Calls continue to be routed through the nearby Marion Police Department.

The city's two hospitals -- Mercy Medical Center and St. Luke's Hospital -- are both operating on back-up generators and remain open. The flood waters reached Mercy Medical Center this evening, but there are no current plans to evacuate.

The Czech-Slovak Museum and the African American Cultural Center are both in the flood waters. Linn County Supervisor Lu Barron said that the Czech Museum is drenched up to its door handles. Fortunately, the facilities took steps to protect their collections.

Evacuation shelters have shifted as the river has claimed more of the city. The current shelters are located at Viola Gibson Elementary School, 6106 Gibson Drive NE, and Prairie High School, 401 76th Ave. Only service animals are allowed at these shelters. Pets needing a safe place to stay should be taken to the Diamond V facility at Kirkwood Community College.

The Cedar River continues to rise in Cedar Rapids. The level of the river is currently estimated at 28.5 feet and is expected to crest at 32 feet tomorrow. These photos were taken this afternoon in the downtown area.

The Cedar River has surged over all three downtown bridges -- 1st Avenue, 2nd Avenue and 3rd Avenue. The underground parking area across from Veterans Memorial Coliseum, shown here, was filled with water yesterday afternoon. Now Mays Island is beginning to disappear.

Water pours over the 2nd Avenue Bridge.

The view looking west on 3rd Avenue.

A stranded car near the intersection of 4th Avenue and 3rd Street SE.

The river has also claimed the 3rd Avenue Bridge and the Linn County Courthouse.

The federal building which sits at the corner of 2nd Avenue SE and 1st Street SE also sits in water. There is still evidence of the repairs that crews were making to the roof just days ago.

Mays Island is barely visible.

The remains of the Penford railroad bridge that collapsed this morning.

A closer look at the collapsed railroad bridge.

Volunteers filling sandbags near Green Square Park.

Sandbags protect the TrueNorth building on 5th Ave. This afternoon the flood waters were roughly one block from this location, just beginning to lap into the 5th Avenue parking ramp.

With the heavy rains in downtown today and no place for the extra water to go, several "flash flood" pools formed in downtown intersections that had previously been dry -- such as this pool at the intersection of 2nd Ave. and 6th St.

Cedar Rapids, a city that literally built itself on the Cedar River, is feeling the fury of Mother Nature tonight as officials call for the mandatory evacuation of everyone within the 500-year flood plain.

In an afternoon City council meeting, officials decided that all of the city's bridges crossing the Cedar River would be shut down at 8 p.m. tonight. The move effectively divides the east and west sides of the city, forcing those who need to cross the river to travel the interstate and/or state highways around the downtown area.

When these photographs and video clips were shot this afternoon, the Cedar River was estimated to be at 20.5 feet. The river is expected to crest Friday morning at 24.5 feet, roughly two feet above the 100-year flood plain level, which prompted the expanded evacuation area.

The 3rd Avenue Bridge was closed earlier Wednesday. Within hours of that closing, the 1st Avenue Bridge was also closed. City workers and emergency services personnel are currently closing the 2nd Avenue Bridge. At this time, the only bridge remaining open is the 8th Avenue Bridge.

Exits from Interstate 380 leading into affected areas have also been closed by the Iowa Department of Transportation. It is unknown at this time when and if the Cedar River bridge on Hwy 30 will be closed. Officials are hesitant to set a time frame for the bridge and exit closures, citing "a much lower river" as the primary indicator of when the infrastructure would be re-opened.

Ann Thelan, a spokeswoman for MidAmerican Energy, said that natural gas is being shut off to properties in the flood plain area. The Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce has sent messages to membership urging flood preparations. Union production employees at Quaker Oats will end their work day at 7 p.m., according to an email sent by plant officials. There will be no third shift at Quaker and production overtime has been canceled for the weekend.

City, county and federal emergency officials continue to urge residents to steer clear of the downtown area. Traffic congestion and foot traffic throughout the day has made it difficult for local shop owners to sandbag and remove equipment from their businesses.

Residents being evacuated are instructed to pack necessary items including blankets, medical supplies and prescriptions, personal care items and special foods. Once packed, residents should turn off any appliances, plug floor drains and lock all doors and windows. A white cloth should be attached near the front of the home so that emergency workers know the property has been evacuated. Residents who are aware of elderly and/or handicapped neighbors are encouraged to check on those individuals.

Roosevelt Middle School, located at 300 13th St. NW in Cedar Rapids, is open to house evacuees. Pets in need of a place to stay should be taken to the Cedar Valley Humane Society, located on Mount Vernon Road just east of Hwy 13.

Residents in need of transportation should contact Linn County Emergency Management at (319) 363-2671.

Palo, a community of roughly 900 people just northwest of Cedar Rapids and home to Iowa's only nuclear power facility, has just been given a mandatory evacuation notice by Linn County Emergency Management due to flooding from the Cedar River.

The Duane Arnold Nuclear Energy Center is a single-unit plant, located on a 500-acre site in Palo. The majority owner is Alliant Energy, which holds 70 percent. Central Iowa Power Cooperative and Corn Belt Power Cooperative also have small stakes.

A spokesman for the Linn County Sheriff's Office said the plant is not in danger of being flooded, and that plant management has taken steps to ensure safe operation throughout the crisis.

Residents are instructed to pack necessary items including blankets, medical supplies and prescriptions, personal care items and special foods. Once packed, residents should turn off any appliances, plug floor drains and lock all doors and windows. A white cloth should be attached near the front of the home so that emergency workers know the property has been evacuated. Residents who are aware of elderly and/or handicapped neighbors are encouraged to check on those individuals.

Roosevelt Middle School, located at 300 13th St. NW in Cedar Rapids, is open to house evacuees. Pets in need of a place to stay should be taken to the Cedar Valley Humane Society, located on Mount Vernon Road just east of Hwy 13.

Residents in need of transportation should contact Linn County Emergency Management at (319) 363-2671.

Water from the Cedar River is expected to reach levels two feet higher than it did during the flood of 1993.

The Turkey River may have stopped rising in the northeastern Iowa city of Elkader, but extensive damage has already been done to the downtown area.

A few shop owners have begun clean-up in Elkader, but most can do little more than to sit and wait as flood waters slowly recede. When the Turkey River is at 12 feet, the area experiences minor flooding in areas near the river. At 9 p.m. Tuesday the National Weather Service in La Crosse, Wisc. reported the river to be slightly above 22 feet -- well below the river's Monday night crest at 31 feet. The water topped a levee and prompted the evacuation of roughly 100 homes and numerous businesses.

"There's just not much that we can do," said James Miller, a local businessman, as he watched the river rage under the Keystone Arch Bridge Tuesday afternoon. "We'll start cleaning when we can. Right now, we wait."

The National Weather Service is predicting that the river will fall below flood stages in Elkader late Wednesday.

The southern portion of the community has been hardest hit, with flood waters remaining knee deep on Main St. even late Tuesday. Although Clayton County Emergency Management is not yet ready to release monetary estimates of the damage, a much less extensive flood in April brought about $100,000 of damage just to Elkader, a city that has put a great deal of time and energy into development of its riverfront area as a tourism and recreation location.

The Turkey River at Elkader had a previous crest high on June 15, 1991 of 27.33 feet.

The video clips below were shot in the downtown area, most near the historic arch bridge. The structure was constructed of locally quarried limestone in 1889, and is the longest keystone arch bridge west of the Mississippi River. At the time this video was shot, the river was estimated to be at 27 feet.

Although Postville Mayor Robert Penrod believes his community is slowly working its way back to something akin to life the way it was before a May 12 federal immigration raid on Agriprocessors, a kosher meatpacking plant, he also freely admits that it is going to be a slow and perhaps painful process.

"Our community is pulling together, and our businesses are pulling together. We are just trying to get back to normal," Penrod said during an interview with Iowa Independent this week. "We're trying to get people back in [to the community] to work at Agriprocessors -- family-oriented people. It's a slow process, but I hope we are going down the right roads to meet that goal. We need to get families back in here. That's our goal: to get families back here."

Immediately following the raid, which was labeled by federal authorities as the largest single-site action ever taken in the nation's history, the city of Postville estimated that more than 100 rental properties stood vacant. Penrod said he hasn't heard new housing numbers and wasn't sure if those estimates had gone up or down.

Gabay Menahem, president of the Postville real estate firm Gal Investments Ltd., declined an interview Wednesday, citing an overwhelming workload. His company, which owns 127 rental units in the community, reported a vacancy rate of 75 percent immediately following the raid and had to freeze loans in order to avoid bankruptcy.

"As far as exact counts go, we just don't know," Penrod said. "We're still in the process of tallying up all of this stuff. These are tasks that just can't be done overnight."

In the wake of the raid, several businesses in the community, particularly those with direct ties to the Hispanic community, shuttered their doors. Although most remained closed that first week, they've since re-opened for business.

"They are back to their regular schedules again," Penrod said. "[The raid and continuing federal presence in the community] just made everyone really nervous."

Penrod, who is a full-time employee at a business in a neighboring community in addition to serving as Postville's mayor, wasn't in town on the morning of the raid. He also received no notice before Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents swooped in on his town's largest employer and took 389 people -- 18 percent of the town's total population -- into federal custody on possible immigration violations.

"The day of the raid it was like a disaster because everything was just in chaos," he said. "I felt that way at the time -- that it was like a disaster area -- but I don't think I feel that way now. We are getting back to normal as much as we can. But the truth is that it's definitely going to take months, if not a few years, to get everything back up to snuff again."

The primary goal of the community, he said, is to entice "family-oriented" people to move back into the community. He said this was also a goal of Agriprocessors, a business that will fail without an adequate workforce.

"We know it is going to be a slow process," Penrod said. "It took years to build to where we were and get these people here. So it's going to take awhile to get them back."

While there is no denying that Agriprocessors is a "substantial employer" for the community, Penrod isn't willing to speculate right now on what will happen to Postville if the plant closes.

"It will hurt," he said. "If something does happen, I guess we'll pursue our options at that point."

The day-to-day task for everyone involved is just to pick up the pieces and carry on. Part of that, according to Penrod, is maintaining what's left of the town's population.

"We're trying to keep them here," he said. "Some of these families have lived in Postville for a number of years. This is where they've had children, raised their families and had children going to school. They like this community, and it is basically a safe place to work in -- which is a plus. We've got problems just like every other town with Hispanics and whites and whoever. But for the majority [of our population], the city is basically a safe place to work. You see people walking all the time, and I think if we had continual trouble-makers, you wouldn't see people walking.

"Overall, it's good to hear that [people like our community and want to stay here], because that's what the community wants."

Immigration is a hot topic around Iowa these days. Given the recent federal immigration raid on Agriprocessors, a kosher meatpacking plant in Postville, and the 2006 raid of Swift & Co., a Marshalltown meatpacking plant, the timing for a discussion forum Thursday at Des Moines Area Community College could not have been better planned.

Although I was not personally able to travel into Des Moines for the event, Matt Clark of IowaPolitics.com has a report that I think Essential Estrogen readers might find interesting.

The recent illegal immigration raid in Postville wasn't meant to crack down on undocumented workers, it was a made-for-television event, said James Benzoni, a Des Moines attorney specializing in immigration law.

"The federal government is carrying out politically-motivated terrorism against innocent people," Benzoni said. "That's crime, that is not law enforcement."

Benzoni, who is also an adjunct professor at Drake University, was one of five panelists discussing immigation at an IowaPolitics.com-Mediacom event Thursday at Des Moines Area Community College's Urban campus. The forum focused on issues ranging from the economic impact undocumented labor has on the state to the proposed plans to deport the estimated 50,000-80,000 illegal workers currently in Iowa. The discussion focused on the ideological undertones of immigration policy and how they manifest themselves in current events in the state.

The majority of the panel agreed the raids on the plants should cease, but David Roederer, executive director of the Iowa Chamber Alliance, said they would likely continue. He also said small and large business owners were feeling an unnecessary burden from enforcement requirements.

There's much more to the article and you can read the entire text by visiting IowaPolitics.com. There is also a brief news item by Pat Curtis available on the Radio Iowa blog.

On a personal note, as a resident of the Cedar Rapids area, I continue to be both disappointed and frustrated by the lack of "real" conversations that happen here. Most community conversations of substance happen in either Iowa City or Des Moines. Rarely -- very, very rarely -- are forums, discussion panels and similar events held where Cedar Rapids area residents can both learn about issues of national and state importance and air their opinions.

Because such opportunities are good for residents and good for communities, I'd like to offer my assistance to any group or organization that would be willing to host such events in the Cedar Rapids area. Contact me at lynda (at) essentialestrogen (dot) com and I'll do everything in my power to help you put together, market and hold these types of public discussions.

The scene at St. Bridget's Church in Postville isn't so much different from what might be found at any facility where people in need gather for help. Children build forts out of rocks from the flower beds in front, knock them down, laugh and build again. Young adults chat on cell phones while waiting. Adults, also waiting for their turn with volunteers, sit in chairs lining a front hallway or on the front porch. Despite the best efforts of the children, the mood is tense and somber.

In the kitchen, Sister Mary McCauley, pastoral administrator for the region, stands next to the table and begins emptying a tote bag of notebooks, papers and the mail she picked up from the post office. Her eyes play briefly across the small envelope before she flips it and uses a finger to break the seal. One by one, she opens the few pieces of handwritten mail. Any checks inside the envelopes are placed in a stack on the table. In addition to the donations, most envelopes also contain personal notes. Without fail, she pauses to read each one, often smiling while doing so.

The nearly four weeks since the May 12 federal immigration raid at Agriprocessors have been difficult for the small Postville parish, which boasts about 100 members.

"We had been hearing rumors that there might be an immigration raid for a few days," Sister McCauley, who serves parishes in McGregor and Monona in addition to St. Bridget's in Postville, said as she recounted the day of the raid. "About 10 o'clock that morning I got a call and was told that it was no longer just a rumor and that the helicopters were here. I came and went to plant, although it was all blocked off. I remember talking to the chief of police and telling him that when the families were worried and concerned, he should tell them that they could come and connect with one another at the church. Well, as it turns out, they came and connected for six days."

Although Sister McCauley laughed at the end of the statement, the initial situation, just in terms of physical space, was nearly overwhelming for the church.

"We have this little office here," she said. "I thought we could allow people to come, see their friends, communicate with one another and answer a few questions. We had about 400 people here that first night."

Many of those who came to the church were Guatemalan women and their children. The vast majority of those detained on possible immigration violations were men who served as their family's backbone. The men and 48 women in federal custody had already been relocated to the National Cattle Congress in Waterloo, more than an hour away by car.

"At first we just said, 'Wow! What's going on here?' Then we realized that this was really needed," she said. "The women, in particular, needed a place where they could let their anxiety level lower and be with people they knew. Many of the Guatemalan women had never been alone like that. They came with their little children, and they worried what they would do if one became sick. Their husbands had always been the family member that interacted within the community in those situations. So they had to be with one another, and we knew that being together would finally empower them to get back to their apartments.

"Each day we would kind of say: 'We've been together. We've played together. We've prayed together. We've been nourished together. You are getting stronger. ICE is gone. You can do it.' As we saw them gaining more and more strength from one another, we would talk to some of the community leaders and let them know that if they took steps to leave the church and get back into their own homes, the others would follow their example."

When those taking refuge in the church did return to their own homes, the church and its congregation knew its role had changed, but was not complete.

"That first week? I refer to it as sandbagging," Sister McCauley said. "The river was overflowing and we had to make an immediate response, which was food, shelter and presence. Then the river was beginning to lower, but things had been destroyed. Lives had been shattered. We still had a lot of cleanup to do."

"Cleanup" has been an administrative response that includes financial, medical and legal assistance, as well as continuing to be a "compassionate presence" within the community. Last week the church hosted a legal clinic that provided residents access to about 15 immigration attorneys. Those who wished to speak to an attorney were given opportunity for private discussions that Sister McCauley hopes provided the people of Postville some direction as they move forward. The most pressing need, however, remains monetary.

"I'm here today and I was here every afternoon last week ... approving bills for payment," she said. "If someone comes to me with a rent or a utility bill -- first of all, we've done intake interviews, so we know the status of the family and any money that might be coming in. For most of the families that amount is is absolutely zero. There has to be a decision on how much of a rent bill, for instance, we can pay. Rent bills range from $400 to $1,000."

Sister McCauley's eyes turned again to the pile of roughly 10 personal checks on the table. The church is currently helping about 120 people, but volunteers are well aware that there are others within the community that have not yet come for assistance. As news and pictures of the immigration raid have faded from the headlines, donations have dwindled.

"If you take the rent amounts and multiply them by the 120 we are serving, you can see that what we take in doesn't go very far," she said. "The current need is just tremendous, and we know that there will be future needs for legal assistance and other items like that."

Sister McCauley said she's been asked many times how the raid and its aftermath have affected the community and the congregation.

"I've thought about it and there are two words that describe it. This has shattered us, and it has strengthened us," she said. When she opened her mouth to continue, at first no words came. Her eyes filled with tears, and she apologized as she reached into her pocket for a well-worn tissue. Her voice was soft but also resolute when she continued.

"When I say 'shattered,' I mean that it shattered the families. It shattered the children who were running around and asking, 'Where is my mother?' or 'Where is my father?' Then there are the poor mothers who are left to care for their children. What is she going to do? How is she going to get back to Mexico? She doesn't have any money. Should she go back? Should she remain? She is wondering how long her husband is going to be in jail. So, they are shattered, they are afraid, and they are filled with anxiety.

"At the same time, they have found strength and love, and they are giving it to one another. Our St. Bridget's community and the Postville community and, really, the entire United States community have given strength. When we receive a letter, for example, from Los Angeles, that says that the writer is praying for us, with us, supporting us and concerned about us, then we know that we can go on another day."

Readers wanting to contact the church should address mail to: St. Bridget's Hispanic Ministry, St. Bridget's Church, P.O. Box 369, Postville, IA 52162. Any donation checks should be made out to St. Bridget's Hispanic Ministry.

Although I've been a little busy chasing stories in the aftermath of the Agriprocessors immigration raid in Postville, I wanted to make sure that Essential Estrogen readers saw the post by John Deeth regarding the status of Iowa's female candidates following the primary election Tuesday:

Iowa has two chances, one from each party, to break the Iowa-Mississippi jinx and send the state's first woman to Congress.

Becky Greenwald had a strong Democratic primary win in the 4th Congressional District, while in the night's closest big race, Mariannette Miller-Meeks won the Republican nomination in the 2nd District.

Greenwald and Miller-Meeks led what was, by and large, a good night for female candidates.

You can read the entire article, which has information on the status of the state legislative races, by visiting Iowa Independent.

Thanks to John for continuing the coverage of women candidates in the 2008 election cycle. Whether victorious or not on primary night, my heartfelt thanks and appreciation also goes to all the women who even considered taking on the often thankless role of public servant. Because you had the courage to roll the dice and the conviction to stand up and tell others what you believe, all women are a little better off today than they were yesterday.

Braley Demands Tougher Oversight of Agriprocessors
Latham Urges Immigration Reform

Iowa -- in particular the small town of Postville -- is currently at the core of a long-waged public debate on immigration. The federal operation there on May 12, the aftermath of deportations and criminal sentencing, as well as the current silence in relation to the investigation against the employer encompass the multitude of issues surrounding immigration and emotions provoked by such government action. As local residents attempt to work through their own often conflicting viewpoints on both responsibility and reform, they need look no further than two of their own congressmen to see how differently two men can react and respond to the same situation.

Late this afternoon, Congressman Bruce Braley, a Democrat representing Iowa's 1st District, issued one of many press releases regarding Agriprocessors, the kosher meatpacking plant that was the site of the nation's largest single site immigration raid on May 12. In this particular release, Braley blasts the decision by Iowa regulators to reduce the fees accessed to the company for workplace health and safety violations.

"I understand your rationale [that fines should be used as deterrents and that correction of violations should be your primary focus,] and agree that the safety of Iowa workers should be the top priority," Braley wrote today in a letter to Iowa Labor Commissioner Dave Neil. "However, Agriprocessors presents a unique situation. This employer has a long and questionable workplace safety track record. Recent public statements by the owner of Agriprocessors show a disregard for worker safety and enforcement of the law."

Strong and very public commentary in relation to Agriprocessors as well as government agencies in relation to the raid and its aftermath is not a new development for Braley. He has issued several press releases and public statements in the wake of the federal immigration raid, leaving little doubt as to his views, frustrations and actions on behalf of his constituents.

While there is no doubt such activity provides a unique opportunity for the public to peep inside the office and mind of an elected official, there is also little doubt that this avenue of information distribution is not the only available response.

While the differences between the public response by Braley and Congrassman Tom Latham, a Republican representing Iowa's 4th District, have been previously noted, it is also worth noting that a lack of statements targeted to the press and public do not necessarily indicate a lack of action. A complete picture requires documenting both the public and the private.

Earlier today Latham released a public statement that called for lawmakers to "deport immigration rhetoric" and "embrace real reform." A search of the press release archive on his Web site shows this to be the first public statement he has made since the immigration raid.

"The stark reality is that years of neglect and enforcement of our immigration laws have created a broken system of which there is no easy fix," Latham wrote in the prepared statement. "It must take an effort by both parties, Republicans and Democrats, to drop the bickering and grand standing and work together to achieve a common-sense plan to fix the issue of immigration. For the sake of everyone involved, I pledge to vote for sensible immigration reform, brought to Congress in a bipartisan fashion, where people from both parties are working together for America's common good. That's the Iowa way. That's Iowa common sense."

Since first learning about the raid, Latham has worked quietly with other community and elected officials to see what role he could and would play.

"The answer to this question is a good indication of how broken the entire system really is," said James Carstensen, chief of staff for Latham, when asked when and how the congressman first learned of the raid. "We were first notified of the raid by a news organization -- not Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Homeland Security -- after it had begun. Our understanding was that other government officials were notified prior to the raid. When an inquiry was made as to why we did not receive standard notification of the action the reply was that ICE was unaware that Postville was in Congressman Latham's district. This prevented our office from following up as quickly as the congressman would have liked."

Within hours of learning that the raid had taken place and that nearly 400 individuals suspected of immigration violations had taken place, Latham -- just like Braley -- sent staff to tour the makeshift detention facilities at the National Cattle Congress in Waterloo. Members of Latham's staff also visited the community of Postville within 24 hours of the federal action. Carstensen said that staff members had "numerous" conversations with with ICE agents, the U.S. Attorney and his staff, U.S. Marshal deputies and with a federal judge and her court staff.

The following week, in between debating the farm bill, Latham participated in a conference call with Postville Mayor Robert Penrod and other local community leaders and residents.

"It was a good, honest discussion where many points of view and questions were asked," Carstensen said. "A staff member from the district was on hand to take any follow-up questions and concerns. Congressman Latham said that he is here to help the community with answers and available resources from the federal level as they determine their own needs."

Determining Postville's need and, more importantly, addressing that need, is going to be a long-term proposition, according to Penrod.

"We're trying to get back to normal," Penrod said in an interview at Postville City Hall on Wednesday. "We're trying to get people back in [to the community] to work at Agriprocessors -- family-oriented people. It's a slow process, but I hope we are going down the right roads to meet that goal."

While there is much that could be written about the different response styles of Latham and Braley in relation to the immigration raid, Penrod said he's been disappointed throughout the process when seeking help from other agencies and government representatives.

"It's been difficult to get a response," he said. "I think that was because of a combination of things. ICE had to do its thing. They were in charge and I think many just had to sit back and let it take its course. I think the other governmental agencies just sort of stood back and waited to see what the impact was and to see where things were going. I still think that's the case."

The 389 people detained by ICE during the immigration raid on Agriprocessors represented roughly 18 percent of Postville's population. To put that figure in perspective, if same percentage of population were removed from Des Moines, the city would be missing nearly 100,000 people. For the Chicagoland area, 18 percent of the population equals 1.75 million people.

[Commentary] It's the little things. Not just one by one, like the single instance I'm going to describe here, but all the little things put together. They add up. They creep up on us and take root in our thoughts. They fester and make us doubt ourselves. They are the thin and small voices that remind us not to show too much skin at the beach or to put on "sensible shoes" before walking in unfamiliar areas. These little things, often described as "friendly advice," lay the groundwork for self-blame.

As I was reading the Iowa Independent commentary by my colleague Douglas Burns, "How to Hit College Campuses with All the Right Moves," I found myself nodding at most of what he had to say. That is, until I got to point No. 7:

Women should always travel with friends to parties.

On the college-campus party landscape, women can be in an especially vulnerable position. This goes for universities and small colleges alike.

If you doubt this, ask the directors at the women's centers on campuses how many calls they get each year about date rapes.

When a young woman leaves her group of friends and goes it alone at a fraternity party, a dorm bash or an off-campus gathering, she is at the greatest risk of becoming a victim.

Remember, perpetrators generally aren't the guys who pop out from behind trees in the night. They are friends or acquaintances.

While I find no fault with instructing young people to travel in groups or with a buddy, I do think it is unfair to only hold females to this standard of safety. It implies that women are unable to protect themselves. It implies that freedom, at least if you are female, has consequences. Far worse still, it implies that women who do choose to go stag are somehow "asking for it" because -- let's face it -- women have been warned.

Those men, even those you know, can't be to blame for their actions if you are alone at a party. (God forbid that a woman should be both alone at a party and wearing make-up or perfume!) This is presumably because men are entirely unable to control themselves. It is just as your dear old abstinence-only educator taught you: women must have enough control for both genders.

If I could give Burns and other like-minded people a gift it would be for them to be able to visit a domestic violence shelter and have the residents speak openly and honestly to them. Most who have never been subjected to that type of situation often think of it in terms of violence. We imagine the hitting, the raping, the kicking, the injuries. But the really deep stuff isn't typically what can be seen. It's the stuff that is carried inside -- fear and guilt of the same type, but on a much larger scale, than what Burns is advocating with his well-meant advice.

One of the most poignant things I've read this year is "Beyond Rape," the first-hand account by journalist Joanna Connors. It details not only the rape she suffered 20-some years ago, but her reaction and embodiment of it. For more than two decades she believed it was her private burden, but acknowledges that it became little more than a "genetic disease" that she probably passed on to her children.

There are some of us -- myself included -- who have had trauma so great in our lives that we cannot help but to pass some of the fear, guilt and anger to our children. My children will never have opportunity to escape their brother's death. Because I'm afraid, they will never know a carefree mom who allows them to circle the block alone on their bicycle. Only time will tell how many generations of my family will feel the breeze from the butterfly wings that were fluttered nearly 10 years ago.

A great song that describes the concept of passing fear and self-blame to subsequent generations is "Because of You," sung by Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson:

Because of you I never stray too far from the sidewalk.
Because of you I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt.
Because of you I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me.
Because of you I am afraid.

My oldest daughter will begin her junior year in high school this fall. In just two short years I will watch, with much more fear than should be allotted any one mother, as she takes her final few steps toward independence. Neither she nor I can escape the fear that has already been placed in our hearts because of a family member who died too soon. But both she and I -- as well as all the other women in the world -- can stop this dreadful practice of self-doubt and self-blame.

Women don't make men rape them. Women don't "ask for it" by the way they dress, going alone to parties, having breasts or vaginas, parking in dark areas, carrying condoms or wearing make-up.

Just like all other members of society, we do our best to protect ourselves. If we do fall victim to some nefarious person, we must always remember -- in spite of the multitude of friendly advice we've been given -- that the blame lies solely on the back of those who would harm others.

In nearly any other primary or general election in recent memory, the accusation that a Republican candidate not only supported abortion but had materially participated in one would have been big news -- if not a political kiss of death. Not this year. Rising fuel and food costs have not only squeezed the wallets of Iowa's middle class but have narrowed their outlook as well.

"I heard about that," said Jennifer Baumer of Cedar Rapids when asked about the recent false accusation launched against Mariannette Miller-Meeks, an Ottumwa ophthalmologist and former Army nurse who is seeking the Republican nomination in the 2nd District congressional race. "When I heard it, I thought, 'Politics as usual.' It's difficult this year to get all fired up about it when I'm worried about how I'm going to fill my gas tank and get myself to work."

The accusation that Miller-Meeks had performed an abortion came from Republican opponent Lee Harder, a former chaplain at the Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility. Harder did remove the incorrect accusation from his Web site after being contacted by Miller-Meeks. In addition, Miller-Meeks has removed from the "beliefs" portion of her Web site the following statement: "Abortion should not be the primary method of birth control."

In the great scheme of things, according to those interviewed in and around the 2nd District, neither should have bothered. Abortion, or any myriad of the traditional socially conservative issues that have seemed to decide other elections, simply aren't the top concern right now.

"I think it would be an issue for me if I didn't have so many other worries on my plate," said Baumer, who has voted primarily for Republicans in the past. "The way the economy is right now -- the housing crisis, gasoline and fueling costs, the grocery bills, health insurance premiums and co-pays -- I think our time is better spent on conversations of how we are going to provide for the people here right now."

It's a sentiment that was echoed by Randy Sanders, an Iowa City Republican who said his vote will not automatically go to the candidate he believes to be the most socially conservative.

"In the past, I just wanted to know who was pro-life and pro-family," he said. "That was my primary issue, and I figured that since that usually kept me in the Republican column, it would keep my views on conservative government in check too. That hasn't necessarily been the case.

"I'm not sure if we should have [gone] into Iraq, but I do think now we cannot leave until we have victory. At that same time, I see the reports of our infrastructure, of the government bailing out companies that made millions in no-check home loans, and I have to wonder if we're on the right track. I've swallowed a bitter pill by believing that the other things didn't matter as much."

It's a message that hasn't been lost on Miller-Meeks. While discussing the false accusation, she told The Cedar Rapids Gazette that social issues may not be the deciding factor for voters "if they can't afford to put gas in the car, if they can't find a job and can't put food on their families' table." While her two opponents -- Harder and Cedar Rapids businessman Peter Teahen -- both brandish the "pro-life" label, she has argued that abortions should be reduced by policies that support families.

"It's not enough to stand up and say that you're pro-life anymore," said Gerald Harlow as he watched the number on the pump spin while filling up his car. "I want our politicians to show me that they are really and truly pro-life. That is, I want it to mean more than trying to end abortion. What are they going to do? Throw women in jail who have abortions? I want them to say that they are going to support life -- yours, mine, everyone's. Maybe instead of 'pro-life' I'd like to see a politician who says he's 'pro-people.' Then again, I'd like to see $2 gas again... that's probably just about as likely."

There was a bit of problem down the "net pipes" that caused Essential Estrogen to go offline for a couple of days. Thankfully, it appears the problem has been fixed and we are now up and running again.

Good to be back! Did you miss us?