February 2009 Archives

The Linn County Democratic Central Committee -- those individuals who are elected during the caucus to represent their precincts in the county organization -- is in regular session tonight at the Best Western Longbranch, located on the border of Marion and Cedar Rapids.

The room, one of the largest in the hotel, is packed tonight because the group will be electing a new executive board and because the group will hear a presentation from supporters of the upcoming local option sales tax ballot issue.

Currently the secretary is calling roll. We use to do this by sign-in sheets because it is so time consuming. However, some of the members wanted to be able to put names with faces. (Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, just a lengthy one.)

The elections are underway. Harvey Ross was nominated to serve as presiding officer for the elections. He declined the nomination and, in turn, nominated Roy Porterfield. No one else was nominated and Porterfield is now at the podium, making sure the group understands the election rules, the duties of the offices, etc.

Tonight the group will elect an executive body -- chair, 1st vice chair, 2nd vice chair, secretary, treasurer and financial secretary -- that will serve for two years. This is the first time since a bylaw change last summer that the group will be electing the executive board in an off year. (So, the executive board we elected at this time last year has served for only one year. All are running again except our current financial secretary Kay Hale.)

Nominations for Financial Secretary -- Ebony Luensman. No one else nominated --- she is elected.

Nominations for Treasurer -- DJ Arnold (incumbent). No one else nominated -- he is re-elected.

Nominations for Secretary -- Joe Stutler (incumbent); Joe Michalec. Michalec declines the nomination. Stutler is re-elected.

Nominations for 2nd Vice Chair -- Norm Sterzenbach (incumbent). No one else nominated -- he is re-elected.

Nominations for 1st Vice Chair -- Bret Nilles (incumbent). No one else nominated -- he is re-elected.

Nominations for Chair -- Diane Hoffmann (incumbent). No one else nominated -- she is re-elected.

So, there's the slate.

Sheriff Michael Gardner administers the oath of office to the newly elected officers.

"I'm humbled to be here -- standing re-elected as your chair," Hoffmann said. "I'm also humbled to be standing here as the leader of a group of people who do so many great things."

Hoffmann has run down her list of chairs for the various standing committees. (Yours truly will head the technology committee -- look out, Internets.)

Now we move on the boring business section of the meeting -- approval of minutes, executive officer reports, etc. You might want to check back in about 30 minutes if you are watching this for updates.

8:14 p.m. -- information from Gary Ficken, Vote Yes for Neighbors.

"Vote Yes is something very dear to my heart," Ficken said.

"We've waiting too long -- 8 months. We couldn't get the governor to call a special session... the federal response has been extremely slow."

Ficken compares the federal response in Cedar Rapids with that of the federal response to the disaster in Grand Forks.

"Inaction is worse than any other possible choice," he said.

Ficken said that federal and state legislators want to see "some skin in the game," that they want to see us helping ourselves. "The Cedar Rapids ballot is a 90-10 split. 90 percent of the money for all five years will go to flood-affected houses -- buyouts, rehabs and relocations, if needed."

"The City of Cedar Rapids has a huge bill to pay and that bill is not going to go away," Ficken says.  The two choices are property taxes or sales taxes. By going with sales taxes, a portion of what is raised will come from outsiders. "It helps spread the burden."

Clark Rieke, a resident of Cedar Rapids, is now providing the opposing view.

Rieke said that he believes we will need to vote for this local option tax to prove to federal and state legislators that we are serious about recovery. He also wants Democrats to remember that our principals should put us against regressive taxes.

"The most appealing rationale for a sales tax is the ability of this tax to capture taxes from persons who do not live in Cedar Rapids," he said.

"Someone should estimate how much sales tax Cedar Rapids taxpayers pay for purchases outside of Cedar Rapids. ... What percent of these regional shoppers are low income?"

Rieke believes that although we might be backed against a wall with this tax, we should hold legislators' feet to the fire to demand more creative and less regressive solutions for any future concerns.

With both sides now being heard, Hoffmann is requesting the group either take action (pro or against) the Local Option Sales Tax, or elect to take no action. 1st Vice Chair Nilles made the motion that we endorse the tax.

Each person wishing to speak for or against the motion is being allowed one minute to make a statement regarding their wishes toward this endorsement.

"I believe this tax will help the community more than it will harm it," Nilles said.

Michelle Michalec, Affirmative Action chairwoman, speaks against. She does not believe the government will keep its promise to keep the moneys for what they say they will.

Mike Little, former campaign staffer, speaks for -- mostly regarding community pride and how we should care for one another.

Another woman -- sorry, but I don't know her name and she didn't identify herself -- says we should take into consideration community layoffs, and the challenges that are already being faced by members of the community.

Frank King, who represents the NW neighborhood, said he knows this is a regressive tax, but believes while it will impact the most poor, it will also largely benefit the poor.

Harvey Ross, speaking against, believes this body should not endorse or oppose such a measure.

Lynn Denables, a victim of the June flood, gives a very emotional push in favor of endorsement. She talks about those who are victims of the flood who continue to live in area hotels.

Slayton Thompson, who works with homeless families through the school district, wants to be sure that the tax money gets to those families who had homes previous to the flood. He said we need to allieviate the pressure on the flood victims -- especially those who are now paying rent and a mortgage.

Frank Reynolds, who says he made a pledge never to vote to tax himself again (not when so many others were willing to do it), says he likes the fact that this sunsets in 5 years.

Lloyd Hollachek agrees with Ross that this is not an issue that the body should endorse .

Hoffmann calls the question -- standing vote. The standing vote counts were very close, and there appears to be confusion as to the motion the floor. Given that, Hoffmann has re-stated the question to clarify for the group and we will now vote by ballot. Names and precinct numbers are required on the ballots because there is no such thing as a secret ballot in the Democratic Party.

As the vote counters collect and then begin counting the ballots, the body has moved on to old business. Off-Year Caucus is March 28 at 10 a.m. at the Marion Public Library.

Results of the ballot are in: the LCDCC will endorse the Local Option Sales Tax.

The remainder of the meeting will focus on new business, announcements and the like. It's unlikely anything will be of interest to readers, so I'm signing off. 

Several members of Congress and quite a few state and local politicians are utilizing Twitter, a Web application that broadcasts small (140 character) bits of information. Here's a sampling of what some politicians had to say before, during and after Pres. Barack Obama's first State of the Union address.

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Florida) -- "On the House floor. Awaiting State of the Union speech. We need positive solutions. Economy keeps tanking. 2 much borrowing and spending."

U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin (Oklahoma) -- "Waiting to hear what the President has to say on the economy. Hopefully he talks about REAL fiscal responsibility and addresses the deficit"

U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris (Washington) -- "On the House floor for Pres Obama's historic speech to Congress. I have the honor of escorting him. If you're watching, I'm wearing white."

U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis (South Carolina) -- "Speaker just gaveled to order. Senate entering now. It's crowded on Democratic side. Not so much on R side. Something about 255 D to 178R!"

RPI Chairman Matt Strawn -- "If "entrepreneurs keep this country running," as obama said, then let them create jobs and get the gov't out of the way"

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley -- "Concentrate on what Obama said abt parental invovment in kids education. I'm going to help him. Wout spending one penny that will do good"

U.S. Rep. Tom Latham -- "I applaud the president's commitment to bipartisanship. But speeches & rhetoric mean little if congressional leaders don't share that spirit"

U.S. Rep. John Culbertson (Texas) -- "Americans are not quitters - Amen - what a great story - as well as the story of the selfless banker - very encouraging and inspiring"

U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman (Virginia) -- "I echo him in honoring our men and women in uniform and doing eveything in helping them with their healthcare needs"

U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (Oregon) -- "Best line: 'For 7 years we have been at war. No longer will we hide its price.'"

U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd (Connecticut) -- "These are difficult economic times for many, but with the leadership and vision that President Obama displayed tonight we can be confident that America will emerge from this crisis stronger."

U.S. Rep. George Radanovich (California) -- "Did not like to hear Obama mention GHG cap and trade. Our economy cannot afford such a disastrous idea"

U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (New Mexico) -- "The President was inspiring tonight. Education, healthcare, and energy were key tonight, I look forward to working with the President."

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill (Missouri) -- "Great speech. Right tone.Right message of bold action and budget restraint. My favorite line: 'We are not quitters.'"

U.S. Rep. Steve Israel (New York) -- "Great speech by President. Had nice but brief chat with him when he concluded. Message from my daughter: 'I just say you on TV!'"

U.S. Rep. Jared Polis (Colorado) -- "wow, great speech! and yes I got his signature. Did a quick interview for CBS after and am now on my way home for the night"

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was smiling and back at work today, according to a report from CNN Political Ticker. It was her first public appearance since undergoing surgury for pancreatic cancer earlier this month.

The 75-year-old Ginsburg entered the courtroom with her eight male colleagues as they prepared to hear oral arguments after the high court's month-long recess. She walked in unassisted and was smiling broadly.

It was business as usual, with the justices making no statements or gestures, and the court offering no acknowledgment of her return.

Doctors, according to the report, detected Ginsburg's cancer early, which makes the situation much more optimistic.

Ginsburg, currently the only woman on the Supreme Court, is the second female justice to serve. (Sandra Day O'Connor was the first, and she announced her retirement in the summer of 2005.) She is also the first Jewish woman to find a seat on the nation's high court. 

She was appointed in 1993 by President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, and supported by then Judiciary Chairman Orrin Hatch, a Republican. When Ginsburg first became ill, several names were batted around the beltway as possible replacements. Fortunately, all were women -- Harvard Law School Dean Elena Kagan, the woman Pres. Barack Obama put forth as his choice as Solicitor General, was the most notable.

As a side note: If confirmed, Kagan will be the first woman in our nation's history to serve as Solicitor General, the attorney who represents the government in cases before the Supreme Court.

As always, our prayers and good thoughts are with Justice Ginsburg and her family.

We also send jeers to U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning, a Republican from Kentucky, who predicted at a county party Lincoln Day event over the weekend that Ginsburg would be dead in nine months. We all know the statistics related to pancreatic cancer and, as such, need no reminders from Bunning as to how serious the condition is. For him to use the possible pending demise of the Supreme Court's only female justice as political fodder in a bid to revive an ever-increasingly low campaign fund balance, however, is the height of audacity and poor taste.

The earworm -- "And I Am Telling You" from the movie Dreamgirls sung on the Ellen Show by an amazing young vocalist, Charice Pempengco:

It doesn't seem possible that such an incredible, rich and soul-provoking voice is coming out of that tiny frame. Everytime I hear her sing, the hairs raise on the back of my neck.

---

Due to recent events, I've not been as attentive to the blog as I should have been. What that means for readers is that I have a great deal collected for your reading pleasure.

One thing you might have missed is the first-person report by Christie Vilsack on the signing of the pay equity (Lilly Ledbetter) bill. 

When I left the Senate to walk to the Metro, I got caught up in a group of pro-life protesters on a street corner, there to express their opinions on a day that marked the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. It struck me that these two concurrent events speak to the power one woman can have to create change.

Vilsack is the executive director of the Iowa Initiative, a group that aims to lower Iowa's unplanned pregnancy rate. Despite her husband, Tom, being named as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Christie plans to continue the work she began with the state group.

As for pay equity, there has also been recent action in the Iowa Legislature. It's a move that has been pushed by the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women.

---

Another issue before the Legislature this session is the question of gender balance on local boards and commissions. For this most part this is a non-controversial issue, however, there are some who feel that mandating gender equity is not in the best interest of the communities being served.

I would argue that the best interests of any given community are not being adequately served now if those being appointed to local boards and commissions are not representative of the region they serve. As a former city and education beat traditional journalist, I can tell you that way too often such appointments come down to people within a certain social circle. If the mayor or the deciding body on such appointments have roots in the educational system, there will often be a wealth of education-related people on the boards. If that body happens to have roots in the legal community, then there are typically a lot of legal types appointed. Too often it comes down to who is known and not necessarily who will do the best job, or be the best representative of the community as a whole.

I'm not sure if mandating women positions is the correct answer, but I do know it cannot be worse than the existing system. My personal preference would be for a complete overhaul of the process -- one that would be more transparent and more open to all residents of the community.

---

Magazine publisher Meredith has quite a challenge before it. The economic downtown forced the company to move the offices of ReadyMade Magazine to Des Moines. For those who aren't familiar with this particular mag, it was an amazing and practical advocate on all things sustainability. It had a unique voice in that community -- something that could likely be traced to its location near a sustainability community.

When the move was announced, according to a news report in the San Francisco Chronicle, none of the existing editorial staff chose to move to Iowa.

"I don't want to sound snobby, but there's a different sense of place in the Bay Area than there is in Des Moines. California is the place where new attitudes, new ideas are embraced when it takes a lot of the rest of the country a while to catch up to," Woo said. But the larger issue is that ReadyMade's creative team wasn't continuing on, he said. "Geography is one thing, but it's really the people that matter."

---

Those in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area have an excellent new tool at their disposal, thanks to some hard work by the folks at Diversity Focus. If you go to their site, you'll find a link for a new tool called Findit! It is a link to all types of organizations, food markets and volunteer opportunities.

There's a sheer frustration in traveling, especially when such travel isn't for for the pure pleasure of going, seeing and doing.

On one hand, your eyes and mind are given the incredible gift of an unusual environment. On the other, you're on a mission. You have to be in a certain place at a certain time and, despite the want of viewing more, you can't stop and take it all in.

A few weeks ago I received a call that wasn't necessarily unexpected, but was decidedly unwanted. My brother-in-law in Houston, who had been suffering with cancer, had lost his battle. The call came just days after I had attended the funeral for Mary Lundby and on the morning I had planned to attend services for Rosemary Thompson. I wish I could describe that moment in some amazing term that would allow those reading this to pause briefly and reflect on the choice of words. Unfortunately, the only term that comes to mind is "icky."

When the call came that Friday morning, there was never any doubt that I would go and be with my sister. Actually, as soon as I had learned that my brother-in-law's cancer was terminal, I had told my editor that I would be taking time off when it was time. When it was all sorted out, my oldest daughter and I climbed into the car for the journey to Texas. We left that Sunday amid snow warnings for Iowa and an extended forecast of ice across the Midwest.

Before we hit the I-80 interchange along I-380, we phoned family in Oklahoma to let them know we were on our way, and that we hoped to utilize their spare bedroom or floor that night before continuing on south the following morning. My brother advised against it, telling us that the ice storm was expected to start later that same day.

Having been stranded in an Oklahoma ice storm previously, I had no desire to relive the experience. We altered our driving route south into St. Louis, Missouri. Once there we reviewed our options on the "blessed" BlackBerry GPS system and ended up driving through portions of Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana before coming to a stop in my sister's Houston driveway.

That first day, while racing to beat the ice storm, we didn't stop except for food and fuel. But the second and third day our eyes feasted on unfamiliar landscapes, bayous, swamps, incredible (if not completely scary) bridges and general cultural diversity. We ate a huge platter of soul food from a greasy spoon in Jackson, Mississippi for breakfast (which cost only $2), took a wrong turn and drove across the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway from Matairie to Mandeville, Louisiana (the longest bridge over water in the world), and toured the still saddening disaster recovery in New Orleans and other coastal towns (which I wrote about for Iowa Independent). As often as we cursed road construction, we marveled at the views presented to us on back roads and state highways.

Several points during the trip I remember thinking to myself how I wished that I had more time to show my daughter the French Quarter or to relax on a pier. I wanted to dip my toes in the Gulf, taste-test every mom and pop restaurant along the way, and talk with every person I encountered. Then my thoughts would turn again to my sister and brother-in-law or to Mary. How often had they silently prayed for more time?

Throughout the trip I glanced from my sisters to my brothers to my own daughter. I wondered if this would be the last trip she and I would take together. Even if I have years and years in front of me, which I sincerely hope that I do, she will soon make use of the wings I've so carefully cultivated.

Since returning home I've been more or less in a funk. My mind keeps drifting back to my family. I kick myself repeatedly for not making that drive years before, when my brother-in-law was healthy. He was a real Texas cowboy and it would have been amazing to have traveled with him and my sister from one rodeo to the next. I just never thought I had the time... or maybe I thought there would always be time.

While digesting everything from the trip, I opened this photo from the beach in Louisiana again. Throughout our life people come and go, leaving their prints behind. Yet, if we don't take the time to ask them back -- if we don't make the effort to reconnect -- the impressions they left behind will fade.