SundayMorningCoffee

Sunday Morning Coffee 22 November 2020

Welcome to Sunday Morning Coffee my weekly review of the news stories you may have seen, or missed, all laced with my commentary. It's what I get to do and, what the hell, it makes my Republican friends...angry.  Truth hurts. Let's go...

Fifty-Seven Years

Take another look at the date. It was 57 years ago today that President John F. Kennedy was murdered in Dallas. If you are old enough to remember that date you, no doubt, know exactly where you were when you heard the news.  I was in a 7th Grade English class when the teacher walked out of the room. She had been called out by the principal who was, I learned later, going to each classroom the share the dreadful news. When she came back in the room tears were rolling down her face and she told us, between sobs, that the president had been killed. School was dismissed and the nation mourned those four days until the burial on the 25th. Such was November 22, 1963.

What Is The Matter With You?

It is Thanksgiving week and millions of Americans are traveling for the holiday. Never mind that we're experiencing 200,000 COVID19 cases a day and that death is taking out roughly 2,000 a day. Yet...you are traveling for the holiday like nothing is going on? The denial is stunning but even more is the selfishness. "I wanna to see my kids." "I wanna have a nice dinner with friends and family." Well, know what? I would like to see you alive and not burdened with thousands of dollars in medical bills.  I would like you to actually think about others that you may come into contact with following your family-spreader adventure of turkey and ham or whatever you are planning.  Weary. (Image - Chicago Tribune)

Michigan

I've written before about how my home state of Michigan is a looney bin of right-wing nut jobs. Last week several GOP state legislators were summoned to the White House to talk...turkey.  It's the latest ploy of a desperate president attempting to stage a coup. After their meeting the Michigan legislators were photographed downing Dom Perignon at the Trump Hotel in D.C. The champaign goes for $750 a bottle. Two things stand out: 1) How much tax money went to the maskless party and who paid? 2) Do you see the hypocrisy of this crowd as thousands line up in a "bread line" in Dallas?  Here's the deal.  If you support this mob if you vote for these people you are enabling the worst of us.  Seriously?  How can you call yourself a "Republican"...you are part of the problem. (Image - KXAN)

The Election

I was going to write about the foolishness but decided against it. We've all been watching the clown show for days. The G-20 did have a meeting to talk about COVID19 and the world response. The president took a pass and went golfing.  And 70,000,000 voted for this guy. Says volumes.

North Dakota

You might have heard about this place. It is a country just south of Canada that is the leading the nation when it comes to COVID19 infections. In fact North Dakota last week reported more coronavirus deaths than any other state or nation. More than one in 1,000 people there have died. Nobody much cares because not many people live there...and there is soon to be even fewer.  Sad, but true. Right now there are 75 striking Teamster Local 120 workers on a picket line outside of Cash-Wa a food distribution center that supplies products for 10,000 restaurants, hotels,hospitals and schools in several states. The company is privately owned by the Henning family and Tom Henning is the CEO.  The workers there have been without a contract since March. They are working in unsafe conditions with no temperature checks, no hand sanitizer stations no social distancing. 

North Dakota, like Iowa, is a "Right to Steal" state where union activity is frowned upon and strikes are rare. The media is concerned about food shortages...now. Meanwhile we're learning that here in Iowa Tyson supervisors were making bets on how many people would test positive in their stinking meat processing facilities. Not caring one bit about the people working there. Let that sink in. 

Teamsters Local 120 represents 11,500 workers in the Midwest. There should be a way to contribute to their strike fund.  If I find a link I'll pass it along. 

Georgia

As long as we're talking about what is possible here, once again, are the websites so you can send a donation to Rev. Raphael Warnock and his election bid for 5 January and for Jon Ossoff. BOTH are solid Democrats and with their win we can move forward in the U.S. Senate and help Joe Biden and Kamala Harris carry out the work that needs to be done in this nation.  So...please take a moment and chip in for victory.

Partly Personal

I worry. Maybe it's a Jewish thing? I dunno but I worry about you. I worry about my co-workers, friends, family and the thousands of people I've come into contact with over the years. I just want you to be safe and healthy. And I worry that you are not paying attention. I worry that following Thanksgiving we'll see yet another surge of infections and then, because of the Christmas Holiday we'll see even more. Oh, yeah...then we've got New Year's....  Please wear a mask, refrain from gatherings, wash your hands. If you want to do something positive write and call your U.S. Senator and demand they take this seriously and pass a stimulus bill that can help America stay whole. We need...the time.

Thanks for reading.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Morning Coffee 23 February 2020

The headlines late last night declared Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) crushed the Democratic Field in Nevada. Welcome to Sunday Morning Coffee. Some politics with a dash of religion and now coming at you for over 12 years. You may agree or disagree with my opinions. That's OK they are simply my opinions. As always I'd love to hear your thoughts. So, enough already...let's get started!

Nevada

Let me play this one out for you. Sen. Sanders wins with 47% of the vote. Joe Biden is second with 18% and the rest of the pack lag a bit. Then Mayor Pete uses his post Nevada Caucus address to skewer Sanders. Ladies and Gentlemen if you would please gather around because it is now time to form the Circular Firing Squad.

It's what we do.

I was having this conversation just yesterday with a lobbyist. Here is what was said, "You know, the Democrats really do have some great ideas for moving Iowa forward but it seems that, too often, egos or turf gets in the way and people that should be on the same page start throwing grenades at each other. You don't see that among the Republicans. For example, if the Farm Bureau says XYZ is good for agriculture or the economy the GOP falls into line." It's not the same with us. We like to say we have a "Big Tent" but if that tent does not survive the storm...

I know democrats who, right now no matter how bad "45" has been for this nation, say they will not vote for the eventual nominee because it is not THEIR nominee. Be very careful at what you wish for.

Russia

Well now it looks like the Russians really, really want "45" to win a second term and, according to U.S. intelligence, the effort is on. The question is "Why?" and the answer is that, other than Putin being the man love of this president, Russia wins when we are fighting each other. The news is also out that Russia really likes Sanders. Why? Because of the same reason discontent among the electorate. So if a foreign government wants Candidate X or Candidate Y to win...interesting eh?

Socialism

One final thought. Americans elected a socialist president to four terms in office. We were in the midst of the Great Depression and voters turned to Franklin D. Roosevelt a wealthy guy from New York who led this country out of economic chaos and out of a world war. In doing so President Roosevelt passed sweeping socialist changes to the fabric of this nation. In the end those rights and privileges that went to the working families created the most admired country on the planet. So successful that when WWII ended rather than punish our enemies we actually went to work with the Marshall Plan to build back their economies. 

Well before Iowa the knives were out equating socialism with communism. It's what a dumbed-down electorate does. They are not the same thing and never have been. Yet watch, you will hear more about how evil socialism is...mostly because we have a very short memory of what good it did for so many.

Joe Biden

With all of that said one might think that I've switched horses and climbed on the Bernie Bandwagon. I have not. I still like Joe for many, many reasons most of them have to do with leadership, compassion and a record of actually doing what many are suggesting. When I made this decision I did so with the input of several people I admire. Being a candidate you don't want everybody else angry with your decision and I could have stayed out. However the best advice I received was from a former governor of Iowa who said, "Michael, Iowans are good people and they would rather have a senator who tells them the truth rather than tell them what they want to hear." I'll go with it.

Funnel Week in Iowa

It's always a flurry of activity. Years ago I took vacation time to head to the Iowa State Senate to hang out with my mentor Sen. Joe Coleman (D-Claire). That was in the day when members of both parties ate together, played cards together and...yes...had a few drinks together. Security was not like today and because I was attached to the "Dean of the Senate" I pretty much had the freedom to go wherever. Great times with some really interesting folks.

Funnel Week today, with both houses controlled by the GOP, becomes a playground against working families and for corporations and those with a narrow view of what is right and fair.  

True the "Religious Freedom" bill didn't advance but it doesn't mean it is dead. The Republican Party has an issue with folks from the LGBTQ Community and they will bring it back. .

Something that did survive also touched on that icky thing about sex. The Sexual Abuse Statue of Limitations (SSB 3032) survived. Surprising in the fact that it is the GOP who have been busy spending your tax money paying impressive legal fees and penalties for abuse under the Golden Dome. You might have thought they wished to bury that one.

Of course the GOP continues their assault on the rights of women. From abortion facilities licensing to an amendment to the Constitution that reverses a 2018 Iowa Supreme Court ruling that found women have a constitutional right to an abortion to "Fetal Death Certificates" to warnings about medical abortion (suggesting it can be reversed when there is no medical evidence that is possible). 

And of course guns. SF 2224 says people with nonprofessional permits to carry can bring concealed pistols or revolvers into a school district driveway or parking lot.  Remember you can also carry into the Statehouse. But...if you have a pocket knife it will be taken away. Oy....

There are lots and lots of things here and one of the more egregious is the failure of the Iowa State Legislature to help protect residents who live in mobile home parks. Iowa has been awash with reports of out-of-state owners hiking rental rates and kicking people out of their homes. Yet, in true GOP style, the legislature wishes to shield corporations from "over-reaching legislation" rather than protecting Iowans who may not be among the rich and powerful.

And, never mind what they have in store for public education. November 2020 can not come soon enough.

Partly Personal

Sorry for the long rant. Lots of stuff going on.  

If one reads or sees the news one would believe that the only things that comes out of the African American Community are drug deals, homicides, welfare issues and abject poverty. The positive stories rarely make the news and that's too bad. Last night there was a celebration of positive news and education as the Zeta Kappa Lambda Educational Foundation presented scholarships to several amazing young people who are determined do good. 

Scholarships were given to students from Ankeny Centennial High School, Hoover High School, Lincoln High School, Roosevelt High School and Valley High School. And the speeches by the students were amazing. Active in their school, community and organizations that lift up the good
in all people is truly something to celebrate. My thanks to my friend Sam Reed who is on the Black & Gold committee and to the people of the Foundation that make dreams come true.  The image is just some of the winners of valuable scholarships last night.

OK...oh one last thing. Georgie worked the Bike World Warehouse Sale yesterday (and today) so she was not going to be able to attend the Black & Gold Ball with me. So I had to find another date.

I think it worked out all right. As I was saying to friends last night, "But remember she is only eleven and in sixth grade." Yikes!

Finally, if you have a mind to help. Here is my campaign website. Support and donations are always very, very welcome!

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful Sunday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

Sunday Morning Coffee 8 December 2019

I know...if you are dialing up Sunday Morning Coffee and it's now lunch time...I take full responsibility. The past 24 hours are a blur from services in Mason City to bell ringing for the Salvation Army to a hockey game to getting our radio program out the door because of an early broadcast at 11:30...yikes.  Excuses...right? Let's go!

Disappointing

We have become so tribal and none of that is good for our nation. While members of the Republican Party continue to deny what "45" has done and seek to obfuscate the reality of a corrupt and dishonest president. His base continues to believe that what he has done to obstruct a co-equal branch of our federal government is just fine. We have seen this before friends and it is not that different to what we saw take place in Germany in the 1930's. For those of you who think things like that can not happen again...beware. It is on our doorstep.

Russian Bots?

As the Iowa caucuses heat up there has been a growing number of hateful remarks about various Democratic candidates. Usually those remarks have to do with ageism, sexism and homophobia. If I didn't know some of the people who are writing these insults, on Facebook or other platforms, I would think they were Russian Bots. 

The fact of the matter is that it is highly unlikely that your prefered candidate will become the nominee of the party. Then what do you do? Take your campaign lit with you to the basement and fail to work for the eventual nominee following the convention? 

Take a breath. You are not doing your candidate any favors. In fact, some of the comments made would embarrass your prefered candidate and my bet is they would disavow them and censure you in a heartbeat. We are better than that.  And, sure it's easy to click off a 20 word insult...but think before you send.  Are you really shedding a positive light on your candidate?  No...and it is more than disappointing.

Mayor of Des Moines

It was an expensive race. The two main candidates spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the contest. In the end the incumbent, Mayor Frank Cownie squeaked out a narrow win over former state senator and developer Jack Hatch. It was not only expensive but also toxic. While nobody asked my advice...had they...I believe the outcome may have been different. Both are friends of mine and I truly hope fences will be mended. But, fear that may take some time.

We Have a Race

Last Sunday I attended a house party for Kimberly Graham one of four running to become the next United States Senator from Iowa. I have watched this contest and over the past several months and noted how Graham has grown as a candidate. While not the favored one by many in the establishment circle she has become a solid campaigner and speaker. I was impressed.

I also know the other candidates and I'm personal friends with two of the three. I've yet to meet Admiral Franken but look forward to that opportunity. One thing is certain Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) is in trouble and that's more than me saying so...the polls also indicate she will fall in November.

Neighborhood Groups

Democrats all over the state are organizing what are being called "neighborhood groups". Geographical parts of the cities to rural towns are not only working with their county organization but are working at a more grass-roots level to encourage Democrats to mobilize. It's really refreshing and it's brought so many more people together.  Stunning.

Immigration

Last week, while campaigning, I heard a troubling story I'll share here. We have known for some time that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have been targeting hispanic folks and that has led to many staying out of sight. Even those in the country legally are avoiding community gatherings and events because they fear being caught up in the hysteria that has infected our nation. 

Imagine that you are an immigrant who is in the process of securing a Green Card. It's something that takes time and money. You have a job and you are doing everything right. But, one day, in a convenience store, you are confronted by ICE. Before you know it you are on a bus to Omaha and a detention center. There you are informed it will cost you $7,000 to be reunited with your family. No, you've not done anything wrong. You have been in the process but now you are told pay up of get shipped out. You call your family and they pony up the 7K and you are released.

Think it doesn't happen?  My sources tell me this is fairly common and that many immigrant families hord a stash of cash just in case.

Really?  Yes...really. What have we become?

The Jobs Report

It was a blockbuster. The U.S. added 266,000 jobs in November. That is nearly 100,000 more than what was projected. But, what kind of jobs are they? Yeah, you guessed it. Many are low pay jobs in health care, food service and hospitality. 45,000 jobs were GM workers going back on the job following their successful strike. 12,000 were government workers and a mere 1,000 in construction. 

Of the jobs created 80 out of 100 pay above average and while you might think that is pretty good consider that just ten years ago 94 out of 100 jobs created paid above average.

At the same time new data indicates that fully one-half of Americans are earning the median income of $18,000 a year.

One more stat for you. There is not one state in the United States where a person can work 40 hours a week and live "comfortably". Every state, based on numbers from the Labor Department for wages and then adding 20% for a "comfort factor", requires more hours of work. In Hawaii it is 91 hours a week. In Iowa a worker must log 48 hours a week to make $44,000 a year.

Yeah...but the economy is...booming.  For...who?

Partly Personal

It has been a busy weekend. Friday saw me driving to Mason City for my work at Adas Israel the Jewish Congregation of Northern Iowa. I go there once a month to do their services and to lead a two hour Torah (Bible) study session with folks from many religious backgrounds...and even several Jews.

Rolled back into town in time for Jovie and me to head to the Iowa Wild hockey game to raise money for the Salvation Army. What? Wait! A Jewish guy raising cash for a Christian group that many of my friends in the party don't much care for?  Yeah...it's what we do for each other.  We had a blast and a big thank you to my friend Tamyra Harrison for calling me and asking for some help.

From the campaign... I was able to speak at the Southeast Dallas County Democrats forum this past Tuesday. That was great fun and I'm grateful for that opportunity. This Tuesday I'll be speaking to the Clive Democrats for their December meeting. 

Between working, knocking doors, and "call time" it sorta keeps a person busy.  But, I've been encouraged by the number of people who sense that I have a solid message for working families and a solid background in working on behalf of others. Thank you. Here is the campaign website. 

Coming up on 21 December at the West Des Moines Library at 10:00AM I'll kick off the first of many "Listening Posts" that have to do with various issues confronting Iowans. This session will be about "Finding Common Ground with Common Sense on Gun Laws". 

Hey, sorry, once again this is so late...think of it as Sunday Morning (Brunch) Coffee.

Thanks for reading and have a great Sunday! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Morning Coffee 18 August 2019

It's the final day of the Iowa State Fair where, according to the count of corn kernels placed in mason jars outside the local NBC affiliate the current occupant of the White House has an approval of 49.2%. Within striking distance of a lock on a second term. Just in case you've run out of stuff to worry about. Welcome to Sunday Morning Coffee! You know what we do here so...let's go!

"It's Like a Fire Hose!"

Those are the words to describe the political news cycle. "45" and his gang of swamp-dwellers feed us so much crap that it's hard to keep up and make no mistake this is a thought out strategy. If you drown people in wacky stuff 24/7 enough people will believe some of the lies (just enough) and others will tune it out.

Already I've seen this among some pretty well informed people who have told me, "I'm out. The news is way to depressing. The lies and the hate and the trampling of the Office of President is more than I can take. I just don't watch, read or listen much anymore and my life is much happier."

Have you ever read "Mein Kampf"? Perhaps you should...it is a blue-print for much of what we see today.

(Photo Credit - Scot Duke Marketing)

The Ultimate Hypocrisy

Last week "45" traveled to Pennsylvania for, what was supposed to be, a major policy address on jobs. It was really just another campaign rally that more resembled the 1940 Rheinmetall-Borsig Works Speech where the then leader of Germany attacked everybody from the media to his political opponents and laid blame of the Second World War on the British. Oh...the lies.

Seems that workers at the Royal Dutch Shell petrochemical plant were told to show up and if they didn't attend they had to use paid time off or go without pay. A memo obtained by CNN from a worker laid out the issue. Of course Shell is denying that. The White House has no  comment but this is what was said by the Union: "This is just what Shell wanted to do, and we went along with it," Ken Broadbent, business manager for Steamfitters Local 449. (Photo Credit - Daily Sound)

So the guy who leads the party that has made every effort to strangle organized labor gets labor to say, "...we went along with it". Where is the guts?

BTW this plant does employ lots of people....and when they are finished with the construction the giant factory will turn out tons and tons of...wait for it...PLASTIC. Just exactly what we need.

Remember: Money Talks - Principal Takes a Back-Seat.

Wind and Cancer

Last week Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA), a day after she was at the Iowa State Fair touting wind energy, told the media that she needed time to gather together, "...stakeholders to take that information and then try to confirm or deny or whatever we need to do with it going forward.” 

She was talking about the Madison County (Iowa) Board of Supervisors who swallowed, in total, the fraud sputed by "45" that windmills cause cancer. Earlier this year Reynolds declined to say that "45" was wrong. Meanwhile Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) said the president's statement was "idiotic".  Well, there is that.

Speaking of Energy

As you know farmers LOVE "45". They voted in massive numbers to elect the man who has been called the "most dishonest person ever to occupy the office" given his passion for lying about nearly everything. Now what is so interesting to watch is how this president has "played" our friends in agriculture. Just this week the administration more wavers to oil companies to avoid blending billions of gallons of ethanol into their products. (Photo Credit - Washington Examiner)

The wavers were to have been directed to small oil refineries however "45" and his cronies in the EPA have been granting massive numbers of exemptions to large companies which will contribute, even more, to the hollowing out of Rural Iowa. Farmers are already under pressure from the tit-for-tat trade war with China and by China finding other sources for communities. This is just another knife in the back. You can not trust...ONE WORD.

Hates Puppies

I think it is important for you to know that Chuck Schneider (R-WDM) the current president of the Iowa State Senate refused to allow a bill that would protect companion animals to come up for a vote in the Iowa Senate. Why does Chuck hate puppies? I dunno...maybe because his "minders" have some sort of twisted logic that dogs and cats are somehow tied to pigs and cattle? This is a photo of our rescue dog, Yofi, who had boiling water poured on her when she was just 8 weeks old. That's why no hair on one side of her body and a lack of an ear...yeah...that. 

The GOP loves to use the "slippery slope" argument. You know, "If we allow the government to mandate seat-belts it's a slippery slope to other regulations that will cause  automakers to go out of business." Yeah...that logic. And I was there...from Detroit...remember?

It's this sort of "logic" that is so out of touch with the values of Iowans. Just like Jake Chapman (R-Adel) representing Senate District 10 out of Adel, Iowa who never met a gun he didn't love even though the vast amount of people in our state want to see some restrictions.

From hating puppies, education and working families to loving guns this crowd has got to go. They do not represent us.

Voting...matters.

Partly Personal

I was at a couple of political events this past week. There was a fund-raiser with the Southeast Polk County Democrats in Waukee, the selection process of which 2020 hopeful to support going forward for the Asian Latino Coalition...Congratulations Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), the West Des Moines Democrats monthly meeting, the fund raiser for Congresswoman Cindy Axne (D-IA) the Clive Democrats monthly meeting, the Urbandale Democrats Fearless Fighter Women's Award Event and another presidential town hall last evening for 2020 hopeful Admiral Joe Sestak which was held at Fox Brewery in West Des Moines.

It's what one does I guess....I don't play golf.

My friend Jerry Uhlman who travels to nearly every Democratic Event in Polk County took this photo of our eleven year-old granddaughter Jovie as she was listening to Admiral Sestak. She is not only a beautiful young lady her heart is also full of love. Thank you Jerry!

When people ask me why I would run for the Iowa State Senate and put myself out there...this is the reason. It is all about making sure families...all families...have a shot at a better life. If we, as a state, don't start to put families first we'll continue to see a decline in our our values. That has got to stop.

Thanks for reading and have a great Sunday and final day of the Iowa State Fair!   

Sunday Morning Coffee - 30 June 2019

Not only is the coffee hot...so too is the weather. Welcome to Sunday Morning Coffee with some of the stories you've seen and others you may have missed but all are laced with my commentary. Why? It's what I do. Let's roll...

The Economy

I do a daily newscast about business and last week we had a story about the economy and how wonderful it is. I mean, you are living on easy street. But the problem is you fail to give credit to the president for all his hard work that has allowed you to relax in the lap of luxury.

Except you ain't and we all know it. On Friday Wall Street posted some crazy numbers. The Dow gained 7.2% in June, its best June performance since 1938. The S&P 500 rose 6.9% this month, its biggest June gain since 1955. The Nasdaq advanced 7.4%.

Trouble is this is the part of the economy you're not in...me either. A new Bankrate survey of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers found 39% believe the economy is “not so good” or “poor.” A sample of financial experts, in comparison, all rated the economy as “good” or “excellent.” Where is the disconnect?

The reality is that middle income Americans are simply not doing as well as their more wealthy counterparts and people are starting to crack. It is, my friends, a Tale of Two Cities all over again. Income inequality gaining strength...it's time to change things for the people.

The Debates

Otherwise known as "Two Nights Where Sixty-Second Soundbites Ruled". It wasn't so much of a debate as it was a circus. And, yes, I watched both...twice.

The day before the first debate I was asked in a radio interview if the candidates would trash "45" and that would be that. I said that my sense is that the candidates will talk about issues of importance to the families of America, "kitchen table talk" as they say. I was right. However, there were lots of issues not covered well and candidates who have really good ideas never got to make their case. 

Lots of people watched and many felt like their candidate did really well. Some have gone so far as to rank winners and losers. Me? I think it is way, way too early. There are substantial topics like climate change, health care, income inequality, voter rights, jobs of this century and systemic racism that need more conversation. My thoughts anyway...

The Hy-Vee PAC

Well this caused a firestorm. Bleeding Heartland authored a story early in the week about how the Iowa based grocery store chain's political action committee wrote a check for $25,000 to the Iowa Republican Party just days ahead of welcoming "45" to their convention center in West Des Moines. 

That action caused people to call for a boycott of the grocer, threaten to shop less and trash Hy-Vee all over social media.

The outcry was so severe that the PAC director Mary Beth Hart issued an explanation as to why the Hy-Vee PAC gave up such a large donation. If you want to read the rational here is that link.

What doesn't hold water in that statement is the rational. It seems Hy-Vee wanted to talk to "45" about the "high cost of prescription drugs". So, to be able to do that required a $25,000 check to the Iowa GOP?

To prove that Hy-Vee is a bipartisan corporation Mary Beth wrote that, "When President Obama was in office, Hy-Vee leaders went to Capitol Hill to discuss various health-related issues, and in 2012, Hy-Vee teamed up with and hosted First Lady Michelle Obama for a health and wellness day for more than 10,000 kids in Des Moines."

None of which required a $25,000 donation.

So Who Are They?

It's a fair question. Just who are the Iowa Republicans? Let's make a list shall we? The Iowa Republican Party:

• Believes in voter suppression and creates rules to make that possible;
• Believes women should not have control over their bodies and creates laws that say so;
• Believes collective bargaining, which creates better wages for working families, is evil;
• Believes every man, woman and child should own a gun and passes laws to make it so;
• Believes that public education is an evil that must be starved to death;
• Believes that public school teachers are a threat that must be dealt with;
• Believes that health care is not a right but a tool to extract more money for a bloated system;
• Believes that income inequality is based on the idea that some folks are just...lazy;
• Believes that we can continue to pollute our land and water without consequence;
• Believes that our court system must be controlled through political interference;
• Believes it's OK to embrace dictators and shun our long time allies;
• Believes that love is not love but hate is just dandy;
• Believes that ripping children away from their parents and putting them up for adoption is right;
• Believes that the words on the Statue of Liberty mean nothing;
• Believes that massive corporate gifts are more important than mental health care;
• Believes there are "good people" who promote racism in our nation.

That about sums it up. Nice to know who were facing.

Partly Personal

Yesterday I was covering two events where former Congressman John Delaney was speaking. The first was a small gathering of NAACP leaders who sat with the candidate and had a frank an open discussion on a number of wide ranging issues from "banking deserts" in minority neighborhoods to the minimum wage and reaching out to the faith community and what that means. That was followed by a town hall meeting with the Iowa Asian-Latino Coalition at the statehouse where Delaney was asked a different set of questions from trans-people serving in the military to issues of immigration to his stand health care. 

I thought John Delaney did very, very well and many remarked about his sensable answers about getting things done. This week I'll air my conversation with him as I asked only four questions.

But, there was something else going on at the Statehouse that flew under the radar of the local media. Over a hundred people gathered on the west side of the Capital to call attention to the plight of the people living in Sudan. Christians and Muslims came together to chant for freedom from oppression and an end to the endless war there that is killing hundreds of people every day. 

I've got to admit that with everything else going on I've been out of the loop on this issue. However, I was able to have a conversation with some of the leaders of the movement and I'll air that piece later this week. 

The bottom line here is that nobody covered the story. Nobody. No newspaper reporters, nobody from the TV media...and if I had not
stumbled onto the event...I too would have missed it.

Finally, last evening I went to a fund-raiser for Congresswoman Cindy Axne (D-IA) where I was able to visit with a number of Democrats about a host of items. Then Cindy took the floor to talk about life in Washington D.C. and how it often contrasts with Iowa. She talked about Rural Iowa and her thoughts about getting that economy back on track. She spoke to the issue of impeachment and how she is following leadership on the issue. She spoke about health care, climate change and about her efforts of introducing legislation that will impact working families.

It was a good event and I was delighted to catch up with her and others. A staffer for Congresswoman Axne snapped this photo before we posed for the more "traditional" shot.

I often think the candid photos are really the best. Cindy Axne is the real deal...and we should be proud to have her. She will be in a tough race going forward. If you are able...join the team.

Thanks for reading...and have a great Sunday!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get Out the Vote Edition - 4 November 2018

Fall back you know...but not here we're moving forward!  Welcome to Sunday Morning Coffee my early morning look at politics (everything is you know) laced with my commentary. It's what I get to do while you catch that extra hour of sleep. Starting thought: This is not about persuasion it is about turning out the vote. I'll share why in just a moment. So, take a seat, grab a cup and let's go!

Thirteen Dead

In one week we witnessed thirteen people murdered in the United States of America because they were not white Christians. Let that sink in for just a moment. Thirteen people killed; eleven in a house of worship, "All Jews must die!" and two at a grocery store, "White people don't kill white people."

This is the legacy you are passing on to your children and it is being fueled by people like Congressman Steve King (R-IA) and the 45th president of the United States. And we are willing to give them a pass.  Why?  Because we are afraid. Fear is a great motivator and when leaders spew hate toward individuals who are not like the majority population. Some will take action. From raiding a pizza parlor to gunning down Jews, African-Americans, Sikhs and Muslims in their houses of worship...or at a grocery store.

This election is not about persuasion because those who follow individuals like King and "45" don't care. They are afraid. This election is about getting people who are sick and tired of the crap we're being fed by hate-mongers to get off their butts and vote. Don't let this continue.

Race Baiting

Consider this: Thirty years ago Al Campanis, the then general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, was asked by Ted Koppel (ABC News - Nightline Host) why there were so few black managers and no black general managers in baseball. Campanis responded, "...they may not have some of the necessities to be, let's say, a field manager, or, perhaps, a general manager". Campanis was fired less than 48 hours later. 

Black people are not...qualified.

Now consider what "45" said this weekend in Florida as he spoke about Andrew Gillum who is running to become the first black governor of that state, "Andrew Gillum is not equipped to be your governor. He’s just not equipped. It’s not for him. It’s not for him."

And people still support him and his tribe...people like King in Iowa's 4th District, people like Rep. David Young (R-IA) in Iowa's Third District and Rep. Rob Blum (R-iA) in Iowa's First Congressional District.

Go...vote.

Why It Does Not Matter

Followers of the current administration are simply delusional. This weekend "45" told a crowd that, "Congress has already spent $5 billion for the wall and it is being built!" Except it isn't true. But, ask those who line up with every word "45" says...and they say the media is lying. This is not about persuasion...this is about getting out the vote.

Even in Great Britain

Maybe I'm just a bit too sensitive on this antisemitism thing but, I found this interesting. Last week a branch of the Labour Party in Great Britain voted down a resolution to condemn the murders of eleven Jews at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Why? Because the majority of those voting objected to there being too much, "antisemitism this and antisemitism that" in the wording of the resolution.

Weary. Isn't it nice to know that many Americans do not stand alone?

Your Paycheck

It was big news on Friday as the Labor Department announced that in October the U.S. added 250,000 jobs. But what was not covered is the average work week for non-farm employees is 34.1 hours and the average work week for production and non-supervisory employees remained at 33.7 hours. 

Yes, we are hiring people...but for full time jobs that pay well?  Not so much.

Finally let's talk about your paycheck. Everybody was so excited on Friday that wages grew year over year by 3.1%. That is the largest increase in wage growth since 2009. But, wait just one second. Inflation or the Cost of Living is now pegged at 2.3%. When you do the math wages over inflation rose by just .8%.  I know boring pesky numbers...but here is the kicker:

Corporate Profits & Employees

You would think that with the huge corporate tax cuts passed by the GOP in December that corporations would be sharing some of that wealth with their workers. They...are...not. 

Corporate tax cuts have enabled companies to boost profitability. But companies are spending a lot of their extra cash on stock buybacks and dividends, leaving only a little extra for workers.

It’s part of a long-term trend. Workers no longer get the same “piece of the pie” as they did from the 1950s up to the 1990s. Labor’s share of business income has declined steadily since 2001 and fell sharply during the Great Recession. While corporate profits have rebounded since then and hit new highs. Doubt me? Just look at the markets. Over 80% of the corporations reporting profits for the S&P 500 have beat profit expectations.

What's in your paycheck?

Vote and Support Unions.

It's All Bullshit

Sit down to watch television and you are slapped across the face with more lies from the GOP then I can remember. You would think that Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was hiding under every bush in the nation...waiting to spring her "liberal agenda" on unsuspecting poor white folk. Oy!

And, when it's not "The Evil One" of Congresswoman Pelosi it's just made up bullshit. Kenan Judge is running for the Iowa House in District 44. There are some pretty smart people living in parts of Clive, Waukee and West Des Moines so they could not be fooled by the crap that is running all over local television linking Kenan to State Sen. Nate Boulton (D-DSM) and fuzzy, made up, words about sexual harassment. How low does Bergman and her cronies go?  Kenan has four daughters and, really?  Really?

 

It's all crap.  This is why you must vote. It is not about persuading your nutty uncle who clings to fear. This is about getting out the vote.

Same goes for Karin Derry. The attack ads against her are just crap.

Same goes for Heather Matson...more junk.

And, that ad for Rep. Peter Cownie (R-WDM) with four women (bad actors by the way) talking over a cup of coffee that says "government run health care will result in a massive tax increase" is just...BULLSHIT. It's an attack ad on Kristin Sunde in House District 42 in West Des Moines and it is bogus. 

The reality is that total health care spending by the federal government would come in $303 billion less by 2032 than if we keep in place the same, awful by the way, health care system we have in place today. Here is just one, of many, articles and Business Insider is not known as a "liberal rag". Please... 

And, on top of that, YOU would be paying far less in healthcare costs then you do today and you would have better access.

But...fear and lies from the GOP just may work IF you fail to get out the vote.

Partly Personal

OK, I've calmed down. Sorry for the rant and, yes, I've already voted and worked the phones and knocked on doors and will do more of the same between now and the end of Tuesday voting. It is what we've got to do in the face of so many lies and dishonest tactics. We really do deserve better. Don't you think?

Final thought about the election: I have known Fred and Charlotte Hubbell for years. Been to his home a number of times and visited with him often. Fred and Charlotte are really wonderful, thoughtful people who, I believe, will work for all Iowans. His plans on government accountability, fiscal responsibility, health care and education will help move Iowa forward. Forward so we can reclaim our spot as a truly great place to live and work and build an educational system that is the envy of America. 

But, he can not do it alone. He is going to require your vote and he is going to require you to flip the Iowa House and...with lots of luck the Iowa Senate. Do not let fear and lies win the day. We are better than that. Join me in forging a new path forward.

Hey, thanks for reading. Have a great Sunday...and VOTE!  

 

 

 

 

Sunday Morning Coffee - The Dehumanizing Edition 8 July 2018

My name is Michael Libbie and welcome to Sunday Morning Coffee something that I've had the pleasure of writing for well over a decade. Every Sunday I get to write about the political and religious issues that impact each of us. You may not agree, in fact, I bet you will not. But, if you do then feel free to share. I'm not going to spend much of your time hashing out ALL of the hideous things going on in our nation but I do want to address a couple of specifics. So..grab a cup and let's go!

Auschwitz - Tornillo

Last week, due to the flooding and subsequent power outages, I was unable to write Sunday Morning Coffee but did post this photo on my personal Facebook Page. The sign came from the Facebook Page of my friend and fellow Jew and progressive, Jodi Sussman Stanfield who attended a rally and protest the day before at the Capital here in Iowa.

The resulting backlash that she experienced was only magnified on my page. The comments and name calling were really out of control. It's often what happens when people are unable to confront the truth. Or their understanding of the truth.

Here I hope to connect the dots between Auschwitz and Tornillo for you because there is an historical link which is being played out right in front of us all. It is called dehumanization. It is this tactic that led millions to be interned and in the end murdered. How could a country as advanced and as Christian as Germany and its partner nations become complicit in this horror? There is a process...and that same process is being played out here in America right now.

Germany didn't just leap into the Holocaust it took years to get there. As you read about these four steps consider the words and actions of the current administration:

Prejudice

The Nazi government, just as our own, fostered prejudice. Prejudice is defined as, "unreasonable feelings, opinions, or attitudes, especially of a hostile nature, regarding an ethnic, racial, social or religious group.” The current occupant of the White House has gone out of his way to foster a hostile attitude toward Latinos. We have heard them called "rapists", "killers", "drug dealers" a "danger to our national security". All of this from the President of the United States.

Scapegoating 

Similar to today, for many in the United States, the economy in Germany after the Great War sucked. It had to be the fault of somebody. The next step from prejudice is bigotry and blaming. In Germany it was the Jews that were to be blamed in the United States it is the Latino population that is "taking jobs" away from Americans. And, we must "hire Americans and buy American" or so the story goes. If it were not for millions of "illegals" the "forgotten Americans" would prosper.

Discrimination

Once Germany had a target, the Jews, the government there went to work on official acts of discrimination. Calling for the arrest of people who employed Jews, housed Jews or served Jews. Consider what we have done in the United States. Deportations and detentions for even minor infractions. Calls to punish those who hire people without papers.

Persecution

This is not a new issue. We have seen the persecution of minorities for hundreds of years. Yet, in Germany it was systematic and effective. Bank accounts, homes, synagogues and personal property were confiscated and the Jews were rounded up and housed in ghettos. Walls were built, children were separated from their parents and people were housed in concentration camps...internment camps if you will. Sound familiar? 

Those four truths are the link between Auschwitz and Tornillo. It is not he end result of torture, gassing, shooting and burning but the steps in how we get there. To deny these four truths is to deny the Holocaust. I'll leave it there.

Edna Griffin Legacy Awards Dinner

There is a published study that suggests Des Moines, Iowa is an awful place to live and work if you are black. Wages pale (excuse the obvious) when compared to Caucasian, Asian and Latino workers. Unemployment remains in double digits for African-Americans. Housing, food security and access are all, according to the study, substandard.

It must have been much like that in 1948 when Edna Griffin a veteran of WWII made the decision to request service at the segregated lunch counter at the Katz Drugstore. Segregation in 1948 was illegal. The Iowa Supreme Court had said so long, long before yet the business community turned a blind eye to what was happening right in front of them. In the end Edna Griffin won a judgement against Katz and the civil rights movement found it's first hero years before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama.

You would think the 70th Anniversary of such a monumental event would have garnered some press. Yet, it did not. The Des Moines Register in it's Sunday Edition printed not one word of the celebration of civil rights but gave hundreds of words to the fact "Stormy Daniels" was stripping at Big Earls. And, while there might have been some television coverage I saw no cameras or reporters at the event. After all...a bigger story was brewing across town...at Big Earls.

The obvious is right in front of us.

There were hundreds of civic leaders from politics, to business to education at Drake University last night. We were entertained with music, poems and acting. We were on our feet clapping and singing and shouting words of encouragement to keynote speaker Joshua V. Barr the director of the Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Commission who pointed out the fact that "...we have a problem". There were tears and there was laughter and there was a resolve to get up and MOVE as voiced by the Honorable Odell McGhee and the Honorable Romonda Belcher. 

Yet there were no cameras...no reporters...no...news.

"We have a problem."

Partly Personal

I spent much of yesterday with my brother. He, like many in Des Moines is currently displaced. His home was ravaged by flood waters last week so he's staying with us until his place is fixed up and habitual. We celebrated Shabbat on Friday night with candles, and wine and food and Torah. On Saturday we were off to a training session with the Polk County Democrats in their new headquarters. Last evening it was off the the Edna Griffin Legacy Awards Dinner. We were up until 2am talking about the day. He said to me, "I have not been this motivated in decades. It was a great day!". And...it was.

Thanks for reading and have a superior Sunday.  

 

  

 

 

 

Sunday Morning Coffee - The Lies Edition 13 May 2018

Maybe "The Lies Edition" is a little strong. Perhaps it should have been "The Alternative Universe Edition". You see, I just got back from a 60 hour trip to Washington D.C. and my neck is still sore because of the many times I jerked up from taking notes to see if the speakers nose was growing. Welcome to Sunday Morning Coffee my attempt to add a little snark into our sane world of politics. My name is Michael Libbie and glad you are along for the ride. Let's get going!

A Good Week

If "45" has any more good weeks like this past week he will sail into a second term. He seems to have tamed "Little Rocket Man" and will meet with North Korea early next month. He has brought Canada and Mexico to their economic knees...well...maybe not yet. He has pulled the United States out of the Iran Deal and brought lasting peace to the Middle East...well...not just yet. He has now become an asset rather than a liability for the midterms...we'll wait and see. And, White House Staff have been emboldened by the grave illness of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). The first and last statements are true. It's been awesome! BTW I did stop into the office of Sen. McCain just to pay respects to a great American. I just had to go and say, "Thank you" to his staff.

The Alternative Universe

I'm not going to make you wait. Last week I was on a whirlwind 60 hour trip to Washington D. C. and took part in the Greater Des Moines Partnership Annual DMDC learning/lobbying event. It is an opportunity to mix and mingle with 200 thought leaders, business professional and civic minded individuals from Central Iowa. For 39 years it has been one of the most important events which has helped shape our region. I could go on and on about the importance...and will during The Business News Hour tomorrow. Yes, I'll post. However because this is a political blog I'm compelled to share some of the stories I heard come out of the mouths of folks who spoke to us. Let's get started.

At a White House briefing a young "Trumpeter" shared with about 75 of us that, "The president's agenda will move forward with greater speed after we pick up 10 senate seats and build a larger majority in the House."  Oh, it gets better.

At that same briefing (some of my friends did not go and warned me that I would need a shower after treading there) a young man (come to think of it no women were speaking...oh, that's right Hope Hicks left) was talking about how awful the VA hospitals are and, "Just recently, in Wisconsin, the VA hospital there misdiagnosed hundreds of thousands of cases and caused the deaths of many of our brave veterans." Uhm...except that never happened.

Told you this would be fun.

Perhaps the most honest overview of "45" was offered by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) during an early breakfast in the same room where the Watergate Hearings took place. He said, more than once, "Frankly I'm concerned about the brinkmanship with this president and I am hopeful he will not go over the brink." Yeah...us too. 

At that same breakfast Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) said, "Congress has eliminated a dozen regulations that has saved taxpayers $80 billion dollars!" While that may be true...it is the same line she used last year. You would think she might have come up with a new number?  It's like, "Hey, anybody paying attention to this???" Her thing was all about regulations and tax savings.

I have never met or heard from Congressman Rod Blum (R-IA). He presides over the First Congressional District...think Northeast. But, wow, you folks have something there. Stay with me on this because it's so wacky (and my neck still hurts from jerking up from my notes) that I had to shake my head in wonderment. You can click on the image to enlarge. (Grassley, Ernst, Loebsack, Moulton and Zeleny)

After Congressman Steve King (R-IA) said, "The very best vote I've ever made while in Washington was for the Jobs and Tax Bill in December." And he added, "Businesses are reinvesting in their people and because of this tax cut wages are going way up!" Except they are not. Wages in April were up by 0.1% and year over year are up a little over two percent which is where inflation is at. But, hey...you can say anything in an Alternative Universe.

Meanwhile, back to Rep. Blum who said, "I have two very important priorities that will boost our national and state GDP and if we do these two things we will add more people to the job rolls and fill those jobs all of you are posting." Ready?

• Welfare Reform - "There are lots of people out there who could be working but they are not. That is why I support a measure that requires every able bodied man and woman who does not have children be required to work before they get any assistance for housing to food."  Somebody needs to share with the Congressman that 86% of people who are getting food stamps are disabled, elderly and are children. Of the remaining the vast majority of those are working one or two or three low paying jobs so they can afford a roof but are paying up to 50% of their income on housing. But...you can say anything in an alternative universe.
• Legal Immigration - "I am all for legal immigration. I love legal immigration but I am strongly opposed to illegal immigration. Immigration that is taking jobs away from Americans and flooding our entitlement programs." Fact check...illegal immigration is down...way down. And it already takes, in many cases, a very long time to enter this country. Farmers from California to Georgia are crying for labor to gather crops in addition undocumented people do pay taxes and do contribute to our economy. But, maybe he was talking about the illegals pouring in from Canada? And there is this:  The Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy, a Washington, DC, think tank, which suggests that about half of undocumented workers in the United States file income tax returns. The most recent IRS data, from 2015, shows that the agency received 4.4 million income tax returns from workers who don’t have Social Security numbers, which includes a large number of undocumented immigrants. That year, they paid $23.6 billion in income taxes. Yet they can not access benefits like Social Security and Medicare or the earned income tax credit.

Want more?

Rather than defend his congressional record Congressman David Young (R-IA) gave a history lesson about the room in which we were sitting...it was really quite good. And then launched into an impression of Sen. Grassley talking to "45" that was a riot. Best line was when "45" asked Grassley (in this fake phone call) that resulted in the Mueller investigation, "So Chuck, have you ever had a White Russian?" The crowd loved it...and it really was better than his voting record.

In case you are wondering...yes they did allow Congressman Dave Loebsack (D-IA) an opportunity to speak. He shared his concern about doing away with regulations that protect Americans, granting wavers to refiners to not include ethanol, fear of trade rules that hurt agriculture and the reality that Canada and Mexico are not the same nations they were back in 1993 when negotiating NAFTA and pointed to China that now is a buyer of Canadian soybeans and not U.S. soybeans. But...hey...Dave was being rational.

Congressman Seth Moulton

Yes, there were some grand moments of enlightenment. For example at a lunch a member of our delegation asked a question of Congressman Seth Moulton (D-Mass) who was invited to speak. The question, "Congressman, what are you and our elected leaders going to do about a twenty trillion dollar budget deficit that damages the future of our nation?" Without missing a beat Moulton said, "I did not and would not vote for a $21 trillion tax cut. You need to do the math. We can not balance a budget by cutting everything."  It was pretty good.

Unlike the majority of elected officials who spoke to our group Seth Moulton took a whole series of questions and was not shy in responding. It was a good session.

The Evil Media!

Earlier in the day our group heard, "The media is telling lies about the recent tax cut. It will spur our economy to new heights!" Thank you Congressman Blum. Enter one of the "Liars in Chief" Jeff Zeleny the Chief White House Correspondent for CNN. (I know...right?)  The man from a tiny Nebraska town who has been covering politics for years said one of the most interesting things of the day. It was about the firing of James Comey on May 9, 2017. "I've been asked if there is any correlation between this scandal and Watergate. If Watergate would have happened in this climate I'm not sure it would have been taken as fact. Why? Because today there are so many options to the truth."

BAM!

On why "45" and his administration continues to raise doubts about the press: "I believe the president does this so that when the press shares a story that is damaging to the administration it can be discredited particularly among his base."

Finally, to a question about confidence in the media and that media ratings are way down Zeleny had this to say, "In fact, media ratings are up. If it were not for the media doing its job who would have known that Michael Cohen paid off a person to keep her quiet. Who would know that his shell company accepted millions of dollars from foreign and domestic companies seeking access to the president and that those same companies, today, are saying they made a major mistake and lost confidence?"

On the way out I thanked Jeff for being there and answering a question I posed. He looked at my name tag and said, "Windsor Heights? I made a donation there in the form of a speeding ticket." I thanked him...

You really should have been there.

Dr. Andy McGuire Radio Interview

Last week I aired two segments with Dr. Andy McGuire. Today part two will air on News/Talk 1540 KXEL at 2PM. I am hoping to get to all the democratic candidates prior to the June 5th primary. I have offered but, to this point only Dr. McGuire sat down for the extended conversation. If you would like to hear what she had to say click through to Insight on Business the News Hour Blog Post here. If you have a line on the communication directors for others...hook me up. I've tried.

Partly Personal

I am so sorry this was so long. But for a political junkie that is also a journalist this was an amazing trip. While I was there to represent my community, and I did, this event is something not to be missed no matter where you are on the political spectrum. One final piece of information: Remember that trillion dollar infrastructure proposal "45" touted during the campaign? Yeah, that one. A senior policy person from Sen. Grassley's office said to the 14 of us in a transportation committee meeting when asked about funding and paying for it, "There is not much of an appetite for raising the federal gas tax and, frankly, the votes are just not there."

Mother's Day - Want to know how to best honor Mom? Get behind paid family leave for mothers...hell fathers too. If you really, really value mom and the kids you'll get that done. It is a shame the United States is the only industrialized nation on the planet that does not deliver on this.

I love it when the story comes together.

Have a wonderful Mother's Day. I know I'm remembering mine.  Thanks for reading! 

 

Sunday Morning Coffee 11 March 2018

This is feeling more like the Brunch Edition! Welcome to Sunday Morning Coffee, glad you came by. This is my, now in it's 10th (or maybe 11th) year, regular look at political stories you may have seen or some you missed all laced with my, often, sarcastic commentary. For those of you who don't like politics or religion (yeah, I often rail against that as well) this may make you feel uncomfortable. But, then again, try being a liberal. OK, enough with the introduction...let's go!

I Watched It!

It's been a long time since I've taken the time to watch "45" give a campaign speech. Last night I decided to see what the 2020 race would center on as "45" addressed a loving mass of his followers in
Pennsylvania. Let me offer up, for those of you who missed it, the major points of his speech:

• I am wonderful and you should be fortunate as hell that I am your president;
• Obama was bad, very bad;
• Hillary, while a woman, is bad...still very, very bad;
• Oprah is bad and I know her weakness;
• The Media is bad, very bad. Do not believe a word they say;
• Fox News is OK but you still have to watch them;
• I am going to North Korea and make a deal. You should feel fortunate;
• Women love me;
• I have done more for you than any president in the history of this country and you know it;
• Steel mills across the nation are putting people back to work. Right now they are reopening steel works here in Pennsylvania;
• I have created more jobs in this year alone than anybody;
• I am wonderful and you should be fortunate as hell that I am your president.

You are welcome...and now aren't you glad you didn't spend all that time and that I sacrificed for you? (Photo Credit - USA Today)

But, It's All Bullshit

But, you already know it. And as the "no-information voters" behind "45" shrieked and nodded their heads in agreement with every point he made he was...lying. The reality:

• No administration, ever, has been faced with more lawsuits in it's first 14 months in office...ever;
• No president has ever been faced with as many women coming forward to charge "sexual misconduct",
• No president, ever, has been outed by a porn star;
• No president, ever, had presided over a White House in such disarray;
• This administration has done more for the wealthy while kicking working families to the curb;
• How about the 522 jobs created in May of 2010 or the 326 jobs created in May of 2015 or the 351 jobs in October of 2015:
• And, finally...this guy is going to meet with North Korea?  That should end well...

A Storm Is Brewing...

For those of you in the know Stormy Daniels is coming back to Iowa. My friend Patrick Palmer, who has an interesting hobby of attending various porn star trade shows...and yes, I've seen the photos...reports that "45"'s former lover will be preforming at Big Earl's Gold Mine later this spring. It seems she had written off Iowa because she was "stiffed" (I know...right?) some money from a strip club operator in the Quad Cities and swore she would never again perform in the Hawkeye State. No, really, Patrick has the "inside" story on all of this. See what I did there? However, she has relented and will be here just months ahead of the 2018 elections. There is, as of yet, no confirmation that she will be invited to Terrace Hill for tea with Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA). We'll "stay on top" of Stormy, but may need a manual from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, as the date get closer. (Cartoon - Tim Lloyd)

Which Brings Me To...

Our governor got to cozy up to Vice President Mike Pence last week. Pence was in Council Bluffs touting the tax cuts and crowing about how much they have helped "regular Iowans". He did not mention how much they have helped the not so much "regular Iowans" who rake in the big bucks. Gov. Kim Reynolds was there saying that Mr. Pence is "...the best Vice President our nation has ever had". I'm not making that up. While it was nice that birds of a feather could flock together in Iowa it just goes to show you, once again, how completely out of touch this woman is with the people here. You all can make nice about her all you want...but she is not what this state needs...ever. Behind that "aw shucks" image is a cold, cold member of the GOP. Never forget it and she, too, will lie like hell.

Cut Them Damn Taxes!

My friends at the Greater Des Moines Partnership and the Iowa Association of Business and Industry and every pro-business group in the state has been lining up for years clamoring to lower corporate taxes in Iowa. They say, loudly and in their talking points, that Iowa must lower its corporate tax rate of 9.99 percent so that the state can be "more competitive" in attracting business and industry and jobs. Oh my! This too is...bullshit. That fact is even more pronounced when the state is lauded as "The Best State in the Nation" or when graphs like this emerge shouting "we're the best in manufacturing"...from the very people who are saying we are on the road to ruin if we fail to cut taxes. (Yep, you can click on the image to enlarge)

Meanwhile I am told that we can not attract physicians to Iowa because of our high taxes and that jobs are fleeing the state because of high taxes and that the reason our census is stagnate is because of high taxes. Hell, I suspect the next lie is going to be that it's the high taxes that keep the University of Iowa football team from winning a national championship.

So...Why?

Why would Iowa want to become Kansas and decimate our infrastructure, our education, our quality of life our ability to live in, often, safe communities? Why might Sen. Charles Schneider (R-Clive) and his pal Rep. Chris Hagenow (R-Windsor Heights) and Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa GOP and the GDMP and ABI all be lining up and telling this false story? Because they simply do not give a damn about the people living on the margins. "Go someplace else. We don't want you poor folks in our state!" They all hate government unless government is working for them. "Starve the beast (government) and you starve the people and get rid of the trash." That can be the only reason because not one corporation in Iowa pays that tax rate and if they do they are fools. Oh...and want a peek at what happened to the great tax experiment in Kansas? Here you go...  They are all lying to you and if you swallow it...we're all in trouble. Especially the 14.4% of Iowans who fall below the poverty line. (Photo Credit - NorthIowa Today)

Speaking of Taxes

The Local Option Sales & Service Tax (LOSST) lost last week and in the most unlikely places. West Des Moines voters said "yes" to the one penny sales tax increase so too did Windsor Heights and Des Moines. Voters there were all willing to pony up, like they did in Dallas County and Waukee, to increase the sales and service tax by 1% to pay for much needed infrastructure, property tax reduction and other quality of life programs. I broke with many of my friends in the Democratic Party who said, correctly, that a sales tax is a "regressive tax" that can hurt lower income individuals. Key word is..."can". My view was the "long game" where creation of infrastructure, a lowering of property taxes and building enjoyable communities was a shared responsibility of the many. Those efforts, I believe, would lift people rather than put pressure on them. Now we are looking at higher property taxes, cutting police and fire, slashing community events...it's going to get ugly. The interesting thing about the vote last week was that voters in high-wealth communities like Johnston, Urbandale and Clive voted the measure down. I know I took a personal interest in the effort by giving three public seminars on the topic. My question is...what did
leaders in Urbandale, Clive and Johnston do?  Answers???

Polk County Democrats Affirmative Action Committee

Last week the members of this committee met at Chucks Restaurant (if you have not been you MUST GO!) for some pizza, onion rings and conversation. The committee is headed by June Owens whom I have come to know and respect if not only her work pushing for inclusion but also her business sense. She also is involved in marketing and public relations and helping businesses cross over into minority markets. Good stuff.

On hand in this photo, among others is Polk County Auditor Jamie Fitzgerald whom I've known for as long as he has been alive, Mark Cooper the president of the South-Central Iowa Federation of Labor AFL/CIO, his bride Patty, (Ack...now I'm in trouble...because I failed to write down all the names!) standing just to the left of my grand-daughter Jovie (this is how you raise progressive leaders) is June, just behind June is my friend Claire Celsi who is running in Iowa Senate District 21. And, yes...I am supporting her. It was a great evening and thank you so much June for pulling this together. Those of you who missed it...missed it!

Partly Personal

Also last week I sat down with community activist Al Womble from West Des Moines and we had a great discussion about workers, worker safety, taxes, leadership, the Iowa Legislature and so much more. Al, in case you don't know, dedicates hours of his time to recording photographic history of events for the Polk County Democrats.  He's a "keeper" thanks so much for the visit!

Tomorrow I'm taking "The Show On the Road" and headed to Jefferson to speak to the Rotary Club there. My friend John Brunow from All Ability Cycles made the invitation and I'm looking forward to the conversation. While it will center mostly on business and my topic, "You Don't Know What You Don't Know" I may sprinkle some politics into the address. Just to keep things interesting. Like your Mother told you, "Never talk politics and religion..." What the heck...should be fun and I promise to be nice.

Gotta go...headed to a client meeting this afternoon and I am so sorry this is late!  Dang time change...right? 

Have a great Sunday and thank you for reading! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pants On Fire Edition - Sunday Morning Coffee 11 June 2017

It's been quite a week. Many of us popped popcorn grabbed some sodas and took in the big TV show of the week, "James Comey Takes On Liar Trump". It was a sight to behold...oh wait...did you know that James Comey is six-foot-eight? See what you learn here... Welcome to Sunday Morning Coffee my look at some of the news stories you have seen or might have missed all with my personal commentary. Why? Because it's fun...grab a cup and let's go!

Who Do You Trust?

Four simple words. Do you trust a person who has lied and gotten his own way through bullying and intimidation all of his life or do you trust a person who has been a straight shooter? That's the choice you have. In the latest Huffington Post/YouGov Poll taken just days following the Comey testimony 26% of the respondents said President Trump was more trustworthy than James Comey. Meanwhile 46% found Comey more honest and trustworthy. I'm with the majority on this...but it shouldn't surprise you. Besides, if you look at the record...the history of these two Donald Trump comes off as a carnival barker. Such a weasel.... "Lordy, I hope there are tapes." that's about all you need to know.(Cartoon - Tim Lloyd)

Sunday Twitter Storm

Just in case you were wondering. This morning this is what Mr. Trump was Tweeting about: defends his record as president, criticizes press, Comey, and leaks --criticizes Dems --jobs, taxes, economy. And it's all before 8am. Isn't it interesting that the president has decided to conduct the business of the United States through Twitter? It's like he is on campaign mode all of the time. Just can not divorce himself from the reality TV guy he truly is.

What About Us?

Here is the worst part of this entire episode of our real life drama each of us lives thorough on a daily basis. President Donald Trump continues to harm the United States and its standing on the world stage. Sure he gets along swimmingly with the folks who hate us...but our "allies"? Not only that but he is making a mockery out of the Office of the President. It is embarrassing. And when the one of the first thoughts in the morning is, "I wonder what crazy shit the president did overnight." Well, you get it...sad truly sad. But, we must resist and lift up what we can that is positive.

The Des Moines Register

Question: Did Karl Moyer buy the Des Moines Register? Or, does it just seem like it? Anybody know?

"Hey, Osama, go back to your own country!"

Those are the words that motivated J.J. Kapur, an incoming West Des Moines Valley High School student to action. J.J. is a Sikh and he is out to share his faith with anybody who will listen. We aired this interview on The Business News Hour last week and the number of downloads has been amazing. People, it would seem, are willing to learn. So, how did the turban become a symbol of terrorism rather than of peace? Good question. One of the first answers might be a lack of education. Again, if you would like to listen to J.J. (who by the way has won national speech contests at Emory University and Harvard) click through the link.

So Much To Do!

Yesterday I spend several hours at the Iowa Working Families Summit which was held in Ames. The number of people, surprisingly, was down. I write "surprisingly" without the knowledge that there were no fewer than two additional progressive events happening in the Metro. We can't go to everything. What is interesting is the number of progressive events that are happening and how that is energizing so many people. "Ya can't swing a dead cat and not connect with a progressive gathering in Iowa", was one of the comments I heard yesterday. If I were a Republican strategist I'd be just a tad nervous these days.

Working Families Summit 

Here are some take-away thoughts from the Iowa Working Families Summit:

• Sponsors Were Pleased - While the number of people who attended may have been down the people who sponsored the event from the Iowa Federation of Labor to the many vendors who were there seemed pleased with the energy;
• People Are Hurting - While our local economic development folks may crow about how wonderful things are (it is there job to do that) a great many people in Iowa are hurting. They are worried, frustrated and angry at a system that seems to shell out dollars and praise to a few but tend to leave crumbs for them;
• Union Workers are Proud - In my lifetime I have been in one union. I signed my Brotherhood of Maintenance and Way card in 1973. It was a short experience. I was between broadcasting jobs and needed work...it wasn't pretty laying railroad track in the summer when one was used to sitting in AC. However, that experience and the stories I heard about my Grandfather who was a Congress of Industrial Organizations organizer have always compelled me to look at unions as an honorable way to lift the economics of us all. The union members at this event feel frustrated that so many do not share that outlook;
• Our Revolution is Hot - One of the many groups who have emerged since the 2016 election is Our Revolution. Heading that organization is Larry Cohen who offered up a fiery speech at the end of the day. We'll have a conversation with Larry on the Business News Hour this week.

Bottom line...you should have been there.

Who Was in Ames?

I wish I could report to you that I saw a number of Republican candidates at the Iowa Working Families Summit but...alas...no. It's too bad, they might have learned something...and we did have air conditioning and a good meal. Some of the folks that made the trip included Theresa Greenfield a yet to announce candidate in Iowa's Third Congressional District. Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls included Jonathan Neiderbach, John Norris, Nate Boulton others may have been there but I missed them. I did see State Senator Rob Hogg (D-Cedar Rapids) there. Rob is the Minority Leader in the Iowa Senate and is working overtime in an effort to reclaim the senate and sanity in Des Moines.

Then there was Larry Cohen

If you didn't stick around for the speech by my friend Larry Cohen who heads the organization Our Revolution you missed a great speech...he was not shy. "American's want health care not health insurance. It's a rip-off that we pay 20% of our medical dollars to companies who work to find ways NOT to deliver health care to Americans!" or this "This is about unity. It is not about dividing us but uniting us to move forward..."

Larry Cohen 10 June 2017

If you click above you'll hear his entire speech...enjoy. You could do worse than listen...perhaps it may motivate you to get involved.

Partly Personal

On Friday my Mother z'l would have been 97 years old. I think of her daily and remember the good times. Here's an image from a birthday party with close friends and family.

One other bit of personal news, I heard yesterday from Desmund Adams about his son Khalil. The report was than the open heart surgery this past week was a success and it looks better than prior. "We are all grateful for the support and prayers of so many. Thank you all."

Let's hope things go well...

Thanks for reading/listening and have a great week!