Women for a Stronger America

Women for a Stronger America gathered this morning and adjourned with a commitment to make every Iowan a water voter. Water is life, as the banner on this morning’s presentation announced. Our guest speaker, John Norris, has a lengthy record of service to Iowa and the nation, with an especial interest in the environment and agricultural practices.
We’ve long been aware of the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico—gulf hypoxia. Iowa contributes about 40% of the pollutants that drain into the gulf creating that environmental disaster. But how did we miss the fact that all of the same pollutants also exist in our own lakes and rivers?
The Nutrient Reduction strategy that iowa is currently using is projected to resolve our pollution problems in 90-30,000 years, depending on the different pollutants. Not satisfactory!!!! Iowa is # 2 in cancer rates, and the only state in which that rate is rising.
Meanwhile, the legislature voted to end funding for water quality sensors in 2023. Was the thinking that “if we don’t know what’s in the water, we can’t complain about it?”
Various foundations and go-fund-me efforts have maintained them to date, but that’s not satisfactory. The state needs to maintain these and every Iowan needs to push their legislators to get this done!
Demand funding of the water sensors!

This event is at capacity, but is also being live-streamed!

End Citizens United (ECU) and Progress Iowa will host a forum featuring the two Democratic candidates in Iowa’s US Senate primary: State Sen. Zach Wahls and State Rep. Josh Turek.

Progress Iowa will livestream the event starting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 8 on Youtube at the link in the comments.

It’s our anniversary year—22nd year for Women for a Stronger America, and we have our work cut out for us in Polk County.
The legislature operates from a position of chaos while imposing constraints on the cities and counties. It’s clear that the state wants to force-project its mess. Consequently, counties need strong ethical leadership more than ever. At today’s meeting, we heard from two people running for the Polk County Board of Supervisors: Heather Jones-Brown and John Forbes.
Heather is a life-long east-sider with an amazing breadth of experience and proven problem solving ability. Her priorities are clean water, mental health access and addressing the real concerns of county residents.
John Forbes has served the public at the city and state levels, but he’s not done yet! From his wealth of experience, he knows what a proposed 2% cap on property taxes will do to county budgets. If that bill goes forward, it will require cutting millions from the county budget, adversely affecting public safety. John’s priorities also include mental health, clean water, and food insecurity.
While in the legislature, John opposed the 3.8% flat tax, which is a substantial contributor to the state’s $1.3 billion deficit, likely depleting the states emergency fund in two years.
Could we have some local control, because the state government is clearly out of control?
These exemplary candidates are on our ballots for the June 2nd primary.

The murder of US citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis has been on all of our minds. Specifically, what can the state do should federal agents break the law? Who else but Polk County Attorney Kimberly Graham could be our resource?
Almost of necessity, the presentation would be a bit “law school-ish” because state prosecutors have never faced these kinds of issues before.
In an interesting contrast to the class of humanity in the Epstein files and those employed by ICE, Graham explained the Polk County Restorative Justice program which is giving offenders a reasonable path to paying off their fines and court costs and reduce recidivism.
Graham spoke on behalf of every prosecutor in the nation, save one, that crime victims are the most important people in the criminal justice system.
Oh, and a new meeting space for us at the Central Presbyterian Church

Just a friendly reminder that WFSA will meet this Wednesday, February 18, at 9:30AM at our new location, Central Presbyterian Church, at 3829 Grand Avenue. Polk County Attorney Kimberly Graham will be our featured speaker. For meeting and parking details, please see original meeting notice below.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! In March, we will meet on the FOURTH Wednesday, March 25, rather than our regularly scheduled third Wednesday. Speaker to be announced soon!

A full house and lots of first time attendees to hear State Rep. and US Senate candidate, Josh Turek, this morning. Perhaps the most powerful part of Rep. Turek’s presentation was his pointing to our fighting former Senator Tom Harkin as the person who both enabled him to have the career that he has, and inspired his commitment to enable others to succeed. Iowa needs another prairie populist.
Turek’s policy pages are forthcoming, but accessible and affordable healthcare would give the American people a great deal of comfort. Preservation of the dignity of work and affordable housing are overdue.
Wearing both hats—an Iowa representative and a federal candidate—Turek spoke to Iowa’s rising cancer rate alongside the need to restore NIH funding to investigate the source(s) of the cancer.
Oh, and the open and pervasive corruption out of Washington. We all want guardrails that prevent this.
So much on the plate for our next US senator

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Just wanted to remind you that WFSA will not meet this month. We will be back at the Temple on Wednesday, January 21, featuring Rep. Josh Turek, Democratic candidate for the US Senate. More details to follow.

Best wishes to all of you for the holidays, and for a very BLUE new year!

This morning‘s meeting with Rob Sand was simply a blowout! Nearly 150 members and community folks came out to hear about Rob‘s vision for Iowa and valuing people over politics. His speech, coupled with an open dialogue with our guests, was convincing testimony that he is exactly the governor we need to revitalize our state.

When I scanned the gathering of WFSA this morning, and noted our questions of our guest, Dr. Skylar Mayberry-Mayes. Vice-Chair of the Des Moines Public Schools Board of Education, you sense that no one loves a child like a grandparent (parents, you love your children like a parent).
Dr. Mayberry-Mayes summarized the Re-Imagine Education vision that is to be funded by the bond issue on the ballot on November 4th. This community vision has been in the works for several years, utilizing extensive research. More extensive information about the re-imagined plan is on the Boards’s web site. Greater access to early childhood education and reconfiguration of grades per buildings was explained, but it was the expanded signature programs to be available in the signature schools (3 of them) that excited the group.
Early voting starts today (October 15)!

There’s still time to join us!!!!