Iowa: Davenport

Iowans Can Take Action on Nuclear Disarmament

by Paul Deaton

Nuclear disarmament is an Iowa issue for a lot of reasons. So why do so many Iowans seem unaware or unconcerned about the importance of nuclear disarmament?

The President continues to keep the “nuclear football” nearby; enabling the rapid and mutually assured destruction of the planet should Russia launch an attack against the United States. Mutually assured destruction would directly affect Iowans, killing most, if not all of us. That concern does not appear to be sufficient reason to engage Iowans to take political action on nuclear disarmament.

With all of the “loose” nuclear material in the former Soviet Union, terrorists could obtain enough enriched uranium to create a bomb, or steal an existing bomb, and detonate it in an Iowa city.

Local Community Radio Bill Now in House of Representatives

The Local Community Radio Act is a bill currently in the House of Representatives that will allow local communities non-commercial access to the publicly owned airwaves.  

Cory Fischer-Hoffman, Campaign Director of the Prometheus Radio Project, and Mike Doyle (D-PA) spoke about the Local Community Radio Act on Democracy Now! this morning

Doyle stated that the bill is popular, bipartisan, and has a broad base of support.  The opposition (primarily National Association of Broadcasters, whose technical concerns have been proven unfounded, allowing the bill to move forward) has so far been silent, and they expect the bill to pass, but they remain cautious.

Health Care Reform Update: A Word of Encouragement on the Public Option

by Alta Price, M.D.

One of the most frequent requests I get from friends and family is to reassure them that a good health care reform bill will pass in Congress, and that it will include the public option. My optimism does not seem to be the norm on health care reform. But let me assure you, I have never felt so confident of our chances of success!

We are all watching too closely, and it is not good to watch too closely the making of sausage or the making of legislation.

Health Care Reform Update: Blue Dogs Do Some Things Right

by Alta Price, M.D.

As health care reform bills move through Congress over the next few weeks, different factions will negotiate changes to make the bill more beneficial to their constituents, or, in some cases, their donors. We progressives reflexively assume the Blue Dog Democrats will try to weaken or eliminate the public insurance option. I believe that some of the changes the Blue Dogs want in the public option are good for Iowa, other rural areas, and more fair than what some progressives demand. And I don’t believe I hold this view just because I am an Iowan or a physician.