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IowaPolitics.com: Hundreds rally at Capitol for "putting people first"
1/26/2010

By Lynn Campbell
IowaPolitics.com

Hundreds of members of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement rallied at the Statehouse today -- filling the rotunda, surrounding the cafeteria area during the lunch hour and chanting for lawmakers to "put people first."

"We're trying to get our government back from money," said Bob Gale of Des Moines, who said campaign finance reform is his top priority. "Big money runs our country and we're tired of it. We want to vote and we want to have our say. We own this country, not the big corporations. ...All legislation comes from money, not from people. We want to change that."

Barb Kalbach, a farmer from rural Dexter, said this was her eighth year rallying at the Capitol with Iowa CCI. She said she's asking lawmakers to put limits on payday lending.

"Also, we are still after clean water, clean air; we need local control over the confined animal units," Kalbach said. "Already, the budget committee has cut the animal aspect of the DNR animal oversight in half. So we'll have 11 people throughout the state of Iowa trying to keep our air and water clean."

Kalbach contended that action on these serious issues would not break the state budget. "These issues don't cost the state of Iowa anything, and especially clean water and clean air, it will save the state millions in cleanup," she said.

Julia Rendon, a pastor from Crossroads United Church of Christ in Indianola, advocated for caps on the interest rates of payday lenders and also urged lawmakers to make corporations pay income tax in Iowa.

"Our budget is starved, and the corporations are skinning through with loopholes. They owe us this money," Rendon said. "We give them the business, we give them tax breaks. It's time for them to pay their fair share."

Rendon said she's participated in the rally for three or four years. The group marched to the Capitol today from the Wallace State Office Building across the street. "Nothing will change unless we make it change," she said. "It's not going to happen by itself."

Ron Eslinger of Des Moines said he's concerned about corporate farming and protection of the environment.

"There's far too little regulation, there's not enough teeth in the regulations that we do have," he said. "The enforcement is understaffed. Budgets have been cut. I think water quality in Iowa is continuing to decline, and that's an economic issue as well as a personal health issue for a lot of people. People aren't going to move to Iowa if there is not clean, safe water available."

Eslinger urged lawmakers to think long-term as they make their decisions this legislative session.

"We have to expect our Legislature to take a longer-term look at the impact of the decisions they're making," he said. "Immediately responding to just the most pressing issue doesn't always serve the people. We have to have actions that take a long-term view for the well-being of all of Iowans."

CCI members planned to meet this afternoon with Department of Natural Resources Director Rich Leopold. They also planned to go to Wells Fargo to demand that workers give back their bonuses to fill gaping state budget shortfalls hurting everyday Iowans.

The protest was part of Iowa CCI's "Showdown at the Statehouse," where CCI members called on elected officials to stop balancing the state budget on the backs of everyday people.
See more photos from the rally
See Iowa CCI press release
See schedule of CCI lobbying day


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