Caucusing Without a Candidate

Sometime in the rapidly-approaching future, voters in Iowa will gather in Republican and in Democratic caucuses for the purpose of selecting presidential nominees. Imagine what would happen if registered members of the parties decided to place support behind a candidate who has not declared her intention to seek the office. Imagine, also, if an issue rather than a candidate were to receive caucus support.

The communications director for Think Condi, Crystal Dueker, was in Des Moines this week to generate support for Condoleezza Rice as president. Think Condi is a 527 group dedicated to the goal of drafting Secretary of State Rice as the Republican nominee for president. There are additional tasks falling to the group members since Rice is prohibited from being a candidate as long as she remains in the cabinet. Thus, Think Condi has to persuade voters on caucus night or at primary voting sites to support a candidate whose name is not officially listed as an option.

While in Iowa, Dueker has been making the rounds of media outlets and meeting with Republican activists. She also worked the crowds in eating and drinking establishments, just like her candidate would be doing, if Rice were officially running. Dueker said that people are excited about the possibility of President Rice. One of the events she attended was Caucus Monday at Court Avenue Restaurant & Brewing Company where she was able to inform other attendees that the bar’s informal voting system allows write-ins.

In a way issues can be the direct object of a caucus. Attendees can pass resolutions that then go to platform committees for possible discussion at state conventions. Issues also can arise as points of argument when trying to persuade other Republicans or Democrats to support a particular candidate. Des Moines for Darfur has t-shirts of a light burnt orange color with the words “I Caucus for Darfur” on the front. As with other groups that urge people to caucus for an issue, Des Moines for Darfur is hoping that activists will attend candidates’ events and ask them where they stand on resolving the humanitarian crisis and the genocidal actions occurring in and around the western part of the Sudan.

Des Moines for Darfur will hold training sessions, including background information on the region and how it differs from the war and famines that raged through the southern part of the Sudan for decades. The first session will be on Saturday, September 8, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., with a reception planned afterwards. A slightly shorter session will be held on Sunday, September 9, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Due to limited space, advanced registration for this free training is requested. It will be held at the Pappajohn Education Center (1200 Grand).

For people who want to be involved in solving problems surrounding Darfur but who cannot pursue candidates, Des Moines for Darfur meets the last Tuesday of every month from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Caribou Coffee (3221 Ingersoll Avenue).

Guest Writer: M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.

School Board Candidates Talk

Northeast Neighbors hosted a forum on August 27, 2007, for the 5 candidates seeking 2 seats on the Des Moines School Board. About 60 people attended the event at Park Fair Mall’s Senior Center. Audience questions were submitted on note cards and consolidated into questions verbalized by the moderator.

Those questions ranged from historic problems with the school board to No Child Left Behind (NCLB) to specific local policies and school choices. In the order of their opening comments, here is a summary of what the candidates said:

Marc Ward: He has served about 9 years on the board, although not consecutively, and is currently the board’s president. His first priority for the board is to make sure students in Kindergarten through 12th Grade (K-12) graduate and are able to move on with the next stages in their lives. If there is money for after-school programs, they would be worthwhile but
they should be funded only if the primary goals of the schools are being met. His three points of focus for the board are to determine how it can add value to the district and to the community, to hold the superintendent accountable for results the board wants, and to communicate with the public.

Matthew Harvey: Integrity is the theme of his campaign and something he strives for in his personal and professional life. He ran six years ago when the election was also held on September 11. The year was 2001 and that day, after planes were flown into New York City’s World Trade Center towers, the world changed. He wants children to be prepared for a future in that changing world. If elected, he would hold office hours every other Tuesday in some part of the district. He thinks the district should not have had to spend money to hire a consulting firm to find out what the public thinks. He said character cannot be measured using a standardized test.

Patty Link: She is running for a seat because she believes families with young children in the system need to be represented. She has been a teacher, headed a school’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA), and now heads the PTA for the district. She wouldn’t want to toss NCLB aside if it provided funding so her child in kindergarten was in a class with 29 students instead
of 35. Several times during the forum she noted that she wanted to take time to learn what people wanted. On the question about a new school in southwest Des Moines, she said that there should be studies and discussion and that other parts of the city shouldn’t be neglected.

Paul Knupp, Jr.: He has a graduate degree in education and has taught teachers who are now employed by the Des Moines Public Schools. He said he has talked with people who developed standardized tests, such as the ACT. Those people told him such tests are good at showing where students need extra help. The tests are not good for comparisons and other uses that have been made of them. He thinks consensus building is important and that means slowing down when making decisions and should include students in the discussions. He expressed concern that the school board might be in partnership with business instead of with education. He added that education is the most important thing government does.

Jonathon (Jon) Narcissse: When he previously ran for the school board, his reasons were fiscal issues and the need for the then superintendent to leave. He remains concerned about fiscal accountability and the commitment of the school board to talk with the public. He said he has traveled the state talking to students and educational professionals and that “you have
to work to get people involved.” When answering the question about ward-based elections, he said school board elections need to be moved to November to reduce the power of special interests. He admitted southwest Des Moines needs a new school, but asked how we will pay for it. He would use Prairie Meadows revenues to fund after school classes.

Remember to vote on Tuesday, September 11. The deadline to register to vote is Friday, August 31.

Guest Writer: M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.

Public Forum for Small Business Owners Scheduled Sept. 5 in Des Moines

Do you own a small business? This open forum allows you an opportunity to voice any complaints and concerns you may have with compliance or enforcement of federal regulations. The press release is published in full below.

Contact:
Dave Lentell    (515) 284-4522
Release Number: IA-08-07
E-Mail: thomas.lentell@sba.gov

Public Forum Set for Small Business Owners to
Comment on Federal Regulatory Enforcement

(DES MOINES, Iowa)   — Small business owners, community leaders and
representatives of trade associations in Iowa , Kansas, Missouri and
Nebraska who are concerned about excessive enforcement of federal rules
can voice their complaints at a U.S. Small Business Administration
Regulatory Fairness Board Forum in Des Moines, Iowa on Wednesday,
September 5, 2007 from 9:30 a.m. to Noon.

The forum will be held in the 2nd Floor ICN room at the Iowa Department of
Economic Development, 200 East Grand Avenue, in Des Moines.
SBA National Ombudsman Nicholas Owens, members of the SBA’s Region VII
Regulatory Fairness Board (which serves the states of Iowa , Kansas,
Missouri and Nebraska ), and representatives of federal regulatory agencies
will hear comments and complaints about regulatory enforcement and
compliance and will discuss the impact of federal regulations on small
business.

“One of the leading concerns small business owners face is unfair
enforcement of federal regulations.  They also worry about telling their
stories because they fear retaliation by federal agencies,” Owens
said.   “Small business owners want to play by the rules and comply with
federal regulations.  We want to encourage Federal regulators to provide
effective compliance assistance, rather than go straight to the penalty
stage.  Regulatory enforcement should be effective, not excessive.

This forum offers small business owners a chance to express their concerns
about federal compliance practices and to learn how to more effectively
deal with federal regulatory requirements.

Comments and complaints presented during this forum will be directed to
the appropriate federal regulatory agency.  This information will also be
shared with federal officials in the National Ombudsman’s Annual Report to
Congress, and with leadership of federal regulatory agencies to assist
them with their enforcement actions.

The forum is open to the public. Those wishing to testify should contact
Dave Lentell of the SBA’s Des Moines District Office at (515) 284-4522 or
by email at thomas.lentell@sba.gov before the forum.  Should small
business owners or representatives be unable to attend, written testimony
may be sent in advance of the forum to be included in the public record.
Comments and concerns about federal enforcement actions can be addressed
directly to SBA’s Office of the National Ombudsman at 1-888-734-3247
(REGFAIR).  For more information about the National Ombudsman and the Iowa
forum, please visit the web site www.sba.gov/ombudsman.

The State Fair (Part 2)

Options for entertainment at the Iowa state fair range from performances by dance schools to calling contests to musical groups. The quality can be described as eager amateur to well-experienced professional. I came away from looking at the fair’s schedule with the impression that the variety of performers this year was not as great as in previous years. Thus, I was not surprised when my trip to the fair on the second Thursday did not include any acts that appealed to me.
The Elwell Family Food Center, where prize-winning desserts are displayed, was moved to the old tourism building this year. At the old location Blue Bunny had given away samples of its frozen treats.  A person exiting the new location as I entered muttered, “Nothing’s free anymore.”  This was an echo of my own observation that the give-aways at this year’s fair seemed fewer and less interesting than in other years.  Although, the magnet clip from Iowa tourism is nice.

Anderson Erickson is still offering samples of its products. Unfortunately, lemonade was being served the day I was there. Having tasted the beverage before I knew it was proof that AE should stick with dairy products. Cookies was promoting its salsa, which isn’t bad but not so good that the company should stray from its barbeque sauce products.

Most food vendors’ booths had no lines but plenty of people were seen with ice cream cones and pork chops on a stick. The Cattlemen’s Beef Quarters was the only site with a long line. On Thursday, Boone County Beef Princesses were taking orders in the express lines where $2.75 hamburgers were featured from 2-4 p.m..

Nikki (pictured) certainly enjoyed her pork chop. Nikki was trained as a service dog by Dog Expectations in Newton. She is alert for the early signs of a seizure, but also is sensitive to feelings in general and can tell if a child has been abused. She accompanies Kevin Johnson of Des Moines who works as a school-based artist in residence. Johnson takes Nikki to the fair every year on her birthday. This year she is 12 and was celebrating with Ruth Bergland of Boone.

The theme of this year’s fair is “Sounds like fun.” As I looked around the fair, I thought “Why bother?” might be a more accurate theme. Cheap plastic toys could be bought for less money at a dollar store than at fair booths. Bauder’s ice cream can be found on Ingersoll Avenue year-round. I could buy cheese curds offered by one vendor with more guarantee of freshness at the Valley Junction farmers’ market.

Then I realized why we need to attend the fair. Cell phones were mostly quiet and laptop computers were scarce. Instead, people were looking at each other and interacting without the buffer of electronic equipment. That is reason enough to bother: an opportunity to interact with each other and to share moments in real-time and in real-space, an opportunity to part of something human.

Guest Writer: M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.

The State Fair (Part 1)

A blog for life and events around Des Moines has to include an item on the state fair. Being on the Internet, the piece has to include some background information for non-Iowans, as well as something new for the locals.

I had planned to attend the fair during its first week and to talk with people about their views of the fair and of Iowa. Alas, when I finally made it to the fair on the second Thursday, the mood on the fairgrounds was not conducive to pestering people for their opinions.

The morning was rainy and that seemed to limit the crowds and to dampen the energy level. The line for samples of dairy, soybean, and meat products in the Agricultural building stood still for minutes at a time, as though it were just too much effort to move. Smiles and the pace picked up midway through the afternoon after the rain clouds finally dissipated. Having been at the fair just the one day I cannot say if the malaise of moodiness was due wholly to the weather or if it had another underlying cause. However, KCCI TV news reported on Friday that hot weather had kept food sales down and CityView reported that dry weather had severely limited the number of entries into produce contests. People tending booths seemed worn down and not pleased to be there.

The Information booth people were helpful, though. I even found an answer to my question about reserve champions. The term refers to second place. I was curious because the term “reserve” could mean either higher or lower quality and coverage of auctions I had seen in prior years seemed to praise reserves more than champions. The person at the Information booth explained that a champion may not go to auction at the fair. The animal might be taken to another, bigger show. If the champion wins there, it can bring more money. However, sometimes it comes in third or fourth and the value is lost.

I also learned some things at the Vatterott College booth in the Varied Industries building. Enrollment and course options are up and the college is constructing a new building at 7000 Fleur Drive. The web site reveals that the career and technical education center has campuses in several other states, too.

The presidential selection caucuses were heavily promoted. WHO-TV had mason jars into which a kernel of corn counted as a vote for a candidate. The political parties had candidate and caucus information at their booths. Even the State Historical Museum was promoting a caucus exhibit that opens on October 5, 2007. Alas, nobody was informing Iowans that school board and municipal government elections will be held this year.

As always, there were rides to excite children and games for men to show their prowess. Gardeners and gardening centers provided colorful plants to landscape the fairgrounds. Pride of 4-H animal raising and practicality of farming continue to be major reasons for the state fair.

Guest Writer: M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.

Bottled water, please

Move to Des Moines and you will soon hear stories about the flood of 1993. Live here a few months and you will be surprised there isn’t more flooding given the high humidity. Wait a bit and someone will start talking about the mud flats on the Des Moines River that regularly added to the aroma of downtown in September before dams were installed. How does the summer of 2007 compare?

August brought many days and nights of rain across the northern half of Iowa. The ground was saturated and sewers overtaxed. Creeks and rivers rose and water did not drain from streets. People were evacuated from their homes and some municipal water supplies became unusable. Few of those rain
showers, or similar ones in the southern half of Iowa, crossed over Des Moines. The humidity in the city was high, though, and was at tropical levels for several days.

Flowers in the city continued to bloom and to attract butterflies, while mushrooms grew thick and strong among blades of grass. (The picture shows scenes from the western part of Des Moines on August 22.) The flood waters from northern Iowa were rushing through Des Moines on August 24 (pictured, left) and 25 (right), as seen from the Walnut and Locust Streets bridges. The roiling of the water and rocking of the waves is not captured very well, however. Unlike the spring, when high river levels continued until rain and warm temperatures melted snow, this autumn high should drop quickly.

While you stroll along the shores of the river downtown, notice the crickets as they jump across your path. In this picture they are gathered among flower beds edging the Simon Estes Amphitheater outside the Embassy Suites Hotel.

Guest Writer: M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.

Speaking of Women

The 33rd Annual Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame Ceremony was held on August 25, 2007, at the State Historical Building. Of the four women inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, two live or work in Des Moines.

Ruth Ann Gaines has been the drama teacher at East High School for 36 years. She is pictured here after the ceremony (left) with Sandy Renshaw (right) of AroundDesMoines.com. Renshaw was a student in a speech course Gaines taught at DMACC.

Renshaw is available to talk to groups in central Iowa on the topics of blogging for communities and blogging for business. Guest writer. M.R. Field, who still remembers her speech course taken at Vanderbilt many years ago, also is available to talk to groups around Iowa. She covers the areas of journalism, business funding, and public transportation. Des Moines is rich in the number of women, and men, who live here and who have gathered knowledge and expertise in a variety of subjects. Leading Voices: Iowa has been working on gathering a list of women who can talk to groups and to the media on subjects that help build political knowledge and promote dialogue beyond the status quo, while also helping women to become accustomed to letting their voices lead.

Connie Wimer, publisher of the Des Moines Business Record and dsm, also was inducted into the Hall of Fame this year. The plaques bearing the names of all the women inducted into the Hall of Fame are being moved to the third floor of the State Historical Building. Previously, they hung on the walls of the offices of the Human Rights Commission, of which the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women is a part.

Guest Writer: M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.

Planning for a Vision

When improvements along Ingersoll were in the planning stages, steps were taken to coordinate work with the city’s plan to replace sewer pipes. Other practical considerations were to delay curb extensions at intersections, which could be added later if money becomes available, and not to bury utility lines, which would cost $300,000 per block.. These were some of the details provided at the August 13, 2007, North of Grand (NOG) neighborhood meeting. The information helped to provide context for the vision of a new streetscape now being developed for the Roosevelt Cultural District.

 

Rob McCullough, managing director of The Des Moines Playhouse and acting chair of the Roosevelt Cultural District Vision Committee, gave the presentation. It was the first of several meetings with neighborhood groups in the areas surrounding the cultural district. Although the discussion was about one small area, it demonstrated that each block is important to the overall condition of the city.

At the center of the vision, which is still in a very preliminary stage, are changes to the flow of traffic on 42nd Street from the bridge over I-235 to Crocker Street.. By creating a center turn lane that could be used by traffic heading both north and south, the street could be reduced to three lanes. This would allow the fourth lane to be used for sidewalks and planters. In addition, by removing one lane, traffic should flow better as there would no longer be delays where the lanes merge. Traffic lights, reconfiguration of additional streets, and pedestrian crosswalks are also being considered. Public art is the other major part of the vision.

The cultural district is made up of unrelated land uses. There are two schools (Hubbell Elementary and Roosevelt High), a theater (the Playhouse), and a collection of small stores, eateries, art galleries, and service stations. This led me to ask about benches. At first I was wondering if benches should be added to the vision since the separate land uses do not seem to serve the same customers at the same time. As other people at the meeting shared ideas, I realized benches would be useful. The cultural district, at one of the few bridges giving north-south access over I-235, is a pedestrian walking zone. Benches would offer pedestrians a place to stop and rest on their way to and from the shopping district at University and 42nd or to the observatory in Waveland Park or to concerts and sporting events at the high school. Another meeting attendee opined that the proposed planters should have the same type of plants to help create a sense of unity throughout the district.

McCullough and attendees talked about areas outside of the cultural district, too. Plans being made by the schools, dreams held by nearby residents, and other capital improvements considered by the city could complicate or enhance the district’s streetscape changes.

Guest Writer: M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.

The Color of Yellow

School Yellow: Des Moines public schools start on Thursday, August 23, 2007, but some private and suburban schools are already in session. When driving, remember that school zones are 25 miles per hour (mph). Personally, I think that is too fast. Most communities where I’ve lived have school-zone speed limits of 20 or even 15 mph.. (Here’s a hint: Drive a couple miles below the posted speed limits. In downtown Des Moines this will help you to hit all green lights and it will be easier to slow down for school zones.) Please give crossing guards respect. That means bringing your vehicle, including bicycles, to a complete stop when people enter cross walks.

If you come upon a yellow school bus with its amber lights flashing, you have to slow to at least 20 mph. This state law applies whether you are approaching from the rear or from the front. If the school bus has its red lights flashing or if the Stop arm is out, you must stop at least 15 feet from the bus and wait until the lights are not flashing red and the Stop arm is raised. The only exception is if you are on a road where there are at least 2 lanes in each direction and you are approaching the bus from the opposite direction.

Around Des Moines has heard of two forums for candidates seeking to be on the Des Moines school board. One will be on Monday, August 27, at 7:00 p.m. at Park Fair Mall’s Senior Center (at Euclid and 2nd Avenue). It is hosted by the Northeast Neighbors Association. Another will be held on Thursday, August 30, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Union Missionary Baptist Church (at East University and McCormick) and is hosted by the African American Leadership Coalition.

Peace Yellow: Iraq Summer will be wrapping up its activities in Des Moines on Saturday, August 25, at 10:00 a.m. Iraq Summer is creating a yellow ribbon in support of troops. You can be a part of it by wearing a yellow shirt and going to the west steps of the state Capitol (at East Grand and East 12th). Photographers will take pictures of the human ribbon to send to elected officials to encourage them to support U.S. troops by ending the war in Iraq. Non-perishable items will also be collected to send in a care package to the troops.

Rose Yellow: A yellow rose was the symbol of suffragists and their political supporters whose efforts gave women the right to vote in 1920 when the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified by the Tennessee legislature. Help celebrate by joining Friends of the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women at a Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday, August 25, at the State Historical Building (at East Locust and East 6). You also are invited to attend a meeting of the Commission that will be held on the 25th at the Hotel Fort Des Moines (at Walnut and 10th Streets) at 2:30 p.m. (The Commission is planning a public hearing in October to help determine what its 2008 legislative agenda should be.)

Watercolor Yellow: What should the state’s Department of Cultural Affairs set as 2008 legislative and budget priorities to help improve your community? That is the question for a cultural constituent meeting to be held on Thursday, August 30, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at the State Historical Building (at East Locust and East 6). RSVP to Lavon.Grimes@iowa.gov or via phone at (515) 281-8741.

Guest Writer: M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.

The Presidential Straw Poll

On August 11, 2007, I attended the presidential straw poll conducted by the Republican Party of Iowa. I went for the experience and to talk with people. Since I wasn’t covering the event as a journalist, I voted and my vote was for sale. I went looking for the candidate whose campaign made the best impression of hospitality upon me.

I took advantage of Mitt Romney’s campaign to catch a ride from Des Moines to Ames and to obtain a $35 ticket with which to vote. Since those two items made it possible for me to participate in the straw poll, I placed a comparable value on them. However, I subtracted some points because Romney is drawing upon his deep personal financial resources to drive his campaign. In terms of earning my vote, the politeness and competency of the Romney staff and volunteers went even farther than the monetary outlay. In addition, I was favorably impressed that the campaign’s straw poll location had a barrel for soda pop cans to be recycled. Whether it was done to reduce landfill space or just to recoup the Iowa bottle deposit, it was a good thing to have.

The majority of campaigns offered pulled pork buns with potato chips, a side dish, cookies, and beverage. The campaigns each chose a different restaurant as the supplier, including some in the Des Moines area. Vegetarians had options, too, with watermelon brought in from Arkansas by Mike Huckabee’s campaign, local corn grilled up by Duncan Hunter’s campaign, and Blue Bunny Bomb Pops offered up by the One Vote special-issue campaign. There also was plenty of ice cream. Again, Duncan Hunter’s campaign went local with a John Deere motor powering ice cream makers. The cream was local and very delicious.

Sam Brownback’s campaign had the spot right off of the parking area and it was the first place I headed to see what literature, activities, and food were offered. I was stopped at the gate, though, and told to vote before I ate. Since I saw only one entrance to the campaign’s space, I walked away with the impression that the campaign didn’t care to talk with anybody who wasn’t already a Brownback supporter. No other campaign treated straw poll attendees, many of whom were Democrats accompanying Republican relatives, in this manner. Later in the day I came across another entrance to the Brownback tent where people were not turned away. Alas, I also witnessed campaign workers still automatically turning away straw poll attendees at the first gate. The range of friendliness varied at the other campaigns’ tents, with some more ready with smiles than others but none refusing to welcome guests.

I had hoped to see some buttons urging Condoleezza Rice to run for president even though the group Think Condi could not be at the straw poll, but I was disappointed. Voting itself went quickly and relatively easily.

More comments on the straw poll can be found in the picture captions (set of 6 photos on Flickr). In addition, the August 22 issue of Leading Voices: Iowa will have comments from women at the straw poll and other items related to the event.

Guest Writer: M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.

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