This week in Iowa organizing…
I imagine like you, we were saddened to hear about the events unfolding in Israel and the Gaza Strip over the weekend. Our hearts go out to the Israelis, Palestinians, and others impacted by the violence that erupted, and will sadly continue in the days ahead.
Right now, we're almost at a loss for words. Violence in all forms by any party is not the path forward and must be condemned. As many have said before, "there is no way to peace. Peace is the way." Building community is not done by lashing out at one another, it's done through tough conversations and open minds and hearts.
Please read on for ways to be in community and take action for our people and planet,
Matthew Covington (he/him)
Strategic Operations Director
Take action
This Wednesday: October 11 - Des Moines City Council Candidate forum
At CCI Action, we believe in doing politics differently. We know that change only comes from the bottom up, and that those impacted by the issues we face should be the ones determining the solutions.
Join us for CCI Action’s Des Moines City Council Candidate Forum with Josh Mandelbaum, Mayoral candidate; Connie Boesen, Mayoral candidate; Rob Barron, Ward 1 candidate; Chris Coleman, Ward 1 candidate; Jason Bennell, Ward 4 candidate. We'll be at the downtown Des Moines Public Library, Meeting Room 2 from 6:30-8pm.
We'll ask all the candidates where they stand on the issues that are important to CCI Action members and the people of Des Moines.
This Thursday: October 12 - Let's go to the movies Scott County!
We're wrapping up our Films for a Livable Future film series next Thursday in Scott County!
Join us on Thursday, October 12th from 6-8PM for a screening of 'The Lorax' at the DeWitt Community Library. 'The Lorax' is a kid-friendly film with strong environmental justice themes that urge viewers to stand up for our air, water, land, and all the creatures that live here.
This is a space for residents to come together, discuss issues affecting their communities, learn and be inspired by the visual content and one another’s experiences, and generate solutions that address their needs and priorities.
October 19 - lunch & learn with the Power of Participation!
Participation means different things to different people. We’re inviting you to join us as we take a deep dive into one important form of participation—voting.
Please join us for a Lunch & Learn! And together we will unpack the Power of Participation, Voting Edition:
Thursday, October 19
From 11:45am to 1:00pm
At the Iowa CCI office (2001 Forest Ave, Des Moines)
They say time flies when you’re having fun, and the Power of Participation sessions are highly interactive, energizing, and a lot of fun. And we’ll enjoy lunch while we learn! You have the option to BYO or place a brown bag lunch order when you RSVP.
Please come for this great community-building event! Let us know if you can join by RSVPing here.
October 20-22: Buffalo Rebellion Climate Justice Summit
Big polluters like MidAmerican Energy and Summit should be paying for a just transition toward clean energy and regenerative ag practices, not taking public tax dollars for greenwashing scams like CO2 pipelines!
We need more people like you to join the movement to get real climate solutions implemented that uplift everyday people, not big corporations.
RSVP HERE for our second annual Climate Justice Summit in Des Moines, October 20th-22nd!
During the summit you can expect to develop your organizing skills, learn about key issues we face here in Iowa, and discuss our next steps of action! Meals provided to attendees during the summit.
Join us for Clean Water Book Clubs!
Book clubs started meeting last week! Check out these groups in Des Moines and Iowa City. There are still a couple opportunities to join an Iowa CCI Clean Water Book Club to connect with others and discuss what we're reading. Finishing the book is not required for joining one of these clubs to talk about it!
Oct 16 @ 2pm - in person at the Cedar Valley Unitarian Universalist church in Cedar Falls
Oct 18 @ 6:00pm - on Zoom - REGISTER HERE
Oct 26 @ 7:00pm - author call with Chris Jones - REGISTER HERE
There's still time to join the book club! Visit www.iowacci.org/book to sign up, get the book, download our hosting guide, book club discussion questions and more.
Summit Carbon Solutions - our water is not for sale!
Summit Carbon Solutions is applying for water withdrawal permits from the Iowa DNR to create a cooling system for their proposed CO2 pipeline project. Their water usage in total could be nearly half a billion gallons per year – that ain’t right!
We can't let Summit extract more of our resources just so they can line their pockets. Email Michael Anderson at the DNR today to tell him to oppose these water use permits.
Here are a few reasons we oppose these permits:
CO2 pipelines are not in the public interest and should not be allowed to use massive amounts of water, threatening the supply for folks in the rural communities they want to run through
Iowa is and will continue to experience droughts – our water resources should not be used to line the pockets of corporations like Summit Carbon Solutions
We deserve a fair, transparent, state-wide DNR process before approving the use of any wells for CO2 pipelines are approved
Thousands of Iowans are already opposed to the CO2 pipelines, this is just one more reason to not support these proposed projects. Email the Iowa DNR today!
Updates
Our Des Moines City Council endorsement!
At CCI Action we believe in doing politics differently. That means using elections to advance our key issue campaigns and supporting candidates who believe, like we do, that we need to put people and the planet first, and supporting candidates who understand that change comes from the bottom up.
That’s why we’re excited to announce our endorsement of Chelsea Lepley for Des Moines City Council Ward 2!
Lepley (they/she) has been organizing with her neighbors and with CCI Action for many years to uplift the voices and the stories in her community, and we know she’ll take that energy into office with her.
Early voting begins on October 18. If you want to elect a people's champion, help us get out the vote by making calls or knocking doors:
Wednesday, Oct. 18 door knocking, 4-7pm
Wednesday, Oct. 18 virtual phone bank, 4-7pm
Saturday, Nov. 4 door knocking, 1-4pm
Dubuque People's Housing Forum
Over 80 CCI members and Dubuque residents attended our People's Housing Forum on Sunday, Oct. 1, to talk about the future of housing in the city. Many questions on the subject of tenant rights, housing conditions, and development were raised and answered by Mayor Brad Cavanagh, Councilwoman Katy Wethal, and Councilman Danny Sprank.
In addition to moving testimony from the audience, including many from Table Mound Mobile Home Park, we laid out our five policy housing platform which includes:
Making pest control cost the responsibility of landlords
Eliminating application fees
Expanding the Dubuque Housing Dept. by hiring more rental inspectors
Declaring support for and educating the public on tenant rights
Developing more mixed income restricted housing in the downtown and North end
Attendees also voiced concern about a lack of attention to issues like these at the federal level and the need for Congress to take action. CCI members have been attempting to schedule a meeting with Representative Ashley Hinson for over 4 months to discuss this and other issues - only to be met with silence. Add your name encouraging Rep. Hinson to meet with us here!