This week in Iowa organizing…
Well, it was kind of a hot one this weekend, at least here in central Iowa anyway. Hope you all stayed safe and cool.
Another thing that will be hot (not temperature-wise, and in an air-conditioned building) will be our August 10 Summer Meeting! It's starting to sink in, and I'm getting excited. I hope you are too, and that you can join us (early bird discount ends this Wednesday!).
Don't just take my word for it though. Here's a comment from a fellow CCI Action member regarding a recent summer meeting that pretty much sums it up - "The fellowship among our members is SO uplifting and energizing. We all need that boost to continue to fight day-in and day-out in these extraordinary times."
So in just under two weeks I hope to see you in Ankeny where we'll come together, eat good food, be in community with one another, and take action for the people and places we love. These things are worth it, and the fight continues.
More on that and how to register to join us below, along with other ways to take action in the coming weeks. Let's go!
Matthew Covington
Strategic Operations Director
Member spotlight
Stephen Tews
Davis County
What got you involved with CCI? What keeps you engaged/motivated? Who are you fighting for?
"In high school, I remember reading a brief account of the Haymarket Square ‘riot’ in US history. Though it was merely a few paragraphs, it stuck with me. That protest rally’s goal was to establish an 8-hour workday. These protesters, like us, were looking out for their interests, but also aimed at creating a better life and opportunities for their kids and grandkids.
My first introduction to Iowa CCI was in the early 2000’s when Bruce Rastetter came down to Davis County to build more of his factory farms. I was invited to learn more about the issue and what we could do to challenge these CAFOs. I’ve grown more involved and learned much since then.
Some of the memories that stick with me to this day were our protests and rallies following the Great Recession of 2008. CCI, along with many other groups, protested at the American Bankers Association convention in Chicago, protested against big-bank greed in Kansas City, here in Iowa and notably in Washington, D.C. where 3,000 of us shutdown the infamous K Street chanting “banks got bailed out, we got sold out.”
Many issues we advocate for may not affect me personally, but the changes needed will make civil society better for “we the people.” It is good of us to stimulate people’s thinking about how a situation we are protesting may affect them as well.”
Take action
August 1: final meeting of Barons book club
Our final Barons book club is this Thursday, Aug 1 and we're excited to share that the author, Austin Frerick, will be joining us AND you have two ways to participate:
On Zoom at 6 pm
Or with a potluck at our office in Des Moines starting at 5 pm (Austin is bringing Snickers salad!)
RSVP to let us know how you'll be joining us!
Either way, you'll have the chance to chat with Austin about what you thought of Barons, hear what he's working on next, and you may even get some details that didn't make it into the book!
For this final book club, we'll discuss Ch. 7 Grocery Barons and the conclusion. Attendance at the previous meetings is not needed, and you definitely won't want to miss this one.
RSVP today to stay in the loop!
August 10: CCI Action's Summer Meeting!
Reconnect with old friends and make news ones on Saturday, August 10 in Ankeny for our annual Summer Meeting! If you’re concerned about CO2 pipelines, public education, clean water and more, this is the event for you. We’ll have fearless truth tellers, issue-based workshops, and tasty, local food!
What: “People Power is How We Win” Summer Meeting
When: Saturday, August 10, 9am – 3pm
Where: FFA Enrichment Center, DMACC campus in Ankeny
Who: CCI members, supporters, and folks from across the state ready to take action for our people and planet
Registration: $25 early bird rate until July 31 ($35 beginning Aug. 1) – register today to save your spot here!
Our keynote speaker this year will be Dr. James E. Ford. Dr. Ford is an award-winning world history teacher, community leader, and founder of the Center for Racial Equity in Education (CREED) based in Charlotte, NC. He knows that attacks on our education aren’t new, but also believes in the power of people to rise up and fight for strong public education systems that prepare all students for their future and our communities.
More information, featured speakers, and RSVP here!
**If you already registered for the Summer Meeting, you should have received a confirmation email. Please contact us if you did not, we want to make sure we've got you marked down as joining!**
August 10 (part 2): calling all pie makers!
The silent pie auction at our Saturday, August 10 Summer Membership Meeting is a delicious and fun way to raise funds to help cover the costs of the event and serve up a slice of people and planet first justice all year long.
Are you interested/available to make and donate a pie? If so, please reply to this email or email katie@iowacci.org to let us know what type of pie!
Pies can be delivered to our headquarters in Des Moines on Friday, August 9, or dropped off at the event between 8:30-9:30 am on Saturday, August 10. We can accommodate pies that need refrigeration, too. Thanks!
Starting August 26: Summit pipeline hearings
Though the Iowa Utilities Commission issued an order giving Summit Carbon Solutions a conditional permit to abuse eminent domain on phase one of Summit’s pipeline, our fight is far from over!
Summit will be holding pipeline informational meetings in the coming months for phase two of the route. The Iowa Utilities Commission (aka Iowa Utilities Board) has approved dates for the meetings from August 26- September 20. During these meetings, Summit will have a presentation and give us the opportunity to ask questions and hold their feet to the fire.
Check out the dates and locations of the meetings here, then stay tuned for ways to fight back!
Des Moines city officials - hire a new Police chief to set a new culture
For 7 years now, we've been calling on Des Moines to do more to combat racial profiling and to be responsive to the needs of our communities, especially those often neglected.
Current Des Moines Police Department chief, Dana Wingert, will be retiring soon. This is a chance to set a new direction for Des Moines, and that's why we believe the city should be listened to when considering its next police chief.
Add your name to our petition calling on the city of Des Moines to be proactive in involving the community in its search. Then stay tuned for more when members meet later in August to determine our next steps.
Water Talk
Let's talk about water! Below we have a selection of some stories that caught our eye relating to water quality and ways to take action for our water.
Articles of interest:
The Mississippi River and the Chesapeake Bay water quality strategy [Mississippi Free Press]
Northeast Iowa creek has second mystery fish kill [Iowa Capital Dispatch]
Volunteer water quality monitoring can effect change!
Last Thursday, CCI's water testers got to hear from Dr. Mary Skopec on her vast experience coordinating volunteer water monitoring efforts, both with the IOWATER program (a robust state program that existed between 1998-2016) and with her current work as Director of Iowa Lakeside Laboratory. It was an engaging presentation about the value of citizen science and data.
Highlights from the call:
Citizen water testing can significantly multiply the number of data points collected on streams. (see the IOWATER map)
Regular monitoring can find contamination problems, report them, and get the issues addressed
It creates a more informed citizenry confident to talk about water
And on a good note - cooperative lake monitoring in Iowa's Great Lakes, paired with investments in conservation practices on the land, have shown significant improvements in water clarity and other measures. The hope here is we CAN see water quality improvements in our lifetime!
**Note for testers** The Clean Water Hub has a new email invite feature to get testers connected to their organizations. If you receive an email with the subject line - You've been invited to a Clean Water Hub organization - please click on the Iowa CCI link in the email to log in and connect your account.
We hope you can join us for our next call Thursday, August 29th at 5 pm! RSVP here to get the Zoom information.
What We're Reading
These are a few links that are informing our work - we've shared them so that you can read, too!
The Iowans stopping factory farms, one at a time [Forbes]
Auditor says amended contract for ESA program administration doubled cost [Iowa Capital Dispatch]
Launch of Tama-Toledo Christian school progresses forward [Marshalltown Times Republican]
Land back: Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska get back 1,600 acres that were illegally taken by US 50 years ago [Native News Online]
FTC Chair Lina Khan isn't scared of billionaire bullies [Jacobin]