This week in Iowa organizing…
Well, we may not have set a heat record over the weekend but it sure felt like it. I hope you were able to get out and enjoy the unseasonably warm weather, if that's your sort of thing!
Alright, let's just cut to the chase - please read on for upcoming events, what we're reading, and more!
Matthew Covington
Strategic Operations Director
Member spotlight
Robin Ghormley
Polk County
What got you involved with CCI? What keeps you engaged/motivated? Who are you fighting for?
"I lived in a little house between Clark and Forest Ave in Des Moines for many, many years. Some people seemed aghast that I lived in such a 'poor neighborhood'. I wasn't sure what they were talking about. Granted some people moved in or out rather quickly , but I didn't have a problem with any crime. I was concerned about those folks who were constantly moving, looking for a better place to rent.
One day a CCI organizer knocked on my door and we had the best visit. She invited me to a CCI meeting and I went. I was impressed! Here was a group actually doing something about helping people improve their lives. We started neighborhood watch programs to protect children from drug dealers accosting them on the way to school, and hosted banks who helped low income people plan to buy a home of their own. So I have invited a lot of people to join CCI and become involved in their neighborhoods.
I live in a senior apartment complex in Windsor Heights now, but look back on the years spent working with CCI members. We had a lot of fun and laughs working in the area, meeting new friends, going to conventions and just enjoying the lives we are able to build around us. I have aged considerably since i joined, but always enjoyed working with young people who had so much vitality and so interested in improving the world around them. All I can say now is WOW! What a group of folks. Thanks CCI!”
Take action
October 22: Public School Strong orientation
We believe that every child – no matter their zip code, background, race, gender, identity, or ability – has an equal right to a quality education. That means fully funding our public schools, urban and rural, and it means we need local school boards free from partisan politics.
And it's why we're part of Public School Strong - a national movement of parents, teachers, students, and community members pushing for honest, equitable, safe, and fully-funded public education. Over 100 of you joined us over the past 2 months to learn more and discuss ways to take action to defend and strengthen Iowa’s public schools - thank you!
Be a part of the growing movement! Join our next orientation session on Tuesday, October 22 at 6pm over Zoom. More info and RSVP here.
October 23: Game over: Ending corporate Agriculture's game of Monopoly
For decades, agribusiness giants and multinational corporations have treated our food and farm system as a twisted game of Monopoly. Join us and the National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC) for a webinar that exposes the monopolization of agriculture by these corporate titans.
Austin Frerick will pull back the curtain to reveal how a handful of companies have managed to seize control of the food we eat—at the expense of independent farmers, consumers, and the environment. Then, hear from farmers who are actively taking control of their own livelihoods and empowering themselves and others to challenge the status-quo.
October 28: Worth County CO2 pipeline ordinance hearing
The Worth County Planning and Zoning Commission will hold their first public hearing on a CO2 pipeline ordinance on October 28 at 6:30pm. At this public hearing we want to thank county officials for their work on this important issue and show our support for the ordinance.
Some good things included in this draft ordinance include a 1/2-mile separation distance between the pipeline and occupied structures, a minimum 6ft pipe depth requirement, and required annual fees paid by Summit to the County.
This ordinance would give local elected officials the power to ensure future county development and community needs are prioritized in Worth County. Let us know if you can join us by registering here!
'The Education Wars' book club!
Thanks to all of you who showed up, spoke up, and committed to take action for honest, equitable, and fully-funded public education along our book tour with author Jennifer Berkshire! We learned so much and met so many great people along our stops in Iowa Falls, Tama and more!
Couldn't make it or want more discussion? Then join us for our Education Wars book club on Zoom! We kicked the book club off on October 15, but if you couldn't make it you're still more than welcome to join us! We're taking this book in bite-sized chunks so there is no pressure to finish it all in one sitting, although you might anyway!
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:
Groups call for tougher water quality rules [Iowa Farmer Today]
Citizen scientists in the Midwest help experts gather environmental data [Flatland]
Our last monthly zoom call of 2024 is this Thursday!
Register here - 5pm Thursday, October 24
And it's almost Halloween so let's talk creepy, crawly things!
Heather Wilson from Izaak Walton League is joining us to talk about the critters that live in the water and what they tell us about water quality. You don't want to miss it!
We would love to hear from you with stories about water and testing. Our lived experiences connect us just as our need for clean water does. If you have a story you would like to share, email kim@iowacci.org.
Please plan to join us Thursday for our last call of the year!
What We're Reading
These are a few links that are informing our work - we've shared them so that you can read, too!
Private school vouchers cost Johnston, Urbandale schools more than $1 million each in 1st year [Iowa Starting Line]
Crime is down. Why do so many rural Americans think it's going up? [Barn Raiser]
Our food "origin story" [In the Dirt]
Iowa CCI brings 'Public School Strong' campaign to Tama County [Tama-Toledo News Chronicle]
Iowa revenues projected to drop by $500 million in each of next 2 years due to GOP tax cuts [Des Moines Register]