Thicke Considering Run for Sec. of Agriculture

Desmoinesdem broke the news yesterday at Bleeding Heartland that Francis Thicke, an organic dairy farmer near Fairfield, is planning to run for Secretary of Agriculture.

Thicke would be an outstanding asset to Iowa as Secretary of Agriculture. A working farmer and expert on many agricultural policy issues, he currently serves on Iowa's USDA State Technical Committee and has an impressive list of publications. In the past he has served on the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission, the Iowa Food Policy Council, and the Iowa Organic Standards Board. [...]

If Thicke runs for Secretary of Agriculture, his campaign is likely to become a focal point for environmentalists who aren't satisfied with our current Democratic leadership in Iowa.

Thicke released this statement yesterday with more information...

March 20, 2009

THICKE FORMS EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE FOR IOWA SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE

Francis Thicke (Tic-kee) announced today that he has formed an exploratory committee to advise him on the possibility of running for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture in the 2010 election. Thicke and his wife, Susan, are owners and operators of an organic, grass-based dairy farm near Fairfield . They process their milk on the farm and market it locally through grocery stores and restaurants.

Citing estimates that more than 80% of the $8 billion worth of food consumed in Iowa comes from out of state, Thicke said "Growing more of our food in Iowa represents a multi-billion dollar economic development opportunity." This potential economic activity could "create thousands of new jobs and help revitalize rural communities in Iowa, as well as provide Iowans with fresh, nutritious food," said Thicke.

The ethanol industry has been struggling to survive in today's changing economic climate. "Iowa's investment in ethanol production has brought economic development to agriculture, and we need to protect that investment," said Thicke. "However, it is time to reassess, and consider how future investments in renewable energy can be better targeted to profit farmers, and better protect our natural resource base."

Thicke has a Ph.D. in agronomy/soil fertility and has previously served at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. as National Program Leader for Soil Science for the USDA-Extension Service. Thicke frequently speaks at conferences and workshops in Iowa, across the Midwest, and nationally on a wide range of topics, including local food systems and economic development, ecologically sound animal production systems, organic farming practices, and soil management for sustainable farming.

Thicke has served on the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission and the Iowa Food Policy Council at the appointment of Governor Vilsack, and on the Iowa Organic Standards Board at the appointment of Governor Branstad. He currently serves on Iowa's USDA State Technical Committee.

"I am looking forward to engaging people across the state in a dialogue on opportunities to make Iowa agriculture more prosperous and sustainable," Thicke said.

My first thought was that Thicke is qualified to hold this position and lead on key issues such as renewable energy, locally grown foods, and local control of hog confinements. Next, I thought this means Denise O'Brien, who narrowly lost in 2006, won't be running. O'Brien and Thicke have similar backgrounds and why beat each other up in a primary when they both care about the same issues.

Century of the Common Iowan Turns 3 Years Old

I glanced at the clock and saw there was just 5 minutes till midnight. I had forgotten that Monday marked the 3rd birthday for Century of the Common Iowan and I only had 5 minutes to put up a post to sum up those 3 years. Yeah right.

Well here's what I got written in an hour...

As I look back, it is interesting how the focus of the blog has evolved over those years. In the blogs first year I wrote a lot about issues such as the rising cost of college tuition and Iowa's Brain Drain, immigration, and the need for a trade policy that protects American jobs. Year two was all about the Iowa caucuses. The following year I was able to sit back and watch the primaries play out and lead up to the general election. With the 2008 elections behind us, I have been able to write more about policies and topics such as the emergence of Millennials, social media, education, and the need to invest in a creative economy.

3 years, 2,226 posts, and over 132,000 visitors later and here we are in the best of times, in the worst of times. Our current economic and political situation find us in a situation where remarkable change can take place (and if it doesn't, it's because we didn't make them do it) . It is time for big ideas. In the coming year I hope to focus on the big ideas that desmoinesdem laid out that I wrote about last month.

• Clean elections
• Promoting clean energy solutions
• Local control of hog confinements
• Passenger rail
  
• Rural broadband.

These are not new issues. Many I have written about since I started this blog, but now is the time to stop talking about these issues and start seeing real action. On the campaign trail, Barack Obama told the story that one voice can change a room, one room can change a city, one city can change a nation. It is my hope that over the past 3 years, I have been able to change 1 person's viewpoint on these key issues and encouraged 1 person to take action on these key issues.

I'd like to end by repeating what Rekha Basu wrote about activism that I posted about earlier today..

Still, it takes courage to be an activist. It requires putting yourself out there in public, daring to take the unpopular position and getting hostile feedback... But those who understand history know well the role activism has played in winning rights and making a more just, humane and accessible America.

Join in. Post comments. Attend your local Democratic central committee meeting. Call your State Legislators. Get active in a community group or city board. Start your own blog. Heck, run for local office.

It's time to make a ruckus. Let's go!

Big Ideas

Democrats have accomplished a great deal the past 3 years including increasing Iowa's renewable energy industries, raising teacher salaries, providing same day voter registration, expanding early childhood education, and enacting a smoking ban.

In a post yesterday at Bleeding Heartland, desmoinesdem laid an agenda of big ideas Democrats at the Statehouse can pursue over the next 2 years.

If Democrats can show that their governance made a tangible difference in the lives of Iowans, it will be easier to give voters a reason to back Culver and Democratic legislators again in 2010. I've got a few suggestions:

-Reduce the influence of money in politics by approving a voluntary "clean elections" system on the model of Maine or Arizona;
-Reject new coal fired power plants (as several of our neighboring states have done) and increase our capacity to generate wind and solar power;
-Allow "local control" of large hog confinements (agricultural zoning at the county level);
-Make progress toward providing light rail in the Ames/Ankeny/Des Moines and Iowa City/Cedar Rapids corridors.

I couldn't agree more with these issues and have written a lot about about each one in the past (read my posts on clean elections, coal plants, local control, light rail). If could add one more it would be high speed rural broadband access. I wrote last summer...

Broadband penetration is a huge asset for economic development, especially in rural areas like Iowa.

When governments are trying to attract companies to locate in the area they should invest in infrastructure such as high speed broadband. It would benefit those companies and spark entrepreneurship among individuals living in the rural areas.

Unfortunately, I also agree with desmoinesdem that Democratic Leadership doesn't seem interested in pushing any of these issues at the moment. There are legislators here and there speaking on these issues, but progress likely won't be made without support from leadership.

Iowa CCI Lobby Day in Tuesday

I am bummed I can't make it to Iowa CCI's Lobby Day on Tuesday at the capitol in Des Moines.

However, I have emailed my State Senator and State Representive supporting two key issues that CCI has been fighting for - local control of hog confinements and the Voter-Owned Iowa Clean Elections bill, known as VOICE.

Here is information Iowa CCI sent out on how to contact your legislators...

Our rally and lobby day is tomorrow - Jan. 27!

If you're not able to join us at the Capitol, help us have a 'virtual' presence at the Statehouse:

E-mail or call your legislators! Urge them to stand up for what's right and protect everyday Iowans through CCI's low-cost solutions. Follow this link to find your legislators - click on your senator or representative, click on the contact tab and click on their email address to compose your message.

Hundreds of Iowans will be at the Statehouse tomorrow - imagine the impact of hundreds more Iowans filling their inboxes and voicemails with messages calling on them to protect all Iowans.

Give them a call, email a message or send a letter on Jan. 27 letting them know that even though you can't be there, you are supporting hundreds of everyday Iowans who are standing up for issues that you care about.

We're asking legislators for simple, no-cost solutions that benefit the common good:
- local control, local people should have the ability to say if a factory farm can build near them;
- strong worker protection laws and children's health insurance that work for everyone -- regardless of immigration status;
- moratorium on foreclosures and other efforts that protect homeowners and consumers; and,
- campaign contributions and VOICE so people talk more in our political process and money talks less.

After you get your email sent, check out this great post from Iowa Independent about Iowa CCI's efforts over the past twenty years.

**Update**
If you are able to make to Des Moines for the Lobby Day, here is the schedule...

Please join us for Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement's
January 27, 2009 Rally & Lobby Day
"People Before Polluters. People Before Politics. People Before Profits."
10:00 a.m. Rally at Wallace Building
10:55 a.m. March to Capitol Building/ Greet Legislators
12 p.m. Lunch and Lobby
1-4 p.m. Meetings with Key Leaders

Why won’t Iowa legislators support local control?

From I'm for Iowa...

This year, the Iowa Republican Party Platform added the following plank: “We support local control of agricultural zoning practices.”

For many years, the Iowa Democratic Party Platform has contained this plank: “We support local control for CAFO siting, maintenance and operations.”

President-elect Obama has it in his agenda. “Regulate CAFOs: Strictly regulate pollution from large factory livestock farms, with fines for those that violate tough standards. Support meaningful local control.”

And according to a 2007 poll by The Des Moines Register, sixty-four percent of Iowans agree with local control.

So…..Republicans say they want it. Democrats say they want it, including President-elect Obama. The majority of Iowans say they want it.

Why won’t Iowa legislators support local control?

That's a good question that you should be asking your State Senator and State Representitive.

Proposed Hog Confinements in Dallas County Show Need for Local Control

Usually considered a rural issue, two proposed hog confinements Dallas County are making urban lawmakers pay more attention.

The proposed hog confinements would have a total of 7,440 hogs in rural Dallas County, which is the fastest growing county in the state. These confinements will proposed as much waste as a town of 25,000 people and it will go untreated.

Earlier this month, Dallas County Supervisors voted against allowing these proposed hog confinements, but in reality there isn't much the local people can do about the hog confinements that will be owned by the out of state company, Cargill.

Dallas is among 70 counties that have adopted a system of requirements used by state regulators to determine whether construction of an animal confinement is allowed, which means the Board of Supervisors and dozens of residents who live near the proposed buildings provide input but have little say over what happens in their backyards.

The so-called "master matrix," created in 2003, awards points based on how a confinement will affect the air, water and community. Both proposed Dallas County confinements garnered enough points for approval, which county officials must submit to the state by Monday.

Residents say the grading system creates an illusion of local control. "In reality, the county has very little control over this," said Jim Thompson, who lives near one of the proposed sites west of Perry.

Applications to build animal confinements are submitted to the county, where officials score the matrix. If an applicant gets the needed points, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources approves the application. If the county issues a failing grade, the state rescores the matrix and can overrule the decision.

In the past some state legislators from more urban districts stayed away from this issue, saying that it was a rural issue. However, these proposed hog confinements demonstrate that hog confinements are moving into more urban areas and can be put up anywhere without little control from local citizens.

Hopefully, this will force urban lawmakers in the Iowa legislature to start pushing for the need for local control.

John Nichols Calls on Iowans to Continue to Lead

Last weekend I attended the Iowa CCI convention where John Nichols was the keynote speaker. Nichols gave a great speech that made all of the Iowans in attendance proud.

His theme was that citizenship requires action, that it is more than just voting a couple times each year. It is Iowan's responsibility to pursue progressive goals that move the nation forward because Iowans has always been on the frontline of progressive change in the country.

Nichols outlined how Iowa has been leading the nation on the big issues ever since it became a state in 1846 and declared that it was not going to be a slave state. Wisconsin and Minnesota followed suit and this was the beginning of the end of slavery.

He then told the story of Smith Wildman Brookhart (Yes, Wildman was really his middle name.), who ran ran for the United States Senate in 1922 as a Republican with a populist message, saying...

Wall St. is a greater threat to America than any foreign enemy.

Brookhart won a close election and was seated in the Senate until he pissed off party leaders and the election was overturned. He is the only person ever to have the election results overturned after already being seated as a US Senator. Broookhart didn't give up though. He ran in 1926 against longtime Senator Albert B. Cummins, who was the chair of the Judiciary committee. Brookhart went on to beat Cummins in the Republican primary and went on to win in the general election.

Nichols then talked about Henry Wallace and I shot this video of him talking about Henry Wallace. I used my cell phone to take the video, so the quality isn't the best, but here it is anyway.



Nichols quoted George McGovern, who had this to say about Henry Wallace...

The only thing Henry Wallace did wrong was believe that America could be as good as Americans were.

Nichols then told how Harold Hughes spoke to end the war in Vietnam and against the strong-armed tatics being used by the Chicago police.

That led up to the 2008 Iowa caucuses. Nichols said that Iowans did what only Iowans can do. We asked the tough questions at the small town cafes and in the end, showed the rest of the nation Barack Obama could win.

Nichols stressed that our duties don't stop there. We must continue to push ahead on the issues of clean elections, local control of hog confinements, clean water, and worker's rights. If Iowans do that then the rest of the country will follow.

Iowa CCI Delivers Letter to Terrace Hill

On Saturday morning, members of Iowa CCI took a break from their statewide convention and headed to Terrace Hill to deliver a letter to Gov. Culver.

Culver promised back in March to continue pushing the issues of local control of hog confinements, clean water, and Voter Owned Iowa Clean Elections (VOICE). Even though, Culver has done a tremendous job responding the the needs of Iowans following the floods, he has done little since March on these important issues.

Here's the press release from Iowa CCI...

As the election season heats up in Iowa, more than 200 Iowans gathered at Terrace
Hill Saturday, July 19 to rally, protest and deliver a letter to Governor Culver, telling him to end his vacation and get to work on critical issues affecting thousands of everyday Iowans: local control, Voter Owned Iowa Clean Elections (VOICE), the rights of all workers and consumer protections. The protest was part of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement’s annual statewide convention, of which the theme was, “Real People, Real Power, Real Change.”

“It’s up to Governor Culver to use the power of his office to make things happen – he’s the state’s Chief Executive,” said CCI member and Board President Barb Kalbach from Dexter. “But he is failing Iowans who elected him and who he is supposed to represent. He has been ‘on vacation’ for the last two legislative sessions, and his ignoring of everyday Iowans and our issues has to stop – it’s time for him to get to work.”

CCI member Misti Craig of Des Moines said, “We deserve as everyday Iowans to govern what happens at the statehouse. We will show the governor and our legislators that we are a powerful voting bloc on these issues and cannot be ignored.”

Unfortunately, Gov. Culver was unavailable and couldn't come out and talk

Culver and Local Control

Last week, I wrote about Chet Culver talking about how important of an issue local control of large hog confinements is.

Todd Dormon responded to my post and shows what Culver has done on the issue...

Here is the chronology of Culver’s push for local control, as I see it.

1. Promise repeatedly during the 2006 campaign to push for local control over where large hog confinements can be built.

2. Insist weeks before even taking office that you can’t get the Legislature to go along with local control, so you’re not going to press the issue.

3. Make no mention of local control in your second legislative agenda.

4. Make a great speech talking about your continued push for local control.

I don’t care whether you favor or oppose local control, but I defy you to find any real evidence that Culver has “pushed” for it.

He’s insisted, repeatedly, that the votes aren’t there in the Legislature. That may be true.

But the votes weren’t there for a $1 cigarette tax increase when he proposed it in his first budget address to lawmakers last year. He lobbied hard and got it anyway.

I am not sure if there are any bills on this issue still being discussed this session. If not, hopefully, this can become an issue in the upcoming elections and one that Culver pushes next legislative session.

Culver Warms to VOICE and Local Control

Yesterday, members of Iowa CCI held a lobby day at the State House where they met with legislators, DNR official Wayne Gieselman, and Governor Culver. Two of the issues discusses with Culver was VOICE and local control.

Governor Culver, in his meeting with CCI members, said he would continue pushing for local control of factory farms, an issue he pledged his support of during his campaign and for which his commitment was questioned. “I commend your commitment to this important issue,” Culver stated.

Culver also said he was “more open than ever before” to supporting Voter-Owned Iowa Clean Elections, a system where candidates can choose to run using public funding instead of fund raising and accepting monies from powerful special interests. After seeing the impact of special interests in the legislature firsthand, Culver stated, “We have to do something.”

Local Control, Energy to be Hot Topics at Statehouse

The Des Moines Register has a story about the environmental issues that will be debated this year.

The actions they might take could affect the way Iowans get electricity for their homes, how much ethanol they use, and the quality of the water in lakes and streams. This year's legislation could change the condition of state parks, the income of bottle and can redemption centers, and the restrictions on the livestock industry.

Most of the story focuses on local control of the siting of hog confinements.

The livestock debate is raging in Iowa. Hog-confinement neighbors complain more than ever about odors. They fear confinement emissions hurt their health. Groups such as the Iowa Pork Producers Association and the Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers have worked with hundreds of Iowa farmers to promote techniques aimed at reducing odors and water pollution, but the complaints continue.

Newly appointed director of the Department of Natural Resources, Rich Leopold isn't sold on local control.

Leopold said county zoning may not necessarily be the answer. "Local control is a tool, not an end," he said. "It's not, 'get local control and the problems are over.' We're talking about air and quality, property rights and nuisance." There may be multiple ways to fight those problems, including enforcing the existing regulations, Leopold said.

I recived this email from the Rapid Response Network a few days ago. It has some recommendations to improve local control.

• Local Control- Protect citizens and not just the public. Declare a Moratorium on all new construction until counties are given authority to site any facility with a two mile radius of neighbor approval before any can be issued a permit.
• Classify any operation, or total ownership of over 2,500 head as industrial and tax and regulate as any other industry. Ownership of more than 2,500 requires a permit for any size of confinement.
• All production and manure management plans and records must be made available for public review at the county court house.

The second point of classifying large hog confinements as industrial makes sense because that is what are. I heard that a hog produces 4 times as much waste as a human. Would we let a city of 10,000 people go with a sewer treatment plant?

**Update**
Here's a new Iowa blog called Iowa, the Nation, and the World that has a good post up with some stats and information on hog confinements in Iowa. Here's one that I did not know...

According to Iowa State University Extension estimated profits for each hog sold have declined from over $44 from November 2004 to just over $8 by November 2006. Pork experts warn of losses as soon as the current winter, especially due to high corn prices.