Political Action Update

March 29, 2006

Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO Endorses Mike Blouin for Iowa Governor

 Leonard Boswell, Bruce Braley and Selden Spencer Receive Endorsements for Congress 

One-hundred and seventeen delegates representing 38,203 of the Federation’s 47,150 eligible affiliates attended the Thirteenth Biennial Pre-Primary Committee on Political Education (C.O.P.E.) Convention at the United Steel Workers Local 310 Hall in Des Moines on Saturday, March 25, and voted to endorse Mike Blouin for Governor.  The endorsement means that Blouin will receive, along with financial assistance from the Federation and its affiliate unions, the benefit of the AFL-CIO labor movement's shoe-leather style of grass-roots political campaigning.  Eight years ago Tom Vilsack won a close primary campaign for Governor with the help of the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO endorsement.

Also endorsed on Saturday were congressional candidates Bruce Braley (D-1st District), Leonard Boswell (D-3rd District), and Selden Spencer (D-4th District).  Democrat Dusky Terry was endorsed for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Democrat Mike Fitzgerald received the nod for State Treasurer, and Democrat Mike Mauro was endorsed for Secretary of State.

In contested primary races for Iowa Statehouse seats, Des Moines Democrat Matt McCoy was endorsed in Senate District 31, Democrat Ako Abdul-Samad was endorsed for House District 66 in Des Moines, and Morning Sun Democrat Nathan Comiskey was endorsed in eastern Iowa's 87th House District.

Federation President Mark Smith, speaking of the Federation endorsements, said that Blouin's strong record of support for working men and women during his past legislative and congressional service was a major factor in Saturday's endorsement.

A listing of all legislative candidates endorsed by the Federation last Saturday appears below.  Additional endorsements will be made. 

Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO Statehouse Endorsements Made at the March 25 C.O.P.E. Convention

Record Number of Iowans Receive Food Assistance in February

A record 224,237 people received food stamps in Iowa in February, breaking the previous 22-year old mark set in the depths of the 1984 Farm Crisis.  Iowa’s food assistance benefits, which are 100% federally funded, are projected to total $245 million in 2006—nearly double the 2002 amount of $124.6 million.

The average monthly food assistance benefit in Iowa is about $204 per household.  The maximum income for eligible households is about $2,100 a month for a family of four.  According to Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) Director Kevin Concannon, an aggressive outreach program designed to reach more eligible people is part of the reason for the increase in food assistance.

Concannon says the prevention of hunger makes sense and has been a top priority of his. “Proper nutrition doesn’t solve all of our social problems, but it makes all the others more manageable,” he said.  “The state that prides itself in the production of food should make sure that nobody goes hungry for lack of resources.”

The stagnation of the economy for working people is another factor that has contributed to increased need for food assistance.  President Bush says, “Our economy is healthy and vigorous,” but just because he says it doesn’t make it so.  Between March 2001 and June 2005, housing costs increased by 13.3 percent, fuel costs increased by 43.7 percent and food costs increased by 10.6 percent.  All while real wages have remained stagnant.  In fact, in 2005 actual wages fell by 1.3 percent for the typical worker and by 1.9 percent for workers earning the lowest wages.  Only in corporate profits has the economy performed above average.

Nussle Budgets Cut Food Assistance

      In 2003 the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) described Jim Nussle’s budget cuts as “reminiscent of those proposed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.”  According to the CBPP, the budget presented by Nussle in 2003 cut food stamps $13 billion over a 10-year  period.  President Clinton vetoed the cuts.

In April of last year, Nussle’s House budget called for $5.3 billion in cuts for the Agriculture budget.  At that time, members of the House Agriculture Committee said they were prepared to make cuts to the food stamp program that were even larger than the $600 million proposed by the Bush administration.

The 2007 Bush budget changes food stamp eligibility rules and cuts roughly $250 million from the food stamp budget.  While it is inconceivable that Jim Nussle wouldn’t also support these cuts, we’ll never know.  Decision-making on the 2007 budget appears to be “on hold” until after the 2006 elections.

Visit

www.nussledeficit.org

to learn the financial disaster our country faces as a result of Jim Nussle’s fiscal recklessness.

 Iraq War Estimated to Cost Over $1 Trillion

The economic cost of the Iraq War is estimated to be at least $1 trillion, approximately $10,000 for every U.S. household, according to “The Economic Costs of the Iraq War,” a study conducted by researchers from Columbia and Harvard Universities.

Besides the actual costs of fighting the war, the study adds the future costs associated with the war which include the costs of care for returning soldiers and interest costs that are incurred because the war is being financed with borrowed money.

The trillion dollar total cost of the war dwarfs the $50 to $60 billion dollar cost estimates provided by the Bush administration at the beginning of the war.  The study based its research on an assumption that all U.S. troops would return home by 2010.  On March 21, 2006, President Bush was asked for a timeline to bring the troops home.  He said that would be up to a future president.

afl-cio NOWNEWS THAT WORKS

 At last—working families have a place in the blogosphere. Check out the AFL-CIO’s unique news blog at

 www.aflcio.org./blog

It’s the site for news about the concerns, struggles and victories of working families and our unions.

BLOG IT: Send news, tips and tales from the front lines to blognews@aflcio.org.

 R   Recommended Reading

In cooperation with the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO presents a conference for union members.

Labor Short Course

The Labor Center invites Iowa union members to attend its longest-running annual program, a week of classes and workshops designed to educate and motivate new union activists and to reinvigorate experienced union leaders.  The 2006 Labor Short Course will include sessions on:

Workshops will include group problem-solving and skill-building activities.

You will need to reserve and pay for your own housing directly with the Sheraton Hotel (319) 337-4058. A block of rooms is being held under “Labor Short Course” until May 5, 2006, at a rate of $83 plus taxes. 

Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO

Legislative Hospitality

Monday Evenings

5:00 - 7:00

Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO

Lobbyist Meeting

10:30 Monday Mornings

During the Legislative Session