Greenwald faces obstacles on path to nomination

Becky Greenwald knew she would face challenges in her run for the Democratic nomination to take on 4th District incumbent Rep. Tom Latham.

First, the state has never elected a woman to Congress. Second, she herself has never run for office before. Third, and some say most important, she knew she could never match the fundraising abilities of one of her primary opponents for the nomination, Kurt Meyer, who has donated $100,000 to his own campaign.But, Greenwald does have a few aces up her sleeve, most notably the support and encouragement of former Gov. Tom Vilsack and his wife, Christie, Des Moines civil rights attorney Roxanne Conlin and almost the entire Garst family. Recently, she also received the endorsement of The Des Moines Register.

Greenwald has worked in agriculture for the past 22 years with Garst Seed Co. and Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. She also serves as chair of the Dallas County Democratic Party.

Here is where she stands on the issues:

The economy

“The working class in this country is really getting squeezed. It’s time to repeal [President] Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy, but we also need to provide a livable minimum wage. A family should be able to afford a roof over their head and meals on the table without working three or four jobs, and that has become the reality for far too many people. It’s time to bring the minimum wage up and adjust it for the cost of living.”

Health care

“We can’t continue in the stalemate we’re currently engaged in. We have to do something to make sure every American has access to quality, affordable health care. We should let people buy into the programs that are available to their elected officials and government employees, and then put in place a sliding scale for premiums to make it affordable for everyone.

“We also have to get prescription drug prices under control. It’s time we let Medicare negotiate drug prices, as well as import drugs from Canada.

“This is something we have to get figured out, and in Washington, it would be something I focused very closely on.”

The war in Iraq

“It’s time to work on a safe, logical plan to immediately withdraw our troops from Iraq. And once we get them home, we have to keep our promise to them in terms of health care and education.

“I’ve had the fortune to travel the world as part of my career, and all over the world people have lost respect for our government. They still love Americans, but they don’t trust our government anymore. We’ve lost our moral compass, and it is time we earned back the respect of our friends and allies.”

Education

“Affordability is key when it comes to higher education. We need more money for federal grants, and we need to crack down on unscrupulous lenders who prey upon students.

“We need to provide funding so universities can train for the jobs of the future. In Iowa, that obviously means jobs in renewable energy, like wind and biofuels.

“I also want to invest more in early childhood education and repeal No Child Left Behind.”

Rep. Tom Latham

“I don’t think we’ve been represented very well. He’s become a wing man for the Bush administration, giving tax credits to oil companies while gas prices soar, voting against the minimum wage while families struggle, voting against stem cell research which could offer so much hope to so many people. It has become apparent that Tom Latham doesn’t represent the values and views of his constituents.”