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Open letter to readers: Today and tomorrow

By Lynda Waddington | 11.17.11

Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.

ACS lockout continues; plan emerges to repeal sugar protections

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By Virginia Chamlee | 11.15.11

A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.

Cain campaign: Farmers know more about regulations than EPA

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By Andrew Duffelmeyer | 11.15.11

The chairman for Herman Cain’s Iowa effort says the campaign “relied more on the word of farmers than Washington regulators” in deciding to run an ad containing claims the Environmental Protection Agency says are false.

Mathis wins, Democrats maintain Senate control

Liz Mathis
By Lynda Waddington | 11.08.11

The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.

Press Release

PR: Nation should work to address veterans’ challenges

By Press Release Reprints | 11.11.11

BRUCE BRALEY RELEASE — As US involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan ends, it’s more important than ever that our nation works to address the challenges faced by the men and women who fought there.

PR: Honoring veterans, help in hiring

By Press Release Reprints | 11.11.11

CHUCK GRASSLEY RELEASE — A difficult job market is challenging the soldiers, sailors and airmen who have protected America’s interests by serving in the Armed Forces.

PR: In honor of America’s veterans

By Press Release Reprints | 11.11.11

TOM LATHAM RELEASE — No one has done more to secure the freedom enjoyed by every single American than our veterans and those currently serving in the armed services.

PR: Honoring and supporting our nation’s veterans

By Press Release Reprints | 11.11.11

DAVE LOEBSACK RELEASE — Veterans Day is an opportunity to reflect on the service of generations of veterans and to honor the sacrifices they and their families have made so that we may live in peace and freedom here at home.

Study finds poor hardest hit by floods

By Jason Hancock | 08.13.08 | 11:14 am

A report released yesterday by the Iowa Fiscal Partnership found that June floods that devastated many parts of Iowa particularly affected low-income residents, a fact that should be taken into account as the rebuilding efforts move forward.

The group, which is a joint initiative of the Child and Family Policy Center and The Iowa Policy Project, focused on the Cedar Rapids area, which suffered the most damage because of the floods. Their research showed the poverty rate of those in the flood-affected area of Cedar Rapids was 12.9 percent — about 77 percent higher than that of the city generally and more than twice as high as Linn County overall. It also compared with an 8.8 percent poverty rate for the state.

“Those directly affected by flooding in Cedar Rapids live and work in areas that are substantially poorer than most of their community and the state,” said Charles Bruner, executive director of the Child & Family Policy Center.

David Osterberg, president of the Iowa Policy Project, said flood relief must be “timely, targeted and transitional.”

“[Policies] have to be implemented when they can effectively help, they have to be able to reach those most directly affected and in need of assistance, and they need to be temporary with time-specific goals,” he said.

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Comments

  • http://www.essentialestrogen.com Lynda Waddington

    The Time Check and Czech Village areas are definitely older neighborhoods with many working-class families, but I’m not sure if this report completely hits the mark.

    That is, I question if it is correct to judge a person’s wealth based solely on his/her yearly income. Because these were older neighborhoods, my guess would be that many of the homes occupied by owner were paid for or nearly paid for. Many property owners had begun to make or had completed enhancements and improvements — new electrical, plumbing, additions, etc. Even those still making mortgage payments were most likely making much smaller payments than those who live in newer areas of the city.

    I guess what I’m trying to get at is the definition of poor and wealthy. Is the person who makes $100,000 per year and spends 80 percent of that on various payments more wealthy than the person who makes $50,000 per year and has committed only 50 percent? Is a person who makes $25,000 per year, but has lived sparingly and accumulated savings and retirement accounts considered to be poverty stricken? What about the person who makes $30,000 per year but has sacrificed for years in order to purchase his/her own home and now lives without a mortgage payment?

    Instead of making this correlation between poor and wealthy, I think the information would have been much more useful — and much more true to life — if the group would have researched which families lost their largest investment and how difficult it will be for those families to replace or repair that investment.

  • http://www.essentialestrogen.com Lynda Waddington

    The Time Check and Czech Village areas are definitely older neighborhoods with many working-class families, but I'm not sure if this report completely hits the mark.

    That is, I question if it is correct to judge a person's wealth based solely on his/her yearly income. Because these were older neighborhoods, my guess would be that many of the homes occupied by owner were paid for or nearly paid for. Many property owners had begun to make or had completed enhancements and improvements — new electrical, plumbing, additions, etc. Even those still making mortgage payments were most likely making much smaller payments than those who live in newer areas of the city.

    I guess what I'm trying to get at is the definition of poor and wealthy. Is the person who makes $100,000 per year and spends 80 percent of that on various payments more wealthy than the person who makes $50,000 per year and has committed only 50 percent? Is a person who makes $25,000 per year, but has lived sparingly and accumulated savings and retirement accounts considered to be poverty stricken? What about the person who makes $30,000 per year but has sacrificed for years in order to purchase his/her own home and now lives without a mortgage payment?

    Instead of making this correlation between poor and wealthy, I think the information would have been much more useful — and much more true to life — if the group would have researched which families lost their largest investment and how difficult it will be for those families to replace or repair that investment.

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