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Galindez writes: "On Tuesday, January 24th, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI) members held several meetings with lawmakers on issues ranging from clean water to voting rights. At one point they flooded a hallway outside Gov. Terry Branstad's office demanding to speak with the governor and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds before agreeing to read a two-page letter to Branstad's chief of staff outlining agenda."

Hundreds of members of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI) rallied, waved signs, and chanted slogans Tuesday during a day of action at the Iowa Capitol Building. (photo: Des Moines Register)
Hundreds of members of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI) rallied, waved signs, and chanted slogans Tuesday during a day of action at the Iowa Capitol Building. (photo: Des Moines Register)


Iowans Take Fight to State Capitol

By Scott Galindez, Reader Supported News

29 January 17

 

n Tuesday, January 24th, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI) members held several meetings with lawmakers on issues ranging from clean water to voting rights. At one point they flooded a hallway outside Gov. Terry Branstad�s office demanding to speak with the governor and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds before agreeing to read a two-page letter to Branstad�s chief of staff outlining agenda.

Tuesday�s event was held in conjunction with Our Revolution, the Bernie 2016 successor organization. CCI members said their message was to decry corporate influence at the Statehouse and to address �bread and butter issues� including clean water, raising the statewide minimum wage, wage theft, racial justice, and getting big money out of politics.

After spending the morning at the Capitol, the group traveled by bus to a Wells Fargo branch to call for the bank to divest from the Dakota Access Pipeline. Earlier in the day, Donald Trump signed executive orders clearing the way for both the Dakota and Keystone Pipelines.

CCI members who came from across Iowa ranged from students to farmers and landowners.

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Action Fund is a 501 c-4 nonprofit organization dedicated to building social, economic, and environmental justice through community organizing, education, and advocacy.



Scott Galindez attended Syracuse University, where he first became politically active. The writings of El Salvador's slain archbishop Oscar Romero and the on-campus South Africa divestment movement converted him from a Reagan supporter to an activist for Peace and Justice. Over the years he has been influenced by the likes of Philip Berrigan, William Thomas, Mitch Snyder, Don White, Lisa Fithian, and Paul Wellstone. Scott met Marc Ash while organizing counterinaugural events after George W. Bush's first stolen election. Scott moved to Des Moines in 2015 to cover the Iowa Caucus.

Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.

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+19 # Winston P. Nagan 2011-07-22 14:28
It seems that the corporate oligarchy is the most unamerican bunch when it comes to supporting the national interest. Worse still those support the national interest are made to look weird and are marginalized. Right on Ralph. Winston P. Nagan
 
 
+11 # John G Chapman 2011-07-22 16:17
How can we call for corporations to be patriotic? They owe no allegiance to any country. They only owe allegiance to one god -- greed.
 
 
-7 # Rick Levy 2011-07-22 20:17
Quoting John G Chapman:
How can we call for corporations to be patriotic? They owe no allegiance to any country. They only owe allegiance to one god -- greed.


And how. I can't believe that Nader would be so naive as to think otherwise.
 
 
+5 # American Peasant 2011-07-24 20:20
Ralph Nader - does not think "otherwise" - and he is far - from "naive".
 
 
+6 # lark3650 2011-07-22 17:40
There is no patriotic allegiance. Isn't Daniel Akerson a former managing director of the Carlyle Group, and the head of global buyouts? GM is just another way for the Carlyle Group to make $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$
 
 
+3 # Ken Hall 2011-07-23 03:55
There was a time, I witnessed it as a youth, when business leaders had a social conscience and considered a common, shared welfare when making their decisions. I look back on that time with some nostalgia. In this day of greed, "free markets", and irresponsibilit y, citizens need to band together and demand such accountability
 
 
+1 # American Peasant 2011-07-24 20:22
There was a time, especially during WWII, - when some American CEO's worked for $1 a year.

Some actually gave a damn about this country and the American people.
 
 
+1 # Peacedragon 2011-07-23 05:36
There is no way to make corporations patriotic. We can make specific laws that force them to act in ways that are good for our country.
 
 
+3 # rf 2011-07-23 08:07
THey will start to be patriotic when citizen start to burn their office towers to the ground with them in it...then they will become the best Americans in the world!
 
 
+2 # jon 2011-07-23 18:30
This statement by Ralph Nader, however logical, and of course well intentioned, will have as lasting an effect on corporations as a popcorn fart in a desert wind.

Until the fairness in broadcasting act is restored - the one destroyed by Reagan - the ministry of propaganda will continue to be controlled by corporate interests, and enough of the sheep will continue to follow to insure the status-quo.
 
 
0 # brianf 2011-07-23 22:00
These big corporations are inhuman.
 
 
+2 # marilynrssll 2011-07-24 12:02
Nader is not being naive. He is calling upon us - The People - to consciously expect/demand that corporate patriotism be invoked.
 

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