A Bit of Encouragement from the Red Mid-West
No small excitement here in Sioux City, IA, where the newly-formed Progressive Women organized a Tax Day march. Iowa, once a blue state with the likes of Senator Tom Harkin and Governor Chet Culver, swung purple and now is officially red with a Republican’t-dominated legislature, Terry “Braindead” Branstad as governor (soon to be ambassador to China!), Senators Charles “Nuclear Option” Grassley and Joni Ernst, and national embarrassment non-representative Steve King.
Some 100 showed up to march around the public library and land in front of the Federal Courthouse to wave signs and chant, all to urge “45” to release his tax returns. I wore my "I'm with the Resistance-Defeat the Trump Agenda" t-shirt. (Pictured are about half the marchers.)
Only one Trump troll showed up to piggyback on the attention the media gave to the legitimate rally-goers. By the way, the Koch funded Americans for Dis-parity office has been closed here. I’m sure it’s not permanent, unless they figure they have a lock on Iowa since the Republican’ts in Des Moines passed ALEC/ScottWalker/Wisconsin-inspired legislation to strip all public unions of bargaining rights – teachers, fire fighters, police, etc.
We have a dozen Earth Day activities planned locally the last week of April, then a Medicare-for-All Rally in May in front of Steve King’s office. Not that he’ll care or pay attention. He holds no “town hall meetings” during Congressional recess.
Our son Pete is taking the tRump threat seriously, buying an all-electric LEAF shortly after the Un-auguration, anticipating that gas prices will soar on more profit taking from the oil barons.
We six adult family members have regular conference calls to plan for a long emergency, to support and hold each other accountable.
Most recently we stopped paying premiums on a sizable life insurance policy that would fund a charity after we die. Why? Because current needs are becoming more critical. People of conscience may well have to dig deeper to fund vital services such as Planned Parenthood.
