Eric-

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Amber Hard
Iowa PIRG


-----Original Message-----
From: Iowa Discussion, Alerts and Announcements
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Eric G. Hurley
Sent: Monday, January 06, 2003 9:10 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: The Democrats Economic Agenda in the Iowa Legislature

Larry or other Republicans on this list,

Perhaps you have connections within the Republican party that you can
check to
see if they have a similar summary of their initiatives. I'd be very
interested
to see what the Republican leadership (and Democrats too) in the state
legislature plans to do about environmental issues in Iowa (i.e. the
bottle
bill, REAP funding, DNR staffing levels/funding, soil conservation,
water
quality, local control of CAFOs, etc.). What is in the Republican state
platform? Sierra Club is non-partisan, so you are right we should
consider the
positions of each party. But this list relies on the work of each of us
sharing
what we know or can dig up.

I grew up in an era when protecting the environment was not a partisan
issue. I
believe that it should fit into both idealogies. In the past 25 years,
however,
it seems like the Republican party has provided far less leadership and
votes
on pro-environmental legislation than the Democrats.

Eric G. Hurley
Ames, IA

> Debbie,
>
> I am a relatively new member of the Sierra Club and have enjoyed
reading the
> newsletter and articles involving environmental issues and protecting
our
> natural resources.  I appreciate you and your team's efforts in
gathering
> this information and getting these articles to us via email.
>
> This article is a bit of surprise.  There is little if any information
on
> Sierra type issues and it seems a bit one sided.  Will you be
presenting the
> Republican viewpoint in a subsequent article?  You see I am probably a
rare
> breed for you as I am a strong Republican that is a strong believer in
> protecting our environment as a member of the Sierra club.  Many of
the
> points outlined in this political agenda are helpful to our state, but
there
> is an opposite side to any coin.  I was just curious to see if we are
going
> to present that other side of coin viewpoint.
>
> Thank you for your time,
> Larry Lubinus
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Debbie Neustadt [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Monday, January 06, 2003 6:43 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: The Democrats Economice Agenda in the Iowa Legislature
>
>
> Legis.News -- Inside the Iowa Legislature, January 3, 2003
> By House Democratic Leader Dick Myers
>
> MORE TOUGH DECISIONS AWAIT 2003 SESSION
>
> The 2003 legislative session will kickoff on Monday, January 13. Once
> again, due to the
> sluggish economy, the state budget will be extremely tight. Budget
> issues will no doubt
> command most of the headlines from now until adjournment in April.
>
> This will make the third consecutive year of very tough budgeting. In
> the past two years,
> we have slashed state spending significantly. Today, state government
in
> Iowa is spending
> LESS than it did four years ago.
>
> At the same time, thanks to Governor Vilsack's leadership, we have
been
> able to improve
> public schools by reducing class sizes and improving teacher pay. It
is
> a matter of
> establishing priorities and sticking by them.
>
> In difficult budget times, it is crucial to maintain focus on
> priorities. In 2003, House
> Democrats will continue to concentrate on three major areas:
>
> Managing and balancing the state budget.
> Improving the economic security of Iowans today.
> Modernizing Iowa and providing economic growth for our children's
> future.
>
> We cannot let ourselves be sidetracked from these goals. Any diversion
> from these
> priorities would be a waste of our time and taxpayers' money.
>
> I am pleased to hear the public declarations of cooperation coming
from
> the Governor and
> Republican leaders. We serve the public well when we work
collectively,
> and this year will
> require our best efforts.
>
> *************************************************************
> THE DEMOCRATIC AGENDA FOR 2003
>
> Democrats will introduce specific legislation this year to further our
> plan to protect
> Iowans' economic security and foster modernization and growth for the
> future.
>
> Our Democratic agenda includes:
>
> * Making income tax rates more competitive and simplifying tax forms.
> * Taking commercial advantage of university research.
> * Lowering prescription drug costs for seniors.
> * Incorporating character education into all public school curricula.
> * Continuing class-size reductions in elementary grades.
> * Proving insurance parity for mentally illness.
> * Raising the state's minimum wage.
> * Protecting the privacy of Iowans' medical and financial records.
>
> Democrats intend to work from day one to develop and enact this
agenda.
> We look forward to
> working with Governor Vilsack and majority Republicans to that end.
>
> *************************************************************
> CONTACT INFORMATION
>
> For more information and news from the Iowa House of Representatives,
> visit our website at
> <www.iowahouse.org> or call (515) 281-3521.
>

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