Table decoration at the Cupcakes, Cookies and Candidates event in Amana, Iowa on April 24, 2022.
Now that I live in a house district that includes Iowa County, I participate in some Iowa County Democrats’ activities, including yesterday’s Cupcakes, Cookies and Candidates event in Amana. It was a good time for people interested in politics.
The idea of the event was to divide attendees into table groups and have the candidates rotate between tables and answer questions posed by each person. I would prefer to hear all of the answers in the room, yet the format proved to be a success. I enjoyed the efficiency of short answers to many questions. The small groups facilitated getting to know candidates and their personality. The dynamic made it easy to tell who knew their policy, who was full of political malarkey, and who wasn’t ready for prime time.
Democratic candidates present were:
Deidre DeJear, Governor
Michael Franken, U.S. Senate
Glenn Hurst, U.S. Senate
Christina Bohannan, U.S. Congress
John Norwood, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture
Kevin Kinney, Iowa Senate District 46
Elle Wyant, Iowa House District 91
Kristie Wetjen, Iowa County Board of Supervisors
Of these, only Franken and Hurst have a primary contest on the June 7 ballot. The third U.S. Senate candidate, Abby Finkenauer, was invited to the Amana event and did not attend. This is the time for counties to get organized for the general election. Events like this kick off the process.
When I returned home, I cancelled my registration to participate in a Zoom event with the three U.S. Senate candidates. One can take only so much of politics in a weekend. I would have preferred to be working in the garden. There was standing water there Sunday morning so I went to this event. What else would I do?
North Liberty Lightning logo in bricks on April 23, 2022.
The Iowa First District Democratic convention was held at North Liberty High School on Saturday, April 23. It was a hybrid affair with 50-60 attendees on Zoom and another 85 or so people in person. The technology worked and could serve as a model to make Democratic gatherings more inclusive going forward.
I attended in person and was thankful to connect with people I’ve known since 2004 yet haven’t seen since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. The garden was too wet to work the soil, so what else would I do?
Reports from around the district were that traditionally Democratic strongholds flipped to Republican in 2020. It’s a problem for Iowa Democrats. My precinct in Johnson County flipped to red, although as a whole, the county remains a liberal bastion. Attendees had ideas about how to address this issue, yet there were no definitive answers.
A number of candidates sent a video message that played on screens. Among them were Deidre DeJear for Governor, Rob Sand for State Auditor, and John Norwood for Secretary of Agriculture. Christina Bohannan, presumptive nominee and whose district this is, chose to drop a video and skip the convention while campaigning with former Congressman Dave Loebsack in Lee County. If there were only video messages, it would have been better to join the delegates on Zoom.
Three remaining Democrats in the race to become the party’s nominee for U.S. Senate — Abby Finkenauer, Michael Franken and Glenn Hurst — spoke in person and worked attendees. Of the three, Franken and Hurst seem more grounded in the reality of what needs to be done to win the general election. Franken recounted likely parts of his resume Republicans are expected to attack, including his rural roots, military service and even his coaching a Special Olympics team. Hurst is a physician and member of the Minden City Council. He is also chair of the Iowa Democratic Party rural caucus and well versed in what faces Democrats working to regain a foothold in Iowa. Both of them have an active schedule of events around the state.
Finkenauer’s way of speaking may play well among liberal audiences, yet there are not enough liberals in the state for Democrats to win without bringing like minded non-Democrats into the fold. To the extent urban areas favor Democrats, Finkenauer has a strong base there. She is leading the primary race in recent polls.
I would feel better about a Finkenauer nomination if she had won her last congressional race. I do not support her campaign position of term limits. If we get a good, Democratic U.S. Senator, why would we arbitrarily say after two terms they are done. Each election could limit time in office. It was annoying that she disregarded the time limit on her speech to the convention, but she’s a politician. What are you going to do? She is not my first choice. I told Franken I would be in his corner for the primary.
Whoever is our nominee, Republicans are expected to rally around incumbent Chuck Grassley, and political action committees will dump millions of dollars into a campaign. If Grassley doesn’t die first, he will be difficult to defeat.
I ate lunch with a number of long-time Democrats, including John Dabeet who is well-known for promoting international cooperation and understanding. He recently received the Palestinian Person of the Year award from the Palestinian Lady of the Earth Foundation. His brother, who lives in Palestine, accepted the award on his behalf due to travel restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic.
We shared stories of our interaction with Grassley and my question was whether the senator was his own person on international affairs or took his guidance from others. At an event, Grassley told me he took his advice on nuclear weapons issues from then Senator Jon Kyl who was the Republican advocate during Senate ratification of the New START Treaty. Grassley said he didn’t invest much time in the issue and followed Kyl’s lead. Dabeet said he had been having personal conversations about Palestinian issues with Grassley for 20 years. Dabeet believes Grassley takes his guidance on Palestine from others, including the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC. No argument at our lunch table that Chuck Grassley needs to go.
The two Democratic Secretary of State candidates running in the June 7 primary also spoke in person. Joel Miller of Robins spoke first and had good ideas to undo parts of recent Republican restrictions on voting. Eric Van Lancker of Clinton spoke later and assessed how to fix voting laws Republicans passed. Van Lancker discussed issues with delegates in the convention hall for quite a while after his speech. I am leaning toward Van Lancker yet could support either in the general election. Incumbent Paul Pate needs to go.
After voting for state central committee members I packed my bag and headed home. The only remaining item was platform, something which seems increasingly irrelevant in 21st Century politics. The electorate has become so diverse, and we need substantial support from non-Democrats to win elections. The usefulness of having a platform has seen better days.
I can’t say I read the entire platform since the ancient days when I was newly married and on the platform committee. Once we regain a more permanent majority in governance we can talk meaningfully about having a platform. It wont be during the 2022 election cycle.
In retrospect, Earth Day has been a bust. It turned into an annual reminder among privileged Americans to do something about environmental degradation. It became a do-nothing tradition that had little material impact on the environment.
It would have been better to pursue social justice, elimination of poverty, or equal protection under the law, right from the beginning. All paths would lead to improving the environment regardless of the starting point.
Charles C. Mann wrote about the elitist nature of Earth Day in his book The Wizard and the Prophet: Two Remarkable Scientists and Their Dueling Visions to Shape Tomorrow’s World:
So ineradicable was the elitist mark on conservation that for decades afterward many on the left scoffed at ecological issues as right-wing distractions. As late as 1970, the radical Students for a Democratic Society protested the first Earth Day as Wall Street flimflam meant to divert public attention from class warfare and the Vietnam War; the left-wing journalist I.F. Stone called the nationwide marches a “snow job.”
The Wizard and the Prophet: Two Remarkable Scientists and Their Dueling Visions to Shape Tomorrow’s World by Charles C. Mann, page 81.
As data from the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii indicates, carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere continue to increase. The latest reading was yesterday at 420.25 ppm. We may not have understood the significance of such a small part of Earth’s atmosphere on the first Earth Day, but we do now and the numbers continue to roll upward at what can be described as a steady pace. It is as if the environmental movement accomplished nothing.
A climate crisis is happening in plain view. The folks at The Dark Mountain Project described it like this in their April newsletter:
The climate disaster unfolding around us is itself a convergence between the breakdown of ancient organic matter and modern industrial ambition, technology, greed and carelessness, a calamitous meeting of worlds.Â
Email from The Dark Mountain Project, April 15, 2022.
However one describes the climate crisis, part of our problem in taking action to remediate it is we don’t have the intellectual skills to understand environmental degradation or what actions would be effective in reversing it. Likewise, current society has limited functioning methods to take action without a calamitous incident precipitating a need big enough to gain political consensus.
When in 1985 the scientific journal Nature revealed that over Antarctica, a hole in the ozone layer had formed, exposing humans to the sun’s cancer-causing ultraviolet rays, reactions were mixed.
At the time, President Ronald Reagan was in the White House. Environmental policy hadn’t been a priority for him and his advisers, who were more focused on fighting the creep of Cold War communism or federal involvement in issues they believed the states should handle. Even the revelation of the ozone hole didn’t change things–or at least not right away. In fact… Reagan’s Secretary of the Interior Donald Hodel was ridiculed in the press for reportedly saying in a meeting that an international treaty wasn’t necessary to address the damage and that Americans should just put on sunscreen and wear hats.
Reagan Administration Officials at First Dismissed the Ozone Hole. Here’s What Changed by Olivia B. Waxman. Time Magazine, April 10, 2019.
As we know now, the Montreal Protocol, the first-ever global treaty to reduce pollution and phase out chlorofluorocarbons, gained Reagan’s support and was agreed in 1987. The U.S. Senate ratified the treaty unanimously the following year. Our current political environment has degraded to a point where such common-sense action is no longer possible.
Bill Anders’ Earthrise photograph reminds us of Earth’s suspension in the vast darkness of the universe. We are unique, and dependent on each other on this our only home. For complex reasons, we understand the risks of further environmental degradation and the warming of the atmosphere. We have been unwilling to take adequate action and Earth Day isn’t helping.
The kitchen and garden composters are in position for the 2022 growing season. The pace of my garden work slowed in recent years yet I keep at it. Yesterday I made progress in the plot to be used for leafy green vegetables. Plot prep work has become straightforward, routine. I work for a while and then take a rest. Quickly the work is done and the soil ready for planting.
Rain is forecast today, beginning around 9 a.m. and continuing most of the day. I hope to get an hour or two of spading done before it begins. After that I’ll go to the grocery store for provisions.
I made a second burn pile and ignited it. The intent was to clean up the area around the plot. I burned deteriorating pallets and brush. While I was working the fire, an ember got caught in my jeans and burned a hole through them. I didn’t notice until it began to burn me. No harm done, though. My clothing became imbued with smoke.
Eventually, I will make a commitment about what vegetables and herbs go where. Thursday is forecast to be a great day for gardening and I set aside a full six-hour shift. If all goes well, by the end of it, the next plot will be finished.
There is a lot going on in society right now. So much there is inadequate time for reflection. For the time being, I’ll write about gardening while I consider the rest.
High winds blew the row cover off the frame multiple times on Monday. I went outdoors and fixed it. I ended up using landscaping stakes to secure it in 40+ miles per hour wind. By sundown, the wind slowed. It was too late to get back to the garden.
By the time I return home after a morning appointment in Cedar Rapids, it should be warm enough to try gardening again. The good part about the delay is I had ample time to evaluate how to rearrange the next plot for planting. I decided to move the large composter over the remaining roots of the now gone locust tree to assist in its decomposition. I plan to get rid of the pallets that have been on the plot for a few years and store fence posts in the garage. This will increase the planting area, something sorely needed this year.
If I can get seeds in the ground, tomorrow’s rain will be good for them.
Seedlings are indoors. These trays plus four more under the grow light make 17. Half of them should already be in the ground.
The forecast is cold and windy today: marginal for working in the garden. As temperatures climb to around 40 degrees, the wind is forecast to pick up, resulting in a wind advisory beginning after lunch with gusts up to 45 miles per hour. Once the sun rises, I’ll go out and see what can be done before that starts. I’m not hopeful. Both seeds and seedlings need to get into the ground. Like with everything about gardening, it is culture rather than an exact science. There is flexibility.
I spent part of Sunday transferring germinated tomato seeds from the channel tray into full-sized soil blocks. I made 150 seedlings (bottom right of the photo) and plan to make another tray of slicers once I move some of the plants into the garden and greenhouse. The replacement greenhouse is not expected until next week so space is restricted. Tomatoes are an important garden crop and getting the right number at the right stage is important.
This year, I’m planting tomatoes in three plots. There will be a large space for slicers, one for plums, and another for cherries. The slicers are a mix of colors and will mostly be used fresh. Roma are for canning and I am trying San Marzano tomatoes for the first time. I’m also planting more Amish Paste along with Speckled Roman and Granadero. Cherry tomatoes are a basic and produce for a long season.
I’m hopeful for another great year of tomatoes. With 19 varieties the prospects are good.
On Friday, April 15, the Iowa Supreme Court overturned a lower court decision to remove U.S. Senate Candidate Abby Finkenauer from the June 7 Democratic primary ballot. The court was concerned with three signatures on Finkenauer’s nominating papers. There is plenty of news coverage about the 7-0 decision to put her back on the ballot so I won’t go into those details. I’m getting tired of the courts having to be involved in close calls regarding our elections.
Partly, my upbringing brought me to this place. My father worked hard to elect John F. Kennedy president in 1960. We discussed his neighborhood canvassing at the family dinner table. When he finished our neighborhood, the meat cutters union gave him another geography to canvass. It was my first awareness of elections and although Richard Nixon won Iowa that year, JFK won the presidency and I felt we benefited from having a Democrat in the White House.
When JFK was assassinated, and Lyndon Baines Johnson assumed the presidency, it was a shock. LBJ decided to run for reelection in 1964 and won in a landslide the likes of which have not been repeated. They didn’t need courts to decide diddly squat in 1964 because the margin of victory was so large. LBJ went on to pass a stunning amount of significant legislation. I assumed voters had seen the light and every presidential election would be like the one in 1964. I was young.
There have been recent close races. The 2000 election stands out as the one in which the U.S. Supreme Court got involved, stopped vote-counting in Florida, and effectively gave the win to George W. Bush. Those of us in Iowa’s Second Congressional District still feel the burn from the 2020 election in which Mariannette Miller-Meeks won by six votes over Rita Hart. Hart wisely decided to give up her appeals once it became clear the U.S. House of Representatives did not have the votes to pursue every legal recourse in her case. In retrospect, Hart had the votes to win, although she couldn’t get them recognized in time for state certification of the election, which prevailed. It rots when the vote is so close and the courts get involved.
I came of political age at a time when the basic tenant of elections was a campaign needed 50 percent of votes cast plus one to win. A win is a win, after all. I didn’t recognize it at the time, yet that was a turn for the worse. We became acculturated in the numbers and techniques of campaigning rather than standing for things as a first priority. My reeducation in this process began in 2004 and it has been a downward spiral ever since. That is, until I realized that Republicans had developed a better ground game and that Democrats couldn’t continue the way we were going and win.
Some progressives couldn’t believe Finkenauer had so few signatures on her petition that challenging three of them would get her thrown off the ballot. If 19 counties with at least 100 signatures in each is the bar, get 25 counties with 150 signatures in each, some opined. What else were Democrats doing in the weeks before the filing deadline?
I am neutral about Republicans challenging some of the petition filings. Was it political? Of course it was. Shame on the party that doesn’t review the opposition’s work for compliance. Finkenauer’s campaign took an unfortunate hit because of the incident. Can she recover and win the primary? She’s been leading in the polls and rank and file primary voters will likely take the lawsuit with a grain of salt and not change their voting plans. We’ll know for sure on June 8. If I were Finkenauer, I’d be working now to make sure she gets enough votes to win the primary outright and avoid a convention.
To be of any use to the electorate, Democrats should win every election outright, without needing courts to get involved. Finkenauer’s case highlights we are not there yet.
I planted seed potatoes on Good Friday as is tradition. It was unclear they would make it into the ground on the designated day, but they did.
We enjoy a few potatoes fresh from the ground in July. Our annual consumption is about 100 pounds for two of us, so potatoes are not a dietary mainstay. The reason I plant them at all is for crop and menu diversity. I use raised containers because one year rodents got more than we did.
I emptied the containers and refilled them with soil from around them. I added compost from the kitchen composter along with some fertilizer. I planted nine or ten seeds in each container and hope for the best. Potatoes can be a staple food. Organic potatoes are widely available in our area if we run out.
It’s another cold day in Big Grove. The sun is out, wind is down, so once it warms above 40 degrees, I’ll resume work on the plot with newly planted potatoes. If everything goes well, I’ll direct seed peas, beets, turnips and carrots. My farmer friends already have theirs in the ground. When the fencing is up, kohlrabi, collards and some kale seedlings are ready for planting. If good weather holds it will be a busy time until Memorial Day.
Waiting for better weather to install the boat docks on the lake.
Some parts of the county reported wind gusts of 60 miles per hour yesterday. The National Weather Service counted eight tornadoes in Iowa. The wind lifted my greenhouse from its base and rolled it along behind my neighbor’s home. The main outdoors work was dealing with the wind.
Wind is expected to die down today. After my conference call I should be able to work in the garden. I plan to continue deconstructing a plot for peas and greens. I’ll transplant tomato seedlings from the channel tray where they germinated to soil blocks. This is Good Friday, the traditional day to plant potatoes. The potato seeds are cut, seasoned and ready to go into the ground. Four packets of seeds arrived from the seed company which need to get planted in blocks and placed on the heating pad to germinate. It will be a busy day.
In addition to dealing with wind, I had my annual diabetes screening with my ophthalmologist. The good news is there is no evidence of diabetes in images of my retina. Cataracts are progressing toward needing surgery in five or more years. For now I can see clearly and if I use the new eyeglasses prescription things will be in focus. He dilated my pupils and I was disorientated most of the day. Not wanting to drive home immediately after dilation, I went to a nearby retail store and walked around until my eyesight recovered enough to drive. I brought home a load of mostly organic fruit and vegetables.
I’m reading The Wizard and the Prophet by Charles C. Mann. I had not known much about either of its main subjects, Norman Borlaug and William Vogt. This is a good time to take up this study because how civilization interacts with the environment is a key modern consideration. The book outlines two main approaches. I lean toward Vogt’s “carrying capacity” approach, with some caution. While Borlaug won a Nobel Prize for his work with plant genetics, hybrid seeds and industrial-scale agriculture are part of our current environmental problems.
I’d like to get back to normal yet I don’t know what that means any longer. Spring, while blustery, has sprung.
During yesterday’s drive to Des Moines precipitation was a mix of sleet, snow and rain. We are supposed to be finished with winter, so instead of a “wintry mix” let’s call it a “springery mix.” High winds were freezing cold when I made a rest stop.
The garden is behind and getting further behind each day. Ambient temperatures today are forecast at 30 degrees the next few hours with wind gusts up to 45 miles per hour during the day. I pulled trays of seedlings out of the greenhouse and brought them indoors again. They are progressing, yet slowly.
At least the garlic looks good, with only a couple of dead spots. Garlic is great yet a person can’t live on it.
Onion starts are to arrive from the seed provider this week. They will sit on the workbench until the soil dries and I can get into the garden to prepare the bed. The onions and shallots I started from seed need planting as the starter soil appears to be exhausted of nutrients. We are not in a good place.
This morning I have an appointment across the lakes after which we’ll see if any gardening can be done today. I may be relegated to transplanting tomatoes to larger soil blocks and seeding the next wave of vegetables. Will take it one day at a time.
Journey Home 
You must be logged in to post a comment.