Basement blues Typewriter table Steamer trunk William Carlos Williams From driftwood and childhood I made a lamp From German wood and found wood I made a table Basement blues Typewriter table Steamer trunk William Carlos Williams Pack up those basement blues in the steamer trunk and sit with William Carlos Williams and me at the typewriter table and we'll light Our whole world. ~ May 28, 1983
Last night, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds gave the condition of the state address in the House chamber, live broadcast on Iowa Public Television. In it, she introduced this year’s version of her voucher plan, calling it the Students First Act. In part, she said,
Regardless of the reason, every parent should have a choice of where to send their child—and that choice shouldn’t be limited to families who can afford it.Â
Governor Kim Reynolds Condition of the State address, Jan. 10, 2023.
Â
My school choice bill will create education savings accounts for families who choose to send their child to a private school. The State will contribute $7,598 to that account, which is the amount of funding the State provides for each child who attends a public school. Â
Â
For students currently attending a private school, the plan will be phased in, focusing first on the families with the lowest income levels. And in three years, every family will have a choice in education. And no child will be limited by income or zip code.Â
Â
My education plan starts with school choice, but it doesn’t end there. As I said, this is about making sure every child receives a quality education, regardless of the school system they’re in.Â
Senate Study Bill 1022 dropped. Here’s the link to the bill.
There is speculation the bill might get a committee hearing in both the Senate and House today.
I wanted to get this information out on the internet. I’ll have more to say later.
As a mouse chased its tail around in circles. A game of Monopoly unfolds: Mediterranean, Baltic, Ventner, Marvin Gardens. A buffoon in scholarly robes says Life is one big Monopoly game. Simon, in abstinence from intoxicants, says No, it's not. Life is what you perceive it to be. As a mouse chases its tail around in circles. ~ Walling Court, 1974
Music was in the air on Taylor Drive. Songs of California in Iowa, west meeting center on Taylor Drive, a development risen from corn fields. We played music, mixed wild and brown rice with Esther's asparagus. Talk about dawn and beginnings hand-pushed versus power mowers and wedding photographs blending into the night. First guests, with wine from France a rosé for our gustation. ~ Spring 1983
While driving north on Southeast 14th Street in Des Moines, the Iowa State Capitol rose above the horizon in brilliance befitting its 19th Century aspiration. If something happened to the structure, I’m not sure it would be rebuilt with the stunningly beautiful design I witnessed on Saturday.
The 90th Iowa General Assembly begins on January 9. Republicans have a majority in both chambers of the legislature, so Democrats will play defense. Tuesday, Jan. 10, is the governor’s condition of the state address, although we pretty much know what she will say. Despite the Republican trifecta, Democrats stand ready to fight for Iowans like me.
“There’s no question last year was tough for Iowa Democrats, but I’ve got hope. I’m not giving up on my state and the place I’ll always call home. House Democrats are ready to get to work and fight for you and the people of Iowa,” wrote Iowa House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst in an email.
I signed up for the legislative newsletter from my State Senator Dawn Driscoll. If my State Representative Brad Sherman has one, I’ll sign up for it as well. I plan to watch the legislature more closely than I did last year. Eternal vigilance is the price we pay for liberty, according to the July 8, 1817 Vermont Gazette. That is more than evident this year.
Purple tips of Iris emerge
from among green swords
oscillating
in wind too strong for blooms.
We'll move the root stock
to a sheltering place
past the Lilac hedge
where grackles browse...
Mix soil with bone meal
and decaying manure
a bed for bulbs
beneath mulch and wind.
We should get this done
when the blossoms fade
before distraction comes
with summer's calm.
~ Spring 1996
Lost among 15 ballots for Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives this week was news that during the second half of 2022 inflation dropped to near the two percent targeted by the Federal Reserve. Chill on inflation, Republicans. Biden has got the runaway economy your party made well in hand. Combine more normal inflation with the lowest unemployment rate since 1969, and robust jobs growth, the administration should be honking its own horn.
Be assured, the news media is ignoring this positive story. Reporters find the drama and tussles during the speaker votes to be of more interest. Tension among Republicans mounted during voting:
During the final ballot, every Republican got to yes for Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker. We don’t know the extent of concessions McCarthy made to get those votes. We do know there are uncertain waters in our future. Now is the time for Democrats to stay the course.
I will say this about Jan. 6, 2021: American society has bred and indoctrinated some of the dumbest people around. I understand what “Hang Mike Pence” and “Stop the Steal” mean. While repulsive and opposed to our constitutional legacy, the ask was at least coherent: reinstate Donald Trump as president.
As the U.S. House of Representatives elects a speaker for the 118th Congress, we are exposed to all manner of malarkey, including the statement from a U.S. Representative-elect from Georgia that former House Speaker Paul Ryan refused to implement MAGA policy and that’s why he was removed. For some reason, I believe electing a Democratic majority to the U.S. House in 2018, followed by the swearing in of Nancy Pelosi as speaker, was the reason… but what do I know.
House Republicans will do everything possible to make us forget about Jan. 6, 2021. Whether you are a Republican, Democrat, or something else, the nation’s best interests are served by remembering that day, determining what happened, and telling the truth about it. People who broke the law should be brought to justice. Whether we are too dumb as a society to do that is an open question.
A Greyhound Bus leaves the Chicago Terminal several times a day and routinely rolls across the Mississippi River, the Great Plains, and the Rocky Mountains to its destination in the Golden State. Just as frequently, a bus leaves Los Angeles and in silent recognition the drivers pass and wave. Partners conveying anonymous individuals. In Iowa we see these buses and occasionally ride them laden with food and gifts, but mostly we dream a little about the places they are going and then return to more immediate business. After business comes a drink and the sleep that is so sweet in Iowa, while buses move on to the blackness of Chicago and the setting sun of the Golden State. ~ Summer 1974
We must be free to follow our search for knowledge wherever it may lead us. Without regard for what people say, without regard for what already exists. Though it be a long, lonely road, we must go alone, yet in communion with the many who have set out like us. Though we will be alone, we will also be in the best company. ~ Summer 1983
Journey Home
You must be logged in to post a comment.