Coming up on September 12, 2009 at 5:30p come out to eat some pork (not the type from Washington, but from the farm) and hear from 2010 Iowa Gubernatorial Race candidates at the Ag Building at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.  The cost of a ticket is $25 and the proceeds go to Iowa Family Policy Center Action.

IFPC Action was actively engaged in the 2008 elections where they helped several family-friendly candidates become lawmakers (one example Representative Kent Sorenson of Indianola who unseated a long-time incumbent).  IFPC Action was also involved in working with and lobbying the Iowa Legislature during the last General Assembly.  They are also tirelessly working to defend marriage in Iowa.

Candidates who have been invited: Senator Jerry Behn, Senate Minority Leader Paul McKinley, Governor Chet Culver, Representative Christopher Rants, Christian Fong, Representative Rod Roberts and Bob Vander Plaats.  So far Behn, Rants, Fong, Roberts, and Vander Plaats have confirmed their attendance.

So come out to enjoy BBQ from Kansas City BBQ and get to hear from the different candidates who attend.  You can purchase your ticket online here.

Source: Caffeinated Thoughts (republished with permission)

Many of you went the distance and participated in Town Hall events during the Congressional August Break.  We are very anxious to hear about your experiences and feedback that you have about the events, Congressmen’s positions, etc.  Obviously, Health Care Reform has been the predominate topic, but there have been some discussions on other crucial topics such as Cap and Trade, Economic Stimulus, Forclosures, etc.  We want to hear from you on any of these topics!

You can leave a comment on this blog post by clicking here, or by sending us an email at info@polkgop.com.  Your thoughts, experiences, positions, or general opinions would be great!  We will put together a montage of these comments in the next week.

We performed some maintenance on the web site over the weekend, and some of you may have had issues accessing the web site, especially Sunday.  We did not expect any impact, but only discovered after completing the work that some people were affected.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Our next Central Committee Meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 25th at 7:00p until 9:30p.

Our meeting location has changed.

It will be held at the Northwest Community Center located at 5110 Franklin Ave. in Des Moines.

See the Facebook event page.

Jim Frogue, Director of State Policy for the Center for Health Transformation, will be a guest speaker at our meeting. He will be talking about the Health Care Bill before Congress. This will be a great opportunity to learn more about this bill and what we can do to prevent a government takeover of our Health System!

More information on Jim at this link.

Meeting Agenda:

Pledge of Allegiance

Speakers

• Jim Frogue, Vice President and Director of State Policy for the Center for Health Transformation (CHT) (60m including Q&A)

Old Business

• Review & Approve Minutes – May 26, 2009 (5m)
• Receive Treasurer’s Report  (5m)
• Miscellaneous Updates (5m)

New Business

• Review and confirm new Executive Committee appointments.  (5m)
• Review and confirm changes to the Central Committee. (5m)
• Polk County Republicans activities since last CC meeting. (5m)
• Committee Reports on Strategic Action Plan (25m)

Open Discussion & Wrap Up (5m)

Post Meeting:

• House District Directors – Get to know District CC Members (10m)

We have the public event schedules for August (at least what has been planned so far) for Leonard Boswell, Tom Harkin and Chuck Grassley.

We encourage everyone to take the time to attend one or more of these events and let your representatives in Congress know where you stand on the issues of today, particularly the Health Care Bill.  They need to hear from us loud and clear.

Here are the public schedules as they exist today (August 9):

Tom Harkin:

Saturday, August 8th – 2:00 P.M.
Des Moines Primary Health Care, Inc.
1200 University Avenue
Des Moines

Sunday, August 9th – Noon
Groundbreaking Ceremony for the new Job Corps Center with Labor Secretary Solis
Industrial Airport Complex
Ottumwa

Monday, August 10th – 9:15 A.M.
Peoples Community Health Center
905 Franklin Street
Waterloo

Monday, August 10th – 11:30 A.M.
Grand Opening of Linn Community Care Center
1201 3rd Avenue SE
Cedar Rapids

Monday, August 10th – 2:00 P.M
American Legion Post #17 (Medal Presentations)
3016 Muscatine Avenue
Iowa City

Tuesday, August 11th – 9:00 A.M.
Eastern Iowa Community College’s Nursing Program
500 Belmont Road
Bettendorf

Tuesday, August 11th – 2:00 P.M
Center for Active Seniors Inc. Center (Medal Presentations)
1035 W. Kimberly
Davenport

Wednesday, August 12th – 10:30 A.M.
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for United Community Health Center
630 Ontario Street
Storm Lake

Wednesday, August 12th – 1:30 P.M.
Ft. Dodge Community Health Center
126 N 10th Street
Ft. Dodge

Wednesday, August 12th – 3:30 P.M.
Main Street Tour
602 Broad Street
Story City

Thursday, August 13th – 9:00 A.M.
Iowa State Fair
State Fairgrounds
Des Moines

Thursday, August 13th – 5:45 P.M.
Main Street Tour
7 North Federal Avenue
Mason City

Friday, August 14th – 9:00 A.M.
North Iowa Area Community College
500 College Drive
104 H McAllister Hall
Mason City

Leonard Boswell:

Wednesday August 5th, 9:30 AM
Senior Center, Knoxville
Topic: Energy

Friday August 7th , 1:30 PM
City Hall, Chariton
Topic: SBA

Wednesday August 12, 1:00 PM
SE 14th Street and E Indianola Ave
SE Corner of Parking Lot
Des Moines
Topic: Groundbreaking of street widening project

Wednesday August 12, 2:00 PM
2109 32nd Street
Des Moines
Topic: First Time Home Buyers

Wednesday August 12, 6:30 PM
State Fair Parade
Des Moines

Thursday August 13, 9:30 AM
Location TBA
Polk City
Topic: Small Business

Thursday August 13, 2:00 PM
Public Library
720 East Jackson Street
Sigourney
Topic: “Listening Post” on Health Care

Friday August 14, 8:30 AM
Horizon Elementary
5905 NW 100^th Street
Johnston
Topic: Boy Scout Project Visit

Friday August 14, 2:00 PM
609 High Street
Grinnell
Topic: First Time Home Buyers

Chuck Grassley:

Madison County Town Hall Meeting
Wednesday August 12, 2009 9:15 – 10:15 AM
Winterset Public Library
123 North 2nd Street
Winterset

Union County Town Hall Meeting
Wednesday August 12, 2009 11:15 – 12:15 PM
Afton City Hall
Council Chambers
115 East Kansas Street
Afton

Guthrie County Town Hall Meeting
Wednesday August 12, 2009 2:30 – 3:30 PM
Panora Community Center
115 West Main Street
Panora

Dallas County Town Hall Meeting
Wednesday August 12, 2009 4:30 – 5:30 PM
Adel Public Library
Meeting Room
303 South 10th Street
Adel

Humboldt County Town Hall Meeting
Monday August 24, 2009 9:00 – 10:00 AM
Rustix Restaurant
716 Sumner Avenue
Humboldt

Palo Alto County Town Hall Meeting
Monday August 24, 2009 11:30 – 12:30 PM
Ruthven Social Center
1503 Rolling Street
Ruthven

Pocahontas County Town Hall Meeting
Monday August 24, 2009 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Pocahontas Public Library
Community Room
14 2nd Avenue NW
Pocahontas

Calhoun County Town Hall Meeting
Monday August 24, 2009 4:15 – 5:15 PM
Rockwell City Community Center on the Square
424 Main Street
Rockwell City

Roundtable Discussion with Auto Dealers*
Wednesday August 26, 2009 8:15 – 9:15 AM
Knoefpler Chevrolet
100 Jackson Street
Sioux City

*Senator Grassley is a guest of Knoefpler Chevrolet. Please contact them with any questions about availability during this meeting.

Plymouth County Town Hall Meeting
Wednesday August 26, 2009 10:15 – 11:15 AM
Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor
24 5th Avenue NW
Business 75 and Highway 3
Le Mars

We have an incredible opportunity to make a difference for the 2009 Iowa General Assembly by switching a Democrat vote to Republican.  But we have to act now!

As you may already know, John Whitaker (D-Hillsboro), from Iowa House District 90, resigned to accept a position with the federal government.  Stephen Burgmeier, a Republican and Jefferson County Supervisor, has been nominated as the Republican candidate for the special election to be held on September 1, 2009.

Do you remember the Labor bill we held off by 1 vote in 2009?  Remember how close Federal Deductability came to being repealed?  In order to cut back the Democrat majority, Stephen needs our help!

This will be a tight race, but we have a candidate that is well known and liked in his district.

Can you help?  Can you take some time to knock on doors in Jefferson, Wapello and Van Buren Counties?  Or can you help with phone calling?  Here are some great opportunities for you to make a difference in the 2010 Iowa Legislative Session:

Door Knocking Weekends:

Saturday, August 8

Saturday, August 15

Saturday, August 22

Saturday, August 29

Phone Calling:

Please contact Mary (info below) to get set up. 

Headquarters:

The campaign office is open Monday through Saturday if you have additional questions.  For the door knocking weekend’s people will gather at the office and then go out to volunteer.

60 South Main Street, Fairfield, IA

—It is at the corner of Burlington and Main Street on the Fairfield Town Square—   Map

To volunteer please contact:

Katie Koberg
Email: katiekoberg@gmail.com
Phone: 515-971-4571

Mary Earnhardt
Email: mkearnhardt@gmail.com
Phone: 515-778-5229

With a capital "P" that stands for "Polk" and that that stands for "Polk City Parade"!!

Please join Representative Erik Helland in the Polk City “Four Seasons” Festival parade this Saturday, July 25 in Polk City.  As part of their city celebration, the parade begins at 10:00 a.m.

Line up is along Parker Boulevard in Polk City and if you can, please wear red shirts.  Due to the summer vacation schedule of many volunteers, Erik would appreciate all the walkers he can gather.

You can just show up or RSVP on Facebook.

Rogers and Hammerstein got the lyrics right. Our Iowa State Fair IS the best State Fair in the land. It is also the perfect opportunity to meet literally thousands of citizens during the 10-day run of the Fair (August 13-23, 2009).

You can help Polk County GOP get out our message to “Rally, Recruit, Register, Retain and Elect Republicans”! As an added bonus you will be helping the Republican Party of Iowa at the same time.

Volunteers are needed to staff the GOP Booth in the Varied Industries building throughout the run of the fair. There are three shifts a day, each consisting of four hours, which pass very quickly when you are speaking to visitors!

Shift Hours are:

• 9am-1pm
• 1pm-5pm
• 5pm-9pm

Anyone signing up for a shift receives an entry ticket into the Fair for the entire day. Two individuals are needed for each shift.

Volunteers will be slotted on a first-come, first-serve basis, please e-mail Lynn McRoberts at lmmcroberts@gmail.com or call 913-226-9143 to volunteer.

We will be walking or riding on the Polk County GOP float for the West Des Moines and Urbandale Fourth of July parades.  If you can join us, here are the details:

WEST DES MOINES PARADE FRIDAY, JULY 3rd

• We will meet as a group at Western Hills Elementary (600 39th Street) at 4:45 pm.
• Even if you aren’t able to meet at 4:45pm, feel free to join us.
• Parade starts at 6:30pm. You need to get to Valley HS by 6:15p, but the sooner the better.
• There is parking at Valley High School on the northwest side just off Valley West. Park in the lot there and then walk over to the staging area.
• Polk GOP is in the red staging area just off Woodland north of the school.
• We will have Polk GOP t-shirts for everyone to wear and candy to pass out.
• Also, we have a trailer and water, so don’t worry about the length of the parade, you will be able to ride the float if you need a break.

URBANDALE PARADE, SATURDAY, JULY 4th

• Parade starts at 10:00am
• We are entry #63- line up at Roseland Dr and 70^th Street in Urbandale by 9:30 am.
• 70^th Street will be shut-down after 9am between Douglas and Urbandale. Please plan accordingly
• Again, we will have t-shirts and candy to pass out.

For more information please contact Lynn McRoberts at: 913-226-9143 or lmmcroberts@gmail.com (email is best during the work day).

Energy Tax Disaster: Congressmen Boswell, Braley, and Loebsack vote to raise energy costs on Iowans by about $400 a year for Iowa families and cost Iowa jobs.

ACTION ITEM: Call Senator Harkin, IMMEDIATELY, and tell him to vote

NO on cap and trade (HR 2454)!

You can reach his Washington, DC office at: 202.224.3254

You can reach him via email at: https://harkin.senate.gov/c/index.cfm

Last Friday was a dark day for our country. Dark because the U.S. House of Representatives, with the support of Iowa’s three Democrat members, voted for energy legislation that will dramatically increase energy costs for Iowa consumers and turn the lights out on Iowa’s economy with staggering job losses.

Congressmen Boswell, Braley, and Loebsack all sided with California’s Nancy Pelosi and Henry Waxman in support of HR 2454, even though data from the Energy Information Administration and Congressional Budget Office show the bill will increase electricity costs in Iowa and most of the rest of the country (while actually lowering them in Pelosi’s and Waxman’s home state of California). Click here for the report.

In fact, with energy costs estimated to rise by $250 million a year in Iowa as a result of this legislation, that equates to nearly $400 annually for an Iowa family of four.

In addition, research from the Heritage Foundation shows Iowa will lose nearly 18,000 jobs by 2012 if HR 2454 becomes law (this is in addition to the more than 90,000 Iowans currently out of work). Click here for the report.

Higher energy costs for Iowa families and fewer jobs for Iowa workers. Reps. Boswell, Braley, and Loebsack have a lot to answer for when they come home to face Iowa voters.

THANK YOU to Republican Congressmen Steve King and Tom Latham. Thank you for standing up for Iowa families, Iowa farmers, and Iowa businesses in opposition to this economy-killing legislation.

Now, it is not too late to stop this terrible legislation from becoming a reality. We need EVERY Iowan to contact Senator Harkin’s office, IMMEDIATELY, and ask him to vote NO on HR 2454 (the cap and trade bill).

You can reach his Washington, DC office at: 202.224.3254

You can reach him via email at: https://harkin.senate.gov/c/index.cfm

Below please find talking points on this legislation from the Republican National Committee:

The so-called “cap and trade” plan proposed by President Obama and Congressional Democrats is nothing more than a huge multi-billion dollar national energy tax that will hit almost every American family, small business and family farm.

• President Obama and Congressional Democrats will tax our lights out — families and businesses will face higher energy costs every time they flip on a light switch, start a car or delivery truck, or manufacture a product.
• Various studies also show that between 1.8 million to 7 million jobs could be lost.
• Those hardest hit by this massive tax will be the poor and middle-class who are already struggling to make ends meet in today’s recession.
• President Obama himself said on the campaign trial that if “cap and tax” were to pass families’ utility bills would “necessarily skyrocket.”
• The American people want energy independence and a cleaner environment without a national energy tax.
• Republicans have a better way – an “all of the above” approach that would lead to lower energy costs, more jobs, a cleaner environment and greater energy independence.
• Republicans want to increase the use of all energy sources that will reduce carbon emissions, especially nuclear, clean-coal and renewable energy technologies.
• Republicans want to increase environmentally-safe energy production to take advantage of abundant supplies of energy right here in America on remote lands and far off our shores.
• Republicans would do all this while reducing frivolous lawsuits and encouraging Americans to conserve energy to preserve and protect our natural resources.

Members of the president’s own party oppose his national energy tax scheme.

• John Dingell (D-MI): “Nobody in this country realizes that cap and trade is a tax, and it’s a great big one.” (Rep. John Dingell, Subcommittee On Energy And Environment, Energy And Commerce Committee, Hearing, 4/24/09)
• Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN): “And you also run the risk of taking jobs away and not actually solving global warming.” (MSNBC’s “Hardball,” 3/25/09)
• Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA): “I just don’t think an economy-wide cap and trade works.” (Gerard Shields, “La. Democrats key figures in federal emissions debate,” The Advocate, 5/2/09)
• Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-LA): “I believe this bill would create an undue burden on families who are already paying too much in energy bills…” (Gerard Shields, “La. Democrats key figures in federal emissions debate,” The Advocate, 5/2/09)
• •Rep. Jason Altmire (D-PA): “Any way you do it, it hurts Pennsylvania, especially western Pennsylvania. I think cap and trade is bad policy.” (Alex Isenstadt, “Cap and trade hits speed bumps,” Politico, 4/27/09)

CALL Senator Harkin, TODAY, and help stop this legislation from becoming a reality. YOUR voice can make a difference, so call Senator Harkin, NOW!

You can reach his Washington, DC office at: 202.224.3254

You can reach him via email at: https://harkin.senate.gov/c/index.cfm

Tired of Democrats taking our country in the wrong direction? Donate, NOW, to the Polk County Republicans by sending your check made out to “Polk County Republicans” to 621 E. 9th Street, Des Moines, IA  50309. Help us continue the fight to take back our state and nation.

Content provided by the Iowa GOP.