The intense polarization we're seeing amplifies the dangers of a one-party state.
25 years ago, several leaders of both parties implemented a vision of joint training institutes for all three branches – focusing on dispute resolution, ethics, and diversity – is incredibly forward-thinking. It could not be sustained due to funding.
Imagine the impact if elected officials, especially those in the majority, were intentionally trained in the responsibilities that come with that power, including genuine respect for minority viewpoints. A piece of this puzzle is constituents and advocacy groups actively encouraging and supporting their representatives in cross-partisan collaboration. That kind of unified push for cooperation could be a game-changer.
In the late 1990s, the concept for the ‘Institute for Public Leadership’ was developed by and for members of all three branches of government. It included former demo legislators like myself, but also key Republican staff like Liz Isaacson clerk (R)of the Iowa house plus Kay Lazier, House Republican staffer plus kay Williams, Republican appointed head of the’ campaign finance disclosure commission, plus Linda Hanson Director of the department of personnel, leadership from the Supreme Court and the overall court system and other Democrat and Republican legislators or staff.
Courses dealt with ethics, diversity, conflict, dispute resolution, and more.
This was built upon the Rowhay Institute—still going on at university of Wisconsin, which is an Institute for training Midwest legislative leaders.
Art Cullen is definitely a reason to be proud of being Iowan.
As a kid I had heard about Iowa's all in participation in the Civil War to "free the slaves". That was suspect. Yes, freeing the slaves is good, but would I be willing to lay down my life to free someone who I don't even know? When I was about 50, I heard the real story: we fought the Civil War because the South had "free" labor, which was unfair competition. Ah! That makes sense--don't mess with my money.
Also, we had high levels of participation because we had been made a state 15 years before the Civil War and our demographics were skewed young and male--you didn't settle a new state with a bunch of old men and women.
Thanks for this column! It says so much about a lot of states that are bright red now. I live in North Dakota with one party super majority and some of the most backward legislation one could imagine. My two daughters live in Iowa so we trade stories about legislative insanity, which all seems to be the same so these are not original thought on the parts of our legislators. Not sure why we are paying them for these copy and paste pieces of legislation. North Dakota has the state bank and state owned elevator, all done when farmers were being taken to the cleaners by big business. Now oil and coal run our state. Our legislators can’t seem to do anything but bow and scrape to big oil interests, who take the money and go. We used to have senators that knew how to craft a good farm bill. Now our two senators and congresswoman will not even hold a town-hall in the state.
"Iowa lost more sons to the Civil War per capita than any state. We sheltered freed slaves. Iowans ... embraced Tai Dam war refugees and ... the state effort to get them settled here."
Sadly, I no longer recognize the Iowa I loved so many years ago.
I'm reading this just as I heard on the noon news that the Iowa Senate passed legislation banning using state money on diversity, equity and inclusion offices, including in postsecondary schools as well as city and county governments (which I thought had home rule). The bill exempted private colleges. The bill now goes to the Iowa House.
Black Americans make up 17 percent of Waterloo's population and 27 percent of public school students. Among the postsecondary schools in the Cedar Valley, there is 3 percent Black enrollment at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, 7 percent at Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo and 6 percent at Wartburg College in Waverly (where it reportedly is increasing).
This is from an Iowa Public Radio report:
"The bill defines DEI as efforts to promote policies encouraging preferential treatment of people based on race, color or ethnicity.
"Sen. Ken Rozenboom, R-Pella, supported the bill. He says he disagrees with another senator’s comments claiming the opposite of DEI is uniformity, inequity and exclusion.
“ 'I would suggest that the opposite of DEI – diversity, equity and inclusion – is MEI, merit, excellence and intelligence.' ”
I'd like to add to your list, Art! Elkader is named after a Muslim revolutionary and the Iowa Farmers Union lost its charter when it refused to drop its opposition to the Korean War.
Our family came to Storm Lake two years before it was incorporated and some of us have been there continually since that time. My great-grandfather Guyde Malbone & his brother were on the first fire department and helping to build many of the downtown buildings and the Harker house. We had 101 years to hear Grandma Daniels tell us wonderful stories of the years she lived there from 1878 to 1980, and I loved every one. I've loved my teaching career and retirement in the western suburbs of Twin Cities, but I love every trip back to the town where I was raised and look forward to our trip over the 4th of July, but Minnesota fits me well politically!
Reading this on the drive from Texas to be visit Sibley for the first time since1986. Moved away in 1968 having been born there in 1951.
I think my wife of 49 years is going along this trip to get it outbb v of my system. Texas wants to secede( not joking). Our Legislature attacks itself f or not being Conservative enough. They have held all off the State Offices since 1994. Iowa has natural resources Texas lacks. Oil and Gas are consumed and are no more. With proper stewardship, Iowa’s resources could be eternal. Not the way they are going about it. I doubt that I will be anymore welcome in Sibley than in Texas. And about that Civil War,very few Texas troops made it across the Sabine, much less the Mississippi.Just my opinion but a lot of newly minted immigrants made it as far as Keokuk , needed employment, and found themselves in the Army of the Blue.
The intense polarization we're seeing amplifies the dangers of a one-party state.
25 years ago, several leaders of both parties implemented a vision of joint training institutes for all three branches – focusing on dispute resolution, ethics, and diversity – is incredibly forward-thinking. It could not be sustained due to funding.
Imagine the impact if elected officials, especially those in the majority, were intentionally trained in the responsibilities that come with that power, including genuine respect for minority viewpoints. A piece of this puzzle is constituents and advocacy groups actively encouraging and supporting their representatives in cross-partisan collaboration. That kind of unified push for cooperation could be a game-changer.
In the late 1990s, the concept for the ‘Institute for Public Leadership’ was developed by and for members of all three branches of government. It included former demo legislators like myself, but also key Republican staff like Liz Isaacson clerk (R)of the Iowa house plus Kay Lazier, House Republican staffer plus kay Williams, Republican appointed head of the’ campaign finance disclosure commission, plus Linda Hanson Director of the department of personnel, leadership from the Supreme Court and the overall court system and other Democrat and Republican legislators or staff.
Courses dealt with ethics, diversity, conflict, dispute resolution, and more.
This was built upon the Rowhay Institute—still going on at university of Wisconsin, which is an Institute for training Midwest legislative leaders.
This exceptional column is so bittersweet. Thank you for posting it.
Art Cullen is definitely a reason to be proud of being Iowan.
As a kid I had heard about Iowa's all in participation in the Civil War to "free the slaves". That was suspect. Yes, freeing the slaves is good, but would I be willing to lay down my life to free someone who I don't even know? When I was about 50, I heard the real story: we fought the Civil War because the South had "free" labor, which was unfair competition. Ah! That makes sense--don't mess with my money.
Also, we had high levels of participation because we had been made a state 15 years before the Civil War and our demographics were skewed young and male--you didn't settle a new state with a bunch of old men and women.
Thanks for this column! It says so much about a lot of states that are bright red now. I live in North Dakota with one party super majority and some of the most backward legislation one could imagine. My two daughters live in Iowa so we trade stories about legislative insanity, which all seems to be the same so these are not original thought on the parts of our legislators. Not sure why we are paying them for these copy and paste pieces of legislation. North Dakota has the state bank and state owned elevator, all done when farmers were being taken to the cleaners by big business. Now oil and coal run our state. Our legislators can’t seem to do anything but bow and scrape to big oil interests, who take the money and go. We used to have senators that knew how to craft a good farm bill. Now our two senators and congresswoman will not even hold a town-hall in the state.
"Iowa lost more sons to the Civil War per capita than any state. We sheltered freed slaves. Iowans ... embraced Tai Dam war refugees and ... the state effort to get them settled here."
Sadly, I no longer recognize the Iowa I loved so many years ago.
I'm reading this just as I heard on the noon news that the Iowa Senate passed legislation banning using state money on diversity, equity and inclusion offices, including in postsecondary schools as well as city and county governments (which I thought had home rule). The bill exempted private colleges. The bill now goes to the Iowa House.
Black Americans make up 17 percent of Waterloo's population and 27 percent of public school students. Among the postsecondary schools in the Cedar Valley, there is 3 percent Black enrollment at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, 7 percent at Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo and 6 percent at Wartburg College in Waverly (where it reportedly is increasing).
This is from an Iowa Public Radio report:
"The bill defines DEI as efforts to promote policies encouraging preferential treatment of people based on race, color or ethnicity.
"Sen. Ken Rozenboom, R-Pella, supported the bill. He says he disagrees with another senator’s comments claiming the opposite of DEI is uniformity, inequity and exclusion.
“ 'I would suggest that the opposite of DEI – diversity, equity and inclusion – is MEI, merit, excellence and intelligence.' ”
Say it in Waterloo.
I'd like to add to your list, Art! Elkader is named after a Muslim revolutionary and the Iowa Farmers Union lost its charter when it refused to drop its opposition to the Korean War.
Our family came to Storm Lake two years before it was incorporated and some of us have been there continually since that time. My great-grandfather Guyde Malbone & his brother were on the first fire department and helping to build many of the downtown buildings and the Harker house. We had 101 years to hear Grandma Daniels tell us wonderful stories of the years she lived there from 1878 to 1980, and I loved every one. I've loved my teaching career and retirement in the western suburbs of Twin Cities, but I love every trip back to the town where I was raised and look forward to our trip over the 4th of July, but Minnesota fits me well politically!
Don’t forget Wayne Johnson’s culture/kindness partner, Thavy!
Proud to be a fellow Iowan with you, Art.
IOWA: once the bastion of intellectual prowess and now the standing water of conservative idiocracy...
Reading this on the drive from Texas to be visit Sibley for the first time since1986. Moved away in 1968 having been born there in 1951.
I think my wife of 49 years is going along this trip to get it outbb v of my system. Texas wants to secede( not joking). Our Legislature attacks itself f or not being Conservative enough. They have held all off the State Offices since 1994. Iowa has natural resources Texas lacks. Oil and Gas are consumed and are no more. With proper stewardship, Iowa’s resources could be eternal. Not the way they are going about it. I doubt that I will be anymore welcome in Sibley than in Texas. And about that Civil War,very few Texas troops made it across the Sabine, much less the Mississippi.Just my opinion but a lot of newly minted immigrants made it as far as Keokuk , needed employment, and found themselves in the Army of the Blue.