Approximately 25 staff members at the Anamosa State Penitentiary (ASP) took part in an informational picket on August 29.

The ASP employees, with the cooperation of AFSCME (American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees) began picketing a 11:30 a.m. and expected to resume the picket until 3:30 p.m.
The staff members carried signs that read: We are Short of Staff and Hire More Correctional Officers Now. The picket comes on the heels of an assault on a correctional officer at the institution two weeks ago.

Danny Homan, President of AFSCME Council 61 was on hand to show his support for the ASP staff.

“I’m here today to walk with these officers to show my concern for staffing,” Homan said. “We think it’s time that the public understand that we are under staffed.”

Homan said AFSCME and ASP employees are asking for the public’s help by voicing concerns about potential safety issue at the ASP and other correctional facilities around the state.

Culver spoke to supporters and shared his Back to School plan that includes four pieces to raising the bar in education in Iowa; expanding Iowa’s accredited early education programs, raising teacher salaries to the national average or better, creating innovative programs for new graduates who remain in Iowa to teach, and making college more affordable and accessible for Iowa students.

Culver feels strongly about making changes in Iowa’s education system, “We are 41st in the nation and I have made a commitment to get Iowa to at least the national average or better in teacher pay. I also want to close the gap between urban school districts and rural school districts when it comes to teacher pay there’s an average of $11,000 gap in teacher pay. You’re talking about teachers that are doing the same job but not getting compensated for it.”

When it came to discussing minimum wage, Culver had this to say, “We can’t wait on Washington any longer, the state has to take the lead here. And so I propose raising it to as much as $7.25 an hour. That is an issue that I feel very strongly about and will fight to get done as Governor.”

Raising the minimum wage for 250,000 Iowans would give them a raise of $4,000 and for some that would mean climbing above the federal poverty level.

The Iowa Power Fund is Culver’s detailed alternative energy plan. It involves a $100,000 million commitment over the first four years using wind, solar, Bio-mass, and Geo-Thermal. Culver is looking to create an Iowa lab, even a Silicon Valley of the Midwest in Iowa. Culver had high personal energy for this topic and shared his future vision for Iowa, “Perhaps become one of the first states in the nation to declare independence from foreign oil and price gouging big oil companies. I mean Iowa’s positioned better than any state in the nation and I have a plan to jump start these opportunities. The exciting thing is, this could really get our economy going and create the jobs of tomorrow right here in Iowa.”

When asked where the $100 billion dollars would come from, Culver said, “Well we’re currently committing $50 million a year for ten years to the Iowa Values Fund. So I think we need to redirect some of that money into alternative energy and renewable fuel. At the same time create some kind of a rural value fund. You know, that’s been one of my concerns with the values fund is getting enough of those resources directly to places like Anamosa, McGregor and Maquoketa we need to have a better balance between urban and rural economic development and alternative energy is our ticket. And the Values Fund is a good way to direct some of those resources.”

The highly detailed energy plan of Culver and his team can be seen at his campaign web site www.chetculver.com.

Culver plans to pick up votes in this area because he has strong Iowa ties and has been elected twice as Secretary of State. As a fifth generation Iowan, Culver’s roots are very deep and he feels he represents Iowa values.

“I’m close to the State government here, having worked in the executive branch for eight years. I’ve been to every county numerous times. I’ve been to schools. I’ve taught, I’ve coached in public schools in Iowa. It’s all Iowa experience. There’s a real difference–It’s the issues that matter the most. The real difference is while I’ve been in the classroom fighting for teachers, Jim Nussle’s voted 100 times in Washington D.C. in sixteen years to cut education. It’s the record that counts, not the rhetoric. One promise I’m making that no one’s going to work harder as a candidate or as governor and I think Iowans expect that,” he concluded.

A former Anamosa man was killed on August 25 when a metal strap winch flew from a truck and went through his windshield near East Wenatchee, WA.

Bruce Gearhart, 33 was pronounced dead at the scene after receiving massive head injuries resulting from the accident. (See obituary page 13A.)

The driver of the truck, Wilfredo De Jesus, 53, of Pasco, WA was arrested and taken to the Chelan County jail on a charge of suspicion of first-degree failure to secure a load. The charge is a criminal offense in Washington state and commonly known as Maria’s law.

De Jesus was traveling eastbound on Highway 28 in a Freightliner truck with an oversized load. Gearhart was traveling westbound when the winch fell off the trailer and struck his car.

Gearhart, of Stockton, CA, who was driving a rental car, was in Washington to work.

Maria’s law is named after Maria Fedrici of Renton, WA. She was disfigured and blinded after an entertainment center came off a trailer and crashed through her windshield in February of 2004.

De Jesus is only the second person charged under this law. It carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $5,000 fine.

Currently the state of Iowa has no similar law on the books.